Saturday, July 31, 2010

Hello My Lovelies.....

Hi everyone.  I know that when I made my last post I promised I was back for good.  And, I didn't lie, technically, but it's been kinda weird around my parts in the last couple weeks. 

The healing process with my back is going really well.  I'm still in pain, but nothing like it was before.  The debilitating spasms going down my butt and legs are totally gone.  Which is great.  That was one of the biggest complaints that I had for the doc.  As well as being in constant pain all the time. 

The pain I'm in now is more of a healing pain.  I'm very sore still.  Which kinda angers me a little.  I was hoping I'd bounce back quicker than this.  I start physical theraphy on Monday.  The doc ordered water therapy as well as traditional therapy, but right now the physical therapist thinks we should stick with strictly water therapy.  Which brings me to my swimsuit fear from the last post.  Especially since they took fluid out of my band and I've been gaining.  The swimsuit looks pretty decent though.  For the first one I've owned in 10 years, it'll do.  :)

In the assessment he gave me he said that since my back was messed up for so long and I've compensated for so many things everything in my body is kinda tilted to the right.  Ankles, pelvis, hips, shoulders, neck, the whole nine yards.  So that is going to be first on the agenda; lining me back up, which he said would make me much more comfortable just in everyday life.  He kinda tried to pop a few things back in place on Wednesday when I did my assessment, but I couldn't handle it.  On the plus side, my GIANT bruises from my IV's and having blood drawn a million times are finally starting to go away.  They're kind of yellowish instead of purple.  I bruise really easy and so drawing blood or getting an IV is pretty brutal.  I even bruise when I get fills and that needle doesn't bother me at all. 

I'm slowly trying to get life back to normal.  My hubby was on vacation for a week and half to take care of me at home.  While I was very grateful and really did need his help, I'm so glad he went back to work.  lol  He was driving me insane!  Since I wasn't really able to go anywhere we were together all the time.  Not good.  Hubby and I love eachother very much, but we're also people that need our own space.  Which, most of the time, we both respect, if we can.  But when I'm not cleared to drive yet and really have no money to go anywhere on my own, it's a little hard.  I kid you not, it was getting to the point that the very sound of his voice made me want to slap the shit out of him.  lol  Not good. 

However, he went back to work on Monday and both of our routines are slowly getting back to normal.  Sort of.  I'm not able to do as much of the housework right now as I was doing before because I'm still on a lot of restrictions, but I can do a few things.  And, we get to spend some much needed time apart. 

In getting back to my daily routine I've noticed that it's getting easier to get up and around.  Moving around is easier.  Still not 100% which, I gotta be honest, I'm kinda pissed about.  Not a lot I can do about it, but it is what it is.  Doc said I might not be all the way to 100% for three to six months.  Joy of joys.  *insert extreme sarcasm here*  However, at my post op appointment when he took my staples out and took x-rays he said that the hardware looked perfect.  So that's good, and a load off my mind.  That means I'm doing things right I guess.

On the band front, I'm doing better since my little stint in the hospital.  They took WAY TOO MUCH out of my band though.  I know they did it for my safety, which is cool, but damn!  Did they forget I'm a fattie?  :)  I just can't wait till next week when I can have them put it back in.  I was at my sweet spot.  I was just stupid and wasn't taking my antiacids like I should have been and screwed everything up.  As I said in my last post, that has since changed.  I miss my sweet spot and restriction.  However, I will have it back next week.  Absence makes the heart grow fonder indeed.  :)

Well, I guess that's all I have for today my friends.  Was just checking in with you.  I'm still way behind on blogs, hopefully I'll get semi-caught up today.  At least that's the plan.  Happy posting everyone.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

A Slew of Updates

HAY EVERYBODY! 

This is actually my first post since before I had surgery.  I know that a couple of days after surgery hubby posted that I was doing ok.  Since then I've had a couple issues.

I was in the hospital a few extra days than is usual with this type of surgery.  I was on a pain drip of course in my IV, well the meds they were giving me was shutting my body down.  My kidney's stopped acting as much and my blood pressure went down to 80/30.  They had to give me something in the IV to raise it back up.  There are about two whole days that I don't remember.  Chris left on Friday afternoon because he had to work on Saturday and he also needed to pick up the dog.  I remember that, but that's all I remember till Monday. 

After I got off the pain drip things got a lot better.  On Monday I got up and started walking and doing the initial bit of therapy they wanted me to do in the hospital.  Getting back to walking, at that time I was using the assistance of a walker.  Then I went to a cane.  Now, a couple weeks after surgery I'm not using either.  Which is a good thing.  The doc actually took all walking aides away from me yesterday when he did my post op.  I went into the hospital for surgery on the 8th and left on the 13th, so I was in the hospital for 5 days. Like I said, little longer than normal, but we had the issues with the pain drip.

They didn't let me eat or drink anything for four freakin' days!  lol  Which I know would have been much more of an issue before being banded.  After, not so much.  I actually wasn't that hungry so it wasn't that big of a deal to me.  I was really thirsty, but not hungry at all.  They wanted me to pass gas before I could eat.  Which is pretty standard for most surgeries.  I told the doc that since I've had my band done my body doesn't work that way.  There's nothing coming out if nothing's going in.  As we all know.  Still didn't matter to them.  They were just following the rules though, can't be mad at them for that.

I did get to eat one meal before I left.  Which wasn't too bad.  Hubby said the food was really good.  The menu was actually pretty upscale.  The one mean I had was shrimp skewers with rice pilaf.  I was rather impressed.  However, it was a little spicy.

After I was released from the hospital I went to my mom and dad's for a few days till they left for vacation.  I was enjoying life at mom and dad's.  No one takes better care of you when you're sick than your parents.  lol  No matter how old you are.  At almost 30 years old, I know there's no one like mom.  :D  And mom has cable.  Which I don't.  So I got to indulge in a little cable tv while I was there.  It's the simple things in life I guess.

After I came home is when the band issues started.  I was home for a couple of days when I started getting really bad acid reflux.  I was waking up in the middle of the night as well as still getting sick during the day.  After about 5 days of that I called the bariatic center where I got the band placed and they said they needed to see me immediately.  Which is a three hour drive from my house.  I actually called the bariatric center here first, and since they're full of morons, they wouldn't treat me.  I told them about the issues that I was having.  They asked me if I had my band placed there, I told them no, they seriously told me that I was out of luck and had to go where I had it placed.  When I informed them that it was 3 hours from my house they basically told me that was my problem.  Assholes.

So I called up mom and asked her if she wanted to take a small roadtrip with me.  This was the day she got home from vacation.  I felt kinda bad for her.  She had been up since 4 that morning and had got off the plane to find me sick and had to take another mini roadtrip. 

I went to the ER in the hospital where I had the band placed.  They took about 2cc's of fluid out.  They kept me in the hospital over night.  After they took the 2cc's out I was able to eat some mashed potatoes and a little bit of soup.  In the morning they gave me a barium swallow to make sure the band didn't slip.  Which it hasn't.  I tell you what, my doc must have welded that thing in there.  lol  I was positive it was gonna be bad news.  But the band is fine.  It actually could have been anything.  However, more likely cuz I wasn't taking my acid reflux medication like I should have.  I have since started taking it again.  I night in the hospital, Lord knows what it's going to cost us for heartburn.  Nice.  I did eat lunch at the hospital and it stayed down fine.  As has everything since so they said it was all good.  I have another fill scheduled for August 5th, they're going to evaluate my situation then and fill me back up accordingly.

Yesterday, the surgeon for my back took the staples out.  It was an anterior and posterior spinal fusion, which means they went in through the front and the back.  When he took all the staples out and took xrays, he said that all the hardware looks great and to just keep doing what I'm doing.  The hardware looks totally freaky.  It's weird.  I look like the bionic woman.  If I had a pic of the xray, I'd post it, but I don't. 

Right now I have a lot of restrictions.  I can't lift anything, bend, stoop, push or pull anything.  I also can't carry anything.  Right now I'm doing a lot of catching up on blogs and reading.  I've been doing a lot of walking.  Usually I'll take a couple extra laps around the grocery store when we go.  Which totally counts and it's air conditioned.  :D  July in Missouri is miserable to be walking outside.  No way.  I get to start physical therapy next week.  Which is water and land therapy.  Super cool.  That means I have to buy/acquire a swimsuit.  May the force be with me.

Well, that's about all I've got.  Just a heads up to let you all know that surgery went well and I'm doing better.  I MISSED YOU ALL SO MUCH!  Now I need to get more caught up on all your blogs. 

Happy posting everyone.  Talk to you all soon.

Friday, July 09, 2010

Surgery Update by the Husband.

Morning all you bloggers.  Erika wanted me to get on here and let everybody know shes doing fine after the surgery.  Her surgery was yesterday morning and took about 6 hours including the recovery time.  Shes going stir crazy right now wanting to move around and eat.  But she can't until the physical therapist comes in and no food until she passes some air between her non trumpet playing cheeks.

But I wanted to let y'all know she doing good.

Chris

Monday, July 05, 2010

The Countdown Begins

So, surgery is 3 days away.  It's kind of just starting to sink in.  I'm undecided if I'm nervous, afraid....I don't really know what I am right now actually. 

I do know that I'm ready to not be in pain anymore and I'm taking the step in that direction.  I know that it's going to get worse before it gets better.  I know that the first few weeks after surgery are gonna be pretty rough.  Which is the case with any surgery, regardless of what type it is.  Surgery is surgery. 

I'm kinda worried about my band.  On surgery day I'm going to talk with my doctor about it and make sure he doesn't damage it in any way.  He has an x ray of it so he he knows where it is, but I still want the peace of mind.  Due to the fact they are going in through the front and the back.  I don't know why that is either, I will also ask him that.  He told me once, but I don't remember it.  :)  That seems to be my main worry going in to this is that I don't want my band damaged.  I trust my doc, but that worry is still there. 

I have everything ready to go, except getting my bag packed.  Still need to do the laundry and wash up the stuff I'm going to wear while in the hospital and at my mom and dad's for a week.  Which will be mostly yoga pants type stuff. 

Here is the contact information for the hospital for those of you that are interested:
Menorah Medical Center
5721 West 119th Street
Overland Park, Kansas 66209
913.345.3600

Of course, I don't know what room I'll be in yet, but there is the information should any of you want it.  I'm sure if you want to call, you can just ask for my room number at the main number.  My mom and my hubby will be staying in the hospital with me.  I should be in there for about 3-4 days.  I don't know if hubby will be staying the whole time, but I know my mom will.  It costs 25 bux a day to board the dog, so hubby might come home early to save us some money.  He told me that if I wanted him to stay he would.  I don't know yet.  I do know that I have to make that decision in the next couple of days.  He has the time off work for vacation time, so we won't be losing any money that way at least. 

I'm finally back on track with my band.  When I got my last fill on June 10th I weighed in at 200 pounds.  This morning, a little less than a month later I weighed in at 186.  Which is amazing!  I didn't lose for a few months so it's nice to have such amazing progress in this short amount of time.  This morning's weigh in puts me at a total of 61 pounds down.  I'm happy with that.  Being banded just a little over a year, this is good.  I've lost it slowly enough and I'm young enough that hopefully I won't have much sagging skin.  Not really worried much about that right now. 

Our fourth of July was a total bust.  :(  It rained all night long.  We usually put on a pretty decent display and this year we didn't get to do anything.  I was totally looking forward to posting some great pics on here, but alas, not gonna happen this year.  A few grounders and some fountains and stuff, but none of the major stuff.  The upside is that we'll have it for next year and that's money we don't have to spend.  If they last that long.  lol 

I will be taking my laptop with me to the hospital so hopefully I'll be able to check in.  Like I said, I'll be there for about four days, so hopefully I feel well enough to be able to post and check in with you guys and see what's going on with you all.

I guess that's about all I have for right now.  Hope you all had a great and safe fourth!  Happy posting y'all.

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