Inspiredsmile

I received my phone call from the Dr. office today that I am to be at the Hospital at 11:30. Looks like I will get to sleep in on my first day off work. I have been suffering a headache all day, but other then that I am feeling pretty excited. That is even after watching two videos of the sleeve surgery on Youtube. I think it grossed my husband out, but I found it pretty interesting to see what exactly they are going to do. I do feel like I have researched and prepared these last 6 months about as much as possible.

I received my phone call from the Dr. office today that I am to be at the Hospital at 11:30. Looks like I will get to sleep in on my first day off work. I have been suffering a headache all day, but other then that I am feeling pretty excited. That is even after watching two videos of the sleeve surgery on Youtube. I think it grossed my husband out, but I found it pretty interesting to see what exactly they are going to do. I do feel like I have researched and prepared these last 6 months about as much as possible.

So this pass Thursday was support group at the Barbaric's.Office. The place was packed! Between post Surgery and pre surgery patients and some support friends there had to be 200 people in that room. This month there was a panel of 6 people who had the surgery 8 months out or longer. We had about an hour of question and answer time. It was so helpful to hear their experiences and see how well they were doing. I am looking forward to one day sharing my success story.
 
I was lucky enough to spend this weekend at the beach. It was a challenge to not want all the great food on the boardwalk, but I was strong. The 11th is fast approaching, I can hardly wait to start this next phase of the journey.

Today I met with my surgeon. This was the second time of every talking with him. The first time was 6 months ago. I was excited to go back in and show him how hard I have worked these past 6 months. The nurse was so nice and so positive. She complimented my dress and said too bad it won't fit you much longer. : ) Happy thought! I weighed in at 222 making it a total of 48 pounds loss since my first appointment last February!
 
Dr. Ku came in and was so great to talk with. He said he could hardly recognize me from the photo that they had taken back on that first appointment. (New hair style, new hair color, and weight loss). The Dr. went over my test results from my EKG and Blood work. Everything was in the normal ranges. So it is full steam ahead. The next time I will see Dr. Ku will be Wednesday morning September 11th for SURGERY!
 
After work today I went to savemart and stocked up on my vitamins, Calcium Citrate, B12 and protein mix. Everything came to $160. That was painful, but think of the grocery money that we won't be spending, not to mention eating out.
 
I have been getting a lot of support from my co-workers at work. I am glad I shared about my surgery, because at first I wasn't so sure I wanted anyone to know. Now I tell everyone who will listen!

Today I met with my surgeon. This was the second time of every talking with him. The first time was 6 months ago. I was excited to go back in and show him how hard I have worked these past 6 months. The nurse was so nice and so positive. She complimented my dress and said too bad it won't fit you much longer. : ) Happy thought! I weighed in at 222 making it a total of 48 pounds loss since my first appointment last February!
 
Dr. Ku came in and was so great to talk with. He said he could hardly recognize me from the photo that they had taken back on that first appointment. (New hair style, new hair color, and weight loss). The Dr. went over my test results from my EKG and Blood work. Everything was in the normal ranges. So it is full steam ahead. The next time I will see Dr. Ku will be Wednesday morning September 11th for SURGERY!
 
After work today I went to savemart and stocked up on my vitamins, Calcium Citrate, B12 and protein mix. Everything came to $160. That was painful, but think of the grocery money that we won't be spending, not to mention eating out.
 
I have been getting a lot of support from my co-workers at work. I am glad I shared about my surgery, because at first I wasn't so sure I wanted anyone to know. Now I tell everyone who will listen!

Six months of waiting and today I was able to schedule my surgery. 28 days from now I will being heading to LGH for a procedure called the Sleeve Gasrectomy. I feel so excited! I have met with my nutritionist once a month for the last 6 months, and have really come a long way in the way that I think about food. I have attended cooking demos, support groups, met with a behavior Specialist and had one on one instruction on strength building. The results I have lost 45 pre surgery pounds. I am so ready for the next step.

I'm 2 and 1/2 months out of surgery and 62 lbs down. I went shopping for the first time a couple of weeks ago and bought size 16's! Last time I went 22's were tight! It made me so happy that one of my big goals is within reach - shopping in 'regular' stores.
 
I'm jogging 3 miles now and really finding it rewarding and a wonderful excuse to have some "ME" time away from Dear Husband and my 4 boys.
 
I survived the Iowa State Fair today just fine. I took a bite or two from my favorite things then DH ate the rest. I didn't even feel the desire to eat like I used to - shocked me!
 
School starts this week, so I'm a bit nervous about seeing everyone again. I've decided to stop explaining my weight loss in terms of 'since surgery' and 'total loss' - I'm just going with total because those first 20 lbs. before the surgery are just as real.
 
Now what to wear the first day back - hmmm . . . maybe I'll post that pic when I finally decide.

My husband & I were talking, and I got a bit emotional about this journey and so thankful for his support.....the poor man, he is my sole support......well, that and VST!
 
He's never asked how much I weighed, but knew I was over 200 pounds. I was 250 in January.....forget about getting to a healthy weight....I was feeling overwhelmed at the possibility at just getting below 200 and feeling I would never reach that goal.
 
Today I weighted in at 217 and got teary eyed when I realized getting under 200 is possible, and it's in sight.....don't know how long it'll take to get there, but am giving it my all.
 
My husband is hurt that I don't wear my wedding band/engagement ring. I already had them sized 5 years after we married...back in 1989....and I refused to have them sized again--unless it's smaller.....felt if I got them sized again to a bigger size it was acknowledging I'll never get to a healthy weight.....and I wasn't going down w/o a fight.
 
He has no clue, but I can now wear my wedding rings......our anniversary is coming up in a few weeks....I plan on surprising him by wearing them....I'm so excited, I want to wear them now....but I don't want to ruin the surprise.....wish me luck!

Saturday, August 3, 2013
After traveling all day on Saturday, August 3, 2013, my driver had already called me and left a message on my cell phone and was waiting for me at the front of the ElPaso Airport baggage claim area. Wow! We drove across the border into Mexico with no problems; they didn’t even ask to see my passport. The driver dove up to the front doors of the hospital, unloaded my suitcase (be certain that you tip the driver especially if it’s a weekend) and took me into Star Medica Hospital in Juarez, Mexico where I was met by Dr. Calderon at the admissions office. He had all the Papers in order for my admission and consent to surgery. He personally assisted the admissions clerk with checking me in, the payment and took me to x-ray for my chest x-ray and then to my surprise upgraded me to a much better room on the 3rd floor. He also took me to the 3rd floor after x-ray, weighed me and measured my height, then took me and my luggage to my room! You can’t get this kind of service In the US! ( I have had 2 deliveries and surgery 2 times in the US and believe me, I was not treated this nice at all).
After I got settled into the super nice room, two nurses came and performed an EKG, took blood and started an IV. It wasn’t long before a nice young man came to transport me to surgery. While in the pre op room there were about 5 nurses and an anesthesiologist waiting for me. They were all smiling and talking to me along with putting medicine into my IV. The next thing I remember was being wheeled into a surgery suite with nice Mexican music playing. At this point I have not met my surgeon Dr. Jose Rodriguez. He told me later, that the anesthesiologist put me under before he could talk to me, but he did talk to me anyway.
I woke up in recovery with the very same smiling nurses. I will tell you something, the nurses at this hospital are some of the most beautiful young women I have ever seen in Mexico. The young man wheeled me back to my room where I slept for a couple of hours. I’m glad I got that couple of hours of sleep because the gas pain kept me up all Saturday night. It was horrible pain! I couldn’t lie down because that is when they would start. My mouth and lips was so dry, good thing I brought my Burt’s Bees along. The nurses had 2 bottles of water in my room for rinsing and spitting only. I was not allowed anything to drink, just swoosh and spit. I took the IV with me several times out into the hallway and walked around the floor to help relieve the gas. This does work and blowing on the little horn they give you to use.
Sunday, August 4, 2013
It’s Sunday and I still have gas pains, but not as bad as last night. There is free wifi here in the hospital, but I can’t get my computer to go online. The nurses tried to help me, but they couldn’t get me online either. They told me that several of the patients can’t get on it either. My cable wasn’t working either, but the nurses called maintenance and a man came right up and got me another remote control. Now I am watching TV in Spanish. The nurse came to my room and told me I could take a shower. I took her up on that. She changed my bed and made it fresh again. The ladies come and clean my room every day.
One of the doctors came to see me this morning and said that I could get some ice chips! Yeah! He also said I could take my prescription medications if I chew them up before swallowing with the ice chips. For the first time in several years, this morning, my blood pressure was 100/60! After the vitals were taken, she did a blood sugar on me. I told her that I am not diabetic, but I held out my finger anyway and the test showed I was 126, high for someone fasting for 2 days and not being diabetic. I think is from the IV solutions they are pumping into me. The nurse came into the room with clean bed sheets, towel and new pajamas and told me that I could take a shower. I didn’t have to worry about the drain and she unhooked my IV. I felt so much better after the shower.
All 3 doctors came to see me this afternoon. Dr. Rod told me that he took 80% of my stomach, stapled it with 3 rows of titanium staples and also sutured it all together. I have stitches in the muscle of my stomach that will dissolve and the drain has no stitches. After having my first meal since Friday evening for dinner, I was given a nice lunch tray including chicken broth, pear juice, a bucket of chipped ice, tangerine flavored jello and hot tea. I could only eat a couple spoons of broth and some jello, and then I was full. Later this afternoon, the nurse came to walk me down to x-ray for the swallowing test. YUCH! That liquid was horrible; it tasted like liquid cough syrup from when I was a kid. I stood there and could watch the liquid go through my esophagus to my stomach and onto the small intestine. After the doctor escorted me back to my room, I had to brush my teeth to get that horrid taste out of my mouth. A few minutes later, the same doctor came back to take my drain out, didn’t feel a thing, and he put a band aid over the opening. He told me to take the band aid off when I take a shower (no baths) and put a new one on after. Next, a nurse came into my room and took the IV out. I’m glad because the IV was in my hand and it hurt every time they would flush it or add medication. The doctor brought me a DVD of my x-ray swallowing test to take home with me.
(By the way, I am on 3 prescriptions and they have to be taken every day. I asked the doctor how I could take them my first post-op day and he said to smash them up to swallow them)
I had to get up during the night because I had a headache and my mouth was very dry. I walked up to the nurses’ station with my empty ice bucket and asked for some ice and something for a headache. I was instructed to go back to my room and they would bring it to me. The nurse brought my pain pill and a new bucket of ice to me and told me to put the pill under my tongue. I went back to sleep after eating some ice and the pill had dissolved.
Monday, August 5, 2013
It’s Monday morning and I think all the gas is gone. I was able to lie down and sleep last night without any pain except the headache, and there is none this morning. I feel like going back home today, but my flight can’t be changed from tomorrow morning. I plan on taking a shower this morning, getting dressed into my regular clothes and just hanging out here. The time zone here is mountain time so I am still getting used to everything being one hour behind. My stomach is growling a little this morning, and then it stops. I don’t know if that is hunger or just healing. My breakfast this morning consisted of Orange jello, hot tea, pear juice and crushed ice, yummy!
 
I asked one of the nurses if I could weigh myself this Monday afternoon and she agreed to help me. To my surprise, I am down 16 pounds! I have had a headache since last evening and I believe it is my system crying out for caffeine. The doctor said I could have caffeine so I was delivered a large cup of hot tea with splenda sweetener. I hope this takes care of the headache because the pain pills are not.
One thing the doctor did tell me about eating is that you should eat the warm foods first to prime your stomach, then the cold. Always eat with protein first, then vegetables and add some fruit if you are still hungry. I haven’t eaten very much because I get full after a few bites of jello and a couple sips of their good chicken broth. Lunch today consisted of pear juice, lime jello, decaf hot tea and a bucket of yummy crushed ice. I never thought I would love eating crushed ice! Maybe when I get home, I will give the shaved ice people a visit and get a sugar free goody!
I have been told that the man who will drive me back to the airport Tuesday morning will be here at 8 am. Since going back into the US is worse than coming into Mexico, it could take a couple of hours. There is high security alert at this time. My flight home is at 11:55 am to Dallas, then on to Gulfport, MS. I am worried about the prescriptions I had to buy ($50) to take home with me getting through the TSA people at the border. I have a written RX for them, so I hope that will be enough. A surprise, another belly shot for blood clots, man, those things sting bad!
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
I got up early this morning, took a shower and dressed. I asked for breakfast and it was sent to me with pear juice, lime jello and hot tea. I took a few bites of the jello and that was all I could eat. Next thing I knew, the driver called my room 30 minutes early and said he was downstairs waiting for me in the lobby. I grabbed my bags and headed downstairs. He was right there and assisted me to his van. We drove to the border and it was our luck that the DEA was there today. We had to wait for 35 minutes for them to go through all of my prescriptions including the ones I brought with me! We were flagged to go through and on to the ElPaso Airport. I am here now waiting for my flight back to Gulfport, MS. I feel fine, just a little groggy. I am looking forward to being home in my own bed and with my husband and pets.
If any of you ever need encouragement or advice, please don’t hesitate to ask me. I will keep posting my progress. Thanks for listening to me!

My very first blog on the Vertical Sleeve forum.
 
My surgery is approaching. I'm scheduled for Sept. 3, 2013. 28 days away and I'm getting more anxious by the minute. I've been super lucky to have so many friends and family who are supportive of this decision, but ultimately I'm here because I'd like to communicate more with people who are actually experiencing these things.
 
As I told my surgeon, this is the single most important decision I've ever made, and will ever make, regarding my health. The hardest part of it all so far has been explaining myself to the people who say "you've lost 30 lbs on your own, you don't need the surgery." I struggle with finding a response for these statements. I'd been considering this surgery for a year before I talked to my PCP, and have been meeting with my surgeon since February. I've never been more certain about anything.
 
This week I'd like to start working on my profile. I'd really like to start connecting with people! Pictures and bio: coming soon

It's almost getting to be a routine. Veg soup and Protein at every meal. An SF popsicle to wash down dinner. Yesterday was the first time I didn't need a nap and was alert, and productive throughout the day. The previous few days, I'd really started to worry about how I was going to work because I couldn't string two thoughts together and all I wanted was a nap.
 
It's funny, I'm not really hungry, but today, I want to BITE into something--or someone, when I'm feeling cranky I haven't been as cranky as I thought I would be--but I want to CHEW something.
 
I feel grateful that I have this opportunity to do something that seemed impossible, and win at it. It sends me into surgery with a feeling of power and control. And I need that. Being--or feeling--powerless over my weight for all these years really affects my self-image. I don't feel this helpless about anything else in my life.
 
Tomorrow, we drive 11 hours to go to my ex-husband's wedding reception. Then Sunday we do it all over again, except in reverse. I can't eat anything at the reception. R and I will just have to have our shakes before. He's in the kitchen, getting the "travel soups" ready.
 
Anyone who says this is the easy way out has no idea what they're talking about. I have a feeling i will be saying this with even more vehemence after the surgery when I'm in pain
 
But hey, 7 days down, and I'm still on track. Yay me!

I am celebrating 2 things today. First, I weighed in this morning and am now down 60 lbs! I weighed 214, down from 274. In not even 3 months! I can't believe it. Second, my doctor took me off of my blood pressure medication yesterday! This is huge! He had cut my dose in half a few weeks ago, and this visit was a follow-up to see how I was doing on the half dose. They took my blood pressure when I first got in, and it was 120/70. He was happy with that and was willing to keep me going on the half dose for now, until I mentioned that I've been getting light-headed when playing the trumpet while standing up. He had me stand up to take my blood pressure, and it was 108/70. So he told me to go ahead and stop taking it. He wants to see me again in another 3 weeks to see how I'm doing off of it.