let's go ride a bike

December 15, 2015

The weather has been unusually warm for December. I started by walking my bike to the top of a mild incline of the street and rode my bike in my subdivision on more flat surfaces. The next couple of days I added riding up the incline and both big circles in my subdivision, mainly flat with some slight inclines. The one set of big circles is about 1 1/2 miles. I am excited that I have worked up to 3 big circles, so I am riding 4 1/2 miles a day. The last day I rode it was starting to get cold. I'm not sure what I'll do when the weather gets cold, snow or ice. I put my gym membership on hold until I see my doctor at my follow up appointment which is December 29th.

                                                            My Bike

 

 

 

 

recovery

December 8, 2015

I did well on my full liquid diet, cream soups, sugar free pudding, my protein shake. I have dropped a few pounds also. I have been walking around my circle or on my drive way. I'm looking forward to riding my bike. My stomach is soft now, the glue is starting to come off.

My version of Reese's peanut butter cup ice cream with my protein shake
                    (it tastes like this but doesn't actually look like this)

welcome home

December 3, 2015

I came home from the hospital the next afternoon after surgery since I was a 23 hour admit. My husband picked me up and I went up to my bedroom to my chaise lounge.

My stomach felt like an extended tight drum. I had gained 8 pounds from surgery. They fill your abdominal cavity with C02 to make room to do the surgery. My incision sites looked like someone stabbed me in my stomach 5 times. I had glue on my incisions. I made sure I did not IS every couple of hours. Relaxed and slowly ate my full liquid diet as I noted below.

I had prepared strained cream soups prior to my admission. I froze them into ice cubes and put them in zip lock bags in the freezer. The soups I prepared were cream of mushroom, chicken, shrimp and split pea and ham soup. I talked to the dietician and since I blended the pea soup with milk and strained it I was ok'd to eat this on my full liquid diet. The pea soup was the best soup with chicken and shrimp next. The mushroom soup wasn't good and I like mushroom soup but not strained. I also had sugar free puddings and jello.

surgery day

December 2, 2015

I arrived at the hospital at 8:30am, 2 hours before my scheduled surgery. My husband brought me to the hospital. When I went into the pre op room they put a warming blanket on me, started an IV, drew blood through the IV.  Awhile later, Anesthesia came to talk to me and gave me some IV medicine for nausea and to help me go to sleep. I was awake when they rolled me into the OR, I got onto the table then I woke up in the recovery room. They controlled my pain with dilaudid IV since I'm on of the 1% that doesn't respond to Morphine. I also had leg compressions on both legs, oxygen, pulse oximeter and my CPAP was set up with oxygen.

My pulse oximeter beeped most of the evening, no one came in to check why it was beeping so I kept hitting the silence button (I'm a RN). The respiratory therapist eventually came and put on a different device like tape to hold on my finger because I had gel nails on. I was still getting my pain med through my IV because I wasn't eating. They offered me tylenol with codiene but I knew since I wasn't eating I would get sick to my stomach so stayed on IV pain meds till I was able to eat. I had to ask for an Incentive Spirometer (last surgery I did also) Sad, post op they don't offer the IS as they should to prevent pneumonia.

My IV was in my left hand, right where is you move it the IV would get kinked. My IV beeped a lot during the night also and again no one really checked it. I received IV antibiotics at night.   I was able to get up a couple of times with help to the bathroom with my poles.  In the middle of the night my IV ran dry. It took them awhile to come to my room.  The RN got me up to the bathroom and disconnected my IV at that time. When she flushed my IV to hook me back up with NS it really burned and she had to use a lot of force.  My IV had potassium in it she explained so that's why it burned. Right, that's why she should have pushed that IV NS slowly. Damn, when I worked in the hospital I always thought of the comfort of my patient.

I had a nice view from my hospital window and was lucky not to have a roommate until I was on my way out the door.

In the morning my IV infiltrated. The night RN, who had to go to report in 5 minutes and tried to say it was ok. However, luckily I noticed right when it infiltrated and noticed my hand getting puffy so I insisted it was infiltrated and since I was going to eat breakfast why didn't they take it out. So she stopped it.

The day nurse came in a couple of hours later and removed my IV. I was able to get up and shower. My full liquid breakfast was cream of wheat and I put a couple pats of Promise in it. I also had a carton of milk.

I was picked up later in the afternoon and went home.

 

pre op appointment

November 17, 2015

 I went to my pre op appointment at 8:30am <yawn> and met with the nurse and anesthesiologist.  She reviewed my diet and medical history and asked me more than one time if I have any heart issues. I have high blood pressure controlled on meds and sleep apnea. I discussed with the anesthesiologist about morphine doesn't work for pain control.  I found this out in a previous surgery post op in which the recovery room nurse wouldn't listen to me for an hour. My diet was reviewed with me at this time also. Pretty easy appointment.

 

getting ready

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Tomorrow morning I have my group appointment prior to surgery. I've dropped a couple of pounds. I'm still 5 over what I weighed in at the doctor. I rode my bike 4-5 miles today also

I helped at my son’s high school today at lunch. I got to serve French fries! After, some moms stay for lunch. I stayed and talked to one mom basically to socialize (I left my job 8 months ago, more on that later). So instead of my choices of junk food, they ran out of the healthy meal choice, I ate a few grape tomatoes. Instead of hanging out for about an hour after a Starbucks for a skinny latte, I went to Panera for an ice tea. 

I confided with the gal I worked lunch with that I was having the lap band next week. She still works at my old job. She had friends have similar surgeries and did well with weight loss but had some eating issues after. Like eating too much. I know if I eat too much I'll get sick, no thank you! She doesn't approve of her friends getting the surgery and said they want to lose too much weight. I don't think people remember that some folks at one time fit into a much smaller size. I'm not expecting to go back to my pre kid’s weight but would like to lose at least 100lbs, ideal would be 110-120 lbs. 

 

Getting ready for Thanksgiving. I've been doing really well eating smaller portions slowly. The thing that gets me is late night hunger. I guess at Christmas I'll be on puréed foods, if I'm lucky on a soft diet. It will be my immediate family for dinner. Maybe a boyfriend or girlfriend of my kids. I told my husband not to tell anyone especially the in laws. I'll tell my adult kids on Thursday. My teen daughter knows. I told my teen son I was having stomach surgery. 

The week after my surgery is a big Christmas lunch with the moms from son’s school. I'll have to miss it this year as I will be on a full liquid diet. I understand there is a progression from liquid, puréed to soft diet. Not sure when I'll be able to eat regular food. 

beginnings

Monday, November 23, 2015

I decided to have the lap band after working for a company in which it was covered on medical insurance. I had my 6 month, every month diet and check in with my PCP. I was able to lose 14 lbs. I'm up about 5 lbs. I go to the week before appointment in a couple of days. I hope to have a couple of pounds off by then. I've been drinking lots of water eating low carbs. the doctor was happy with my weight loss and actually told me I didn't have to lose anymore at my last appointment just not gain weight which I actually have been up 10 pounds and now am only up 5 pounds.

My family says they are supportive but there is ice cream in the house again, which I haven't touched

my surgery is on 12/1. I guess I'll be eating puréed foods on Christmas; I'm hoping for a soft diet by then but not sure if enough time has passed. I've got a new bike which I've been riding every couple of days for 3 miles. I also belong to a gym in which I was doing upper body machines until I pulled a muscle in my arm. It's better now. I can't us walking as my exercise because I broke my knee a couple of years ago, and sometimes with longer walks it hurts.

I've held onto this insurance through COBRA after I left my job. I'm looking for a less stressful job after the first of the year.

Whenever I'd get down 20 pounds and I'd hurt myself exercising which is exactly what happened with my broken knee.

I know what to eat, not that I always do. My problem is eating out; it's more of a social thing. Or when I was working 60 hours a week it was hard to pre plan meals and I was too exhausted to exercise even though I fit in swimming laps 3 times a week. I get very hungry at night. My stomach is still growling after eating

I know if I'm not hungry I can choose the right foods and be active daily.

I would love to be back in a regular size so my only options on plus size clothes are not all bedazzled.

I have a high school reunion next year and would be embarrassed to see people in the past at this weight.