There is so much more about me than just weight-loss surgery... Very Long!

[macadamia 591]

5 hours ago, nibble said:

Andy, your courage and stamina are beyond comprehension. A lesser person might have just surrendered and given up. I respect your candid and unvarnished story, and feel privileged that you would share it with this group. I hope you stay in the group as we go along, this motley group of strangers-turned-friends by a common cause, finding solice and support and periodic ass-kicking when needed. You are AWESOME. Since you invited Qs, I'm wondering how the foods you can eat will impact the WLS surgery and life going forward.

Thank you for your kind words and your candor. I appreciate it! I've been doing well so far. I also appreciate your offer for support and the periodic ass-kicking, because I'll probably need it. It's nice - my son and my mother now are using the app I use for food track and we formed a group where we can share our daily tracking as well. The app I use is Lose It! and my mom and I use the iOS version and my son uses the Android version.

As for how the foods I can eat will impact the WLS surgery and life going forward, I'm assuming you mean the foods that I can eat also with having the ileostomy. I cannot eat nuts, any raw veggies, anything fried, popcorn, and things of that nature. Luckily, the bariatric diet is similar and the progression from surgery date to eating a full diet will actually help my new ostomy heal faster. Once I'm back on a full diet again, I will be able to eat everything that the bariatric diet says I should eat within my diet for the ileostomy, except for the raw veggies and fruits. Those still will have to be cooked to eat them. Thank you for asking.

{{{{{ hugs }}}}}

[macadamia 591]

5 hours ago, nibble said:

More thoughts: we all are benefiting from marvelous medical progress -- 20 years ago all these surgeries you have had might have taken an even greater toll on your system; are you self-employed, Andy? Your hospital stays must have impacted your job quite a bit. And most importantly, I'm so relieved your double surgery went so well and you seem to be doing just fine. You are due for some better days, friend! Big hugs to you!! We are truly living in a "treat 'em & street 'em" world these days...

I'm not sure if I said how long my first surgery took back in 1995, but it took 12 hours to complete. I was on an epidural spinal block anesthesia and did not "wake up" for three days. I felt no pain but was completely oblivious to anything around me - I was conscious, but not coherent. My parents brought my son to visit the weekend after I had my surgery, Thursday, April 20, 1995. I do not remember any of them visiting. They finally pulled the spinal block on Sunday and I actually woke up.

Thank you for the kind words. I appreciate them. It was nice that the surgical teams were able to work it out and use the same operating room visit for both sets of procedures. It is saving me money, time off of work time, driving to Utah to have everything done, and especially recovery time.

Thanks again! {{{{{hugs}}}}}

[macadamia 591]

On 9/7/2018 at 4:40 PM, Orchids&Dragons said:

Maybe don't use this one on your dating profile?

So happy to hear they could do everything laparoscopically and that you're having less pain than expected. What a bonus! And even being able to tuck in shirts - it's really about the little things, isn't it?

What? You do not think this would screen past eHarmony's photo checkers? LOL!

Thanks for the kind words, my friend! I really appreciate it. {{{{{ hugs }}}}}

[J San 1,071]

Hey @macadamia , How's your recovery going bud? Hope it going smooth and havn't experienced any issues.

[macadamia 591]

On 9/21/2018 at 8:12 AM, J San said:

Hey @macadamia , How's your recovery going bud? Hope it going smooth and havn't experienced any issues.

I'm doing well, and thank you for asking. I'm just over three-weeks post-op and still in the pureed phase. It seems like most everything I eat is a "slider" food right now. I'm having to eat based on amount, not on how full I feel. The NUT and the PA I saw on Tuesday said this is normal during the pureed phase.

As for pain, this is the easiest surgery I've ever had. There has basically been no pain. Last year, after both surgeries (May & August, 2017), I could barely move without excruciating pain in my abdomen. Now, both of last years' surgery were open procedure and the healing process took many months. The procedures I had on September 6, 2018 were both laparoscopically done and this has dramatically reduced my pain and healing process. The only place were I have external pain is where they closed my original ostomy location. This is a fairly large wound but it has healed nicely in three weeks. I do have some internal pain, based on the relocation of my ostomy, but this has been curbed with liquid Tylenol. I'm having a bit of trouble with my new ostomy sealing but this is because the swelling has not gone completely down. They found a hernia just above my original ostomy site, which was to be the new site, so the new ostomy is really high on my abdomen (he placed the new ostomy above the hernia location). I'll take some photos next time I change my appliance (I forgot earlier today to take photos). The more weight I lose, the flatter the area where the ostomy is and the better sealing surface I will have. This may take several months.

Disclaimer: Please do not look at my case and think yours will be similar. Results, especially pain levels, vary greatly. I have had multiple abdominal surgeries since 1995 and my pain threshold is possibly much higher than someone who is having surgery for the first time. Also, I have been fighting a chronic illness (Crohn's Disease) for most of my life, so "pain" is an everyday occurrence. When asked what my pain level is by the doctor or nurse, a 5 on the scale is my "zero". I usually have about a pain level of 4 to 5 all the time. YMMV

[J San 1,071]

Hey there, good to hear from you. Great to hear your doing so well. Especially with all you had done. Not sure if this is the last of it but hope so.