Wow, it's hard to believe that this time next week I'll be in surgery! It is exciting and nerve wrecking at the same time.
L1 is beginning to understand more because we keep talking to him about it. He keeps asking when I'm going to go to the hospital. So I give it to him in terms of how many more days he'll go to school before I go (3) then how many days he'll have school while I'm there (2).
Today and tomorrow will be my last days of food for a while. It's weird to think of. Something I've been prepping for for a while, but at the same time just doesn't seem a reality yet.
T-minus 1 week....here we go!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
Tonight's class
Tonight I had a pre-op and nutrition class. I found the pre-op one pretty informative, but the nut was mostly review or things I had learned on my own. Dan was unable to come so I made sure to take good notes. They also gave us print outs of the PowerPoint presentation.
On my way there I stopped by Max Muscle. I am glad I did! I got 1 canister of protein powder (100% Whey vanilla ice cream flavor) and 2 OhYeah! RTDs (cookies & creme and vanilla). The guy there was the owner and super nice and helpful. He used to play football at Ole' Miss and seemed to know his stuff about the products. We had a convo about the protein bullets and he even said that putting 42g of protein in it is useless because your body can't absorb that much it's more of a marketing thing because some body builders think it's great. I really liked that he was totally honest about that kind of thing and not tried to build it up just to sell product.
On to the class stuff, here are some notes of importance
*After surgery I will have a JP drain in. This may be out when I leave the hospital, it might come home with me.
*Afterwards I will never be able to have asprin. They gave us a card tonight to keep in our wallets. Also highly recommended a medic alert bracelet and Lauren's Hope. The support group I attend weekly online actually gives away 1 $80 gift cert to there every week, so I'm hoping to win one! Or I might order some beads and have my friend Kim make me one.
*I will need to be at the hospital about 2 hours prior to surgery. Which means we'll need to head out of here at 5am, yikes!
*The operation should take anywhere from 1-3hrs. Every 45min-1hr someone will come out of the OR and give Dan an update on how I am and the progress.
*No one will be allowed in the recovery room. I should be in there anywhere from 1-3hrs.
*After getting settled in my room people will be allowed up within an hour.
*Something I found really neat was instead of a call button going to a general nurses station, each nurse carries their own phone. The number will be listed on the board in my room so I can call her/him directly instead of a nurses station.
*All of the rooms are private. I did not see one, but have heard they are pretty nice.
*Morning after surgery I will have an Upper GI test. This will test for "leaks" in my new pouch.
*I will start with narcotic IV pain meds and a PCA pump.
*I'll get either liquid Lortab or liquid Dilaudid for pain at home.
*Typical stay is 2-3 nights. So I'll probably be set free on Thurs or Fri.
*While I'm on pain meds I can't drive. For some people that's a few days, some it is a few weeks.
*I mentioned that I recovered very quickly from my c-sections, esp the 2nd one, and the nurse said this should be pretty easy then. Yay!
*Usually the day of surgery I'll be allowed ice chips. A 40cc cup should last me 4 hours though...yikes!
I have a lot more of notes, but a lot of it is just little reminders for myself (like to ask Dr Friedman the size of my pouch and length of bypass after surgery because it varies by patient).
At the group tonight were 3 other patients. 1 is having surgery tomorrow, 1 on Monday, and the other will be after me on Tues.
It's beginning to seem a little more real, but still hard to believe it's actually going to happen. Too bad I can't skip time forward about a year!
On my way there I stopped by Max Muscle. I am glad I did! I got 1 canister of protein powder (100% Whey vanilla ice cream flavor) and 2 OhYeah! RTDs (cookies & creme and vanilla). The guy there was the owner and super nice and helpful. He used to play football at Ole' Miss and seemed to know his stuff about the products. We had a convo about the protein bullets and he even said that putting 42g of protein in it is useless because your body can't absorb that much it's more of a marketing thing because some body builders think it's great. I really liked that he was totally honest about that kind of thing and not tried to build it up just to sell product.
On to the class stuff, here are some notes of importance
*After surgery I will have a JP drain in. This may be out when I leave the hospital, it might come home with me.
*Afterwards I will never be able to have asprin. They gave us a card tonight to keep in our wallets. Also highly recommended a medic alert bracelet and Lauren's Hope. The support group I attend weekly online actually gives away 1 $80 gift cert to there every week, so I'm hoping to win one! Or I might order some beads and have my friend Kim make me one.
*I will need to be at the hospital about 2 hours prior to surgery. Which means we'll need to head out of here at 5am, yikes!
*The operation should take anywhere from 1-3hrs. Every 45min-1hr someone will come out of the OR and give Dan an update on how I am and the progress.
*No one will be allowed in the recovery room. I should be in there anywhere from 1-3hrs.
*After getting settled in my room people will be allowed up within an hour.
*Something I found really neat was instead of a call button going to a general nurses station, each nurse carries their own phone. The number will be listed on the board in my room so I can call her/him directly instead of a nurses station.
*All of the rooms are private. I did not see one, but have heard they are pretty nice.
*Morning after surgery I will have an Upper GI test. This will test for "leaks" in my new pouch.
*I will start with narcotic IV pain meds and a PCA pump.
*I'll get either liquid Lortab or liquid Dilaudid for pain at home.
*Typical stay is 2-3 nights. So I'll probably be set free on Thurs or Fri.
*While I'm on pain meds I can't drive. For some people that's a few days, some it is a few weeks.
*I mentioned that I recovered very quickly from my c-sections, esp the 2nd one, and the nurse said this should be pretty easy then. Yay!
*Usually the day of surgery I'll be allowed ice chips. A 40cc cup should last me 4 hours though...yikes!
I have a lot more of notes, but a lot of it is just little reminders for myself (like to ask Dr Friedman the size of my pouch and length of bypass after surgery because it varies by patient).
At the group tonight were 3 other patients. 1 is having surgery tomorrow, 1 on Monday, and the other will be after me on Tues.
It's beginning to seem a little more real, but still hard to believe it's actually going to happen. Too bad I can't skip time forward about a year!
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Single digits!
Wow, hard to believe that my surgery is just 9 days away!!!
I'm trying to prepare mentally for it. We decided to go out to Sonny's BBQ last night. Dan mentioned it might be the last time I get to have their sauce because of sugar, etc in it. We have a few jars here at home, so I checked out the stats. My favorite one, just the regular mild, looks like I'll be able to have it! In a 2Tbsp serving it has 1g fat, 6g carbs, and 4g sugar. Being 2 Tbsp is about what I'll be able to eat in the beginning total, this should be fine for dipping some meat into. I believe the rule of thumb is to keep sugar under 10g/meal--I need to double check that though.
Sonny's was great and the boys were pretty well behaved. I'll admit, for the first time in many many years, I ordered all you can eat. Yikes. However, I couldn't even finish my initial servings! I've been trying to cut back in preparation for how little I soon will be eating. I had 1 slice of garlic toast, 1 piece of cornbread, about 1/2 the pulled pork, and 3/4 of the mac n' cheese. I tried one more bite of meat/toast and just couldn't do it.
On the way to Sonny's we noticed Max Muscle in the shopping center next door. I had been thinking it was downtown for some reason, so glad we saw it! We were going to check it out after dinner, they closed at 7 and we got out about 7:15. But at least now I know where it is and it's not as far away as I was thinking. There is another store my nut had told me about that is downtown so I must have gotten them confused.
This coming week is going to be a pretty busy one. Dan goes to work on Mon, Tues, and Friday. I have Dr appts on Mon and Fri. L1 has school on Mon, Wed, and Fri. Liquid diet starts Thurs. Fri Dan's mom gets to town for the weekend.
I've started talking some with L1 about how Mommy is going to have surgery and what is going to happen. I explained to him that the Dr is going to fix my stomach and I will be in the hospital for a few days, but that someone would be here with him and L2. It might be Daddy, it might be G, or it might be some friends in the neighborhood. He's of course hoping it's G and has already planned that they are going to go to the store and buy some pink flowers to plant a garden. He was a bit concerned that Grumpa wouldn't be coming because "Grumpa can't cook all by himself!" LOL. But he also know that Grumpa's knee is still hurting and G might have to stay there to help him. We've talked about how when Mommy comes home I might not feel well and he and L2 won't be able to get on my tummy because it'll be hurting. I'm sure he'll laugh at how little I eat. I'm fully anticipating L2 trying to drink my protein shakes and feed me his food, he gets a kick out of feeding other people. It's going to be hard on L2 not being able to climb all over me like he usually does. We'll just have to see how it goes.
9 more days...4 more until liquid diet. It's almost here!!!
-------
Oh, and I have a correction to the last entry. Dan did not report to his new squadron on Friday, but to the Wing. Monday he'll report to the squadron. Also, I learned this after he got home, but the person who told him no leave was just a civilian in charge of deciding who goes to what squadron and when. So him taking leave is still a possibility.
I'm trying to prepare mentally for it. We decided to go out to Sonny's BBQ last night. Dan mentioned it might be the last time I get to have their sauce because of sugar, etc in it. We have a few jars here at home, so I checked out the stats. My favorite one, just the regular mild, looks like I'll be able to have it! In a 2Tbsp serving it has 1g fat, 6g carbs, and 4g sugar. Being 2 Tbsp is about what I'll be able to eat in the beginning total, this should be fine for dipping some meat into. I believe the rule of thumb is to keep sugar under 10g/meal--I need to double check that though.
Sonny's was great and the boys were pretty well behaved. I'll admit, for the first time in many many years, I ordered all you can eat. Yikes. However, I couldn't even finish my initial servings! I've been trying to cut back in preparation for how little I soon will be eating. I had 1 slice of garlic toast, 1 piece of cornbread, about 1/2 the pulled pork, and 3/4 of the mac n' cheese. I tried one more bite of meat/toast and just couldn't do it.
On the way to Sonny's we noticed Max Muscle in the shopping center next door. I had been thinking it was downtown for some reason, so glad we saw it! We were going to check it out after dinner, they closed at 7 and we got out about 7:15. But at least now I know where it is and it's not as far away as I was thinking. There is another store my nut had told me about that is downtown so I must have gotten them confused.
This coming week is going to be a pretty busy one. Dan goes to work on Mon, Tues, and Friday. I have Dr appts on Mon and Fri. L1 has school on Mon, Wed, and Fri. Liquid diet starts Thurs. Fri Dan's mom gets to town for the weekend.
I've started talking some with L1 about how Mommy is going to have surgery and what is going to happen. I explained to him that the Dr is going to fix my stomach and I will be in the hospital for a few days, but that someone would be here with him and L2. It might be Daddy, it might be G, or it might be some friends in the neighborhood. He's of course hoping it's G and has already planned that they are going to go to the store and buy some pink flowers to plant a garden. He was a bit concerned that Grumpa wouldn't be coming because "Grumpa can't cook all by himself!" LOL. But he also know that Grumpa's knee is still hurting and G might have to stay there to help him. We've talked about how when Mommy comes home I might not feel well and he and L2 won't be able to get on my tummy because it'll be hurting. I'm sure he'll laugh at how little I eat. I'm fully anticipating L2 trying to drink my protein shakes and feed me his food, he gets a kick out of feeding other people. It's going to be hard on L2 not being able to climb all over me like he usually does. We'll just have to see how it goes.
9 more days...4 more until liquid diet. It's almost here!!!
-------
Oh, and I have a correction to the last entry. Dan did not report to his new squadron on Friday, but to the Wing. Monday he'll report to the squadron. Also, I learned this after he got home, but the person who told him no leave was just a civilian in charge of deciding who goes to what squadron and when. So him taking leave is still a possibility.
Friday, September 11, 2009
No leave for the hubs
Dan reported to his new squadron today (VT-3 if anyone cares). He was told they cannot grant him leave for my surgery. However, his report date to start is October 9th. That would give me 2.5 wks of recouping before giving him back. Which should be plenty. However (there is ALWAYS one of those with the military, ugh)...that date of Oct 9th could change. He'll go in Mon and Tues next week. After that he'll be required to call in from 7a-8a M-R and be there in person on Fridays. So he should be able to take care of me and help with the boys for most of the time.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Q & A session
Told you it would be coming :) Please leave comments if you have any more and I'll get those addressed too!
Why did you decide to do this? Isn't it a bit of a drastic step?
That's about all for now, plus L2 just woke up which means I better go if my computer wants to live to see tomorrow!
Why did you decide to do this? Isn't it a bit of a drastic step?
Yes, it is drastic. Is it the first thing I'm jumping to in order to lose weight? Heck no! In order to have WLS you are required to show documentation of failed previous diets/weight loss attempts. My Dr didn't require me getting anything signed, just a list of when I tried, what it was, how much I lost, and how long it stayed off. Many insurance companies require a 6 month medically supervised diet before approving patients. Thankfully Tricare does not have that requirement!What is dumping syndrome I've heard people talk about?
In short: something I never, EVER, want to experience! It happens when you eat too fast, too much, or something that you shouldn't (like sugar). Symptoms of late dumping include weakness, sweating, and dizziness. Many people have both types. From what I have been told, it is a very unpleasant experience. Most people will not want to eat whatever it was that made them sick for a long time, if ever. Episode lengths can vary, but usual is 30-60 minutes.How much are you wanting to lose/what is your goal weight?
I'm not setting out with a goal weight in mind, or a number to shed. I will know I'm at goal when I get there. How? By how I feel and look to myself. I don't ever expect to be an itty bitty. It's just not going to happen! I do expect to be healthier, in normal sizes, and feel good about myself.Aren't you scared?
Hell yes! LOL. Yes, I am scared/nervous/excited/everything else. But this is something I've wanted for a long time and been working for. I have the utmost confidence in my surgeon and his team. I know my husband will be very supportive during my hospital stay and once I get home and will help me over the hurdles.How long will you be out of commission for? How long will you be in the hospital for?
It really varies by patient how long they are down for. My only prior operations have resulted in 2 puking, screaming, peeing, pooping, chow hounds. Err...let me rephrase, my 2 wonderful, sweet, caring little boys. I've never been under general before, so this will be new. I bounced back very quickly from both C-sections. With L2 the nurses were practically forcing me to take pain meds while still in the hospital. I anticipate my recovery from this will be fairly quickly too. Compared to many people who have this operation, I'm young with very few health issues, so that is a plus. I will not be able to drive for 2 weeks. We are hoping Dan will be able to have at least that much leave, we should find out next week for sure though. I will most likely be in the hospital for 4 days/3 nights. Surgery is on Tues so I should be back home on Friday.Is it reversible or are you going to be like this for life?
It can be. However, unless there is some severe complication there isn't a need. I plan on having a little pouch for a stomach for ever!Why RNY instead of the Lap or Realize-band?
Banding is becoming more and more popular, but I'm going the other way (which is still very popular!!!). With a band, you can cheat. Want a milkshake? No problem! Chug-a-lug it down and absorb all those bad things. I mainly decided on RNY because the inability to cheat. Well, you can cheat...but it's tough. You can begin to tolerate the bad stuff again, but most people will dump at first. You can get fat again, but you have to work at it. RNY has a much higher success rate for long term success. Basically I decided that if I'm going to do this, I'm going to get it right. (I'm not saying that bandits don't, it's just not for me!)Isn't there a high death rate?
Mortality rate from recent data of Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass is 0.08% (Band is about 0.05%).
That's about all for now, plus L2 just woke up which means I better go if my computer wants to live to see tomorrow!
"OLDER POSTS"
Please take note that there are more postings than you see on the 1st page! Scroll down to the bottom and there will be a link for "older posts." As of right now there is just 1 more page of posts, but that 1 page has some really important ones! So check it out. You can also subscribe to know where there are updates! (and for those of you subbed, sorry but I'm probably going to be doing a few today but it won't be like this always, promise!
My 1st BE order arrived!
I posted a few days ago that I placed my 1st order from BariatricEating, well it arrived today!
The boys were napping (thank goodness, it was a battle to get them down). Anyways, their slumber allowed me to dig into my goodies.
Since I ordered the sample pack, I wasn't sure what flavors would be included. I am very happy with what I received!
Here's some pics of the loot...
That is 1 package of unflavored protein (can add to all sorts of things), 3 month supply of Celebrate Chewable vitamins, and the sample pack.
My sample pack included:
Dan's been asking me what I want for my "last meal." I have to keep reminding him that I WILL be able to eat again! Won't be for a while, won't be anything/anytime/however much I want, but I WILL be able to eat!
The boys were napping (thank goodness, it was a battle to get them down). Anyways, their slumber allowed me to dig into my goodies.
Since I ordered the sample pack, I wasn't sure what flavors would be included. I am very happy with what I received!
Here's some pics of the loot...
That is 1 package of unflavored protein (can add to all sorts of things), 3 month supply of Celebrate Chewable vitamins, and the sample pack.
My sample pack included:
- 2 OhYeah! RTDs (Ready to drink)...strawberries & creme and bananas & creme. I actually just came across a recipe yesterday using the banana one for a shake that sounds WONDERFUL..
I use 1/2 of the small bottle of bananas & creme, add ice, a 1/4 scoop of the Believe Chocolate peanut butter fudge and a teaspoon of PB2. It tastes like a combination of banana and Reeses peanut butter cup.
- 1 isopure RTDs...fruit punch and grape frost
- Believe Italian Cappuccino RTD. So I'm not a coffee person, AT ALL, but figure I might as well give it a shot! This brand only makes 2 flavors, 2 coffee-like and 1 is a tea...so none are my cup of tea so to speak. However, many people say tastes change after surgery. Maybe my taste buds will decide to grow up and like things like coffee!
- 4 lean dessert protein samples...chocolate coconut candy bar, whipped vanilla cream, banana cream pudding, and fresh cinnamon roll. I think I just drooled a little!
- 2 Matrix protein powder samples (these were bonuses!)...cookies & cream, strawberry cream
- 4 Nectar fruit juice flavored protein powders...strawberry kiwi, vanilla bean torte, lemon tea, roadside lemonade, and fuzzy navel.
- Blender ball cup...it's a cup for shakin' up the protein powder drinks! It came with a little metal ball that helps break up the powder for easier mixing. I told the hubs it would have been awesome for baby formula mixing!
- Several sample packs of the Celebrate chewable vitamins. Although I ordered a 3 month supply, I'm excited about these! Some of the vitamins come in a few flavors, this way I can try them all out.
Dan's been asking me what I want for my "last meal." I have to keep reminding him that I WILL be able to eat again! Won't be for a while, won't be anything/anytime/however much I want, but I WILL be able to eat!
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