OKAY OKAY, I'll post already!!! Sorry everyone, I know you've all been asking for a long time :)
So, just to re-hash, surgery was on Feb 8th.
I started at 232 lbs in January 2010. This is when I started going to the first weight loss surgeon.
The day of my surgery I weighed 213.6
Month 1: 196
Month 2: 184
Month 3: 173
Month 4: 168
On July 8, I will be at month 5. I hope to be at 160. I am at 165 right now, so probably won't happen. As you can see, the weight loss slowed a bit between month 3 and 4 (only 5 lbs) It's fairly normal to have a "stall" around this time. The other common thing around this time is hair loss (or hair thinning). I am unfortunately experiencing this. Everyone told me it would happen, but it still comes as a shock when you notice that your once thick and wavy-curly hair that had to be straightened to be managed every day, is now barely covering your scalp. It's supposed to start filling back in, as long as all of my nutrients are at the right levels.
I have an appointment on Friday to have my levels checked. It's normal to do this around 5 months (which is July 8th for me)
As far as food goes, I pretty much eat the same things every day. Here's a sample:
Pre-workout - one egg with a slice of cheese melted on it
Post-Workout - protein shake
Snack - 1oz ff turkey and 1/2oz cheese
Lunc - 2oz ff turkey and 1oz cheese
Snack (sometimes) - Lara bar or nuts (if you aren't familiar with these, they are great and are dates and other natural, gluten free, ingredients like peanuts, cashews, unsweetened fruits to make flavors that taste just like their name - cashew cookie; peanut butter cookie; cherry or apple pie - DELICIOUS!!!) anyhow, with the Lara Bars the last month, I am wondering if they have anything to do with my slower weight loss. I haven't been eating them every day, but I think I may be more carb-sensitive and the 25g a day may be holding me up? Anyhow, I have 2 left, and then I am going to replace this snack with some almonds or something.
Dinner: 2oz protein (usually whatever Tyson eats minus the carbs) example: 3 meatballs and 1/4 C spaghetti sauce, chicken thigh w/ ff gravy, ground beef (93%) with 1/4 C spaghetti sauce, chicken thigh w/ a couple Tbs of alfredo sauce - you get the picture!)
If we go out, it can be a struggle to figure out what to eat. If it's somewhere that has fish, that tends to be my best option. However, this can be expensive, no matter what I choose to eat since I can't eat the entire thing :) Usually, I just eat a few bites of Tyson's food!
Anyway, so this is what's going on with me... My next post I'll add my before and current photos. You can see some current ones on FB, but I have the traditional before/after poses taken for the first 2 months after surgery and then missed 3/4 and will start again with 5 :)
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
5 weeks...
It's been 5 weeks since I had my Gastric Bypass Surgery. I have lost 40lbs since starting the process, 20 since surgery. A lot of people in the online support group I am in have lost a bit more, but I am happy with my loss so far. I would much rather go at a slower rate than some of my other GBS friends.
Then I read what I just wrote and go... "wait... stop... hold it right there! It took me a full year to lose 20 lbs. I started all of this in January of 2010 and lost around 1 1/2 lbs per MONTH!!!! I don't think 4lbs per week is very slow at all!!!!"
So far, everything is going really well. :) I haven't had any super bad food experiences (yet!) I do get the occasional stomach ache, and there are still some pains here and there, but this life is treating me well :)
Favorite Foods:
Cheese (really any kind but I'm a Champignon or Brie girl)
Eggs (love them deviled because it's easy but I do prefer sunny-side up - always have)
Yogurt (I've never been a huge yogurt fan. I love sour cream though, and 0% plain Greek Yogurt has that tang and I love it - 0 fat; 6 natural sugars; 15 protein!)
Other Foods:
Meat (I am tired of tuna (VERY TIRED) - I can't do chicken breast yet and we just bought thighs for the first time since surgery so I don't know about that yet - I can't eat steak yet (too hard to chew small enough!) I have some turkey in the fridge I am planning to make something with the brie with it. I'm just not hugely into meat now - Meatballs, now those I could eat all day lol Also taco meat... Only problem is that I have to eat the 97% lean beef and it's hard to make into a meatball - will probably make some with turkey or chicken)
Salad (I MISS SALAD!!!! I have always been a HUGE salad person! Right now, I can't chew the salad enough to make it small enough to not "get stuck" in the opening from my stomach. I need to order salad toppings and wonder if a restaurant would let me do that? Even once I can eat lettuce, it's kind of a waste of stomach space when my focus needs to be on protein)
I don't miss diet coke (I know SHOCKING!) If you know me well, you know that since I was a teenager I have been ADDICTED to diet coke. I only ever drank one a day unless we were going out: then I'd have a ton of re-fills - have to get your money's worth!
So all in all, all is good :)
Best of the Best to you,
Bonnie Rose
Then I read what I just wrote and go... "wait... stop... hold it right there! It took me a full year to lose 20 lbs. I started all of this in January of 2010 and lost around 1 1/2 lbs per MONTH!!!! I don't think 4lbs per week is very slow at all!!!!"
So far, everything is going really well. :) I haven't had any super bad food experiences (yet!) I do get the occasional stomach ache, and there are still some pains here and there, but this life is treating me well :)
Favorite Foods:
Cheese (really any kind but I'm a Champignon or Brie girl)
Eggs (love them deviled because it's easy but I do prefer sunny-side up - always have)
Yogurt (I've never been a huge yogurt fan. I love sour cream though, and 0% plain Greek Yogurt has that tang and I love it - 0 fat; 6 natural sugars; 15 protein!)
Other Foods:
Meat (I am tired of tuna (VERY TIRED) - I can't do chicken breast yet and we just bought thighs for the first time since surgery so I don't know about that yet - I can't eat steak yet (too hard to chew small enough!) I have some turkey in the fridge I am planning to make something with the brie with it. I'm just not hugely into meat now - Meatballs, now those I could eat all day lol Also taco meat... Only problem is that I have to eat the 97% lean beef and it's hard to make into a meatball - will probably make some with turkey or chicken)
Salad (I MISS SALAD!!!! I have always been a HUGE salad person! Right now, I can't chew the salad enough to make it small enough to not "get stuck" in the opening from my stomach. I need to order salad toppings and wonder if a restaurant would let me do that? Even once I can eat lettuce, it's kind of a waste of stomach space when my focus needs to be on protein)
I don't miss diet coke (I know SHOCKING!) If you know me well, you know that since I was a teenager I have been ADDICTED to diet coke. I only ever drank one a day unless we were going out: then I'd have a ton of re-fills - have to get your money's worth!
So all in all, all is good :)
Best of the Best to you,
Bonnie Rose
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Food
So my Dr has be on what should be all liquids until 2 weeks post-op. I have had some trouble getting my protein down so I decided to try some pureed cottage cheese. I tolerated this just fine, so I have had it a couple of times to get some protein in. Other than that it has been IsoPure Protein Water (it's a clear protein powder and I bought it premixed into flavored water) Unflavored MRM Protein Powder (can mix it into anything and it does give a texture change and some whey flavor but not bad at all considering my pre-sugery chocolate is not tolerated by my pouch) and then I can have jell-o and any other clear liquids. I am supposed to be getting around 60g of protein and 64oz of liquid every day. The Dr. has confirmed that neither of these is going to happen in the first 2 weeks and boy is he right. The reason for the liquids is to make sure that my stomach is not swollen anymore and I can tolerate and keep everything down. Having a bit of pureed items right now, I've been told, is okay as long as I keep it to a minimum and go slow.
So the reason this blog is titled food:
Yesterday I went to Seattle with Tyson & our friend Nick. We ended up at a place in Fremont called Norm's and it was pretty amazing. I loved it there. You can bring your dog with you (on a leash) and the place was just full of them. I'm glad because I needed a distraction. This was my first time being in a regular restaurant. Bars I have been in don't really smell like food. They occasionally smell like grease (gross to me now) when the person at the next table gets their nachos or fries or whatnot, but not like Norm's. As soon as we walked into Norm's I could smell burgers, onion rings, potatoes and chili. I mean, individually, I could smell every single item! The dogs were a good distraction to the smell and I am so glad our bodies eventually adapt to smell and we don't really notice it after a while! I ordered a side of Mashers but only ate like 4-5 bites because they were more like cheese with some potato mixed in lol My mashers are supposed to be 1/2 C potatoes (broth if I want) and 1 tsp light margarine. QUITE A DIFFERENCE!!! (just re-read this and realized you'd think 4-5 bites seems like a lot of potato for someone who isn't supposed to eat very much so I wanted to clarify my bites are the size of 1/2 an infant feeding spoon!)
MY BIG SURPRISE:
The smell was a lot to handle, but honestly I didn't want the burgers and stuff when I was reading the menu. I mean they all sounded delicious, but I was happy to recommend to Tyson what he should get (Three Pepper Burger) and move on. Nick ordered my all-time favorite appetizer (calamari) and it looked good but I never thought to myself, how could I manage to eat that? I did ask Tyson if it was chewy, but when the answer was yes I just moved on.
Realization:
This new life for me is nothing like being on a diet. This is my life. Temptations may come as I get into eating regular foods. I may crave crackers and cookies, just like most of us do every once in a while, but not right now. My brain is used to the fact that this is how it is. Going back to the infant spoon, it's kind of like feeding an infant. They get to a certain age and you can give them rice cereal and then as time goes along you can graduate them to other soft foods, one at a time until they have a wide array of items they can eat. I am essentially retraining my stomach and my brain like I am a baby. Adding small things into my diet, one or two at a time, making sure that my new baby stomach can tolerate them. So on Wednesday when I go to the doctor, I will be graduated. For dinner that night I am having chicken and sweet potatoes lol (pureed of course!)
For years, food owned me. Food controlled my emotions, and my emotions controlled me. X=Y, Y=Z, therefore, X=Z It was a simple life. I have always been able to handle it. I am a happy person. I am a loving and caring person. I love to take care of other people. NOW, Food DOES NOT AND WILL NOT own me. Food DOES NOT AND WILL NOT CONTROL MY EMOTIONS. Most importantly, I will take hold of my emotions and I will control my life.
Best of the Best to you,
Bonnie Rose
So the reason this blog is titled food:
Yesterday I went to Seattle with Tyson & our friend Nick. We ended up at a place in Fremont called Norm's and it was pretty amazing. I loved it there. You can bring your dog with you (on a leash) and the place was just full of them. I'm glad because I needed a distraction. This was my first time being in a regular restaurant. Bars I have been in don't really smell like food. They occasionally smell like grease (gross to me now) when the person at the next table gets their nachos or fries or whatnot, but not like Norm's. As soon as we walked into Norm's I could smell burgers, onion rings, potatoes and chili. I mean, individually, I could smell every single item! The dogs were a good distraction to the smell and I am so glad our bodies eventually adapt to smell and we don't really notice it after a while! I ordered a side of Mashers but only ate like 4-5 bites because they were more like cheese with some potato mixed in lol My mashers are supposed to be 1/2 C potatoes (broth if I want) and 1 tsp light margarine. QUITE A DIFFERENCE!!! (just re-read this and realized you'd think 4-5 bites seems like a lot of potato for someone who isn't supposed to eat very much so I wanted to clarify my bites are the size of 1/2 an infant feeding spoon!)
MY BIG SURPRISE:
The smell was a lot to handle, but honestly I didn't want the burgers and stuff when I was reading the menu. I mean they all sounded delicious, but I was happy to recommend to Tyson what he should get (Three Pepper Burger) and move on. Nick ordered my all-time favorite appetizer (calamari) and it looked good but I never thought to myself, how could I manage to eat that? I did ask Tyson if it was chewy, but when the answer was yes I just moved on.
Realization:
This new life for me is nothing like being on a diet. This is my life. Temptations may come as I get into eating regular foods. I may crave crackers and cookies, just like most of us do every once in a while, but not right now. My brain is used to the fact that this is how it is. Going back to the infant spoon, it's kind of like feeding an infant. They get to a certain age and you can give them rice cereal and then as time goes along you can graduate them to other soft foods, one at a time until they have a wide array of items they can eat. I am essentially retraining my stomach and my brain like I am a baby. Adding small things into my diet, one or two at a time, making sure that my new baby stomach can tolerate them. So on Wednesday when I go to the doctor, I will be graduated. For dinner that night I am having chicken and sweet potatoes lol (pureed of course!)
For years, food owned me. Food controlled my emotions, and my emotions controlled me. X=Y, Y=Z, therefore, X=Z It was a simple life. I have always been able to handle it. I am a happy person. I am a loving and caring person. I love to take care of other people. NOW, Food DOES NOT AND WILL NOT own me. Food DOES NOT AND WILL NOT CONTROL MY EMOTIONS. Most importantly, I will take hold of my emotions and I will control my life.
Best of the Best to you,
Bonnie Rose
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
One Week Into My New Life and...
I'm Doing GREAT!!!
I've been in bed almost every day since I arrived home. I'm recovering well. I only have occasional pain. I never had to use my nausea medication (YAY) and I've only used about half of my Oxycodone. I've been trying to use the Liquid Children's Tylenol as much as possible instead because I'd prefer something that doesn't make me loopy and knock me on the ground!
Right now, and for one more week, I am on a liquid protein and clear liquids diet. I discovered after surgery that my new baby stomach doesn't like the protein I was using for months before surgery (not yay since my Mom just bought be a 3lb bag of it!) I have something called IsoPure (a clear liquid that has 40 protein in it and leaves only 20 more for the entire day) that I split into 4 servings. The downside is that it was just over $3 a bottle. However, when this is 4 meals $3 is a great price lol! It's a bit like drinking vitamin water, but it makes your mouth dry like a dry wine would because of the whey protein in it. It's doable, but I'm glad it's temporary. The other thing I have is "Natural Flavored" protein powder. I wish I could say that it was unflavored as it advertises, but it tastes like Whey. I put it in some Butternut Squash Soup and was able to stomach that, but tried it in V8 today and almost didn't keep it down. If I have one bottle of IsoPure and one item with a scoop of the MRM then I am getting in the right amount of protein for the day :)
Next Wednesday (one day after my 2 week mark) I have my post-op appointment with my Dr.!!!! I am excited for him to see how I've been doing. Mostly I am excited for him to Graduate me!!! STAGE III!!!!! This is REAL food!!!! This is very exciting for me. I will be on 3 meals and 2 snacks (A NORMAL SCHEDULE FINALLY) and they will be SO GOOD! Some examples would be an egg beater omelet with pureed spinach and salsa for Breakfast; 2oz of cheese for a snack; Tuna with fruit for lunch; Pudding (or any dairy on my list) for a snack and then dinner. I have been trying to think of several things I can make for Tyson that I can easily make into a "pureed" or "soft" version for myself. Dinner is time for my last Protein and my Starch for the day. Chicken and Sweet Potatoes, Turkey and Mashed Potato with some Fat Free gravy (1 tsp), Salmon and Butternut Squash...
For all of you who know how much I love to cook, you can imagine how happy I will be to be back in the kitchen, discovering my new way of eating and discovering ways to eat what Tyson eats!
I can't have red meat (too hard to digest) but I can have fish, turkey, ham, chicken and tofu for now. All things I love!
Tonight I am going to attempt a night out. Since going to our weekly Bar Trivia is a sit on your but and very inactive activity, I think I will do well. I'm excited to get out and even more excited to see some friends (I'm getting lonely in this house!)
Yesterday (1 week anniversary) I took JB for a walk around the neighborhood. Turns out that makes for exactly a one mile walk so that was good! I felt like I could keep going and going, but didn't want to push it at one week. I'll talk to the Dr on next week about how much I can do!
PETS: My dog, JB, has been amazing! I was talking to a friend the other day about how amazing it is that he is so aware! He knows he cant lay on my lap. I can tell he can tell there is something different. He won't leave my side when Tyson isn't home. If I fall asleep he comes and checks on me. He nudges me and when I wake up he licks my face and goes back to his bed. This is quite funny, because he has never woken me up on purpose before! He is already such a docile dog, but he really is being super loving :)
Now my cat... Super Ultra Megatron (or Kitty as we call her) is wild. I don't mean actively wild. The first couple of days I kept having to stop her from coming and lying on my stomach. This is her favorite place to be since it's been so cold trying to conserve power in our home. After a couple of days of pushing her off of me, she decided she was going to boycot me all together! Like i said in my previous post, Tyson had set up the guest room downstairs for me. The cat went upstairs and had been spending ALL of her time up there by herself. She didn't want ANYTHING to do with me! As of yesterday, she has decided that she still loves me (or at least wants me around!)Now she won't leave my side again. Since she can't be on my stomach, she will just sit on my legs, arms and head!!! I don't mind, because she keeps wherever she goes plenty warm!!!
So, I am doing well :) One more week until I'll be off of Rest Mode and back in the kitchen!!!! I can't wait!!!
Well, off to do laundry so I have something to wear tonight!
Best of the Best,
Bonnie Rose
I've been in bed almost every day since I arrived home. I'm recovering well. I only have occasional pain. I never had to use my nausea medication (YAY) and I've only used about half of my Oxycodone. I've been trying to use the Liquid Children's Tylenol as much as possible instead because I'd prefer something that doesn't make me loopy and knock me on the ground!
Right now, and for one more week, I am on a liquid protein and clear liquids diet. I discovered after surgery that my new baby stomach doesn't like the protein I was using for months before surgery (not yay since my Mom just bought be a 3lb bag of it!) I have something called IsoPure (a clear liquid that has 40 protein in it and leaves only 20 more for the entire day) that I split into 4 servings. The downside is that it was just over $3 a bottle. However, when this is 4 meals $3 is a great price lol! It's a bit like drinking vitamin water, but it makes your mouth dry like a dry wine would because of the whey protein in it. It's doable, but I'm glad it's temporary. The other thing I have is "Natural Flavored" protein powder. I wish I could say that it was unflavored as it advertises, but it tastes like Whey. I put it in some Butternut Squash Soup and was able to stomach that, but tried it in V8 today and almost didn't keep it down. If I have one bottle of IsoPure and one item with a scoop of the MRM then I am getting in the right amount of protein for the day :)
Next Wednesday (one day after my 2 week mark) I have my post-op appointment with my Dr.!!!! I am excited for him to see how I've been doing. Mostly I am excited for him to Graduate me!!! STAGE III!!!!! This is REAL food!!!! This is very exciting for me. I will be on 3 meals and 2 snacks (A NORMAL SCHEDULE FINALLY) and they will be SO GOOD! Some examples would be an egg beater omelet with pureed spinach and salsa for Breakfast; 2oz of cheese for a snack; Tuna with fruit for lunch; Pudding (or any dairy on my list) for a snack and then dinner. I have been trying to think of several things I can make for Tyson that I can easily make into a "pureed" or "soft" version for myself. Dinner is time for my last Protein and my Starch for the day. Chicken and Sweet Potatoes, Turkey and Mashed Potato with some Fat Free gravy (1 tsp), Salmon and Butternut Squash...
For all of you who know how much I love to cook, you can imagine how happy I will be to be back in the kitchen, discovering my new way of eating and discovering ways to eat what Tyson eats!
I can't have red meat (too hard to digest) but I can have fish, turkey, ham, chicken and tofu for now. All things I love!
Tonight I am going to attempt a night out. Since going to our weekly Bar Trivia is a sit on your but and very inactive activity, I think I will do well. I'm excited to get out and even more excited to see some friends (I'm getting lonely in this house!)
Yesterday (1 week anniversary) I took JB for a walk around the neighborhood. Turns out that makes for exactly a one mile walk so that was good! I felt like I could keep going and going, but didn't want to push it at one week. I'll talk to the Dr on next week about how much I can do!
PETS: My dog, JB, has been amazing! I was talking to a friend the other day about how amazing it is that he is so aware! He knows he cant lay on my lap. I can tell he can tell there is something different. He won't leave my side when Tyson isn't home. If I fall asleep he comes and checks on me. He nudges me and when I wake up he licks my face and goes back to his bed. This is quite funny, because he has never woken me up on purpose before! He is already such a docile dog, but he really is being super loving :)
Now my cat... Super Ultra Megatron (or Kitty as we call her) is wild. I don't mean actively wild. The first couple of days I kept having to stop her from coming and lying on my stomach. This is her favorite place to be since it's been so cold trying to conserve power in our home. After a couple of days of pushing her off of me, she decided she was going to boycot me all together! Like i said in my previous post, Tyson had set up the guest room downstairs for me. The cat went upstairs and had been spending ALL of her time up there by herself. She didn't want ANYTHING to do with me! As of yesterday, she has decided that she still loves me (or at least wants me around!)Now she won't leave my side again. Since she can't be on my stomach, she will just sit on my legs, arms and head!!! I don't mind, because she keeps wherever she goes plenty warm!!!
So, I am doing well :) One more week until I'll be off of Rest Mode and back in the kitchen!!!! I can't wait!!!
Well, off to do laundry so I have something to wear tonight!
Best of the Best,
Bonnie Rose
Thursday, February 10, 2011
I'm Home... Yippee!!!!! Home Sweet Home!!!!!
Surgery went well. The anesthesiologist says that my Doctor is very proud of himself and his staff on how well my surgery went. I am now at home (Thursday, 2/10/11) and have all of my scripts filled. Came home and Tyson turned the guest bedroom into "Bonnie Rose's Recovery Room"! He is such a great husband. He doesn't want me going up and down the stairs, and he wanted me to be able to have the heater (no vent in our bedroom) and our bed is up really high so I have to strain to get into it :( He brought an old TV in and the cable box from our bedroom! He also made me Jell-O when we got home and there's an ice-cube tray of chicken broth in the freezer so I can microwave and drink it pre-measured (1oz per cube)
Tuesday, 4am
Tyson and I left for Overlake in Bellevue. I had to be here at 5:15 am and we got there right around 5. They brought me upstairs to the Family Surgical Unit so I could check-in and let me know I could have 2 people in my pre-op room. Mom and Tyson were both there so that worked perfectly! Right around 5:45 they brought me back to the surgical prep room. I got changed, got a "Bear Hug" (a warm air-blower gets put into a hollow blanket to keep me warm. It's kind of like an airbag that is shaped like a blanket! It seemed as though the next 1.5 hours went by SO SLOW. They gave me my IV sleepy meds at 7:30 and wheeled me into the operating room. The last thing I remember is moving onto the other bed, the surgeon saying hello and congratulations and then I woke up. I don't remember the recovery room, just being in my permanent room. It is a nice room. I have my own private room. There is a chair and a love seat that the end of slides out to enlarge into a single bed. That is perfect, because Mom is going to stay tonight with me. Tyson needs to go home and feed the dog/cat. He'll be back tomorrow. For today, I can't have anything by mouth. Not even water. They gave me these things called Dentips. They are basically a small sponge on the end of a stick. I can dip them in water and then ring them out so they are almost dry again and wipe it on my lips and inside of my mouth so at least I don't have cotton mouth. I am really tired today. I can barely stay awake, but don't want to fall asleep until Tyson leaves. The nurse just came in and I am going on a walk. Tyson is leaving now too so I'll go to sleep when I get back.
Wednesday, 2/9
4:30am - Nurse woke me up to weigh me and get me on my first walk of the day! I actually gained 4 lbs between yesterday and today, but that makes sense because they have been pumping me full of liquids for 24 hours.
7:30am - X-Ray of my torso while I sip contrast so they can make sure I don't have any leaks and that the liquid is going straight through without getting held up in swelled spots or anything.
10:00am Dr came in to see me. He looked at the X-Ray and said that everything looks great. They'll be bringing me water shortly.
When they brought me the water, they also brought me some medicine cups. I'll be drinking 2 medicine cups per hour (it's 1oz in a cup) minimum. It's been a couple hours since I started water and I'm drinking 4 oz per hour. My maximum allowed is 8oz per hour and I am well on my way to that! (max allowed is also the amount he wants me to be at) I got a shower today!!! felt wonderful!!! I went on about 12 laps around the floor today. Everyone is very proud of me and how well I am doing. Tyson was here for two of my walks! Mom went home after traffic stopped tonight. I went a couple walks after she left and then around 11pm decided to put my CPAP (sleep apnea machine) on and go to sleep. I think I slept for about 3 hours before my IV ran out and the alarm started going off. I think I slept for another hour after that. Then I had to go to the bathroom so they had to come in and take the compression leg wraps off for me. I wore these compression wraps that are kind of like the bear hug thing that kept me warm during surgery, but they wrapped around my legs to keep me from getting blood clots. Yesterday I wore them all day, but only while I was sleeping tonight since I've been walking during the day.
Thursday, 2/10
I think I slept for about 3 hours before my IV ran out and the alarm started going off. I think I slept for another hour after that. Then I had to go to the bathroom so they had to come in and take the compression leg wraps off for me. I wore these compression wraps that are kind of like the bear hug thing that kept me warm during surgery, but they wrapped around my legs to keep me from getting blood clots. Yesterday I wore them all day, but only while I was sleeping tonight since I've been walking during the day. The second time I woke up I decided to take my first walk of the day. They weighed me then too. I am still the same 4lbs up from Tuesday. Can't wait for it to go the other direction!
I should be going home today! I am glad, but worried. It's always easier to do things when they are being put in front of you to do (walking drinking etc) The doctor came in and talked to me around 8:30 this morning. He asked me (quized me) about what I have been doing and will be doing once I got home. Says I will start taking my vitamins in one week. This week focus on getting all of the liquids and as much of it as possible from protein shakes. I have a schedule of when to drink both things. I finally got to go home around 1:30 the nurse admin came in and did my discharge. YAY I'm going home
Tuesday, 4am
Tyson and I left for Overlake in Bellevue. I had to be here at 5:15 am and we got there right around 5. They brought me upstairs to the Family Surgical Unit so I could check-in and let me know I could have 2 people in my pre-op room. Mom and Tyson were both there so that worked perfectly! Right around 5:45 they brought me back to the surgical prep room. I got changed, got a "Bear Hug" (a warm air-blower gets put into a hollow blanket to keep me warm. It's kind of like an airbag that is shaped like a blanket! It seemed as though the next 1.5 hours went by SO SLOW. They gave me my IV sleepy meds at 7:30 and wheeled me into the operating room. The last thing I remember is moving onto the other bed, the surgeon saying hello and congratulations and then I woke up. I don't remember the recovery room, just being in my permanent room. It is a nice room. I have my own private room. There is a chair and a love seat that the end of slides out to enlarge into a single bed. That is perfect, because Mom is going to stay tonight with me. Tyson needs to go home and feed the dog/cat. He'll be back tomorrow. For today, I can't have anything by mouth. Not even water. They gave me these things called Dentips. They are basically a small sponge on the end of a stick. I can dip them in water and then ring them out so they are almost dry again and wipe it on my lips and inside of my mouth so at least I don't have cotton mouth. I am really tired today. I can barely stay awake, but don't want to fall asleep until Tyson leaves. The nurse just came in and I am going on a walk. Tyson is leaving now too so I'll go to sleep when I get back.
Wednesday, 2/9
4:30am - Nurse woke me up to weigh me and get me on my first walk of the day! I actually gained 4 lbs between yesterday and today, but that makes sense because they have been pumping me full of liquids for 24 hours.
7:30am - X-Ray of my torso while I sip contrast so they can make sure I don't have any leaks and that the liquid is going straight through without getting held up in swelled spots or anything.
10:00am Dr came in to see me. He looked at the X-Ray and said that everything looks great. They'll be bringing me water shortly.
When they brought me the water, they also brought me some medicine cups. I'll be drinking 2 medicine cups per hour (it's 1oz in a cup) minimum. It's been a couple hours since I started water and I'm drinking 4 oz per hour. My maximum allowed is 8oz per hour and I am well on my way to that! (max allowed is also the amount he wants me to be at) I got a shower today!!! felt wonderful!!! I went on about 12 laps around the floor today. Everyone is very proud of me and how well I am doing. Tyson was here for two of my walks! Mom went home after traffic stopped tonight. I went a couple walks after she left and then around 11pm decided to put my CPAP (sleep apnea machine) on and go to sleep. I think I slept for about 3 hours before my IV ran out and the alarm started going off. I think I slept for another hour after that. Then I had to go to the bathroom so they had to come in and take the compression leg wraps off for me. I wore these compression wraps that are kind of like the bear hug thing that kept me warm during surgery, but they wrapped around my legs to keep me from getting blood clots. Yesterday I wore them all day, but only while I was sleeping tonight since I've been walking during the day.
Thursday, 2/10
I think I slept for about 3 hours before my IV ran out and the alarm started going off. I think I slept for another hour after that. Then I had to go to the bathroom so they had to come in and take the compression leg wraps off for me. I wore these compression wraps that are kind of like the bear hug thing that kept me warm during surgery, but they wrapped around my legs to keep me from getting blood clots. Yesterday I wore them all day, but only while I was sleeping tonight since I've been walking during the day. The second time I woke up I decided to take my first walk of the day. They weighed me then too. I am still the same 4lbs up from Tuesday. Can't wait for it to go the other direction!
I should be going home today! I am glad, but worried. It's always easier to do things when they are being put in front of you to do (walking drinking etc) The doctor came in and talked to me around 8:30 this morning. He asked me (quized me) about what I have been doing and will be doing once I got home. Says I will start taking my vitamins in one week. This week focus on getting all of the liquids and as much of it as possible from protein shakes. I have a schedule of when to drink both things. I finally got to go home around 1:30 the nurse admin came in and did my discharge. YAY I'm going home
Monday, February 7, 2011
Pre-Op diet Day 14 !!!LAST ONE!!!
Monday, February 7, 2011
OK so I am sitting here drinking my Chicken stock and water and water and water :)
Honestly, I can't even believe that my surgery is only 10 1/2 hours away! It's surreal! It's been SUCH a long process from my seminar in January 2010 to approval and the surgery (all within 2 weeks of each other!) The last two weeks have been the longest two weeks of my entire life! It's finally almost time for my surgery!!!!!!!!!!
I read a book called Designated Fat Girl by Jennifer Joyner. She had GBS and wrote about her entire journey from fat girl to fat teenager, fat wife and fat mom. I think the person who recommended the book wanted it to talk me out of having the surgery, but all it did was make me realize even more that having this surgery is the right choice for me. It's a fabulous book and I recommend anybody with weight issues read it. I recommend anyone with a personal relationship with someone who has weight issues read it. It gives amazing insight into the psyche of an overweight woman, specifically a woman who has been struggling, wholeheartedly with her weight for what seems like her entire life. I was planning to read it in the hospital and when I got home, but I finished it in two days after telling myself I would just read the Prologue!
Today I went to Wal*Mart. I got some sweats on clearance for $3.00 I found slippers on clearance for $5.00 and (sorry if TMI) bought a package of new underwear to wear at the hospital lol. I have been on a forum called www.thinnertimes.com and have found the support from other "February 2011 Staplers" to be most helpful and encouraging! One of them has made a point to remind all of us that we need CHAPSTICK! I got that at Wal*Mart today too lol. It needs to be unscented, because apparently some scents could be repulsive to me after surgery. I guess that makes sense, since there can be nausea with the anesthesia and pain meds.
I am all packed and ready to go (except my toothbrush/paste). I have to arrive at Overlake in Bellevue at 5:15am, so Tyson and I will be up quite early and out the door by 4am! I think the drive to Bellevue will be the slowest drive I've ever taken lol. Most of you I think are on my Facebook, so if you want updates of how I am doing tomorrow - Thursday, check there. I will try to get on my phone to post here too, but couldn't get it to work earlier.
So here I go, I'm going to finish up a bit more of my getting ready and making sure I don't forget anything while Tyson watches this movie that's on and then we'll head to bed. I am exhausted and just want to cuddle with him tonight. I already packed up my CPAP so I am not going to wear it tonight. I will be fine on my side, so I'll just cuddle with him to keep on my side all night!!!!
Good Night All and I'll talk to you all later!!!!!
Bonnie Rose
OK so I am sitting here drinking my Chicken stock and water and water and water :)
Honestly, I can't even believe that my surgery is only 10 1/2 hours away! It's surreal! It's been SUCH a long process from my seminar in January 2010 to approval and the surgery (all within 2 weeks of each other!) The last two weeks have been the longest two weeks of my entire life! It's finally almost time for my surgery!!!!!!!!!!
I read a book called Designated Fat Girl by Jennifer Joyner. She had GBS and wrote about her entire journey from fat girl to fat teenager, fat wife and fat mom. I think the person who recommended the book wanted it to talk me out of having the surgery, but all it did was make me realize even more that having this surgery is the right choice for me. It's a fabulous book and I recommend anybody with weight issues read it. I recommend anyone with a personal relationship with someone who has weight issues read it. It gives amazing insight into the psyche of an overweight woman, specifically a woman who has been struggling, wholeheartedly with her weight for what seems like her entire life. I was planning to read it in the hospital and when I got home, but I finished it in two days after telling myself I would just read the Prologue!
Today I went to Wal*Mart. I got some sweats on clearance for $3.00 I found slippers on clearance for $5.00 and (sorry if TMI) bought a package of new underwear to wear at the hospital lol. I have been on a forum called www.thinnertimes.com and have found the support from other "February 2011 Staplers" to be most helpful and encouraging! One of them has made a point to remind all of us that we need CHAPSTICK! I got that at Wal*Mart today too lol. It needs to be unscented, because apparently some scents could be repulsive to me after surgery. I guess that makes sense, since there can be nausea with the anesthesia and pain meds.
I am all packed and ready to go (except my toothbrush/paste). I have to arrive at Overlake in Bellevue at 5:15am, so Tyson and I will be up quite early and out the door by 4am! I think the drive to Bellevue will be the slowest drive I've ever taken lol. Most of you I think are on my Facebook, so if you want updates of how I am doing tomorrow - Thursday, check there. I will try to get on my phone to post here too, but couldn't get it to work earlier.
So here I go, I'm going to finish up a bit more of my getting ready and making sure I don't forget anything while Tyson watches this movie that's on and then we'll head to bed. I am exhausted and just want to cuddle with him tonight. I already packed up my CPAP so I am not going to wear it tonight. I will be fine on my side, so I'll just cuddle with him to keep on my side all night!!!!
Good Night All and I'll talk to you all later!!!!!
Bonnie Rose
Pre-Op diet Days 4-13
Sunday, February 6, 2011
OK so I haven't been blogging because there isn't much to say! Every day is the same... 3 protein shakes and a meal! I have figured out ways to eat whatever Tyson has been eating. Ordering a salad with shrimp or prawns seems to work well. The couple restaurants we've gone to have had a shrimp or prawn appetizer. I ate un-breaded-sauce free wings once too. Then I ate my veggies when I got home. Mostly though, it's been lean meat/cottage cheese/fruit/green beans/sweet potatoes every night lol I'm a bit bored of it.
So as far as my to do list has gone....
I get an F lol! I did go through all of my clothes. I already bagged up a bunch that I cannot wear already just from the 10% of my body weight I had to lose to be approved for surgery! I found a bunch of clothes from college and some that I bought at a garage sale that were brand new small sizes that don't fit me yet. I bought them when I was in college and on one of my weight loss attempts. I also have done some cleaning, but not any more than normal haha My bedroom living room and kitchen will be clean for recovery and that's fine because those are the places I live (well my bathroom is clean too!)
I am getting excited.People keep asking if I'm nervous or scared, and I'm not. It's been a VERY long 13 months of making the decision to have surgery, going through all of the insurance requirements and finally getting approved just 2 weeks ago!
It's super bowl Sunday and I have had cream of broccoli soup and a sweet potato and one protein shake. I am going to go to bed now and can't wait for tomorrow. Tomorrow is the last day of my pre-op diet and I could not be more anxious!!!!
OK so I haven't been blogging because there isn't much to say! Every day is the same... 3 protein shakes and a meal! I have figured out ways to eat whatever Tyson has been eating. Ordering a salad with shrimp or prawns seems to work well. The couple restaurants we've gone to have had a shrimp or prawn appetizer. I ate un-breaded-sauce free wings once too. Then I ate my veggies when I got home. Mostly though, it's been lean meat/cottage cheese/fruit/green beans/sweet potatoes every night lol I'm a bit bored of it.
So as far as my to do list has gone....
I get an F lol! I did go through all of my clothes. I already bagged up a bunch that I cannot wear already just from the 10% of my body weight I had to lose to be approved for surgery! I found a bunch of clothes from college and some that I bought at a garage sale that were brand new small sizes that don't fit me yet. I bought them when I was in college and on one of my weight loss attempts. I also have done some cleaning, but not any more than normal haha My bedroom living room and kitchen will be clean for recovery and that's fine because those are the places I live (well my bathroom is clean too!)
I am getting excited.People keep asking if I'm nervous or scared, and I'm not. It's been a VERY long 13 months of making the decision to have surgery, going through all of the insurance requirements and finally getting approved just 2 weeks ago!
It's super bowl Sunday and I have had cream of broccoli soup and a sweet potato and one protein shake. I am going to go to bed now and can't wait for tomorrow. Tomorrow is the last day of my pre-op diet and I could not be more anxious!!!!
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