One Month Out

Today marks one month after my surgery.  Wow, can you believe it?  I hardly can.  It seems like yesterday.  Clichè, I know, but it does.  It's crazy!  The only things left to remind me, other than the lack of appetite (which I will get back to) are the 5 cute little scars on my abdomen, and of course,...

being 25 lbs slimmer!!!  Booyah!!!

I would LOVE to add pics every month for those of you reading and not seeing me everyday, but I STILL have not received my replacement phone to take them with, and my "day of surgery" pics are being held hostage by my deader that dead Blackberry, which by the way, died the week of surgery.  Prophetic???  I'll leave that to a different judge.  OH, and not to mention I have yet to replace my very expensive 5yr. old Kodak SLR camera that refuses to function anymore.  So WHEN I am able to show you my journey to getting my sexy back, I will...but it may take a while.

So anyhow, I have been asked to share with you some of the grueling facts of going through with Gastric Bypass by some of my friends who are considering it, so I shall.  Let's go week by week, shall we?


Surgery
Honestly, it was easy.  For as excited and nervous as I was, for all the horror stories I had heard, for the chances of something going wrong, for everything prior... it went super well and recovery has been really easy.

Advice - make sure you have your arm numbed before an IV placement, and have them place it on your inner wrist.  NO PAIN during or afterwards, and I didn't blow the IV.

I was told my surgery took 30 mins.(average is 45 mins to an hour) longer because I had a fatty liver, which was tested for Hepatitis, and came back negative.  GO me!  I do NOT remember being intubated or extubated, which I am soooo thankful for!!!  Just a dry throat was the result.  The hospital stay was great (subject to your hospital and nurses).  I was up and walking the afternoon of my sugery.  I did notice the amount of liquids they brought every time it was meal time, and I remember thinking to myself... This is so not gonna fill me up.  WRONG!!!  I could only get down a half a cup of broth and MAYBE some tea and that was it.  And the drugs... so thankful for the drugs and the PCA (Patient-Controlled Analgesic).  Oh my...

Only warning here: since I am allergic to morphine, I was given Dilaudid and Oxycodone (Oxicontin).  The "detox" after just a couple of days on Oxycodone is HORRIBLE!  The headache was immense and just the overall "ick" feeling was not good.  I can see why people get hooked on it for pain relief, because I felt NOTHING, but what a detox.  So be careful, friends!


Week 1
Ah, liquid Vicodin...let me count the ways that I love thee...  Amazing stuff, that is!  It helped wisk away the pain of the 1st week, and I only had to refill it once.

This week was nap week.  I slept a lot.  I also had NO appetite.  I had a regiment (and still do) of when to eat, drink my protein shakes, and when to exercise, and when I wasn't doing those, I was napping.

At my one week check up, I was down 14.2lbs, which I know was mostly water... but it was still a good loss!!!  I was (and still am) dizzy all the time, but Doc said that was normal and will be until I stabilize at a maintainable weight.

Only bad - a week of broth.  NOT exciting at all!


Week 2
The 2 hour post-op class was LONG, but very informative.  I think they would be better off giving this information during the 1st week or pre-surgery.

I was up and about at this time, not quiet yet back to my normal activity level, but the "need to nap" phase wore off with the end of taking the Vicodin.  Still dizzy though!

I still didn't have an appetite, and I am still on a daily eating schedule.

Only bad - a week of baby food.  Yeah... not sure which is worse.


Week 3
What can I tell ya... I felt GREAT, and my weight loss started to show thanks to the compliments of family and friends.  Although I will tell ya, if you're a well-endowed gal such as myself, say goodbye to the girls because they are the 1st to go!!!  It think at this point, I was at 17-20lbs lost.

I was back to taking the girls to school and taking them and their brother to and from their afternoon activities.  I was even out shopping on my own with the baby!  *delicate hand covering O-mouth*

Only bad - still dizzy


Week 4
As I said above, I am down 25lbs and feeling great.  I still do not have an appetite and I am still on a daily eating schedule.  If I didn't do that, I would not eat.  I am thirsty ALL the time, though.  ALL the time, which makes it hard to fit in eating because one post-op cannot drink during or for 30-60 mins. after eating, which SUCKS for me.

I have returned back to most everything.  I still can only get one walk to and from school in a day.  I tried to do it both in the morning and in the afternoon, and that was a big mistake.  I had to be picked up because I was just worn out.

I am not supposed to be picking up anything over 15lbs for 6 weeks post-op, but with a 17 mth. old...that is NOT possible, even though she is petite.  Not sooo dizzy, or not letting it phase me as much, but it is still there.

Only bad - the smell of food.  The worst thing for me, post surgery, has been the smells of food and people eating in front of me.  I have my meals separate still.  I love food, and I know now that besides emotional eating, I would eat when I was tempted by smell or people.  Hopefully soon, I will rejoin the real world, only with smaller, healthier choices.

******

So there you have it.  That has been my 1st month post-op.  If you have any questions or comments for me that you would like to be confidential, please use the email button to your right, and I will get back to you as soon as I can.  I know,... there is a huge stigma with this surgery... but believe you me, it is SO worth it.  Otherwise, please leave your love in the comments box below.

Thanks for all the love and support y'all have shown and sent my way.  Y'all are making this very easy and comfortable!  I have the greatest friends/family in the world!


Seriously!

TinaMarie