1 Week Post Op

Things are going great! I can honestly say I expected my recovery time to be much greater than it has been. My soreness is gone (besides the occasional incision "twinge") and I can move freely. I have to refrain from lifting greater than 30 pounds for a month but I've had no problem with that so far. I still struggle with getting my water in daily but it's getting somewhat easier. I'm eating mostly creamy soups or broths and that's about all. I was having yogurt daily but it seems to cause quite a bit of gas bubbles in my tummy so I may hold off on that for a while. I need to step up my exercise now that I'm basically recovered and hopefully my weight will continue to drop! I've now lost 26 pounds and feel wonderful! My energy level has finally picked back up and I long to be out of the house doing things. Anything. Any movement is better than no movement and it makes it that much sweeter when you enjoy yourself! Friday I can transition to soft proteins such as eggs, cooked cereal, soft meats, (about anything you can mush with your fork) and I'll be in that phase for 2 weeks. I can't believe my diet restrictions are almost over! It has flown by. So... that's about it so far. I'll post after Friday to let you know how my tummy is handling "food" again! Hope you hear from less of me then!

Surgery and Post-Op Experiences...

We'll start by going back a few days to my surgery day. We were up and at the hospital at 6am to check in and on the surgical floor at 6:15. Being the surgeons first patient of the day was great! They took me straight back, started my IV, spoke to the anesthesiologist, spoke with the surgeon, and was being wheeled into the O.R. at 7:29. My surgery was scheduled for 7:30. They were very prompt!When I arrived in the O.R. I "think" I changed tables (I had already been given the happy juice!), and the last thing I remember was the oxygen mask being placed over my nose/mouth and being told to have a nice nap! Pre-Op was very nice indeed!

Waking up, however, was a whole new experience! I remember waking up VERY nauseous and thinking I was going to vomit everywhere! I ask my nurse to get me an alcohol swab to smell (GREAT tip) and the sick feeling left very quickly. I don't remember anything else about recovery but apparently after being there for 1.5 hours I got taken to my room.

My hubby and parents had came to the hospital with me so they joined me in my room to keep me company. I, however, was crappy company as I slept ALL DAY! I don't remember much at all about Friday until that evening. I got a visit from a friend I hadn't seen in a while and it was great to see her again! I hope I'll be seeing/talking to you again soon J! I got up and walked a few times because I was terrified of getting a blood clot or pneumonia. If they tell me to do something related to my health chances are I'll do it! I didn't go through all this to die of a complication!

Pain: Pain wasn't all that bad. They keep you medicated in the hospital and besides the gas (which can get rough) I was virtually pain free. Yay!

Saturday morning I was taken down for a swallow study in radiology to make sure I had no leaks in my new sleeve. I drank 2 oz of fluid, had a few pics taken, and was declared leak free! My doctor came in soon after and said if I could eat some jello and broth and hold it down, I could go home! My "meal" came and I was able to eat a few bites of jello and 2 bites of broth until I was full. There was a Sprite on my tray which I know is a no-no so be very careful. Don't just eat/drink something because they give it to you. Do your research and KNOW what you can do. It's your body and your life!

I came home that afternoon feeling great. I took a dose of pain meds and woke up a few hours later. I thought I was chilling a little and took my temp. 99.3. we watched it closely and called the doctor when it reached 100.7 as this could be a sign of abscess or leak. Back to the hospital we went and check into the ER. They gave me fluids, meds for nauseous, checked my blood and did a X-Ray and CT to check for leaks. My temp had went down to 97.9 so again I was declared healthy and we crashed at the first hotel we saw. We live 1.5 hours away from the hospital and it was 4am. They gave us a 2pm check out so we slept til 1.

Since arriving home Sunday things have went very well. I still have soreness and get nauseous occasionally but I feel much better that I expected to. I'm still having a hard time getting 4 ounces of fluid per hour but I'm really trying. I'm now able to eat yogurt and creamy soups and am keeping them down OK. I still haven't been able to eat over 4 ounces at once so my sleeve is working nicely! My post-op visit with the doctor is this Thursday and I'll get his professional opinion but I think I'm doing great. I have 5 small incisions which are healing nicely. I'll end with the best part: I've now lost 18.5 pounds!! Can't wait to watch that number go higher and higher over the next months. I'll keep you posted!

3 Days & Counting.....

I figured by this time in my pre-op (liquid diet) phase I would be exhausted and sooo ready to eat. HOWEVER, it's just the opposite. I have more energy than normal and I'm really not hungry. Sure, it's not easy to watch someone beside you eating a slice of pizza or a big juicy hamburger without your mouth watering a little, but when I stop and think I'm NOT hungry. As of today I've lost 14 pounds so that keeps morale up and helps keep cheating non-existent! My energy level is also something that's amazed me. It is really up! Usually when I lay down with my little one for his nap I fall asleep, too. Lately, as soon as he's asleep, I jump up and get some work around the house done. Dishes, laundry, floors, even the closets have been cleaned out! I'm sure the vitamins are helping with that also. I got them from my surgeons office, which if I haven't told you is Foothills Weightloss Specialists in Maryville, TN. The vitamins are Vitox and they have been really easy to tolerate. Hmmm.. I guess that's all for now. I don't know if I'll get a chance to blog again before my surgery so if not you'll definitely hear from me in a few days after! Wish me luck!!