gingergypsy

Surgery was harder than I expected. My IV was a problem, and due to this, I was not getting my pain meds correctly for the afternoon following surgery. My evening nurse figured it out at the start of of her shift when she did the once-over. The pain before that was significant, so much so that I just didn't interact with any of my visitors. I literally just laid in bed with my eyes closed and listened to everyone talk. Once everyone left, and the new nurse took over, she put in a new IV and that first dose of morphine made my eyes roll back in my head. I was allowed to have it about every hour, but only required morphine doses about every 3 hours. Had surgery Wednesday morning, was home by Friday evening. Today is Sunday, and I feel pretty good today. I didn't have a BM from Tuesday until today. That really sucked for sure. I don't like dealing with constipation, but it is a common side effect. I am having a hard time getting all my food in. I just am not hungry. I am enjoying the soups, though, really enjoying them and also the yogurt. I am getting my water in just fine, though. Time for dinner. I need to upload my before pics.

Ok. The preop liquid diet bloody sucks. My surgeon requires to just do up to 6 Ensure a day and you may have some broth, SF Jello, or SF popsicles. I am SO TIRED of sweet crap and it hasn't even been a week yet! I still have 10 more days of this, UGHHHHHHHH! I will of course continue to follow it because I have to, but I am hating every step of the way. I haven't been on a scale in a couple of days, so I don't know if I have lost anything, but will try to remember to do that tomorrow. My bestie visited today - she had VSG almost 1 year ago, and has lost 110 pounds. I wonder where I will be a year from now??? :-)

I have just discovered BariatricPal, and today I discovered the blog section. I have been planning to do a blog to document my surgical journey, just for my own records, and maybe to have a place where I can refer close friends and family who ask about my journey. My journey began in January 2017. I had a partial nephrectomy on January 23rd - due to kidney cancer. My cancer was discovered completely by accident in December 2016. A diagnosis like cancer - even one as easily dealt with as mine - makes you think about your life, your future, your past, and what you want to accomplish. I have been fighting to lose weight and get healthy since about 2000. In my 20s, I got very healthy - working out 5 days a week doing cardio and strength training. In 1996, mid 20s, I gave birth to my lovely daughter, Amelia. I gained a LOT of weight. I think I topped out at about 265 on the day of delivery. I lost the weight rather quickly after birth, getting back down to about 165 over about 10 months with diet and exercise. I held that weight for about 3-4 years. Then, in my 30s, I started to gain. I gained about 15 lbs a year and before I knew it, by 2004, I was around 250. So from the age of 34 til now - age 47, I have yo-yo'd up and down from my highest weight of 287 down to 225 - but have hovered the last 6 or 7 years at around 265-275, going up and down the same frickin 10 pounds over and over again, no matter what eating plan and exercise plan I tried - and I tried EVERYTHING! Most things several times. Then I found out I had cancer, and I am immensely lucky to have had it found early and have it completely removed, not requiring any chemo or radiation. It certainly was a wakeup call. So over the next few months, I researched WLS, and my best friend had her WLS on 2/14/17. Her journey has been phenomenal - and she has been an incredible resource. So I went to my first informational meeting in May 2017, and my official journey started then. I have now completed all the flaming hoop jumps for the surgeon's office and also my insurance company, and my surgery has been approved and scheduled for 1/31/18. I start my two-week liquid diet this coming Wednesday. I am sooooooo ready.

My preop packet was awaiting me at home when I got home. In short, yep, I need to do 6 Ensure or equivalent generic brand each day for my two-week diet. I can add flavorings to it and also have the things shown on the allowed beverage list like broth, Vitamin Water Zero, sugar free popsicles. Believe it or not, I am excited to do what I need to do to get prepped for my procedure!

I am scheduled for VSG on 1/31. My preop liquid diet starts next Wednesday. I am so excited but also so scared it is all a dream and I am going to wake up to find I wasn’t approved after all. This will be the longest 2-1/2 weeks of my life.

My doc office sent me a packet but I haven’t gotten it yet. I meet with them Tuesday, so I expect I will get more info at that time..... But in the meantime, would any of you share what things you can “drink” during the liquid diet? My nutritionist originally said “oh, 6 Ensure a day is enough to meet your daily needs.” I will do what I have to do, but 14 days of Ensure all day may make me go batty......

I am brand spankin new too. My surgery is Jan 31st, liquid diet starts next Wed.....