Powerwalks and Bravery

Got up this morning determined to put on my walking shoes and head out into the world. I did a half hour stroll around the neighbourhood at a pretty decent clip. Felt good to be up and about.
Ever since the incessant burping stopped on Tuesday, I've had incessant backache. It's weird in that it's mid to upper back, but It doesn't feel like it's muscular. It's just a constant dull ache. It got bad last night and kept waking me up. At least I can now lie on my tummy, so that can provide a bit of relief. I called the surgeon's office to see if he knows what's up and more importantly, can do something about it. I wonder if it's a)trapped gas or b)pain caused by a core that's weak after being sliced and diced a week ago. I'm to call back in about an hour when he's scheduled to be in office so hopefully I'll get some resolve because this is not fun.
I also went out to buy a new ceiling fan today. funny that i suffer all summer with a dead one and am now replacing it only because i have a buyer! Guess that goes along with cleaning my house before the housekeeper comes. Please tell me I'm not the only one who does this.
In my title I mentioned 'bravery.' It's been interesting that a few people who've sent me notes wishing me well with my recovery have called me 'brave' for having the lap band surgery. i found that outlook interesting because bravery never really factored into it for me. i guess having lived with this obesity disease all my live i saw the surgery as essential.
the other thing that's come up since people found out i either was having or had the surgery is how many of them never saw me as 'big enough to need surgery.' at 5'5" 262.5lbs size 20 i was well and truly a candidate, but funny that they didn't see me as obese.

It's raining, it's pouring

Tropical Depression #16 is making its way towards us. The system only formed yesterday morning so its unusual to have this weather without days of anticipation and worry. It's POURING out and the winds are definitely gusting. Guess my friend who also had a surgical procedure last week and I won't be headed to the mid-day movies after all. :(

I forgot to mention the other day that when I met with Dr Diggiss we set the date for my first fill. October 21st. Should be interesting!!!

Today was the day i could move on to full liquids and pureed foods. Of course this morning I woke up and really had to think about what I wanted for breakfast because I really wasn't hungry. Anyway, i decided to play it safe and had 1/4 cup of low fat vanilla yogurt. It was very yum and although i probably could have had easily twice as much of it, I don't feel hungry. I think for lunch I may puree down my fave vegetarian baked beans and see how that goes. I also have a smorgasbord of homemade soups to choose from so no worries about me starving.

Hopped on the scale this morning (as I always do) and down to 207.8. Holy smokes I'm getting close to Onderland. It's crazy to think that when I first met with Sam the patient advocate for the lapband programme, I couldn't even envision being 230 at that point. I still have to remind myself that although it seems like forever because I've been so committed and learned so much, I only started this process on June 12. holy smokes!

Oh.... some good non-band related news. i got a firm offer on my condo yesterday. Thank JESUS. It's been on the market since early January and other than one ridiculously insulting low ball offer just after it was listed.... nothing..... I'm building a house that will be ready by the end of the year/early January for me to move into and I really didn't want to be carrying both. I had someone else already scheduled to come look at it yesterday afternoon so told them that i have an offer and will need a decision because i need to respond to the potential buyer. will call the second people today to see if they want it, if not, i'm accepting. it's about $10k lower than appraised, but in this market that's pretty good!!!!

So looks like next week while I'm still off work but should have lots more energy I'll be starting the sorting and packing process. They want to close within 45 days. Looks like I could be moving back here to my old bedroom at my parents' house for a month or so if all goes well.

Ok.... off to do some editing work

Day Five Post Op

Can't believe I haven't been on here since Friday. All's going well, but have been more or less chilling and checking emails on my bberry and haven't bothered powering up the laptop until tonight. it's been kind of refreshing not to be tethered to it for a few days actually.

ok. so here goes with recovery update.

today the gas FINALLY subsided. Good LORD that was pretty awful. No shoulder tip pain, but I swear I burped non-stop from the time I was in the recovery room. Today it's been really quite bearable though there is still a bit of gas still in me.

in large part due to that, today i've gotten in far more liquids than i have any other day. Thursday or Friday night I was developing a helluva headache and I know it was from being dehydrated. My diet so far has consisted of popsicles (for some reason they were going down easier than sipping liquids was in the early days), chicken broth, the broth from wonton soup my parents had, apple/grape/lemon/ginger juice i made myself, coconut water and water. Not very inspiring, but i'm amazed that 5 days out i'm still not in the least bit hungry and having to remind myself to drink. i know that will change soon, but enjoying it for the time being.

Gross out alert - Had first bowel movements today. Absolute liquid, but at least things are starting to move along.

Had my first doctor's visit with Dr Diggiss this morning and he removed the bandaging so i can finally see my incisions. He was pleased with my healing and progress and Wednesday i've been given the go ahead to move on to both full liquids and pureed foods. that will be good as i'll be able to start getting my protein in.

i was shocked at how exhausted my little outing to the doctor's office made me. i came home, said i was going to take a nap, and woke up 3 hours later! Hoping that doesn't prevent me from sleeping well tonight.

thinking maybe wednesday night i may move back to my place. it's nice being at mom and dad's though.... i think i may go stir crazy being on my own at home for almost 2 weeks.

with the bandages off i was able to have my first shower today. Bliss. Though my friend michelle who's also my hairdresser did come over yesterday to wash my hair in the kitchen sink. i have super oily hair and skin so 5 days of no shampoo was awful. i was prescribed an antibiotic liquid soap and an antibiotic ointment that i need to use for the next 10 days.

oh... and since surgery i've lost 6lbs taking me to 210. that's down 52.5 since starting the process in mid-June. Wow.... just realised that I've officially lost more than half the weight to get to my initial goal of 160. amazing.

will take tummy pic tomorrow to post. promise

Day two post op

I'm starting to feel human again. The gas is still working its way out. I've been burping pretty much non stop since recovery room. But last night Dr Diggiss told me to get some liquid gravol to help with the nausea and help me sleep. I got in a few good hours before gas build up forced me awake and up for a bit. Took some more gravol and had a bit more sleep - probably should have upped the dosage since the liquid form is for children.

Still no real pain from any of the incision points. I'd post a pic, but mine are all covered up with bandages and tape so really nothing to see yet. Those don't come off until I see Dr D on Monday morning for my follow up.

I'm taking in more liquids today after nothing more than about a cup and a half over the past 2 days. Critical to get the liquids in so I'm doing my best.

Absolutely no hunger still which surprises the heck out of me. Will be thrilled if that keeps up at least until I graduate to full liquids which should be mid next week.

Just washed my hair with a no-water shampoo I discovered a few weeks before surgery. I have super oily skin and hair so not being able to shower and wash it was going to drive me nuts. at least now i feel a bit more clean.

Definitely feeling more up to walking around today than i had before so just puttering around the house. it's way too hot to venture outside just yet, plus until i'm getting in more and more liquids i really don't want to chance it.

ok. back to recuperating..

oh - and to everyone in chicago - HAVE A BLAST!!!!

middle of the night ramblings

I intend to post often because this immediate post-op stuff was what i really devoured in everyone else's blog.... so hopefully newbies will find my experiences helpful.

C02 gas is OF THE DEVIL. Luckily I read in the blog world about Gas-x strips and stocked up while I was away last week. and luckily the gas seems quite happy to come out in huge burps rather than get lost and travel up to my shoulders.

what this means though is so far I've managed to sleep a whopping 1/2 hour tonight. it's 1:37 right now and  it's burp fest in here.

I've also learned that the C02 gas tastes the same coming out as it did going in. kinda wishing this gas would start pushing out the other end as it's made me quite nauseous and i'm desperately trying to force back the vomiting attempts by body is making on its own.

Since getting home from hospital around 3:30 yesterday afternoon i've consumed about 1/4 cup of water, 2 table spoons of liquid ibuprofen and that's it. it's all making me nauseous. hoping a night of burping this gas out will mean i can start consuming liquids tomorrow without incident. Besides - i need to start taking my liquid antibiotics tomorrow as well.

on another topic - i took the plunge and announced on facebook last night that my lap band surgery had gone A-OK...... very few people on facebook knew I was having the surgery before that. but the support and kind comments have been overwhelming.

in fact, a friend called and confided that she'd had the surgery in mexico about 4 years ago!!!! I thought it was very cool that my sharing my story encouraged her to share hers with me.

ok..... gonna go walk around again in hopes i can push this crap out of my body!

Alive and well

I'll blog the full experience tomorrow, but just wanted post quickly to let you know i'm alive. i'm well. and i'm banded!

got home around 3:30 this afternoon and have slept on and off most of the time. no pain to speak of other than a throbbing in my middle back. no idea what that's caused by. have had a heating pad on for a while to try and ease that.... it's kind of like the backache you get with period cramps, but not as low down.

i've had next to no liquids today..... even a sip makes me feel nauseous. was just walking slowly around the house with my dbf when a serious wave of nausea hit... so i'm back in bed and doing all i can to prevent throwing up.

hoping tomorrow i'll be able go drink my clear liquids and move around a bit more. so far none of that shoulder tip pain i'd been dreading, but perhaps that's what's causing the back pain. and i'm burping pretty well.

thanks all for the well wishes and for keeping me in your prayers today. the love is being felt for sure!

Jessica

tick tock - one more sleep

until I'm banded!

It's 10:30 at night and i'm only just settling down. have to be at the hospital at 6:30am (it's a 5 min drive at that time) so am sleeping at my parents' house tonight. this will be my recovery room i imagine for a week or so until i feel i can manage the three flights of stairs and being alone at my place.

I'm just going to say that picking up a close friend who's just had her own surgical procedure and then spending the next 4 hours taking care of her until her daughter got done with school is probably NOT the best way to spend the night before surgery!

She had an eyelid lift and i think a brow lift and was in MUCH worse shape than i was prepared for. I'm guessing the plastic surgeon doesn't give the full run down to patients for fear they'd freak out and back out.

when i got the call to come for her, i showed up and was given the laundry list of instructions.... including feed her something like mashed potatoes when i got her home..... urgh?!?! i was taking her straight to her house and had no idea what she had available so since she was going to be a little while longer in recovery i dashed around the corner to the KFC drive thru to pick up some mashed potatoes for her.....

yes.... torture.... here i am on clear liquids only having to go to the KFC drive thru!!!

So... onto my surgery..... it's been a helluva ride to get to this point. 3 weeks ago i wasn't even sure it was going to happen. i have faith that this all happened for a reason and i'm going to end up helping lots of others along the way :)

i'm surprisingly not nervous tonight. tomorrow morning may be another story, but i'll deal with that when and if it happens.

i'm excited. excited to be getting my life in order. going further along the road to being the healthiest, fittest, sexiest, happiest me.

i know that post surgery is not going to be easy, but i really do believe that i am extremely well prepared thanks to the intense 3 month programme i've been in. my portion sizes are itty bitty and that's been a gradual weaning down in amount and type of food i consume. and it really hasn't been hard. perhaps because i knew in the back of my head that there was a prize (a band) at the end of the road.

i'm a little bugged that i forgot to bring the horrendous bikini that i've been taking starting and progress pics in. i had planned on taking a set of pics tonight. oh well. i'll do them in a few days when i have scars to show.

speaking of scars. i once wrote a piece in college about how scars are our battle wounds. most of them... the good ones.... have a story to accompany them. like the long thin one along my lower right arm -- i was running around, tripped and sliced it open on a sprinkler head......  and the one on my right index finger knuckle earned when i broke a glass while washing dishes as a kid.....

i have scar therapy stuff (jury's out on how well any of it actually works) but even though i'm adding  more scars to the three gall bladder (laproscopic surgery) and long appendix one (not laproscopic) i'm not going to be ashamed of my scars. i've fought hard for them and they'll serve as a reminder of what i've done to get fit, healthy and sexy.

ok..... if you're still with me -- you're a TROOPER.

Will catch up on the other side.... when i reveal my band's name :)