Tag Archives: Surgery

Five Month Post Op

28 Saturday Sep 2024

Posted by in bariatric-surgery, Diabetic, diet, Pets, Retirement, Weight Loss

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On September 24th I weighed 206.6 lbs, down 54 lbs since April and down 75 lbs since January. Things are still progressing, slow, but still progressing. I’m averaging about 10 lbs a month. It’s been five months since I’ve had any sugary drinks or sweets. I do, however, drink what I call yellow-capped Milo’s tea. It’s sweetened with Splenda I think. The money I’ve saved just by not buying the soft drinks, Little Debby cakes has helped. Also, not having to take all the extra meds has reduced my pharmacy bill greatly.

Since my surgery, my breathing has improved 100 percent. I guess my lungs were being compressed by my stomach and since the repair, I can tell the difference. I’ve been trying to walk about an hour each day. This boot does make it more difficult though. I had to make an appointment with my orthopedic doctor the other day because my left foot’s ankle had swollen. I immediately contacted my doctor and made an appointment. I was so worried that I was about to go through the same thing with my left foot that I went through on my right. It was just an aggravated tendon, and he made some adjustments to my shoe insert.

I had lunch with some of the guys that I used to work with before I retired the other day. It was good to see them. When I was signed in one of my co-workers asked what I did with the rest of my body? None of them had seen me in over two years or before COVID-19 hit.

I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to vote for the picture of my cat Clyde. He made it to the semi-finals and didn’t make the cut. Clyde has been sort of puny as of late. He spent four days at the vet trying to get rid of a UTI. We hated to have to leave him because he does not do well being boarded. We did go and visit with him every day just so that he wouldn’t think that we had abandoned him. It was really tough seeing him on that last day because all he wanted to do was find an escape route. I’m glad to have him home again with us. I know he’s nearly 20 years old and I know he won’t be with us too much longer. Every day with him is a blessing. It will be hard when he does cross that rainbow bridge.

Update: Post-op Day 20

14 Tuesday May 2024

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On the day of my surgery, I weighed 260 lbs on my bathroom scales. That number is off because of my leg cast. This morning, after a cast change, I weighed 253.8. Nearly 7 pounds gone. But, on the day I started my diet in preparation for this surgery, I weighed 291 pounds. That would be 38 pounds gone. I’m happy so far with the weight loss.

Four of the five incisions have nearly healed. The one above my belly button still has the glue and looks rough. I’m assured by the doctor that everything looks good. I have an appointment with my surgeon’s coworker next week as my surgeon is on maternity leave. There are a couple of things that I need to discuss with him. The most important item is my iron levels have dropped dangerously low. I’m taking iron supplements so I’m waiting for my oncologist to call with an appointment for an iron infusion.

Although my iron level is low, I don’t regret having the surgery at all. The weight is coming off and I haven’t seen these numbers in several years. I haven’t had a soda or tea in three weeks, nor do I miss them. I was drinking six to eight Diet Dr. Peppers in a day. I replaced them with Sprite Zero after I realized the sodium content was lower in the Sprites. But still, I drank way too many sodas in a day.

I’m still waiting on my Crow Boot. I went to the orthopedic doctor yesterday hoping it had come in. I was told next week maybe. They put me in another cast and not a Moon Cast. Meaning I can see my toes now. By the time my Crow Boot comes in it will be four months in a cast. It has been a nightmare! I’ve mastered going down the stairs but coming back up sucks. Lately, I’ve been crawling up them. I don’t get out of breath nearly as bad doing the crawl. I don’t go anywhere I don’t have to go to. Well, I went to Bible study this past Saturday but that was just to get out of the house for a little while. My wife is not the best driver I’ve seen. She acts like a sixteen-year-old being behind the wheel for the first time. She over-corrects every move she makes. She literally scares me to death. She will make a fifteen-minute drive last over an hour because she doesn’t do interstates. Don’t get me wrong, I love my wife I just can’t handle her driving. She’s an excellent caregiver and I tell her that nearly every day. In fact, when I do get my Crow Boot, I’m taking her to the beach or to the mountains for a few days to show her my appreciation.

Update: Post-Op Day 6

30 Tuesday Apr 2024

Posted by in bariatric-surgery, Weight Loss

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The day of the surgery started off on a bad foot and it didn’t end there. First of all, I was told to be at the hospital at 5am with a surgery time of 9am. At 5am it’s dark and my wife can’t see to drive in the dark so I asked if we could move the surgery time to a later time. 7am was the latest that I could get there and still have the surgery. We arrived at 6:30am and were told that I was way early and my surgery wasn’t scheduled until 1pm. There was nothing to do but wait.

A little after noon, I was finally called back. My wife and I were sent to a pre-op room where they tried three times before they were able to start an IV. I was asked several questions regarding my meds and my health. I was given a gown and told to undress and slip on the hospital gown. I was allowed to say my goodbyes to my wife and was rolled out of that room into the surgery room where I met at least three more nurses who introduced themselves and I don’t remember anything after that.

I was awakened by one of my nurses yelling my name telling me to wake up. I remember them saying that my oxygen was low and they were trying to get my bi-pap working. They were having a hard time because the had the hose hooked up backwards. In my drunken state, I had to try to tell them they had it hooked up wrong. Why they didn’t put me on oxygen I’ll never know.

One of the things I had asked the surgeon to look at while she was in my belly was a hernia. She informed me that her main goal was to do the gastric bypass and if she had time she would look at it. Well, that changed. Once she got into my belly, she found that my gallbladder was about to explode. It was full of inflammation and was bleeding. It was surprising that I hadn’t had any symptoms. The first step was to remove my gallbladder. With the gallbladder removed she noticed that my stomach had risen up into my esophagus. She then had to fix the stomach issue. Once she did that she fixed the hernia then she proceeded to do the gastric bypass. The surgeon told my wife that I was one sick puppy.

During surgery, they had to run a tube down my throat. I’m still coughing from that. My incisions are still a little sore, all five of them. I’m still in the liquid stage of my diet and I should start to be able to eat pureed food on Thursday. I’m so looking forward to that. I can’t tell if I’m losing weight because of the cast. I just had a new one put on yesterday and it feels heavier than the others. The orthopedic doctor fitted me with a Crow Boot yesterday so hopefully, I’ll graduate from a cast in a couple of weeks to a month. At least in a Crow Boot I’ll be able to walk some and climb stairs better than I am now.

Update April 22nd, 2024

22 Monday Apr 2024

Posted by in bariatric-surgery, Cancer, Diabetic, diet, Weight Loss

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My gastric bypass surgery is this Wednesday, April 24th. It was originally scheduled for last Wednesday but COVID hit. I am having waves of emotion. One minute I’m excited the next, I’m nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs. But, all the benefits outweigh the negatives. I think my wife is more nervous than I am. Granted, I know this will be a life-changing experience with a new diet and a new way of looking at my life. An extended life I might add.

Stay tuned for more updates.

Update: April 2nd

02 Tuesday Apr 2024

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It’s been a while I know.  A lot has been going on so hold on to your hat.

Monday, April 1st marks the 10th week that I’ve either been in a splint or a cast.  This is my third hard cast since I was put in one.  I have a problem with either the cast getting wet, broke or both.  I’ve had several x-rays and I’ve been told each time that my foot is healing but has a long way to go.  My foot is still swollen a little and it looks like a lizard with all that dead skin just hanging there.  I did speak to the doctor and if everything continues as it has, I should be able to be put in a Crow Boot in about two months.  At least with a Crow Boot I should be able to walk on it some.

It’s like I’m a prisoner in my own home.  I live in a split foyer home.  When you walk in the front door you must either go up or go downstairs.  Seven of them to be exact. Going downstairs is not a problem.  I simply grab ahold of the banister and the handrail and hop down the stairs.  Going up is another issue. Right now, the solution is to use a walker with the front legs adjusted to the step above and hop up the stairs.  I’m exhausted by the time I make it up the stairs.  This is the reason I don’t go anywhere other than for doctor appointments. 

My gastric bypass surgery has been approved and my surgery is scheduled for the 17th of April.  I have to start my liver shrink diet on the 10th and my 2-day liquid diet starts on the 15th. If I told you th.at I wasn’t worried I’d be lying.  There’s a lot to consider even after the surgery. Just my doctors and my immediate family know about it.  None of my friends or even my parents don’t know about it. The reason?  I have a couple of family members that have had this surgery and they are bigger now than before they had the surgery.  Simply put, they gave up on themselves.  I have a point to make.  I’ll eventually tell them after I lose about 100 lbs.

Another reason I’m doing the surgery is my health.  If everything goes well, I will no longer be a diabetic and I will no longer have to use a Bipap machine to sleep.  The money I’ll save no longer using insulin will more than pay for the vitamins that I’ll have to take.

Stay tuned for updates after the surgery.

Step One Complete

07 Thursday Dec 2023

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I spoke with the Bariatric surgeon on Monday and discussed my options. We both concluded that the gastric bypass was the way to go. She was a young doctor and my wife questioned her ability. I think she was just jealous of her looks. We talked about the class that I am going to have to take and the three visits I have to have with my general practitioner. Those will all have to be scheduled. I think I’m going to wait until the first of the year to start this because of the temptations with all the Christmas foods.

My next appointment was with my Gastrologist on the same day. I found out that my stomach ulcer had healed and I can now reduce the meds that I am taking. That’s good news because that was one of the concerns I had with the Bariatric surgery. I also found out that I had a Hiatal Hernia. This can also be taken care of during the Bariatric surgery.

The doctor visits will take three months. If I start in January, that would mean that the surgery would not be until April of next year. There is no mention of any amount of weight that has to be lost but there are several things that I have to do these three months. I have to keep a record of my meals, which I already have an app for that. I have to go to the gym or somehow show that I’m at least trying to exercise every day.

This is going to be a long drawn-out process but I’m ready for it. I’m tired of looking the way I do and feeling the way I do.

365 Day Photo Challenge Day Ten “Wishing it Was Spring Already”

10 Saturday Jan 2015

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This was taken last year about this time.  We are in our 36th hour of being below freezing.  We don’t deal with these kind of temps much so it’s a big deal down here in the deep south.  We are expecting to get above freezing tomorrow but then the rains come in.

I’m so ready for spring time so I can get out and feel human again.  I feel like a caged animal not being able to get out and ride my bike.  Having eye surgery the other day is compounding the effects because I can’t drive anywhere.

I truly hope everyone else is doing fine and able to get out and do things.

365 Day Photo Challenge Day Nine “One of Those Days”

09 Friday Jan 2015

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Ever had one of those days?  I’ve been restricted from work until next Wednesday due to my eye surgery.  Got to catch up on my TV watching if that’s anything to brag about.  Going out tomorrow to do some running around with my daughters tomorrow so I’ll at least get out of the house for a while.

This is my cat Sophie.  She’s doing what she does best, washing her face.  She likes to stay clean, nap, eat, poop and clean again.

365 Day Photo Challenge Day Eight “Old Howard Bike Ride”

08 Thursday Jan 2015

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Just signed up for a 45 mile bike ride.  It’s in April so I still have time to do a little training.  This is me during one of the few rides that I did last year.  I’m out of shape but I think I can get where I need to be in a couple of months.

The eye doctor took my eye patch off today and all the floaters have been removed.  I can see now without having to look through a composition notebook.  No bending over, lifting anything more than 10 lbs and not going to work until next week.