21 lbs & 16.25 inches...

Well it has been about 2.5 weeks since my surgery. I am down 21 lbs & 16.25 inches...whoo hoo! Everyone keeps telling me they can already see a difference, but I don't really see it yet. I did however notice a big difference in my face today when I took a picture of myself & Morgan at her Jump Rope for Heart event at school today.
Before Surgery

2.5 wks post op



I have been feeling pretty good, just still sore on my left side. I am finally able to eat soft foods, but still prefer soups, because anything remotely solid still makes be feel very bloated for several hours after eating.

8 lbs & 10.25 inches...

I am 8 days post op & down 8 lbs & 10.25 inches today! Wow I am so excited. Looking forward to my post op appt on Thursday. I am still sore, but feeling pretty good other than that unless I over do it. I have found that cold items cause my pouch to cramp up when I drink it, so no ice in drinks for me. Hoping this is just a side effect of healing & that it will subside. I also get nauseous every time I take my meds that I have to crush. But overall, I am just excited & looking toward my bright future!

All is well!

Well Monday was quite easy after I woke up. I did alot of dozing until about 4:30 when I had to get up & take my first stroll. I wasn't in a lot of pain, it pretty much only hurt when I coughed & breathed very deeply. I did end up with one drain on my left side. Dr. Houston ended up taking out the upper half of my disconnected stomach. This was decided based on the lack of blood flow to that area once it was disconnected. I had my spleen removed 22 years ago & as it was drawn out & explained to me, the spleen & stomach have major blood vessels that link them, so when the spleen was removed, it took away that blood supply to the top portion of my stomach. Once my pouch was formed, there wouldn't be enough blood flow to the top half of my stomach for proper healing, so he just removed it. Because of this removal, I ended up with a drain on my left side.

Yesterday I was a little more sore, because I was up moving around more. The drain continued to look good, so Dr. Houston said he would more that likely remove it Thursday before I was discharged. I had a good day that ended with Clay bringing the girls down for a visit.

I got rid of my IV today, Yeah! I am officially wireless! The Dr said since I have progressed so well getting off the IV & that the drain still looked good, he would be keeping me until tomorrow only so that he could remove the drain because he didn't see a need to leave it in until next Thursday. I am apparently a model patient!

T minus 12 hours & 20 minutes....

Well I have had loads of fun with my clear liquid diet yesterday & today! So ready for the morning to get here...

This morning I woke up dreaming about being late for surgery & about eating my dad's famous Boston Butt....Well the butt will just have to wait for a while & I am turning in extra early so that getting up at 3:30am won't seem so bad!

5 days & counting!

I am so excited! I hate wishing my life away, but I do wish Monday would hurry up & get here. I am ready to get this ride started! I have all of the arrangements for the girls taken care of & while at Wal-mart this morning, I picked up plenty of clear fluids for my 2 day liquid diet before surgery & for after surgery when I get home. I am going to run to the vitamin store this evening to pick up my protein & vitamins. There is only one thing I am not looking forward to, being away from my girls & Clay. But it is a means to an end & I know that he is going to take really good care of them while I am in the hospital.

So to pass the time from now until Monday, I have been cleaning...well more so unpacking those last few boxes that been hanging out in the garage than cleaning. It has to be done, & I have been totally putting it off.

9 days & counting...

My new beginning is almost here...in 9 days I will have my Weight Loss Surgery (WLS) & start my journey to the other half of me! Other than the birth of my two beautiful daughters, I am not sure I have ever been more excited about something before!

Friday was my last day at work, because I am taking vacation Labor Day week before my surgery on 9/12. Everyone kept asking me if I was nervous, but surprisingly I am not nervous at all. I am so excited, thinking about the wild ride I am about to embark on, that I haven't given myself time to be nervous. That change the morning of or the night before my surgery, but right now, I am not nervous at all.

I know my life is going to drastically change, I am not naive, but the trade off of being healthy & finally being able to love my body is totally worth it! Everyone I know that has had WLS says it is a wild ride, but the faster & crazier the coaster is, the more I love it...so bring it on & maybe some of my loved ones will come by here from time to time to check on my progress...