So January 2nd is the day I went in for my sleeve. I was VERY nervous about the pee test. For obvious reasons. Made it through that part and was wheeled into the OR at the same time as about 6 other patients were being wheeled in. It was like a caravan of patients. We all turned into our ORs at the exact same time. Surreal experience!
In my OR, my anesthiologist was making me feel super comfortable. He was a really nice guy. One of the nurses remembered me from my last attempt at WLS. They chatted me up and before I knew it, I was out.
When I woke up in recovery, I was very groggy. They were waiting for a room for me so I was in recovery for several hours longer than expected. I was feeling fine and awake. A very nice male nurse kept me entertained as we joked about the other whiny patients. I swear if I heard one more dramatic moan of pain - I was going to scream! LOL.
I finally got to my room and Shawn arrived. It was so good to see his smiling face! I wasn't allowed to drink for the first 12 hours so my mouth was desert dry. YUK. Eventually I could drink (a tiny tiny bit) and the catheter came out (ahhhh). Surprisingly, the pain was pretty mild and I was up and walking pretty soon after.
The first few weeks of liquid and pureed foods were hard but not terrible. The worst thing is seeing other people eat the things you want but can't have. Pizza, chocolate chip cookies, etc. I cried it out a few times but got through it and it's not as hard to deal with now.
I'm on all foods now but maximizing my weight loss by staying around 600 calories per day, between 60-70g of protein and 64+oz of water daily. I try to keep my carbs below 40. I am not eating breads or starchy foods like potatoes and pasta as I'm prioritizing my protein and veggies. Once I've achieved the results I want, I will adjust accordingly.
Some people don't think that weight loss surgery counts as "losing on your own" or it's the "easy way out" but TRUST ME. This is the hardest thing I've ever done. I can still eat whatever I want. I could choose to not follow my doctor's plans. This is still about willpower and drive. If I don't exercise, I won't see the results I want. The surgery doesn't make me exercise - that's all me. That's what I like about the surgery I chose - the sleeve is still about the patient making the right decisions. And here I am doing it - and I'm so proud of myself.
I still have a long way to go, but I feel happier, more energetic and more determined than ever to get healthy - and if I didn't lose another pound after today - I'd still be happy with my decision.
So here are my stats as of my 2 months out at 3/2/13:
PreOp Diet Weight: 314
Surgery Date Weight: 304
1 Month PostOp: 278.6
2 Month PostOp: 258
Here are my 1 month and 2 month comparison photos (same shirt):
This pic is good because you can see the difference big time:
I think I'm going to wear a tighter shirt next time and drop this one.
Anyway - I hope to keep you up to date!
Love,
Danielle
I am so unbelievably proud of you! You look so good, and I can tell you're already feeling better about yourself, which is the whole point, right?
ReplyDeleteI love you so much! You are amazing and strong and you can totally do this!
YBF, WOOT!