OCTOBER 2014

[LexieLuv 6]

@@Jyoyonomore

Thank you so much for the tip and questions to ask :-) I will definitely mention all this!

Edited October 25, 2014 by LexieLuv

[Jyoyonomore 319]

Hello Gladiators. On my way to my 1 week Followup this afternoon. Will update later.

Morning Gladiators. Well I had my 1week Followup yesterday I met with the RN and they went over the Providers notes from the Surgery and showed me the Xray from the "Esophagram taken 1 day PostOp, reviewed my PostOp Meds and then did a wound check. The report was I'm doing Great!

The RN removed the remaining dressings so all 5 incision sites are uncovered and I can take a full shower now. I still have a dissolving stitch in 4 out of 5 sites for the Laparoscopic surgery but they should dissolve by the time I go back in 4 weeks to see my surgeon. Otherwise their healing nicely.

Meds they told me I could move to " as needed" for 2 of the nausea meds ( Reglan & Levisin) and the pain med. I had stopped the pain med last Tuesday don't want to get depended on Oxycodone and the pain is pretty much gone.

They want me to continue & finish the bottle of "Omeprazole" aka Prilosec. That med reduces the acid in my new tiny stomach because your body is still producing the same amount of acid as your stomach got before surgery.

I've seen some of you struggling with stomach pain that "could" be the culprit too much acid. I was told in about 6 weeks my body should be better able to regulate itself and I can stop taking Prilosec but not yet. I'm really happy to cutback on the meds

I hate taking medicine and it was becoming a pain getting all the PostOp meds in.

So now I'm down to My Multivitamin 2 a day, Calcium 2x a Day and my regular allergy meds only. ( I Re-Read my med list the day before my Appointment and discovered I was miscalculating my Calcium. They want me on 1,000 mg and I wasn't focusing that each chewable wafer was only 250 so now I'm taking 4 wafers a day - 2 in the am 2 in the pm. It was a good reminder to myself to not get over confidant.

They also said they will likely put me on B12 liquid Vitamin if I need it but not yet.

We reviewed my liquid intake and I'm not doing bad averaging about 32 ounces of Water and sugar free drinks crystal light tea, Tomato juice plus the Protein drinks. But they want me to focus on increasing to get 64 ounces in. My Water AP is great so I could confidently say what my intake was. But I wasn't including " all liquids " in my count so I will going forward and probably find I'm doing better than I thought.

Boy seeing the x-ray was amazing I was so focused on getting the contrast down the day they took it so didn't really look at it then. But seeing it yesterday was amazing. My stomach is so little more like a long crooked finger than a stomach. The RN says it will stretch but I defiantly have a perfect stomach for weight loss. The curve was perfect jus like all the books I read PreOp and the the contrast flowed perfectly and pooled at the bottom before exiting to the intestines.

I got one surprise during my appointment apparently I had a hernia in my diaphragm small but a hernia all the same so my surgeon stitched it close. Could have been caused by GERD & then aggravated by being overweight. So I actually got a two-fer ????.

Seeing the x-ray was amazing & also a good visual reminder that there is no going back and I better use the next 18 months to lose this weight and learn how to MAINTAIN!!!! No more "YOYO Dieting for ME!

My only remaining PostOp issues are I wake up so darn early now 4:30am, 5:30am the latest 6;30am. I took this time off from my business to recovery & set up a system that works so I don't need to get up so early right now. Also I feel like I'm breathing differently & sometimes I have to stop and make myself take a deep yoga like breath to feel right. The RN said if I'm still having the sleeping problem when I come back I can get a script but I hate meds I ll try more walking reading a book & such first. The breathing issue is a common one PostOp so it will get better.

After & before the Appointment my husband walked me all over the place first to Starbucks so he could get coffee I miss my Chai tea. I took a lunch box with a freezer pak so I could to tote my water & Protein with me everywhere. Then post appointment we headed to a restaurant cause he was starving. He has been with me every step of the way for this process so I give him a pass for having me go to restaurants and watching him eat. I actually had tomato Soup & unsweetened ice tea. I won't tell you what he had but it was a regular American over sized plate. My husband is basically thin so he can eat what he wants within reason.

Once I start cooking full meals he's going to lose 20 LBS. LOL. Anyway I walked over 8 thousand steps and I slept well last night. My next appointment is with my Primary in about a week and then I return in November to meet with the Surgeon

All & all a very good Day!

[Beni 1,484]

If you would like to place a face with my name, I posted a "Before" picture on my profile. It's only a face shot and I think you get to it my clicking on my "Wild Flower" circle icon on the left of every post.

[ShonIsLove 64]

LOVE your pic @Beni. You're Awesome!!!

[Beni 1,484]

I know. Just being silly, thank you.

How are you feeling today?

Edited October 25, 2014 by Beni

[j.marie 22]

Layknee and smiley- the first incision on the right side did in fact go through the muscle. My first night home was miserable. My hubby moved me to 4 different sitting arreas in the house. Lol. But I am now 18 days out with very little pain and down 30 lbs. the abdominal band they gave really helped me. I wear it only when I'm out at work or at the gym. It gets better I promise. Walk more I guarantee it goes away sooner.

Edited October 25, 2014 by j.marie

[ShonIsLove 64]

Each day gets a little better. Trying to get Protein Shakes and liquids down are a hassle. I'm truly not hungry but I keep Water beside me and sip sip sip all day.

@@j.marie Happy you are feeling well. What type of band did you receive? That sounds interesting.

[j.marie 22]

Here it is, it's cheaper at Walmart and target I think. It's really easy to put on. It holds things in place. I normally start over my incision and then on the first wrap I swoop under my hanging belly and pull it up and continue to wrap until it's fitted just tight enough and secure. It's pretty handy.

Edited October 25, 2014 by j.marie

[ShonIsLove 64]

Great Thank You. When did you start wearing it?

[j.marie 22]

An hour after surgery. I walked 2 laps as soon as I woke up, and boy was i in pain. So my nurse who also had WLS, grabbed this and said try this. It made a world of difference. It didn't eliminate but sure did reduce.

[ShonIsLove 64]

Thanks so much for the information. I am going to try and get one this week.

[Bronxmerci 312]

So far milk of magnesia didn't do anything for me, neither did gas-x. I called my docs office yesterday because I thought I was going to die. She asked me how long has it been since a bm and I told her 4 or 5 days. She told me to go to er, but I didn't because I hate the er. So now I created a concoction of olive oil, coconut oil, lemon juice, and more milk of magnesia. I had a bm finally, though very little its something. I haven't ate in two days because I don't want that feeling I had before. For the past two days I've had about 16 oz of Water each day. I am going to keep drinking my experiment and hope it passes. I am very prone to Constipation and it sucks. I also took a bunch of sleeping pills so that I could avoid being awake for the pain, I was knocked out for 16 hours. My next step is getting dulcolax to empty out my tubes because it feels like I'm just backed up and that's where the pain is coming in.

[amylynns 802]

Oh No Bronxmerci! I'm having very loose bms. Like the whole, don't trust a fart deal. Keep up on what you're drinking but if you don't get more fluids in you're gonna be dehydrated. :-(

[Jyoyonomore 319]

So far milk of magnesia didn't do anything for me, neither did gas-x. I called my docs office yesterday because I thought I was going to die. She asked me how long has it been since a bm and I told her 4 or 5 days. She told me to go to er, but I didn't because I hate the er. So now I created a concoction of olive oil, coconut oil, lemon juice, and more milk of magnesia. I had a bm finally, though very little its something. I haven't ate in two days because I don't want that feeling I had before. For the past two days I've had about 16 oz of Water each day. I am going to keep drinking my experiment and hope it passes. I am very prone to Constipation and it sucks. I also took a bunch of sleeping pills so that I could avoid being awake for the pain, I was knocked out for 16 hours. My next step is getting dulcolax to empty out my tubes because it feels like I'm just backed up and that's where the pain is coming in.

@@Bronxmerci looks like you found something that works for you. but did you ever try Prune juice? PJ works for me took it Monday & success by Tuesday took it again Friday just to make sure to clear it all out. Today I'm feeling it ran to bathroom three time this AM. Going to stick with 1 x a week if I feel full again. It's a lot less harsh on the system. Hope you feel better!

[Bronxmerci 312]

I haven't tried prune juice even though I wanted to. My plan says no juice whatsoever, I'm pretty sure olive oil and coconut oil and lemon juice are not on my plan either. However, I was so cramped up and lying on the floor for hours that I couldn't gather myself up to go to the store and get some. My mom has my son, and I was pretty much alone. The good news is that my concoction worked within minutes, I have gone 4 times already and my abdominal pain is slowly leaving and becoming tolerable. I still feel like there's some stuff up there in my tubes lol. I am drinking more fluids but Water is starting to taste weird and I'm over the crystal light. I went ahead and had some greek yogurt, like 1oz because I had gone too long without food and was getting real light headed. I just want my stomach to feel normal again, I needed relief and now I have bubble guts but I know there's more so I still feel yucky.