P. Smith

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 Well everything was going perfect. That is until I had lunch on Monday the 28Th. I was at O'Charley's, I had a very small portion of grilled Tilapia and some steamed rice. Before I could get the check I had this horrible pain on my right side under my ribs. At first I thought it was gas so I paid the tab and went home. After being at home for an hour or so the pain had gotten so bad I could no longer tolerate it. I called my surgeon and they told me to come to the office which is located right beside the hospital. Lucky for me that it was. By the time I had got to his office I was hurting worse than I have ever hurt in my 41 years. I have had eleven kidney stones along with 7 surgeries to get rid of them and up until this I would have told you that there is no pain that can be that bad. I was wrong. This pain was blinding. I was crying like a baby. When I walked into his office and he saw me he immediately starting writing orders to have me admitted to the hospital. I went to direct admit and initially got 8mg of morphine. It did NOTHING. They gave me another 2 mg within five minutes of the first dose, it to, did NOTHING. Next they gave me 50 mg of Demerol, and like the morphine, no relief, I mean none. They gave me 8 more morphine and I had no relief. I had to suffer it long enough to get to cat scan and then directly to the operating room. I had some kind of hernia, incarceration or something like that. All I know is the first hint of relief I felt was when they were putting me to sleep. I was soaking wet from sweat and was really weak. I never remember feeling that weak. I could feel life leaving my body. That's how bad it hurt. I awoke completely relieved. I was so happy and tired at the same time. My surgeon told me that the blood flow had been cut off to my colon and some of my bowel. He said if it had been another hour I would have had some bowel that would have died. The reason for all of this? Who knows. He said it was kind of a freak thing to happen. As far as I'm concerned I will NEVER eat at O'charley's again, nor will I eat Tilapia again. He assured me that had nothing to do with it, but just to be on the safe side, I am done with them both. I remained in the hospital until Saturday the 2nd. I returned home pain free and feeling rested. I had my follow up today and everything looks great. I sure hope this never happens to anyone else. Although I only suffered that pain for seven hours or so, it is the hardest thing I have ever been through. It was just that bad. It seemed like it took DAYS.

 Well I have not posted since September 2nd so here goes. I have lost almost thirty pounds in just a little less than a month. I go back to see Dr. Bitlon on Tuesday which will be exactly 4 weeks since my surgery. This surgery is entirely different than the first one, my pouch is in a different spot and feels completely different. It better than the first one, I feel much better. I have not taken any measurements for a few weeks and won't until it's been about a month, but I can notice the difference. I am happy with the results so far and will continue to exercise daily to get to my goal.

 Well I decided to get on the scale today. I had told myself I would only weigh once a week, but I bought this really cool scale about six months ago, and now is the perfect time to be using it. I can hardly believe that in 9 days i have lost almost twenty pounds. I wish I could keep this up, I'd be at my goal in a month! I know I won't lose this much weight that fast after I see the doctor today because he will most likely clear me to begin eating pureed food. We will have to see I guess. I am so excited to get my life back. I feel more like my old self everyday and soon will be me again. I still don't want to go in public or anything, I am sure I will when I get back in my "new" old clothes. Well thats enough for today, I have to get ready to run to the bank. I will post more tomorrow.

 Well, It's over. I am home from the hospital with a brand new outlook, again. The surgery went extremely well, no complications at all, woke up with no drain tubes, no catheter, nothing. I did have to get a PIC line because they couldn't get an IV started, but it was no big deal. I have spent my day today cutting the grass in the front yard and watching television. I have a riding mower so it wasn't that big of a deal. It was good to get out side for awhile. My energy is great. I remember being tired constantly after the first surgery, but that has not been an issue this time, at least not yet. I am drinking a few protein shakes a day, a few Popsicles, a few Jello packs, and a lot of fluid. I can drink much more this time. I have yet to "feel" my pouch, and today I drank a 32 ounce Power aid (Sugar free and carb free) in roughly 30 minutes. I don't remember being able to do that the last time. I can not believe the weight lost in a week. I was 292.4 the morning of August 24Th before my surgery. I just weighed and the scale says 275.0. Boy does it fell great! I am looking forward to walking this afternoon, I can't get this weight gone fast enough. The first time I had the surgery I was determined, and for 5 years I made it work. This time I will never give up. I have been skinny, fat, skinny, fat, and now working hard toward skinny again. I will not lose sight of my goal ever again. As far as the health benefits, my right heel was giving me all kinds of problems before the surgery, it was so painful to walk. I'm not sure what the problem was because I never had it diagnosed. I was going to wait until after my revision in case they told me I needed my heel operated on. Well, I woke up from my revision, and believe it or not, NO heel pain.....Not sure what happened. I have been walking a good deal and have had no pain. I can barely feel a very faint memory of the problem, but evidently, my weight had an impact. I feel so good. I really didn't feel good after the first surgery, but if the way I feel today provides any insight for the future, it looks great. Well, it's time to go walk. I will update soon, at least by next week. I promised myself this time I was going to keep better track of how much weight I lost every week. I plan to keep the promise. See you later......

 I have completed my pre-surgery task and am ready to call it a day. I have to be at the hospital at 5:00am and will need to be up by 3:15 to get ready and get there on time. My final weigh in today was 292.4 lbs. I am so excited this day is finally here. I feel very lucky to have another chance to be healthy. I will post again as soon as I'm home from the hospital.

 Talked to the nurse coordinator today. I have my testing scheduled for Friday the 20th. I am so excited now that everything is scheduled. I can't wait to get this behind me and move on with my life. It has been a long road, and I'm sure I have not seen the end of it yet. I am in the nervous mode already and am sure it will get worse by the weekend, but I am determined and will not look back now. I will get measurements and my final pre-op weight on Monday the day before my surgery.

 I finally got a date! After all this waiting and worrying, my second date with the bypass is only twelve days away. I sat through an all day class that taught me twice as much as I knew about the surgery and I had it 6 1/2 years ago. I am excited to finally see some light at the end of the tunnel. I will be updating all my measurements and my weight in the next few days.

 Well today is the day I find out my surgery date. I am excited, for the second time. Yesterday I cut the grass and began doing the weed eating but could not finish. I am so out of shape. I am ready to get this behind me and begin my life.....again. Today I will sit through another diet class and see the doctor for the last time. Tonight I will post my surgery date and update.

 My wife and I visited New Orleans last weekend. Even though it was kind of a last minute decision and we had not planned for the trip, we still had a good time. We stayed just outside of downtown and visited the French quarter and Bourbon street. We have both been there before, I have made at least ten trips to New Orleans in the last twenty years and it has always been fun for me. I'm not sure if it was my current weight or fact that I have not been there in 6 years, but somehow it seemed different this time. It didn't seem to hold that special magic feeling for me it has in the past. I used to be like a kid before Christmas when I knew I was on my way there, but not this time. We both were saddened by the very apparent destruction of Katrina that still scars the city. Neither of us had been there since Katrina. It was very sad. I know I have matured a great deal since my surgery in 2004, and maybe thats the reason Boubon didn't hold that same magic for me. I actually had a better time walking the Riverfront Mall and eating a Shrimp Po boy in the food court. I am looking forward to regaining my health and maybe we can go on a cruise in October. 

 Well, I have came along way in the last few months, it turned out I needed to attend a few support group meetings and had to see a nutritionist before I could move forward. Now that thats out of the way, I have one more meeting to attend on August 12th, and my surgery will be scheduled that day. It has been stressful having to wait so long to get the surgery this time. I suppose it's because the process moved so fast the first go around, anyway, I am happy I finally see the end in sight, and look forward to getting it over with, and live the way I should have the first time. I write in this blog as a way to remind me where I have been and more importantly, where I'm going. I realize every wrong I have done in the last 6 years, and will not let those mistakes happen again. I am more determined now that I was then, and I thats saying a lot because I had great determination then. I will update later before my surgery to log final pre-op weight and to begin my "next" journey.