Hey Cindy, I read in another forum you have your date postponed because of WBC. I'm so sorry to hear it Any news on that front?

I was just wondering about her as well. Please keep us updated!

Sorry ladies for not responding sooner. it's been a crazy weekend here. My youngest daughter had her 16th birthday, and we had a party with a dozen kids, so getting ready for it was a bit of work. things are calm tonight though so I thought I'd report in.

Yes, my surgery is postponed. It will most likely happen on the 25th if my WBC is normal. There is a slim chance a spot will open up on the 18th so I'm hoping for that.

I was really bad this whole weekend. It started when they told me surgery is postponed. I took on a bad attitude and didn't care about the whole diet thing because I was hungry and grumpy. Let's just say that the weekend wasn't good for shrinking my liver.

I am taking a z-pack antibiotic and it will be finished on Tuesday. Bloodwork on Wednesday. I'm hoping it shows a normal WBC because if not, I have no idea how to get it down to a normal level. This surgeon is very firm in his decision to not do an elective surgery on someone with a high WBC.

I'm back on the pre-op diet as of this afternoon. I can do this for another couple of weeks if I have to. I'm glad I took a couple of days off because it helped my attitude. I was feeling weak and grumpy from not getting enough nutrition. But tonight I feel much better and not so frustrated with the delay in surgery. It kind of works out because my 21 year old daughter has an important doctor appointment tomorrow morning and she wants me to go with her. All things happen for a reason.

anyway, i hope all of you are well. I'm off to read some of the posts now.

Sorry it's been postponed, but it does sound like it worked out for the best. The 25th will be here before you know it! I'll keep you in my prayers that those numbers get down to where they need to be!! Take care!

Hang in there Cindy. Stay prayerful that the postponement was for a reason. Glad you're back on track!

We're praying for you!

Thanks ladies. I'm back on track with the diet. After hearing the success stories of those of you recently post op, I'm energized with a new resolve to do this. Today was a good day with my daughter. She is 21, and we still don't have any real answers, but the doctor took a few blood samples and thinks Angie may have Hoshimoto's disease. If not, then the next step is a rheumatologist to be tested for other auto-immune diseases. I sure hope we can figure this out soon. She is a vivacious over-achiever person who has always lived life to the fullest. The past few months have been very difficult for her with extreme fatigue, weakness, fuzzy head, aches and pains, etc. etc. She is in her senior year of college and this should be her last semester, but she may be dropping out this semester and trying to get her health back. Then she can go back at it full force with all the energy and enthusiasm she normally has. I sure hope we get an answer because it is very difficult to see her this way.

 

So, I'm glad I went with her today. Had some good one on one time, which was much needed.

 

On the way home, I stopped at Sam's Club and re-stocked my Premier Protein drinks. I spent $75, so I should have a good supply for a while. I tried a couple of other brands, but I haven't found one I like as well. In fact, I tried the unjury strawberry sorbet today. OMG, it was awful! I couldn't even drink it. On a good note though, I'm getting into the swing of taking the drink with me so that I don't eat out. I wasn't even tempted to buy a candy bar! Hey, now that's progress!

 

Everyone keep up the good work. I'm watching and learning from all of you!

Praying for your daughter's health. And bonding time is always great!

I can't wait until my daughter comes home from college. I sure do miss her. And she's the best nurse to take care of her mom! I gotta do this one on my own!

Sorry it's been postponed, but it does sound like it worked out for the best. The 25th will be here before you know it! I'll keep you in my prayers that those numbers get down to where they need to be!! Take care!

Thanks Manda. I'll take all the prayers I can get.

 

 

Praying for your daughter's health. And bonding time is always great!

 

I can't wait until my daughter comes home from college. I sure do miss her. And she's the best nurse to take care of her mom! I gotta do this one on my own!

Thanks for your prayers too. Yeah, college daughters are great. I have 4 girls and one son. My son doesn't spend much time with the family. I sure wish he would, but he is busy with his friends and work, doesn't yet see the need for family time. He and his twin sister are 23. She (Stephanie) comes home a couple of times a month, and she is a great help to me. She teaches 8-9th grade math, and it is so fun to hear her stories of what goes on with those kids. Angie (21) is in her senior year of college at Utah State University, where she is studying history and soil sciences. She is the one who is sick. She comes home frequently too, and I sure wish I could do something to help her health. Sarah is 20 is in her 2nd year of university studies at Brigham Young University, where she is studying landscape architecture. I always thought she would be the doctor of the family but she surprised us all and decided on a major where she can work outdoors. I love her excitement for the land and making it more beautiful. Sarah is 3 hours away, so she only comes home every couple of months, but she will be here this coming weekend. I'm excited for that, except she is bringing a couple of friends and I have to get the house ready. One is a guy friend and she wants things to be perfect. She tells me they are just friends, but I suspect otherwise. Anyway, I sure enjoy my adult children and how close we are. My baby daughter Jenna (16) isn't so much of a baby now. She and I used to be super close, but she has been going through a strange phase where she doesn't really like her mother. I'll be glad when that is over!

 

Anyway, I understand what you are saying about missing your daughter. I hope you see yours soon.

Surprise!!!! My surgery is Monday morning.

I had my blood retested on Thursday and got word Friday afternoon that I am good to go. Yay! So I have to be at the hospital Monday morning, will stay overnight, and then I'm ready to get on with all my goals of getting thin and starting to feel better. I have the pain pump surgery on March 7th, so that will give me 3 weeks in between to heal up.

 

I'm stoked about this! I honestly thought it wouldn't be until the 25th at the earliest.

We have a house full of people this weekend. All 5 of my children are home (doesn't happen often) and we have 3 extra friends of the college students, and my mother will be here tomorrow. We have a big family get together today with my husband's family that I had to bring food for. Oh was it hard to smell it cooking and not eat it. And it was hard to be at their house with all the food. But I did really well. I was proud of myself for drinking water, eating salad and only a couple ounces of meat with no sauces or bread. I did good! I've only had shakes for the past 3 days, so it was good to eat a bit of meat.

This weekend has been interesting because I've done a lot of cooking. Chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin bread, waffles, bacon, breadsticks, spaghetti, pulled pork sandwiches, potato salad, and then tomorrow is steaks and baked potatoes, homemade ice cream, and then Monday morning I need to make sure there is food for everyone here before I head off to the hospital. I've cooked all of the items I just listed and not tasted any of it. So I've been good. I am ready for this change in my life. Being able to get through this weekend without caving in tells me that I am ready, and that I can do it.

So, Monday morning is the next step, and I will be successful! I'll be here reading everything you guys are experiencing so that I can learn everything possible. I'm certainly not looking forward to stuck episodes, so I hope to avoid that by learning from you guys.

I hope all of you are doing well in your journeys.

Cindy

Yay! That's great news!! I just advanced to stage 3 foods today and had chicken salad today and refried beans. So far no stuck episodes. Don't stress over it, it's not as bad as you might think. You'll do fine! Good luck Monday

Congrats Cindy!! Good luck and keep us updated with how it goes!!

Well, I'm waiting and waiting and waiting. My surgeon had a couple of big cases this morning that took longer than expected, so my surgery keeps getting bumped back to a later time. Hopefully I go in about 20 minutes. Sure hope I've made the right decision because there is no turning back now! I'm not really nervous, feel calm about the surgery itself. Just a little apprehensive of adding the post op pain to my normal pain. I'll report in tomorrow. Using my husband's laptop right now and he will be taking it with him when he leaves the hospital in a few hours. Anyway, I hope all of you are doing well. Ladydreadhead, I think your day is tomorrow. Good luck. I don't have time to check for any others, but I do wish all of you good health and low pain. And lots of weight loss!

I'm finally home. I got home last Tuesday night. Surgery went well, but in the recovery room they couldn't get my post op pain under control, because i have built up a tolerance to pain medications. I guess the combo of tramadol, skelaxin, and neurontin hasn't been good for me. I've been taking this for about 6 years now. kklThey used a lot more anesthesia than normal. Post op it was very difficult to get me comfortable and they finally took me to my room. They ended up giving me a double dose of phenergan along with demerol, and I stopped breathing. They had to bring the crash cart in and the anesthesia got me breathing again. This just goes to show that every surgery has its risks. They gave me something that reverses all of the meds in your system while I was not breathing. It must have been 3-4 minutes. My husband was there and he said it all happened so fast, but was still like it was in slow motion. It freaked him out, as it should. I spend a very uncomfortable 24 hours after that. They wouldn't give me anything (not even my regular pain medications). I've had several surgeries through the years and I've never had a problem with controlling the pain, but this was bad for me. I don't think.

Finally about 4 in the morning they gave me lortab elixir, and I was able to calm down and it took the edge off. Then Tuesday morning they gave me back my regular meds and I was able to get on top of my other pain. But then the doctor insisted that I stay through teh day so that he could monitor my reaction to my normal medications along with the lortab elixir.

 

Good news though is that I have my new band, and that I'm happy to be alive. Clear liquids for me for the next few days, and then on to full liquids beginning day 8.

 

So super excited to get on with losing weight. I'm the same weight as I was day of surgery, which means that I did not fill up fluids. Yay, I'm going to lose 100 pounds! I can do it!!!!!

Oh my goodness Cindy...I'm so sorry to hear you had such a rough and scary start!! I'm soooo happy to hear you're ok now, and doing well!!

Thanks Manda. It was very scary. I'm just not meant to have surgery because I've had problems before. But it is great to be started now on this journey and I am enjoying sugar free jello and chicken broth.

I just read your other post and now I have a better understanding of why you are having such a tough time. You went through something so much more major than most of us with our standard outpatient surgery. I am not a doctor but perhaps the use of the other pain meds before your surgery has made it harder for the Lortab to work properly and your nerve endings might be hypersensitive to all pain. I hope your pain subsides and you are able to feel some comfort soon. Happy that you made it to the banded side, I just wish your recovery was easier.

Alita