Lucky 22 strikes again!

22 has been my lucky number since 8th grade English class when Jerry Healy sat next to me in the back of the room and he kept trying to hold my hand.  I wouldn't let him, well probably for numerous reasons, but mostly because I had warts on my hands.  So eventually he realized this and started to count them.  Quietly, we were in the middle of English after all.  There were 22!  A unique beginning to a lucky # but I swear it has popped up in my life at the most interesting times since then, and has always been lucky for me.

So today on the 1 month anniversary of my surgery, I have lost 22 pounds!  Seems like a sign of luck and good fortune to me!  Made me happy.

Overall I am doing much better.  Definitely more energetic now that the excess fluid is coming off.  Feel like I have lost more than 22#, so I know we are heading in the right direction.  Stomach is still very choosy and I have to be oh so careful with what I eat (eat being a distance memory here, I am still on pureed/liquid foods). Sometime in the next 2 to 4 weeks I will be chewing actual food again.  Exciting and scary at the same time!  LOL

I have realized something through this process.  I am a chicken!!!!!
Everything I put in my stomach scares me!  I called the pharmacist yesterday because today I get to stop crushing all my medicine.  I was like "Okay, so you're sure I can just start putting them in there whole? Should I do it gradually?  Try one first to see how it goes?"   She thought I was nuts.  She was like "just take the pills."   LOL  Chicken, I tell ya.

So today feels like a good day.  Happy.

Pregnant with triplets

Went to the surgeon today for a checkup.  He said I have abdominal wall edema.  I could have told him that!  Walking around feeling 10 months pregnant with triplets is how I described it.
So my body was clinging to the extra fluids.  He said to slowly start up diuretics today.  
2 hours after taking 1/2 dose I have lost 5 pounds!  LOL  Woohoo!
Finally the scale moves!

Feeling much better.
Everything else is good.
A little more energy every day.
Back to work on Monday.

Diana

Cheeseburgers!

2 weeks and 2 days post op.

I am reminded daily that I underwent major surgery.  This is not something you bounce back quickly from. But each day I see improvement. I feel better, I move better.  Slowly but surely.

I started eating pureed foods this week but I am going slowly.  Applesauce, mashed potatoes, even some chicken.  Each new food scares me.  If it doesn't please my new tiny stomach, there are repercussions!  But surprisingly, so far, only one food has done that.

I have to be very careful not to eat anything that has too much sugar or fat.  I have to limit my amounts to 2 oz of food 3/times daily.  I have to chew everything until it is liquefied.  And I have to eat slowly.  That 2 oz has to last 30 minutes.  If I do all of that, then hopefully I won't have too many repercussions.  Takes practice.

I keep a daily food diary where I write down everything.  I track protein, calories, fat, sodium, sugar, carbs and fiber.  I have to make sure I eat enough protein and fiber, and not so much of the rest.  I track how much water I drink.  Needs to be 64 oz per day.

They say your taste changes after surgery, but so far everything tastes the same to me.  We shall see, may happen yet.  What doesn't change is food cravings.  I dreamed about a cheeseburger several nights!  Really? I would have guessed pizza but no, a cheeseburger.  LOL

Weight.  Well, I would think after 3 weeks of eating like I have, or to be more accurate not eating, I would have lost a little weight.  But no, can't be that easy.  So far my weight has stayed EXACTLY the same.  Not a pound of change.  Yet.  But I can feel the changes.  My neck feels thinner.  My face looks better.  This thing requires patience I'm telling ya.  Patience.  My body is probably clinging to every pound because it thinks I am on a desert starving or something.  Sometimes our bodies are too smart, but I guess if i were on a desert starving I'd be grateful.  LOL

I''ve been going to support group meetings once/month for 9 months now.  I had my first one post-op and it helped immensely.  A great group of people who encourage and support each other, and reassured me I was doing fine.  Made me feel a whole lot better.

So overall, so far so good.  I will be happy for the day I have energy again.  I will be seriously happy for the day the scale says something different.  And I can't wait to start giving clothes to Goodwill. That's gonna be fun!

Thinking of all of you.  Hoping your own struggles are getting easier.  Life is not for the weak.
Diana

"Bumps in the Road" (sung to the tune of "Pants on the Ground" from Idol 2007)

We had some bumps.

Did well for 2 days at home.  Sunday morning I was suddenly unable to swallow even a sliver of ice.  I began vomiting.  Pain became intense because I was also unable to swallow any pain medication.

Called the surgeon and he had me come to the emergency room.  Turns out my stomach and intestines had become very swollen.  They said it happens more than they would like.  The answer was to rest my stomach for 24 hours, get IV fluids to stay hydrated, and then slowly start clear liquids again.  It worked!  By the following night I was drinking and feeling really good and able to come home from the hospital.

The next morning I woke up with some unusual bleeding that really shouldn't have been there.  Since I am on blood thinners, I had to go in and get that checked out.  Really got lucky.  It turned out not to be related to surgery, was an easy fix and I got to come home again. Thought for sure I was headed for readmission #2.

So that was yesterday.  Except for being extremely tired I am doing great!

I am SO happy to be back in my home and in my bed.
I finally FEEL like I am healing as I am supposed to.

I got to stop 4 medications right away after surgery.  Cool.

Thanks for all the support.  Mom has been keeping me updated, and it means so much.

Diana

Made it to the other side of the bridge.....

My cardiologist told  me "You have to cross the bridge to get to the other side."  I love when they philosophize.
So here we are, on the other side!

Surgery went great.  I fretted over whether I would have the robotic or not.  My doctor expressed his preference for robotic surgery at our first group meeting.  But when I scheduled, there were no robotic openings for another month or two.  So I went with the old-fashioned way, and found out an hour prior to surgery I got the robot anyway!  It was available.  The reason this mattered to me was that all of the people I talked to at my support group seemed to do better with the robotic surgery.  The doctor gets a 3D view as opposed to 2D and can visualize better.  I was in surgery 2 1/2 hours, less than I anticipated.  So I think everything went my way.  :)  I had some angels in heaven watching out for me, for sure.

Recovery was kind of a blur but I remember parts.  Especially the constant "Diana keep the sheet on or you will give everyone a show!"  I think I was  hot.  I got a fan,  I remember that.  And I remember a very nice nurse who kept saying I was a sweetheart, so I couldn't have been too bad.  LOL

I spent 2 nights at the hospital.  In a private room.  With very nice nurses and techs.  Everyone treated me so well.  If I had not had back pain from lying on the surgery table I would have had a smooth sail.  The first night was figuring out the back pain.  The nurse thought of muscle relaxants and that did the trick.  Gone by the next day.  I was able to move, walk and get around right away.  No pain at all in the incisional areas.  I have 6 tiny little laparatomy incisions.  Piece of cake.

The day I was going home I had one episode of extreme pain in the stomach.  We kind of figured out I was a little too enthusiastic with the breathing apparatus they give you to expand your lungs.  I was trying to be the perfect patient and must have gotten air into my stomach.  Once I burped about 100 times that went away, but was misery for about 1 1/2 hours.

And now I am back home, where I belong.  Sleeping in my own comfy bed, thank you Lord.  Managing my own blood sugars and insulin.  Happy.  Looking forward to the future and all the changes coming.  Bob, Shelby and Grama were the perfect support team.  I also got support from many people via texts and messages.  The night nurses I work with sent a gorgeous bouquet of flowers; a show stopper.  Unexpected, and so very nice.  My cousin Kay stopped up to visit me and brought a dozen beautiful red roses.  Shelby, Emma and Andrew (my other 2 children by another mother and father) came and brought a gorgeous orange flower, my favorite color.  Was so nice to have the bright spots to look at in my room.  Thank you all.  And my boss and a coworker who's had the same procedure came to visit.  Got some phone calls from others.  I felt truly supported in every way.  And I can't forget Dena, who had the most important job of all.  She called me to wake me up to watch Big Brother last night.  Thanks Dena!  :)

So thanks everyone.  It took a village to get me through this one!  LOL  And I appreciate every one of you townspeople.