I'm home again

Its hard to believe how fast everything happened.  I had the surgery on Monday and I came home today, Wednesday.

I woke up on Monday with a urinary catheter which was nice because I didn't need to get out of bed to use the bathroom.  My output was pretty minimal so they loaded me up with lots of IV fluids.  They said I needed 5 liters of fluid.  The next day they weighed me and I was TEN POUNDS HEAVIER than before the surgery.  I said "wait a minute here.  I'm supposed to LOSE weight not gain".

My college chemistry professor liked to say "a pint's a pound the world around"  If you do the math five liters (about five quarts) is about ten pints of fluid and thus ten pounds.  When I got out of bed I felt inflated like the Michelin Man.  Part of that feeling was due to air which is used to inflate the abdomen so the surgeon has room to work.  Now I'm trying to get rid of all the excess air and soon (according to one of my friends that had the surgery) I will need to camp out in the bathroom for a while when all the fluid decides to come out.  So I will not be going to any parties for the next few days.  I won't be any fun to be around.

I do feel less bloated today than yesterday.  I've been enjoying clear liquids today and tomorrow I begin with the protein supplements and can have other sugar-free liquids, pudding and popsicles.  OOH!  I stay on that regimen for the next three weeks till I go back to see Dr. Choi.  After that I get to have pureed food.  MMMM.  I'll start chewing again around September.

Thanks to all who called, visited and sent messages.  I appreciate the support.  I'm sure there will be some rough days ahead but good results for the future.

Love,
Marlena

Less than 8 hours till I arrive at the hospital

I feel tired.  I had a long nap after church.  I just had a delicious dinner of raspberry jello and melon jello.  Why is it that when you can't eat anything that the commercials on tv show the most delicious food?  

My husband is really anxious.  The reason I know this is because he is running around doing laundry and other household chores.  When he is nervous he cleans.  I love him so much.  I wish I could help him relax though. 

I have to say that my husband truly loves me.  I knew early on that he was someone who would love me no matter what.  I love to relate the time when we were recently married and I was sick with the flu or something similar.  I was trying to sleep. You know how sometimes when you can't breathe through your nose and a little drool seeps out of the corner of your mouth.  This is not an attractive picture is it?  Well he came over to me and gently wiped the drool off my face.  That is really what love is.  I tried to tell my kids this.  If your spouse can still love you when you are drooling then you know that you have a keeper. 

I still haven't decided if I am going to bother trying to sleep tonight. 

Are they kidding?

I got a call from the surgery scheduler at the hospital on Friday letting me know what time to arrive at the ambulatory surgery center on Monday. 

5:45 am.  I asked if she was serious.  She was. 

I can't imagine working at that hour.  Oh, I've done night shifts but staying up has always been easier for me than waking up when it is dark outside.  So do the poor receptionists work from 5 am till 1 pm?  Do they have to wake up at 4 am? 

As for me, do I just stay up all night?  I probably won't sleep anyway.  Whenever I need to be somewhere early (outside of my usual job) I usually wake each hour to check the time.  I guess I'll just take an extra long Sunday afternoon nap in between all the clear liquid feasting I'll be doing. 

Four days left on the ticker.

I have been getting calls and messages from friends and family.  I am so thankful for all the support.  I have been on leave from work since April 1st.  I have not been away from the job that long since the last time I had a baby (and that baby is almost 22).  In a way a break from the stress of my job has been a good thing.  However, it does not take long to feel out of touch.  So it is nice to feel the love. 

In the meantime, since the hot, sticky summer weather has begun I feel no energy at all.  In spite of the Lasix my feet are swelling.  I am envious of people who are able to be active in this heat.  I am exhausted walking to my car.

By this time next year I will feel better. 

Stay cool,
Marlena of Mohegan

7 days and counting.

Its hard to believe I'm only a week away from surgery.  I need to pack. 

All systems go

On Thursday I went to Dr. Jarrett for my final medical clearance.  I also saw Dr. Choi's nurse practitioner who went each step of the hospital experience and my final instructions to prepare for the surgery.  I can eat breakfast the day before surgery but after 10am nothing but clear liquids.  Nothing by mouth after midnight except my blood pressure medications in the morning with a sip of water.  She went over every step of the pre-op, operative and post-op procedure. 

So I am ready.  I just have to avoid any illness or injury for the next 9 days.  Knock on wood. 

Best wishes,
Marlena of Mohegan.

tick, tick, tick.....

Yes the clock is ticking.  Less than two weeks to go.  I got my letter of medical necessity from Aetna.  On Thursday I go to Dr. Jarrett for my final medical clearance and my pre op instruction visit at the surgeon's office.

I'm not the nervous type but I feel I have prepared myself mentally for whatever outcome there is.  I usually prefer the glass half-full outlook rather than the glass half-empty but having been a nurse for 32 years has shown me that things don't always end up rosy.  I've got struggles ahead but I'm ready to get started.

Last year I had a patient who had had his bypass in July and had lost 100 lbs. by October.  Now that's quick.  I won't necessarily lose that fast since men usually drop weight quicker due to their higher muscle mass and faster metabolism.  Dr. Choi wants me to shoot for losing 225 lbs.  That sounds like there won't be much left of me after that but there will be enough. 

So stay tuned for the next update as we get closer to the big day. 

Peace be with you,
Marlena of Mohegan. 

OK. Aetna says yes.

I spoke with the business office and Aetna has approved the surgery.  OK then.  Onward. 

Just when I thought I was through with hoops....

Today, well yesterday actually, I spoke to Donna in the business office for the hospital.  She says that I need my doctor's documentation of my weight from the past two years faxed to her before the insurance company will approve the surgery.  She said that she knew of one person who did NOT get approved because she was not able to provide this.  Now I don't know about other people but I did not suddenly explode to attain my current weight (which I'm not ready to divulge publicly yet).  Do they think I gained extra weight on purpose just to have my stomach cut open and have my guts rearranged?  My weight has been an up and down situation over my entire life.  I lose some and then I gain it back plus more.  What possible relevance could my weight two years ago have  upon whether or not I need this surgery now?  I honestly cannot understand these insurance people. 

What next?

Marlena of Mohegan. 

Stocking up on stuff.

I was lucky enough to find Nature Made sub lingual B-12 tablets buy one get one free at CVS.  They are cherry flavored and tasty.  I have enough to last at least 2 months after surgery.  The other day I picked up prescriptions and was shocked to pay $200.00.  That is just co-pays.  I don't want to know how much it would have been without insurance.  Some of my medications will need to be changed after surgery because the tablets are too large.  My surgeon says I probably won't need any diabetic medications anymore.  My endocrinologist says I may need to stay on some insulin.  Maybe one shot per day.  Now I take four shots per day!  I have three different pills for high blood pressure.  I am too young to be taking as many pills as I do now.  21 days to go.  I'm ready.

YaY!!!
Marlena of Mohegan.

Ups and downs.

Today I found the B-12 tablets that melt in your mouth and the chewable ADULT vitamins.  After the surgery large tablets are not permitted and I did not want to be taking Flintstones chewable vitamins.  Still counting off the days.  Only 23 days to go. 

Strange things have been happening though.  On Memorial Day we had a small cookout in the back yard.  I put on some capri pants that I had worn the previous week and were laundered once since then.  They seemed way too small.  I couldn't understand it.  Had I gained 25 pounds since last week?  Did someone put the clothes dryer on the nuclear setting?  As I was getting undressed that night I happened to check the tags and found that I was wearing my daughter's pants that were three sizes smaller than mine.

Three days later I was at the grocery store.  I was wearing my own capri pants (I checked the label BEFORE I put them on.)  They kept sliding down.  OK I guess I had some slippery underwear on but this never happened before.  As I was pushing the cart out the exit door the pants suddenly slipped down so far the waistband was by my knees.  Fortunately nobody seemed to notice before I yanked them back up.  Now did I suddenly lose 20 lbs?  The elastic in the waistband was still stretchy so they hadn't been cremated in the dryer.  

That same day I went to 7-11 and bought a Crystal Lite Slurpee.  I filled up the cup as usual then all of a sudden the thing started erupting like Mt. St. Helens.  I couldn't stop it before it ran all over the counter, the floor and my shirt (fortunately my tie dye shirt and the color of the Slurpee blended very nicely).  

I did everything very cautiously for the rest of that day.

Best wishes,
Marlena of Mohegan.