Finally heard back from my doctor regarding Monday's gall bladder ultrasound. Basically, they can't see anything remarkable or any reason for me to be having pain. So, on the one hand, no gall stones and I don't need my gall bladder out...but on the other hand, what the hell? It's not like I'm making this shit up. I would like to find out WHY this has been going on. I'm scheduled for an endoscopy around Sep 8, and my doctor said he wants to wait until after that to decide on next steps. Well, great. That's entirely unhelpful to me right now. Sigh.
At least I've been able to eat, although I'm not really eating a lot - still haven't managed three protein drinks in one day yet. But I have gained back a pound of the six I lost, which means my total weight gain so far for the pregnancy is -5. Meh. I'm working on it.
As for Peanut, we've just started week 14 and he's about the size of my clenched fist and might possibly even be growing hair. My skin is clearing up, my boobs hurt much less and I'm less tired. Still peeing a lot, though.
Showing posts with label my surgery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label my surgery. Show all posts
Friday, August 22, 2008
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
More Adventures in Medicine
Hoo boy. Ugh, had me another visit to the ER this weekend. Everything was fine, I was minding my own business, doing nothing out of the ordinary, when whammo! Was awoken about 6 a.m. Sunday morning with awful, horrible pain in my belly, just like what happened to me at the end of Februray.
Awful, awful stabbing pain in my front going all the way through to my back, and I couldn't get comfortable no matter what I did - lay down, sit, stand, nothing helped. I thought maybe it was dehydration like last time so I tried to drink some water, but just like last time, even a sip of water gave me a stabbing pain the second it hit my stomach. I was also feeling really bloated and gassy but nothing was happening - no movement, couldn't even force a burp or anything. The pain feels like the worst gas pain you've ever had. Like a constant dull ache with periods of sharp stabbing pain, especially with any food or drink.
I tried to get on with my life and do stuff but it was hurting too much and I sent Mr. F off to his mother's for a BBQ without me. By about 4 I'd had enough and called him to come home and take me to the ER. I was hoping they'd get an IV in me and that would fix me right up.
They were much quicker getting me back this time, but maybe that's because it was Sun vs. Fri night and because I couldn't stand up straight and had Mr. F wheel me in. They got an IV in and gave me some pain killer - fentanyl again - which helped a lot but didn't make the pain go away.
They did some tests and stuff but basically couldn't figure out what was wrong. They sent me home after 4 hours with an Rx for Vicodin and another for Protonix, which I guess treats heartburn, acid reflux, etc. Even with the vicodin that night, I had a terrible time sleeping. The only thing that helped was to sit up cross-legged, hunched over a pillow in my lap with a heating pad on my back. Mr. F helped a lot by rubbing my back and also by pounding on my back - almost burping me like a baby. That helps for short periods of time but isn't lasting.
As before, it just got worse and made me nauseous. Ate nothing at all on Sunday and had a few sips of water. Monday was much the same - felt generally crappy what with both my stomach and back hurting and not having gotten much sleep. Didn't eat or drink anything all day Monday either, although Mr. F convinced me to eat two crackers on Monday night. It hurt but it did help the nausea. Had a lot of Vicodin and Gas-X and what sips of water I could manage. I called my surgeon on Monday but the soonest they could see me was this morning.
Slept a little better Monday night and things felt less bad on Tuesday. I managed to drink a whole Gatorade and some more water and two more crackers. Took less Vicodin but more Gas-X. The pain was still there but not as bad. Stil felt really bloated and gassy, though, and it's hard to explain, but my stomach feels unsupported. I actually put on my swimsuit and slept in that Monday night and Tuesday night. Somehow the slight compression made things hurt less. Maybe I ought to look into some sit ups.
Tried to have some chicken soup on Tuesday but it was an unmitigated disaster that caused hours of pain. Just for spite, later I had a couple oz. of milk and an oatmeal cookie, which, surprisingly, didn't bother me at all.
Finally saw the surgeon this morning. I've lost about 6 pounds since I saw him last week. I know most of that's water weight which is very, very bad. He's not sure what's going on either, especially since it's been four days and hasn't gone away. I'm going to have an ultrasound to look at my gall bladder and also an endoscope to check for ulcers or anything else out of the ordinary. And he told me to keep taking the Protonix and gave me something else specifically for ulcers which he wants me to start taking right away, just in case it is an ulcer.
I have been able to drink quite a bit of water today without too much pain and am now working on a protein drink since I've still had basically no nutrition since Sunday. Still having the pain but it's about a fourth what it was on Sunday. I hope we can figure out what's going on because I seriously don't want this to become a habit. I wish I could figure out if I did something wrong - did I eat something I shouldn't or eat too fast or not get enough water? I don't know and would dearly love to be able to correct my diet if possible so I can avoid ever having to do this again.
Awful, awful stabbing pain in my front going all the way through to my back, and I couldn't get comfortable no matter what I did - lay down, sit, stand, nothing helped. I thought maybe it was dehydration like last time so I tried to drink some water, but just like last time, even a sip of water gave me a stabbing pain the second it hit my stomach. I was also feeling really bloated and gassy but nothing was happening - no movement, couldn't even force a burp or anything. The pain feels like the worst gas pain you've ever had. Like a constant dull ache with periods of sharp stabbing pain, especially with any food or drink.
I tried to get on with my life and do stuff but it was hurting too much and I sent Mr. F off to his mother's for a BBQ without me. By about 4 I'd had enough and called him to come home and take me to the ER. I was hoping they'd get an IV in me and that would fix me right up.
They were much quicker getting me back this time, but maybe that's because it was Sun vs. Fri night and because I couldn't stand up straight and had Mr. F wheel me in. They got an IV in and gave me some pain killer - fentanyl again - which helped a lot but didn't make the pain go away.
They did some tests and stuff but basically couldn't figure out what was wrong. They sent me home after 4 hours with an Rx for Vicodin and another for Protonix, which I guess treats heartburn, acid reflux, etc. Even with the vicodin that night, I had a terrible time sleeping. The only thing that helped was to sit up cross-legged, hunched over a pillow in my lap with a heating pad on my back. Mr. F helped a lot by rubbing my back and also by pounding on my back - almost burping me like a baby. That helps for short periods of time but isn't lasting.
As before, it just got worse and made me nauseous. Ate nothing at all on Sunday and had a few sips of water. Monday was much the same - felt generally crappy what with both my stomach and back hurting and not having gotten much sleep. Didn't eat or drink anything all day Monday either, although Mr. F convinced me to eat two crackers on Monday night. It hurt but it did help the nausea. Had a lot of Vicodin and Gas-X and what sips of water I could manage. I called my surgeon on Monday but the soonest they could see me was this morning.
Slept a little better Monday night and things felt less bad on Tuesday. I managed to drink a whole Gatorade and some more water and two more crackers. Took less Vicodin but more Gas-X. The pain was still there but not as bad. Stil felt really bloated and gassy, though, and it's hard to explain, but my stomach feels unsupported. I actually put on my swimsuit and slept in that Monday night and Tuesday night. Somehow the slight compression made things hurt less. Maybe I ought to look into some sit ups.
Tried to have some chicken soup on Tuesday but it was an unmitigated disaster that caused hours of pain. Just for spite, later I had a couple oz. of milk and an oatmeal cookie, which, surprisingly, didn't bother me at all.
Finally saw the surgeon this morning. I've lost about 6 pounds since I saw him last week. I know most of that's water weight which is very, very bad. He's not sure what's going on either, especially since it's been four days and hasn't gone away. I'm going to have an ultrasound to look at my gall bladder and also an endoscope to check for ulcers or anything else out of the ordinary. And he told me to keep taking the Protonix and gave me something else specifically for ulcers which he wants me to start taking right away, just in case it is an ulcer.
I have been able to drink quite a bit of water today without too much pain and am now working on a protein drink since I've still had basically no nutrition since Sunday. Still having the pain but it's about a fourth what it was on Sunday. I hope we can figure out what's going on because I seriously don't want this to become a habit. I wish I could figure out if I did something wrong - did I eat something I shouldn't or eat too fast or not get enough water? I don't know and would dearly love to be able to correct my diet if possible so I can avoid ever having to do this again.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
No, really! It's me!
Last night someone I know pretty well but haven't seen in about eight months didn't recognize me. Heh.
I was at a bar with my good friend Vader*, and our buddy Kevin who we used to play poker with once a week walked in. Vader called him over and they exchanged hellos, and then Kevin turned to me, stuck out his hand and introduced himself. I laughed and told him it was me and he was absolutely shocked. Like, surprised into momentary silence. He said he thought I was Vader's new girlfriend! And then he apologized all over the place until I explained that no, really, it's a compliment.
[dork]Made me feel good, especially to know that I am apparently cute enough to be a hot guy's girlfriend. [/dork]
*Not his real name.
I was at a bar with my good friend Vader*, and our buddy Kevin who we used to play poker with once a week walked in. Vader called him over and they exchanged hellos, and then Kevin turned to me, stuck out his hand and introduced himself. I laughed and told him it was me and he was absolutely shocked. Like, surprised into momentary silence. He said he thought I was Vader's new girlfriend! And then he apologized all over the place until I explained that no, really, it's a compliment.
[dork]Made me feel good, especially to know that I am apparently cute enough to be a hot guy's girlfriend. [/dork]
*Not his real name.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Adventures in Medicine, or; Eat at the Airport the Last Day of your Trip
I will tell you about my vacation soon, but first I have to tell you about the adventure after my vacation.
The day we left Mexico (Thursday), Mr. Fantastic and I shared a sandwich for lunch that made us sick. Like, we both spent the plane ride home feeling like we had food poisoning. Although his was more typical food posoning symptoms, mine was basically just this really, really awful pain in the middle of my belly. It would come and go in waves. At one point, I almost passed out in the airport - just standing in line, I started pouring buckets of sweat and feeling dizzy and had to sit down before I fell down. At that point, even taking a sip of water would cause a wave of this horrible pain.
We finally got home Thursday night and went to bed. On Friday, Mr. F was also having an earache so he went to the doctor. I tried to eat some lunch but literally minutes after I put something in my mouth, I got waves of that awful pain. I put a call in to my surgeon and by the time Mr. F got back with magical eardrops, I was feeling much worse, and his tummy wasn't any better either. I got a call back from Amanda, the nurse at my surgeon's office, and she told me to go to the ER and that she would let Dr. Snyder know. She was really worried about dehydration since I pretty much hadn't had anything for almost 24 hours. It's really easy for a gastric bypass patient such as myself to get dehydrated and really hard to get caught back up without medical intervention. So at the very least, she wanted to make sure I was hydrated.
Since Mr. F was spending so much time running to the bathroom, I told him not to come with me, and I drove to the ER at Rose Hospital about 3:45. I had to wait a long time for them to have a bed for me. And I was sitting there in the waiting room just feeling worse and worse. The pain I was having became a constant pain, with these excruciating waves that would spike every few minutes. Let me tell you, I can handle pain. Ask Mr. F. But this was seriously the worst pain I have ever felt in my entire life - and it just kept getting worse with each passing hour. I was sitting in that waiting room just sobbing from the pain.
Eventually they got me back to a bed, took some blood, had me pee in a cup, took some XRays and a CT scan and got me started on an IV. I couldn't take the pain sitting down, so I was pacing around the little room, stopping to bend over the bed when the wave of pain would hit. Finally they decided to give me some pain meds which meant I had to call and have Mr. F come in and also they made me sit down in the bed which sucked because it meant I had to try and curl in a little ball when the pain came.
The CT scan was apparently very scarily abnormal and made them think I had a twisted loop of bowel. Which, turns out, feels just like it sounds. It felt like my intestines were going to pop. And I guess the pain was coming in waves due to the peristalsis motion of digestion. Anyway, the pain meds helped a lot - first it was fentanyl, then later something that lasted longer. As the night wore on and the pain got worse, I started getting nauseous and dry heaving, which just made things hurt worse.
Then Dr. Snyder got there and he and his resident decided they needed to do surgery. They couldn't confirm for sure from the XRay and CT scan that I really did have a bowel obstruction but I was in so much pain that they wanted to be safe and make sure. So about 10 pm they whisked me off to surgery. Three of my incisions from my gastric bypass have been re-incised so they could put in a camera and tools and look around and fix anything that might need fixing. Thankfully, Mr. F and Steve were both there to see me off and help me calm down a bit. By the time I was getting ready for surgery, I was nearly hysterical with the dry heaving, pain and being scared of such hurried surgery.
Unfortunately, they couldn't find anything wrong. Or, fortunately, I guess. Once they got in there, they couldn't find an obstruction or anything. They guessed I had some kind of twist or obstruction that resolved itself but can't really say for sure what the hell was happening. What I think happened is that I got the same food poisoning that Mr. F did but because I was seriously dehydrated, I didn't get the, er, runs. Instead, I got my body trying to expel the nastiness but being unable. Each wave of pain was one that would've sent me running to the bathroom.
Anyway, spent the night in the hospital and got to come home late Saturday afternoon. I'm sure you will be happy to know I have pooed, and the pain I was having is gone. Unfortunately, it's been replaced by the pain from my healing incisions. It pretty much sucks that they decided to do surgery and it basically was unnecessary, but it's better safe than sorry, especially with the amount of pain I was having.
Mr. F is still feeling a bit wonky in the belly but he seems to be on the mend. It sucks when we're both sick because then there's nobody to be the mom!
So. Lessons learned. When on vacation, I need to be super vigilant about keeping hydrated. And eat at the airport the last day of the trip.
The day we left Mexico (Thursday), Mr. Fantastic and I shared a sandwich for lunch that made us sick. Like, we both spent the plane ride home feeling like we had food poisoning. Although his was more typical food posoning symptoms, mine was basically just this really, really awful pain in the middle of my belly. It would come and go in waves. At one point, I almost passed out in the airport - just standing in line, I started pouring buckets of sweat and feeling dizzy and had to sit down before I fell down. At that point, even taking a sip of water would cause a wave of this horrible pain.
We finally got home Thursday night and went to bed. On Friday, Mr. F was also having an earache so he went to the doctor. I tried to eat some lunch but literally minutes after I put something in my mouth, I got waves of that awful pain. I put a call in to my surgeon and by the time Mr. F got back with magical eardrops, I was feeling much worse, and his tummy wasn't any better either. I got a call back from Amanda, the nurse at my surgeon's office, and she told me to go to the ER and that she would let Dr. Snyder know. She was really worried about dehydration since I pretty much hadn't had anything for almost 24 hours. It's really easy for a gastric bypass patient such as myself to get dehydrated and really hard to get caught back up without medical intervention. So at the very least, she wanted to make sure I was hydrated.
Since Mr. F was spending so much time running to the bathroom, I told him not to come with me, and I drove to the ER at Rose Hospital about 3:45. I had to wait a long time for them to have a bed for me. And I was sitting there in the waiting room just feeling worse and worse. The pain I was having became a constant pain, with these excruciating waves that would spike every few minutes. Let me tell you, I can handle pain. Ask Mr. F. But this was seriously the worst pain I have ever felt in my entire life - and it just kept getting worse with each passing hour. I was sitting in that waiting room just sobbing from the pain.
Eventually they got me back to a bed, took some blood, had me pee in a cup, took some XRays and a CT scan and got me started on an IV. I couldn't take the pain sitting down, so I was pacing around the little room, stopping to bend over the bed when the wave of pain would hit. Finally they decided to give me some pain meds which meant I had to call and have Mr. F come in and also they made me sit down in the bed which sucked because it meant I had to try and curl in a little ball when the pain came.
The CT scan was apparently very scarily abnormal and made them think I had a twisted loop of bowel. Which, turns out, feels just like it sounds. It felt like my intestines were going to pop. And I guess the pain was coming in waves due to the peristalsis motion of digestion. Anyway, the pain meds helped a lot - first it was fentanyl, then later something that lasted longer. As the night wore on and the pain got worse, I started getting nauseous and dry heaving, which just made things hurt worse.
Then Dr. Snyder got there and he and his resident decided they needed to do surgery. They couldn't confirm for sure from the XRay and CT scan that I really did have a bowel obstruction but I was in so much pain that they wanted to be safe and make sure. So about 10 pm they whisked me off to surgery. Three of my incisions from my gastric bypass have been re-incised so they could put in a camera and tools and look around and fix anything that might need fixing. Thankfully, Mr. F and Steve were both there to see me off and help me calm down a bit. By the time I was getting ready for surgery, I was nearly hysterical with the dry heaving, pain and being scared of such hurried surgery.
Unfortunately, they couldn't find anything wrong. Or, fortunately, I guess. Once they got in there, they couldn't find an obstruction or anything. They guessed I had some kind of twist or obstruction that resolved itself but can't really say for sure what the hell was happening. What I think happened is that I got the same food poisoning that Mr. F did but because I was seriously dehydrated, I didn't get the, er, runs. Instead, I got my body trying to expel the nastiness but being unable. Each wave of pain was one that would've sent me running to the bathroom.
Anyway, spent the night in the hospital and got to come home late Saturday afternoon. I'm sure you will be happy to know I have pooed, and the pain I was having is gone. Unfortunately, it's been replaced by the pain from my healing incisions. It pretty much sucks that they decided to do surgery and it basically was unnecessary, but it's better safe than sorry, especially with the amount of pain I was having.
Mr. F is still feeling a bit wonky in the belly but he seems to be on the mend. It sucks when we're both sick because then there's nobody to be the mom!
So. Lessons learned. When on vacation, I need to be super vigilant about keeping hydrated. And eat at the airport the last day of the trip.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Who on the what now?
Okay, so wait, the Golden Globes happened? Who won and stuff? Or do I even care?
So, have I mentioned that with the advent of losing 80-something pounds, I am now FREEZING to death all of the time? Turns out the whales know what they're doing after all. I've had to invest in long underwear just so I can leave the house. Wearing a pair of jeans and a sweater is not enough anymore, I've got to layer. Huh.
So, have I mentioned that with the advent of losing 80-something pounds, I am now FREEZING to death all of the time? Turns out the whales know what they're doing after all. I've had to invest in long underwear just so I can leave the house. Wearing a pair of jeans and a sweater is not enough anymore, I've got to layer. Huh.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Yay! And boo.
How is it possible I'm this bored watching a cowboy movie starring both Christian Bale and Russell Crowe?
In other news, the nice lady at the gym did my measurements yesterday and did some calculations and stuff for me. Since November 29 (last time we did measurements), I've lost 8 pounds and a collective 6.5 inches from various body parts. Yay!
Also, my body fat percentage went down from 41.4 to 39.1. At first I was horrified to realize that I'm nearly half fat! OMG, cringe cringe. However, apparently 30% is average so it's much less horrifying than I originally thought.
And then she used math to figure out somehow that the 8 pounds I lost was all fat, which, also yay. Then she used the evil math to tell me that out of the 180 pounds of me, 71 of it is fat. OMG, horrifying again.
Can we make 41-35-41 the new 36-24-36? 'Cause then I'd be perfect.
In other news, the nice lady at the gym did my measurements yesterday and did some calculations and stuff for me. Since November 29 (last time we did measurements), I've lost 8 pounds and a collective 6.5 inches from various body parts. Yay!
Also, my body fat percentage went down from 41.4 to 39.1. At first I was horrified to realize that I'm nearly half fat! OMG, cringe cringe. However, apparently 30% is average so it's much less horrifying than I originally thought.
And then she used math to figure out somehow that the 8 pounds I lost was all fat, which, also yay. Then she used the evil math to tell me that out of the 180 pounds of me, 71 of it is fat. OMG, horrifying again.
Can we make 41-35-41 the new 36-24-36? 'Cause then I'd be perfect.
Monday, January 7, 2008
State of the weight
La la, time to talk about my weight some more. As of today I've lost 85 pounds. Yay!
That puts me 65% of the way to my goal. Ideally, I'd like to lose another 45, but it can take up to two years to get all the way to goal. Plus, I plan on getting pregnant as soon as Dr. Snyder says it's okay, which is a year after surgery. So it may be some time before I'm all the way there. At a year out, which is April 3, the surgeon's goal is for me to be anywhere from 70-85% of the way, or around 155 at 85%. That means I've got 13 weeks to lose 25 pounds. Think I can do it? For the last three months, I've averaged about 1.2 pounds a week. But half that time I wasn't exercising. So if I'm really good and go to the gym three times a week religiously and get back to the rules of my eating plan, I think it's doable.
Also, as part of the returning-things-after Christmas spree, I exchanged something I got for a new pair of jeans. In a size 16! HOORAY! Mr. Fantastic didn't understand why I was so excited about it so I had to explain that 16 is the top end of the non-plus sizes, and it sort of marks the start of the transition from fat girl to normal-size. And he was like, "Oh! Well, welcome to regular-girl pants!"
That puts me 65% of the way to my goal. Ideally, I'd like to lose another 45, but it can take up to two years to get all the way to goal. Plus, I plan on getting pregnant as soon as Dr. Snyder says it's okay, which is a year after surgery. So it may be some time before I'm all the way there. At a year out, which is April 3, the surgeon's goal is for me to be anywhere from 70-85% of the way, or around 155 at 85%. That means I've got 13 weeks to lose 25 pounds. Think I can do it? For the last three months, I've averaged about 1.2 pounds a week. But half that time I wasn't exercising. So if I'm really good and go to the gym three times a week religiously and get back to the rules of my eating plan, I think it's doable.
Also, as part of the returning-things-after Christmas spree, I exchanged something I got for a new pair of jeans. In a size 16! HOORAY! Mr. Fantastic didn't understand why I was so excited about it so I had to explain that 16 is the top end of the non-plus sizes, and it sort of marks the start of the transition from fat girl to normal-size. And he was like, "Oh! Well, welcome to regular-girl pants!"
Sunday, November 18, 2007
PANTS!
Old Navy, where have you been all my life? Oh yes, for the last 8 years I've been too fat for you. Ahaha, not anymore! I finally had to give it up and buy a new pair of jeans so I thought I'd go check out the Old Navy because I heard they go up to size 18 (which is the current size of my ass.) So I went and saw that not only did they have my size, but they also have short lengths!
At 5 feet-almost-one-inch, it's really hard for me to find pants that are both wide and short enough. So I found an awesome pair of jeans that I adore, that fit, that feel good, that make me feel good and the best part was I got 'em for under $25. YEE HAW. It was very difficult to limit myself to just one pair, but it won't be too long before I've got to move down another size so I restrained myself. For the record, I've now lost 77 lbs (or 5.5 stone, if that's how you roll) in just over 7 months. I wish it was faster (I know, I know, stfu) but I try to keep the whining to a minimum since my doctor and everyone at the wls community tells me the slower it goes, the better it is for you long-term. I have 53 more pounds to lose, and I want it gone now, dammit! However, I have consoled myself with looking at my before and after pics. I seem to have a waist now. Where did that come from?
At 5 feet-almost-one-inch, it's really hard for me to find pants that are both wide and short enough. So I found an awesome pair of jeans that I adore, that fit, that feel good, that make me feel good and the best part was I got 'em for under $25. YEE HAW. It was very difficult to limit myself to just one pair, but it won't be too long before I've got to move down another size so I restrained myself. For the record, I've now lost 77 lbs (or 5.5 stone, if that's how you roll) in just over 7 months. I wish it was faster (I know, I know, stfu) but I try to keep the whining to a minimum since my doctor and everyone at the wls community tells me the slower it goes, the better it is for you long-term. I have 53 more pounds to lose, and I want it gone now, dammit! However, I have consoled myself with looking at my before and after pics. I seem to have a waist now. Where did that come from?
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
State of the... you know
Had my 6-month follow-up for my bariatriac surgery today. Hard to believe it's already been six months since I had the surgery. So far I've lost about 70 pounds, which is over halfway to my goal of losing 135. Peter (who is actually the assistant surgeon) is very pleased with my progress. I was worried that it's too slow but he said yes, it's slow, but that's the best way to do it and stay healthy and give my skin the opportunity to bounce back. Anyhoo, he said they're only looking for me to be 75-80% of the way by a year, so I've got six months to lose about another 31-38 lbs. Seems quite doable.
He looked at my scars and said they're really looking good although probably will stay a little purple for another three months. He also said that right now my hormones are all crazy and I'm really fertile so birth control is very important the next six months. (In fact, Peter said to tell hubby to "double bag it" which cracked me up to no end.) Anyway, I've been on the patch and he gave me leave to go back on the Pill, which will make me happy since I find the patch itchy. Guess I need to make an appt with my gyno in the near future too, to see what the PCOS is doing and if it's resolved itself.
So, things for me healthwise are really great. I feel fantastic, and while my hair is falling out like crazy, I think I'm looking pretty good. And now that my brother seems to be getting out of the woods, I'll have some more time to start going back to the gym. Speaking of my brother...
Some of you have asked for news about him. I realize I haven't posted about him in a while, but rest assured - no news is good news. He is doing great. He started his second round of chemo on Monday, so he'll take the pills every night this week through Friday, and then be done until next month. He's handled the chemo pretty well, just had some nausea and fatigue but nothing debilitating.
He's still having the skin issues, but it's vastly improved from before. Mostly just looks like sunburn or dandruff now. Not like it was. The doctor reminded him that there's seven layers to your skin and ALL of it is coming off so it's going to take a while as each layer works its way to the surface.
He's been going back in to the office for about a half day for a few days a week the past couple of weeks. Hasn't been doing too much work per se, but is doing bits here and there and just getting used to being up and about again. Some buddies of his flew in from California this weekend to play poker and watch football, which I think he really enoyed, although it pretty much wiped him out.
All in all, he's progressing really well and I'm very encouraged by how great he's doing.
He looked at my scars and said they're really looking good although probably will stay a little purple for another three months. He also said that right now my hormones are all crazy and I'm really fertile so birth control is very important the next six months. (In fact, Peter said to tell hubby to "double bag it" which cracked me up to no end.) Anyway, I've been on the patch and he gave me leave to go back on the Pill, which will make me happy since I find the patch itchy. Guess I need to make an appt with my gyno in the near future too, to see what the PCOS is doing and if it's resolved itself.
So, things for me healthwise are really great. I feel fantastic, and while my hair is falling out like crazy, I think I'm looking pretty good. And now that my brother seems to be getting out of the woods, I'll have some more time to start going back to the gym. Speaking of my brother...
Some of you have asked for news about him. I realize I haven't posted about him in a while, but rest assured - no news is good news. He is doing great. He started his second round of chemo on Monday, so he'll take the pills every night this week through Friday, and then be done until next month. He's handled the chemo pretty well, just had some nausea and fatigue but nothing debilitating.
He's still having the skin issues, but it's vastly improved from before. Mostly just looks like sunburn or dandruff now. Not like it was. The doctor reminded him that there's seven layers to your skin and ALL of it is coming off so it's going to take a while as each layer works its way to the surface.
He's been going back in to the office for about a half day for a few days a week the past couple of weeks. Hasn't been doing too much work per se, but is doing bits here and there and just getting used to being up and about again. Some buddies of his flew in from California this weekend to play poker and watch football, which I think he really enoyed, although it pretty much wiped him out.
All in all, he's progressing really well and I'm very encouraged by how great he's doing.
Friday, September 14, 2007
me me me
Have been very neglectful of my health these last couple of months. I think with everything going on with my brother, I've just let it slip. And man, I didn't realize how much my diet affects how I feel. Especially these last two weeks, I've been feeling significantly run down and unable to focus. I started upping my protein intake yesterday, by adding back the protein shakes I was drinking right after I first had surgery. At 3 months post-op, I quit drinking them because I was allowed to have real food, and I foolishly thought I'd get my recommended minimum 40 grams of protein each day from what I was eating. But I don't really eat that much - even though I eat at 9, 12, 3, 6 and 9, I'm still only eating from 1-3 oz of food. Things like a handful of nuts or a couple slices of deli meat and cheese, etc. I quit logging my food pretty early on (because it's a giant PITA and I assumed I was doing fine) and that was a big mistake.
Plus, I realized yesterday that I was two weeks overdue for my B12 shot, so I hustled off to the doctor to get it, and seriously, within hours I felt completely revitalized. My energy was back and I was able to concentrate on things. I had them call in a prescription for B12 and syringes so I can do it myself each month instead of having to make an appointment (and pay the $20 copay each time!) Dunno what the Rx will cost, but it's worth it. Just making those two changes yesterday have already made me feel a hundred times better. *facepalm*
Note to self: you're no good to anybody if you don't take care of yourself first.
So, ever since the surgery, I've been fiendishly trying to find something to replace my beloved diet Coke. I drink enough water to float a battleship, but sometimes I want something with actual flavor. I think I found my new beverage of choice: V8 Splash Smoothie in Tropical Colada. Yum. It's got soy protein! And tastes good too, without too much sugar. Drinking it feels like vacation!
Speaking of vacation, have I mentioned I'm going to Vegas next weekend? YAY! Mr. F and I are going with some of his family - a few of his mom's English siblings are coming for a visit and we're all going together. Really looking forward to some R&R, pool time and poker.
les petit joies: I am wearing a pair of lounge pants today that I bought, oh, four years ago and have literally never worn because they were too tight and defeated the whole point of being comfy lounge pants. Now, they're too big. The drawstring in the waist is actually functional. *\o/*
Further Note to self: I am NOT starting a companion to les petit joies called ennuis petits (petty annoyances) wherin I bitch about minor things that unreasonably bug the shit out of me, such as the woman I deal with daily via e-mail who signs EVERY SINGLE ONE of her e-mails "Thanks! Have a sunshine day!" Obviously, it's part of her auto-signature, but I think that stupid thing actually removes sunshine from my day.
Plus, I realized yesterday that I was two weeks overdue for my B12 shot, so I hustled off to the doctor to get it, and seriously, within hours I felt completely revitalized. My energy was back and I was able to concentrate on things. I had them call in a prescription for B12 and syringes so I can do it myself each month instead of having to make an appointment (and pay the $20 copay each time!) Dunno what the Rx will cost, but it's worth it. Just making those two changes yesterday have already made me feel a hundred times better. *facepalm*
Note to self: you're no good to anybody if you don't take care of yourself first.
So, ever since the surgery, I've been fiendishly trying to find something to replace my beloved diet Coke. I drink enough water to float a battleship, but sometimes I want something with actual flavor. I think I found my new beverage of choice: V8 Splash Smoothie in Tropical Colada. Yum. It's got soy protein! And tastes good too, without too much sugar. Drinking it feels like vacation!
Speaking of vacation, have I mentioned I'm going to Vegas next weekend? YAY! Mr. F and I are going with some of his family - a few of his mom's English siblings are coming for a visit and we're all going together. Really looking forward to some R&R, pool time and poker.
les petit joies: I am wearing a pair of lounge pants today that I bought, oh, four years ago and have literally never worn because they were too tight and defeated the whole point of being comfy lounge pants. Now, they're too big. The drawstring in the waist is actually functional. *\o/*
Further Note to self: I am NOT starting a companion to les petit joies called ennuis petits (petty annoyances) wherin I bitch about minor things that unreasonably bug the shit out of me, such as the woman I deal with daily via e-mail who signs EVERY SINGLE ONE of her e-mails "Thanks! Have a sunshine day!" Obviously, it's part of her auto-signature, but I think that stupid thing actually removes sunshine from my day.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
State of the me
Another state of the me... Got back a little while ago from Day 8 birthday drinks with Debra and cousin H1. Yes, it's true, I am officially off the wagon again. Am taking it very easy with the alcohol and having lots of water along with, but it's just nice to be able to go out for drinks with friends again. Was lovely, but H couldn't stay as long as I'd've liked. Great to catch up and chat with them both, though. And H gave me a birthday card and a Starbucks gift card! I can't wait to go get one of those strawberry drinks for my next treat.
Speaking of birthdays, Mr. Fantastic and I had our combined family birthday BBQ at my brother's on Day 6 of My Birthday this weekend. Got tons of great stuff, including a beautiful necklace from one of my SIL's, some gift cards for department stores (great for buying new clothes when I need them!) and a Flying Spaghetti Monster emblem for my car. Also, I ate some ice cream and it was yummy and didn't make me sick as I've been told any kind of sugar would do, due to my surgery. It was nice to know I can have a little indulgence now and then.
Speaking of health, had a doctor's appointment on Monday to draw some labs in preparation for my 3 month follow-up with my surgeon next week. (Can you believe it's been three months since my surgery?! I can't!) Blood pressure went from 146/92 before surgery to 120/70. Quite an improvement. I can't wait to see the results of my blood work - cholesterol and such. Should be interesting. Have now lost a total of 45 pounds. Yippee!
However, I am officially an Old Person. Because of the surgery, there's like a million pills I have to take every day, both morning and night. I kept forgetting which ones I took and when and so I finally broke down and got one of these: a pill organizer. Sigh. Also got a B-12 shot while I was at the doc's office, so that's one less pill I have to take every day. Plus, I really, really HATE the way that B-12 pill tastes, and I can't just swallow it, I have to let it sit under my tongue until it's gone. Blecch. But the shot is good for a month, so Yay, no more nasty B-12.
Last time I was at the grocery store, I bought Alba shave cream. This stuff ROCKS. It's more like a lotion than your tpical shaving cream, and it's a billion times better than any foam-type shaving cream I have ever used. It makes shaving so easy and so much less of a chore that I have been inspired to shave my legs more than once a month. Plus, super-soft skin when I'm done and no nicks. I can't recommend it highly enough.
Speaking of birthdays, Mr. Fantastic and I had our combined family birthday BBQ at my brother's on Day 6 of My Birthday this weekend. Got tons of great stuff, including a beautiful necklace from one of my SIL's, some gift cards for department stores (great for buying new clothes when I need them!) and a Flying Spaghetti Monster emblem for my car. Also, I ate some ice cream and it was yummy and didn't make me sick as I've been told any kind of sugar would do, due to my surgery. It was nice to know I can have a little indulgence now and then.
Speaking of health, had a doctor's appointment on Monday to draw some labs in preparation for my 3 month follow-up with my surgeon next week. (Can you believe it's been three months since my surgery?! I can't!) Blood pressure went from 146/92 before surgery to 120/70. Quite an improvement. I can't wait to see the results of my blood work - cholesterol and such. Should be interesting. Have now lost a total of 45 pounds. Yippee!
However, I am officially an Old Person. Because of the surgery, there's like a million pills I have to take every day, both morning and night. I kept forgetting which ones I took and when and so I finally broke down and got one of these: a pill organizer. Sigh. Also got a B-12 shot while I was at the doc's office, so that's one less pill I have to take every day. Plus, I really, really HATE the way that B-12 pill tastes, and I can't just swallow it, I have to let it sit under my tongue until it's gone. Blecch. But the shot is good for a month, so Yay, no more nasty B-12.
Last time I was at the grocery store, I bought Alba shave cream. This stuff ROCKS. It's more like a lotion than your tpical shaving cream, and it's a billion times better than any foam-type shaving cream I have ever used. It makes shaving so easy and so much less of a chore that I have been inspired to shave my legs more than once a month. Plus, super-soft skin when I'm done and no nicks. I can't recommend it highly enough.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Various and sundry
You want to know just how fantastic Mr. Fantastic is? Unprompted, he DVR’d the Spelling Bee for me. That’s love, man. Or at least, that’s knowing exactly how big a geek I am. And still loving me anyway.
Speaking of Mr. F loving me…do you know how much better sex is after you’ve lost 40 pounds? LOTS. The difference is all on my end – things feel different physically and I feel different mentally and in general the whole thing is way more fun. However, showing up at your 9 a.m. meeting sporting beard burn and bite marks may be slightly unprofessional. If I’d also been drunk it would’ve been just like college.
Speaking of sex…due to my surgery, I’m not allowed to get pregnant until next year. And my surgeon does not recommend that I take the Pill because in some people it doesn’t absorb as well as it should. So at my annual exam yesterday, I got a new form of birth control: the patch. I’m Paris Hilton! Except for the jail thing. So, anybody have any feedback about the patch? The doctor gave me a sample to try for a month to see if it’s what I want to use, but I’d love to hear from you all.
Also, apparently, it’s Blog Like It’s the End of the World Day. Um. So, eek, zombies are eating my cube neighbor and I fear I’m next. At least I got laid this morning.
Speaking of Mr. F loving me…do you know how much better sex is after you’ve lost 40 pounds? LOTS. The difference is all on my end – things feel different physically and I feel different mentally and in general the whole thing is way more fun. However, showing up at your 9 a.m. meeting sporting beard burn and bite marks may be slightly unprofessional. If I’d also been drunk it would’ve been just like college.
Speaking of sex…due to my surgery, I’m not allowed to get pregnant until next year. And my surgeon does not recommend that I take the Pill because in some people it doesn’t absorb as well as it should. So at my annual exam yesterday, I got a new form of birth control: the patch. I’m Paris Hilton! Except for the jail thing. So, anybody have any feedback about the patch? The doctor gave me a sample to try for a month to see if it’s what I want to use, but I’d love to hear from you all.
Also, apparently, it’s Blog Like It’s the End of the World Day. Um. So, eek, zombies are eating my cube neighbor and I fear I’m next. At least I got laid this morning.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
6 week follow up: 33 pounds!
Had my 6 week follow up today and got weighed. Total lost so far is 33 pounds. I was worried it wasn't enough but they tell me it's right on target for where I am. Not that 33 isn't great! They say that's a typical reaction in bariatric patients and it's why they tell you to stay away from the scale.
After the doc, the went to my local Curves and joined up, as they were doing a 3 months free deal and I figured now's the time to do it. I have to go have my orientation (maybe Friday) and then I'm ready to go. Yay! I'm actually looking forward to really working out and doing some resistance training. I feel so weak - not as a result of the surgery or anything, just in general, I feel like I'm not very strong. So maybe I'll be able to open pickle jars for myself in the near future.
After the doc, the went to my local Curves and joined up, as they were doing a 3 months free deal and I figured now's the time to do it. I have to go have my orientation (maybe Friday) and then I'm ready to go. Yay! I'm actually looking forward to really working out and doing some resistance training. I feel so weak - not as a result of the surgery or anything, just in general, I feel like I'm not very strong. So maybe I'll be able to open pickle jars for myself in the near future.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
State of the weight
It's hard for me to tell where I've lost weight since I'm mostly still wearing stretchy waistband pants and/or not getting out of my jammies for much of the day.
I did try on some jeans the other day and had to tighten the belt by two notches, which totally rocked. Am still dutifully hiding my scale so I dunno how much I've lost. I think it's hard to tell anywhere else, but I can definitely see in the pics that I've taken that I've lost a lot around my middle. So yay for that, definitely! *\o/*
I did try on some jeans the other day and had to tighten the belt by two notches, which totally rocked. Am still dutifully hiding my scale so I dunno how much I've lost. I think it's hard to tell anywhere else, but I can definitely see in the pics that I've taken that I've lost a lot around my middle. So yay for that, definitely! *\o/*
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
me me me
I was just in the shower listening to music (Shut up. Yes, apparently this working-from-home thing means I'm in my pj's until 3 p.m. So what. It's comfortable.) Anyway, I had it on shuffle and the last two songs were Seasons of Love, from Rent, and F*** Me on the Dance Floor by Princess Superstar. Oh, iPod, how I love you and your wacky choices.
So, who watched Grey's Anatomy last week? I finally did, and BWAHAHAHAHA! Col. Caldwell gets a candiru! Hee. In other t.v. news, yes, I'm watching Dancing with the Stars, and no, I am not ashamed to say, YES, I have a giant crush on Joey Fatone. He incorporated a light saber into the tango. I have no defense against that.
As far as how I'm feeling, I feel great. For the most part, better than before the surgery, even. I think I've lost at least 25 pounds now, and can really tell when I walk the flight of stairs from the parking garage to the lobby to get the mail. WAY easier already. The incisions are all healing up great, you can hardly even tell some of them are there anymore, and the neck business is barely noticeable now. Still a bit of pain on the left side but it's totally not bad. I have a follow-up with Dr. Snyder tomorrow, so I'll get weighed. Also, I'm hoping to get the all clear for nookie again. Keep your fingers crossed.
Also, note to self: Do not chew gum. Tiny Tummy does NOT like it. Blecch. Barfing up mint-flavored foam is not as pleasant as it sounds.
So, who watched Grey's Anatomy last week? I finally did, and BWAHAHAHAHA! Col. Caldwell gets a candiru! Hee. In other t.v. news, yes, I'm watching Dancing with the Stars, and no, I am not ashamed to say, YES, I have a giant crush on Joey Fatone. He incorporated a light saber into the tango. I have no defense against that.
As far as how I'm feeling, I feel great. For the most part, better than before the surgery, even. I think I've lost at least 25 pounds now, and can really tell when I walk the flight of stairs from the parking garage to the lobby to get the mail. WAY easier already. The incisions are all healing up great, you can hardly even tell some of them are there anymore, and the neck business is barely noticeable now. Still a bit of pain on the left side but it's totally not bad. I have a follow-up with Dr. Snyder tomorrow, so I'll get weighed. Also, I'm hoping to get the all clear for nookie again. Keep your fingers crossed.
Also, note to self: Do not chew gum. Tiny Tummy does NOT like it. Blecch. Barfing up mint-flavored foam is not as pleasant as it sounds.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Getting back to work; getting better
Spoke to my boss today and we've decided to start me on half-days from home this week. It's still hard to sit for long periods, but he totally doesn't care when or really how much I work, as long as I keep up with the e-mail. So, getting back to the real world for me!
Put up a few more pictures of my neck and surgical sites. The neck is a million times better. I was finally able to shower and I loofahed the heck out of it and got all the dead skin off. Way less itchy and looks better. Belly looks better too, although I'm having some trouble with the incision where the drain came out. It feels like it's not closing up and hurts. Mr. Fantastic cleaned it up and put a butterfly bandage on it, and I'm going to pop in to the Doc's office tomorrow and ask him to look at it. It feels a lot better with the bandage, so maybe it needs to be glued shut like the others.
Trying to stay hydrated is a pain - literally - I can't gulp water like I used to, and when I forget and take too big a mouthful, Tiny Tummy protests ouchily. That's taking some getting used to. The good news is I'm not craving any foods or wishing I could eat. So far the cottage cheese, protein pudding and yougurt are doing me just fine, even if it is only an ounce at a time. Takes me half hour to eat it anyway!
Friday, April 13, 2007
Bored bored bored but feeling good.
Le sigh. I am bored. I'm tired of books, magazines, t.v., music, and walking.
In other news, I am feeling pretty good, and seem to be healing up quite nicely. The mark on my neck appears to be getting better, although now giant chunks of flesh are flaking off disgustingly. I want to loofah it or something but it still hurts too much. I'll put up a new picture when I can get Mr. F to take one.
Speaking of Mr. Fantastic...wow, has he impressed me through this whole thing. I mean aside from in general being supportive and hanging with me at the hospital every night and fetching and carrying for me without complaint, he's just been so...I don't even know how to explain it. He's been helping me with all the gross stuff, like changing my dressings and stuff and he's so gentle and caring. He makes me lay down so he can take everything off and clean up and he's so careful pulling the tape off and makes sure there's no leftover adhesive. Watching him so focused, gently dabbing at me with a cotton ball...well, I've just never really had occasion to see him like this before. It's amazing. I'm so self-sufficient, always the one taking care of things, including myself, and it makes me realize I ought to give him more opportunity to do things for me.
What else...oh, I'm now allowed to eat certain solid foods! 1 oz every two hours of cottage cheese, refried beans, pudding or yougurt. I still have to keep up with my protein drinks and water, but this is supposed to help Tiny Tummy slowly adjust to digesting things. It's like starting me on baby food. The good news is, I love all those foods and am very happy to have my 1 oz, although, it took me an hour to eat an ounce of cottage cheese yesterday. Anyway, hooray solids!
In other news, I am feeling pretty good, and seem to be healing up quite nicely. The mark on my neck appears to be getting better, although now giant chunks of flesh are flaking off disgustingly. I want to loofah it or something but it still hurts too much. I'll put up a new picture when I can get Mr. F to take one.
Speaking of Mr. Fantastic...wow, has he impressed me through this whole thing. I mean aside from in general being supportive and hanging with me at the hospital every night and fetching and carrying for me without complaint, he's just been so...I don't even know how to explain it. He's been helping me with all the gross stuff, like changing my dressings and stuff and he's so gentle and caring. He makes me lay down so he can take everything off and clean up and he's so careful pulling the tape off and makes sure there's no leftover adhesive. Watching him so focused, gently dabbing at me with a cotton ball...well, I've just never really had occasion to see him like this before. It's amazing. I'm so self-sufficient, always the one taking care of things, including myself, and it makes me realize I ought to give him more opportunity to do things for me.
What else...oh, I'm now allowed to eat certain solid foods! 1 oz every two hours of cottage cheese, refried beans, pudding or yougurt. I still have to keep up with my protein drinks and water, but this is supposed to help Tiny Tummy slowly adjust to digesting things. It's like starting me on baby food. The good news is, I love all those foods and am very happy to have my 1 oz, although, it took me an hour to eat an ounce of cottage cheese yesterday. Anyway, hooray solids!
Sunday, April 8, 2007
I'm back! And doing well.
Hey! I'm back! And mostly doing great, with the exception of a very sore belly. But they gave me some Oxycontin which has helped thus far, although I'm seriously considering not taking any more of it and seeing how much I could sell it for. :)
Surgery went well, but I had a very minor complication which required me to stay an extra night. Was on a morphine pump the first day and a half, then they switched me to liquid Vicodin.
While in hospital, I was surprinsingly uninterested in anything not involving myself and had no desire to even read a magazine, let alone ask Mr. Fantastic to bring Skippy in so I could get online. I had really expected to be bored out of my skull, but it turned out I was much more interested in sleeping than anything else. Plus I had nine thousand visitors, which, while I appreciated very much, completely wiped me out. So, sorry I didn't check in sooner to let you all know how I was doing.
Got home yesterday (instead of Friday as expected) and slept mostly. Today my dad and brother came over to visit and this is the first chance I've had to check e-mail. I've missed you all so much! ♥♥♥♥♥ Many, many graces and thanks to all of you who've posted your support and sent good karma my way. ♥♥♥♥♥ Keep it up, I've still got a lot of healing to do! In the mean time, here's an update on the state of me.
My new belly: Basically, they cut apart my stomach laparoscopically, separated a small pouch from the rest and rerouted some plumbing. The pouch is my new stomach, and for the next few weeks, holds only 1 oz. For comparison, most people's stomachs are about the size of a football and hold anywhere from 40-60 oz. Provided I treat it right, mine will stretch somewhat over time, ending up about 6-10 oz in about a year. For the next three weeks, I'm still on a clear liquid diet and must be vigilant about getting enough water and protein. Luckily, the protein drinks I've got (Isopure) are actually pretty good. It's $2-3 a bottle for 20 oz at my local GNC, but the cool thing is that since I'm basically drinking about an ounce of it every twenty minutes, one bottle lasts me all day. In a few weeks, I'll get to add solids in, like cottage cheese and refried beans and stuff.
The minor complication: was really very minor. Due to the fact that I bruise incredibly easily, there was some extra swelling around important bits of my innards that made it really hard for things to leave the bottom end of my new tiny tummy, which in turn made it really hard for me to put things in the top end of the new tiny tummy. Once the swelling went down enough it was smooth sailing and I was able to stay hydrated and "fed" and off the IV.
Surgical stuff: I've got six incisions, some longer than others - one's over an inch, which I didn't expect! Two of them are drain sites, the rest for the surgical tools. The drains I had are what's called a Penrose drain on the left, which is basically just an open-ended tube sticking out into the world, with the end covered by gauze. The other, which I still have, is a JP drain that is totally gross and includes a tube leading to a collection bulb that I get the pleasure of emptying and measuring and recording the output twice a day. Ick. Plus it hurts. Luckily, that gets taken out on Wednesday.
Pictures: Ugh, I had Mr. Fantastic take some full-length pics of me the night before surgery in a black tank top and boyshorts. He handed me the camera so I could look at them and I was mortifed by what I saw, exclaiming, "OMG, my ass!" He leaned over to look at them and I snatched the camera away and he laughed, saying, "Pooky, I think I already know what your ass looks like." Har har. Anyway, seeing those pictures, I was really, really horrified and gladder than ever I had made the decision for surgery. And I decided I wasn't going to put them up on the internets for all to see, because, seriously, they're gross. But you know what? I did this surgery mostly for my health, not my looks. You all know I'm a pretty self-confident girl, so I decided that if I put up those awful pictures of myself and some other overweight girl with no self-confidence sees them, maybe it'll help her in some way to see that it's not just about how you look, that people can and do look past your weight and see the cool chick inside. Maybe it'll help somebody in some way to see what another fat girl looks like in her skivvies. Because, seriously, how often does one fat girl get to see what another fat girl looks like underneath her clothes? Not often.
Plus, there'll be bonus pics of the surgery sites and the nasty brutalization of the right side of my neck where they put a PICC line in my jugular. Hooray! ;)
I have dutifully hidden my scale as instructed, so I have no idea what I weigh right now, but I'll find out at my follow-up on Wednesday and let you all know. I do know I lost 4 pounds from the 23rd to the 3rd, so the clear liquid diet I was on prolly had a big hand in that. I am thrilled to be home and especially to sleep in my own bed again. I sure did miss the bulk of Mr. Fantastic sleeping next to me.
Will post more soon. Again, thanks to all of you for your kind words and support. I can't tell you how much it's meant to me. ♥
Surgery went well, but I had a very minor complication which required me to stay an extra night. Was on a morphine pump the first day and a half, then they switched me to liquid Vicodin.
While in hospital, I was surprinsingly uninterested in anything not involving myself and had no desire to even read a magazine, let alone ask Mr. Fantastic to bring Skippy in so I could get online. I had really expected to be bored out of my skull, but it turned out I was much more interested in sleeping than anything else. Plus I had nine thousand visitors, which, while I appreciated very much, completely wiped me out. So, sorry I didn't check in sooner to let you all know how I was doing.
Got home yesterday (instead of Friday as expected) and slept mostly. Today my dad and brother came over to visit and this is the first chance I've had to check e-mail. I've missed you all so much! ♥♥♥♥♥ Many, many graces and thanks to all of you who've posted your support and sent good karma my way. ♥♥♥♥♥ Keep it up, I've still got a lot of healing to do! In the mean time, here's an update on the state of me.
My new belly: Basically, they cut apart my stomach laparoscopically, separated a small pouch from the rest and rerouted some plumbing. The pouch is my new stomach, and for the next few weeks, holds only 1 oz. For comparison, most people's stomachs are about the size of a football and hold anywhere from 40-60 oz. Provided I treat it right, mine will stretch somewhat over time, ending up about 6-10 oz in about a year. For the next three weeks, I'm still on a clear liquid diet and must be vigilant about getting enough water and protein. Luckily, the protein drinks I've got (Isopure) are actually pretty good. It's $2-3 a bottle for 20 oz at my local GNC, but the cool thing is that since I'm basically drinking about an ounce of it every twenty minutes, one bottle lasts me all day. In a few weeks, I'll get to add solids in, like cottage cheese and refried beans and stuff.
The minor complication: was really very minor. Due to the fact that I bruise incredibly easily, there was some extra swelling around important bits of my innards that made it really hard for things to leave the bottom end of my new tiny tummy, which in turn made it really hard for me to put things in the top end of the new tiny tummy. Once the swelling went down enough it was smooth sailing and I was able to stay hydrated and "fed" and off the IV.
Surgical stuff: I've got six incisions, some longer than others - one's over an inch, which I didn't expect! Two of them are drain sites, the rest for the surgical tools. The drains I had are what's called a Penrose drain on the left, which is basically just an open-ended tube sticking out into the world, with the end covered by gauze. The other, which I still have, is a JP drain that is totally gross and includes a tube leading to a collection bulb that I get the pleasure of emptying and measuring and recording the output twice a day. Ick. Plus it hurts. Luckily, that gets taken out on Wednesday.
Pictures: Ugh, I had Mr. Fantastic take some full-length pics of me the night before surgery in a black tank top and boyshorts. He handed me the camera so I could look at them and I was mortifed by what I saw, exclaiming, "OMG, my ass!" He leaned over to look at them and I snatched the camera away and he laughed, saying, "Pooky, I think I already know what your ass looks like." Har har. Anyway, seeing those pictures, I was really, really horrified and gladder than ever I had made the decision for surgery. And I decided I wasn't going to put them up on the internets for all to see, because, seriously, they're gross. But you know what? I did this surgery mostly for my health, not my looks. You all know I'm a pretty self-confident girl, so I decided that if I put up those awful pictures of myself and some other overweight girl with no self-confidence sees them, maybe it'll help her in some way to see that it's not just about how you look, that people can and do look past your weight and see the cool chick inside. Maybe it'll help somebody in some way to see what another fat girl looks like in her skivvies. Because, seriously, how often does one fat girl get to see what another fat girl looks like underneath her clothes? Not often.
Plus, there'll be bonus pics of the surgery sites and the nasty brutalization of the right side of my neck where they put a PICC line in my jugular. Hooray! ;)
I have dutifully hidden my scale as instructed, so I have no idea what I weigh right now, but I'll find out at my follow-up on Wednesday and let you all know. I do know I lost 4 pounds from the 23rd to the 3rd, so the clear liquid diet I was on prolly had a big hand in that. I am thrilled to be home and especially to sleep in my own bed again. I sure did miss the bulk of Mr. Fantastic sleeping next to me.
Will post more soon. Again, thanks to all of you for your kind words and support. I can't tell you how much it's meant to me. ♥
Monday, April 2, 2007
Tomorrow's the big day!
And I am getting slightly anxious. But not much. Yet.
Ugh. Not helping is that I had to start a clear liquid diet yesterday morning. Jell-o, broth, popsicles, apple juice...basically, if you can see through it, you can have it. I'm hungry. I'll "eat" and then half an hour later, I'll be hungry again. And I'm peeing like crazy. It's fun! Not. It will all be worth it in the end, though.
I took the day off work today to do some laundry and pack a bag for the hospital stay. Also working on getting Skippy (the new laptop) up and running. We haven't got our wireless router hooked up yet, but I noticed there's about three different unsecured wireless networks that I'm picking up from my dining room table. So, if I were to glom on to one of those, what would that mean? I'm using up their bandwidth? Please explain why I shouldn't do that so I can tell myself not to. I know I shouldn't but I don't know why.
For your viewing pleasure, a hilarious video: The iRack
Ugh. Not helping is that I had to start a clear liquid diet yesterday morning. Jell-o, broth, popsicles, apple juice...basically, if you can see through it, you can have it. I'm hungry. I'll "eat" and then half an hour later, I'll be hungry again. And I'm peeing like crazy. It's fun! Not. It will all be worth it in the end, though.
I took the day off work today to do some laundry and pack a bag for the hospital stay. Also working on getting Skippy (the new laptop) up and running. We haven't got our wireless router hooked up yet, but I noticed there's about three different unsecured wireless networks that I'm picking up from my dining room table. So, if I were to glom on to one of those, what would that mean? I'm using up their bandwidth? Please explain why I shouldn't do that so I can tell myself not to. I know I shouldn't but I don't know why.
For your viewing pleasure, a hilarious video: The iRack
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