Exercise

So here I am at 4 weeks out and I have been kicking up my exercise this week!  Done two days thus far of walking/jogging!  I will walk for 5 mins and then jog for 1 min and then today for my last jog I actually jogged for 3 mins straight!! YAY!!  All I kept telling myself while I was going for 3 mins was ONE POUND A DAY!!!  That is what I've been loosing lately so I want to keep that up!!  I really need to get to doing the weights though.  Yeah, I have a goal weight but even more then that I want to FEEL GOOD in my own skin again and I know that using weights will help me feel that!

4 weeks Post-Op

4 weeks ago today I had my surgery and wow what a difference does 4 weeks make!  I FEEL GREAT!!!  I have lost a total of 27lbs since Nov. 1st and droped a pant and shirt size!  I am able to eat more then before and even though I'm not actuall on FULL solids I'm close enough!  I have protein drinks for breakfast and lunch (because I can't drink a whole one just at breakfast) a couple of snacks such as cheese or pudding and then dinners like meat and a veggie and usually a bite of a starch but I don't usually have much room!  I'm eating about an ounce of meat and 2T of veggies!!  My energy level is pretty good most days and we've been going to the gym at least three days a week!!  All my incisions seem to be healing really good and I can't wait to meet with the doctor this week to see what she says!  I have my support group tomorrow and I'm super excited to see if any of the other ladies have had their surgeries yet and see how they are feeling!  I know this is still just the begining of my journey but if it all goes this well throughout my whole journey I will not complain!!!

Before and 1 Month Pictures (bra and shorts)

The first three are the night before surgery and the second three are this morning which is exactly 4 weeks since surgery!  I have lost 27 total since the 1st of Nov.

My first NSV!!

So today was my first non-scale victory!!  When getting dressed this morning I decided to try on another shirt I had to see how I felt in it so that I might be able to wear it at Christmas and guess what, IT FIT GREAT!!!!!!  I was so flippin excited I started to try on some other shirts and OMG they all fit!!  Now I really need a job so that I can wear these cute clothes before they are too big! LOL

So I was a 2X Shirt and now I'm a 1X shirt!!  Was a 20-22 Jeans and now my 18s fit but are a little tight!!

WOOHOO!!!

First "real" meal!

So I decided that I wanted to have a Real Meal today!  My doc and NUT said I can progress how I FEEL and I feel GREAT so I figured I would try something new!  I make Swiss Steak in the crockpot, mashed potatos and gravy and peas and carrots!  (one of my all time fav meals!)  I dished up on a plate .5 oz of meat, 2 Tbls of taters with a drizzle of gravy and 1 Tbls of veggies!  I was able to eat the veggies and meat and one small bite of taters and I'm FULL!!  It was FABLOUS!!  I am really going to have to "learn" to cook SMALL portions though because that was WAY too much leftover!! LOL

I am going to still away from bread and pasta for some time and of course any junk foods but I really wanted to get more REAL proteins in!!

3 Weeks (tomorrow)

So I'll be 3 weeks post-op tomorrow and I really feel Great!  I'm up to eating 1/4 C of whatever (pureed chili, pudding, jello, eggs w/ cheese, oatmeal) and I can drink a lot more at one time instead of the tiny little sips!  I've finally got myself into tracking my food again so I can see where I sit with calories (shooting for 700-800 day) and protein (shooting for 50-60g a day)!  My weight loss isn't much on the scale still (will know for sure tomorrow) and I'm pretty sure I maybe only lost a pound again this week but I know my body is still adjusting from the trama it's been through!  I really wish I would have taken measurements before surgery though because OMG You can tell my tummy has shrunk A LOT!  My pants literally fell off me today! LOL  I know that I need to weigh a certain amount to show on paper that I am healthy but what really matters to me is how my clothes fit and how I feel in my own body and with losing inches that is happening!!  I haven't worn my "hold me ins" since I had surgery!!  That is HUGE, I wouldn't leave the house without them in years!

I am looking forward to introducing some more foods into my diet this week as I progress onto the next stage of foods!   When I met with my NUT she said that I could actually progress faster if I felt my body could handle it so we'll see how it goes!  As long as I'm good to go I do what to be on solids by the time we leave on Christmas break!  Hopefully that'll make it easier to eat while on the road! LOL  This week I am going to put potatos on my menu and some fish! 

My incisions are healing nice but they still ITCH!!!  I finally figured it out that because of this I will never wear my belly ring again :(  The cut right through it, up and down! I've had that since I was SIXTEEN!!!!!  It's not like I'll be showing my belly to anyone with all the stretch marks anyways but still, it was sentimental! LOL

Drain OUT!!!

Okay so today is 1 week and I went back to the doctor today to get the drain out!!! YAY!!  It wasn't NOWHERE near as bad as I thought it would be!  It felt "strange" but there was no pain.  She did a full check over on me and said I am doing GREAT!  I can now start on Full Liquids which means, milk, pudding, soups, etc.  I just tried a little milk and instant breakfast and it just seems to be sitting heavy in my tummy but I know it'll just take some getting to.  I am also continuing to keep my water intake going and hopefully will be able to get more in this week.  She really said that I was doing really good and was very pleased with my progress. 

My weight today was 216!!!  I lost 15 pounds in a WEEK!!!  OMG I haven't ever even lost 15 lbs in a month before! LOL  Total I am down 22 lbs since I started my 2 week pre-op diet!

2nd Worse Day thus far :(

I have seriously had my worst day (expect for the day of surgery) today The gas pains are SO BAD!! My lower back, lower gut and Shoulder hurt so bad! I am belching all the time and it doesn't seem to make me feel any better but I can't stop doing it! LOL I tried some broth today but it really just didn't taste all that great (I used to LOVE drinnking broth and having biscuits so I figured I would still like it?)

I haven't gotten in NO WHERE near what I needed to for liquids today because the gas has been so bad and tonight I took two small sips of water and I could tell it wasn't going down I tried being vertical and laying on my left side (what the docs had me do in the hospital) and it's been an hour and I still feel that FULL feeling!

I have tried the Gas X Strips but they really dont' seem to do anything! Everytime there is a commerical I get up and walk around my house (every 15 mins or so for like 2 mins), went to WalMart and walked for at least an hour if not a little more following DH around while he grocery shopped and thought I was gonna die (exhausted)!! LOL I have also been using a heating pad on my shoulder and back (a little on the tummy but not much)

I just HATE these gas pains I'm in no other pain at all (well a little muscle sore, like I can't lay down and then sit up! LOL) it's just SO ANNOYING!!!!

Good thing I guess of the day is that according to the scale I'm down another 7 bls since Thursday! I'm not "counting" it yet though since I plan to have my official weigh day as Mondays (since that was when surgery was!)

Surgery

Okay so here's my story!  I got to the hospital at 0530 on Monday morning and got checked in.  Was put in a gown and got an IV started.  From there we went down to the surgery pre-op where I waited and waited!  They came in and drew some blood then I had to give a urine sample as well!  So finally the doc comes in and we chat for a few mins about everything and I tell her I'm ready to go!  When they finally came and gave me some meds through my IV I had been laying in bed in the pre-op area for 2 hours!!!  I drifted off and don't remember a thing until I woke up in recovery!  When waking up there was some pain but I know now that it wasn't pain from surgery it was gas pain from all the air they put in me!  I got some good drugs though and the wheeled me up to my room!  Shane was there for just a little bit before he had to go get Paxton but it was nice to see his face!  I was still just really out of it and would wake for brief moments while they were taking my temp, blood pressure and so on.  Later that night they wanted me to stand up and move around!  I KNEW this was going to be BAD, it always is with me the first time getting up!  So I get sat up on the edge of the bed and I was telling the nurse I was dizzy and nauseous but he insisted I stand up!  WOAH, that did it, I was drenched in sweat right away and started to topple over!!  They put me back in bed!  THANK YOU!  I told you it wasn't time for me to be up yet! LOL  About midnight the overnight nurse thought we should try it again and this time wasn't as bad.  Still a little light headed and nauseous but not as bad and I was able to sit up in the chair for a big and brush my teeth!  At this point thought my temp was really starting to rise and that worried them a bit so back in bed I go!  Around 2am my temp reached 102 so they tried to have me drink some liquid Tylenol! UGH!  NOT GOOD!  I got two VERY SMALL sips off it and totally felt like vomiting!  They ended up giving me more meds and more fluids through the IV to see if they would help!  By Tuesday morning, I was totally feeling better but still not great by no means.  I got out of bed a few more times to go walk around the halls since the HORRIBLE gas pains were not letting up!  There was like one big bubble that moved from right under my left breast up into my shoulder and back again (it's still there now too) and they say walking helps, so I walked as much as I could handle!  Around 9am they came and took me down to do the swallow study to make sure there were no leaks!  OMFG OUCH is all I can say!!!!!!  I got in there and stood up on that dang machine and they gave me the huge cup of NASTY NASTY NASTINESS and made me take a "big" drink!  Yuck for one, and OUCH for two!  They said drink again, so another drink in and they are moving the thing around trying to see if the fluid is going and OMG it hit me like a ton of bricks!  PAIN PAIN PAIN!!!!  The fluid wasn't draining so it was all just sitting right at the top of my stomach and not moving!  That is seriously some of the worst pain I have ever felt!  They quickly laid me and the table back and had me turn to each side and finally while on the left side they could see it starting to drain and the pain SLOWLY subsided!  I SWEAR I will never eat or drink to fast because I NEVER want to feel that pain again!  But all in all things were good, they didn't see anything leaks, but I was just really swollen and tight so they said it would be slow going for me. Tuesday night Shane brought Paxton up to see me which was nice!  I missed my little girl!  They also started me on drinking water.  10cc a hour is what I needed to do and that was HARD!  Picture 10cc of water?  A tiny little medicine cup only filled about 1/4 of the way and I couldn't even drink that whole amount down in a hour?!?!?!  CRAZY!  Around 7pm my IV went bad so they took it out and I was thinking, GREAT, maybe I'll get to go home tomorrow, this is all good right?  WRONG!  By midnight I was so sick :(  I was more nauseous then I have ever been.  So they called the doc and she said, back on the IV I go!  Of course, they had to stick me three times before they got one!  Told them I was a hard stick!  So they give me a different med which made me sleep!  I was so thankful for that!  So Wed. morning rolls around and still a little nauseous but not so bad.  They really wanted me to focus on getting my water in, up to 60 cc (two med cups full) in an hour!  By Wed. night I was able to accomplish this! YAY!!!  I was also finally able to get up and shower on Wed. and walk around a lot more (still having the gas pains).  Wed. night I was also able to have a popsicle!!  It was cherry and OMG it was SO GOOD! LOL  So I was off the IV and drinking my water and walking a lot!  Got pretty sleepy early so off to bed I went!  Slept pretty good expect for the temp checks and the heparin shots (btw those HURT and I have tiny little bruises all over my tummy from them)!  Woke up this morning (Thursday) feeling pretty darn good (except of course the gas pains) and felt ready to come home!  Walked, ate a popsicle and even had a little hot tea for breakfast!  I liked the warm feeling going down!  Again was able to shower and have them clean up the drain area with new tape and such.  While doing so they showed me again how to empty the drain and I was missing a step the two times before and that might be why I have such gas pains today :(  Might has got some air back in my tummy :(  OUCH!  But it's still nothing like what I'm sure it could be!  I can totally handle my 60cc an hour and the doc said she still wants me on Clear fluids until I come see her on Monday!  So it'll be water, tea, popsicles and broth throughout the weekend which right now is totally fine by me!  I'm NOT hungry by no means! LOL  So now I'm home and it sure does feel great to be in my own house!  I have the chair all set up with pillows and my water and COMPUTER (gosh, I'm so addicted, I've missed my computer so much) and my puppy! (which totally wants on my lap but I won't let her)!  Now I think I'll take a short nap and then get to doing some Work!  I missed working :(  That’s how much I LOVE my job and how totally depressed I am about losing it :( 

Oh I did step on the scale when I got home and thus far I have lost 4.2 lbs in the past 4 days!  So after the pre-surgery diet and everything I am now at 227 lbs!  Only 77lbs more to go! LOL

Here's goes nothing!

Tomorrow is surgery! YAY!!  Can I just say that today I am HUNGRY!!!!  It's crazy how some days I could go without eating and I'm fine but as soon as I know I'm not allowed to eat I'm straving! LOL  Kinda sucks that I'm a female because I started my period today :(  now I have to deal with that on top of everything else! UGH!  As for me though, I am so ready for this!  I am mentally prepared and couldn't be happier that the day is finally here!  Of course right this moment I am stressing about everything that I need to get done before I leave at 0'Dark30 tomorrow but I'll be fine!!!

Anxious!

I am getting a little anxious!  It's now Saturday night and surgery is on Monday and I just can't wait for Sunday to be over and be at the hosptial!  I know I'm gonna be full of butterflys tomorrow and it's going to be hard since I am on pure liquids all day tomorrow! I am excited and ready for this surgery and just want to get the show on the road!  I keep going over and over in my mind about everything that I need to pack and bring to the hosptial with me!  Plus, I'm totally worried about how I'm going to get my hours in for work while in the hosptial!  I am glad that tomorrow is Sunday because I always feel closer to God while in his house so at church tomorrow I know I'll be saying a lot of extra prayers!

Pre-op Week One

Well for the most part the low fat "diet" for week one of the two week pre-op diet went pretty well!  I never reached the full 1200 cal which I don't know if that is good or bad?? LOL  I had a few "regular" meals, one night was skettie and yesterday was french bread pizza for lunch!  Still didn't go over my calories though! YAY!  Back to the grind today with a shake for breakfast, turkey sandwich for lunch and we'll see how I do with the shake for dinner!  I really think I would rather drink my breakfast and lunch and then eat dinner!  I like the feeling of being able to sit down and eat with my family!  But all in all like I said it went good and I LOST WEIGHT!!  I lost FOUR pounds this week! WOOHOO!!  That is what this whole thing is about is to start the weight loss before surgery so I have! YAY!

A Test

Well this is a true test of my wills!  I can admit that I am totally an emotional eater and today sure is an emotional day!  I found out today that my job is over in 25 days :(  OMG I don't know what I'm going to do but I do know what I'm NOT going to do and that is eat!  For the last 2 hours all I have thought about is eating junk food!  I want chocolate and I want soda!  I want comfort foods!!!!!  NOPE, I will NOT do it!  I will drink my protein shake for dinner and maybe have a SF/FF pudding!  I will win the battle with my emotional eating one way or another!

Endoscope!

Well I got the endoscope done today and all is good!  Doc said that I don't have a large hiatal hernia like we thought but I might have a small one and/or the reason why I'm having such bad heartburn is because I have a VERY LARGE stomach??!!  Well yeah, I can see I have a very large stomach! LOL  No, really, the doctor said it a few times that I have a large stomach so I guess that just means she gets to take more of it out in less then two weeks! YAY!!  Otherwise it seems like everything is fine!  They did do a biopsy though to make sure there is not bacterial infection in there.  She did say that she found a polyp (or polyps, I'm not sure if it was multipule or not) which I guess isn't too big of a deal and it could have been caused because I have been taking prilosec for so many years! 

I'm feeling pretty good!  Don't remember a thing from the procedure and waking up was easy and I actually haven't gone back to sleep!  I did however, lay back and watch a movie, it was nice!!  I've also been doing some work since I still have a few things that need to be done and then to make sure I get everything done before I'm really out of commission for a bit!

I think the worst part of the day (besides that right now my throat HURTS SO BAD) is the IVs!! OMG They were trying to kill me! LOL  First the nurse tried in my left hand and she had to SEARCH for it (which HURTS) and once she had it, it rolled :(  OUCH!  Okay so that is a no go, she tried to see if she could find another vein and finally said, nope we will let the anesthesiologist do it!  When he came in he beat me up by hitting all my veins over and over again until he figured to try my left arm (between wrist and elbow) and again, once hooked up the line, bye bye vein! UGH!  So then he finally got one with a smaller cath in the bend of my right elbow and had to leave the cath half way out so he had to tape it like crazy!!  OUCH when pulling that off!  Come one, I have super hairy arms!!!!

All and all it was an easy procedure and I will live!!  Now I just can't wait to get things moving towards my new life!!!

For sure!

Surgery is on the 15th for Sure!!  I've known for a little bit now that it was most likely going to be the 15th but wasn't 100% sure well now I am, the nurse just called! YAY!!  So I am less then two weeks away now! OMG How awesome!!!  Tomorrow I get the scope done and hopefully there will be no issues from that, I'm sure there isn't!!

2 weeks away

I am now officially two weeks away from surgery!!!  WOW, TWO WEEKS and thats it!!!  Time is flying by like crazy!

I started my two week low fat "diet" today and I'm supposed to shoot for 1500 calories a day!  If I eat like I am today, that'll be no problem!!  Thus far today I have taken in 773 and my dinner will be 436 for a total for just over 1200 for the day!  WOOHOO!  I just hope I will be able to keep it up through the whole two weeks!

I'm doing a protein shake for breakfast - which TOTALLY fills me up - then a sandwich for lunch and a protein shake for dinner! Plus drinking A LOT of water and decaf hot tea each day as well!!

I go in on Wed. for the endoscope and then surgery on the 15th!! WOOHOO!!

Pre-op's

Today was one of my pre-op appt. with the surgeon and everything is good to go!  She has all my reports (lab, xray, ekg) and it's all good to go!  Found out some interesting information though that I didn't know.  I am going to be in ICU for the first 24 hours and then the next two days (total of 3 days in hosptial) will be in a regular room as long as I'm good to go!  Also that I will be coming home with drains! UGH!  Not looking forward to that!  I had drains when I had my breast reduction but I sure didn't come home with them! ick! LOL  Oh well, something I will have to deal with!

I am ready for this!  SO READY to start my life again and be Healthy and be around for my husband and child!!

Shane

Looks like talking to people in person instead of trusting the Central Appointment line has really paid off for Shane!  He is now going to have surgery two weeks after me! YAY!!!  It's going to be "rough" in our household but I know we'll make it through this and be better on the other side!  We are about to become HEALTHY, young adults who want to live a long happy life as a beautiful family of 3!!!

Things are REALLY moving!

WOW, things are really moving!  It's almost like one second it seems I've been at this FOREVER and another second it's like OMG It's all happening SO FAST!!  I did my internal med appointment today and the doctor said everything seems just fine!  So once back to the office I call the surgeons nurse to ask about the endoscope and she said we will just do it the same day as my next appointment on the 4th which means I should be looking at surgery around the week of the 15th of November!! WOOHOO!!  I can't believe it could really be that soon!  Which works out good for work because if our contract doesn't get renewed then I might as well use some of my leave time! LOL

The bummer part of all of this is my husband!  Shane is also going through everything just as I am to have surgery but this started later then mine did so all of his appointments are after mine.  He called today for his second appointment with the surgeon and he can't get in to see her until the 30th of November :(  Which means he won't have surgery until the new year because we already have plans for him and Paxton (and maybe me depending on job) to go "home" for Christmas and he can't do that just a week or two after his surgery :(  We are going to talk to the surgeon on the 4th when I go in to see if there is any way to get him appointment moved sooner but we'll see!

WOOHOO!!  IT'S HAPPENING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Shane too

Well Shane met with the surgeon today and it's a go for him to start the process!  He can't do much until next Tuesday though since he has Paxton all day tomorrow and Monday is a holiday!  I was a little upset after his meeting though because he told the surgeon that he wanted to have the surgery before me.  I don't really understand why he would say this since I have already got the process started, have another appt. with the surgeon before he will and plus I'm on a time crunch with my job.  Might as well get things done now when I can take time off instead of telling a brand new job that I need time off!  Of course we haven't decided for sure and if will depend on the doctor!  I really just want to get going with this but still have one more appointment for sure and possibly two more.  I have internal med on the 21st (which it just got moved today from the 20th) and then see the doc on the 4th but she said she wanted to do an Endoscope before surgery so we'll see!  I was hoping to without a doubt have it done before Thanksgiving so that I have a good month before Christmas to heal before we travel!  We'll see!

Crazy!

Met with the psyco doc today and he said I was Crazier then a One-Eyed Bat but that I'm good to go for surgery! YAY!! LOL

Nah, it was all good!  Asked a BUNCH of stuff, wrote a bunch of stuff done and then said, Okay you are good to go!!!  He made sure to tell me though that if I ever need anything in the future that they are here! LOL

Now I wait until the support group next week and then Internal Med the week after and then a two week wait before I see the surgeon again!  WOOHOO  I am getting really excited about taking such a leap with my life!!

Appointments

Well today I got a lot of my appointments done!  Went to the lab (after fasting) and they took TEN viles of blood!!! After which I went over for a chest x-ray and then the pulmanary test!  I was also able to make the internal medicine appointment today for the 20th! YAY!!  I can't believe how EASY this has all been!  I really LOVE the hospital here and how wonderful they are with getting appointments and also the professionalism of everyone there!

I've been doing more research on the sleeve and I thought I had decided that was what I was going to do but now I am worried because I saw a post on a message board that tricare doesn't cover the sleeve.  I've tried to find out what I can from the internet but can't seem to find much.  I think I'll need to actually CALL tricare or just take my chances and have the doctor input it that way and see what happens!

What I consider Day 1

Even though I started this process a little earlier then today, since I met with the surgeon today and she said, Yes I am a canidate then today is Day 1.  I weighed in at 240 in her office today and I am 5'6" which puts my BMI around 38-39. 
I met with the nutritionist the other day and with the surgeon today.  Next I have a pulmonary function test on Monday, labs and also chest x-rays.  Then on Wednesday I have an appointment for the Psychology evaluation!  Last thing I need to do is get an appointment for Internal medicine and get an EKG done.  The doc said I was also do the endoscope to check for hernias.
I can't believe this all is moving right along and it might mean that surgery is closer then I thought!

I have two options at this point.  I can either get the band or I can get the sleeve surgery. Right at this moment I am still torn on which I want to do.  I have done A LOT of research on the Band and not so much on the sleeve.  The part that scares me the most with the band is that there will be an object INSIDE my body???  It's just weired to think about it!  Also, the doctor said the fills hurt?  I'm a big baby afterall! LOL

I am glad to know that per the doctor and myself (and DH of course) this is the right course for me and my health!  I'm sure I will run into people along the way that won't agree with MY choice but that is just it, it is MY choice!