6 Months Post-op

I've been meaning to update for a while.  Really, I have.  Life has just gotten in the way!  I'm doing pretty good.  Weight loss has slowed down to a crawl.  In fact, I've been hanging out at just a couple pounds above 200 for a month now.  So close to Onederland but not there yet.  I thought I was going to make it by the end of June, but I didn't.  Now, I'm hoping to make it before I go see my surgeon for my 6 month followup one week from today.  I just can't seem to lose anymore but I'm trying really hard.  I need to get out and walk more.  I was doing so well but then it got hot outside, near 100 temp with  114 heat index.  I wish we lived closer to the mall so I could just go walk in the air conditioning.  But, we don't, so I don't go often. 

I started this journey in a 28, sometimes size 30.  I'm now in a 16 and can wear some 14s depending on the cut and fabric.  I'm still feeling restriction.  I've discovered that I can eat about 3/4 cup of food but I usually stop at 1/2 cup because 3/4 makes me very full.  A typical day at 6 months post-op includes a protein shake for breakfast, lunchmeat and cheese or tuna for lunch and a grilled meat like chicken breast, steak or pork chop for dinner with some sauteed veggies.  I get about 800 calories a day, 70g of protein and less than 40g carbs.  I love my carbs, though, still do and sometimes they creep in and I get closer to 60g.  My weakness is potatoes.  I don't really do pasta anymore (though occasionally I'll have some Dreamfields.)  I've been guilty of having a few potato chips but not many.  One thing that kinda scares me is that I've discovered I'm able to tolerate bread again to a small extent.  I actually ate a hawaiian roll the other day.  Granted, they are small and I stopped there.  I've been able to eat a piece of toasted whole wheat bread for a while but the fresh bread thing is new.

Another thing I've noticed is that if I eat something other than a protein shake for breakfast, I'm more likely to graze for the rest of the day.  For instance, last week I had an egg in a basket for breakfast.  Then by the time lunch came around, I felt like I was starving but can't remember what I ate.  Later, I had a handful of almonds.  Then I ate dinner.  Later that night I had a small bowl of popcorn.  Compare that to yesterday.  I had a protein shake for breakfast, ham and cheese for lunch and a half of a small Wendy's chili for dinner.  That was it.  In fact, I almost feel like I could go back on the liquid protein diet (shake for breakfast, shake for lunch, lean protein and veggies for dinner) and be perfectly happy.  I know I'd eat less anyway and not miss it.

I started working again at the end of last month, but it didn't last long.  I was hired at a well known retail store for their bakery.  I have a lot of bakery experience so I was excited to start the job.  I loved the work, it was great.  But, let's backtrack.  I arrived to work early on my first day, water bottle in hand, ready to start the day.  When the manager showed up, she told me I was not allowed to have the water behind the counter.  She recommended I talk to personnel when they came in later that day, so I did.  Personnel told me that no, I can't have my water but I was welcome to leave the bakery to get a drink at the water fountain.  I offered a letter from my doctor but I was still not allowed my water.  So my problem was this - it gets busy and the water fountain is halfway across the store.  Not only that, but when I use the water fountain I am unable to track my fluids so I have no idea how much I'm getting in.  The first week about killed me.  I never had time to go to the fountain and I was so dehydrated.  By the time I got home from work after a 9 hour shift, there was just no way to catch up on my fluids.  I had to use my first break to drink my protein, my lunch to eat (can't drink after eating) and that left only my last break of the day to try to cram in as much fluid as I could at work.  When you only have a 6 oz stomach, that isn't easy.  I warned the manager and personnel that if I didn't have my fluids, I would end up in the hospital.  They didn't believe me and I really think they doubted that the majority of my stomach had been removed.  Anyway, come July 4th, guess where I was?  Yep, in the hospital hooked up to an IV getting fluids.  I had been so lightheaded and dizzy, had a headache, was weak and my blood pressure had skyrocketed.  I got 2 bags of fluids and went home that afternoon feeling so much better.  I called my work to tell them what happened and I still think they thought I was making things up.  I thought about it overnight and the next day I called to resign my position.  5 1/2 months post-op and that was the first complication I've had, first time I've needed fluids.  I didn't even get dehydrated when I had the flu 2 weeks post-op!  I figured it wasn't worth my health to continue that job.  So now I'm on the job hunt once again, looking for something that will accommodate my school schedule.

I guess that's it for updates for now.  I really need to update this blog more!

I Have the Flu

Sorry to anyone I've left hanging *cough* Free Julie *cough*.  Long story short- I started purees on Monday and by Tuesday evening I came down with the flu.  My whole family has had it and I thought I was lucky enough to avoid it, but Tuesday evening, it hit me like a ton of bricks.  Coughing, sneezing, stuffiness, headache, fever but most of all dizziness.  It's been awful. 

I had my two week post-op followup today.  My surgeon is concerned about the coughing causing stress to the staple line, so I went to my PCP to get it checked out.  She gave me an inhaler and robitussin with codeine.  Now if I can just get rid of the stuffiness.  It hurts a bit when I cough, so I'm hoping I'm not compromising anything.  I really can't stress just how awful I feel right now.  I haven't even eaten since Tuesday because of the flu, and am having a little trouble getting all of my fluids in.  But, I'm drinking Powerade Zero and Smart Water (recommended by my surgeon because of electrolytes.) 

Sorry that's it for an update right now.  Hopefully I'll be on the mend soon.

VSG Pre-op Survival Kit

Only four days until surgery!  We are getting down to the wire now.  For real.  Tomorrow will be my last day to eat real food.  That's not really accurate because I have not been eating a "normal" diet since October 29, 2010.  I've been on the liquid protein diet since then.  Two protein shakes a day, plus a lean protein and one cup of veggies for dinner.  Have I always stuck to that?  No.  The fact is, I still have all of my stomach so it's been hard.  But, regardless of my little flub ups, I've still managed to lose 28 lbs since starting the diet.  As I mentioned previously, my goal was 30 lbs before surgery and I'm still hoping to hit that mark.

So what am I going to do on my official last day of eating real food?  Well, first of all, I'm going to St. Louis.  I may have mentioned before that my husband had a traumatic accident last year and had very serious injuries.  He's still not completely healed and will have some degree of being disabled for the rest of his life.  I'm taking him to St. Louis tomorrow for a followup with his surgeon.  This poses a little challenge being on the liquid protein diet.  So, I'm going prepared. 

I have made a VSG pre-op survival pack for this little trip (it's a two hour drive one way.)  I am going to take two or three very large bottles of water.  Also, one scoop of Unjury Chicken Soup flavor protein powder, two individual baggies filled with enough instant decaf tea and splenda to mix with 24oz. of water, one Great Value sugar free cherry limeade drink mix, one muscle milk light protein bar, one package of Extra sugar free gum chocolate mint flavor and one package of sugar free lifesavers.  The olive oil isn't part of my survival pack... it's just on the counter because I like to cook with it.  A lot.  Hopefully we can just hit a drive through and my husband can get him a fast lunch and I'll get some water to mix my Unjury with (or have the protein bar.) 

When we get home tomorrow, my family is coming over for a large dinner.  I'm cooking a big pan of mostaccioli for everyone.  And, yes, I'm going to eat some.  I have not had pasta in forever!  So, I'm really going to enjoy it.  I'm also looking forward to it because my sister will be up from Tennessee.  I miss seeing her since she moved, and while I just saw her at Thanksgiving, it's just too long! 

When I get up Saturday morning, that will be it, no more food.  I'll be on clear liquids from then on out.  I also will have to do a bowel prep using Magnesium Citrate.  Not really looking forward to it, was hoping I wouldn't have to, but it is what it is.  I will not be able to have anything after midnight Sunday.  The hospital is supposed to call me tomorrow to tell me when to be at the hospital on Monday.  The day after surgery, I will have an Upper GI to check for leaks.  If no leaks are detected, I'll be able to start clear fluids once more.  If I do well, I may get to come home Wednesday evening. 

I had a mini freak out the other night after talking with another patient of my surgeon's.  She had a leak and it progressed into sepsis.  He was out of town for six weeks and was not there for her followup.  It went undiagnosed and was told it was probably gas.  She ended up in a bad situation and that really scared me.  I called my surgeon's office with my concerns.  The assured me that if I presented with pain and a fever, they would do an upper GI and CT scan to rule out a leak.  I feel a little better about my decision to go ahead with surgery.  I know what signs to look for with a leak and can be pretty persistent.  She said she felt if he was there for her followup, it could have been caught, along with having a drain placed after surgery. 

Up until that point, I wasn't nervous at all.  I've had several surgeries in the past few years and it just seems like no big deal.  Now, I'm a bit concerned about complications.  I'll do a lot of praying between now and then and am confident that all will be fine. 

I also did my pre-op registration at the hospital the other day.  It was very simple, just a bunch of questions.  They did a MRSA swab in my nostrils.  That was something new to me, I've never had that before.  They said if it came back positive, the surgeon will treat me for it.  I've never shown signs of MRSA so it's a little confusing.  I guess it's a new thing they are doing.  

Well, I guess that's it for now.  I'll hope to post at least one more update before surgery.  I plan on taking my laptop to the hospital so hopefully I can update there as well.