jennb40
4-4-06 (24 pounds gone) The surgery was "textbook" as they say. Everything went fine according to my surgeon. I was in surgery for 2 hours, in recovery 2 hours and back to my room. The surgeon took out my gall bladder while he was doing the surgery as they discovered during the pre-op testing I had gallstones. I had surgery on Monday at 4:00 p.m. and came home Wednesday morning around 10:30 a.m. I followed all the doctor's orders and had very little pain, in fact never took pain medicine after I came home from the hospital. On Friday after surgery on Monday, I had pretty good gas pains and they seemed to settle in my back. So thanks to a wonderful hubby rubbing my back and the heating pad, I got through that day and have absolutely felt good since. I went back to work exactly 2 weeks after my surgery and was never really tired. I have lost 24 pounds since the surgery (in 19 days) and am really trying to stay off the scales everyday and setting my sights towards weighing only on Saturday. It is too frustrating to do it every day. One of the nicest things that has happened since surgery has to do with my previous "overactive bladder". I had been taking the "gotta go, gotta go" pills for a little over a year. Prior to taking the pills it seemed like I was constantly looking for a bathroom and running to get there and lucky to get there in time, however after I got the medication all was working great! So from the day of the surgery until now I have not taken the pills and even though I am drinking 60-80 ounzes of water a day, I can often go sometimes even 4 hours without having to find a bathroom. My PCP said perhaps the surgery caused my bladder to not be so restricted...but for whatever reason, I don't need the pills and the PCP said not to take them unless the problem returns. I know we are all thankful for the surgery for many reasons, but I am especially happy for this problem to seemingly be resolved.
Back to the surgery, I cannot sing the praises enough of the Weight Management Clinic at Saints Memorial Medical Hospital in Lowell, MA or Dr. Michael Jiser. Dr. Jiser is such a skilled, wonderful surgeon and I am so thankful for him for giving me this second chance. The Weight Management Clinic has the most fantastic staff and they are all wonderful.
I am still on pureed foods and everything has been great - no problems at all and I pray for this continued way my body is responding to this surgery and I so look forward to my journey and new life.
3-13-06 Well today my surgery is scheduled. I have been on this path since August 2005. I started out in Nashua, NH with Dr. David Drinkwater. I attended the 3 required support groups, I had the psych evaluation, lost the required 20 pounds and on Tuesday before they would have scheduled surgery on Thursday in October, the surgeon resigned and moved to another hospital in Massachusettes and was not going to continue WLS. So BOOM...the wind was out of my wings!
My surgeon did recommend 4 different surgeons and I chose Dr. Michael Jiser with the Weight Management Clinic at Saints Memorial Medical Center in Lowell, MA. This group of professionals are wonderful, so caring, concerned and make you feel like you are the only patient they have. They accepted the progress I had made with Dr. Drinkwater's program. I had all the required medical tests completed and had no problem with my insurance company and today is the date of my new birthday.
I look forward to becoming a smaller, healthier individual. Like most people here - I have been overweight my entire adult life, much of which I believe was caused by my compulsive, domineering mother. I came from the era "clean your plate if you want dessert" and due to her control issues was told "you will eat what I say when I say and that's that". So of course I cleaned my plate, got my dessert and when I left for college I used every quarter I could find to throw into the vending machines - and would say...."watch this Mother....cha-ching, cha-ching, candy, candy, calories, calories". Of course, was I hurting her? NO, just myself. Then a very unhappy marriage for 30 years and more weight. BUT the good news is I am happier than I have ever been in my life. Have been married for the last 6 years to the most wonderful man in the world, have 2 beautiful children from my first marriage and 3 great step-children. I have a 2 year old granddaughter from my son and a new baby boy expected in June from that same son and a new baby in September from my step-daughter. So all is wonderful and hopefully after today I will be on my way to a new, exciting life in a smaller body!
