An uncomfortable topic

Posted: March 30, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, Digestive issues, liquid diet
2

Yeah. This isn’t what I planned on, but it’s a major component of what I’m going through, so it’s going to get talked about. Let’s give it a high-level summation of “digestive issues”. If you’re not comfortable reading about those, click here and come back when the next post is up.

Are you sure you want to read this?

COMPLETELY sure?

There’s no going back now….

 

 

 

 

OK.

Digestive issues.

It’s what you might expect. vomiting and bowel movements. Both are apparently a little different for the post surgical bariatric patient. We’ll talk bowel movements first, since that’s what’s pressing, so to speak.

I was warned I wouldn’t have one for a few days after surgery. I’m still waiting. This, as you can imagine, is a bit uncomfortable. I’ve been drinking up water like a dry Sham-wow and nothing. I can’t try to force the issue to due the internal suturing and I’m always hesitant to take laxatives. I can sit on the toilet and all I get is gas. It’s such a letdown. I figure if nothing happens by Monday I’ll be calling the doc and seeing what he has to say. My personal opinion is that it has to do with the painkillers. Heavy duty painkillers always stop me up like one party blocking another party’s legislation from making it through Congress.

The other digestive issue that I’ve not experienced yet is vomiting. Apparently, vomiting no longer is the same as it was pre surgery. Since my pouch is separate from the part of the stomach that produces the stomach acids, gone is the unpleasant burning sensation and damage to the esophagus and teeth that can occur. This is not to say that I want to vomit… it’s never a fun feeling. I’m sure I will experience it as I expand my palate moving forward. There have also been times when I thought for sure it was going to happen, but nothing thus far.

Anyway, since all unpleasantness is out of the way, today should be a fun day. I’m expecting some visitors, including my mom and my sister. Mom made the right call in not opting to be there for my surgery. I’m sure her incessant pacing would’ve driven the waiting room nuts. Speaking of waiting rooms, Supportive Partner Woman (Possessor of great ideas!) had a way for the hospital to make some green.

Have the waiting rooms be sponsored by Xanax.

Just enough to take the edge off for those who have to wait. Either that or install a liquor vending machine.

She’s got a million of them.

Anyway, I’m going to leave with the following: MOASTBFFG crossed the 10,000 page view threshold this morning. That is totally amazing and that means that you, the readers, are totally amazing.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Song of the Day: The Touch – Stan Bush

Overwhelmed

Posted: March 29, 2013 in Foot issues, friends, Mickey Miles podcast, Team AllEars, Walking, WDW Today, Weather
0

I spend a lot of time pondering things while I’m sitting around. It’s easy to get discouraged and feel alone when you’re trying to make a major change in your life.

Well, I am most definitely NOT alone.

Really made me smile (and tear up)

Really made me smile (and tear up)

I posted about joining Team AllEars and doing my first 5K in January. I didn’t realize the emotional impact this would have on me. The kudos have poured in from my new teammates and team co-captains Mike & Michelle even sent me a lovely mug of flowers and a balloon which really made me smile and made me even more determined to do this.

In addition, our friends at WDW Today and the Mickey Miles podcasts were kind enough to give me a shoutout on their most recent episodes. I can’t tell you how much that means to me and really encourages me to get better as soon as possible.

I managed to go for a walk today. Not far… just up to the mailbox and back, but it felt good to be outside and get some fresh air. I’m looking forward to better weather and walking outdoors soon. I’m also looking to start swimming as soon as the incisions heal up and the doctor gives me the OK for immersion. I think that will do wonders for general core strength and there’s a pretty good chance I won’t get blisters from the water.

At any rate, Supportive Partner Woman (best sports editor EVER!) and I were talking and she asked what I thought I would name my pouch. I looked at her quizzically and she clarified by pointing out that since we already have Stubby the Wonder Toe and his evil twin brother Wayne, then my stomach pouch should get a name of its own. So, feel free to suggest  names and we’ll post a poll and see what people think.

I’ve been talking about my goals a lot. My first goal was to get the surgery done. I think I can check that off the list. My second goal was to get rid of the meds. Done. My next goal is to get a reading other than “error” on our bathroom scale. I think that will be coming soon, too. After that, I’m taking the weight loss in small increments… 10-15 pounds. I know I can do that.

At any rate, I think I might go and have some Jell-o. Or a protein shake. Or both. After all, I’m a rebel 🙂 I’m going to move to chicken broth tomorrow (want to be meatless for Good Friday).

Song of the Day: Synchronicity II – The Police

Wow… I got nothing

Posted: March 29, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, Cooking, Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, Exercise, Foot issues, Physical activity, Weight loss
5

First of all, thank you thank you THANK YOU… 221 page views yesterday. That set a new record for us here at MOASTBFFG and I’m very honored and humbled that so many took time to visit.

So, the first night at home.

As you can see by the time I’m posting this (4:15 AM), it’s pretty early in the AM. The good news is that I turned in around 9:30 and turned the light off at 10:00. That means pretty near six hours of sleep, which totally beats anything I had in the hospital. It’s not as much as I hoped, but that’s OK… it’s not like I have to go to work today or anything. I found that I couldn’t really get comfortable flat on my back, so I had to prop myself up with pillows. My back doesn’t mind it too much, which is a good thing, I guess.

The other issue I had was with hiccups. I kept getting them yesterday. It wasn’t exactly fun, but what can you do? They seem to have subsided. I have to think that maybe I was trying to drink (eat) too fast. That’s really going to be the biggest adjustment for me. I used to scarf down a meal in no time flat and that’s just not going to work anymore. My new stomach is the approximate size of a shot glass (or my thumb) and won’t stretch nearly as much as the old one did.

far_side002I do have a lot of worries, though. My biggest is whether or not I will experience “buyer’s remorse” that I took such a radical step. I’m reading on the online forums that some folks experience it. I’m sure there will be times when I regret that I went this route. I think it’s natural… it’s a major lifestyle change that I’ve made. Giving up a life that totally celebrated food and was all about the next meal was not easy. I hope that this will not change my joy of cooking, because I can’t necessarily partake. As I said to Supportive Partner Woman (Eater of a very paleo plate!), I’ll probably never be able to have jambalaya again, unless I figure out an alternative to rice. Same way with a Chipotle burrito bowl. At least with that I can opt to have more beans and veggies. But that’s far in the future.

Speaking of SPW (eater of tasty meat!), she’s considering a move to the paleo diet. Apparently, it’s based on lots of natural foods, low grains, high protein, and unprocessed stuff. Looking over it, a lot will actually apply to me when I can transition to solid foods. It’s an interesting concept… eat like the cavemen. It might actually work for me, as I’ll have to eliminate a lot of grains from my diet, but the downside is the lack of dairy. Considering that Greek yogurt pretty much became a staple for me, well, I guess we will see.

The other bad thing is that the walking in slipper sock, coupled with the extremely dry air of the hospital, did a number on my feet. Much cracking was observed, and that has me concerned. I see the foot doctor next week, though, so perhaps this will work out. In the meantime, SPW will continue to attack the feet with the ammonium lactate cream and hopefully that will cause the cracks to start to heal. I probably should’ve just sucked it up and put on sneakers to walk, but I wasn’t sure about how much I could bend. We will get the feet happy again.

At any rate, I’ll keep you updated as we break new ground in the recovery. That should be interesting.

It’s good to be home…

Posted: March 28, 2013 in 5K, Bariatric surgery, diabetes, Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, liquid diet, Supportive Partner Woman, Team AllEars, Walking, Weight loss
2

Greetings from the Nerd Lair!

I arrived home earlier this afternoon via chariot pulled by unicorns. Or a Honda Civic. Close enough. Either way, it felt awesome to walk out of the hospital, get in the car and then be in our own house. I get to go back to full liquid diet, which meant I could have a protein shake for lunch. Woohoo!

Best part of my discharge instructions

Best part of my discharge instructions

The biggest news, which left me stepping lighter, is that I have been released from the insulin scourge. As you know, that was my primary reason for having the operation done. Pretty drastic, but the end result was what I wanted, no, needed to have happen. I needed to be off the insulin.

Everything seems to be healing up nicely. I’m limited to light activity for a couple weeks until I go back to see Dr. McPhee. Have to give the belly time to heal. I would post a picture of it, but it’s a little off-putting and I’d rather not gross anyone out.

My diet has returned to full liquids. I can go to pureed foods in a couple of weeks. Basically, I have to learn to eat again. To figure out what I can and can’t handle. So far, I’m able to handle a protein shake, so that’s a good thing. I’m going to try some soup for dinner… again, nothing major in terms of quantity… I just need to remember that it’s most important to stay hydrated

My other big news is that I committed to join Team AllEars. I’ve been toying with the idea for quite some time, but I could never seem to get myself in good enough shape. I’m planning on running/walking in the 2014 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend 5K. I know it’s not a long distance, but for someone who’s never run in his life, it’s huge. I’m excited because I’ll be teaming up with some of the finest people I know and in support of Avon breast cancer charities. Both Supportive Partner Woman (considering going Paleo!) and I know people who have survived and who have succumbed to breast cancer, and its hard to think of a more worthy charity. As I told my co-captain, “It won’t be fast and it won’t be pretty, but I’m going to finish it.”

I’ll post more about that later.

So, I’ve said it before, but this is when my life is really going to start. It’s not going to be easy… believe me that bariatric surgery is never the easy way out, but I’m determined to get my body in shape and to keep it that way. I’ve wasted a lot of years (and part of toe) in service to food and poor habits. Now that I see how good it feels to be active, I’m going to grab that lifestyle and go as far as I can with it. It’s not going to be easy, but how many really good things are?

I’ll keep you posted, and, for the record, the happiest moment on this blog is going to be when I can post a picture of myself crossing that finish line.

Lessons from the hospital

Posted: March 28, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, diabetes, Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, Exercise, Walking, Weight loss
2

So, after a couple days in the bastion of healing, I’ve come up with a couple of hard, incontrovertible truths.

1) Sleep is important to healing.
2) It’s damn near impossible to sleep in a hospital, unless they have you under anesthesia.

I learned this when they get me up every four hours to go for a walk. This is to prevent blood clots, or so they say. It is a good idea, since blood clots are bad… Very bad. However, while you’re sleeping, they have these things on your legs that inflate and deflate to do exactly the same thing.., prevent blood clots.

So after you do your mandatory constitutional, you lay back down in bed and by the time you finally drift off again, one of the vampire crew shows up to collect blood, waking you up again. It’s about that time when you give up, opt to sit in your chair and blog.

Speaking of walking, Supportive Partner Woman (great motivator!) and I calculated my laps from yesterday and realized that I walked almost 2.5 miles. In slipper socks. No wonder my feet are hurting a bit. But in the good news department, I get discharged today.

Yay!!! (Insert happy dance)

Things are actually feeling pretty good. I still ache, but I’ve not taken any painkillers since yesterday. I’ve also started expelling the surgical gas. I know… No one wants to hear about farting, but it is an unfortunate byproduct of laparoscopic surgery. The other side effect showed up when they weighed me last night. I’m 11 pounds heavier than when I checked in on Tuesday morning. That too is cycling out, but it will take a few days to unload all that retained fluid. Plus, they have me on a pretty constant IV of Ringer’s lactate. That stuff should be familiar to anyone who watched the 70’s TV show Emergency! Seems it’s used to help pump up blood volume. I think it’s also used to keep me chained to an IV pole.

I am ready to go home and get on with the process of healing. Dr. McPhee seems to think ill be able to be off all of my diabetes medications. This makes me very happy. No more insulin? That would be spectacular. Not to mention save a lot of cash. I’d even willingly sacrifice the full vial in the fridge. I’m pretty happy about the prospect of no longer being a human pincushion.

In the other cool news, we got to see a helicopter land and drop off a patient yesterday afternoon. It was pretty cool to watch. I’ll include a picture from my window. Hopefully the victim is OK. I did not find any details in the media, but it was kind of cool to watch.

At any rate, back to being bored for the last few hours of my confinement. More later!

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Good morning

Posted: March 27, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, diabetes, Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, Walking, Weight loss
1

So here I sit.

I’m in the chair in my very nice hospital room. I overlook the emergency room helipad, I found this out when I was sent on my first forced march yesterday. See, walking is a key. It helps to keep the blood flowing and avoid any clots.

The operation was no picnic, at least from my end. I remember being in recovery in a blanket of mental fuzziness. I don’t even recall being taken to my room. I remember a raging thirst, which I can only slake with a water-soaked swab, and also pressing the pain med dispensing button. I vaguely remember Supportive Partner Woman (Best wife Ever!) watching me drift in and out of wakefulness. I remember drifting in and out.

I remember the pain.

Yes, there is pain. I felt like I did about 1,000 crunches in very short order. It still hurts like a bastard.

The incisions themselves look pretty good. They are small and they glue them closed with some kind of surgical super glue. I couldn’t see all of them, but the one I could see was about 1/2 inch. There’s a bigger one that has a drain in it. That’s to help get rid of the sterile fluids and excess blood leftover. They will remove that before I go home on Thursday.

Today, they will be removing the dreaded catheter. I can’t wait. I’m not looking forward to getting that thing yanked out of my junk, but I’ll be glad to get rid of it. I also get to have some fluids today. Woohoo! It’s going to be a big change, having to eat and drink as slow as I’m going to have to. But I’ll adjust. I also think they are taking off the heart monitor this morning, too. That means I get the joy of taking off the leads. So, word of the day will be ouch.

I get to see Dr. McPhee today as well. He’ll want to check the incisions and go from there. I even get a shower!

The nursing care has been awesome. Heather, my day nurse, and Summer, the night nurse, have been super nice and super professional. Summer is actually in the program and goes for her procedure next week.

I’m sure I’ll post more later today, so I’ll stop right now.

Thanks again for all the awesome support. I’ll include a picture of my bed.

20130327-051026.jpg

Waiting

Posted: March 26, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, Weight loss
2

So I’m sitting in a preop cubicle here at LGH. My gown is on and not tied well, cause I’m just not that coordinated.

I’m also frightened.

I guess it’s natural… They are going to reroute my plumbing. If I wasn’t scared, I’d be worried. There are so many thoughts going through my mind right now, I’m not sure which way is up.

I know that I’m logically doing the right thing, that which offers me a fighting chance at a normal life. But there’s part of me that will miss the old sedentary lifestyle. It’s going to be a battle fighting that part, but I’ve gotten this far.

In the upside, I weighed 354.2 this morning. With clothes and shoes on. The liquid diet and the reduced insulin deserve the credit, but I know that I had something to do with it as well. It’s been a struggle, but it’s worth it.

I admit my biggest problem was chatting with my mom in the way to the hospital. I heard her start to break down. I want to get this done so I can tell her I’m fine.

I’m getting shaved now. This will be fun when it grows back. It is what it is.

This will be my last post until after I’m done. Thank you all for sticking with me. Next chapter begins now.

Go time

Posted: March 25, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, diabetes, Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, liquid diet, The Beetus, Weight loss
1

Yeah… now it sets in.

I got the call this morning that my arrivale time at the hospital will be 8:50 AM. That means the procedure will probably go down around 11:00. Basically, I have less than 24 hours until my life changes forever.

That’s not entirely true… my life has changed already. I’ve made the adjustments to my eating and lifestyle. I’ve had my psychological session. I sat through classes on diet, learned the correct way to exercise and learned a lot more about the way the body functions (or malfunctions in my case). I also learned just how many people are rooting for me.

That last was the biggest lesson.

I never saw many people as being good friends. Sure, I had acquaintances, but I always saw my fat as an obstacle to true friends. I just assumed that people were talking about me behind my (broad) back. It wasn’t until I got involved in the Disney community that I started feeling accepted. I say “started” because I still harbored some serious doubts about my own self-worth. I think I will always struggle with that, but I can deal a lot better than I used to.

Dealing with life as a more normal sized person will be a big change. I’m going to have to put myself out there again. I’ll need to learn to not assume I’m too fat to do something and try it again. It will be nice to no longer have to request a table in a restaurant because I’m too fat for a booth. Even fitting in the break room seats at work won’t be a challenge. It will be even nicer to not forego a ride that I previously passed on due to fat.

Even buying clothes won’t be as much of a hassle. No longer needing to shop at Thornton Melon’s Tall and Fat will be a nice change of pace.

The biggest positive change I see is the elimination of the insulin. I think insulin makes you fatter… I don’t necessarily have any scientific proof to this, but it seems that I can do more exercise that I did three years ago and lose a lot less weight. In 2010, I could lose five pounds a week, now I struggle to do that in a month. Main difference? Insulin.

I know I’ve thanked everyone for their support, but there are some that really deserve some credit that I never thanked before. They would be the coworker who would talk shit about my weight and think I didn’t hear him. The comments about me not going to the beach because people would try to put me back in the water, well, they hurt at first. Then they really pissed me off the more I thought about it. It inspired me to take steps to improve my health. So, I’d like to give out a big thank you to him. The real irony is that the individual in question isn’t exactly what you would call svelte.

Anyway. That’s some people for you. Luckily, not everyone is like that.

I might write another post tonight, or at least tomorrow morning. I’ll keep you posted throughout the process.

One little victory…

Posted: March 24, 2013 in Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, liquid diet, Little Victories, Supportive Partner Woman, The Beetus, Weight loss
0
I wonder if SPW ever thought of doing this for me?

I wonder if SPW ever thought of doing this for me?

Haven’t written for a few days. To be honest, I haven’t wanted to do much more than sleep. Consequence of the liquid diet, I’m sure. No energy. That’s beside the point. 48 hours from now, I’ll be hopefully all recovering and mainlining the morphine like nobody’s business. I’ve had to promise that I won’t let Supportive Partner Woman (Page designer of uncanny skill!) confiscate my phone. Apparently, some folks feel that any status updates or texts that I make while high will be amusing.

I’m not sure how to take that.

Anyway, I had to work last night and wanted to stop and pick up some unflavored protein powder on my way into the office. I trudged through SaveMart and located what I was looking for… some strawberry flavored powder as well as the unflavored powder. As I walked out of the door, my nose was assaulted with the smell of freshly baking pizza from the pizza shop across the way.

That’s just not fair.

At all.

Anyway, as I was getting ready for work, I thought, “What the hell?” and actually attempted to button my jeans at the waist, rather than the hips. To my surprise, it could actually be done. Go figure. It wasn’t comfortable in the least, but it’s a little victory. I’m all in favor of those.

In other news, the unflavored powder mixes pretty well with tomato soup. I’m looking forward to trying it with regular chicken broth… it will be less sodium for sure.

So, one more work day tomorrow, then I’m off for four weeks. I’ll be sure to keep you all posted, and even some scale pictures when it finally stops saying, “One at a time, please.”

Thanks again for all the support.

Maybe it’s not all that bad…

Posted: March 21, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, Cooking, diabetes, Exercise, liquid diet, Novo Nordisk, Walking, Weight loss
0

but maybe I’m deluded.

See, the liquid diet goes on. There are plusses… such as I lost another 3.5 pounds since Friday. I’m also sure it was more, as on Friday I was wearing workout clothes. In addition, since I started the liquid diet, I haven’t had to take any of my heavy duty insulin. I’ve been doing one injection a day of Levemir and it’s controlling things pretty well. So, yay on that front.

I had an appointment this morning with Rachel (awesomest primary care provider in the county!) and she was pretty pleased. It was odd, though… I didn’t step on the scale with that sense of dread that I normally have.

In other news, the blood pressure was 128/82. Still a smidge high, but part of that could be white coat syndrome. My resting pulse was 68, which is far better than what it used to be. I can only imagine how it will be when I’m thinner and working out again. Plus, once I’m a little smaller, I can start swimming again.

Look out world, Brian is getting healthy!

The real downside is that I’m cold all the time. Like the body doesn’t have quite fuel to keep it as warm as it used to be. I might need to invest in some long sleeve shirts at some point.

So, I’ve been having Unjury Chicken Soup protein powder for my lunch/dinner. It’s really not too bad, taste-wise. I’m not a huge fan of the sodium content, but the protein is more important, IMHO. I’ve also seen that some people recommend mixing plain protein powder with tomato soup while on the liquid diet. It also just dawns on me that I could mix the plain powder with salt-free chicken broth and get the whole enchilada… taste, low salt, AND protein. Woot!

In the good news department, I was able to toghten another notch in my belt and close my coat for the first time in, well, forever. I love my coat. See, Supportive Partner Woman (awesomest sports editor ever!) and I went to Cabela’s about 7 years ago and found a whole rack of mice winter coats on clearance. I bought this navy blue coat, with a hood for around $35 and it’s kept me warm ever since. I just haven’t been able to close it, because I was too fat. Lo and behold, when I went to zip it up yesterday, it was missing the zipper pull, which does not make me happy, but I’ll need a new coat by next winter anyway. A smaller one. Maybe Cabela’s will have another clearance sale… that would be cool. I’ve lucked out at their store from time to time. I once got a pair of $58 gloves for $7.50. Thinsulate and Goretex and big enough to fit my hands.

At any rate, that’s all I have at this juncture. Hope that you all have a great day. I’m getting a haircut after work… that’s much needed, believe you me.

 

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