Goodbye Drain, Hello New Me

Went to the surgeons today. I have lost 18.5 pounds since surgery. WOOHOO. I was so shocked. I told her about being so sick. And she agrees with the nutritionist and myself that I am lactose intolerant. I'm starting on soy milk tomorrow. She also was able to take out the JP Drain. Thank you, hallelujah. It had a big clot in it so its no wonder it was leaking. I feel so much better now. It's still tender but nothing like it was before. Also since I've not been drinking any milk the nausea and vomiting are better too. 

Now I've got a plan of attack. My goals in sight and I'm shooting for it. 

Nausea & Leaking

All was going good for a couple days then I started getting really sick at my stomach. My blood sugar was too low, I was very nauseas and throwing up. As well as having really bad loose stool. Also my JP drain started leaking from the site instead of draining through the tube. I ended up having to go to the ER for fluids and stronger nausea medicine. At home today I did some better but was still feeling quite nauseas. It occurred to me I might be over looking a problem. As a child a was severely lactose intolerant. This could be the source of all these problems right now. I got tomorrow  to see the surgeon and I will mention it to her. 

WLS Surgery (Mature Content)

The last few days have flown by. It has defiantly been an interesting ride.  Ups and downs and all in between. I’m going to start my story the night before surgery. We took our sweet puppy to a family member’s house so she could keep her while my hubby and I were at the hospital. I got all of the house cleaned and everything ready to go. My husband noticed a dog outside and went to check it out. The dog, a pit bull, came right in the house. He was a pretty dog and very friendly. We asked all our neighbors to see where he was missing from. No one seemed to know him. Poor thing was hungry. 

Later on it was so funny. He actually started getting frisky with the hubby. 

My hubby had to go to work, he works graveyard, and left him with me. I ended up having to call animal control. I hated to but had no other option since we wouldn’t be home to take care of him. I really hope he found his mommy and daddy. 

Night before and morning of surgery I had to take a shower and use special germicide soap.  You are not allowed to use lotion, oils, or anything else with it either. This way your body is more sterile for surgery. Hubby came home from work grabbed me and our belongings and off we went. I checked in and got my nifty little id bracelet. We only waited a moment before they came back to get me. Once in the preop room I had to undress completely and put on a lovely hospital gown, blue hat and blue booties. Yeah right your thinking. Hey at least it wasn’t too tight. 

The nurse had to try three times to get an IV. Finally another nurse came in and got it on the back of my left hand. I was glad because when they do them on the inside of your arm they usually cause trouble. They asked me a few questions, and then two separate doctors from anesthesia  came in to talk to me. Then two other ladies, nurses I think, came and talked to me. Then my surgeon came and talked with me and asked me a few things.  I had to take out my nose ring and contacts; said goodbye to the hubby and off they took me. I’m blind as a bat without my contacts in, so everything was blurry. Once in the operating room they had me move to a different table. The nurses were very nice and apologized when I came in because they had been gossiping. I didn’t care lol. They loved my tattoo and I told them about why I got it. For my angel babies.  

They fixed my blue hat and then put an oxygen mask over my mouth and nose. They had me take in three deep breaths to get my lungs full of good oxygen they said and then one more deep breath and I was out.

Several hours later I woke up in recovery which I remember very little about. I Just remember feeling sore and having a very dry mouth. I also had a JP drain. It hangs from my left side held in an incision by a few stiches. It has to be emptied routinely because it collects drainage fluid. They took me to my room where my hubby and sister in law were waiting. They were nice enough to call him several times while I was under to give him progress updates. They got me settled. My nurses were fabulous. All seemed to really love their jobs. I was in some pain but it wasn’t unbearable. 

They hardest thing at the time, was the dry mouth. They gave me these swabby things that reminded me of lollypops. You could dip them in water and swab your mouth with them. 

The first day after surgery you aren’t allowed anything to drink and of course eat. So make sure if you decide to have this surgery you bring chapstick too. After a few hours the nausea  set it. This was tough. You are already sore from your incision sights, but when you are dry heaving your whole abdomen jerks and it’s pretty painful. They tried several things. An alcohol pad under my nose which actually did help some. They also gave me Zofran and Phenergan. Both worked but wore off quickly. I finally figured out that if the pain got worse so did the nausea. So it’s good to keep everything in check like that. I’m not one to take much pain medicine so it was hard for me to ask for it. But that’s what it’s there for, so use it. I had a friend come by and visit. She and her husband had, had bypass surgery in the last year. They were very kind, but unfortunately I started getting sick again and they had to leave.

The first night I had a great CNA. He got me up and I actually walked around the whole floor. It was shaped like a large # 6. The walking helped extremely with the gas pains. Be for warned the taste and smell are pretty bad. To me it tasted like rotten eggs and smelled like it too. The next morning they were able to take the catheter out. My surgeon came by and checked on me and said I could start clear liquids. I tried just plain water first, which was just plain nasty. I’m used to my good tasting country water. They gave me some lemon Crystal Light packets to mix in a little at a time. 

OMG it was so good. I started sipping. Shortly after though I started getting sick again. I kept sipping though. I was visited by a holistic nurse who gave me a little jar of peppermint oil on a cotton ball. That helped so much. He also showed me a few pressure points to use for the neasousness too. I will post them soon on another post. I had a few more friends come by to see me. They brought me some beautiful flowers and cards.  Unfortunately I began getting sick again and they had to leave. The stomach medicine would work for a short time, but then I would begin to get sick again.

The second night my poor hubby was so exhausted he slept in the reclining chair. I didn’t want to bother him so I ended up taking several walking trips on my own. I had a few walking buddies too, for 3 o’clock in the morning lol. The next morning as the shift was changing the new nurse came in to check on me. I told her yet again I was starting to feel bad. She was wonderful. She had had a similar surgery and knew exactly what to do. She explained that the thinner liquid I was drinking was only passing through my pouch. A little bit thicker liquid, like that of a protein shake, would usually help and coat it some. She made me some vanilla and I was surprised she was right. I instantly could tell a difference. I was able to take a shower, which helped a lot too. One of my surgeon's assistants came in and told me if I could continue to keep the shakes down I could go home. Woo HOO. So they gave me 4, one ounce containers of the shake stuff. And I was able to keep it down. Several hours later I was able to go home.

The ride home was long and rough, but I had them give me pain and stomach meds before I left. I also used a pillow to cushion my tummy. That's my favorite pillow behind my head. Her name is Rosie. 

Before surgery I did purchase a toilet seat boaster and that helped a lot. Our toilet was very short.

So I’ve been home two days now. Things are getting better. I am learning to adjust to when to take things and drink things. Now working on getting in at least 48 ounces of fluid and 60 grams of protein. 

Here is what my tummy looks like now with the incisions and drain. 

Over whelming Day

Today I went to the hospital for my preop appointment. Everything went well & got a bunch of info. When I got home I received a call from the surgeons office. They want to move my surgery up to 3 days from now a whole 8 days early. Ekkk I'm excited but wow this is happening so fast. I did something really bad today & now I'm gonna pay for it. On the way home (before I got the call). The hubby and I were hungry. I hadn't packed anything to take with me so we were starving. We went to Wendy's and each got a burger. I was doing so well on the liquid diet and now I've really fudged it up. It figures that they would up the surgery just when I did that. But nothing I can do about it now. All I can do is try better from this point on. So now I'm getting everything together. Packing my bags and some stuff for the hubby too. He is gonna stay with me while I'm there. The hospital is quite a ways from our home. Thank goodness we have great friends and family that are helping us with the critters. I gotta get off here I got so much to do. 

Liquid Diet

Today starts my two week diet before surgery. So far so good. Got the pantry lined up with different things so I won't get worn out on one thing. Here's a list of some of the things I can have. After surgery it will be about the same things but with smaller amounts. 

Protein shakes 

    I have to really read labels & make sure it is a meal replacement shake. Or I can get the protein powder & make them myself with milk. (I prefer this to the pre-made ones). 

Soups & Broth 

    I can have several different kinds but only ones that are smooth & drinkable. If I get pre-made soups I must add protein powder to them. Let me say. It is hard to find a good unflavored one that isn't nasty. I can also use condensed soups, again as long as they aren't chunky. When making condensed, now before surgery, I'm adding 12oz of milk. The condensed soups I don't have to add the protein powder. But after surgery I will only add the amount it calls for. 

Chicken or Egg Salad 

    As long as its smooth & pourable aka drinkable. 

GreekYogurt    (Nothing with fruit pieces only fruit flavored or plain) 

Sugar Free Pudding

Decaffeinated & Herbal Tea

Sugar Free Popsicles

Sugar Free Jello

Water Flavor Additives 

    Mio (Nothing with caffeine), Chrystal light, power aid, I can have lemon juice. 

One thing for me is hard when choosing Popsicles, jello, mio, & other similar things. I have an allergy to red dye. Pretty much anything like that has it in it. I can find some Popsicles without it, but not in sugar free. Looks like I'll be making my own. 

FMM July 1, 2012

Pondering Personal Thoughts

 

1. How old would you feel if you didn’t know how old you are? Given my weight and health. Prob 45 or 50. 


2. Are you the kind of friend you’d want to have as a friend?  I hope so. I try to always be kind and listen. Sometimes it seems I can do a lot better though. 


3. Look back at the last year.  When did you feel most excited about something in your life? 
At the first of the year I had made the decision that it would be my year for change. I didn't know in January I would be having WLS, but I knew I was gonna do something. I wasn't even sure I could have or afford the surgery. So when I found out everything just fell into place. Ever since then I'm always looking forward. 

4. Have you ever been with someone and not spoken a word, only to walk away thinking that was the best conversation ever?  
I'm not sure. I know in middle school I would go the whole trip home & never speak to anyone. I would like those days the best. 

5. If you won 100 million dollars Monday, would you continue doing whatever you usually do on Tuesdays? 
Probably but a lot of things would change. I would defiantly travel more & take care of my family. 

6. What would you do differently if you knew no one would judge you?  I would probably post on FB that I'm an atheist. Most people don't know. I really don't care to argue & loose friends of a religious belief. The ones that I really care about already know. 


7. Share something you do differently than most people.  Because my hubby works graveyard.  Their morning is my night. We workout in the morning before we got to bed. 


8. What’s one thing that you really want to do that you’ve never done?  Zip line. It's on my bucket list I know I can't right now & I'm afraid of Heights, but it scares me into motivation. 


9. If you had to move out of state right now, where would you move?  Texas, I loved every part I've visited. Especially Amarillo. 


10.  What is the one thing that you’d like to change most about the world?  I wish the world could be at peace with each other. United & taking care of each other. 

Surgery is confirmed

My surgery has been confirmed. July 17 is the big day. Today was my last day on normal food. I opted for a cheeseburger & fries. I know not the healthiest choice but hey. Tomorrow starts 2 weeks of liquid diet before surgery. It's gonna be hard but I know I can do it.