Today the pain was much worse, but I know why: last night I kept waking up on my side. That is my standard position for sleep, and for some reason I kept reverting to it throughout the night, And it HURT! I haven't been able to lay on my side since the surgery, it is WAY too painful. And today I paid for it. So tonight I put the dreaded "girdle" back on. Because it caused that enormous, painful, seepy rash the last time I wore it, it is on over a t-shirt and not touching my skin. The support is already helping with the pain - I wish I would have worn it all day, now, rather than suffer.
The results of last night's blood work came in, apparently I have a UTI. Started on cipro today.
I feel that I'm losing ground with strength though. I walk "laps" around my sister's house, and I use the apparatus from the respiratory therapist many times a day, but I'm starting to get winded again. So Gwen has agreed to take me to Menard's so that I can walk around tomorrow. I don't know how far I will get but I do know it is what I need.
Ate pretty well, maybe a whole cup of food all together! Had the applesauce/yogurt/cinnamon/sweetener for breakfast, almost half of a small can of tuna with plenty of mayo for lunch, and for "supper" some lime SF jello with cottage cheese. I had slightly - very slightly! - larger portions today, but I absolutely must stop eating at the first sign of satiation. Any more and I'm in pain. So I'm constantly listening to my body, chewing until food is completely liquified, and allowing 30 seconds MINIMUM between bites. I had no idea how fast I ate before, but watching the clock now is very revealing.
And I burped a couple of times today too - YAY! So many people who have this surgery can no longer burp that I am thankful I dodged that particular bullet!
This isn't weight loss surgery but I'm losing weight fairly quickly. I crave my good low carb meats and veggies, and am finally starting to look forward to being able to eat them again.
I know that in time I will be able to eat more normally, and once I get home I will start more aggressively adding in new foods as I heal. I will love the day when I can have a juicy cheeseburger (no bun of course, that's no different than before) with SF ketchup and mayo! :)
Friday, December 10, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Day 8 and Blood Sugar/Insulin Thoughts
(NOTE: If you are seeing this on Facebook, please click below to see the entire post or go to my blog itself. I don't always make my point in the first paragraph, which is all that shows up on my Facebook page. I mean, if you actually want to see it all :).)
For up to 48 hours now I have had chills - low-grade fever (my normal is 97.2, so 99.7 would be like 101.1 if 98.6 were the guideline) - increased pain. The lortab syrup today didn't help the pain much, it brings the fever down into the 97's for a couple of hours, then it shoots right back up. Also my urine output has been less much than half of my intake, and very very dark. And today, no appetite at all. For lunch I ate half of a little peach sorbet with a spoonful of plain yogurt mixed in, then I only ate half of the mixture...so less than 1/4c. My stomach didn't want food this evening but my mouth wanted a slice of american cheese, which I broke into small pieces and sucked on, one at a time, lest I make my stomach mad at me :).
And still I drink. I drink water until I feel ready to burst. All day I am drinking water, and all day I feel stuffed and sloshing inside.
So this afternoon my sister had me fax my surgeon over in Midland (over an hour away) with what's going on. He faxed back an order for a UA and blood work. Getting that done made my sister miss her daughters' Christmas program at school :(. Tomorrow morning he will let us know what's up.
I want to eat. In particular I want some tuna fish with mayo. But my stomach says it isn't hungry. So I keep gagging down water in case I'm dehydrated (my sister knows more about these things than I do.)
I also want to mention something curious. My blood sugar is great, right around 100 first thing in the morning, it doesn't really vary that much as far as I can tell, and after 6.5 years of low carbing, I can tell :). But during my surgery it shot up to 247. So they put me on insulin. I don't know how much or when or how since I was drugged up for the first 2 days and it was all over by the time I was alert enough to question. The next morning (Friday) it was 141 first thing and they were going to give me more insulin. I said that couldn't be right, and after another test a short while later it was 127 so they didn't. And it never went over 114 after that, usually right around 100-106, though they were testing 4 times a day for the remainder of my hospitalization. I find it all very curious, and - though I'm sure this isn't the case - it seemed to me that they almost wanted me to be diabetic. It's just not right, an overweight middle-aged woman who isn't, right?
Ok, so tomorrow I want to eat tuna and mayo. I sure hope I can get permission from my stomach!
For up to 48 hours now I have had chills - low-grade fever (my normal is 97.2, so 99.7 would be like 101.1 if 98.6 were the guideline) - increased pain. The lortab syrup today didn't help the pain much, it brings the fever down into the 97's for a couple of hours, then it shoots right back up. Also my urine output has been less much than half of my intake, and very very dark. And today, no appetite at all. For lunch I ate half of a little peach sorbet with a spoonful of plain yogurt mixed in, then I only ate half of the mixture...so less than 1/4c. My stomach didn't want food this evening but my mouth wanted a slice of american cheese, which I broke into small pieces and sucked on, one at a time, lest I make my stomach mad at me :).
And still I drink. I drink water until I feel ready to burst. All day I am drinking water, and all day I feel stuffed and sloshing inside.
So this afternoon my sister had me fax my surgeon over in Midland (over an hour away) with what's going on. He faxed back an order for a UA and blood work. Getting that done made my sister miss her daughters' Christmas program at school :(. Tomorrow morning he will let us know what's up.
I want to eat. In particular I want some tuna fish with mayo. But my stomach says it isn't hungry. So I keep gagging down water in case I'm dehydrated (my sister knows more about these things than I do.)
I also want to mention something curious. My blood sugar is great, right around 100 first thing in the morning, it doesn't really vary that much as far as I can tell, and after 6.5 years of low carbing, I can tell :). But during my surgery it shot up to 247. So they put me on insulin. I don't know how much or when or how since I was drugged up for the first 2 days and it was all over by the time I was alert enough to question. The next morning (Friday) it was 141 first thing and they were going to give me more insulin. I said that couldn't be right, and after another test a short while later it was 127 so they didn't. And it never went over 114 after that, usually right around 100-106, though they were testing 4 times a day for the remainder of my hospitalization. I find it all very curious, and - though I'm sure this isn't the case - it seemed to me that they almost wanted me to be diabetic. It's just not right, an overweight middle-aged woman who isn't, right?
Ok, so tomorrow I want to eat tuna and mayo. I sure hope I can get permission from my stomach!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
It's Still All About The Food
(NOTE: If you are seeing this on Facebook, please click below to see the entire post or go to my blog itself. I don't always make my point in the first paragraph, which is all that shows up on my Facebook page. I mean, if you actually want to see it all :).)
I'm posting this to both of my blogs, and those who only follow ChiaChatter will have to go to yesterday's post to see details of my recent surgery, if you want to get up to speed.
Thinking of how I am now eating, food is still my passion. The big difference is, how can I make my miniscule (2-3 Tbsp) meals a little more interesting, especially given my current limitations? Especially since I have to eat so freakin' many of them to get even a minimum of nutrition into my system...
My doctor has said that I can eat anything except bread, raw veggies, and - oh, I can't think of the other thing, but I won't be eating it anyway. Because he instructed me only to avoid those 3 areas, and chew well.
But before I had the surgery I did ALL kinds of research, from pdf instructions sheets of other docs who do the procedure, to medical sites, to a forum especially for fundoplication patients. And the vast majority, in talking about getting back to regular food, have much more specific instructions or experience. So, because the failure rate of this surgery is so high, and because the side effects can be disastrous, I am electing to collect all of the knowledge I gained, and create my own plan based upon the most conservative and logical of them all. I want to have the best possible outcome with the fewest possible post-surgical issues, and feel I need to be my own best "meal planner". It seems to me that most of those who are living with awful lifetime side effects or have had to repeat the surgery didn't go the most conservative route. I may be wrong, but this is how I am proceeding.
24 hours after surgery I was put on clear liquids. 48 hours post op I was put on full liquids. This includes things like yogurt and custard. The first day I ate only yogurt. I could only eat a couple of bites at a time without feeling uncomfortable, so I nibbled at it all day. The next day I included a few bites of cream of wheat with butter (yeah, they consider that liquid), and my doctor said that if I wanted to try soft food, he would change the order. So Saturday I tried some tilapia. The kitchen sent up rice with it though, and I put a few grains on the tip of my fork. Big mistake, lots of pain. I walked as far as I could to help things pass.
I think I need to insert here that my esophagus is considerably smaller than it was where it empties into my stomach. Stuff can get stuck. I have to eat taking tiny (1/2 tsp) bites, and chewing my food to a liquid consistency. I cannot drink more than a few tiny sips while eating (google "dumping syndrome"), or for 30 minutes before or after. Any foods that are hard to digest (including fiber), have skins, or seeds, or nuts, or cause gas, or could swell after swallowing or are carbonated - all off limits for now. So I need to get the maximum nutrition into the minimum intake, and the maximum hydration into the minimal time I have between the tiny meals - while observing the above cautions. Should something get stuck, I can take small sips of very warm (can't have anything very hot or very cold either) water and try to walk it off.
The problem on Saturday evening was that I was in the throes of pneumonia, weak as a kitten, and could only walk a short distance before becoming wobbly and winded. But it did pass, and I decided I would wait a few more days before trying soft or softened solid foods again.
Sunday I continued with yogurt, and added custard. Monday morning before my discharge I ate half of a scrambled egg. Introducing only 1-2 "new" foods a day is part of my conservative dietary after-care per one of the instructions sheets I'd read.
I was still living with a lot of pain when I was discharged, and no appetite to speak of. The hour+ ride to my sister's left me very weak; liquid lortab helped with the pain. I added both applesauce and cottage cheese to my diet that evening without a bad result.
Yesterday I got a little experimental, and discovered that 2 spoons of plain full fat yogurt with 1 spoon of applesauce, sprinkled with cinnamon, and stir in a drop of liquid sucralose - creamy apple pie in a dish! This was my first really enjoyable dish. And for supper, a small piece of leftover potato, put through the chopper with some milk and butter until creamy and smooth, and heated. Who would have thought that a leftover potato could taste so amazing??
Today I had some SF jello with a scoop of cottage cheese that lasted me for several hours (about 1/2c total). Just now I took some of my broth that I'd saved up from my pre-surgical meals (frozen), and heated it with a chunk of butter, then mixed in a few mashed potato flakes to thicken. I let it sit for quite a while to make sure the flakes were fully "inflated" before I ate it. In fact I am still eating it, and it will last throughout the evening most likely. It was delightful to taste my own seasonings again.
So it is all about baby steps - and baby bites! - and patience and listening to my own body. If my stomach starts sending out the "full" message, one more bite will cause pain. And today is the first day I have really felt hunger. To me this is a good thing, a sign of healing. So many people are unable to burp or vomit after this procedure that these issues are to be almost expected, although I have been able to burp a few times. And life of flatulence will also be a result. Lots and lots of flatulence...
Whereas before I took great satisfaction in a delicious plate full of food, in creating an entire glorious meal, now it is much more simple - just blending a couple of flavors to keep the boredom at bay, and the anticipation and even excitement of adding in a new food every now and again.
Everything will be different from now on. But given what I have suffered the last 19 years, progressing to what it became the last few (my husband, daughter, and sister are really the only ones who know the extent of that), this is a small price to pay to get my life back. As time goes on it will become natural, and I will also be able to eat more normally. Doc says a year to heal completely, the first 100 days will be critical. And it is these 100 days that I don't want to do anything to mess it all up. Baby steps, slow and steady...and simple pleasures like apple pie in a bowl where I can find them :).
I'm posting this to both of my blogs, and those who only follow ChiaChatter will have to go to yesterday's post to see details of my recent surgery, if you want to get up to speed.
Thinking of how I am now eating, food is still my passion. The big difference is, how can I make my miniscule (2-3 Tbsp) meals a little more interesting, especially given my current limitations? Especially since I have to eat so freakin' many of them to get even a minimum of nutrition into my system...
My doctor has said that I can eat anything except bread, raw veggies, and - oh, I can't think of the other thing, but I won't be eating it anyway. Because he instructed me only to avoid those 3 areas, and chew well.
But before I had the surgery I did ALL kinds of research, from pdf instructions sheets of other docs who do the procedure, to medical sites, to a forum especially for fundoplication patients. And the vast majority, in talking about getting back to regular food, have much more specific instructions or experience. So, because the failure rate of this surgery is so high, and because the side effects can be disastrous, I am electing to collect all of the knowledge I gained, and create my own plan based upon the most conservative and logical of them all. I want to have the best possible outcome with the fewest possible post-surgical issues, and feel I need to be my own best "meal planner". It seems to me that most of those who are living with awful lifetime side effects or have had to repeat the surgery didn't go the most conservative route. I may be wrong, but this is how I am proceeding.
24 hours after surgery I was put on clear liquids. 48 hours post op I was put on full liquids. This includes things like yogurt and custard. The first day I ate only yogurt. I could only eat a couple of bites at a time without feeling uncomfortable, so I nibbled at it all day. The next day I included a few bites of cream of wheat with butter (yeah, they consider that liquid), and my doctor said that if I wanted to try soft food, he would change the order. So Saturday I tried some tilapia. The kitchen sent up rice with it though, and I put a few grains on the tip of my fork. Big mistake, lots of pain. I walked as far as I could to help things pass.
I think I need to insert here that my esophagus is considerably smaller than it was where it empties into my stomach. Stuff can get stuck. I have to eat taking tiny (1/2 tsp) bites, and chewing my food to a liquid consistency. I cannot drink more than a few tiny sips while eating (google "dumping syndrome"), or for 30 minutes before or after. Any foods that are hard to digest (including fiber), have skins, or seeds, or nuts, or cause gas, or could swell after swallowing or are carbonated - all off limits for now. So I need to get the maximum nutrition into the minimum intake, and the maximum hydration into the minimal time I have between the tiny meals - while observing the above cautions. Should something get stuck, I can take small sips of very warm (can't have anything very hot or very cold either) water and try to walk it off.
The problem on Saturday evening was that I was in the throes of pneumonia, weak as a kitten, and could only walk a short distance before becoming wobbly and winded. But it did pass, and I decided I would wait a few more days before trying soft or softened solid foods again.
Sunday I continued with yogurt, and added custard. Monday morning before my discharge I ate half of a scrambled egg. Introducing only 1-2 "new" foods a day is part of my conservative dietary after-care per one of the instructions sheets I'd read.
I was still living with a lot of pain when I was discharged, and no appetite to speak of. The hour+ ride to my sister's left me very weak; liquid lortab helped with the pain. I added both applesauce and cottage cheese to my diet that evening without a bad result.
Yesterday I got a little experimental, and discovered that 2 spoons of plain full fat yogurt with 1 spoon of applesauce, sprinkled with cinnamon, and stir in a drop of liquid sucralose - creamy apple pie in a dish! This was my first really enjoyable dish. And for supper, a small piece of leftover potato, put through the chopper with some milk and butter until creamy and smooth, and heated. Who would have thought that a leftover potato could taste so amazing??
Today I had some SF jello with a scoop of cottage cheese that lasted me for several hours (about 1/2c total). Just now I took some of my broth that I'd saved up from my pre-surgical meals (frozen), and heated it with a chunk of butter, then mixed in a few mashed potato flakes to thicken. I let it sit for quite a while to make sure the flakes were fully "inflated" before I ate it. In fact I am still eating it, and it will last throughout the evening most likely. It was delightful to taste my own seasonings again.
So it is all about baby steps - and baby bites! - and patience and listening to my own body. If my stomach starts sending out the "full" message, one more bite will cause pain. And today is the first day I have really felt hunger. To me this is a good thing, a sign of healing. So many people are unable to burp or vomit after this procedure that these issues are to be almost expected, although I have been able to burp a few times. And life of flatulence will also be a result. Lots and lots of flatulence...
Whereas before I took great satisfaction in a delicious plate full of food, in creating an entire glorious meal, now it is much more simple - just blending a couple of flavors to keep the boredom at bay, and the anticipation and even excitement of adding in a new food every now and again.
Everything will be different from now on. But given what I have suffered the last 19 years, progressing to what it became the last few (my husband, daughter, and sister are really the only ones who know the extent of that), this is a small price to pay to get my life back. As time goes on it will become natural, and I will also be able to eat more normally. Doc says a year to heal completely, the first 100 days will be critical. And it is these 100 days that I don't want to do anything to mess it all up. Baby steps, slow and steady...and simple pleasures like apple pie in a bowl where I can find them :).
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Another post-surgical report
(NOTE: If you are seeing this on Facebook, please click below to see the entire post or go to my blog itself. I don't always make my point in the first paragraph, which is all that shows up on my Facebook page. I mean, if you actually want to see it all :).)
I have now completed day 5 successfully. There is still a LOT of pain, and now itching and burning also: the binder that I had to wear around my middle caused not only a massive rash that looks the worst sunburn ever around my middle, but the skin is raw as well. I spent my last night in the hospital (Sunday night/Monday morning) sleeping very well, though, on IV Benadryl - they could've done another surgery and I don't think I would have known - and ice packs.
I guess I will have a bit of a recovery - a full year according to my doctor's partner, who I saw on Sunday, but the first 100 days will be the most important. I am slowly adding soft foods. I will never again be able to have carbonated beverages (or anything containing them such as slushies or punch or boston coolers) but a small price to pay...nor can I drink from straws again. Raw vegetables and bread, perhaps way off in the future, perhaps never. For now my diet is very restricted and I can count on 2 hands what I've had to eat in the last 6 days. But since I can only eat a few bites at a time (will have to eat up to 12 times a day, depending on which doctor I'm talking to, but the minimum seems to be 6), that's not an issue.
For the moment, I can't have anything with shells (like peas) or seeds, no "gassy" or fibrous vegetables (like cabbage family, most root veggies), no nuts, citrous, caffeine, tomato, chocolate...meat must be ground very fine, and moistened, and my doc recommends chicken and fish for their easier digestibility for the time being.
Everybody seems to be real curious as to what I had done. Actually I had 3 procedures in one: a hiatal hernia repair, a nissen fundoplication, and an umbilical hernial repair. The fundoplication is often done concurrently with the hiatal hernia repair these days, often enough that the line between the 2 procedures is becoming blurred, but you can have the HH repair without the NF certainly, or the other way around. But the issues that bring about the need for one or the other are often the same, and therefore they are often done together.
My stomach was in my chest. This caused not only my severe digestive issues and pain, but shortness of breath that made all but the shortest walks or simplest tasks impossible. My doctor first brought that back down into place, then repaired the "larger-than-expected" hole in my diaphragm. Then he pulled the fundus (top part of my stomach) around the lower end of my esophagus, wrapping it around like a hot dog bun around a wiener, and stitched it permanantly into place. This supports the damaged (when I was pregnant, 20 years ago) lower esophageal sphincter, or LES, and also recreated the angle that had been pulled out of place due to the hiatal hernia, that should have existed where the stomach met the esophagus. And lastly he repaired the umbilical hernia, stitching in the standard mesh to support the area.
This isn't a weight loss surgery, although my doctor had discussed doing a lap band at the same time - something I didn't want to do, for several reasons - but I will lose weight as a result, at least at first. First, my diet is quite limited and the foods that I am eating - scrambled egg, yogurt, cottage cheese - are pretty low carb. I won't be eating sweets and grains for a while yet, although cream of wheat or cream of rice is allowed, and I had one "meal" of it in the hospital. I don't think the carbs in the 2Tbsp that I can eat has enough carb to worry about :). I also had applesauce today - again, 2 Tbsp won't add weight, and my options are so limited that my main concern right now is just getting adequate nourishment from the minute amount of food that I'm able to consume. Still, I exist mostly on yogurt, cottage cheese, and just yesterday added scrambled egg.
As I am able to start adding more foods, and eat larger portions, I will of course continue on the same low carb path as I have followed the last 6-1/2 years. The plan is to not stretch or stress the new stomach area, obviously not returning to the large portions of my past. Combined with low carb eating, I expect that weight loss may continue. I hadn't wanted to lose more weight even though I'm still quite overweight (for reasons of my own) but in the interest of having the best possible outcome from this whole thing I will do so.
There is a LOT more pain than I had expected. Due to the diaphragm repair, every movement has been inhibited, although that is starting to get easier. You don't realize how important that muscle is until you have pain every time you use it! I have 6 holes in my belly (looks like I've been stabbed multiple times in a bar fight!) but the pain from those is minimal and I'm thankful he didn't have to revert to the open surgery.
The first 2 days are pretty much a blur, as I was on high amounts of pain killers and was either saying silly things (according to others) or sleeping. The next 3 days were just pain and weakness, now with the pneumonia added to the mix. But according to my sister, who stayed at the hospital 24/7 with me, she saw continuous improvements - and yes, I can see them also, in hindsight. Those 5 days in the hospital I went from not being able to sit up by myself, to getting out of bed and walking with only my walker for help, taking my own shower with minimal help, sitting in a chair, etc. So yes, those were great improvements given the extent of the surgery and the added issue of the pneumonia.
So I am now settled at my sister's for a week to continue getting stronger and learning how to eat and resting, exercising, and recovering. I'm homesick like crazy so I try not to think about it. I miss my husband more than I can even say, and can't wait to see him again next week. We have Skype at least :).
I will continue to write about my recovery and also diet changes, as so many people aren't familiar with the procedure (which is somewhat controversial due to its high failure rate and numbers of pretty awful side effects, but that's another post) - even many of the staff in the hospital I had to educate. Good thing I was so thorough in my research beforehand, eh? :)
Lastly I just want to say that the care I got from the staff at MidMichigan Midland hospital was EXCEPTIONAL! They really worked hard to control my pain and help me to recover and get "home" as quickly as possible. I was truly amazed, this was head and shoulders above any other hospital experience I have had. Everyone was so great!
So I will try to get back to sleep now, and write more when I am thus inspired. Thanks for reading :).
I have now completed day 5 successfully. There is still a LOT of pain, and now itching and burning also: the binder that I had to wear around my middle caused not only a massive rash that looks the worst sunburn ever around my middle, but the skin is raw as well. I spent my last night in the hospital (Sunday night/Monday morning) sleeping very well, though, on IV Benadryl - they could've done another surgery and I don't think I would have known - and ice packs.
I guess I will have a bit of a recovery - a full year according to my doctor's partner, who I saw on Sunday, but the first 100 days will be the most important. I am slowly adding soft foods. I will never again be able to have carbonated beverages (or anything containing them such as slushies or punch or boston coolers) but a small price to pay...nor can I drink from straws again. Raw vegetables and bread, perhaps way off in the future, perhaps never. For now my diet is very restricted and I can count on 2 hands what I've had to eat in the last 6 days. But since I can only eat a few bites at a time (will have to eat up to 12 times a day, depending on which doctor I'm talking to, but the minimum seems to be 6), that's not an issue.
For the moment, I can't have anything with shells (like peas) or seeds, no "gassy" or fibrous vegetables (like cabbage family, most root veggies), no nuts, citrous, caffeine, tomato, chocolate...meat must be ground very fine, and moistened, and my doc recommends chicken and fish for their easier digestibility for the time being.
Everybody seems to be real curious as to what I had done. Actually I had 3 procedures in one: a hiatal hernia repair, a nissen fundoplication, and an umbilical hernial repair. The fundoplication is often done concurrently with the hiatal hernia repair these days, often enough that the line between the 2 procedures is becoming blurred, but you can have the HH repair without the NF certainly, or the other way around. But the issues that bring about the need for one or the other are often the same, and therefore they are often done together.
My stomach was in my chest. This caused not only my severe digestive issues and pain, but shortness of breath that made all but the shortest walks or simplest tasks impossible. My doctor first brought that back down into place, then repaired the "larger-than-expected" hole in my diaphragm. Then he pulled the fundus (top part of my stomach) around the lower end of my esophagus, wrapping it around like a hot dog bun around a wiener, and stitched it permanantly into place. This supports the damaged (when I was pregnant, 20 years ago) lower esophageal sphincter, or LES, and also recreated the angle that had been pulled out of place due to the hiatal hernia, that should have existed where the stomach met the esophagus. And lastly he repaired the umbilical hernia, stitching in the standard mesh to support the area.
This isn't a weight loss surgery, although my doctor had discussed doing a lap band at the same time - something I didn't want to do, for several reasons - but I will lose weight as a result, at least at first. First, my diet is quite limited and the foods that I am eating - scrambled egg, yogurt, cottage cheese - are pretty low carb. I won't be eating sweets and grains for a while yet, although cream of wheat or cream of rice is allowed, and I had one "meal" of it in the hospital. I don't think the carbs in the 2Tbsp that I can eat has enough carb to worry about :). I also had applesauce today - again, 2 Tbsp won't add weight, and my options are so limited that my main concern right now is just getting adequate nourishment from the minute amount of food that I'm able to consume. Still, I exist mostly on yogurt, cottage cheese, and just yesterday added scrambled egg.
As I am able to start adding more foods, and eat larger portions, I will of course continue on the same low carb path as I have followed the last 6-1/2 years. The plan is to not stretch or stress the new stomach area, obviously not returning to the large portions of my past. Combined with low carb eating, I expect that weight loss may continue. I hadn't wanted to lose more weight even though I'm still quite overweight (for reasons of my own) but in the interest of having the best possible outcome from this whole thing I will do so.
There is a LOT more pain than I had expected. Due to the diaphragm repair, every movement has been inhibited, although that is starting to get easier. You don't realize how important that muscle is until you have pain every time you use it! I have 6 holes in my belly (looks like I've been stabbed multiple times in a bar fight!) but the pain from those is minimal and I'm thankful he didn't have to revert to the open surgery.
The first 2 days are pretty much a blur, as I was on high amounts of pain killers and was either saying silly things (according to others) or sleeping. The next 3 days were just pain and weakness, now with the pneumonia added to the mix. But according to my sister, who stayed at the hospital 24/7 with me, she saw continuous improvements - and yes, I can see them also, in hindsight. Those 5 days in the hospital I went from not being able to sit up by myself, to getting out of bed and walking with only my walker for help, taking my own shower with minimal help, sitting in a chair, etc. So yes, those were great improvements given the extent of the surgery and the added issue of the pneumonia.
So I am now settled at my sister's for a week to continue getting stronger and learning how to eat and resting, exercising, and recovering. I'm homesick like crazy so I try not to think about it. I miss my husband more than I can even say, and can't wait to see him again next week. We have Skype at least :).
I will continue to write about my recovery and also diet changes, as so many people aren't familiar with the procedure (which is somewhat controversial due to its high failure rate and numbers of pretty awful side effects, but that's another post) - even many of the staff in the hospital I had to educate. Good thing I was so thorough in my research beforehand, eh? :)
Lastly I just want to say that the care I got from the staff at MidMichigan Midland hospital was EXCEPTIONAL! They really worked hard to control my pain and help me to recover and get "home" as quickly as possible. I was truly amazed, this was head and shoulders above any other hospital experience I have had. Everyone was so great!
So I will try to get back to sleep now, and write more when I am thus inspired. Thanks for reading :).
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