AgnuME

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I'm 8 months out now and have finally lost 100 pounds.  I always wondered what that day would be like.  I had no idea how I would react to it.  I'm excited, but I don't want to get too overwhelmed since Dr. M says I should lose another 40-50 pounds of fat.  I know I should lose the extra fat, but I wish it could happen without me getting any smaller.  This has been a wonderful jouney and life-saving opportunity for me.  I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

After having a debridement (hopefully that is the correct term), my Blake hole has now closed.  An update about my summer-I did a lot of walking for a week.  We visited battlefields in Northern VA and Tidewater VA.  We were out about 9 hours a day.  It was exhausting, but I loved being so mobile.  My highlight was going to Busch Gardens Williamsburg and riding all the roller coasters twice.  Also for the first time, I did not need any help getting in or out of the rides.  It was so surreal.  I also walked around the park three times.  Usually I walk around an amusement park once and I feel dead.  This was the first time I didn't dread  the walk back to the parking lot.

More surgery last Thursday, but at least it was done as out-patient.  My doctor found a stitch that did not dissolve and it was keeping my Blake drain incision open.  Hopefully, I will be healed up in a couple of weeks.  Have to do a wet dry pack to help me heal from the inside out.  We approximate 18 inches of gauze came out when my incision was cleaned the first time.  At least the pain is not as bad as it was the first time with the drain still in.  Don't get me wrong, the skin at the opening is tender, sore, and irritated, but it's getting better.

Even though I was 6 months on June 4, I did not have my check up until June 19.  During the last three months, I lost 24 pounds of fat and two pounds of muscle.  I have gone from a size 18/20 on top to a 14/16 and a 20 on the bottom to an 18.  I have been working out, but my caloric intake is too low.  Therefore my body is burning the muscle to keep functioning.  Since Friday I have increased the amount of food I eat and have dropped three pounds.  Go figure.  As for my blood work, all tests (and there were a lot) were in a normal range except my vitamin D.  So, on top of my multivitamin, calcium, and iron, I am now taking a vitamin D supplement.  Overall, I have been very pleased with my results and increased fitness level.  Now I just need to find a way for my Blake hole to close and stop draining.  I go back July 7 to get it checked out.  Hopefully by then I would have gained back some of the muscle I have lost.

Yesterday I had my 3 month follow up appointment.  I was looking forward to it because I am feeling good finally, but I was not looking forward to it because I thought my numbers were going to be bad.  The last two weeks of February were rough since I was sick with the flu, bronchitis, and diarrhea .  I was sleeping a lot and not eating or drinking regularly, and I couldn't exercise because I couldn't breathe.  At least by the beginning of March I was starting to feel better and got myself back on track.  I was told I had lost 10 pounds of fat and gained 1 pound of muscle and 2 pounds of water since February 18.  I was so relieved.  I had been feeling guilty about losing the weight because I thought I was losing muscle and water and not fat.  I felt like I couldn't celebrate because I thought I was doing badly.

I recently went shopping for some new clothes since my pants were no longer fitting.  I was surprised to find I could fit into 18/20.  When I started this process I was wearing 26/28.  People at work have told me they can see a difference and that I look taller and slimmer.  I think the taller part comes from wearing a bra that actually fits right.

I was told my goal for the next three months is to increase my exercise.  Currently I have only been to the gym twice a week because my stamina is so low.  On the days I have not been going to the gym, I have not been exercising.  My goal now is to at least walk or ride our exercise bike for 20 minutes on the days I do not go to the gym.  I was told if I do this and keep up my eating habits, I should be able to lose another 34 pounds by my 6 month appointment.  Hopefully, by the end of June I would have lost 100 pounds!  I'm so excited

I'm a little over 9 weeks out and feeling pretty good.  For me to say that, it means I feel no pain from surgical procedures.  However, I still have a hole where my Blake drain was.  Two weeks ago, my Blake incision reopened.  From what I understand, the scar tissue was weak and there was fluid that still needed to drain out.  It was treated with AgNO3 (silver nitrate) to help promote healing.  Let me just say, I understand the purpose of it, but a lit match on my skin would have burned less.  Well, the pain has subsided, but it is still draining quite a bit everyday.  I'm going to give it another week and see how it goes.  My main concern is that my husband and I have joined a gym and there are MRSA warnings everywhere to remind people to wash hands and sanitize equipment before and after using.  Since I still have an open wound, I know I need to be extra careful while there and after I come home.  It just seems each time I want to start moving and exercising more, another hurdle is put in my way. 

On the flip side, I'm trying to learn how to cook low fat, low carb, but high in taste.  Not easy.  Anytime I read food labels and the fat and/or carbs go into double digits, I freak.  I have to remind myself constantly that the carbs I currently get are mostly from low fat/ fat free dairy, fruits and vegetables since I am not allowed whole grains yet. 

Finally, I have lost 50 pounds over the past two months, but whether or not most of the weight loss has been from fat, I am not sure.  I'm afraid when I go back for my 3 month check up I'm going to be told I have lost more muscle and water instead of fat.

Sigh...

It took 6 weeks instead of four, but my G-tube was finally removed.  My numbers finally went in the right direction-fat down, muscle and water up.  I had read online and talked to people as much as I could about experiences with the G-tube removal process.  Basically, I had heard nothing positive about the experience.  It was all PAIN PAIN PAIN.  Burn like fire pain.  Well, after what I experienced with my Blake drain, I was trying to mentally prepare myself to go through it all over again.  I must be atypical, because I didn't think the removal of my G-tube was bad at all.  The nurse looked me in the eyes and told me what she was going to do, and it would burn like fire for a few minutes and then it would be over.  Just remember to breathe.  When I said I was ready, she took it out.  I was holding my Mother-in-Law's hand waiting for the pain to hit me.  It never did.  I was practically giddy.  The discomfort  (not pain) I felt was nothing more than I had already experienced.  So, my experience was Blake-BAD, G-Tube-Not so much.

On Christmas Day, I will be three weeks post op.  I scheduled my surgery for December 4 because it was the closest date I could get to my birthday (December 5).  It seems like just yesterday I made up my mind to pursue gastric bypass.

The hardest thing I had to deal with post op was my Blake drain.  The stitches were not giving at all as I was healing, and the tube was pressing on a nerve.  It gave me pain that I will not soon forget.  I have a pretty high tolerance for pain, but this was pushing me to my limits.  Thanks to Brett, he was able to adjust the stitches to give me some relief.   After the drain was removed, my pain finally eased up and I was able to stop taking the pain medicine.  I have been able to bend over, sleep in bed, put on my clothes and shoes, and walk for 30 minutes since that blasted thing was removed.  It's been amazing how different my third week has been compared to my second week.  My husband, extended family, and friends are amazed at how well I'm doing now verses when I first came home.  One interesting note about my pain medicine is that it supressed my allergy symptoms.  For two whole weeks, I never sneezed.  It was amazing.  As soon as I was off the pain medicine for 24 hours, I began sneezing again.  At least now, my stomach does not hurt when I sneeze and cough, but I still keep the pillow Dr. Mitchell gave me close by.

The main thing I am concerned with now is making sure my good carb and fluid consumption is high enough.  I was getting sufficient protein in each day during my first two weeks, but I was told at my check-up I need to get my fluids closer to 100 oz and I need to have fruits and veggies with my meals.  So far, this week I get about 96 oz from milk and water and I  have one fruit and one vegatable for each meal. love the fruit, but I am not enjoying eating cooked vegatables all the time.  I prefer most of my vegatables raw.  Hopefully, my stomach will have healed enough for me to start raw vegatables after my next check up.

The vitamins I'm taking are not bad.  They are the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning.  The only one I do not like is the iron pill.  It tastes like raw meat.  I am definitely going to have to start crushing that one up and putting in my food.

I guess there are two main discomforts I am feeling now.  One is a tear in my tissue under my G-tube cover.  Hopefully, it will heal up before it comes out next Friday.  It it does not, I believe I just might pass out from the pain of having it removed.  The other is not being able to sleep soundly.  Ever since the surgery, I have not slept more than two hours at a time.  I thought I would sleep more once I was able to get back in my bed, but I still have problems falling and staying asleep.  Part of the problem is not being able to stay in one position for very long.  For the first two weeks I was sleeping on my back in the hospital and in our recliner at home.  My tailbone and right hip are screaming to me-ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!GIVE ME A BREAK!  GET OFF ME!  YOU'RE STILL HEAVY!

I guess that's all for now.

In June 2008,  I finally decided to seriously investigate and pursue WLS.  I knew a little bit, but figured I needed to come up to speed very quickly.  I first began with my insurance company's website to see if they cover the surgery and what information they had there.  Thankfully, they do and I found one of their approved facilities is First Health.  So, by bouncing back and forth on the internet between the First Health website and the OH website, I pretty much decided I wanted Dr. Mitchell to do my surgery.  I read I had to attend an information session in order to begin the lengthy process.  I made it to one in Raleigh and met Brett and heard his 'tell it like it is' presentation and picked up an application packet.  By Thursday, I had all my paperwork filled out ready to discuss with my primary care physician.  He ordered and scheduled tests I needed so I could get them out of the way during the summer before I met with Dr. Mitchell.  When I finally met with Dr. Mitchell this week, he ran down the list of things I needed to do, and I could say done for all of them except the nutrition class.  I go to it next Tuesday, and we have put my surgery on the calender for December 4 (birthday present since my birthday is on the 5th.)  Here's keeping my fingers crossed for insurance approval :-)