shoshanaApr2013

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Here's a tool I found on the site that will help you estimate your expected post-surgery weight loss. It's only a guideline but so far its been spot on for me*.

Enter your weight, height, and use 65% as the "What percent of excess body weight do you expect to lose?", and it will give you an 18 month post-surgery weight loss chart including an updated BMI calculation.

http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/information/post+op+planner.php

*It probably doesn't give a week-by-week calculation for a reason... you can expect some "stall" weeks where you won't lose anything at all. Don't freak out -- it's just your body making adjustments. Stick to the plan and everything will even out eventually!

I read a post today about from a fellow OH'er who had to cut off her rings last night as she was having surgery today.

I went into the surgery registration still wearing one of my rings. It's a ring my mother gave me and I'm irrationally paranoid about taking it off (it's just a simple metal ring with no stones). I ended up taking it off but was told that they could tape over it for the surgery (they taped over an earring I have in my upper ear that's really difficult to remove and replace).

I'm sure they wouldn't want to be taping up a hand full of rings, and different hospitals probably have different and stricter policies, so here's a link to a trick used in ERs and by paramedics to get rings off swollen fingers without cutting or damaging the rings. I hope this saves someone a trip to the jewellers...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxoAbK5Pc6w.

P.S. You can buy the same sort of elastic in craft and sewing stores if you don't have an O2 mask floating around your house!!!

Please note: This website may turn the “=” and “D” of the link into a smiley face, so here's the link with spaces between them to avoid this from happening. Remove the spaces between the “v = D x” for the link to work:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v = D xoAbK5Pc6w

This post is a follow-up to “My Surgery Experience (including some helpful tips)” that I posted yesterday.

My surgery and hospital experience was much better than I ever expected.  My first evening home (Day 3) and Day 4 were the hardest.  I was really struggling both physically and emotionally.

My Mum and Dad had come to look after me (for which I am forever grateful), and my Mum had warned me that sooner or later I would probably have a big cry.  As usual, she was right!  Day 4 was it.

I deal with emergencies for a living so I’m very used to pushing through whatever needs to be done and then breaking down once the action is over.  I went into surgery with the attitude that I was going to be calm, maintain a sense of humour, and be a low maintenance patient – which really saw me through.  Once the dust settled it all hit me.

I had been sent home with a brochure on what and how much to eat during each phase.  I wasn’t coming anywhere close to meeting the guidelines and it freaked me out.  Everything I drank felt like a ball of cement going down and settling in my new stomach.  I tried drinking the fluids at different temperatures and with or without Crystal Light.  Nothing worked.  30ml of water felt like I had eaten a 20 pound turkey.  I had met my “surgery twin” in the hallways of the hospital as we were both doing our walking, and on Day 2 she was already on Full Fluids* and couldn’t wait to progress.  It felt like I was failing by not getting in enough nourishment or protein.

I called the Centre and asked them if this was normal and I got the same answer to every question: "everyone is different... come in if it doesn't feel normal". But how was I to know what "normal" was supposed to feel like?

I was extremely frustrated, exhausted, and worried that I had made a huge mistake.  I felt like I had painted myself into a corner I couldn’t get out of – it was too late to turn back.  I was questioning if I could really do it while knowing that I no longer had a choice in the matter.  I think a part of me was also mourning the loss of my former life.  The last thing I wanted to do was eat, but the thought of not being able to down a medium pizza, 10 wings, and a litre of diet coke depressed me to no end.  It was a rough couple of days.  To add to the depression I hadn’t lost a single ounce since my pre-surgery weigh-in (I weighed myself again on Day 7 and had mysteriously dropped 7 lbs almost overnight).

Worried and emotional, I turned to this forum.  I got the advice I needed to hear from veterans who had been in my shoes.  I needed to chill out and just let myself recover in my own time.  It helped relieve a lot of pressure I had been putting on myself.  On Day 6 I saw my family doctor and he said the same thing. 

Since then each day has been getting better and better.   I’ve been able to eat* and drink a little bit more each day, and my emotional state is much better.  I feel like I made the right decision in having the surgery… it was the one I needed to make in order to change my life and build a happier and (most importantly) healthier future.  It’s far from easy, but I know it will be worth it.

*Please note: I am through Humber.  The guidelines I was given when leaving the hospital indicated that I should move from Clear Fluids to Full Fluids as soon as Day 2.  Other Centres expect Clear Fluids only for the first 2 weeks.

I'm now 7 days post-surgery.  My highest weight was 321 lbs.  I lost 10 lbs pre-Opti.

My three weeks on Opti were pretty rough... I was nauseous for about 2 hours after each shake, couldn't trust my toots, and made many mad dashes for the wash room. I couldn't wait for my surgery date to arrive.

On the morning of my surgery I was weighed in and had lost 21 lbs on Opti, which was a great morale boost! I got registered, gowned and put on my little surgery booties. The staff labelled my things and put them in a locker. I waited in the Registration waiting room as other day surgery people filed in. I was the only bariatric patient there. About 30 minutes prior to surgery I was given a blood thinner and moments later all the pre-surgery people and their loved ones were herded down to the waiting room outside the surgery theatres. It was a tight squeeze because many people brought 2 people with them. I was solo.

My surgeon came to say hello prior to the surgery and I met again with the anaesthesiologist to review my file. The surgery room was much warmer than I had experienced in the past (usually they are like ice boxes), and the surgery table was more like a bed. An IV was started and an O2 mask put on. Before I knew it I was off to sleep and waking up in the recovery room.

I must have pinched a nerve in my neck while I was being intubated because it hurt like a bugger. I felt like I had been punched repeatedly in the stomach and my throat was sore (from the intubation), but a request for pain meds quickly solved that problem. Before long two porters came and wheeled me and my bed up to my room.

I had six incisions instead of five, which I'm told sometimes happens. One recommendation I'd make is to ask your RN for a pack a Steri-Strips to take home with you (they are skin closures that are put over your incisions), because I had to replace a few of mine when I got home.

I had coverage for a semi-private but they must have been full because I was put in a room with three other patients instead of just one. All my "room mates" were of very loud talking, large family origins. They were all really nice but it was a bit of a circus. I was really glad I had brought ear plugs. An eye mask also helped because the florescent lights in the room were pretty bright, especially when trying to catch a nap.

The two and a half days in the hospital flew by, and I learned the importance of bringing comfortable slip on shoes. Getting up and walking, even for short distances, felt great and helped relieve the gas. I set the alarms on my phone to chime every 15 minutes to remind me it was time to sip, sip, sip. I would recommend bringing a clock as it's not always possible to see the one in the room due to curtains being moved around -- and you definitely need to keep your eye on it to make sure you're getting the right amount of liquids in.

I was brought clear broth, tea, and jello for every meal, but was only able to get the broth down. I kept the jello in case I needed something to mix my meds with, but on day two was given apple sauce for the task. If you have additional meds you need to take don't be shy to ask the RN for apple sauce... it really helps.

A tip for the ladies... whether you're expecting your period or not, bring provisions! Mother nature arrive two weeks early. Maybe it was the stress, maybe it was the blood thinners, but the nurse told me it was quite common.

A suggestion for all... there are antiseptic wipes all over the place. As often as you can put on a pair of gloves (also all over the place) and wipe down your bed rails, the machines, your table, the bathroom door handle, anything you, another patient or a nurse touches. The last thing you want to walk out with is a cold, or worse.

On the first night a Respiratory Tech (RT) stopped by to get me hooked up to my CPAP. I was still on oxygen so he brought an adapter so I could run O2 through my machine.

On the morning of my release I had some more blood work done and was visited by the RT again, the Dr filling in for my surgeon (it was the weekend), and an Occupational Therapist who assessed my walking ability. Once the blood work was back I was given the green-light for release and ended up leaving around noon.

I was given a prescription for the Prevacid and blood thinners. They had to be filled at a local pharmacy because most pharmacies don't carry them. I would also recommend picking up liquid Tylenol at the same time.

I was also given paperwork from the Internist that listed what medications and vitamins I was to be taking (including the type and dosage of the liquid Tylenol). I also got the appointment dates and times for my one month and three month follow-ups. I was told to make an appointment with my GP for Day 6 post-surgery for blood work (they gave me a list of what needed to be tested). I was also told to call the surgeon's office to make an appointment for a post-op check-up one to two weeks out.

Getting home from the hospital was a bit bumpy (it's pothole season after all), but it was much more comfortable than I expected and the bumps actually helped move around the remaining gas! I was glad to be home in my own bed... sore but manageable.

The whole experience was a lot less scary and a lot less painful than I ever expected. Three cheers for pain meds and nice nurses!!!

That about covers my first 3 days with my new stomach. Stay tuned for Days 4 - 7! I hope it helps any pre-ops out there!!!