Remember that song? I think it's going to be my theme song.
So, here's the deal. The next time I go missing-send out an email search party for me, Ok? It's hard to realize in the day to day life how much it helps me to write down what's going on in my world.
So, here is where we are now. I am one week post-op. I had the surgeries DONE. I had my hernia fixed and I had a tummy tuck last Tuesday. No lie, it was probably the most painful thing I've ever done. I woke up in the recovery room and was sure that I was dying. They couldn't pump that morphine in me fast enough.
Some of you know that I participated in a test study for post op pain medication in patients with abdominal surgery. The experience was good overall. I would do it again for sure. It was a lot of run around to get approved for the study-but worth it in the end. I know I got the "good drugs" and not the placebo during the study because I had very good pain control while in the hospital.
So I had my one week follow up appointment today. I am healing well and cleared to go back to work on November 27th. Until then I'm on pretty strict restrictions until my scar is healed more. The scar itself is huge. It goes from hip to hip across my stomach. I'm not ready to post a picture quite yet because the swelling is still so great. I was a little disappointed today at the Dr. because the scale is only 1 pound less than the day I went in for surgery. I had 8.5 pounds of skin and fat cut off. My Dr. said that the extra "weight" right now, is swelling. I am very swollen and bruised.
So, as soon as the swelling is down a little bit. I'll post a picture. That's the update for now. I won't stay away this time. I promise.
Man! If it isn't one thing, it's another. I had my follow up appointment yesterday. Some news was good, some not so good. The good news is that I am healing very well. I am and have been back at work, doing just fine. Then we got to talking about the results of my surgery.
There was a hernia found-which I was told about while I was still in the hospital. I was told then that I would need to be fixed soon, but we would discuss it at my follow up appointment. Yesterday I was told that I have lost a lot of weight-although the scale reads 203 pounds-I am only 10 pounds away from my "ideal body weight". The rest-is the weight of my excess skin. Gross. I KNEW that I was going to have skin issues-but I didn't realize that so much if what is still-for lack of a better term-hanging around my midsection was skin. I thought a lot of it was fat that would eventually get smaller as I continued to lose weight. Not so, I am told.
I've done a lot of damage to my body. I am suffering from hernias due to the weight of the excess skin. I'm so discusted in myself for letting my weight issue get as bad as it was before I finally got off my lazy ass and did something about it. Now I am stuck in a situation where I am going to have to shell out major dollars to get this all fixed. If I don't get the skin issue taken care of, I will continue to get hernias.
The hernia that I have now was described to me as "a big one". It is right in the area of my C-section scar and in danger of opening up that old scar tissue more than it already has. I have been ordered to STOP all lower body exercise, no walking up the stairs, and the kicker...I now have a 2 pound weight restriction. How in the world am I supposed to lose weight with those kinds of restrictions?
I will be having the surgery soon. Probably sometime in October. I will also be having the skin issue taken care of. Although I will happy with the end result-I am still disappointed in myself.
This has been a hard year for me, medically speaking. I've been through a cancer scare-which included several procedures, 2 D&C's, gall bladder surgery, and now hernia surgery. Did I mention that my first surgery took place in February? That's a lot both physically, emotionally, and especially financially for me to deal with. But all of it has/had to be done, and somehow, someway I will figure out a way to carry on.
On the bright side-I am so looking forward to having this skin removed. Not only for the obvious cosmetic reasons, but because I will finally be able to exercise more. Running is impossible for me right now-and I really would like to try it. The weight that I carry in my mid section is a lot. It causes pain in my lower back-not to mention that it is just plain ugly. It will be nice to have all of this behind me and I can start fresh and REALLY REALLY get myself in a healthy place.
So, I'm trying to take the good with the bad-and carry on. I told the principal of the school that I work at that I was going to be out again soon-he was less than thrilled that I would be gone and actually made some hurtful comments-not about my weight-or I would have kicked his ass LOL-but about them being able to count on me and depend on me. Well, you know what? If I'm dead-how dependable will I be? Jerk.
Hi! It's been a long week, but I am feeling pretty good. I went back to work last Monday-exactly one week after landing in the ER. Most of my incisions are healed nicely, there is only one that is still bothering me a little bit. I'm sure it will be fine though.
I actually go back to the Dr. tomorrow for a follow up. I'm pretty sure I know how the conversation is going to go, and I'm not really intertested in hearing it quite yet. I found out after my gall bladder surgery that I also have a hernia that needs to be repaired ASAP according to my Dr. The hernia surgery will make 3 surgeries for me in less than a year. I just wish the white coats would leave me alone for a while.
I'm sure I'll get the Ok to start exercising again. Right now I am on a weight restriction and orders not to exercise until I am fully healed. Being on these restrictions is causing the scale to sit exactly in the same spot. I'm not losing, but I'm not gaining either.
I'll let ya'll know tomorrow what happens at my appointment. Thanks for checking in on me!
2 pounds. For as much pain as that baby caused me I would think it should weigh at *least* 20 pounds, but I'll take what I can.
I sure wish I could have talked that surgeon into a tummy tuck while I was laying on the table but such is life-or my life anyway.
I'm beginning to feel much better. I'm still a bit sore but have moved on from the big gun pain killers to regular old Tylenol. The pain in my abdomen isn't the problem it is the pain from the gas that they pumped into my body that hurts so much. I would guess by the end of the weekend I should be feeling just fine. I'm going back to work on Monday so either way I better be ready.
I guess I caused these problems myself due to my weightloss. I don't understand the fine details of the whole thing, but I was told that it is common for your gall bladder to go out of whack after losing a large amount of weight in a relatively short time. I would have preferred this not to happen, but I will take the lost gall bladder over the alternative of carrying around an extra 70 pounds.
The weekend is here, and I don't have any exciting plans. Meagan thinks we should bust out the Halloween decorations-I'm trying to hold her off for another week. We'll see what happens.
So-I'm back in the saddle doing what I can to continue the downward spiral of the numbers on the scale. Cheers to me.
Ugh! This is going to be short and sweet. Just wanted to let ya'll know I was admitted to the hospital on Monday and had surgery to remove my gall baldder on Tuesday morning. I am home now, but very tired and very sore. It was a long ordeal, and I had been sick for a while and didn't know it. SO....it may be a day or two before I am back and in full effect again.
So...how much does a gall bladder weigh anyway? Considering they are removing organs from my body....that would pretty much guarantee a weight loss, right? LOL
Should have asked them to do a tummy tuck while they were in there. No such luck.
Ugh! I am so disappointed with myself. I've been avoiding this blog because I didn't want to fess up to what has happened with me. BUT I seems that even if I stay away, I can't hide. Several friends have checked in on me, and I can't hide behind my computer any more.
I've gained 6 pounds back. Like I said, I'm just disappointed. I was doing so well, for so long-and I just stopped keeping a close eye on things, and look what happened.
Tomorrow is a new day. I will pick up where I fell off and keep on keeping on. I'm glad that one of my favorite TV shows started back up tonight. THE BIGGEST LOSER gices me so much inspiration. I know if THEY can do it, I can do it too.
So, here is to a fresh start and new beginning. I'm going to reset my goal tracker and just keep on plugging away. I'm sorry if I disappointed any of you as well, but please please stick with me...and cheer me on. I'm feeling really lousy right now, and need to pick myself up and go back for more.
This message is brought to you by the numbers 7 and 0!!
Yes!! Finally I have made my first MAJOR goal!! 70 pounds are GONE FOREVER!!
I started this journey back in March at my highest weight EVER-269 pounds. This morning I jumped on the scale and for the first time in oh, probably 14 years I am UNDER 200 pounds. Granted, I am at 199-but I'll take it. I'm thrilled.
Life has been busy and hectic around here. Back to school is always like that. Its hard to get all the things done in a day that need to be done. It's getting easier as eveyone gets in the groove of the new school year.
I still have a way to go to get to where I want to be, I'm not even sure what that majic number is-I guess I'll know when I get there. But today, I am happy with where I am and SO proud of all that I have accomplished.
Well, this was it. Thursday was the first day of school for us, which means I had to go back to work. I've been stressing over going back, I keep tossing back and forth what I should be doing. Should I keep plugging away at a place that I am not challenged in hopes that it will pay off in the end? Or should I just end it all now and move in a different direction? I have no idea what the right choice is. The best thing about working with the school district is that I am available to my family and most importantly Meagan in the afternoons and weekends. As she gets older she needs me less and less, but I still like knowing that I *can* be there when called upon.
Yeah, and paid summers off aren't so bad either.
It's a good thing that school is back in session though. I know that all of this free time leaves me in s vulnerable position food and weight wise. I know the reason the scale isn't moving is that I have more opportunity to make bad choices during the day. The scale isn't going up, which is a good thing-but it isn't going down either-and I'm not Ok with that.
So, here's to a new year and a new experience. Talk to you all later!!
I've been having an awful time sleeping this week. It seems each night I've been up until close to 5:00am before I finally fall asleep. As much as I try to go to bed early, I just do not feel tired. Hopefully this will work itself out.
The summer is drawing to a close for us. We head back to school August 17th. I guess the down side to getting out in May is that we have to start back earlier than everyone else. Pros and Cons, just like everything else. I miss the students, but really I am not looking forward to going back just yet. I enjoy the time home with my family and hate to go back to the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Oh well, I can't live in this "vacation" world forever.
So, the scale has started moving again which I am so thankful for. I was getting so discouraged so it was very much welcomed when the number dropped again.
Today was a good day. I'm happy and I'm looking forward to spending the weekend with my family.
