devshan

Send Message

Block

Add Friend

Woo Hoo!!!  Since my first appointment with my surgeon in December I have lost 25 lbs!!  18 since surgery!  How awesome is that?? Imagine what would happen if I was exercising regularly...hmmmmmm.
That said I have to say that I am kinda getting sick of feeling like my life is revolving around what I eat.  I track and log and figure and talk about what I have put into my body obsessively.  I keep telling my husband that I think I'm becoming anorexic because I get upset with myself if I take in more than 1000 calories per day.  Plus I am kinda depressed and VERY bitchy!!  This transition is harder emotionally than I thought it would be.  But people I talk to about it say it;s normal and I will level out soon.  I hope so - my husband is getting the brunt of my emotional roller coaster.  Random strangers are also getting to enjoy some of my extremely short fuse and inability to hold my tongue!  Ugh.
I just have to keep on going and remind myself that this is a JOURNEY!  That I will get used to the changes and that I will be so much better for it!! 

2 weeks - 12 lbs.  Not bad.  SOOOO happy to be able to eat again.  That liquid diet sucked.  Now I have a protein shake in the morning, lunch is usually yogurt and a few pieces of lunch meat and cheese and then dinner.  So far I've had chicken (1/2 a breast at a time), spagetti (mostly meat sauce), taco pie (just ate the meat and cheese, no tortillas), a hot dog.  Seems to be ok.  Just gotta try to eat slower. 

Starting on the treadclimber today.  Had a nightmare last night about nastly hanging skin!!

I have decided I need to write about the events of my "Band-day".  So here goes...

After a very restless night, hubby and I dropped the kiddos off at school and headed to the hospital.  I was SOO nervous...cranky...anxious.  For the first time in my life I did NOT want to talk.  My poor husband was concerned at that point!!  LOL 

So now we're there...change into the awesome gown/scrub pants/sock combo and get comfy in the pre-op "recliner" that this hospital is soooo proud of! (they are ok if you are into vinyl recliners!)  My mood started to improve and I started to get a little excited.  Some technician came to ask some questions (who are you, birthday, etc.) he asked what kind of procedure I was having - I answered "Lobotomy".  He wrote it down.  Hubby's eyes got big and I started laughing and told the guy what I was really having done.  Wow!!

Now it's time for the big walk to the OR prep area.  Luckily hubby got to come with (which made me SOOO happy)  IV time, more questions, talk to surgeon.  Now as soon as I got to the preop area I asked "When does the drug guy come?" All I wanted was my dose of Versed to make me happy.  Then they could do whatever they wanted.  Just give  me the Versed.  I knew from my gallbladder surgery 6 weeks earlier that just before they take you to the OR, they give you a gift....a nice little injection of Versed in your IV.  So I kept telling myself that I just had to hold it together long enough to get to that point!!  Finally the drug guy comes (with a mouth full of crooked teeth and silver braces!)....we're going over stuff....and I'm thinking "just give me the juice!!"  So he's finally done talking and I say - "OK!  Time for the Versed, right?!"  Guess what he says - NO!!!  Seems I had a few complications last time and he decided that I should not have Versed.  So Brace Face says "We've decided just to give you the Michael Jackson medicine and not the Versed so we can wake you up instantly if we need to."  My response - "I really wouldn't call it that!"  Anyway I was SO DISAPPOINTED!!  Seriously - my husband had to console me!!  LOL

So they wheeled me into the OR and I was completely lucid.  It was cold in there and I did not like being on my back.  A lot of stuff happens in there before they put you to sleep.  So Brace Face Says "OK, I need you to move over to this other table before we can give you the Michael Jackson Medicine and put you down."  I mean seriously, is this guys going for a medal in How to Say All The Wrong Things?   So the head drug guy comes in at that time and introduces himself....I proceeded to tell him he should probably train Brace Face on what not to say.  We all get a laugh and boom I'm gone!

I wake up in recovery GROGGY!!  (not that nice I slept so good feeling that you get from the Versed)  Hubby is there and they told me I was done and everything went well.  I remember putting my arms in the air and saying "Woo Hoo" while wearing the oxygen mask.  I hurt....worse than the gall bladder....they dope me up.  Soon I'm on my way to my room to wait for the Upper GI and then to go home.

Well, I was supposed to go home...but the nurse who was to take care of my in my room while I was waiting for my Upper GI decided not to hook up my IV.  (Plus there was a half used IV bag on the pole which she left on there - gross!) So for two hours I did not get any fluids.  They also did not check my vitals or try to get me up and around.  Within 5 minutes of hooking up the IV they called  me down for the Upper GI...so the brilliant nurse unhooked the IV so I could go have the test.  As soon as I got up I was in excruciating pain (hadn't had any pain meds since recovery either!)  I fell into the wheelchair and was taken to Radiology cringing from the pain.

Once we got to radiology - the technician looked at me and knew something was wrong - asked if I was nauseated.  All of the sudden I became every SHOCKY!!  Queasy, hot, shaky, unable to focus....all of it.  Thought I was gonna fall out of the damn wheel chair!  So one tech is holding my head telling me to keep my eyes open and the other is calling the surgeon on call.  I was panicking and yelling "Call a Code!" and "Call 911!" (kinda funny now).  Anyway...after a few minutes and a cool wash cloth on my head I finally felt well enough to do the test.  4 guys put on lead aprons and stood around me in case I went over.  Everything was fine on the swallow - so the surgeon on call (who I had met before a few times and didn't like) said I could go home if I wanted.  I couldn't believe he was saying this given what had just happened - he said it was "normal".  Whatever...

Back at my room my husband had arrived and I told him what happened.  They reinstalled my IV and finally gave me a medicine cup with ice chips (heaven!!)  We have three kids (11, 9 and 6) and I sent hubby and kids off to get dinner.  While they were gone I decided to stay overnight.  I was afraid of having another "normal" episode at home and having to deal with finding a place for the kids to be in case I had to go back.  Plus I knew I was extremely dehydrated (I couldn't talk and my throat was so dry it was sticking together on the inside) so I figured the more time I had with the IV the better. 

The care I received overnight was AMAZING!!  (I had the bad nurse banished from my room earlier in the day!)  They kept fresh saline bags on me - gave me pain meds - checked my vitals including blood sugar - provided and endless supply of ice chips and were just NICE!!  It was the best decision I could have made.  I was able to go home in a much better state than I would have had I gone home the day before.

Finally got the big bad band last Thursday (April 15)!!  The surgery went well, the recovery was a little rough (a bad nurse can really screw things up!)  but now I am home and on my way!!

The pain is MUCH better.  Only one dose of pain killer today.  I think the area that hurts is the port.  The other incisions I don't even feel.  The port incision is huge compared to the gallbladder incisions.  Oh well, I was never a bikini person which is good since I look like a stabbing victim now!!

So far according to my home scale I have lost 6-8lbs.  I am excited to go to the doctor on the 27th and see what the scale there says!!  I'm on liquids until then AND.IT.SUCKS!!!  Today has been the worst so far.  I think the swelling in my stomach is subsiding and I am not feeling as full as I was at first.  Plus I am sick of all the SWEET drinks....Choc protein shake, Ispoure....sugar free popsicles.  Too much sweet!  I need salty and savory.  I've been doing chicken broth which helps.  Today I broke out the pizza sauce and had a few spoonfuls of that - YUM!!!

So I am just gonna take it one day at a time.  I'm looking forward to the "mushies" phase.  I'm gonna make a small batch of mashed potatoes...oh I can't wait.  They have lots of cheese in them so there's the protein!!  Plus I'm betting I only get about two bites of them in so where's the harm?

Off to finish my Grape Frost Isopure.  YUM!!  Hahaha!

The HIDA Scan was a bust.  Well, not really - my function percentage is 39% and normal is anything 35% and up.  However, being so close to 35% makes mine BORDERLINE. 

So I have had a CT Scan, Utrasound, MRCP (fancy MRI) and TONS of bloodwork - all normal.  Surgeon thinks it's Sphintcer of Oddi Disorder.  This is not a good thing because the test for it has to be done by a specialist and there isn't one in the great City of Hell Paso.  I suppose I could go to Juarez, everyone else seems to go there for medical stuff, but I think I'll pass.  I guess if it comes down to it I will end up in Dallas or Houston for this stupid test.  Oh - but here's the best part of this news - most docs that do the test won't do it unless the gallbladder has been removed first!!  I can't win!!

Next Tuesday I go in for an EGD.  I met with my Gastro doc today and went over everything - he says finish the tests and then as long as I know the risks he will talk to Dr. Johnson and he thinks he will remove the gallbladder.  He is not convinced that removing the stupid piece of shit will alleviate the symptoms and that there is still a chance that it is the stupid sphintcer.  Whatever.  I can't do anything until they take the damn thing out even if it ISN'T the gallbladder - so....

NA NA NA NAHHHH - NA NA NA NAHHHH - HEY HEY HEY - GOODBYE!!!

We shall see what Groundhog's Day brings....

Irony.  It's a weird word often confused with dewrinkling shirts.  But here I sit being the poster child for the word.

A little background - Dec. 9, 2009 (the hubs birthday) got a call from the surgery center scheduling my first appointment.  I was SOOOOO excited.  A week later there I was, filling out the patient history form.  All the standard stuff - some new questions focusing on gallbladder issues.  Completed the form and went on to the information seminar with the surgeons.  They give us a checklist and explain that a few things  will not apply to everyone.  Since I have not had any gallbladder issues (no ultrasound) and am not 40 (no mammogram) that means I am 2 steps closer to surgery in my eyes.  Several people in the seminar do have gallbladder concerns and the surgeon explains that they will probably need to have their gallbladders removed prior to their WLS.  Yeah!  I think - not me!!

I leave the 5 hour appointment floating!  In about a month I will be banded!!  I feel like I just found out I was pregnant for the first time!  Excited, scared, hopeful, special, proud, freaked - you know - every feeling you can have all at once.  I make a list of the things I need to do to prepare - quit smoking, quit soda (that's gonna suck worse than smoking!), overeat all the bad food I can before surgery, taste test protein drinks, yada yada yada.

Fast forward to Dec. 23.  Holiday craziness!  House is clean and ready for the inlaws to invade the next day.  Decide to order Pizza Hut for dinner.  This is one of my farewell foods.  So we all hunker down for an incredible fattening meal of Meat Lovers Pan pizza and Breadsticks - YUM!!  As I am enjoying this horrible grease fest I think to myself, I almopst wish I would get sick from this so I wouldn't crave it anymore.  Be careful what you wish for!

BAM!!  Out of nowhere I have the absolute WORST indigestion of my entire life!  Can't lay down - can't sit - can't stand - just feel like CRUD!  Pain, nausea, sweats, chills, horrendous gas for 10 hours!!  It was insane.  Finally I vomited at about 4 am, but it was just acid.  Made me feel a little better and finally able to sleep.

Christmas Eve - inlaws arrive and festivities begin.  Not feeling so hot from the night before and sore in the middle but figure that's from the vomiting.  Weird stabbing pain just under my ribs on the right side but chalk that up to gas.  Continues on Christmas Day and the 26th.  Christmas day I have white poo.  Never seen that before.  Time to hit the internet!  Feeling pretty crappy and tired and finally on the 27th decide to go to ER.

By this time, I'm pretty sure that I know the problem - gallbladder.  The draw blood, take urine, and hook me up to the machines.  Idiot doctor (we will call him Marble Mouth) comes in after a few hours and says I have a UTI and no gallbladder problems.  He says it would have shown up on my blood work.  He says my white cell count would be elevated.  Whatever.  Sends me home with 3 days of antibiotic and Nexium.  I'm not happy.

Dec 31 - finished with the antibiotic but still feeling crappy.  Go to urgent care and tell doc everything.  He says - it's gallbladder!  Duh!  So he orders an ultra sound and gives me some pain meds that don't work and tells me not fat or oils. There goes my farewell to food tour.  But at least he listens.  Unlike Marble Mouth.  

A few days later finally get in for the ultra sound.  The US Tech was incredible friendly and informative (not) and pushed around on me so hard I tought she was trying to kill me.  An hour later I'm done and head to the surgery center to fill out papers to get results sent to them since I have what is supposed to be my final appointment with the surgeon before band surgery the next day.

At this point I am unrealistically hoping that the Doc will take out the stupid gallbladder and do the band at the same time.  In my fairy land he will do this sooner than normal because the stupid gallbladder needs to come out ASAP.  This all works out beautifully in my head.  But no such luck.  Dr. Johnson won't do both at the same time  - so gallbladder out and then wait 6 weeks for band.   Even tho he hasn't got the ultra sound results back he is confident that the organ needs to come out and schedules surgery for Monday Jan 11.  I was so upset.  Defeated, sad, depressed, in pain, generally bummed.  At least he gave me Percocet.

So more running around to get the ultra sound results to Dr. Johnson.  Next day I get a call - guess what - no gallstones!  Now we need to do a HIDA scan on Monday instead of surgery.  Grrrr!

Reluctantly - I take the percocet.  It makes me loopy, helps the pain a little for a few hours but makes me constipated.  My hubby is the BEST and has been taking great care of me and the monsters. I have been keeping my fat intake down to 10 grams a day.  The pain is constant and SUCKS!  Cut way down on the soda and only have like 1-2 smokes a day.  I'm grumpy and well, GRUMPY! 

Tonight is the night before the Hida scan and the instructions say to eat a healthy but fatty dinner - Cracker Barrel here I come!  After eating almost nothing but cereal, grilled chicken salads and plain bagels I am so ready for some food with TASTE!!  I will probably be miserable tonight but gotta follow doctor's orders!    Have to get up at the crack of dawn and be at the hospital at 6:00am for blood draw and them my scan is at 8.  Good times.  Then I get to wait until Friday Jan 15 to see the surgeon - which stinks cuz school starts for me on Jan 20.  If I had been able to have surgery on Jan 11 then I would be been able to start school on time and not miss a bunch of class.  But NOW - I get to have 2 surgeries in one semester.  Oh well....I will get through it.  Last semester we had swine flu and some horrendous stomach virus.  Probably I missed as much class dealing with those as I will with the surgeries (fingers crossed).

There is my story so far.  Ironic isn't it.  No previous gallbladder probs - but then - due to the upcoming band surgery and my farewell tour I induce an extreme attack pushing my band surgery back at least 7 weeks.  The moral of this story is.....
PIZZA HUT IS THE DEVIL!!