Way way way too long - im sorry

I could make excuses - i would have lots; university, kids, Cheerleading, the list could go on forever.    The real reason I haven't blogged is to be honest I just haven't done it.    I kept meaning to - but just never got "round to it".     Reminds me of the  sign my parents had on the toilet wall when I was younger.  I don't think I really understood it back then quite like I do now!

So anyway - you might be wondering how things are going since it has been so long.     I managed to pass both my papers last semester with great grades.    While I am sure in the end I could have passed the third paper I am really glad I did drop it as it just made the workload more doable.  I started back at the gym about three weeks ago and have managed to go a few times a week thus far which I am happy with.    Ideally I would go three times however the university schedule plus my responsibilities with our cheerleading business and planning the trip for our senior team to compete in October has meant I have my goal as "at least twice", an achievable goal which is less likely to leave me feeling guilty for not making a goal more lofty. 

Weight wise?     I am stoked/excited/overjoyed/ecstatic to have made it to have lost over 50kg since this journey started.    My current weight is 111.9kg, the lowest I have been in easily 10 years.      I certainly have more energy and am able to do so much more.

Food wise?    I still limit myself to protein with minimal vegetables.    Most days I have a boiled egg for breakfast or sometimes yoghurt with LSA, then lunch is often after I get home from university and will be perhaps a handful of nuts and a little cheese and some ham.  Some days I will have a protein drink, now that I have found one I can tolerate.   Sculpt swiss chocolate does the trick nicely and doesn't taste foul like many other protein powders.  Dinner is usually either steak or chicken thigh with broccoli, pumpkin, mushrooms or coleslaw.   Not much of each just enough to provide a break from straight protein.  Occasionally I will have butter chicken with the family, minus the rice.  The Pataks butter chicken I can tolerate ok which is great.  I have indulged in a few takeaways, well if you can call it that.   I can eat a single wonton (minus the crunchy wrapper), am ok with KFC grilled chicken and from Dominos can handle a whole 3 chicken kickers before I don't want to eat any more.   If the family have Chinese and have fried rice I will pick out a bit of the meat just for a taste.   I have yet to venture into the fruit field but have tried a few more proteiny things.    A bite of chorizo every now and then, brie cheese, and even a bit of pesto for flavour is all tolerated fine.   I tend to be a bit of a routine based girl with my eating really but then I always have been a bit like that so it doesnt bother me.

What can't I eat?   I have tried to eat hot chips, I just spit them out again as they taste gross, same with potato chips.   I have no desire to eat chocolate or biscuits or anything like that.   It truly is a bizarre feeling to be able to just not want food.

Drinking wise I can now drink almost an entire cup of coffee at once - a huge milestone as in the first weeks post op I was lucky to drink a third.    My water intake hovers depending on the day, but most days I will manage around 1.5 litres plus coffees.

So the great parts of the surgery thus far??  I will make a wee list of the things I can do now (well that I can think of)

Tie my shoelaces - all by myself and everything, and even STANDING UP!!!
Walk up and down the stairs at home comfortably, I can even half run down them
Turn around in the car to reverse
Lie in bed comfortably and wake up in the morning not sore
Not snore (apparently, I never really thought I did!)
Walk from one lecture to another at uni without being exhausted
One of the best things happened today - I took a bath.   For the first time in a long long time and it was fabulous.

The best most awesome thing though happened today.    I went roller skating.    Never before would I have had the confidence to go skating.   Its been a long time, probably 25 years, since I have been on skates but by the end of the two hours not only did I feel great, although a little sore, I had managed to find my balance and totally and thoroughly enjoyed myself.    Am hoping to return again next week, it was a great workout for certain yet it didn't feel like it.

Anyway that is it for now, I am certain there are other things I have forgotten to mention but hopefully I won't leave things quite as long between posts next time.    And maybe even some pictures!

Anyways, till next time

Julz

Almost two weeks - yikes I didn't realise how long it had been

It's been a busy few weeks so I will try and recap the main points about how things have been going.

The weekend after I last blogged I had a massively busy Saturday.     First up was the regional training for Stampin Up which I am a demonstrator for.   It started at 8.30am which was rather an early start.   I ate my "breakfast" there, a protein bar.   It was a great day and I had a fabulous time.   Lunchtime was rather hilarious really.   The other girls in the wider team I belong too all sat eating their provided lunch and I sat there with my tin of chop chop chicken quite happily.   Their food looked nice, smelt nice but I had no wish to eat.   

That night I attended my good friend Anna's wedding.   Anna had her weight loss surgery over eight months ago and she has lost stacks of weight and looks amazing.   After 20 years with her partner they finally made things legal and it was wonderful to be able to share that special moment with them.     I managed to make it to about 9.30, which considering the long day I had was quite amazing.     I didn't really eat at the wedding, while there were a lot of protein options I was a little scared of trying new things in a situation where I wasn't close to home, so stuck to sucking on my water bottle and a small amount of protein bar I had taken along.

Last week was a mixed bag.   After such a long day on Saturday I slept in very late on Sunday and then pottered.  Back to uni on Monday but was feeling just a bit "off" so made the decision to take the Tuesday off.   Which was a good thing, Tuesday resulted in yet another bout of the nasty tummy from the week before and left me feeling pretty drained.    

I had really been feeling the pressure of the workload for my cognitive psychology course (lots of reading and a 25% test each eight lectures) and spent Tuesday searching for the solution.    I was torn really - the course content itself I was finding very interesting but the pace and fast turnaround on top of my other two papers was making me feel quite overwhelmed.     After much soul searching I made the decision to drop the paper.   I feel that given the changes my body still has to go through,  lessening the workload and therefore the mental stress makes sense.   I can always do the paper next year, and if it takes a little longer to get my degree so be it.      Once the decision was made I felt a real weight off my shoulders, so I know it is the correct one.    Dropping that paper eases my schedule to the point where I am at uni only two hours each day, except Thursday which I have off!

Wednesday I was back to uni, still feeling a little off and yet again a repeat of the day before.    I was feeling so bad I ended up at the nurse on the way home as I had a suspicion that it could be some sort of bladder infection but all the tests came up negative so put it all down to the rewiring business.  

The rest of my week went well.   Thursday was spent cramming for a test on Friday which went fairly well (I hope).   

The weekend was full on.  We have finally started on the recladding of our house and the building of a new deck.   Although I wasn't helping I did a bit of running around on Saturday with the children and it was a long day.   By the time hubby and the builder friend finished the first section of the house it was late so we decided to grab takeaway chicken from Gerry's Charcoal Chicken.    I wasn't certain how I would go but am pleased to say it was fantastic and didn't cause me any problems.  

Foodwise in general I am finding things a little challenging to be honest.       My biggest problem is the complete lack of appetite/desire for food.   I truly do not want to eat and have to force myself, which in itself is an issue.   When I don't want to eat it makes it hard to decide when I know I have to, what I actually want.   My repertoire of food is still pretty small,  yoghurt, eggs (scrambled and soft boiled) chop chop chicken - chilli flavour as its the only one that doesn't taste like tuna, cream cheese, chicken.     I did try baked fish the night before last and it was pretty nice, so that's one more food.    I still haven't really tried vegetables apart from a small nibble of cucumber and some avocado.      Some days I only get two meals, mostly because I just forget to eat.  (and sometimes coffee is just more important)  Never would have dreamed I would say that a few months ago!

Waterwise, I make still only make it through about 1.5 litres a day plus coffee and a little cranberry juice.   I would like to be drinking more but it's difficult to manage the whole eating/drinking half hour rule thing well.   

Energy levels are still pretty good.   I am finding it a little more difficult to engage my brain at times but on the whole am coping with normal day to day life reasonably well.   Obviously haven't started doing any official exercise but hoping that I will start soon.  

Weightwise, just over four weeks post surgery, this morning I weighed 140.6, so a loss of  11.4kg in the four weeks since surgery.   I'm pretty happy with that.

Anyway, over and out from me for now.    Promise I will try and update more regularly....

Julz

Thursday already - ooops

Sorry for the non-blogging.   It's been a fairly busy week.

Saturday night's trip out was good, was nice to do something slightly "normal" after a week of being at home recovering.     Sunday brought a new adventure, I headed off to my WLS support group monthly meeting which is in Johnsonville (about a 30 min drive I guess) and drove myself there and home again, partly as a test to make sure I was ok after driving.    It went well, I had an enjoyable afternoon with great company.   It's always great to swap stories with others who have been there done that and pick up any new hints.

So Monday was extremely exciting.   Headed back to uni.   It was lovely to see my uni buddies and to be back learning although I'm still concerned at how behind I am with my reading.    It was a fairly longish day (10-3) but I had a 2 hour break in the middle which I used to have a small rest after getting my text books.    I had a slightly upset stomach during the middle of the day though which resulted in a small time on the loo.    *blush* Not really sure what caused it, perhaps the increased movement, or perhaps the protein shake I had for breakfast or anything really.    It happened the following day with a different food so I am thinking it was more likely just random.      Considering  that just over 2 weeks ago my insides were rearranged I guess it's not surprising that some things might take a while to settle down.

Foodwise I am doing well.   Am managing a whole pot of yoghurt now and a whole egg!!!   It's incredible that I am not hungry at all, I just can't believe that with such little amounts of food going in my body is not screaming at me.   Completely weird.   I've tried a few new things as well this week.    Monday night my wonderful husband made a moroccan beef casserole for the family and I had a wee portion of that mixed with a couple of teaspoons of mashed potato.      Even though it was such a tiny amount it was so good to have a different flavour.    Tuesday night he really outdid himself and made Chicken Parmigiana using some chicken thigh, tinned tomatoes, pasta sauce and cheese.    It was out of this world delicious.    I was served up about a 1/4 of a boneless chicken thigh and didn't quite finish it but it was oh so tender and tasty and really nice to be eating with the family again.

The newest temptation (or actually lack of really) came last night.    Hell's Pizza had a promotion running where all purchases made on the night the entire amount ordered was donated directly to the Christchurch Earthquake appeal.     With a cause like that it was an easy decision to make an order.     What I found hilarious was that despite it smelling lovely and looking great I really and truly had no desire to eat it.    Sure for a moment my brain said hmmmmm  but it didn't equate to the old feelings of longing that pre WLS would have happened if I was "dieting" and the family had takeaway.    I did have about 3 kumera chips and they were really nice, and then happily went off and made a scrambled egg.     

Physically things seem to be settling down fairly well.    The odd lumps in the throat seem to be subsiding a bit more, still happens occasionally but nowhere near as much.     Energy wise I am doing pretty good, even with starting back at Uni I haven't had any real issues with tiredness.    The occasional afternoon I have laid down for a few minutes, and this afternoon I did doze for a bit but I think that is more the fact it's just one of those days rather than anything.    I will admit to probably going to bed perhaps half to an hour earlier but that's about the extent of it.        My fluid intake has increased slightly - most days I manage to drink about 1.5 litres of water plus most of a coffee and a glass of light cranberry juice so I think that's fairly well covered.

Oh and the big one - weight as of Tuesday (2 weeks post op) - was 143.8 - so just 600gms shy of 10kgs in the 2 weeks so I am stoked.      I have had a few comments that people have said they are noticing it and my clothes seem to be fitting a little better so it's quite exciting.

Anyway, off to make dinner.    I think it's eggs again!!!


Julz

Saturday..... yes I know it's been a few

So things are trucking along fairly well really.   It's now 11 days since my surgery and I feel pretty good.    The pain in my shoulders is subsiding, occasional niggles but I am now fairly certain it is muscular.

Foodwise I am managing to eat around five teaspoons at a time I guess, this equates to half a pot of yoghurt or almost an egg.    If I put something on a cruskit I find the best thing is to have my topping in a small bowl and scrape it on to the cruskit as I tend to only want about half the cruskit anyway.    This morning I added a new "food" to my repertoire, mashed lite baked beans and cream cheese.    It looks pretty gross but tastes really really nice actually. 

Physically I am still getting some strange feelings.   It's the only way I can describe it really.    Outside of eating or drinking I quite often get a feeling a bit like when you have eaten too much and have a lump sitting in the top of your stomach.    I have no idea what is causing it but hope it is just normal.      I am managing to make it through about one and a half litres of water a day, plus most of a cup of coffee.      I find that I get bored with eating rather than any real feelings of fullness, or perhaps that is just my new full feeling.    I am not hungry at all,  which is both fantastic and a little weird at the same time.   It is quite a new experience to have to force myself to eat.

Apart from that things are good.    Tonight I am going out for the first time since the operation, in fact it will be the first time I have left the house since I got home.   SO looking forward to some different surroundings.    Tomorrow is our weight loss support group meeting which I am really looking forward to and then on Monday I am starting back at Uni.   So completely excited about that but also quite nervous.     Fingers crossed my current energy levels manage to stay with me once I start doing more.

Thats it for now...... love to hear your comments too so feel free to leave me some :)

Wednesdayitis

Ok so here's what no one told me.   Crying REALLY hurts.     I've had a pretty emotional day today dealing with Miss 15 (long story) and whether it's just that I am more vulnerable than normal because of the surgery or just the situation I ended up sobbing my heart out earlier today.     And it hurt, it really really hurt.    I couldn't sob like normal, it felt like every breath in was hurting and every sob out was too.   I was ready for laughing to hurt (already been told one or two jokes) but just wasn't prepared for this.   So heads up for any pre surgery people - it does.

I woke late today and therefore missed breakfast.    Which is naughty I know but I woke and REALLY felt like coffee.    I didn't have one yesterday and figured dammit.    So I am a meal down and don't know how to fix that.     I guess I should have called Ruth or Zola but that only just occurred to me now but just asking on the WLS facebook group, hopefully someone will have a solution.

I managed to eat about four teaspoons of chicken mixed with cream cheese for lunch and almost an entire cruskit and felt really satisfied.   I'm loving the chicken and cream cheese combo, think it will be a winner for way down the track too - easily portable for uni and damn delicious.    I reckon I could add other flavours to the mix for variety.

I am finding my energy levels pretty good, a little more jumping up and down during the day just doing little things around the house which is awesome.

The shoulder pain is still there although I am starting to wonder now if it is shoulder tip pain from the gas or perhaps my shoulder was in a strange position during and after surgery.   It's the arm my drips were in so I'm thinking maybe it was pulled at a funny angle and that is why it hurts.     I guess time will tell.    Might see if I can get the man person to give it a massage tonight with my lush wiccy magic muscles massage bar.

Anyway, that's me signing off for the night, off to spend some quality time with my family.

xx

Monday.......

Ok so feeling a bit more mobile and less sore every day.   The shoulder tip pain is beginning to cease a bit I think, in fact today I only had morning panadol (it's 10pm now) but will have some again soon.   I even managed a few light chores this morning after I got up, just picking up children's clothing and putting some washing on, tidying the lounge and loading dishwasher and wiping bench.   Oh and a "walk" down the stairs and to the bottom of the driveway and back again.     

Foodwise it's been an interesting 24 hours.    Last night after my dinner I had awful pain in my chest, like a gripping/crushing pain, which I assume is from either eating too fast or too much or perhaps the wrong kind of food.   I had some mashed potato, pumpkin, kumera, carrot and parsnip with some pureed chicken thigh and a little chicken gravy and while I didn't think I ate too fast it's possible.    Anyway don't really want to repeat the sensation in a hurry.

Today I have kept things simple.   Breakfast was about four teaspoons of lite yoghurt with three of protein powder and I didn't finish it.     Lunch was about 100ml of an Up N Go Vive and then for dinner I had a scrambled egg which yet again didn't finish.     I have managed almost two 750ml bottles of low cal lemon and barley drink today so that's feeling great.

I ended up having a wee nana nap on the couch this afternoon.    I just randomly started feeling a bit odd, hard to explain.   A little pain in my lower back and just a bit of a yuck feeling so I lay down and napped for a few hours.     It's the first daytime nap I've had since Friday so I think Im doing well.

I need to make a decision as to when I will head back to Uni.    Lectures started last week so I have missed all the early lectures, which of course means all the intro info.   I do have all the lecture outlines but they make almost no sense.    I also need to make a decision as to whether I continue along with the plan I had to take three papers (2 psych and one criminology) or whether to drop it down to two papers which will give me a whole day off each week.    I'm torn, I want to do well (perfectionist streak in me) but I also want to keep on track with the plan to finish my degree in 3 years which entails the three papers this semester.    The alternative of just two papers would mean that to finish my degree on time I would either have to take four papers in both semesters next year, or push out finishing my degree for at least another semester.       Decisions decisions.       I'm feeling great brain wise at the moment but worried that once I started doing more I will find my energy levels and attention span beginning to suffer.   

Anyway, enough of my musings for today.

Hope all those out there following have a great day :)

Day whatever (I know it's Sunday)

Still feeling the love of being home for sure.  It's so nice to have one's own normal noises, dishwashers going, washing machines.   It's actually quite comforting.

Things have been relatively stable the past 24 hours.  Still in a bit of discomfort, in particular from the shoulder tip pain which panadol is not really covering.   I am about to try a shower followed by some arnica cream on them to see if it helps.   I also have random odd indigestion type pains on waking and occasionally throughout the day that don't seem connected with eating or drinking.   Apparently that is normal though so hopefully it will improve.   And the burping is ridiculous, I never ever thought I could burp so often.  

I managed to eat just half a scrambled egg for dinner last night and it was truly delicious.   I'm not sure if it is because I am restricted to eating so much less but food seems to taste and even smell so so much better than it did previously and I can appreciate the smell of something but not want to eat it.     My amazingly wonderful hubby has cooked me up some potato, pumpkin and kumera which I am going to puree up and then freeze in single serves, and also some chicken which I will do the same with.   Looking forward to have a nice meal tonight.  He is cooking a potato bake for the family so I will just puree that with a bit of chicken.   

The other thing I am finding hilarious is my coffee intake.   I used to be a three cups of coffee to start the day girl.   At the moment I am managing about half to two thirds before I give up and lose interest or it goes cold.   I have taken to drinking herbal teas again as at least they are able to be drunk cold.

I am still finding it hard to comprehend the lack of appetite.   I don't FEEL hungry at all and really do have to force myself to eat regularly.    It is a really strange feeling - absolutely no cravings at all.   Sometimes I have thought mmmmm that would taste nice, but that's where it ends.   The drive to hunt out the whatever I think would taste nice has just disappeared.

Oh........ and I know it's naughty again but this morning I snuck on the scales and the registered 149kg.   The 150's are gone forever and ever!


Julz

Home sweet home

Golly it's so good to be back home again.   Hugging my kids last night was just the best thing ever, especially since at one stage yesterday it looked like that was very unlikely.   

So the story goes like this.    Ring and order a shuttle with Airport Super Shuttle Hamilton for 2.15pm (latest flight check in is 3pm and it's around a 15/20 minute trip).    I was sitting at reception well before 2pm just reading a magazine.    2.15 came and went, so did 2.30 by which time I was getting quite anxious.   At 2.35 my cellphone rings, it's the shuttle company, they are sending a taxi and it is going to be 10 minutes away.    By this stage both the receptionists at Southern Cross Hospital were aware of what was going on.    When the taxi STILL hadn't turned up at 2.45 by which stage I had burst into tears at the thought of missing the flight and not getting to see my family, the amazingly wonderful receptionist Cherene bundled me into her personal car and started driving to the airport.    I rang Air New Zealand to explain my plight, knowing we would not make final check in time by this stage and when I finally got through was told the flight was running late anyway.    God I've never been so grateful for a late flight ever in my entire life.      I was so amazed by the generosity of Cherene, offering a complete stranger a lift and even a bed for the night if I missed my plane (she insisted on coming into the airport to make sure I got on or otherwise "I'm taking you home to my spare room for the night".    Talk about service above and beyond that which is expected in one's job.   She refused my offer of paying for her petrol and time so by golly once I feel up to sorting it she will be getting a package in the mail for sure.   

So am doing ok on the eating front.   Don't really have an appetite so have to force myself to eat.   Dinner last night was a few teaspoons of hummus and it tasted SO good.    It was nice to have flavour again.   I also had a tiny taste of the hubbys pasta sauce too.    I must admit to being kinda scared  of overeating, I have absolutely no idea what full/satisfied means.    Still in a bit of pain, the shoulder tip pain is the worst at the moment, thought I had dodged a bullet there but obviously not.    My wounds are annoying, one in particular bled quite a bit and now the blood is dried it hurts when I move.    I can take the dressings off today so hopefully that will help.   The burping isn't much fun, Im really hoping that eventually dies down.    I seem to be burping constantly almost.    

Slept like a log last night, even managing to sleep on my side which was utter bliss after having to sleep on my back in the hospital.   Sure made for a solid nights sleep.   

Anyway, thats about it for today, think it's safe to go and have a drink now.    I think it will take a bit of getting used to not being able to eat and drink at the same time and figuring out when to do which.   I always used to be a get up and have a couple cups of coffee before I even thought about food girl but somehow I think that might have to change which sucks but thems the breaks.

Ciao for now

Julz :)

PS - even though everyone says not too, I jumped on the scales this morning and have lost a couple of kilos since the day I left for surgery - WIN!!!

Yay, Im going home!!

Past 24 hrs I have definitely been feeling much more alert.   I managed to stay awake for long periods of time yesterday and had just one nap in the afternoon.   I stayed up fairly late too - till 10.30 which compared to the day before where I napped almost all day was good.     My night sleep wasn't so great.   I woke at around 3.30 and just couldn't get comfortable again so really only dozed until around 7.30.

Have had a visit this morning from Carol & Zola, David's Hamilton nurse and nutritionist respectively.    Both were lovely and Zola gave me a few hints and tips for the coming weeks, including that somewhere around weeks 3 or 4 it is entirely possible I will have a "why did I do this" moment.  She assured me however that it will pass and that by week 6 things will be way improved.

I got breakfast delivered this morning.   Mashed banana and yoghurt.   Didn't manage to eat a lot of it really, the banana was quite unripe I think and the texture was quite unpleasant.     Zola looked at the things I had brought with me as options to eat for lunch today - it was a no on the Horleys shakes (which i kinda thought would be) a yes on the Up and Go vive and a yes (for now only) on the watties custard with strawberry and banana baby food.     Still haven't had my panadol.    I have to wait for half an hour before and after meals before I can have anything to drink so will be hanging out for that soonish.

Can't wait to be coming home, I've really missed my hubby and kids a lot and am looking forward to my own bed and surroundings.

Have sent the hubby out in search of panadol gel caps for when I get home, and also some Vitamin B12 nuggets which they are now recommending straight from surgery so hopefully with that I will struggle less with the tiredness others I know have had to deal with.

Anyway, best start getting organised to get showered and pack my bag so I can head to the airport.    Catch you all later.

Day 3

Well the past 24 hrs have been quiet, sleep, drink, toilet, sleep, walk, drink, sleep.......and so on.    Had a lovely nurse yesterday who bullied me into the shower despite my protests but it was nice admittedly.   First of my drips had to come out yesterday afternoon as it had tissued and this morning the second one had to come out for the same reason.    My fingers and wrist were so badly swollen.

Apart from that not a lot has gone on.    The constant "have you passed wind" questioning is now finally able to be answered with a yes.   Still in a little bit of pain but it's not terrible and mostly when I breathe deeply.   My biggest discomfort is the bed.   I have to lie on my back because if I lie on my side it hurts my upper stomach too much, but back sleeping and I are not friends so what sleep I have had has definitely been well and truly broken.   I'm hoping that by the time I get home tomorrow the pain will have subsided enough that I can sleep on my side in my bed.

Anyway, thats it for now.   Must be time for another nap.

8.19am - day two!

So all went well with the surgery.    I headed up somewhere around 1pm yesterday.   Scooted across from my bed to the tiny theatre bed and got hooked up with all sorts of machines!    Brian the anaesthetist gave me some "margaritas on the beach" through the drip he so carefully put in my arm and then it was all on.   Felt sleepy and woozy and the next thing I know I was waking in recovery!

Recovery from operations is never much fun, oxygen mask, bits of pain in unknown places, sore back from lying flat so in went the lure for the morphine and I kept dozing away on and off.

I have no idea what time I came back from my room, and those first few hours are definitely fuzzy.   Regular obs of temperature,  the little finger pulse thing and the blood pressure cuff going up and down doing it's thing meant just as I would drift to sleep I would wake again.      I vaguely remember it being 8pm from which time I went to 2hrly monitoring which gave some time to nap.     At 10pm my nurse suggested I get out of bed and sit on the side (oh and try to go loo - which was not successful).    At 12pm we had success though so all good.    Come 2am she made me walk the corridors -  yes two o'clock in the bloody morning - rude if you ask me~!!!       Come 6am I was pretty sore so got me some more of the magical morphine which both helped the pain and sent me to noddy land.    

Woke at 8am to my "breakfast" being delivered.   Breakfast is a tiny cup of coffee but oh god it's so nice to be drinking something as until now it has been only ice chips to suck.   As soon as I can get drinking properly they will take me off the drip, which is a good thing as my drip arm is getting a bit swollen.

Anyways, outta here for now, this blogging thing is tiring.

9.54am - coming to you live from my hospital bed

So I am all settled in at Southern Cross.   My nurse is a lovely lovely lady who has done all the paperwork, made me shower with the beautiful surgical scrub (thanks to those who warned me not to worry about showering this morning cos I would have to do it again) and then cleaned my belly button so its all squeaky and shiny.

I've been moved slightly further down the surgery list apparently.    There are a few day patients they wanted to operate obviously because they need to be discharged today whereas I am staying the night.    Got to choose my menu for the next three days ..... hmmmm coffee, broth, coffee, broth, iceblock.    Can't say right now it sounds overly brilliant but this is just the bits that I have to get out of the way.   Having the surgery and the recovery period is a time to get through.    I know that things will improve so my aim is to stay as positive as I can under the circumstances knowing what the prize at the end is.    A healthier more active Julz.....



Edit:  11.17am

My nurse just came in to give me my medication to avoid blood clots.   It goes into the stomach.  Ouch.   Needle itself wasn't too bad but it's stinging slightly.     Have to have these injections every day for the next few days.   Happy joy.    As well, Im wearing a patch behind my ear to help with nausea.    Here's hoping it does the trick.    I have been told to keep on top of the pain and if I feel any nausea post op to tell them immediately as any retching is not good for the newly formed stomach.   She also informed me my surgery will definitely be after 12 as the surgical team have to have a break.    They better make it quick.   Im starting to get the shakes from not eating  *disgruntled face*    Oh and the hospital bed is giving me a sore butt.  

Edit: 12.43

Just met Brian my sleepy doctor dude.   What a lovely guy.   Explained to me a little again about the procedure of putting me off to sleep, listened to my heart, checked out my veins AND - told me I was tiny.  ME - tiny!!!!!     I almost fell over - it was actually a real buzz - he reckons I have done really well on preop diet so happy with me.    Won't be going near theatre until after 12.51 as staff will be observing the 2 minutes silence for Canterbury earthquake victims.

D-day - 6.34am

Yes thats right folks, you heard it here - 6.34am - i NEVER get up this early.    After a solid nights sleep the alarms went off and I shot wide awake, got up and am sitting here drinking my powerade.    I am very grateful this morning for the powerade, it's nice to have something sweet for the first time in ages.   According to Brian the anaesthetist it's better for the stomach to have had some sugar as it then stops producing stomach acids.   Anyway just wanted to get this post up before I ring for a taxi and whatnot.     Hospital check in time is 8am and it is barely a 5 minute drive away so I am not in too much of a rush.      A bit nervous and just a little shaky - oh and still tired but at least I will have a big sleep today right!!

The night before.........

So today has been a mixture of nerves, excitement, anxiousness and challenges.

I hopped on a plane to Hamilton at around 1pm today (well i think it was, my phone was turned off and the plane was delayed so i wasn't quite sure).     First challenge - I had chosen the front seat of the plane for the supposed extra leg room.   What the seat choosing thingy on the website failed to tell me was that the front row of seats in the little planes are solid - ie tiny little seats with solid sides with no room for my fat rolls to ooze into the seat next to me.   Probably great for the guy sitting next to me, but bloody uncomfortable for me and humiliating and just plain awful.   An hour sitting in a seat that tiny was not fun at all!!!       It was a nice flight though and the one MAN cabin crew provided some nice eye candy.

I disembarked at Hamilton airport and walked into the terminal to see the face of my good friend Jo, who was up in Hamilton herself for family reasons, complete with a bunch of flowers.   What a sight and a relief to see someone I knew.   She ferried me around and about, firstly to my motel to check in, then off to Pathlab to have preop bloods taken and then back to the motel via Pak n save where I got some dinner to eat later.     After a lovely chat she left and I have spent the evening relaxing, writing this blog and am about to jump back in the spa pool now it's cooled to a temperature that is more suitable.

Tomorrow morning I have to be up bright and early to head to Southern Cross Hospital - soooooo excited!!