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gingergypsy

Gastric Sleeve Patients

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Blog Entries posted by gingergypsy

  1. VSG Post Surgery Day #4

    · gingergypsy · 02/05/18 12:13 AM

    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.

  2. Preop Liquid Diet Sucks

    · gingergypsy · 01/22/18 12:51 AM

    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???  :-)
  3. 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.

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