Not Happening After all...

[ellie123 374]

So I was scheduled to have my Lapband Removal/Gastric Sleeve/ Gallbladder removal surgery on Sept 29^th, but yesterday during the pre-op visit, it came to light that my surgeon, Dr. Fox, will be leaving for a month long vacation 2 days after my surgery! Given that he’s doing so much, he thought it unfair to leave and not be here should by chance I have any kind of complication. My logical side concurs, but I was so close to getting this done!!! I guess it was not meant to be….

So now I’ve been pushed back to November 2^nd. I guess I was more prepared for this than I gave myself credit for, because I feel disappointed, empty, and a little purposeless…much like a deflated balloon. Another 6 weeks to wait!!! *Sigh*. It was like hurry up and then brick wall. I’d made all these arrangements and had visions of a much smaller me on Thanksgiving…

Brooding,

Ellie

[Daisee68 2,493]

Oh I am so sorry! That is very disappointing! I hope the 6 weeks goes by fast for you!

[jhclikesshopping@gmail.com 285]

I am sure it will be over before you know. And I totally agree with you decision!!! You can wait... it will all go GREAT now.

[ellie123 374]

thank you both so much, I appreciate the support more than you know

[emma4884 81]

Yes, this is very disappointing. However, as someone who did have complications after surgery, it really is the wisest course of action. My husband and I were very grateful that the same surgeon handled the very serious complications that necessitated additional emergency surgery. ( My surgeon wouldn't have wanted anyone else to mess with his handiwork either.)

You have waited this long and will likely have zero difficulties. But why take that chance?

[ellie123 374]

Emma4884, thank you so much for sharing your experience and I'm so sorry you had complications. Sounds very scary. But with almost 60lbs gone in a month, you are doing so awesome, i hope it all feels very worth it for you. The thought of loosing that much weight is totally music to my ears Blessings to you dear.

[desertgirl_74 114]

I know it's frustrating and disappointing. I had mine pushed back 3 weeks from the original surgery date. I was not a happy camper. I'd already waited a year for my surgery. But, I will say the extra time passed quickly. I kept telling myself I just wasn't supposed to on the operating table that day. Just go with it. It's how it's supposed to be. I was very fortunate and had a surgery with no complications, no pain, no nothing.

[ellie123 374]

Thank you Desert Girl 24, It's awesome this worked out so well for you. how are you doing? Were you able to loose all your weight? I see a surgery date of Nov 1999 for you?

[tcrehm 101]

Hang in there

The date will be sooner than you expect!

[desertgirl_74 114]

@@ellie123, that's odd. I had my sleeve surgery 4/15. Not sure why it says 1999. Anyway, things are going well. I'm not a quick loser apparently, even though I had a pretty high SW. But it's been steady, about 2-3lb per week average. I'm down almost 65lbs since my surgery and feel great. Actually this is the best I've felt in probably 10 yrs.

[ellie123 374]

That's awesome @@desertgirl_74! Slow and steady is best, especially if you still have your gallbladder and want to keep it Plus, I hear it's way better for your skin to go steady. Do you find it easy to loose this weight? Do you have to starve to loose weight. Do you crave anything, or eat anything bad, or is it strictly whats on the plan?

Blessings!

[desertgirl_74 114]

I guess slow and steady is not a bad thing. I will say that surgery is not a magic pill. It for sure is making losing weight much easier than it ever was before. At least for me it still takes effort. You cannot think that having WLS will make the weight disappear if you don't change your eating habits. I know 2 women that have done just that. They got nowhere.

So far I follow my post-op diet. I stick with low carb foods, mostly Protein and veggies. I've had a bite a cake at a birthday party before. But I wouldn't say it's something I crave. For me the hardest days were the first few weeks after surgery. I really wanted the foods I was cooking for my family. I had to leave the room. I couldn't stand it. But that passed. It honestly doesn't bother me anymore, and I hope it stays like this.

[JenSan120 10]

I can totally relate. My doc is going on vacation and I have to wait until Nov 10th...I was supposed to have it in about a week or two.

[ellie123 374]

Hang in there dear, I'm sure it will continue to get easier

[ellie123 374]

To My dear Bariatric Pals!

I wanted to thank you all for your support during my jitters in the weeks leading up to the OR. Indeed, it was probably one of the most nerve wracking things I’ve ever done! As I close in on a week post opp tomorrow, I have refrained from posting too much about the experience because I think I needed a little bit of time, first of all to recover enough to be lucid enough to write coherently, but also because I needed to regain some of my emotional footing, as I let the enormity, irriversability and life changing capacity that this surgery has afforded me sink in.

I will post several things on how I prepared emotionally for the surgery and also the things I found helpful on surgery day to help those who are close to the date and need support to make it through, at a latter date. But in this post I wanted to update you all on how I’m doing in a synopsis.

First off…my surgery started at approximately 10:30am and lasted almost 3 hours, because along with the Sleeve, Band removal and Gallbladder removal, they found a hiatal hernia to repare (in short, I got the Blue plate special). Anasthesia was my biggest concern. Coming out of it took a long time…I was in pain and naucious but communicating with my caretakers gave them a chance to stabilize me such that by evening I was somewhat coherent.

At first, I was really tight…even taking down an ice-chip was hard. And ofcourse there was the bloated gas to contend with. Knowing this I was armed with my on Gas Ex strips, forget the baby Simithicone they were giving me, but most importantly, as SOON as I could semi wobble, I started walking the hallways…my 2 hour cycles ran like this…Sleep, take pain meds, sip liquid, pee, and walk those hallways as much as I could, and very soon, the gas problem was mitigated. Leaving the worse problem my banged up throat (from intubation) which was so raw and bad he surgeon took a pic of it to show the anesthesiologist! It felt like a layer of skin has literally been sloughed off, and so red and raw. And when I swallow…some skin seems loose like I’m swallowing my throat…yeah…bad).

After a nasty Barium swallow on day two I was clearned for liquids and the watered down Apple juice from an ounce cup felt like heaven!

I was release at the end of day 3. Back home I continued to walk. My fitbit registereing 6k steps all week and today I did 10k steps. Now these are veeeery slow put persistent and steady steps throughout the day, and after pain meds, and the only reason I can do this is because in the months leading up, I got a fitbit and worked my way up to about 12k steps, so I highly recommend you start walking now.

I finally was cleared from Clear Liquids to cream Soups today…wooo hooo. First few days I was not as hungry, but now, be it head hunger or what…mama wants some sustainance! And broth ain’t cutting it! The cream of mushroom was devine!

I’m weaning off of Hydrocodine and moving to liquid gel Aleve.

Upon my return home, gained Water weight coming back home from the IV as expected. My stomach feels distended and droopy as expected. And I have 6 incisions to nurse.

The more I drank, the more I started to shed the IV Fluid weight. So keeping hydrated remains key. And now I’m lower than pre-op weight.

I also found a book online. Emotional First Aid Kit Bariatric Surgery Patients to help hone some couping strategies for when I’m back in a world of doenuts.

And that’s where I am folks! Just learning how to live in this Brave new world I’ve been born into. Much like a toddler, taking baby steps, learning what I can and can’t do. It’s still just a week, so I’m looking forward to more healing and the rewards which we all so freverantly seek.

I hope my account is helpful to you.

Sending you peace and love,

Ellie123