Ok so after about 12 days post surgery I started to feel much better. Not perfect but at least human and in little pain. Last Monday (14 days post-op), I walked my neighbors' dogs. One of which is roughly 80 lbs. On that walk he decided a squirrel was much more interesting than the grass and took off. Well, I'm not sure you realize how much you have to use your stomach muscles to stop a dog until you don't really have any. Somehow in that altercation I pulled something around one of my incisions. This is an incision that honestly I didn't even know it was there as it has never bothered me up until then.
Now a week later it still burns and pulls when I move wrong and the pain got so bad last week I had to take morphine again. I know my surgeon is in surgery all day today, but if I'm not starting to feel markedly better by tomorrow I'm going to call. There is no swelling or redness but this pain is making functioning very difficult. I'm not sleeping well because I have to wake up any time I want to turn over. I haven't been able to do any walking as that aggravates it. We've had gorgeous weather and I've pretty much been stuck inside. All in all it sucks.
I know others feel this way, and I know it's completely irrational, but I wish I'd just be skinny already. I feel like I've had enough of the pain and I'm ready to be "normal" again. I know that is nonsense but yet I still feel that way. I think in another 2 weeks when this is long past I will feel different about it, but right now I'm really ready for the tired all the time and pain to be gone. I know I don't have it bad compared to some, who have leaks or horrible nausea but still I'm pretty close to done.
Sorry, for all the bitching but I had to get it out there! As for a weigh in which I owe you all. Umm the batteries died on our scale and I haven't replaced them yet, so tomorrow it will be. I feel like the results won't be that great as I've been housebound but I know that I've struggled to get 450 calories a day so at least I'm not overeating!
Tomorrow I promise both a weigh in AND I will tell you about all the gadgets I use to help in this journey.
Showing posts with label VSG. Show all posts
Showing posts with label VSG. Show all posts
Monday, April 9, 2012
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Surgery and the Hospital Stay
So I had the surgery on 19 April. It was a struggle finally getting the date and I'll tell that story another day. I was the first surgery of the day so we had to report to Bethesda at 0530. I set my alarm clock for 0415 in order to get there in time. A friend took the kids at night in order for Artie to bring me to the hospital by himself.
I checked in while Artie parked the car. About the only time you don't have a problem finding parking at Bethesda is 0530! Vitals, pregnancy test, blah blah blah. At 0615 we went to the pre-anesthesia room. This is a large bay with many many beds. I met my anesthesiologist (he was a Marquette grad) and he was nice enough to numb my hand with some lidocaine before putting in the IV. I've never had that before, it was a nice bonus. My surgery team came around, just the residents though not my surgeon. They marked up my belly and asked if I had any questions. I told them that I couldn't take Percocet because it made me vomit and I requested to be put on Actigall post surgery. Both things were noted. My surgeon stopped by, said a few things then left.
My anesthesiologist came back with his boss (I'm pretty sure he was a resident) and they gave me something. The world went a bit fuzzy around the edges then but I could still talk and stuff. I said goodbye to my husband and they wheeled me away. I switched myself to the OR table, they gave me another shot of something. I remember talking to them but don't know what I said. A mask went over my face and lights were out.
I woke up being wheeled down a hallway and rather vocal about feeling nauseous and being in a lot of pain. I vaguely remember the anesthesiologist saying something along the lines of "that's because you shouldn't be awake yet". I metabolize drugs very quickly. I always tell the doctors this and they always dismiss me. I wish they'd listen. They gave me something and the next thing I remember I was in a post-op bay again with my husband sitting next to me. I moaned about nausea again and the nurse stuck an alcohol rub under my nose. All that did was piss me off! I went back to sleep.
At some point my husband said the surgery took 4.5 hours because they found extra stuff to do while they were in there. Apparently, in one of my many horse back riding accidents of my life I damaged my spleen enough to fuse it to my stomach. I also had a big hole in my diaphragm and now my stomach would be small enough to fit through the hole. So they patched all that stuff up.
I know that my surgeon stopped by at some point or it could have been a dream. My husband had left around 2pm to beat rush hour in DC but I don't really remember much of anything until 8pm when I took my first walk around the ward. Because I have sleep apnea I had to sleep on the post-op ward with more monitoring. Unfortunately, there were some rather vocal patients there as well so I didn't get much sleep.
Bright and early the next morning I was moved to a regular ward. At around 11 I had my swallow test which makes sure my staple line in my stomach was holding and there are no leaks. Everything was fine and when I got back to my room my catheter was removed (yeah)! Now walking was much, much easier. My family came but between the drugs and the surgery I wasn't much company. They stayed a few hours and I continued to walk.
I also was started on taking fluids by mouth. Just 2 tablespoons an hour for 2 hours then I could have 4 tbsp then it was upped to as I could tolerate. That night though, I must have not taken much of my pain meds (I had a pump) and I woke up in a LOT of pain. They had to call the doctor to give me some extra, they called it a bolus. All was well then and I managed to sleep 2 straight hours.
On the third day (Wednesday) I was able to start protein drinks. What I thought tasted good before surgery was now sickening sweet. It took me an entire day to finish one 8oz protein drink but it was nice to be able to do things on my own. Finally, at 9pm my doctors released me and I got to go home.
The first night was really rough, I slept in a reclining chair, but it was so nice to be home I didn't care. I'll write more about the first two weeks as they are a real struggle. You feel run-down and you can't drink enough, water or protein so it just makes it worse. I'll leave that for tomorrow though.
I checked in while Artie parked the car. About the only time you don't have a problem finding parking at Bethesda is 0530! Vitals, pregnancy test, blah blah blah. At 0615 we went to the pre-anesthesia room. This is a large bay with many many beds. I met my anesthesiologist (he was a Marquette grad) and he was nice enough to numb my hand with some lidocaine before putting in the IV. I've never had that before, it was a nice bonus. My surgery team came around, just the residents though not my surgeon. They marked up my belly and asked if I had any questions. I told them that I couldn't take Percocet because it made me vomit and I requested to be put on Actigall post surgery. Both things were noted. My surgeon stopped by, said a few things then left.
My anesthesiologist came back with his boss (I'm pretty sure he was a resident) and they gave me something. The world went a bit fuzzy around the edges then but I could still talk and stuff. I said goodbye to my husband and they wheeled me away. I switched myself to the OR table, they gave me another shot of something. I remember talking to them but don't know what I said. A mask went over my face and lights were out.
I woke up being wheeled down a hallway and rather vocal about feeling nauseous and being in a lot of pain. I vaguely remember the anesthesiologist saying something along the lines of "that's because you shouldn't be awake yet". I metabolize drugs very quickly. I always tell the doctors this and they always dismiss me. I wish they'd listen. They gave me something and the next thing I remember I was in a post-op bay again with my husband sitting next to me. I moaned about nausea again and the nurse stuck an alcohol rub under my nose. All that did was piss me off! I went back to sleep.
At some point my husband said the surgery took 4.5 hours because they found extra stuff to do while they were in there. Apparently, in one of my many horse back riding accidents of my life I damaged my spleen enough to fuse it to my stomach. I also had a big hole in my diaphragm and now my stomach would be small enough to fit through the hole. So they patched all that stuff up.
I know that my surgeon stopped by at some point or it could have been a dream. My husband had left around 2pm to beat rush hour in DC but I don't really remember much of anything until 8pm when I took my first walk around the ward. Because I have sleep apnea I had to sleep on the post-op ward with more monitoring. Unfortunately, there were some rather vocal patients there as well so I didn't get much sleep.
Bright and early the next morning I was moved to a regular ward. At around 11 I had my swallow test which makes sure my staple line in my stomach was holding and there are no leaks. Everything was fine and when I got back to my room my catheter was removed (yeah)! Now walking was much, much easier. My family came but between the drugs and the surgery I wasn't much company. They stayed a few hours and I continued to walk.
I also was started on taking fluids by mouth. Just 2 tablespoons an hour for 2 hours then I could have 4 tbsp then it was upped to as I could tolerate. That night though, I must have not taken much of my pain meds (I had a pump) and I woke up in a LOT of pain. They had to call the doctor to give me some extra, they called it a bolus. All was well then and I managed to sleep 2 straight hours.
On the third day (Wednesday) I was able to start protein drinks. What I thought tasted good before surgery was now sickening sweet. It took me an entire day to finish one 8oz protein drink but it was nice to be able to do things on my own. Finally, at 9pm my doctors released me and I got to go home.
The first night was really rough, I slept in a reclining chair, but it was so nice to be home I didn't care. I'll write more about the first two weeks as they are a real struggle. You feel run-down and you can't drink enough, water or protein so it just makes it worse. I'll leave that for tomorrow though.
Monday, April 2, 2012
Resurrection
I figured that was a good title considering the week this is. Well, I've owned this blog since 2008 and I stopped it when I found out I was pregnant with Amelia. I weighed 210lbs the day I stopped that blog and I was at 219 when I started it. Today I weighed in at 219 so it seems fitting that I start this blog again.
This journey into weight loss and getting healthy is a little different. I started looking at surgery when I was at a whopping 270 lbs. With high cholesterol and heading quickly towards type 2 diabetes. I looked at all 3 of the major weight loss surgeries (there are 4 but one wasn't relevant to me) and decided on the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy. This is where the doctor removes 85% of your stomach but that is all. There is no rerouting of intestines, no malabsorption and no foreign body. It may seem a bit drastic but the success rate of a person losing more than 100lbs and keeping it off for 5 years is just 3%. I was getting nowhere fast on my own. It makes it easier (or else why would anyone do it) but it doesn't make it easy.
Tomorrow, I'll write about how the actual surgery and first two weeks of recovery went. I'm writing this as much for me as anyone hoping that tracking my journey towards a normal BMI and a healthier me will help ensure I never get back to 270 lbs. I do hope that somewhere, somehow I may help someone else struggling, either with the decision to have surgery, which surgery, or who is just in despair at the amount of weight they have to lose.
I'll weigh in every Monday:
Start Weight: 270
Surgery Weight: 234
Current Weight: 219
Total Weight Lost: 51 lbs
This journey into weight loss and getting healthy is a little different. I started looking at surgery when I was at a whopping 270 lbs. With high cholesterol and heading quickly towards type 2 diabetes. I looked at all 3 of the major weight loss surgeries (there are 4 but one wasn't relevant to me) and decided on the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy. This is where the doctor removes 85% of your stomach but that is all. There is no rerouting of intestines, no malabsorption and no foreign body. It may seem a bit drastic but the success rate of a person losing more than 100lbs and keeping it off for 5 years is just 3%. I was getting nowhere fast on my own. It makes it easier (or else why would anyone do it) but it doesn't make it easy.
Tomorrow, I'll write about how the actual surgery and first two weeks of recovery went. I'm writing this as much for me as anyone hoping that tracking my journey towards a normal BMI and a healthier me will help ensure I never get back to 270 lbs. I do hope that somewhere, somehow I may help someone else struggling, either with the decision to have surgery, which surgery, or who is just in despair at the amount of weight they have to lose.
I'll weigh in every Monday:
Start Weight: 270
Surgery Weight: 234
Current Weight: 219
Total Weight Lost: 51 lbs
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