2 weeks out

I write this as I'm struggling a bit to keep my lunch down.  I don't know if I ate too fast or too much or a combination of the two.   I had 1 scrambled egg, 1 turkey sausage patty, and a sprinkle of cheese. I know this feeling will go away in a little while.  It's not easy getting used to my new tummy.

On the positive side, I'm down 14 pounds since surgery.  Week 1 was a 6 pound loss and week 2 was an 8 pound loss.  People are starting to notice the weight loss which is an awesome thing!!

A very bad day (or should I say 1/2 day)

Yesterday morning was rough...more rough than I could have imagined.  It was the worst battle of mental hunger I have ever had.  We were at a pot luck after church.  I brought my own meal, a Jimmy Dean light breakfast bowl with egg whites, turkey sausage, and potatoes.  So when everyone else started getting their food, hubby heated up my lunch for me.  People sat at the table with their plates full of goodness, and I was content with my meal....at first.  I wound up eating a bit too fast and my belly started to hurt, so I got up and walked around.  I wandered into the kitchen....not too smart.  So I wandered back into the hall, food everywhere.  Then the cake got sliced.  Well, that was really, really hard.  I'm a huge carb and sweets junkie, and this became more than I can bear.  It took everything in me not to scream loudly and run out of the room.  Instead I calmly found hubby and told him I was going to go sit upstairs in the office.  Which is exactly what I did.  Once I got up there, I was ok.  I had a magazine to read and just enjoyed the solitude.

Now I know this is mental hunger.  My little stomach was full, and I was not feeling any physical hunger.  I'm still doing my best to teach myself that food is fuel for our bodies, and nothing more.  So many events in our lives are centered around food, and we all see food as a pleasure and social event.  But if you were to get down to the bare bones, food is a necessary element to keep us alive.  To get to that point is a major shift in thinking that is not easy.

My hubby is awesome.  He totally understood what happened and was very supportive.  I was wanting a cup of coffee, so we stopped at dunkin donuts after we left church to get some coffee.  We talked in depth on the way home, and by the time we got home I was totally fine.  We were then able to get some weekly grocery shopping done, and the rest of the day was wonderful.  I don't know what I would do without him.

11 days 12 pounds

It's been 11 days since surgery, and I've lost 12 pounds in those 11 days.  I'm very happy with those results.  I know it will eventually slow down, but for now...it's great!!  I made my first shake with the PB2 powder.  It was chocolate banana peanut butter shake.  I added plain greek yogurt to it as well.  The peanut butter flavor came through, but not so much the banana and chocolate...so I'll have to tweak the recipe more.  I am going to enjoy experimenting with different flavor combinations on the protein shakes.  We were hoping to make ice cream today, but the bowl has to be in the freezer for 16 to 24 hours, so that won't happen today.  I should have read the directions yesterday!  Oh well.

I have to admit, I'm a bit tired today.  And a little bit sore.  But it's not too bad.  The house is quiet right now, and it's a nice kind of quiet, not the boring quiet I've been experiencing all week.  Hubby and his brother are picking up their dad, my sister-in-law is at the store, and all the kids went to the park (1 block from our house).  The kids are really enjoying having their cousins here.  It's nice to have a house full of people and all the activity, which I think is why it's a nice kind of quiet right now.  I just have to remember to sit and relax and heal.

Results of doc visit

Yesterday was my 1-week post-op doctor visit and nutritionist visit.  Everything went well.  I am cleared to eat soft foods, which is awesome!  The doctor said I am doing good.  I'll go back to work on the 29th, which is exactly 20 days after surgery.  Not bad, eh?  I am also back to driving, which is good.  I drove myself to the appointment and didn't have any problems.  While in the waiting room, I talked to a women who was in my nutrition classes, she was 2 weeks post-op and had a ton of complications.  But she was also back to work, which makes me wonder if doing too much, too soon has contributed to those complications.  Her hospital experience was very different from mine too.  It made me very grateful that I am doing as well as I am.

The doc did say 2 more weeks of no housework, so hubby will have to continue the great job he's been doing with doing the housework solo.  We are doing our best to get the kids to help out more, which isn't easy.  It is hard to see laundry and other stuff that needs to be done and not do it.

The ice-cream maker arrived yesterday.  I found some great protein ice cream recipes on Shelly's blog (www.theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com).  Hubby and I are both looking forward to making homemade ice cream.  We have relatives staying with us this weekend, and we are hoping to try it out then.

1 week post op

Walk and sip, walk and sip, walk and sip.  that needs to be my new theme.  I took 2 walks today, one for 7 minutes (0.20 miles) and one for 10 minutes (0.27 miles).  Tomorrow I'll be out for my doc appointment, but I hope to get one walk in for the morning and one for early evening.  I'm doing my best to remember to sip, but it's not easy.  I've been cross-stitching today, and I'm trying to remember to take a sip at the end of each row I stitch.  Even now I'm not done sipping, but I need to stop sipping for 1/2 hour so I can have my protein shake before bed.  Sipping and protein are the most important for me right now.

I'm looking forward to seeing the doc tomorrow.

Lots of Flowers

Flowers, flowers, and more flowers.  I LOVE flowers!!  A girl feels very special when she gets flowers.

I got flowers from hubby and my oldest daughter:

I got flowers from my best friend, boog:

Flowers from my mother-in-law and father-in-law:

Flowers from hubby's office:

And Flowers from my office:

Tomorrow is 1 week

Tomorrow is 1 week since surgery.  I'm down to 339 pounds and adjusting to the new way of eating.  Wednesday is my follow-up doc appointment, so I will have more info about the next stage in my diet and when I can go back to work.  I don't have the "I've been hit by a truck" feeling anymore, which is a good thing.  I'll be happy to move on to soft foods, although the puree that hubby has been making for me is awesome!!  For lunch I'm going to puree more of the white chicken chili he made last night.  It is really good!!!  I'm so lucky to have such a supportive husband.  He is just incredible.  I love him so much and I am so lucky to have him.

First full day home

Today was my first full day home.  I got home yesterday about 5:00 pm.  It is good to be home.  I was able to have my first protein shake and do my first bouts of sipping at home.  It was nice to sleep in my own bed.  It was a challenge though to figure out how to sleep.  I'm a stomach sleeper, and it's hard to sleep on your stomach when you have 5 incisions that are healing.  So I figured out how to kinda sleep on my side/back.

I woke up around 8:00...after the hubby and kids left for work/school.  It was weird to wake up to a quiet house, yet nice at the same time.  I was only up once (or was it twice) in the middle of the night to answer the call of mother nature.  I had my first meal of the day, a strawberry creme protein shake.  The premier protein shakes are pretty good, and they are 30g of protein per shake.  My goal is 80 - 120 grams of protein per day.  After the shake I need to wait 30 minutes before I start sipping on liquids.  The goal for liquids is 64 oz per day and that includes the shakes as well as any other liquids.  I had crystal light water until 30 minutes before lunch, then stopped before lunch.  Lunch was a chocolate protein shake.  Once I finished that, it was wait 30 minutes and then back to sipping.  Do you notice the pattern here?  Dinner tonight was yummy.  Hubby made me pureed chicken and mashed potatoes.  I had 1 ounce of each.  It was really tasty.  Then more sipping and I'll end the day with another shake.  So I will definitely get my protein in.

Pain hasn't been too bad today, but I am really taking it easy like I'm supposed to.  It's not easy for me to sit around and do nothing.  but hubby is making sure I take it easy.  He is a most fantastic man and I love him very, very much.  He is wonderful.  I cannot say enough good about him.

Surgery Complete!

Snoopygirl's surgery is over. It took exactly an hour from the first incision. The surgeon said she did extremely well and he is very pleased. Thank you for being here for Lisa on her journey. Stick with her. The best is yet to come!

Snoopygirl's husband

Surgery Day!!!

Today is surgery day!!!  My weight this morning is 341.  Here is a pic:

It's not the best, but it will do for now!

Hubby will post when I'm done!

Thanks for following my journey.  The surgery is the easy part...the hard part comes afterwards.

Less than 24 hours to go

I just got off the phone with the hospital.  I have to arrive at the hospital at 9:30am for an 11:00am surgery.  I am excited!!!

By this time tomorrow I should be in my room and sleeved!!!  yippie!!

2 days to go

I have 2 more days to go.  Prayers were said for me at church and the outpouring of love and support was amazing.  Hubby was pleasantly surprised at how many people offered to come stay with me after I got home from the hospital.  It was amazing.

The joint pain and fatigue are really kicking my ass.  I am so glad I only have 2 days to go and then at least I'll be on good pain meds.  It'll be interesting to find out from the surgeon how soon I can start taking my Crohn's meds again.

Over the weekend we bought my chewable vitamins for after surgery.  Tonight or tomorrow I make out the shopping list for hubby to have my puree-type stuff ready for when I get home.  Hubby and the 2 oldest just worked on getting the living room straightened up a bit, which is a really good thing.

Since I'm off work tomorrow, I don't have to worry about getting ready for the office.  I'll need to get the nail polish off my toes (no nail polish allowed because they check your nail beds for circulation during surgery).  I'll get my clothes ready for both before and after.  I'll hear from the hospital sometime tomorrow afternoon to find out what time I'm scheduled for and what time I'll need to be there.

4 more days

I have 4 more days to go.  Today was my last day at the office.  I decided to take Monday off as a personal day because the joint pain is really getting bad.  So I'll be able to relax on Monday and make sure to have everything ready.  My train buddies and coworkers wished me well, which was nice.

I got my lab results back today and I passed!!!  :-)  Actually, all my labs are normal, and the really good news is that I am not pregnant!  *whew*

Weight-wise, I've been holding steady at 345 this week, which is a good thing.

It's hard to believe it's getting so close.

6 more days

I have 6 more days to go until surgery.  I printed out the living will and POA information.  Now to fill it all out and get it all signed.  Doing this really makes you think about your mortality.  Now, I'm confident that everything is going to go just fine, but these things are necessary "just in case."  I am strong in my faith and that helps a lot.

I saw a post on obesityhelp.com regarding what to wear home from surgery.  It was something I really didn't think about, but I'm glad I saw it.  I think I'm going to go with a very loose-fitting shirt, baggy under-britches, and loose shorts.  This way there is nothing pressing on any incision spots.  Another recommendation was to bring a pillow to put between my belly and the seat belt.  I just might do that too.

The fatigue and joint pain are getting a bit worse.  I'll be so happy when I can take the Crohn's meds again.  Walking and typing are getting difficult...which really sucks.

Final Pre-op items

Today was my final pre-op class.  We talked about the 2 week diet that I am currently on.  Then we learned about surgery day and how that will go along with how our hospital stay will go.  I have a lot of information to digest.  I will be in the hospital for 2 or 3 nights.  While in the hospital I will be on a clear liquid diet.  I will be intubated during surgery and may or may not have a catheter.  There is also a chance I will have a drain tube afterwards (for only a little while).  Depending on how things go, I will either be taken to a regular hospital room or ICU.  The whole procedure will be 3 1/2 to 5 hours.  Once I'm home I will be on a puree diet and be doing my protein shakes and that will last until my follow up appointment the following week.  And it goes on from there.

My next stop today was for pre-op testing.  They did an EKG and labs and reviewed all my paperwork and meds.  I got a list of what meds to stop taking and when to stop taking them.  My BP was 110/57 and the EKG looked good.  I still need to do the Living will and POA paperwork, but that will be done by surgery day.  It helps to have a hubby that is a legal secretary.  :-)

The final stop of the day was to my chiropractor's office for a 1 hour massage.  It was awesome.

I am looking forward to this being done and one of those reasons is so I can start taking my Crohn's medications again.  I'm not having huge bowel symptoms, thank goodness, but the fatigue and the joint weakness and pain are starting up.  You know it's bad when you have problems carrying a bag with a small bag of bird seed and grit.

By this time next week, I'll be in my hospital room hooked up to IV's and a pain pump.  I can't believe there are only 7 days to go.

Family Support

Support of family and friends is a good thing.  This weekend we went camping, and although it was hard at times to figure out what I could have (still on the 2-week pre-op diet), I was successful in sticking to the diet.  It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be to turn down all the sweets and carbs.

Hubby and I spent some quality time together while the kids were off swimming, which was much needed.  I'm finding that the closer I get to surgery, the more I need reassurance that I am beautiful the way I am right now, and he is great at giving me that.  We also talked about how I'm going to be when I am "more beautiful" and all the wonderful things I'll be able to do that I can't do now.

And on an even more wonderful note, hubby joined Weight Watchers tonight.  He is going to do online and also attend meetings.  I'm really happy that he is going to work on getting himself healthy too.  And we're going to bring the kids right along with us.  It's a journey we will do together.

I can't believe surgery is only 8 days away.....