Friday, August 12, 2011
Back to Work
My first two days back to work went well, and now its the weekend! I still have port pain when I bend over and it was worse from sitting all day (I work behind a desk all day). For the most part I felt good and strong, however, both days in the middle of the day I started to feel a bit yucky. I think I am not eating enough during the day, possibly also letting my blood sugar drop or something. Thats just my hunch though. I have been kinda faint-ish and yucky feeling after I got home each day also, but after dinner I start to feel a bit better. Thats about all I have to update with right now, my baby starts Kindergarten in a little over a week so I have been to busy preparing for that for anything else!
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Clarification
Hmm my time zone must be messed up on my blog, its after midnight so I thought that would post showing wednesday but it didn't so clarification first day back to work is Thursday!
Surgeon Visit
I saw my surgeon for my two week follow up. He said he is pleased with my healing and explained that the numbness I feel in a section of my tummy is nerve damage from surgery. He said that the national average of losing is 7.5 lbs for the two week preop diet and the 2 weeks after surgery (one month total). I have lost 24 lbs! (well-according to his scale, mine says 26!) I am actually shocked, given I only had about five solid days on the preop diet (that I had a few slip ups on to boot!). He also gave me some encouraging information- he showed me the pictures he took in my belly and compared it to other sample pictures they keep. He showed me that I had very very little fat encasing my organs, and that my liver was nowhere near my stomach and quite small! He said that generally patients have a ton of fat around the stomach, making fills necessary more frequently as that fat is lost but in all the pictures he took I had one small strip of fat and that was it. I guess all my fat stays where everyone else can see it. I hope that makes this process easier on me, but who knows it probably just means I will have saggier skin! Lets see, he said my incisions will pucker until the stitches dissolve and that my four small incisions have one stitch each, while the bigger one has 10. He also encouraged me to try anything and everything food wise, to discover what food my band will handle. Right now I have 5cc's in my 14cc band and will get my first fill on 08/25. He said to expect to be hungry between now and then, and I told him I was afraid I was already eating too much but working on it. Overall I would say it was a positive visit.
I really love my surgeon, he is very very comforting and open and down to earth. Its hard to put this in words, but sometimes when I go to the doctor, I feel looked down upon, stripped of my dignity and almost that the medical professional is disgusted with my size. I get anxiety about doctors visits due to this, and hesitate looking for better docs because I always think its going to happen. I feel none of this in his office, the entire staff is wonderful and he encourages us to call call call with anything that we need, that we will not be a bother at all. I always leave with all of my dignity and feeling positive about the visit which is such a blessing to me.
I still have some pain, enough that it takes my breath away, at my port site. I am hoping it gets better soon. I have had lots of trouble falling asleep since surgery, which I have to get resolved because I go back to work tomorrow (!!) and in about two weeks my baby starts Kindergarten (!!!!!) So a good sleep schedule is a must.
That's all I have for now, still hoping to be able to see my loss in the mirror, but I know its coming!
I really love my surgeon, he is very very comforting and open and down to earth. Its hard to put this in words, but sometimes when I go to the doctor, I feel looked down upon, stripped of my dignity and almost that the medical professional is disgusted with my size. I get anxiety about doctors visits due to this, and hesitate looking for better docs because I always think its going to happen. I feel none of this in his office, the entire staff is wonderful and he encourages us to call call call with anything that we need, that we will not be a bother at all. I always leave with all of my dignity and feeling positive about the visit which is such a blessing to me.
I still have some pain, enough that it takes my breath away, at my port site. I am hoping it gets better soon. I have had lots of trouble falling asleep since surgery, which I have to get resolved because I go back to work tomorrow (!!) and in about two weeks my baby starts Kindergarten (!!!!!) So a good sleep schedule is a must.
That's all I have for now, still hoping to be able to see my loss in the mirror, but I know its coming!
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
How I have been feeling...
I don't really know how to count post-op days, hah. Like, is surgery day, day 1? Or is the following day, day 1? Anyhow tomorrow will be a week out that I had surgery. (Tomorrow being Wednesday, had my surgery the wednesday before, hah)
Anyhow, I was shocked at how I felt immediately following surgery. First, I was disoriented and was not sure where I was, I had trouble taking breaths and I hurt.all.over. The pain was surprising, I was thinking the anesthetic would make waking up pain free, I was sadly very misinformed! So I guess I must have verbalized about how much pain i was in because the nurse said, "Honey, you just had surgery-it's supposed to hurt!" It was then I realized where I was and what had occurred, and the only thoughts in my mind at that time where, I did not die! and I dont think I had a stroke! Hah, morbid but its my truth, those were my two biggest fears about the entire surgery.
The days following surgery were rough. They were hard in a way I didnt expect them to be though. I thought I would be wanting food, grieving the loss of my old lifestyle and of food (being honest!) but none of that occurred. I had and still have very little interest in food. My biggest complaint, was and is that I cannot breathe. I cannot take a deep breath or yawn, when I do I get the worst pain and my stomach starts dry heaving. I went to the ER about it because the doctor wanted to be sure it wasnt a blood clot in my lung, more about that trip later though. Its too much for right now!
Anyhow, I was shocked at how I felt immediately following surgery. First, I was disoriented and was not sure where I was, I had trouble taking breaths and I hurt.all.over. The pain was surprising, I was thinking the anesthetic would make waking up pain free, I was sadly very misinformed! So I guess I must have verbalized about how much pain i was in because the nurse said, "Honey, you just had surgery-it's supposed to hurt!" It was then I realized where I was and what had occurred, and the only thoughts in my mind at that time where, I did not die! and I dont think I had a stroke! Hah, morbid but its my truth, those were my two biggest fears about the entire surgery.
The days following surgery were rough. They were hard in a way I didnt expect them to be though. I thought I would be wanting food, grieving the loss of my old lifestyle and of food (being honest!) but none of that occurred. I had and still have very little interest in food. My biggest complaint, was and is that I cannot breathe. I cannot take a deep breath or yawn, when I do I get the worst pain and my stomach starts dry heaving. I went to the ER about it because the doctor wanted to be sure it wasnt a blood clot in my lung, more about that trip later though. Its too much for right now!
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