PrettyPixieGirl
It's been a year!! And WOW big changes.
Sep 30, 2010
I can not believe it has been a year! I have lost 80lbs. I am not at goal but I am happy and healthy. And the biggest surprise...I found out today I am pregnant!! The BIGGEST reason I got this surgery was to beable get healthy for a baby. I think I succeeded. My labs are all normal.
One just starting might ask what life is like at a year post op. Honestly.. It is like normal. But skinner. I can find things to buy at most stores. I've ended one serious relationship and started dating like a normal person. It was actually weird to me the attention I was getting. I picked a guy from the various suitors.. and got knocked up waaayy before we were planning to.. But we are both happy none the less. I don't stress about things. But I was always that way. Probly why I am not at goal but hey; I will happily take losing 80lbs and being happy and free over being a perfect weight and feeling stressed about every little thing I eat.
I have collar bones!! Holy cow! And I can feel bones and such. AWESOME! I can wear M scrubs pants. Normal clothing ranges from 12-14 (rarely 16) I own skinny jeans and look hot in them :-P (Oh crap.. guess that is gonna change in the up coming months...aw well.. baby is worth it) I am generally more active. Swim, walk, play..ect.
The sleeve rocked my socks and I would do it again in MX in a heartbeat!
2 comments
One just starting might ask what life is like at a year post op. Honestly.. It is like normal. But skinner. I can find things to buy at most stores. I've ended one serious relationship and started dating like a normal person. It was actually weird to me the attention I was getting. I picked a guy from the various suitors.. and got knocked up waaayy before we were planning to.. But we are both happy none the less. I don't stress about things. But I was always that way. Probly why I am not at goal but hey; I will happily take losing 80lbs and being happy and free over being a perfect weight and feeling stressed about every little thing I eat.
I have collar bones!! Holy cow! And I can feel bones and such. AWESOME! I can wear M scrubs pants. Normal clothing ranges from 12-14 (rarely 16) I own skinny jeans and look hot in them :-P (Oh crap.. guess that is gonna change in the up coming months...aw well.. baby is worth it) I am generally more active. Swim, walk, play..ect.
The sleeve rocked my socks and I would do it again in MX in a heartbeat!
Am I afraid to get to goal?
Jul 16, 2010
I have 15-25 lbs to go. My goal is somewhere vaguely 160-170. The closer I get the harder it seems to be. And I don't just mean losing the weight but not wanting to eat correctly. I am having a harder time saying No to the wrong things. We had an ice cream social at work last night. I had packed my lunch with all the correct SF snacks and calorie correct meals. But when I was offered that ice cream sandwich I didn't even think about it. I said yep thanks! Work's been hell. I deserve it. Besides I picked the one with the least calories.. only 300.. not so bad. And I ate it all. In the past I might have accepted a cookie but I would take one bite and have no farther interest in it.
Now I know one time is not going to kill me but it seems little things keep popping up. I almost refilled my bowl of ceral this morning for a 2nd serving. I could feel I was at the normal full feeling but not the stuffed. I could have crammed more in.. maybe another bite or two. I had to stop myself. I haven't had the problem of wanting to overstuff myself since the first month I was allowed real food. The thing I love about this surgery is I can feel what full feels like and learn to listen to that signal and STOP eating!!
Am I sliding backwards? And if so what is it that is making me do this? I had someone tell me once that I was afraid of too much attention(male attention and so on) so I hid myself behind the fat. The attention has picked up but it's not like I have guys lining up to get my number. I do feel pressure at work when someone asks me how much did you lose now. I keep feeling like there are people waiting in the shadows.. waiting to see me fail so they can point and say.. see another WLS that failed.
I don't know what 160-170 looks like on me. I don't know what I will feel like. Maybe I am afraid I wont be happy then either. So if I never get to goal I wont feel disappointment in myself? I feel so close yet so far away. I can't imagine myself at 160. I just can not picture it. I don't believe it can happen. And I don't know why I can't or wont let myself picture it.
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Now I know one time is not going to kill me but it seems little things keep popping up. I almost refilled my bowl of ceral this morning for a 2nd serving. I could feel I was at the normal full feeling but not the stuffed. I could have crammed more in.. maybe another bite or two. I had to stop myself. I haven't had the problem of wanting to overstuff myself since the first month I was allowed real food. The thing I love about this surgery is I can feel what full feels like and learn to listen to that signal and STOP eating!!
Am I sliding backwards? And if so what is it that is making me do this? I had someone tell me once that I was afraid of too much attention(male attention and so on) so I hid myself behind the fat. The attention has picked up but it's not like I have guys lining up to get my number. I do feel pressure at work when someone asks me how much did you lose now. I keep feeling like there are people waiting in the shadows.. waiting to see me fail so they can point and say.. see another WLS that failed.
I don't know what 160-170 looks like on me. I don't know what I will feel like. Maybe I am afraid I wont be happy then either. So if I never get to goal I wont feel disappointment in myself? I feel so close yet so far away. I can't imagine myself at 160. I just can not picture it. I don't believe it can happen. And I don't know why I can't or wont let myself picture it.
Size 14!!
Apr 06, 2010
Oh yeah! I fit into size 14 capri pants!! OOH yeah!! I bought them!! And I bought a pair of shorts. Not down to your knee's granny shorts, but real shorts.. that show off thighs and such. I posted the photos of my dressing room adventure. OOh and I must not forget the skinny jeans I got! I feel happy. I was literally dancing in the dressing room. I took so long in the dressing room I heard the attentant call security to check me out. LOL I sent photos of me in the 14's to everyone i could think of via txt. My best friend said Awesome.. and she is jealous of me! Her jealous of ME. She is the tall one. The one who has guys waiting in line for her to break up with her current guy so he gets a shot.
After this is all new ground for me. The lowest I recall is being a 13/14 in middle school. I wont know what to do with myself if i get into single digits!
1 comment
After this is all new ground for me. The lowest I recall is being a 13/14 in middle school. I wont know what to do with myself if i get into single digits!
6 months.. Dr wars.. and other rambling
Mar 30, 2010
So it's been 6 months. My last two months have been low for weight loss but I think my living conditions have a lot to do with that. No kitchen to cook with. No activities to do on my days off. Of course I find the gym here when I only had 3 weeks left in this town! La sigh. But since I found it I have lost 3 lbs.
I am excited about going back home during my break from jobs. I miss home something horrible. I am also excited about the new job I am working on getting. I am going to be a camp nurse for an overnight special needs kids camp! How neat will that be!! I also think that will help my weight loss sky rocket. I will be outside and moving around and at a sleep away camp! I always wanted to go to one as a kid!
Now about the crap going on the boards about Dr Almanza and Dr Betancourt. I went in Sept. I had no problems. I saw nothing wrong. It was MX not a spa in Hollywood. I don't know if anyone on the boards is telling the truth regarding issues or licenses. I don't care. I don't get paid to recruit or not recruit. So again. I had no problems. If you are pre-op and wanna know about Dr A then read my blogs. Otherwise I am over the whole issue and Don't wanna read/post anything else about it.
I am also annoyed with my body.. Hear me body! I am annoyed with you! I have seen others posting how they weight same/or more as me and yet are in smaller sizes. I hate this spare tire around my middle. I lose 2 inches from my hips.. 0.5 from my waist. I don't shop online cause I am confused on what size to order! If I look at the measurements page my measurements for bust/waist/hips fall in different sizes. With a big gap. WTH!! My collar bones stick out now and I can feel the bones when I touch my shoulder blades on my back. My thighs are nice. It is just the ring of blob on my mid-section. La sigh.
Eating feels normal. Life is normal. I am saving for PS. I am planning to go early Dec and take the holidays off to rest. That's the plan anyway.
1 comment
I am excited about going back home during my break from jobs. I miss home something horrible. I am also excited about the new job I am working on getting. I am going to be a camp nurse for an overnight special needs kids camp! How neat will that be!! I also think that will help my weight loss sky rocket. I will be outside and moving around and at a sleep away camp! I always wanted to go to one as a kid!
Now about the crap going on the boards about Dr Almanza and Dr Betancourt. I went in Sept. I had no problems. I saw nothing wrong. It was MX not a spa in Hollywood. I don't know if anyone on the boards is telling the truth regarding issues or licenses. I don't care. I don't get paid to recruit or not recruit. So again. I had no problems. If you are pre-op and wanna know about Dr A then read my blogs. Otherwise I am over the whole issue and Don't wanna read/post anything else about it.
I am also annoyed with my body.. Hear me body! I am annoyed with you! I have seen others posting how they weight same/or more as me and yet are in smaller sizes. I hate this spare tire around my middle. I lose 2 inches from my hips.. 0.5 from my waist. I don't shop online cause I am confused on what size to order! If I look at the measurements page my measurements for bust/waist/hips fall in different sizes. With a big gap. WTH!! My collar bones stick out now and I can feel the bones when I touch my shoulder blades on my back. My thighs are nice. It is just the ring of blob on my mid-section. La sigh.
Eating feels normal. Life is normal. I am saving for PS. I am planning to go early Dec and take the holidays off to rest. That's the plan anyway.
Looking back
Feb 17, 2010
I was looking through my best friend's facebook page and I came across the photos of us in NYC july 09. It was right before my surgery. Probly the best photographic proof of what I looked like before I made a life changing decision. I added some of those photos here. They made a HUGE impact on my mental body imagine.1) I never realized I was that big. And I can now see HUGE changes that I just can not see in the mirror. When I look in the mirror I can only see what still needs to be done, not where I have come from. 2) Though my weight stopped me from doing a lot of things, I still dressed with my cute and funky style. I still made the best I could with what I had.
If you are preop I strongly suggest not hiding from that camera. You need to see where you are and when post op where you have come from. It helps so much. My best friend and I plan on going back to NYC when I reach goal and I am going to reenact some of these photos. I think it would make a very interesting Before and After journey.
1 comment
If you are preop I strongly suggest not hiding from that camera. You need to see where you are and when post op where you have come from. It helps so much. My best friend and I plan on going back to NYC when I reach goal and I am going to reenact some of these photos. I think it would make a very interesting Before and After journey.
Onederland
Feb 13, 2010
So Feb has been the most frustrating month so far. We are half way through the month and I have only lost 2 lbs. I sat at 200.6 for a week. Had one teasing day of 200.2. Really? Really?!?! Today started much the same. 200.6.. I did everything after that.. Went to the bathroom, took a steaming hot shower.. I even shaved to get every freaking oz off of me! When I was done.. 199.6. Hell yeah! I am gonna take it. Now I just would like Feb to pick up abit. I am going to see my boyfriend Feb 24th and I had hoped to almost be in the 180's by this point. La sigh.
I will try to go forward with accepting happily what I have accomplished and forget where I had wanted to be. I have not been below 200 for over 10 years. I am starting to obsess over PS much like I did the months before I got my VSG. I want an Achorcut TT or LBL and BL/BA. I started debating MX or a Residency program here. Money is an issue. I will probly need to wait til taxes next year and work my arse off with OT. I am starting the PM's to members who have been there and have the wisdom I need. I started looking at all the B&A photos I can find. I drool and dream over how my hanging thick tummy cause become smooth. I am not looking for perfect or tiny. I just want normal. Don't we all?
2 comments
I will try to go forward with accepting happily what I have accomplished and forget where I had wanted to be. I have not been below 200 for over 10 years. I am starting to obsess over PS much like I did the months before I got my VSG. I want an Achorcut TT or LBL and BL/BA. I started debating MX or a Residency program here. Money is an issue. I will probly need to wait til taxes next year and work my arse off with OT. I am starting the PM's to members who have been there and have the wisdom I need. I started looking at all the B&A photos I can find. I drool and dream over how my hanging thick tummy cause become smooth. I am not looking for perfect or tiny. I just want normal. Don't we all?
Little things
Jan 22, 2010
So I wake up today and happen to look at my thighs and think... "Hmm.. I like how those thighs look!" They are slender but shapely. Most of my thighs are fairly firm and there isn't the horrible extra skin. There is just one area where I would like to see improvement and that is the very inner and very top of my thighs. But you know what! If someone is looking at that waaay up there they deserve what they see!
I also noticed that my tummy does not come out to the side past my hips like it use to. It is by no means perfect but I find inspiration and the meaning to why so many people begin to proclaim "I LOVE MY SLEEVE!" I finally notice changes that I couldn't see before. How odd that it took me until I was almost halfway to goal to notice the changes. Now today I might have just woken up happy but I think my mind is starting to catch up with the changes. Here's hoping my next big post will be in Onderland!
1 comment
I also noticed that my tummy does not come out to the side past my hips like it use to. It is by no means perfect but I find inspiration and the meaning to why so many people begin to proclaim "I LOVE MY SLEEVE!" I finally notice changes that I couldn't see before. How odd that it took me until I was almost halfway to goal to notice the changes. Now today I might have just woken up happy but I think my mind is starting to catch up with the changes. Here's hoping my next big post will be in Onderland!
Spandex is awesome!
Jan 15, 2010
Ok so I became frustrated with my jeans situation! I can slide my damn 20's off without buttoning and the ass is baggy and my thighs swim. So I drive the 2 hours it takes to get to Walmart from the indian reservation. Seriously. I had to drive to another state to get to walmart. Anyway I decide I am going to try on every style and brand of jeans this place has. Something has to fit right! The miley cyrus brand goes up to 17's. They are cute and stylish. I decide to try them on. Since I can get into a 16 if I want a 17 should be great. Well it was great .. for my ass and thighs. I found them again!!! But not for my belly. Another thing that frustrates the hell out of me. The last time I weighed this my body was less abused. I had a belly sure but it wasn't this hanging skin and rolls mess that I have now. It was higher and tighter. But with gaining and losing the same 30 lbs over and over again for years my tummy got loose. Got gross. So with the low rise jeans that the cyrus brand has I couldn't button it around my hanging belly. Blah! I move on to higher waist styles. Everything I try on gives me a roll of belly that hangs over the top of the pants. Looks HORRIBLE. I try on every single style of jeans out there. I find a few I like everywhere else but the roll. So I give up and hope to try again when I get into Onderland.
But wait!! what is this?! As I was looking for a new bra (just as frustrating) I see this modern corset type thing. Spandex. Now my mother would wear the bathing suit looking suck you in so bad you can't breathe type spandex. So this isn't the first time I have seen it. But I never find one I like that fits everywhere properly. Sounds like the theme of my life.. anyway. I don't get the full body ones cause they are too small in the chest and it looks like my boobs are trying to escape from all angles and the shorts one just push up the rolls so I have a second set of breasts. No thanks. But this one was different. It was like a tank top with the breasts cut out. You wear your own bra with it. And it flattens down to about your belly button. I go and try it on. OMG! AMAZING! My top belly roll is gone! Oh and it pushes your bra up nice and high. Hello breasts! I am so excited I don't even take it off as I rush out of the dressing room to find those pair of jeans that fit everything else just right. I grab them and with the spandex top on I put them on. PERFECT!! No fat roll over the top. And as a bonus nice an in your face breasts to greet the world. So I buy the jeans and the magic spandex. I can only wear it with my tight jeans though. If I wear it with my 20's they fall right off!
I am considering saying my goal to fit into regular sizes is met but I still come up with clothing I have to go into plus size for. I am now a large in scrub pants and shirt. The shirt has to be cut right otherwise it is too tight on the bottom and too loose on the top. So for now I will leave that goal as in progress. I am hoping to soundly meet the goal right about the time I get to Onderland. 8 lbs to go!!
0 comments
But wait!! what is this?! As I was looking for a new bra (just as frustrating) I see this modern corset type thing. Spandex. Now my mother would wear the bathing suit looking suck you in so bad you can't breathe type spandex. So this isn't the first time I have seen it. But I never find one I like that fits everywhere properly. Sounds like the theme of my life.. anyway. I don't get the full body ones cause they are too small in the chest and it looks like my boobs are trying to escape from all angles and the shorts one just push up the rolls so I have a second set of breasts. No thanks. But this one was different. It was like a tank top with the breasts cut out. You wear your own bra with it. And it flattens down to about your belly button. I go and try it on. OMG! AMAZING! My top belly roll is gone! Oh and it pushes your bra up nice and high. Hello breasts! I am so excited I don't even take it off as I rush out of the dressing room to find those pair of jeans that fit everything else just right. I grab them and with the spandex top on I put them on. PERFECT!! No fat roll over the top. And as a bonus nice an in your face breasts to greet the world. So I buy the jeans and the magic spandex. I can only wear it with my tight jeans though. If I wear it with my 20's they fall right off!
I am considering saying my goal to fit into regular sizes is met but I still come up with clothing I have to go into plus size for. I am now a large in scrub pants and shirt. The shirt has to be cut right otherwise it is too tight on the bottom and too loose on the top. So for now I will leave that goal as in progress. I am hoping to soundly meet the goal right about the time I get to Onderland. 8 lbs to go!!
Changes
Jan 05, 2010
Well on the 30th it was 3 months. I am happy to report 44 lbs gone. On anyone else I would say that is wonderful! On myself I seem to feel disappointment. I wanted to be at the 50lb mark by new years. I have to stop myself and remind myself that I don't even remember being this weight after HS. Some people lose weight like a slide, others like steps. I lose weight in steps. I will lose a lb a day for 3-4 days then nothing for a week. I also go up and down 2-3 lbs during my stalls. Thouh the scale disappoints me, I keep finding new NSV's. The biggest one to me was flying to MD to see my boyfriend. Every flight before this was torment. The flights are always full. I would be jam packed next to people i don't know and spend 3 hours holding tight to my arms so I don't touch them. The seatbelt was so tight i couldn't buckle it without sqeasing and twisting. Trying to suck in so that i didn't have to admit I needed an extender. I actually needed my best friend to buckle it for me on the way to mexico. I couldn't do it alone. So now fast foward to new years eve. First flight since coming home from surgery. Not only could I buckle the seatbelt no problem but I HAD TO TIGHTEN IT! Like 5-6 inches tightened! I could put my arms down and not be leaning on the person next to me!
I am trying to take this one day at a time and be thankful for the small goals I am reaching instead of moaning about how far the big ones are. I bought a scrub top that is a Large! Never in my adult life! Sizes are abit frustrating though. I can buy a large scrub top but I needed a 2x in a sports jersey. I have to try everything on to be sure. I can wear a size 18 jeans but the waist seems to be lower and pushes up against my pudge making unattractive rolls. I even fit in a 16. But again was unattractive. So I mostly wear my size 20 jeans that are slightly too big.
Things on the non-weightloss front are very busy for me. I took a travel nurse assignment in AZ. So I am packing up my things and driving to AZ where I will live for 13 weeks. I am hoping that i will be another 30 lbs less by the time I come back home to visit. From AZ I am gonna go to another state. Who knows where. This is the first time I am moving away from everything I know. I am scared but I need to mix things up and change my life. Well that's my update.
1 comment
I am trying to take this one day at a time and be thankful for the small goals I am reaching instead of moaning about how far the big ones are. I bought a scrub top that is a Large! Never in my adult life! Sizes are abit frustrating though. I can buy a large scrub top but I needed a 2x in a sports jersey. I have to try everything on to be sure. I can wear a size 18 jeans but the waist seems to be lower and pushes up against my pudge making unattractive rolls. I even fit in a 16. But again was unattractive. So I mostly wear my size 20 jeans that are slightly too big.
Things on the non-weightloss front are very busy for me. I took a travel nurse assignment in AZ. So I am packing up my things and driving to AZ where I will live for 13 weeks. I am hoping that i will be another 30 lbs less by the time I come back home to visit. From AZ I am gonna go to another state. Who knows where. This is the first time I am moving away from everything I know. I am scared but I need to mix things up and change my life. Well that's my update.
I am on the loser's bench!!
Sep 30, 2009
Hi guys. So due to bank error with my funding company they only posted half my payment for surgery. The Dr said to come on down like normal since I already flew out to San Diego. They picked me up around 6 and I was in Tijuana before 7am. Let me just say that the views are breathtaking. I live in flat ol florida so the mountains are beautiful. They took me to the recovery house to stay for the day while they work out the details with the bank. This house is better appointed than many hotels I have stayed at. There is no A/C but fans all around and the windows are open for the breeze. I was not uncomfortable once and I keep my house at 70 degrees. They had free wifi for me to use. A phone that was free to call whoever I like in the US or Canada for free whenever I wanted. They have a nice gentleman who is the house keeper/cook. It is like a party in this house. My room had two beds. One for me and one for my best friend. It has a walk in closet the size of most peoples bathrooms. It also had a tv with a few english speaking channels and a couch. Then there was the bathroom within the bedroom. The most beautiful and clean bathroom ever. I seriously want this bathroom.
So I was first bummed out when I was told no surgery on the 29th but maybe the 30th or the 1st. I seriously wanted to cry. But Dr. Bentacourt (not sure the spelling) came and met me at the recovery house and immedately cheered me up. He is one of the most amusing and happiest person I have ever met. He took me and my best friend (who flew out with me) to a real mexican breakfast with the staff. Let me tell you. These guys are the most boisous and comical people ever. They are always smiling!! They told me they would take care of me and take me sight seeing or shopping. Whatever I wanted. I was their guest. They truely did care and treated me like family. So by the end of the day i get the good news. I would have my surgery on the 30th. YAY!!
I can hardly sleep. Finally about 2am I force myself to sleep. I wake up at 7:30 and can smell the cooking down stairs. So not fair! I am NPO people!! But I guess I will have to get use to this. But I do excuse myself back to my room as they all eat. I don't need to torment myself more when I am so nervous I am shaking. By 9:30 in the morning I was at the medical center ready for my blood work. Now for those of you considering Dr. Almanza but don't know what to expect, I was completely at ease with the center. It is not a huge hospital like you get in the states. It is more a multimedical center. There are plastic surgains, peds, dental, OB/GYN. I had visited the center on the 29th and met some other patients that had the surgery a few days ahead of me. They all looked good with the exception of one poor fellow who was still in pain. I watched as they quickly got him pain meds. I asked tons of questions about what they were doing to me and everyone explained every question with patience. I wanted to know what IV solution, will i have a foley cath (thankfully not). How long will i have a drain. ( 3 days for those wondering) I got my ekg and asked the cardiologist tons of questions as well. The list goes on. Free feel to PM me if you have questions I didnt cover and I will fill you in. They drew my blood and put in the IV. I noticed that they do not use IV pumps like we do in the states. They use the good old drip method with gravity. Different but not life threatening. They gave me ceftriaxone which is an anibiotic also known as Rocephin. I got some meds to help settle my stomach. I assume it was Zantac since I was told Zofran was for after. I was set. I had met everyone and asked everyone everything I could think of. Time for the surgery!
I walk into the OR and lay down on the table. It was nice and couchy.. not like a metal table or anything. I got one good look around and saw everything all nice and sterile with the autoclave tape on it and everything. The anesthesiologist told me he just put in the medicine to make me relax and I was out not 30 seconds later. I woke up to the recovery room with my best friend talking to me totally confused. Apparently I was loopy for most of the day and kept waking up and asking her the same thing over and over. LOL. I was told my surgery was 1 hour and 30 mins, though I met a woman who was only on the table 35 mins. Go figure?
The worst pain I remember was my back. My stomach hurt as well but it felt like something was pressing from the inside out through my back. Apparently this was gas. My best friend being the doll she is rubbed my back and helped ease the pain some. I was nausous everytime I got up and they quickly gave me zofran. My savior! I had one really bad time after coming back from the bathroom where it was just too much. I dry heaved but thankfully only gas came out. It hurt though. More pain meds.. YAY. I must meantion here that Magda, my nurse ,was an angel. Any sign of whimper on my part she was ready for more pain meds. I must have called her 5-6 times for the bathroom. She was there within 5 mins to help everytime. I don't know how she did it. I saw her here 24/7. I am a nurse myself so I can appreacate to the max everything she has done for me. Just a warning on the drain you get. You will see lots of bloody water coming out. They emptied my drain twice that I can tell. They apparently fill you up with water as part of the leak test so you are mostly seeing that water coming out now. I was told there was two leak tests in surgery. Blueish water and air to look for bubbles. On the 3rd day I will have another leak test with more blueish water and contrast for the xray.
Now i wouldn't consider the pain a walk in the park but it is do-able. Most of the gas pain in my back is gone. My stomach feels like i have done a million situps. The most trouble I am having now is I want to sleep on my stomach but that just isnt happening. I can manage laying on my side if I have good pillow support behind my back to help keep me up. You never know how much you use those stomach muscles. Having slept through most of the day I am painfully wide awake at 3am. Oh well. This I can handle if it all means I will be healthier in the future.
I can't wait to get home and see how I am doing. I lost 8lbs pre-op on my 7 day liquid diet. I hope the IV fluids dont bloat me too much. I would love to be in Onederland by New Years eve. But any lbs lost I will take and happily.
6 comments
So I was first bummed out when I was told no surgery on the 29th but maybe the 30th or the 1st. I seriously wanted to cry. But Dr. Bentacourt (not sure the spelling) came and met me at the recovery house and immedately cheered me up. He is one of the most amusing and happiest person I have ever met. He took me and my best friend (who flew out with me) to a real mexican breakfast with the staff. Let me tell you. These guys are the most boisous and comical people ever. They are always smiling!! They told me they would take care of me and take me sight seeing or shopping. Whatever I wanted. I was their guest. They truely did care and treated me like family. So by the end of the day i get the good news. I would have my surgery on the 30th. YAY!!
I can hardly sleep. Finally about 2am I force myself to sleep. I wake up at 7:30 and can smell the cooking down stairs. So not fair! I am NPO people!! But I guess I will have to get use to this. But I do excuse myself back to my room as they all eat. I don't need to torment myself more when I am so nervous I am shaking. By 9:30 in the morning I was at the medical center ready for my blood work. Now for those of you considering Dr. Almanza but don't know what to expect, I was completely at ease with the center. It is not a huge hospital like you get in the states. It is more a multimedical center. There are plastic surgains, peds, dental, OB/GYN. I had visited the center on the 29th and met some other patients that had the surgery a few days ahead of me. They all looked good with the exception of one poor fellow who was still in pain. I watched as they quickly got him pain meds. I asked tons of questions about what they were doing to me and everyone explained every question with patience. I wanted to know what IV solution, will i have a foley cath (thankfully not). How long will i have a drain. ( 3 days for those wondering) I got my ekg and asked the cardiologist tons of questions as well. The list goes on. Free feel to PM me if you have questions I didnt cover and I will fill you in. They drew my blood and put in the IV. I noticed that they do not use IV pumps like we do in the states. They use the good old drip method with gravity. Different but not life threatening. They gave me ceftriaxone which is an anibiotic also known as Rocephin. I got some meds to help settle my stomach. I assume it was Zantac since I was told Zofran was for after. I was set. I had met everyone and asked everyone everything I could think of. Time for the surgery!
I walk into the OR and lay down on the table. It was nice and couchy.. not like a metal table or anything. I got one good look around and saw everything all nice and sterile with the autoclave tape on it and everything. The anesthesiologist told me he just put in the medicine to make me relax and I was out not 30 seconds later. I woke up to the recovery room with my best friend talking to me totally confused. Apparently I was loopy for most of the day and kept waking up and asking her the same thing over and over. LOL. I was told my surgery was 1 hour and 30 mins, though I met a woman who was only on the table 35 mins. Go figure?
The worst pain I remember was my back. My stomach hurt as well but it felt like something was pressing from the inside out through my back. Apparently this was gas. My best friend being the doll she is rubbed my back and helped ease the pain some. I was nausous everytime I got up and they quickly gave me zofran. My savior! I had one really bad time after coming back from the bathroom where it was just too much. I dry heaved but thankfully only gas came out. It hurt though. More pain meds.. YAY. I must meantion here that Magda, my nurse ,was an angel. Any sign of whimper on my part she was ready for more pain meds. I must have called her 5-6 times for the bathroom. She was there within 5 mins to help everytime. I don't know how she did it. I saw her here 24/7. I am a nurse myself so I can appreacate to the max everything she has done for me. Just a warning on the drain you get. You will see lots of bloody water coming out. They emptied my drain twice that I can tell. They apparently fill you up with water as part of the leak test so you are mostly seeing that water coming out now. I was told there was two leak tests in surgery. Blueish water and air to look for bubbles. On the 3rd day I will have another leak test with more blueish water and contrast for the xray.
Now i wouldn't consider the pain a walk in the park but it is do-able. Most of the gas pain in my back is gone. My stomach feels like i have done a million situps. The most trouble I am having now is I want to sleep on my stomach but that just isnt happening. I can manage laying on my side if I have good pillow support behind my back to help keep me up. You never know how much you use those stomach muscles. Having slept through most of the day I am painfully wide awake at 3am. Oh well. This I can handle if it all means I will be healthier in the future.
I can't wait to get home and see how I am doing. I lost 8lbs pre-op on my 7 day liquid diet. I hope the IV fluids dont bloat me too much. I would love to be in Onederland by New Years eve. But any lbs lost I will take and happily.
