bigbill415

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I'm finally well after over a month from my gallbladder surgery.  I ended up with an bad infection that created an abscess in my abdomen.  As I stated below they installed a drain and put me on antibiotics.  Since that episode they had to re-admit me 2 more times!

The infection was not going away.  A couple of weeks passed and I was still weak and had no appetite.  I could barely get down fluids and was becoming seriously dehydrated.   About 3 weeks after surgery they did a CT Scan and determined they needed a second drain.  Once they did that I started to feel MUCH better. They also switched my antibiotics and increased the dosage -- I was taking two horse pills (875Mg) per day.

After 2 weeks of not working and another 2 weeks of working from home I was finally able to return to the office.  Like I said, WOW!  There were times when I wondered if I would ever get better.  I had never been so sick for so long in my life -- and I hope to NEVER have to go through that again.

In addition to fighting the infection, I was battling dehydration and undesirable  weight loss (I never thought I would say that!).  I lost 25 pounds in just 2 weeks -- that is not a good thing!  It was mostly muscle loss from being incapable of moving around for more than a minute or two at a time.  I've since put back on 2 of those pounds and am working to restore the muscle -- thank you gym!!!

Well like I said I'm doing well.  I'm down to 216 , that's 140 pounds from my highest weight, and just 23 pounds from my goal!!!  I can do this!

Earlier this week I was in Dallas for business.  After a wonderful dinner on Wednesday I started getting some pretty bad abdominal cramping.  I had a 6:30 flight back home the next morning so I needed to rise and shine by 4:30 to catch the flight.  Well with all that pain I didn't get any sleep at all!  I considered calling for an ambulance while in Dallas, but wasn't really sure I had a serious problem or not -- not one of my better decisions!

After my 3 1/2 hour flight to Boston I once again considered going straight to the  hospital where I had my RNY bypass, but after sleeping the entire flight I started to feel a bit better, so I just went home and took a nap...

Some 7 hours later when I woke up, my wife told me I looked like poop (she used a different word) and that I needed to contact a doctor right away.  This is when I started to make some better decisions.  I called the hospital when I had my bypass - Tufts Medical Center.  Talk to the surgeon on call, told her I was a bypass patient so she also contacted the bariatric surgeon on call and after describing my symptoms and my fever of 101.7, they decided I needed to visit them ASAP.

My lovely wife brought me into Tufts Emergency Room and a short 4 hours later after some blood tests and an ultra sound they confirmed that I had an acute cholecystitis (a really badly infected gallbladder).  They needed x-rays and a more detailed ultrasound which they did Friday morning.  By Friday afternoon I was in surgery and after removing what the doctor called, "the worst looking gallbladder he's ever seen" I was a little tender in the belly but the excruciating pain was gone!

I guess this is not unusual for gastric bypass patients, but this was the last thing I expected after having such a good track record with my bypass -- until this happened.

So I'm now down to 240 lbs -- a total weight loss of 116lbs with another 45lbs to goal.  The journey continues, even with a speed bump or two along the way!

UPDATE: (June 26)
I was home resting comfortably and had a great day Saturday.  I was feeling great and thought I was out of the woods on this.  Then I woke up on Sunday morning...with a 102.8 fever.  Oops!  I called the hospital and after a few questions they said come in ASAP.  Once again, my lovely wife took me to the emergency room and after another 4 hours was re-admitted with a bad case of abdominal infection.

I had a drain bag installed and put on a powerful antibiotic.  They kept me until Tuesday afternoon and I continued to improve slowly day-to-day.

That's where I am now...home recovering, still have the drain bag and getting better each day -- slow, but seeing progress.  With luck I'll go in next Wednesday and get the drain removed and start onto a rapid recover from there.  Wish me luck!

Well it has been 4 months since my surgery.  So far it is all falling into place.  I started this journey at 356 pounds (324 on the day of surgery) and this morning I weighed it at 255 -- that's 101 pounds of me that is gone...forever!  I posted a new photo of me -- it was captured from a web cam, but you get the "picture".

I've been exercising regularly and eating pretty well -- thought I need to get back to watching carefully what I eat and making sure I get my daily intake of fluids.  I've noticed a little thinning of the hair, so I'd best jump on watching the protein overall.

Other than that I'm doing just fine.

-Bill

P.S. On a side note, just to brag a little, my son Nick (17) made his first Olympic Trial cut last night in California.  This means he gets to swim at the Olympic Trials this July with the "big boys".  We're all very proud of his accomplishments and of course we're all very excited.  The cut is 2:07.39 for the 200 Individual Medley and he swam it in 2:06.52  This is even more exciting than me crossing the century mark!

Just a quick note (so Robin will get off my back) to let everyone know that my journey continues with a great degree of success.  To date I have lost a total of 87 pounds.  Starting at 356 last September i managed to get to 324 on my surgery date -- December 26th.  Since then I've been losing steadily and weighed in last Wednesday at a svelte 269 lbs!

I feel great and have been receiving piles of compliments -- though lately I've been getting, "don't you think you should buy some clothes that fit" from folks.  Truth is I'd like to hold off a bit longer.  I have a closet full of clothes that I wore when I was about this weight before -- but for some reason my shape has changed -- must be the exercise!

I hit one of my goals last week when I traveled to the west coast for business.  I was able to buckle my seat belt without needing to ask for an extension!  In fact I had 5 or 6 inches of belt pulled through!  This is a major milestone for me.  I also didn't have to apologize to the person sitting next to me -- I use to tell them I was sorry that I'd be sitting WITH them for the flight (as opposed to sitting next to them!!!).  It was absolute joy!!!

Well, off to finish a bottle or two of wine.  I'll report back in a month (or sooner) -- I promise I will Robin!!!!

Well today marks my 2 month post op anniversary!  It was the day after Christmas last year when I "went under the knife" and since then the journey has been incredible!

I had lost 32 pounds leading up to my surgery and since then I've dropped another 42 pounds for a total weight loss of 74 pounds!  I'm so excited that I've decided to change my target weight from 205 pounds down to 195!  I know I can do this!

Food has not been a problem.  I was given the green light to eat almost anything after 6 weeks and so far (knock on wood) I have had no troubles at all.  I have managed to get all of my fluid, protein and calorie goals in without any problems.  I'm even able to have alcohol by the end of this month...why that's now...I'll be back in a few minutes...

...okay, I'm back.  Now what was I saying...oh, I forget...just tell Mom I love her and to send money.  I have to get back to my glass of wine!

Love ya all...

Hello all.  I'm now past my 3 week mark.  I'm eating fine and almost hitting my 64 oz water goal each day.  I have lost 21 pounds since surgery, a total of 49 since I began. 

I have hit my first plateau though.  I weighed in at my 2-week check up at 307, and yesterday I stepped on my scale (which is very close to the doctor's scale) and was actually up a pound...what's with that?!?!?!

Since I've seen my DOC and NUT I've been put on my stage 4 diet -- soft, moist foods.  For the most part I have been just about at my protein and fluid goals.  My average calorie intake is about 620 calories (Don't know what my goal should be for that).

I've started back with light exercise -- mostly treadmill and elliptical -- about 30 minutes 4 or 5 times a week.  I might be adding muscle, but I don't think that's the case.  Maybe I need to make lower calorie choices with the foods I'm eating...

The struggle continues...but I am winning!

I'm beginning to worry.  So far all has gone so well that I'm expecting something bad to happen...but wait...I'm a graduate of Lou Tice's Pacific Institute Investment in Excellence training (pacificinstitute.com), in fact, I'm a facilitator for the training.  Lou's message is complex, but can basically be boiled down to this:

"You move towards that which you think about"

What the hell does that mean?  It means that if I start thinking something bad is about to happen, it will, but on the other hand if I continue to have positive self talk about a bright and rosier future, that will happen instead.

For those of you who have read and/or seen "The Secret" you might understand.  "The Secret" will lead you to believe that all you have to do is have positive thoughts and the good stuff will happen.  Lou is more down to Earth with his teaching knowing that just wishing something to happen or be true doesn't usually make it happen.  You have to work to achieve what you are after.

That was one of my initial struggles with getting my WLS versus just doing the diet and exercise thing.  One part of me kept thinking all I need to do is think healthily lifestyle, then start a diet and exercise program/lifestyle change and all would be well.  After all I'd had success with that before...but that was the point, I was never able to make the transition to a healthy lifestyle and stay there.  I always managed to undermine my own good intentions -- either consciously or sub-consciously.  Either way I would always end up putting back the weight (and a couple of extra pounds, just for good measure) and go back to my "norm".

This was the key..."my norm".  That was my comfort zone.  Eat and drink what I want, when I want and keep making excuses why I couldn't exercise.  I could not shift my norm...not until WLS -- albeit only 9 days out, but I made a commitment!

My new norm is eating healthy and exercising.  The WLS will give me a tool to help make the eating right a reality and I'm working to create the visual image of a slimmer me who WANTS to exercise everyday because that's how I live my life.  The old norm is no longer acceptable, and because of the WLS, I am no longer able to eat like I use to.

So far my plan to shift my norm is doing great.  I started my exercise program already, even thought at this point it is still just a few walks a day...but they're in my schedule.  When I return to work the week after next I'll be back in the gym getting my prescribes aerobic and muscle building exercises done.  You move towards that which you think about...powerful stuff!

Peace!

-Bill

Greetings all!  On Wednesday, December 26th I went in for my LAP RNY.  I was scheduled to arrive at the hospital at 9:00am and go in about 10:00 or 10:30 for the procedure.  My wife and I arrived at 8:30am - I hate to late for anything!  Well wouldn't you know something came up with my surgeon and I didn't go into the operating room until noon.  I had nothing to eat since 8:00PM the night before.  I was ready to eat anything that came near my mouth.

The surgery was fine...65 minutes, no problems all as planned.  I took a bit longer in recovery...nearly 7 hours.  I was so tired from not sleeping that I just could not wake up.  The pain was so-so for the first 2 days, but since then it seems to have subsided significantly.

I'm now learning how to eat.  Not easy.  Like many I'm having trouble getting in all of my fluids and protein.  Each day I do better.

As I gain more endurance I will post more of my progress here.  Thanks to all for your thoughts, prayers and words of encouragement.

-Bill

Start - 356
Day of Surgery - 324
2 days post op - 328 (Gotta love that Saline IV)

Well, this is it.  I have 2 more days until I head into the OR...and those days are Christmas Eve and Christmas Day!!!  I guess my timing could have been better, but what the heck.

I've been struggling with all the food temptations around me during this holiday season...I'm winning, but it's tough.

This is probably my last post before I go in, so wish me luck (won't need it) and say a prayer for me (will need all I can get).  Talk to you all when I get to the "other side".

-Bill

I'm up against an insurance "thing".  My company is dropping my current provider at the end of this year. The best alternative provider for my family and me has a six month "I can change" program requirement before allowing WLS.  The good news (I think) is that I've been approved by my current provider and have a date!  December 26th (Merry Christmas...a day late).

I go in for the usual work ups the week before.  I hope I hit my target weight goal...I have to lose another 10 by the surgery date -- 10 pounds in 16 days...I can do this!!!

Hopefully I will get back to do another post or two before the date...