I love my dachshunds

It almost 5am and as usual, I cannot sleep because I slept too much during the day.
 
I'm happy to report that my surgery went fine. Each time I walk by the hospital chapel, I cry thanking God for this new opportunity.
 
I don't remember waking up from surgery, the dr explained they had to use a lot of anestecia because the fat from my belly was absorbing it fast. Whatever that means. All I know is that I was so high when I woke up in my room at night time. I barely could talk, move and was feeling no pain at all.
 
All night I was so thirsty, those hours were endless, but the next morning we had a leak test and finally I could have water. I felt discomfort with every sip, but nothing horrible. Whenever I'd go walk I'd get nauseous, but it has gotten better.
 
Today, hopefully, I can go to the hotel.
I don't like the teas or juices. I just loved the chicken broth I had today.
 
I'm a bit scare about the Fly back, it's 3 hours to get to Dallas and another 3 to get to Tampa.
 
But I already overcame the biggest fear, I can now do anything.
 
I'm happy! Thank you Jesus!
 
Thank you all who prayed for me!
 
 

My day has arrived everyone!! I have to be at hospital at 8:30am. Keep me and all the other sleepers going in today in your prayers.

My day has arrived everyone!! I have to be at hospital at 8:30am. Keep me and all the other sleepers going in today in your prayers.

My day has arrived everyone!! I have to be at hospital at 8:30am. Keep me and all the other sleepers going in today in your prayers.

So very excited and wanted to share my good news. Pre-Op appointment went great, passed the written test that my Dr. gives, lost the weight she required me to lose. Sooooooo, on December 12, 2012 at 12 noon I will be sleeved.

I finally have a CONFIRMED surgery date! I'm super excited about it! 12/18/12!
 
WOW can't believe it is 19 days away less then 3 weeks! I'm so ready to start on this next stage of my life I can't begin to express it in words. I'm over the food, I'm over the weight, I'm over ALL of it! I've been working with my network of supporters and I've already bought some of the protien drinks I'm gonna need and my sister made me some turkey broth from thanksgiving! OH and I bought gasx! lol hope it helps!! I'm just ready to get going on it.
 
Lots to do at work and home still so I'll be a busy girl for the next 3 weeks one week left before the 2 week liquid diet.. Hope I don't go NUTS with the food!!
 
 
What an amazing Christmas gift God is having Santa bring me this year!!
 

now it is more waiting time for this blood test to come back, but feel better that something is been done.
I am really hoping i don't have lupus, the google facts were not encouraging, but am not worrying.
I could be just one of those people who have slower clotting times than other people, and if so, it shouldn't have any bad side effects, i have lived 15 years after my gall bladder out, so just not worrying, it was too thin then and here i am now, still alive, lol.
My goal now is to not go mad over christmas, and still try to eat healthy like i need to for my health and to loose excess weight and maintain weight loss, after the op, and am more positive that i will get my sleeve done in the new year, a new start.
4th of Jan this year i had a chateract removed and that was a good start to the year, my eyesight is so much better, so a new stomach for jan 2013 will be great, heres hoping,

I have been on a weightloss journey for more then 3 years. For Two years I went to a weightloss specialist took metform, tried weightwatchers, Went on a medi diet of 500 calories even did a Betya shot 3 times a day (lost 2 pounds on that!) Felt discouraged...my husband cooked for me brought tiny lunches could never lose more then 20 pounds.
 
I moved back to Maui a year ago and kinda gave up was on and off on diffrent things but felt like I was doomed. I have PCOS I am not a big eatter but somehow my little 5'4 body reached 260 pounds. When I looked in the mirror I never saw myself anymore I felt buried. Who was this empty girl in the mirror?
 
I went to a weightloss seminar in Fla that was the first time I started to think about it. I found it the most depressing thing I had ever been too. I was sitting next to a man in a wheel chair around 600 pounds or so with an oxgen tank. He kept shoving food down his mouth the whole time. There were several others doing the same. Unfortanately I was so consumed and depressed by everything around me I ran out as soon as it ended. Thinking ahhh.....this is not for me. It stuck in my head why would someone eat at a weightloss seminair all the guestions were about food and stopping soda. Depressing. I did not hear any of the facts I missed that part left feeling defeated.
 
I have a good friend who is a huge sucuss with RYN but...I did not want that I decided to try to go to find out information again. I made two appointments one withh a general surgeon here and one with an expert who lives in San Fransico but has been coming to Maui for years. The first Dr. was very much anti sleeve but I liked the second doctor. After only one appoinment tons of reasearched I decided the sleeve was for me. I went to my first appointment in Sept and had the procedure done on Nov 15th.
 
My mom had already made plans to come I had some time off so decided why wait until next year? I decided to do it right away. Fear almost stopped me several times I was so emotional the weeks leading to the date. I mourned for food I felt like I was saying goodbye to an old friend. LOL
 
When I almost chickened out my husband asked me what is the problem I said I was afraid of change..He reminded me that age 23 I left the states and moved to Japan to Marry him. He told me change is my middle name and that I should say good bye to food and choose health it made me feel better.
 
I am 11 days Post op I just had to take the jump my journey is just begining, Hello Health and Julie I am going to find the NEW me soon!

Today is post op day 21. So I went back to work today, and I am beat. I guess I am kind of
shocked that I am so tired since my job is mainly sedentary. I did find having lunch was a
little awkward because I normally have a premier protein shake for lunch. I did manage to eat a couple bits of grilled chicken so for dinner I will have a shake. I am still having problems with getting 64oz of liquids down so if you have any suggestions please let me know. Surprisingly I had a couple of people notice that I have dropped 24 pounds. The recognition really made me feel good!
 
Keep up the Good fight!

its sooo nice to see you again! (NOT) So, I am about 10 days before surgery date and I cannot keep these crazy thoughts out of my head. I have been advised to stop all medication except for a multivitamin, and that includes stopping my anxiety medication. I feel like my anxiety and head is all over the place with crazy thoughts of the good and the bad 'could happens' of surgery...
 
Am I making the right decisions?
Am I loosing enough weight pre-op?
Will the surgeon say no if I do not loose enough weight? (No # was given)
What if there are complications?
Will I be able to take care of my son and house after surgery? (I will only have support for maybe a day or two)
What will life after surgery be like?
 
Just all of these thoughts swirling in my head...I am hoping that this is normal, and I am not the only one going through all of these thoughts.
 
I am going to call tomorrow to discuss being on my anxiety meds until surgery, and if not, other options...
 
-anxious mess!

I arrived in my hospital room sometime around 9pm after staying in the recovery room for what was about an hour but felt like minutes. Immediately there were several nurses around me setting things up and taking my vitals, putting an oxygen mask on me, and removing the IV that I'd had since the pre-op room. It wasnt uncomfortable, but I was glad to have it out of my arm.
 
My wife graciously decided to sleep on the "couch" in my hospital room and thank God she did becasue the nurses were giving me instructions whcih I doubt I would have remembered on my own. One of the nurses brought me some liquid medications, an antibiotic I think. Before I swallowed the liquid, I thought about what it was going to feel like going into my stomach. I took a very small sip and and could feel the liquid going down into my new, smaller stomach. I had the strangest sensation that there was an empty space on the left side of my abdomen. Very hard to describe, except for weird. Even though my Dr. had told me my stomach would hold about 4 ounces, I still had no idea what that capacity would feel like. I didn't really experience that until morning. The thing that I was most grateful for was that I had no nausea whatsoever. Apart from the groggy feeling from the anesthesia, I actually felt pretty good and what little pain I had was being controlled with pain medication.
 
My surgeon had informed me since the beginning that he would force me to be active right after the surgery so I knew he'd have me up and walking that same night. He did, and I took a couple laps around the halls of the hospital floor without too much effort. We didnt sleep more than a couple hours that night. Not because of pain or nausea, but because the Dr was a real stickler for the nurses to take vital signs and give medications every 2 hours. It seemed like someone was in and out of my room all night! Plus, while I was in the bed, they used the electric clot massager things on my legs which made it nearly impossible to sleep with. My wife and I didnt sleep much that first night in the hospital, but all in all it wasnt as bad as I was expecting. The following afternoon I would be allowed to go home to begin life with my new stomach.