CathyKy

Send Message

Block

Add Friend

Friday, September 28, 2007

Wow! What a difference two months makes (actually 9 weeks--surgery date was 7.27.07)! I am down 46lbs and feeling great except for the afternoon fatigue. I am back down into clothes that I have been longing to wear. And I cleaned out my closets of stuff I will never wear, that is too big, or just too boring. I am ready to go shopping but really want to hold off as long as possible. I love my VSG! I am almost a 1/3 of the way to my goal. I know it will slow down from here but I sure am enjoying the 'honeymoon' stage of rapid weight loss!  I have been really busy for the last few weeks and have not had time to workout. Tomorrow is Saturday so I'll have time to go; maybe even today but we'll just have to see how it goes.

Friday, August 31, 2007

I weighed today and have lost 33.5 lbs. That counts the 5 lbs I lost pre-op. I am loving this sleeve! I have been feeling real hunger this week but fortunately it does not take much to satisfy it. Just a little and I'm good to go. I have increased my workout time and intensity this week but have not been able to get as many in. I have no sleeve complaints or issues to speak of except I ate a few crackers and tuna on the run yesterday and they got stuck going down. It was very uncomfortable for awhile and trying to flush it down with water did not help--it just resulted in the famous foamies I've heard about which was about like burping up fluids. Life is good!

Saturday, August 24, 2007 - Four Weeks

Yesterday was Weigh Day and I'm down a total of 30 lbs. This week's loss was only 3 lbs and certainly  not as dramatic as the initial loss but I knew it was going to slow down. This is a healthier pace too. Now that I'm 4 weeks post-op I can add weights to my cardio which will help me increase my engine size in order to burn more fuel.

I have absolutely no regrets except I wish I had done it sooner. I am still learning and struggling with indigestion. I find that I cannot eat after 8pm as it causes me to wake up in the middle of the night with indigestion. I'm learning to eat slower, in smaller bites and enjoy the company.

I have clothes that fit and more to get into. I heard Marilyn Monroe had clothes in her closet from size 8 o 14. My numbers are different but I still have clothes to get into. Another 30lbs and I will be in the smallest sizes in my closet. Another 40 lbs and I'll be shopping. But I won't go overboard as I won't be at my goal for some time. When I am at my goal that's when I will fill my closet.

Sunday, August 19, 2007

I weighed Friday on my 3 week anniversary and I am down 20lbs since surgery + I lost 5 lbs pre-op so I'm down a total of 25lbs. Wahhooo! I've been walking 30 minutes a day 6x week at varying speeds. Yesterday I went to the gym for the first time. It was a more strenuous workout and my heart rate was way over 85% so I realize that I am still recuperating and/or the low calorie consumption has an impact. So today I will go back to 30 minutes on the treadmill.

This Friday it will be 4 weeks and I'll be able to move beyond cardio to free weights. That will help break up the workout and keep my arms in shape as I lose more weight. I do love my sleeve!

I'm not having any problems with liquids; I still find that I probably eat too much too fast. Gotta keep working on that.

VSG diary - First Two Weeks Post Op

Week  One

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Leaving Hometown, USA for the beginning of a new life! My sister is going with me (she has been able to maintain her weight her whole life for the most part—she is my skinny sister!).  She broke her foot last week so she is in a removable cast and will be limited in her walking. Thankfully she did not change her mind about going with me.

I’m using my Southwest air miles so I get free flights. We stopped in St. Louis and Dallas/Ft. Worth on the way in. Not too bad for the ‘puddle-jumper’ that SWA is!

Friday, July 27, 2007

My sister and I flew into San Antonio yesterday and just as we were told, Rosy was there to meet us in the luggage area holding a sign with my name on it. She spoke fluent English and very accommodating and even took us to Wal-Mart to pick up a couple things once we got to Eagle Pass, Texas which is where we would spent the night before surgery. It was about a two hour drive and uneventful. She came in a minivan which gave us lots of room to relax.

We checked into the Holiday Inn Express, which as one would expect, is up to par with Holiday Inn standards and nicely appointed. I had my laptop and they offered complimentary wifi so we could update everyone on the trip.

Last night we took Susan (intake coordinator) up on her suggestion to go to Moderna, a restaurant across the border for dinner. As instructed I ate what I wanted but no alcohol. I have to say that authentic Mexican is not the same as the TexMex I am used to.  Since we took a cab and not the free shuttle, the 10 minute cab ride cost $25/$30 each way; the dinner was less than the ride. Next time I would opt for dinner in Eagle Pass. But my sister wanted to do a little shopping and there were some shops across the street from Moderno and we got there before they so overall it was a good move I guess. (Note to others: the free shuttle comes from the restaurant you want to go to in Mexico. So be sure and ask at check-in what the timeline is so you don’t have to pay for a cab.) Roberto, who works second shift at the front desk at Holiday Inn Express was very friendly, chatty and helpful. He also told us he had heard great things about Dr. A.

My sister enjoyed a complimentary hotel breakfast and said it was good. I stayed in the room and followed doc’s orders of nothing by mouth after midnight.

My surgery is scheduled for 1:30 CST today and Rosy is to pick us up at the hotel at 11 CST.

That’s all for now…more after I wake up ‘on the loser’s bench!’

Friday noon:

Rosy picked up us and took us to Dr. A’s office which was very nice and as expected adjacent to the hospital. Dr. A was very personable and took his time to answer all our questions. We then went next door to the hospital and taken right to my room. Just as one of the other OB members had said, he even took rolled our bag into the hospital! I immediately sensed a very compassionate person.

Shortly thereafter I was taken for blood work and xray work. No lines, no waiting. There was a family with two girls and the woman was pregnant. When I walked in they were waiting for their Xreay. One of the little girls had swallowed a trinket of some sort. They were all conversing in Spanish looking at the very obvious object on the Xray in her lower abdomen. Some things are all the same no matter what country you are in—kids will be kids!

Within a half an hour I was on a gurney and taken to surgery. I asked for and was immediately given some ‘chill’ medicine via IV so I was calm and relaxed. I’ve had other surgeries so I know the drill.

As expected the first 24 hours were the worst as I was thirsty and my throat sore from the tube. The nurses were very attentive and maintained my IV with medicines to make me comfortable every four hours so there was no 'chasing the pain.'  As soon as I could will myself to do it, I walked to the nurses’ station and back—very short footsteps as I was still a bit woozy. I kept remembering what everyone said—walk, walk, walk, and then you can sip, sip, sip, sip. Even though the first 24 hours were the roughest I barely remember them from sleeping off the anesthesia. That is what I had hoped for.

It’s Saturday now and I’m steady on my feet and more tired than sore. It always takes awhile for me to shake off the anesthesia. I've had other surgeries so I know it's the anesthesia.  The ice chips are going down well although burning a bit. Dr. A said I have a very large stomach. If a normal stomach is a ‘5’ he said mine was a '7 or 8.' No wonder I’ve always been so dang hungry!! My sister asked if it was genetic or stretched and he indicated it was probably a combination of both (I come from a tall/big boned family).

This afternoon Dr. A saw me walk and commented that I looked “ready to go.” But Rosy will pick us up at 9:30 am on Sunday (tomorrow) and drive us back to San Antonio as planned. So far everything has been exactly as I was told or read. No surprises at all. I think I could leave today but since my plans are to fly out on Monday, I might as well take my time.

Sunday – La Quinta

It was about 1pm before we got to San Antonia and checked into LaQuinta. At both check-ins, Rosy went in and paid for our accommodations in advance. She was wonderful. For this leg of the trip she brought her husband who was also very nice and helpful. No wifi but they had complimentary wired broadband.

My sister took the shuttle to go shopping while I stayed back at the room and rested. In hindsight, I should have gone with her as the shuttle would have come to pick me up on call. I think I might have rested too much as I had trouble sleeping. Or it could be the pain meds have a stimulant in them.

It is now Monday morning and we are at the airport at 6:00 am for our 7am flight. With my sister’s broken foot we are once again escorted with her in a wheel chair. I am walking and just fine. I keep thinking –walk, walk, walk, sip, sip, sip!  We are given first access to the plane. We keep joking how we should rent out her boot when she is fully recovered. For our return trip, we change planes in Chicago and that’s it before we land in hometown USA.

Monday Afternoon

Tried to sleep and couldn’t although I was very tired. I emailed the nurse who said the pain meds were probably the cause of my ‘jumpiness’ (my words). So no more pain meds for me! Back to reality tomorrow! I am looking forward to my usual routine.

Tuesday AM

I slept great last night—feel fully rested, but a bit weak. That’s probably from low calorie consumption. I’m trying! I added Rosemary and Thyme to the chicken broth and it makes it a lot more flavorful. I had to strain the rosemary out after it steeped and before consuming. I did  not want those in my new stomach!

Tuesday PM

I walked the treadmill twice today at 15 minutes each and feel my energy coming back. I feel alert, energized and ready for anything (except heavy lifting and maybe a marathon!) I was back to work today for the entire day (I work at home and have a 'desk job'). I made it through the whole day but laid down for a bit to rest--did not sleep.  I have absolutely no regrets and the more I read and the faster I recuperate, the more I wish I had done this sooner.

Looking forward to some solid liquids on Friday (7 days post op--I've been 100% compliant with orders so far)  but other than that, doing fine. The clear liquids have really been ok. My stomach is so small and so little ghrelin that it has not been like being on my diets I've experienced in my life! It's amazing how one can have a BM on just some chicken broth, jello, and vitamin water!

Still dealing with a little gas and/or bloat. I was  not sure yesterday if it was gas from surgery or just twinges from the liquids going down. But when I felt it in my sleep last night i new it was gas!  It's really not that bad--just noticeable really. it still hurts a bit coughing (from allergies) but it's getting better each day. My abdomen is also swollen which is to be expected from surgery.

Wed afternoon

I really feel like I have great energy, my head is clear and I'm fully back to work. Getting ready to hit the treadmill for a bit and that will likely charge me up even more!

Today I ordered some protein vials from www.BariatricEating.com. I'm concerned about getting enough protein during these first few weeks. Each vial contains 40gram of protein and the daily requirement is 40-70. I don't care what they taste like, I can choke them down in the name of health! I've seen the posts where others talk about losing their hair. I know that this can happen after any surgery but I sense the protein is an issue so I plan to get my dose in! If it does not taste too bad, I'll just mix in with one of my vitamin waters and take it in 20 oz instead of 2.

Thursday Afternoon

Here are some highlights of my progress as of today:

- I'm able to get fluids down more easily--the stray helps. It really doesn't hurt; maybe a little discomfort like swallowing an air bubble. But my tiny stomach needs me to take it slow so it takes me all day to get my 64 oz. down.

- still a little weak--protein vials arrive tomorrow--that should help. 40 gr of protein packed into two ounces

- My steri-strips are falling off one by one; about half gone now

- Tummy still swollen although I think it's just general swelling now and not the gas

- tomorrow I graduate from clear liquids to full liquids, e.g., protein shakes

- I've had occassional diarrhea this week that came on about Wed. but nothing that I can't tolerate. i know that the "D" causes loss of fluids so I've tried even harder to get all my fluids in.

Today marks DAY SEVEN and NO REGRETS!

Discomfort has been minimal. It's been relatively easy overall. I have not had the hunger so the clear liquid diet has been easy. The first five days were challenging to get all my required liquids in (64 oz) but it got easier I think as the swelling went down.

WEEK TWO

Friday, August 3, 2007

Today is the first day of protein shakes. I've put the clear liquids phase behind me. I was 100% compliant! And it really wasn't that bad. The rosemary and thyme in the chicken broth made a big difference in flavor--it was actually good! (be sure and strain the rosemary if you decide to spice up--I would not want to find out what the rosemary leaves would feel like in my new tummy.)

I'm going out on a friend's boat today so I'm glad I've healed this far. i don't think the turbulence will bother me.