36 Yr Old Stay at Home Mom of 2

This Friday (in 2 days) marks my 11 week post op. I know I've been slacking on posting updates but I've been so busy. So busy enjoying and living life!!!! I haven't felt this amazing in about a decade! I have so much energy and feel like I'm in my early 20's again! I can't say enough how grateful I am for having such an amazing surgeon (Dr. Scott Laker in West Bloomfield, MI) and for having such a smooth and complication free surgery. I recently got the ok to eat red meat and fresh fruits and veggies. I'd recommend sticking with ground beef to start, the steaks/roasts have been a bit more difficult to chew properly and digest. I'm really digging lettuce wrap tacos. I didn't realize how much I miss raw fruits and vegetables! The only issues I've had with them are the skins like the outside of an apple or tomato. They're a bit more difficult to chew into smaller pieces, so I'd recommend peeling them then eating.
Today was a big day for me because I've lost 60lbs so far! Taking me from size 22 jeans to a size 16 and from a 3XL to just a XL and in some cases a L! I've officially lost all of my pregnancy weight and the added 10 lbs I gained right after my wedding just before kids. I officially weigh the same as I did on my wedding day! I've developed this crazy relationship with the gym. I absolutely love going! My workout schedule consists of at least 4 visits a week and about 1.5 hrs each visit. I go to a gym near my house but just recently started going with a friend to another gym. Sometimes I'll go to both gyms and put in about 3 hours a day at the gym. I split my time equally between cardio and weights and alternate arm days and leg days. I try to to abs every other day (I hate ab workouts). I'm becoming a gym junkie! Seriously I feel like a completely different person. When I think back about where I was 6 months ago I feel like that person is unrecognizable, that that person wasn't really me, but just a shell. Now I feel alive, it's the only word I can think of. My kids are loving this new me. The other day my oldest said she could feel her fingers touch each other when she wrapped her arms around me for a hug. It just made my heart skip a beat because she had this glowing smile. She then followed it with "mommy I'm so proud of you for becoming healthy. I like that you exercise and can now chase us around." The compliment from her just lit up my entire world even more.
My 3 month follow up is coming up in just a couple of weeks. I'll post a quick update after my visit with him. So so so eternally grateful that I went through with this surgery because I have gained my life back!

So here I am! 16 days post op! I feel AMAZING!!! For the most part my incisions are pretty healed up and one of them is still a bit sore, but it doesn't effect my day to day activities. I've lost a total of 31 lbs! Today was the first time friends and family noticed the weight loss. My Capri pants actually fell off me when I was walking into the kitchen! Yes! I get to go shopping for things in a smaller size! As nervous and anxious as I was pre op I must say I'm so happy that I did it and grateful that there have been no complications thus far.
My doctor's biggest concern is hydration, hydration hydration. I've always been a big water drinker and now I'm consuming more than before. My doctor warned me that the hot weather will make me feel dehydrated. Today was the first time I've spent the entire day outside and in the shade and felt SO dehydrated. I was constantly sipping from my water and consumed more that 60 oz of water and my tongue was still sticking to the roof of my mouth. When the picnic ended and I finally got indoors I consumed another 24 ounces of water and a few sugar free popsicles. I started to feel better after 2 hrs. So my only recommendation would be to pay attention to your body and definitely avoid being out doors in hot weather for a bit, until your body adjusts to it's new "inner mechanics".
I'm slowly starting to feel like the old me, the thin and athletic me, and it makes me feel great!

So I intended to write here weeks ago, but I didn't because I thought I'd back out of it. Back in 2014 I began seeing a gastric bypass surgeon. The insurance I had at the time required I see him for 12 consecutive months before I could have the surgery. By September 2015 I met all the requirements. I was still a "severely obese" 34 year old women with high blood pressure, type II diabetes, high cholesterol, depression, and asthmatic. I only managed to loose 10 lbs in those 12 months. I did everything he told me too but I felt like my body was just resisting what I was trying do. My body kept fighting me and the numbers on the scale would barely budge. My husband attended the last meeting I had with surgeon before scheduling the surgery. We both had more questions about the procedure, my husband mostly because he was very nervous about me doing it. Well my surgeon didn't like the questions being asked and snapped at the both of us. After a few months decided not to do it because I lost the trust I had with my surgeon, his arrogance and true colors killed the deal for me. I decided to try dieting and exercising on my own. My primary doctor even gave me some prescriptions for diet pills. Let me tell you I lost about 3 lbs the first 3 months. I felt like "I can do this!" Soon after I started getting heart palpitations and anxiety. So my doctor and I agreed it would be best to stop the pills. I kept eating healthy and exercising 1.5 hrs 3-4 days a week. Umm... Yeah.... My body totally hates me. I gained all 30 lbs back plus 10! W..... T.... H?!?! I didn't give up kept trucking through my work outs and eating healthy. 18 months after my last visit with the surgeon I had my yearly labs done with my primary doctor. I was down 10 lbs and my cholesterol was high and my sugar was still high. That's when I said I NEED to have this surgery done. One thing I knew for sure was I was not going back to my old Dr. I met with another Dr out of a different hospital (I really can't say I met him. He just tossed all 20 of us in a room for 1.5 hr video orientation the spoke with is for 5 minutes and left. His nurse took over). I was no unimpressed with this whole thing. It felt like they had a revolving door of patients and very impersonal. They were more concerned about collecting $250 from us for testings that needed to be done, even if you have insurance that covers it they still charged us that amount. Then they said it was an outpatient procedure which really turned me off. So I back to the drawing board. I researched for days until I found someone I liked so I scheduled the appointment to meet with him. Umm yeaaahhh the awkward thing about this is my previous doctor I was seeing almost 2 years had joined this practice. I decided not to let this bother me and kept the appointment. This new doctor was AMAZING!! I loved everything about him. The Nast part is he doesn't do outpatient with these surgeries he keeps his patients in the hospital for 2 days following the surgery. He had excellent bedside manners, was through, answered every question I had and made me feel like I was priority patient. I didn't feel like I was on an assembly line of patients going in and coming out. He agreed to take my case so long my previous doctor was ok with it. Well after a few minutes he got the ok. THANK GOD!!! YAY!! So since all the necessary testings have already been done, and was less than 2 years old, and I met the criteria for the surgery they were able to get the approval for the surgery within 2 weeks! I was then scheduled for Friday, July 14, 2017. 8 days before the surgery I had to start a diet to help loose some extra weight before the surgery. When I started this diet I was weighing 267.4lbs. this part of the diet was not too bad because I already love all of my green veggies and protein shakes so those days flew by. The day before was the clear liquid diet. That was a bit difficult because I'm not a broth kinda person. So I just drank a bunch of water ate tons of sugar free jello and sugar free popsicles. The whole day was a blur. I couldn't believe it was the eve of my big surgery. I kept thinking "is this really going to happen?" "I haven't been in the hundreds in 8 years! Is this happening, really?" "What if I don't wake up?" "What if they give me too much anesthesia and I don't come back?" "Can my husband raise the kids on his own?" " Maybe I shouldn't do this. Maybe I can try and do this on my own again." I started getting a panic attack and for some stupid reason I became planting seeds of doubt in my head. I was at my mom's house the night before to drop off the kids for the night because I needed to be at the hospital for 6:30am. I began to tell my mom all the fears and questions that were on my mind. She sat me down and said "you can back out whenever you want. No one is forcing you to this. You chose to do this because you said in the beginning you want to be around for your children and to watch them grown. You said the doctor had told you that you might not make it to 45. You said your tired of the regimen of medications you take every morning and evening. You said you were doing this for you. Remember this is your choice, no one else's. You do what feel you need to do. Whatever it is you know we'll all support you in your decision." That's the moment everything my head just instantly disappeared. I was back to "I CAN DO THIS!!!" The next morning we arrived right on time and I didn't have to wait. They instantly got me back and started to prep me for this major surgery that will forever change my life. I was weighed and had lost 10 lbs from that pre-op diet. The staff was beyond amazing. My nerves never got to me once. I was ready! 8 am arrived and it was surgery time, and they were right on time. My amazing doctor stopped in and chatting with my husband and I and put us both at ease. He also wanted us to know that the surgery was going to take 45 minutes longer than what was said because of a mesh from a hernia repair I had was in his incision spot. He said because I provided him with records from that surgery he knew what to expect so it made things a bit easier for him since he didn't have to guess or be surprised. I can't describe the confidence I have in my doctor, he's everything I wanted in a surgeon. I was then pushed into the OR and given something and was out like a light. I vaguely remember coming too in post op. I fell back asleep and woke up in a room. I was in some pain but it really wasn't from the incisions but more from the gas they put in me and I was SSSOOOOOO thirsty. My lips were chapped and my tongue was tuck to the roof of my mouth. I was allowed ice chips to suck and chew on, as you may know hospitals have the best ice ever! A few hours later I was helped up and had to walk laps around the hallways. I did sleep most of the day which helped me from focusing on the gas pains.
Saturday 7/15 morning I felt better than yesterday, just still sore. I was given the ok to consume clear liquids. YAYYYYY! So I was able to consume sugar free jello and sugar free popsicles, tea and coffee (with Splenda only and no cream), and broth (yuk). The strange part is I had put my liquids into these tiny 30 oz medicine cups before consuming them. The strangest part is I felt so full with just 2 of these cups. I made sure I got every half hour or hour to walk. Walking helps pass the gas that's inside. It would come out as a burp or a toot ???? let me tell you I sure did feel better! As the day went on I kept feeling better and better. It was hard to sleep at night, I missed my children, my husband and especially my own bed. I walked around throughout the night. The nurses were awesome and kept cheering me on. It felt good.
Sunday 7/16 came, "Discharge Day", as long as everything looked good I could come home. My doctor came in that morning and gave me a hug and said he was so proud of me. My blood pressure has been normal these last couple of days as well and my sugar. He discontinued my blood pressure meds and diabetic meds, that's 5 less pills I'd have to take! I got the all clear to go home! I've managed to get most of the gas in me out. I really recommend walking a lot if you plan on doing this surgery. I've read that people who don't walk much tend to have gas issues for up to 7 days post-op and those who constantly walk can eliminate them within 4 days post-op.
Monday 7/17 Yay home oh how I've missed thee! My only problem is I just can't get comfortable. I'm a stomach/side sleeper so this whole sleeping on my back is making things a bit uncomfortable, however it's feels great to be home. I'm still on the clear liquid diet.
Tuesday 7/18 I feel so much better. I'm off the pain meds and very well hydrated. I have my first follow up this Thursday. So we'll see what he says. As of today I'm down 17 lbs from the week before the surgery (before pre-op diet). I'm still sorry but it's very tolerable.
Once Thursday comes around I'll provide an update.