Monique A.

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It has officially been 14 days since my RnY and I am back at work this morning for 8:30 am. I am not going to bother with applying for EI as I don't see Dr.A for my follow up appointment until Sept 30 (this Friday) and I cannot wait for another week without income. I have exhausted my vacation days for the year so there is no other option. Besides, I am starting to go squirley at home with nothing to do but make sock monkeys.
So, I arrived at work for 8:30am, assuming I would be on a modified schedule as everyone else who returns after a medical or stress or maternity leave are placed on a modified schedule. Nope. Only one in the office to have a full schedule of six appointments. Nice guys. Fortunately, I have some people who offer to take an appointment off my hands.
I am in pain and this was quite unexpected. I woke up to some serious back pain and abdominal pain. Feels like someone punched me on the insides. I struggle to get the water I need and don't have time to have breakfast or take pain medication until; 11:30am. I am feeling very uncomfortable but there is little other choice. I am glad to be back wtih my office buddies and friends.  Nice to have some human interaction as well. Just wished I could have paced myself a bit more. Unfortunately, I am fully scheduled for the rest of the week.  God, give me the strength.

Day 2.
Second day back was much easier than yesterday.  Although until yesterday i didn't do any pain meds, I did have to take something to make me basically functional. But I think it was that I waited too long to realize I was uncomfortable. Today, I left the house knowing I would be in pain so had some pain meds before I left and again half way through the day. I will probably take more before I leave for home tonight.

Before: Virtualmodel.com and after:

Here it is.......I am afraid.  I waited so long for this surgery and thought it would be the answer to all the ills that have plagued me all my life. Now that I feel hungry after a meal, it has me scared senseless. This is more of the same I have been living my whole life....dealing with chronic hunger and cravings. I am seriously committed to making this a success but I need more control. I think the biggest issue really is in my head and maybe I am still mourning the lost of my old friend, bad foods. I need to retrain my head to crave the healthy, wholesome foods, not only for me but for my family.
Now, for the dreams. The things I have always wanted to do but couldn't because of my struggle with obesity.  This is a bucket list of things I am hoping to accomplish:
1. Go SCUBA diving. As an insulin dependant diabetic, this is out of the question as no one will take me down. I love to snorkle but would dream to go down into the depths.
2. Wear a bathing suit without shame.
3. Run--marathon or a least a run...would like to run accross finish line.
4. Go splunking--currently do not have the strength to pull myself up and crawl through small crevices.
5. Sit in a room of women and not feel like the fattest and ugliest.
6. Have a cute (sober) guy try to pick me up.
7. Go out with my boys and not feel embarrased for them about how fat their mother is.  

I have been anxious to start exercising and the last two days have been gross outside with heavy rain. Today, after I picked up the kids after school, we went to the river trail for a hike. It was awesome at first to have the smells of the river and the forest while breathing in the fresh air. After about 30-45 minutes though, I was starting the think I may have pushed it a little too much. This is the first among daily activities that will have to be ongoing for the rest of my life. I checked out our local gym but the cost is prohibitive and even with passes, it still costs 5$/day. Do that 5 days/week and the cost is rediculous.  I think I will check out some treadmills on craigslist so that when the weather is impossible out, I can still get a walk in.
In regards to food, I am increased the protein. Wow, what a difference. I was eating mostly jello, cottage cheese, cream of wheat but finding myself quite hungry shortly after. I blended some soup yesterday and it was WAYYYY too much. It sat uncomfortably and sometimes painfully in my gut all night long. At least its reassuring that this surgery isn't broken like I was afraid it was. It is alive and apparently, working very well.

This is an account of the first ten days out of surgery:
 Day 1 (Monday)
This is hell day for me. I was in for surgery, nervous and alone. My children were at home (with my mom) on Norhtern Vancouver Island and I was in Victoria without anyone for support. I am scared about my decision to go through with this and not sure if I am doing the right thing. One thing will be for sure, life will NOT be the same. My starting weight is 228. After the surgery, I was in tremendous pain. I tried getting up around 9pm for a walk but the nurse sent to babysit me only wanted to bring me to the washroom and back to bed. I know how important it is to get the body moving in post recovery. I am also avoiding pain medication, a decision I came to regret later in the middle of the night. My tummy is so sore and swollen and sleep was not to be had. I am also in a post surgical ward with 12 other patients. During the later evening, my surgeon came in to see me. I asked him why the nurses in the recovery suite said my surgery was longer than expected because apparently, there was lots of scar tissue. He didn't really give me much a response--I never had previous surgery on the bowel. Seems bothersom to me. He also said he saw some fatty liver disease but with weight loss, that should be reversable.

Day 2 (Tuesday)
Ok, this isn't fun anymore. I am in incredible pain but started taking Dilotin last night which seriously takes the edge off. they brought me a tray of food.......what the bleep are they thinking?!?  And the nurse insists I eat some. I can barely suck on ice chips and I am suppose to have some food!?  The nurse keeps coming to remind me to eat so I eventually stirred the yogurt, opened the milk and left the chicken broth. Cannot tolerate the smells and I feel like I am going to throw up. The surgeon came to see me twice today. He says I should be good to go home tomorrow. I asked the nurse to call for a spot on the inner-island medical transport van for tomorrow as I was planning to leave for 11am. Its a five hour drive and that will get me home sometime before 5. I am waiting for a burp or a little gas to know that my new plumbing is working. I had a little burp today and that was it. Lots of hiccups though and that is killing the tummy.

Day 3 (Wednesday)
I am going home but it seems that my nurse may have other ideas. She knows that I have to be downstairs by 11am and the IV isn't out yet. At 10 am, she tells me she wants to start me on some IV medication before I go home. ARGHH....I won't make the van! I also felt really crappy so I had to ask around 8:30am for a shot for pain. That made a huge difference and they brought me ice packs for the pain in my tummy and back (probably from sitting so much!). I decided to get weighed before leaving the hospital and I weighed 220. The day of my surgery, I was 220. Before starting the bowel cleans, I was 228.  At 10:30, with the IV still attached, the van calls and say they are downstairs....I am freaking out. They say they will leave and the nurse says she will have me downstairs by 11 am as confirmed the day before. Thank you Linda (my nurse). So, out comes the IV, she sends me some ice packs for the road and some Tylenol 3 for the pain due to the long ride (wish I could get a shot). She rushes me downstairs in the wheelchair and the van was full. Everyone was kind enough to give me the front seat even the elderly (bless their hearts). I am on my way. Six hours later, I am the last one dropped off and in incredible pain. The pain meds wore off hours ago and it was a long, long, long, long ride. I can barely walk in the door and I am stumbling along the wall. I started crying when I saw my mom and kids from the awful ride (to think, I was going to drive myself home!). Kids and mom crush some pain killers for me and I rest.  I also had to bring a couple of crushed pain meds upstairs for the night. I was up every couple of hours. I can barely even drink a cup of water all day. This is going to be hell. Still no gas.....maybe, the new system won't fire up???

Day 4 (Thursday)
There is nothing in the house I can eat and I need to get some prescriptions filled. After dropping the kids off at school in the morning, I headed out to Superstore. I got in the store to find out I locked my keys and prescription in the car. After waiting almost two hours for lock rescue, I am in agony. I cannot take the pain meds until I get home so after picking a few this and that's, I go home. The rest of the day is a write off as I try to sleep off the pain. I have tolerated a small amount of sugar free jello and some juice. Not much that I can tolerate. I passed gas....and LOTS of it!  Maybe something is starting to fire up in there.

Day 5 (Friday)
Well, I am feeling 100% better than yesterday...that's for sure.  I got on the scale and weigh 216.  I have more of an appetite and I can tolerate yogurt, cream of wheat, some blended peaches. I have slowed down significantly on the pain killers. I do need them a couple of times a day but at least not every 3.5 hours.  Dropped the kids at school and picked them up. After, we all went to Walmart to pick up a few things. My mom used the power wheels and in all my pain, I walked. I know how important the walking is so I am doing as much as I can. Its tuckering me out though and I have to stop quite frequently.

Day 6 (Saturday)
Today, not much on the agenda. I took the kids out for some shopping so that I could get some walking in. We headed out to the consignment store for the kids to see what they had on sale. Carlton got a few things but that was about it. We also headed out to Canadian Tire to check out their sales. I am looking for a magic bullet knock off blender so I can leave one at work to make protein shakes. Pain is significantly less and headed over the London Drugs to get some Tylenol #1 to ease off the #3's. So far, no bowel movements but I am getting lots of gas.

Day 7 (Sunday)
OK, love mama dearest tons but time for her to get home. We had to pay twice the usual cost for flights as she needs to fly back to Edmonton but unfornately, there are no flights on sale. So, we booked her for tomorrow. Wow, after tomorrow, it will be just me and the boys. Scarry. Checked out the scale today at 213. Had a teenie tiny bowel movement (very small amount and soft)

Day 8 (Monday)
Mom leaves on the afternoon flight and I have to drive her to Comox (about 45 minutes). She is off and now my new life begins, alone.  I was going to take the boys to Costco for a hotdog for dinner, but they weren't feeling the greatest so we just headed home (after I  had my Tim Horton;s soup). Hardly need any pain meds anymore and sleeping through the night. Still no more bowel movements.

Day 9 (Tuesday)
I went to work. I am feeling great and ready to go back early. My boss wasn;t there to discuss my plans but I will connect with her. I have two weeks booked off but I don't think I will need that much time. I am feeling quite hungry and that is bugging the heck out of me. I checked out suggestions online to eat every 2.5 hours so that helps a bit but the idea of hunger scares me as I have lived that forever. Stuggling to get the water requirements in between meals. Went to a friends after dropping off the kids at Cadets and volunteering to be the parent secretary. My friend Natasha (who lives oceanfront) gave me a whole bunch of caffeine free teas to take home with me. Oh, and I had a couple of poops.....yeah......it's not broken!

Day 10 (Wednesday)
Woke up feeling seriously icky. Tummy hurt thorughout the night but not the pain, more like tummy ache. I can say in all certainty, that I am not ready to go back to work yet. Dropped the kids off at school and tried going to bed. I will be bringing them lunch so only got about an hour. I planned to get up early and pack them their lunch but the nausea was killing me so I went for 7-11. Started getting sick in 7-11 so had to rush home to use the washroom. Was late dropping off the lunch due to being stuck on the toilet. Evening is better and starting to get seriously hungry. Decided to have some blended, more hearty soup. Worked like a charm and I am stuffed. Maybe the RnY is working.

I had my surgery (RnY) Monday, September 12, 2011.  I am writing this post op a week out (Sunday).  I arrived at the Royal Jubilee Hospital for 6am check in and after getting my arm band and paperwork, I was ushered upstairs to the day surgery unit on the third floor.  The nurse who met me had me change into a gown and stored my clothes in the locker. I had decided to start a clear fluid diet on Sept 8 so that there would be less to purge on the night prior to my surgery. On Thursday morning, when I weighed myself, I was 228 pounds and taking tons of medication/insulin for Type II Diabetes, Hypertension, Diabetic Neuropathy, etc.  At 39 years old, I felt like time was running out if something drastic wasn't done (despite years and years of dieting).  When the nurse weighed me that Monday morning, I was 219 pounds....I had lost nine pounds in four days.  Wow.  My surgery was booked for 7:50am, the first of the morning. At around 7:20am, Dr. Amson, my surgeon, checked in with me. He started explaining the option of another surgery where the stomach would be left with a small pouch but the intestines would be reattached at a different point along the bowel. I felt panic he wanted to do this other surgery because I really didn't have the chance to look into and and/or make an informed decision. He agreed to go ahead and do the RnY as planned.
At around 7:40am, the porter wheeled me into a small holding area with several other surgical patients waiting.  I remembered telling the fellow beside me it were as if we were lambs lined up for the slaughter. Everyone started laughing...apparently, they were all thinking the same thing!  Within a few minutes, I was being wheeled down the hall to the OR and saw Dr. Amson along the way. He told me he would be there in a few minutes....no worries Doc, not like we can really start this without you!  In the OR, they transfered me to a small operating table with arms they attached to stretch me out. The Anesthesiologist started an IV and the nurses attached some devices to my legs that circulated air (to prevent post operative clots). The next thing I remembered, I was in the surgical recovery suite with nurses waking me up. I stayed there while they administered me insulin and constantly took my vitals.  My blood sugars just prior to the surgery were 6.3 and after surgery were over 14. Guess trauma does elevate the blood glucose levels. Finally, at around 5 pm, I was wheeled into the surgical short stay unit where they house 12 patients at a time.  I was told that was where I was going to stay until I was discharged. Reminded me a being wheeled into an ER unit.  For most of the rest of the day, I was OK but obviously in pain. It wasn't until later that night the pain started getting severe. I had tried to avoid taking any narcotics and only had Tylenol up to that point. The night nurse, Arminda, recommended I take some Dilotin to ease the pain and gave me a shot. That made a huge difference and I was even able to get a few hours sleep that night.