1 Week

Its been one week since my surgery. I can't believe its been one week already. I think I'm doing really well. I feel good....still sore and tender on the left side of my abdomen, but other than that, no discomfort. It was another boring day at home. I went for a walk again with Mazzy, which was good for both of us. I have to start moving. I look forward to feeling better so I can really start exercising. Other than going for a walk I didn't do anything today. I drank my fluids and am keeping hydrated. I'm even getting in some protein through my nectar protein supplement. Hopefully today will be the last day of clear liquids. I have my post-op appointment tomorrow so hopefully they tell me I can advance my diet.

Surgery day (post-op)

I was wheeled away sometime after 1pm. The anesthesiologist and OR nurse were so nice. They talked to me the whole time, told me what was going to happen and kept me at ease. It was an odd experience...being on the other end of nursing care as a patient...but I was in a good place and trusted those people with my life (literally). The OR was chilly. I transferred to the narrow OR table and they covered me with warm blankets. They set me up appropriately, gave me some Versed and the last thing I remember was looking above at the over head lights.

I woke up sometime after 5pm. My throat was dry, I barely had a voice and my abdomen had been bashed in with a sledgehammer (or at least that's what it felt like). I didn't hesitate to ask for pain meds. I felt terrible...lots of pain...more than I ever anticipated. I was only in the PACU for about 45 minutes when they took me to my room on the 5th floor. I was very out of it, very tired form the anesthesia and very sore! I had a foley catheter and some oxygen through a nasal cannula. I had IV fluids running. After I got settled in my room Luis came back to see me and then a while later, my brother. I was so tired and in so much pain so they didn't visit for very long. Moving in bed was so difficult but I did try to move around and to move my legs as much as possible.

Even though I was so uncomfortable and in a lot of pain I never once second guessed my decision. I knew this was part of the journey and the pain would only be temporary. I got through that first night...it was a very long night.

Surgery Day (pre-op)

The day of surgery has arrived! I had to report to the surgical staging unit at 9:30am. A nurse took me back around 9:50, took my vital signs, asked me a bunch of admission questions and started an IV. A resident then came in and asked me several of the same questions. It was pretty much a morning of just waiting. My surgeon was behind so we were just sitting there waiting for a couple of hours. We talked and joked around, not really about the surgery, but about other things. I was nervous at this point and reflected a bit with my husband on why I was doing this again. All the reasons came back to me quickly with our brief conversation and I knew I was doing the right thing. I just wanted to get it over with!

A new day

Its the morning of my surgery. I actually slept through the night. I did wake up a few times and was dreaming but it wasn't from nerves. I must admit I'm a little nervous this morning. My husband woke up and got our daughter ready and took her to day care. I gave her big hugs and kisses and told her I'll see her tomorrow. She is definitely some of my inspiration. Mommy is getting healthy for herself but also for her. I want to be a good example to her. I know I could do that without the surgery but I want her to grow up with a healthy, fit mom who tries to live her life in a healthy manner. I want to pass that on to her so she doesn't have to grow up overweight like me.

Its time to shower and get myself ready. Its a new day!

Here I come!

Tomorrow is the big day! I can't believe its here! Time really does go by fast although you never realize it until time passes you by. I remember when I first started thinking about weight loss surgery...that was almost a year ago. Now...here I am, the night before my surgery trying to sort through all the thoughts that are in my head.

My husband and I ate a sushi dinner...nothing out of the ordinary or gluttonous, but something delicious and 'normal'. After that he took my before photos and my measurements. We're going to do that every month until I get to my goal weight. It will be interesting to see the progression and the changes in my body.

Right now I feel fine. I'm not nervous (at this particular moment), but I'm not that excited either. I'm sure I'll be feeling a mix of things tomorrow morning. I want to get it over with, that's for sure. Part of me is thinking "am I crazy for doing this"? My body will never be the same and I'll have to live with this decision for the rest of my life. I know that this surgery has the potential to change my life for the better but I also know that I am a big part of that change and I have to put the work into it. The time for change is now!

The brand new me...here I come!

Never say Never

2 more days to go...wow! I went out to dinner with my husband last night. I've been trying to avoid this whole 'Last Supper' thing but it hit me yesterday. I just wanted to eat a 'normal' meal. We found a steakhouse and ate there. I wasn't a total glutton...I mean I didn't eat any more than I normally would have. We had a chicken appetizer, a Cesar salad, and I had a small 7 oz steak with mashed potatoes and a shrimp and crab gratan. It was good. I left full, that's for sure. It was probably the last time I would ever eat that much in one sitting. I'll never eat a plate of food like that again! Its crazy to say something like that...never. I always used to say "Never say never" but in this case its true. In the future I won't have the multi-course dinner we all get at restaurants. I won't indulge in an appetizer, a salad, the main course and wash it down with a soda. I look forward to being satisfied from a few bites of a nice, moist steak and a few bites of a vegetable or salad. That will be my dinner experience from now on.

Test Day

Today I went to have all my pre-admission testing done. It was simple and fairly quick. I spoke with a nurse who drew my blood and did an EKG. Then I spoke with a nurse practitioner from the anesthesia group...and finally a chest x-ray was done all in one hours time. Everyone was so nice and wished me luck for my surgery on Wednesday. While taking my medical history (which is pretty much non-existant) the nurse practitioner kept commenting on how 'easy' I was. "This is so easy", she kept saying. I knew what she meant and it made me feel good to know how low-risk I am for surgery and anesthesia. Now all I have to do is wait for the phone call the evening before surgery telling me what time to report to the surgical waiting area.