So yesterday I found myself in the ER after conversations with my surgeon and the gastroenterologist that she consults with. They did a work up that included an upper endoscopy and lo and behold......I have an anastomotic ulcer. I know I'm lucky that this is the only complication I have had since the surgery in July, but it bums me out that even though I have done all I'm supposed to do --meaning no Nsaids, caffeine, smoking, etc-- I still get a friggin' ulcer. Sigh.....
Ok, over the pity party. Now on to healing Mr. Pouchy.
They started me on Carafate and omeprazole twice a day to see if this heals over time. I'll make sure to be extra careful with that I'm eating and drinking, although I don't know if I can do anything much different. This concerns me because if I am already not doing or eating things that cause ulcers does that mean I'll be prone to them no matter what? Am I going to be fighting ulcers the rest of my life just because I had this surgery? Will I get scarring that will cause a stricture? Good grief, I guess I just need to take it as it comes. Pouchy should start feeling better after a week or two they said, otherwise we'll need to look further.
In other news.....I needed some new shoes and was able to find some really cool ones at the outlets and the biggest excitement was that I did not need a wide width! The silliest thing, but it made me so happy! Also, went to the Old Navy Outlet and was able to fit into their 2X shirts. Bought two long sleeve shirts for $6 and a cute jacket for $15. I have a feeling the smaller I get the more I'm going to love to shop. I have never been able to shop at Old Navy unless it was their online 4X yoga pants. lol So many people take shopping off the rack for granted. It was a great feeling.
And one of the biggest NSV's I have had so far--I was able to take a bike ride after being unable to for way too long! Got out my Townie and hit the road! I sat comfortably with no pain and felt great afterwards. I'll be taking rides every weekend. I would love to ride during the week but I generally leave when it's dark and get home when it's dark! Having a full time job really puts a hamper on life. HA!!
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Sunday, October 13, 2013
3 Months Later
It's been a bit over 3 months since surgery and here are some of the changes that have been happening:
1) I've lost 74 lbs since my highest weight. Down to 281. Soon I will be the weight on my driver's license. lol I have always put 275 on it, even when I weighed 355.
2) I tried on and bought a pair of 24W cargo pants at the "Walmarts" yesterday. Unbelievable. Now, I still think these are cut big and probably can't fit into 24Ws in any other brand, but it was exciting all the same. I am coming down from a size 30/32W.
3) Mixed up bowels. TMI for some, so skip this one if you want. For the first 2 months I was constantly having loose stools and diarrhea. When I hit that 3rd month I stopped. Literally. Now I'm dealing with constipation. Painful constipation! I spent 30 freakin' minutes on the potty one day and it was agonizing. At my 3 month follow up the Internal Medicine bariatric specialist said we could safely add in Benefiber, a stool softener AND Miralax daily. So with all that and upping my water intake I'm hoping things will start moving along better. It's not fun!
4) I am able to shave my legs in the shower again! I have to be careful with dizziness from bending over but I'm physically able to reach down and shave. Loving that!
5) I can pull the steering well in my car in the bottom most position. This is how I prefer to drive, but was unable to for a long time because of big legs and tummy. It's the little things that get me excited. lol
6) I can sit in my office chair at work and pull one leg up under me, which is ultra comfy for me.
7) I can walk up 2 flights of stairs without being out of breath!
8) A1c is down to 6.0%. Off all insulin and down to 500mg metformin twice a day.
9) Still cannot tolerate chicken breast unless it is done in the crock pot. Chicken thighs, no problem. But darn that chicken breast, every time it causes some pain and nausea.
10) I'm cooking more now than I did before surgery. This is good because it means we are not eating JUNK! I'm actually enjoying cooking new things with fresh ingredients.
11) The urge to do other things when I'm stressed, sad, mad, etc is really bad the past couple weeks. I'm working on this.
12) I'm finding bones here and there. My knees are looking a bit knobby. lol
13) I'm getting way more smiles and "friendlies" from strangers. Some have debated whether or not this is because we fat people are looking more "normal" and therefore the prejudice is lessening. Some think it's because as we gain more confidence we look more approachable. More on what I think about this later!
14) Being on my feet for longer periods does not hurt. My tootsies are breathing a sigh of relief!
There, that's a start. I forgot to mention the moods are still driving me crazy. I get irritated so much easier and have less tolerance for bullshit. And the breakouts on my face. Damn pimples!
But there is so much more good stuff and great feelings going on that it makes it all worth it. I'm so happy I had this surgery and even though I'm still a fresh newbie I would say I would do it all over again. My quality of life has gained by leaps and bounds already, I can't even imagine how much better it's going to get!
1) I've lost 74 lbs since my highest weight. Down to 281. Soon I will be the weight on my driver's license. lol I have always put 275 on it, even when I weighed 355.
2) I tried on and bought a pair of 24W cargo pants at the "Walmarts" yesterday. Unbelievable. Now, I still think these are cut big and probably can't fit into 24Ws in any other brand, but it was exciting all the same. I am coming down from a size 30/32W.
3) Mixed up bowels. TMI for some, so skip this one if you want. For the first 2 months I was constantly having loose stools and diarrhea. When I hit that 3rd month I stopped. Literally. Now I'm dealing with constipation. Painful constipation! I spent 30 freakin' minutes on the potty one day and it was agonizing. At my 3 month follow up the Internal Medicine bariatric specialist said we could safely add in Benefiber, a stool softener AND Miralax daily. So with all that and upping my water intake I'm hoping things will start moving along better. It's not fun!
4) I am able to shave my legs in the shower again! I have to be careful with dizziness from bending over but I'm physically able to reach down and shave. Loving that!
5) I can pull the steering well in my car in the bottom most position. This is how I prefer to drive, but was unable to for a long time because of big legs and tummy. It's the little things that get me excited. lol
6) I can sit in my office chair at work and pull one leg up under me, which is ultra comfy for me.
7) I can walk up 2 flights of stairs without being out of breath!
8) A1c is down to 6.0%. Off all insulin and down to 500mg metformin twice a day.
9) Still cannot tolerate chicken breast unless it is done in the crock pot. Chicken thighs, no problem. But darn that chicken breast, every time it causes some pain and nausea.
10) I'm cooking more now than I did before surgery. This is good because it means we are not eating JUNK! I'm actually enjoying cooking new things with fresh ingredients.
11) The urge to do other things when I'm stressed, sad, mad, etc is really bad the past couple weeks. I'm working on this.
12) I'm finding bones here and there. My knees are looking a bit knobby. lol
13) I'm getting way more smiles and "friendlies" from strangers. Some have debated whether or not this is because we fat people are looking more "normal" and therefore the prejudice is lessening. Some think it's because as we gain more confidence we look more approachable. More on what I think about this later!
14) Being on my feet for longer periods does not hurt. My tootsies are breathing a sigh of relief!
There, that's a start. I forgot to mention the moods are still driving me crazy. I get irritated so much easier and have less tolerance for bullshit. And the breakouts on my face. Damn pimples!
But there is so much more good stuff and great feelings going on that it makes it all worth it. I'm so happy I had this surgery and even though I'm still a fresh newbie I would say I would do it all over again. My quality of life has gained by leaps and bounds already, I can't even imagine how much better it's going to get!
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