5 Days Post Op

Take 1...

Take 2...

Pre Op Measurements:

Bust: 49.5

Waist: 42

Hips: 54

Two Days Post Op

This one makes me giggle. Also, I look exactly like my brother. I really felt like doo doo... And the incisions...

The Support System

I have some great support although I am telling very few people that I have had this surgery. People are very judgmental first and second it isn't any of their business. It is a gift I am giving to myself. I'm 40 now and I lost our only baby in the summer of 2010. I deserve to be free.

Also, a big surprise, my oldest dearest friend Adrienne sent me these beautiful tulips. In all different colors. She and  are the sort of folks who just love some blooms!

The Reverend Michale Lambert. He has through the years written me silly poems to get my mind straight and this time with a nom de plume "Anonymous" he wrote a serious and meaningful poem. Take a read.

This kills me! Fat Tuesday! Hilarious! My sweet sister... and below too.

Nicky! So hysterical. I loved this card.

Day 1 Post Op

I look uber wretched. And let's face it, no one loves to see themselves speak - except movie stars - which I am not. They are a special kind of narcissist - which I am also not - not the special kind anyway. Plus, after major surgery, it's quite normal to look like poo. It's a funny little film mostly because an alarm went off and I filmed at 4:00AM.

The Day Of - Fat Tuesday

My husband - a never ending source of light and love to me.

Me. Minutes post op.

The back view about 10 hours before surgery. It's like WWII - Never Forget!

First let me tell you about my experience at The Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Gatos...#1 It's so clean, #2 No riff raff and #3 they tell you to be there 2 hours ahead of time...but your not waiting around at all and last but not least #4 You surgeon better be good but you anesthesiologist better be really good too!

My wonderful sister was with me. And so was my anxiety climbing through my skin. My BP was 210/97. I was about to explode. I asked for a valium about 20 times since arriving at 8:42. I finally got my valium at 10:15. THank goodness for my sister. If she wasn't there, I'd have felt really, really isolated.

The ladies were trying to start my IV. But to no avail and they blew two veins in my hands. I still have two big bruises there. Thankfully, the Anesthetist came and game n=me my valium and started my IV!

Then they hopped me up onto my feet and I made my way to the OR. I arrived, big lights, cool folks wearing surgical costumes and then my surgeon - who even in his surgical scrubs and hat - is a looker! Then they helped hoist me on to the operating table. Everyone was so calm. Like I was breezing in for a facial or something. Fine with me! Better laid back then uptight!

I woke up in recovery in terrible pain and was trying to wriggle away from it. A nurse was talking to me and a heavy thing laid across the foot of the bed. She pushed a wee white button attached to the box at the end of the bed and I immediately felt better.

I was wheeled to the third floor and my own room next to a window with vista views of Los Gatos and San Jose! Real royalty! In the room was my sister, brother and law and sweet husband. We all had missed the surgeon though. They has gne to get something to eat and I was being wheeled to the room.

A gift from my sister and brother in law!

ANXIOUS!

I'd like to dedicate today's post to Amy. She actually coined the phrase "moving toward normal."

Two days until my Vertical Gastrectomy. And I am up to my eyeballs with anxiety.

This type of surgery has a few names - some call it a sleeve, gastric sleeve or vertical sleeve. Regardless of what you call it, it is bariatric weight loss surgery.

Today my BMI is 42. I weigh 237 pounds and I am 5 feet tall.

I made the decision in December to have this surgery. I originally went to Dr. Cirangle on a referral from a friend with the thought in my mind that I would get a gastric band. Upon becoming more informed about the band device itself I promptly brushed this less than perfect technology aside. I decided it just wasn't for me.

The band can potentially slip, corrode the esophagus, and provide inadequate weight loss. So Dr. Cirangle delineated the Vertical Gastrectomy. In this surgery the greater curvature of the stomach is removed. Which means that my stomach is made smaller by the removal of about 90% of my stomach.

More of my history is yet to come. But today, please watch my video and feel free to comment. And a huge thank you to all who are supporting me in this renaissance.

I have organized all surgery materials in this binder. It has informational materials and websites in addition to  pre-op testing results. It is a tidy way to keep everything together. In an effort to be more prepared for
post-op success, this was a good idea for me. Also, I'm anal retentive. 

I hate these "self portraits." I feel that firstly there is nothing portrait-ish about them and secondly that phone in my hand is so "My Space." Only 15 year olds take photos like this. Alas, there was no one around to do this "Before" picture for me. My apologies for the poor quality. I think you get the idea, though.

I especially like the behind shot. And so glad that my forehead is in the photo. Again, you get the idea.