Jebellah

July 25. 2011 Wow! I have been remiss in keeping up with my blogging. I really wanted to journal my entire journey but... life intervenes. I suppose it is a testament to the sleeve that I often forget I have it. 4 months out my life is pretty normal. Not like it was before, but what I assume most people would consider normal, lol. I eat a lot less. I make better food choices, I go to the gym a few times a week. Sadly the weight has not come sloughing off as Id hoped it would. 50 pounds down I feel good and am grateful as ever, but I did think I would be father along at this point. I try to stay optimistic. My mother, who had a bypass about 10 years ago, is constantly remonstrating me for the amounts I eat (though normal stomach folks think Im sick or something, I eat so little). She lost 75 pounds in the first 3 months of her surgery and has very vocally espoused that I should have done the same. I keep asking my surgeon when I see him, he keeps telling me Im doing great and not to compare myself to others. I need to keep working on that though. I HAVE started losing my hair. I thought I was going to be one of the lucky ones because my weight loss has been comparatively slow but... Right at the 3 month mark it started falling out in clumps. It hasn't abated yet but I am taking better care of it now. Less brushing, more vitamins. Hopefully it will end soon. Ive heard the 3-6 month period is the worst for hair loss. All told Im happy and loving my sleeve most days... though I wouldn't mind the process working a little faster, I am still losing and cheerfully waving goodbye to each and every pound.

April 19, 2011 I am Officially 4 weeks post-op today (but not quite 1 month, weird how that works out sometimes...) I've got 2 more weeks of the mushy stage, I'm enjoying the food choices a lot more than during the liquid diet but Im not seeing the same dramatic weight loss. From my weigh-in last tuesday to today I have only lost 2 pounds. And the week before that it was only 3. I'm wondering if veeerrrrryyyy slooooowww weight loss is part of the infamous 3 week stall? Its a little disheartening to think I'm going to progress at such a slow rate from here on out. On to the good stuff: I feel almost no pain at this point, though soreness and fatigue have become close compatriots lately. I'm tracking my food and doing much better about getting my protein in. Atleast once a day someone comments on how good I'm looking lately I've had to get rid of a few items of clothing that have simply become 'tentlike'. I feel better/more confident about the future, my health, and what my life will look like. I've been walking but my Surgeon hasn't given me clearance for any more athletic exercise. Hopefully when I see him next week everything will look good and he will give me the go-ahead. That should kick-start things a bit! ~ Bellah

YES! Ive had a nagging cough since surgeruy myself. My Doctor said its very common for patients to pick up a respiratory infection during intubation and that it will pass in a few weeks or months. He didn't prescribe anything or tell me to anything special. Just wait it out... Bellah

I've been really good with my surgeon's reccommendations but I was dying for a diet coke last week, myself. I ended up buying one, taking 3 sips and throwing it out. I had heard your tastes change after surgery but I hadn't really experienced it until now... it just wasnt good. I'm glad I tried it because now I can stop thinking about it. Had I still enjoyed it though I had planned to only have half a cup or so and then throw the rest out. Avery occassional treat because I know the carbonation isn't good for me anymore. Bellah

April 5, 2011 Today is 2 weeks out, and Im feeling good. I'm completely off and pain meds and rarely have soreness around the incisions (except right after walking for 20+ mins). The most notable changes are in the inclusion of one egg per day to my continued clear liquid diet, (I never thought I would be so excited to eat half a scrambled egg!) and beginning my vitamin regiment. My surgeon has his own line of multi-vitamins and supplements designed for people who've had weight loss surgery so I ordered a bottle and picked up some sub-lingual b12 from GNC. So far so good. My stomach seems to be tolerating the changes well, and to this day I haven't had a moment's nausea. Since going back to work (yesterday) Ive started waking up in the middle of the night and having trouble getting back to sleep. Maybe I've just thrown off my internal time clock with all the vacation time? My hope is that it will sort itself out. I'm still pretty fatigued most of the time. Oh yeah, someone came up to me at work today and told me I looked like I lost a ton of weight. That was frickin awesome. The scale keeps moving down but I'm comfortably wearing the same clothes... Not sure where the weight is coming from. And to be honest, when I look in the mirror I don't see it (yet). Ah well, steady the course. www.wlsvitamins.com ~Bellah~

That's too funny! I've been having the SAME issue and asked my surgeon about it when I saw him a few days ago. I'm only 10 days post-op (was 8 at the time) but he said it wouldn't 'hurt' my sleeve at all and that I could sleep in any position I wanted to. That being said my incisions are still sore so my sister gave me her 'belly' pillow she used during her pregnancy and it kind of cradles you in a half stomach/half side sleeping position. Its been much more restful sleeping like that. - Bellah

Deli cut shaved turkey and cream cheese are on my mushy list as well!

March 29, 2011 Well, week 1 draws to a close and I'm blessed to be sitting here feeling 100x better than I did on day 1. Each day has been a little easier than the last. Each morning I wake up and can sip a little more water, drink a little more broth, and walk a little farther. The first walk in the hospital was from the bed to the doorway. The first walk at home was from the bed to the mailbox. Today I managed to walk 20 minutes on the trail by my house. I was sweating (from exertion not heat but there was just a warm, almost pleasant, soreness from my workout. I'm noticing when I get more protein in I have more energy and feel better in general. I have some pain and discomfort but a tylenol and a heating pad have knocked it right out. I keep flashing back to the moments before surgery when I was looking up at the lights above my gurney and wanting to run. I had no right to expect things to go so smoothly but am very grateful they have. Even the liquid diet is not so bad (well... All in all I'm glad I went through with it. I changed my life that day in ways I'm only beginning to guess. I feel so blessed to be exactly where I am right now. May the recovery continue to be this calm. PS - 10.4 lbs lost since surgery 16.5 lbs lost since pre-op diet started Bellah

That's awesome! Major Congratulations. Its the little things in life

My Surgeon did not opt for a drain. I did receive 3 injections in my stomach though which he said were because I wouldn't have a drain. -Bellah

March 22, 2011 Tuesday morning arrived like any other. After all the time I'd spent worrying, planning, and preparing, it came so fast I had hardly anytime to panic. Some... but not much. My appt was at 10:30, got there right on time, signed in at the front desk and settled in to wait. The waiting was excruciating, I thought I would faint as I sat there twirling my surgical bracelet. One cool thing that happened while I was waiting, I ran into a girl I met at the nurse's class. She is getting sleeved next week and was there for her pre-admission testing. She was super bubbly and positive and distracted me from my near-suffocating panic for a few minutes. lol. Finally someone came and got me, told me to leave my bag and family and come to the back. I went to a little room where a nurse was waiting. She asked me all the consent questions again, had me put on a hospital gown and tucked me into the bed. Over the next ten minutes two more nurses, the Anesthesiologist and eventually my Surgeon came in to check on me. He was short with me but full of confidence as always,and somewhat more sensitive than usual telling me to 'stop crying' when I teared up at leaving my mom. The good news was the IV had been started and and pretty soon I wasn't worried about a thing. They wheeled me down some halls and looking up at the lights passing I told the nurse I feared I was chickening out but she just laughed and slid me into the operating room. I remember one look at the surgical table, all the camera equipment, people milling around (does it really take a team of 10?) and then... nothing. Whether it was fear induced or just a strong dose of sedatives I don't know, but I was out in a flash. I woke up in the recovery room about 3 hours later. There was a brunette nurse talking to me, telling me to relax. I tried to tell her I had to pee and she kept trying to convince me I had a catheter in and could go anytime I felt like it. Despite trouble speaking I tried valiantly to argue against this scandalous lie because my Surgeon assured me I wouldn't have a catheter. When I calmed down a little, a nurse Anesth. came and checked my breathing. He was very sweet and called me beautiful. After the most harrowing day of my life, no make-up, sticky sweat and a bag of pee trailing around after me, I'm certain this was another scandalous falsehood but I took it with much less resistance. After some time (10 mins? who knows, its super fuzzy) I was rolled into my hospital room. My mother says I said something angry about the catheter to my two nurses but I don't recall this either lol. The next 24 hours were filled with intravenous pain meds, constant vital checks, and forced walks around the corridor. I remember going down for an x-ray and trying to tell the tech my stomach was only about 3 ounces and I COULD NOT swallow all the dye he wanted me to but he insisted and it came right back up. The one and only time I puked, I'm proud to say. Also, luckily, the x-ray came back clean, no leaks, no bleeding, no nada. On the 2nd afternoon I was discharged when my Surgeon saw that I had no fever, steady oxygen levels, could tolerate clear liquids and was managing my pain. I did regret going off the IV dialudid to the oral Roxicet (not nearly the same punch) but I was excited to get home. We waited about an hour and then a volunteer came and wheeled me out the front door. The ride home was brutal and I shambled/ran to bed. The most difficult day ever drew to a close and I gratefully succumbed to sleep.

Aw! I hear your pain! I'm on Day 5 myself and up until yesterday I was feeling close to the same. I was also terrified becuase I realized my pain med prescription would run out today AND my helper was leaving so I'd be on my own for my last week away from work. Then, a funny thing happened, I woke up... and it just didn't hurt as much. I can breathe and move a little easier. I can sip more and feel a million times less fatigued now that I've actually ingested some protein! I moved onto tylenol, and to my surprise, life seems to be going on. I'm not in as much pain even without the prescription meds. I don't know if it was just time or luck (and I certainly don't want to jinx things) but it seems to be getting easier. I hope the same thing happens for you (very very) soon. Best of luck, Bellah

After about 7 months of jumping through hoops and willing this day to come... It all seems so fast! I (cognitively) feel ready and prepared but my body betrays my nerves. I've got this wierd trembly lip thing, a headache, and a SEVERE case of the grouchies. Ah well, the bag is packed, the house is in order, I'm scrubbed and clean. I've done everything the surgeon asked me to along the way so I know it's all in God's hands now. I have to be at the hospital at 10:30, surgery at 12:30, a 30 hour stay... by this time 2 days from now I'll be home and well on my way to beginning the rest of my life. Wish me luck! Bellah

So whoever said the first 72 hours are the worst genuinely seemed to hit the nail on the head! I'm happily chugging into day 4 right now and am optimistic the worst is behind me. Some pain but not unbearable. Some nausea but I was told to expect it. All in all it was a safe, efficient surgery. I went home after a day and a half in the hospital, and things seem to be getting easier everyday. Sip, walk, rest, repeat! Thank you for all the kind words and prayers, I KNOW they helped. I will add a more detailed description of the surgery experience to my blog in a few days. Too tired right now. Baby steps, right?

I was in your shoes not so long ago! Jupiter Medical Center has a finance program called Access 1, which I used, and they were very reasonable. If you would like to learn more about it feel free to check my blog (more details) or PM me later. Good luck!

March 15, 2011 So I spent my ENTIRE day at the hospital getting all the last minute things crossed off my list. First I had a consult with my Surgeon. He was very nice and to my surprise I felt quite comfortable talking to him and asking my questions this time around. I was weighed, then brought to the exam room. He leafed through a binder on me and told me all my test results look normal. (EKG, Chest x-ray, endless bloodwork, etc) He very briefly described the surgery then had me lie down and lift my shirt so he could show me where the incision, camera, and stiches would go. I asked where the drain would be and he told me he doesn't insert one, and that its not medically neccessary! The man has an incredible reputation and I trust him completely but I was pretty surprised by this... every account I've ever heard involved a drain and a catheter. (Also not included in my surgery I was told!) The whole consult took about 20 minutes, with questions, and was pretty painless. I left feeling pretty good and went to another suite to wait for a nurses' educational seminar to begin. The Nurses' class was basically just reading aloud of the booklets we received on whats going to happen when we arrive at the hospital, what we should expect when we wake up, a detailed diet plan for the first 6 months... all that good stuff. They said they implemented the class becuase people were taking the book, not reading it, and then not following directions or calling the office a million times. They actually made me a little scared to call with questions because they said it drives them crazy and they are just going to tell us to open our book to page...whatever... to find the answer. All told, I chose this office becuase its such a great program, but the customer service has a lot of room for improvement... The best part about the class was that I met two other women who are getting ready to get sleeved in the next few weeks, as well. Im sold on attending the support group at the hospital, the gals made it sound REALLY helpful. After the class I had to scoot around to another building for my PAT - Pre-Admission Testing. A rep in the business office went over my paperwork, took my down payment, and filled out my financing application. She shared with me that her best friend (age 51) was a patient of my surgeon and got the sleeve 2 years ago and 'looks and feels like she's 16 again'. I took it as a good sign. Next I met a registration nurse who asked me a lot of questions about my medical history, went over my lab results again, drew blood for a type-cross-match (just in case I need an infusion) and had me sign some consent forms. It was a little creepy filling out advanced directives but I know its in the unlikely event I need it so... I put on my big girl pants and did it. She also shared that she was a former patient of my surgeon and had gotten the bypass 10 years ago. She showed me pictures of herself on her desk and I would NEVER have believed it was her! She also disproved my fear that people who've gone through WLS seem to age a lot in the face. She looked beautiful and I'd never have even known she had surgery. I guess I've just known a few who did... Anywho, after that came the meeting of the surgical nurses and Anesthesiologist, more questions, more reviewing of lab tests. Make sure ALL your lab work is done before your pre-op consult because they will want to review every little thing 2-3 times atleast. I guess its good to be thorough though! The Anesthesiologist was in disbelief that I've never had surgery before and even made me show her my tonsils to prove they hadn't been taken out when I was a kid. She seemed a little worried that I have no history to suggest I will or won't have a bad reaction to the anesthesia... but everyone has to have a first surgery right? Im a little worried about that myself. All the consent forms listing all the terrible-things-that-could-happen-if-something-goes-wrong are a little overwhelming. I was at the hospital , in all, about 6 hours but now everything is done and the I have my booklets to read, items to go shopping for, and a time and date to show up for surgery! 6 days and counting!

Thanks! Yes my mother will come with me and take me home from the hospital. I'm getting excited!

Just keep doing the things you're suppossed to do! The weight WILL come off. Prayers and Good WIshes for you! -bellah

My Mother went with the bypass some 6 years ago and has lost 80% of her excess weight and kept it off. She can eat most things (dairy gives her some trouble though) but has constant Vitamin deficiencies, migraines, and constipation issues. After doing my research and seeing what she went through, I decided on the sleeve for myself. However, its only fair to mention she says the bypass was the best thing she ever did and if given the choice today she would still go with the bypass. -bellah

February 18, 2011 Spoke with the PA again, got a reminder to get my 30 days labs done and reviewed the plan for March. I am so stoked I have finished almost all the pre-op requirements. One week before the surgery I will have my consult with the surgeon, class with a nurse, and pre hospital admission testing. At that point I also have to start the pre-op diet. Only 1 week, most people on here seem to have done atleast 2. I will start early I think (I am full of optimism today . I also had to confirm my time off request with my boss. As expected she asked a ton of questions which I was afraid to refuse because she might be spiteful and make life (even) more difficult as her employee. It was really uncomfortable and I had to sit through the "can't you just diet and exercise..?" speech YET again. Oh well, at the end of the talk I got the time off so I am choosing to be focused on that instead of the mortifying 30 minutes preceeding it Now I just have to finish my finanical maneuvering. As a self-pay I have to put down 30% (5300 big ones) at the time of the surgery but the hospital and doctors are the best so I feel confident the investment is worth it. The day is getting close. I can hardly believe it! 34 days to go...

Getting sleeved March 22, 2011! Best of luck everyone!

I'm 27. Will be getting sleeved on 3/22/11. So excited!

I am scheduled for March 22, 2011 in West Palm Beach, FL. I'm getting excited... and scared... and excited!