Rhonda S.

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Time has gone quickly.  No complications thus far - Thank God! - but I am getting really tired, really easily these days.  Its been hectic at work -  I work as an attorney with Legal Aid and I have been in court for one thing or another pretty much daily for the last few weeks. The Courthouse is a 2 hour round trip from my office.  I am finding myself exhausted at the end of the day.  I have some catch up paperwork I need to finish before a May 8 th audit - I get off at 4:30 but I usually will stay  longer - but I am too dang tired these days.  I go home, and have to lay down about an hour or more.  I don't know how people with young children do this... I have to go get some blood drawn and I want to call my nutritionist and see if I am doing everything right.  I generally get about 600 calories a day and I generally drink a protein shake for breakfast.  Last week I parked pretty far from the store I was going too and all of a sudden I got so weak and tired - I had to sit down and even after that I dragged myself to the car.  Needless to say, this is not wonderful for my less than enthusiastic walking program.  I feel too dang tired to exercise - now thats an excuse but at 6:00pm it feels like the real deal. 

I'm supposed to be transitioning to solid foods now.  Thats pretty hit and miss.  Last week I was worried I had a stricture I was throwing up so much - but this week is better.  Its hard to find hot, solid foods I can keep down.  Eggs make me sick about half the time so now I get nauseated thinking about eating them.  Chicken makes me sick most of the time - but I loved chicken so much pre-surgery that I can't quite get it into my head I can't really eat it for right now.  Tonight I tried some of that KFC grilled chicken - uh no go, threw that up.  Fish makes me sick.  Wendy's chili works.  I like being the cheap food date.  I used to eat out all the time and spend anywhere from $7 to $10 on a typical lunch.  Now, I buy the small Wendy's chili that cost $1.75 and that can last up to 3 meals!  I buy side orders of baked or mashed potatos when I'm out - too many carbs but I know I won't be staring in the toilet bowl after I finish it.    Its strange and a little irrational that I feel like I've overeaten if I get in over 700 calories in a day - at my size I could eat 1500 or 1600 calories a day  and still lose weight.

 People are noticing the weight loss after 75 pounds.  I get comments from people I see sometimes but don't really know - like folks who work at the courthouse, etc.  They rarely say you lost weight - most folks say "you look nice" and I know they are not talking about my hairstyle.  For the most part it pleases me.  Weightloss brings out my inner clothes horse so I am dressing up more so that may be part of what people are noticing. 

I am still having difficulty getting all the liquid in - but we've had a heatwave the last few days - into the 90's - and I was afraid of getting dehydrated so I've done a little better.   It occurs to me Crystal Lite is like Kool Aid for grown-ups.

I bought a pair of 22/24 pants.  I started this process with 28's getting tight.  I've got a ways to go but I feel good about my progress thus far.

I was told to come to the hospital 3/10/09 at 10:00am - I got there at nine thirty and was in prep-and -hold area by 11:00.  Unfortunately Dr.. Mehiahn had a surgery before mine that took a lot longer than they thought.  I went in at about 3:30 pm.  I recall moving over into the surgery gurney and being asked to lay my arms out.  I joked with the anesthesialogist as I lay there practically naked - "I feel a little vulnerable right now. ..I woke up in my room - I started to move and hot damn it hurt.  Then somebody wrapped the morphine pump around my right hand and it was my buddy for a little while. Problem was, that stuff made me way sleepy.  I slept pretty much the entire day of the 11th.  My friend Amelia came to see me at noon but I was really out of it.  I had on a hospital gown and socks.  I looked a hot mess - but I could care less in that moment.  Moving was painful...each day has gotten better.  Once I got off the morphine, consciousness come back.  I was able to stay awake all day today...sounds like - big whoop. but 2 days ago, I could barely keep my eyes open 2 minutes.  Most of my pain was not incisional, but gas induced I realized.  All I had to do was to experience it a few seconds and it would go away for the most part. I came "home" to our infirmary - sort of like a skilled nursing facility for our sisters -  where I will stay the next couple of weeks.  I will want to come home before they want me to - I know already but for now its all good.

Day before yesterday I finally received my pre-approval letter from the Insurance company.!  Surgery scheduled for next Tuesday, March 10, 2009 - 4 days from now. I have a slight head cold so I am working, praying it goes away before tuesday.  I have great hope that it shouldn't stop me from having the procedure on Tuesday because its strictly a sinus event.  No chest congestion..  Oh well, we'll see where its at on Monday.  I just want this done already.  The hard part is over - I got the approval - the rest is a short term timing question. 

February 11  2009

I was supposed to have a revision of my old stomach stapling procedure from 1987 last  week until less than 24 hours before the procedure I was informed the insurance company administratively denied my procedure.  I was really desvastated.  I'm not a crier but I cried that day.  The next day, I stayed home and cleaned house because if I can't control the insurance company well I sure as hell can control wihat this closet looks like.  So...I have a cleaner closet than I've had since I moved in my house nearly a year ago, and my office is neater than its been for awhile...

I read and re-read my insurance policy.  I read and re-read my insurance company's medical policy.  I lurk on the boards - "lurk" I hate that term it makes it sound like I'm doing someting illicit - I look at websites on obesity law.  My surgeon and I have both appealed this decision and am awaiting a decision by the 18th.  I am hoping for a positive decision before then.  I believe it should turn out okay  but this is a definite distraction for me  There are blessings here. Its forced me to look at how I jump from project to project and not concentrate on the now - my life doesn't start when I get the RNY.  Its going on now.  I'm keeping to my diet and I have lost about 35 pounds since the end of November. I am proud of me..