Tag Archives: Bariatric Surgery

1-Year Post Bariatric Surgery Update!

This is me as a happy girl today!! ;-)

This is me as a happy girl today!! 😉

Good evening!

Yep! That’s right! As of today, it has been exactly one year since I had my gastric bypass surgery, and I thought it might be the perfect time to give you my weight loss update!

As of today, I have officially lost 99 point something pounds since April 2012, and 59 of those pounds have been since my gastric bypass surgery on September 4th, 2012. I say 99 point something, because I actually can’t remember the exact number that my surgeon said! All I remember hearing was 99 pounds. YEAH! ME!!! 😉

I have been reminded by my nutritionist that I am still eating waaaaay to many carbs, and I am almost 40 grams of protein short every day. OUCH!!

I also know that getting in 64 ounces of liquid a day has been the bane of my existence, and I am not sure I have EVER been able to get that much water in since my surgery. When your stomach is the size of 2 or 3 ounces, and you can’t drink within 30 minutes of eating, it really limits how effectively you can get your fluids in!

I also really need to step up my exercise routine!! I just need to push myself harder, and spend less time sitting on my keister!! 😉

SOOOOOO…

long story short, I have got A LOT of room for improvement!!

They also showed me a chart that proves that I am losing on the slooooooow track. and for some reason my physician thinks I am having a love affair with pizza – I really am not, but the last two times I had seen her, I had just happened to have pizza the previous evenings!! Which just also happens to be the only two times I have had pizza in the past three months! Sheesh!!

To say I left my appointment today feeling a bit defeated is an understatement, but I was reminded by my girl friends, and my sweetie that I have still come a LOOOOOONG way baby!! and I know it is true, but to put it out to the universe in writing, I decided to share a list that I had created months before surgery.

This is a list of all of the physical goals I had written to myself in May of 2012. Basically, this is the if-I-could-do-anything-after-weight-loss-surgery-this-would-be-my-dream-list:

  1. Jog a mile non-stop – DONE!
  2. Cross my legs – DONE!
  3. Touch my toes with knees unbent – DONE!
  4. Ride my bike for a half an hour straight
  5. Run up two flights of stairs without getting winded – DONE!
  6. Wear high heels without pain – DONE!
  7. Run a 5k – DONE!
  8. Fit into a bathtub – DONE!
  9. Sit Indian-style in a movie theatre seat – DONE!
  10. Be able to sit with my knees up against my chest – DONE!
  11. Be able to use the chair-tables in the auditorium – DONE!
  12. Be able to fit into a restaurant booth – DONE!
  13. Hike the longest trail at Silver Creek Falls – DONE!
  14. Weigh less than when I first met Jason, when I was 18 – DONE!
  15. Slip into a size-14 again – DONE!
  16. Not be the first one tired on an all-day shopping excursion – DONE!
  17. Get rid of the dreaded C-pap machine – DONE!
  18. Be able to ride cowgirl-style in my favorite evening activity! 😉 – DONE!

 

I actually hadn’t remember that I had written that list, but I have to tell you once I found it and realized that I have done EVERY SINGLE thing on this list except one (only because I haven’t tried it yet), and that was #4 Ride my bike for a half an hour straight, and I am sure at this point, I could TOTALLY do it!! 🙂

So, I am going to consider this a success thus far!!

Starting tomorrow, I am back on the straight and narrow, and my goal is to lose 30 more pounds within the next 6 months! WOULDN’T THAT BE AWESOME???? But the reality is, that if I never lost another single ounce from today, my life and my future is ALREADY better than it would have been 100 pounds ago!!! 😉 I have to keep in mind how good life is right this minute!! 😉

Here is to a FABULOUS evening!! 😉

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If you want to have a different life, you have to live differently!!

Gaining a New Life with Gastric Bypass Surgery!

Me 2Good evening!

I have had so much going on the past week, that I really had no idea where to start. ..

So, to keep things simple, I have decided to share my weight loss update this evening!! But, I realized that since I changed from my old blog to this one, this is going to be a new story for most of you!! 🙂

I have lived most of my adult life heavy…
and teen life…
and part of my childhood…
well, I think you get the idea!!

I did not have one single solitary day of my 20’s under 285 pounds, and by the time I hit 30 I was 300 plus pounds! One day, I woke up and realized that I was 36 years old, 330 pounds, unhappy, unhealthy, and seriously heading to a quickly approaching early grave! I realized I had wasted my 20’s and now that I was heading to 40 (AKA middle age AAAACK!!!!), I decided that I didn’t want to greet my 40’s on my way to 400 pounds! I just couldn’t do it! and seriously as bad as my health was getting I wasn’t sure I was going to make it even if I wanted to!

Me 1

By that time, I had sleep apnea… I snored like nobodies business, and I couldn’t sleep through the night without waking up with a horrendous blood pressure headache! Now, I realize I was literally starving for oxygen while I was trying to sleep! I was a breath away from diabetes, I had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and had constant pain in my knees, ankles, feet, and back!! I knew I was in real trouble.

In April of 2012, I had made the decision, along with my awesomely loving husband, that we would both start the process to have gastric bypass surgery. Now mind you, this decision was not made lightly, and not without a lot of trying a whole lot of other ways to lose weight first, none of which worked for very long.

Fast forward to September 4, 2012, my husband had already had his gastric bypass surgery 6 weeks prior to mine, and he had already lost weight like gangbusters!!! As scared as I was going into the surgery preparation, I knew I was ready for this, and that this would be the start of my new life. There was no way in HELL I was going to waste this opportunity!! So, with my sweetie, and my two baby sisters at my side, the surgical team wheeled me away, and I got the chance to start my new life.

Today, and every Monday I go into the clinic for a weigh-in. This is my own personal way of holding myself accountable! My weight loss has been much slower than my husband’s, of course! Him being a man and all!! 😉 But, I have slowly but surely been shrinking. So, tonight I will share with you my weight loss progress as of today!

Weight Loss Update

  • Total pounds lost from highest weight: 102.4
  • Total pounds lost since starting the Bariatric program in April 2012: 92.2
  • Total pounds lost since surgery: 56.5
  • Total inches lost (measuring my neck, underbust, waist, hips, thigh, calf, bicep, and forearm): 43.5

Life is good! I am not yet to where I want to be. My one year follow up appointment is in September, and my Surgeon’s goal for me is to lose another 40 pounds. She has told me, that since my weight is coming off so slowly, even with the weight loss surgery, that I am going to have to fight tooth and nail for every single pound that comes off from here on out, and I know she is right, but I also know that this life is worth it! I am worth it!!!

Me 3

If anyone one you know is interested in gastric bypass surgery, or if you are just curious and have questions, please feel free to either comment on this post, or you can e-mail me at thisartsylife [at] yahoo [dot] com. I would be more than happy to answer any questions you might have!! 🙂

In the meantime…

Here is to a FABULOUSLY ARTSY evening!! 😉

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If you want to have a different life, you have to live differently!!

Two Week Bariatric Surgerversary!

Good evening!

Today is officially my two week bariatric surgerversary!!! Yes, that is right, it has been exactly two weeks since I had my gastric bypass surgery.Things are going pretty well, I am still at a total 60 pound loss. I am currently plateuing, but am told that that is normal – so I am not going to let myself get too worried about it!! Today is the first day that I am allowed to add some very soft foods to my liquid diet: potato, yam, low sugar instant oatmeal, banana, no sugar added applesauce, and cottage cheese. I know that may not sound too exciting, but I am ECSTATIC!!!! It is nice to have some new food options!! 😉

On to other topics: you know the biggest thing that I have discovered since having surgery, is that being thin is not going to solve my life’s problems!! Surprising, right???? LOL!! No, I have come to the realization that no matter what I look like, I will still be where I end up!! I can not run away from myself!

Thin Christina will still have to pay bills, make decisions, come up against challenges, and still have to figure out what I want to be when I grow up!!! This has really been a revelation to me, and I have been doing a lot of soul-searching the past few days trying to see if I can find my purpose!! Yes, deep, I realize!! Matter-of-fact, I just got home from a long walk through Walmart, because for some reason, I have insanely thought I could somehow find the purpose of my life while perusing the magazine, book, craft, and office supply aisles of my local Walmart. Needless to say, I came up empty-handed!! (THANKFULLY!!!)

You know, I am reading a new book called, “Saving CeeCee Honeycutt” written by Beth Hoffman, which by-the-way is a FABULOUS book, and is going to be added to one of my all-time favorite reads!!! What has really got me to thinking is that there is a discussion in the book where one of the matriarch-type characters says the following:

“If there is one thing I’d like most for you, is that you’ll find your calling in life. That is where true happiness and purpose lies. Whether it is taking care of abandoned animals, saving old houses from the wreckin’ ball, or reading to the blind, you’ve got to find your fire, sugar. You’ll never be fulfilled if you don’t.”

She continues with,

“One day you’ll do something, see something, or get an idea that seems to pop up from nowhere. And you’ll feel a kind of stirring – like a warm flicker inside your chest. When that happens, whatever you do, don’t ignore it. Open your mind and explore the idea. Fan your flame. And when you do, you’ll have found it.”

This little talk she gives has really inspired me to go out and try to figure out what my life’s fire is. I know I have a lot of things that I like to do, but I am not sure if any of those things add up to my actual life’s bliss. I know, now more than ever, that God has placed me on this earth to do something important, I have always known it, even when I was a young girl. I just pray that I haven’t missed my opportunity, and If I did, I guess I will just have to go out and create a new opportunity for myself!! Where God opens a door, He opens up a window!!!

Here is to us all finding our fire!!!

Have a FABULOUS evening!!! 😉

 If you want to have a different life, you have to live differently!

 

Bariatric Surgery Update!

Good morning!

I know it has been a while since I have posted, and I thought this morning would be a good time to give you an update on how everything is going!

I had surgery a week prior to this past Tuesday, and everything went really well. I was admitted to the hospital at about 12:30 in the afternoon and was immediately taken back by myself to the pre-op room to get prepped for surgery. Once my prep was done, my sweetie and two youngest sisters, Jennifer and Trina, came back to keep me preoccupied before I headed back for the moment we have been working for so long to get to, surgery! I was so thankful to have them there with me, because in all honesty I was really scared!! Well, it was no time before Jason and the girls got back there that we all were having a terrible bout of the giggles, and I was sure my nurses were going to start telling us all to behave ourselves!!! 😉

Before I knew it, the time had passed, and my anesthesiologist had come to let me know that the surgeons and staff were all ready for me, and it was officially my turn for my procedure!! The anesthesiologist gave me something in my IV that almost immediately made my nervousness go straight away, and I told Jason and the girls that I would see them soon. I have to tell you that looking into those three sets of eyes as I was wheeled out of the room was probably the ABSOLUTE HARDEST thing I have had to do to get ready for this surgery!! I really HATED to leave them in there! You can’t help but have a moment where you think that you just might not ever get to see them again, but thankfully, as you well know, God had other plans for us!!! 😉

Well, as I was rolling down the hall on my gurney, I started to really feel relaxed (thank God for whatever it was the anesthesiologist had given me!!!), and all I remember thinking was 1. I hope none of my co-workers see me like this, you know – bra-less (hahahaha!!), and 2. Light. Light. Light. Light. as I was passing underneath the lights in the hallway – THAT was how relaxed I had gotten. Once I got into the operating room, I remember them asking me if I could slide onto the operating table, which I did, and then I remember looking around thinking – Hey, this doesn’t look like ANY operating room you see on TV!!! Next thing I know I was out!!

I don’t remember dreaming anything, or really any thoughts of any kind running through my head while I was unconscious during surgery, but what I do remember is thinking I was dreaming, because every time I opened, and then re-opened my eyes it was like I was seeing a different scene, with a different room, or different people. I remember that people were talking to me, but I don’t remember what they were saying. I do remember distinctly opening my eyes at one point, and calling out to my mamma – I figured since it was a dream, she just might show up, and at that point I was really hurting and needed her to come fix me up. I also remembering asking a nurse why it was taking so long to get my surgery started, and her telling me that they were all done! Well, that figures, but thankfully it was all a blur, and I really don’t remember waking up until I was actually in my hospital room!

When I first remember waking up, it was because I saw as clear as a bell that Jason, Jennifer, and Trina had walked into the room, and I was happy as a CLAM to see them!!!! Then I was out again! 😉 The remainder of the night was more of the same, in and out of consciousness, thinking I was dreaming the whole darn thing, and I just kind of waited for the alarm to go off so I could get up and get ready to go to work! I do remember Jason being upset at the nurses because I was in pain, and he wanted them to deal with it now, and not after shift change completed, and then falling back to sleep, being nauseous and trying to throw up (unsuccessfully (thank goodness)), my girlfriends BobbieJo, and Julie showing up, and BobbieJo walking straight up to me asking me if she could pray with me, and then falling asleep during the middle of the prayer, I think I walked twice that evening – the first time only making it barely out of my room before the nurse turned me around, and back to bed I went, the second time being at 2 in the morning because the nurse hadn’t realized there was a certain distance I had to walk or my surgeon would have a fit in the morning, but again – it really was all a blur.

When I finally awoke enough from my stupor to realize I wasn’t dreaming, I saw my sisters sitting next to my bed, and I asked Jennifer, “Where did BobbieJo and Julie go?”, and she just laughed at me and told me that it was the next morning, and that they had gone home the night before! My only response was, “Man, I told you guys I miss everything!!!”
😉

The next day and a half, before I got to go home, was pretty routine! I napped a lot, took a lot of walks, had more tests done, visited with all of my visitors, including my girls, Jennifer and Trina! I napped some more, etc. etc. I think you get the picture!! Jennifer, Trina, and my brother-in-law, Austin, stayed with me until the evening of the second night when they had to head back to Roseburg. I am so thankful that they got to come down, they really did help make my hospital-time more fun!!! and I am sure with my fancy hospital gown, they got more glimpses of their oldest sister’s bootie then they ever really wanted to see, but for me that is what made it more like it was a slumber party!! 😉

Jason and I then spent the evening by ourselves, just talking, holding hands, walking, dreaming about the future, and of course with me doing some more napping!! 😉

By Thursday at about 11:30 am, I was home, hanging out with Jason, Faye, and Sophie, doing my “Only 3 Jobs”: sipping, walking, and breathing!! I had discovered that I had gained a little more than 10 pounds during my hospital stay from all of the surgical gas they literally blow you up like a balloon with, and then all of the IV fluids they fill you up on afterwards!!! (which thankfully, I had been pre-warned about because if they hadn’t warned me, I would have probably FREAKED out about!!! – WHAT DO YOU MEAN THAT I JUST HAD GASTRIC BYPASS SURGERY AND IMMEDIATELY GAINED 10 POUNDS????? LOL!!) 😉

Now, that brings me to a little more than a week later, still doing my “Only 3 jobs”, and feeling pretty good!! I still get tired rather quickly, but my spirit is wanting to go-go-GO!!! I am still on a full liquid diet, until next Tuesday, which is really getting old, but I have lost 60 pounds in total from my highest weight, and 10 of those pounds are from after surgery (not including the 10 pounds I had gained during my hospital stay), so I think I am off to a great start!!! I am still off of work for the next two weeks, and if all goes well, I will get a thumbs up to return back to work – ready and raring to go!!!

Before I get ready to sign off, I really want to take a moment to say thank you to my sweetie, Jason! He has been unbelievably supportive during this entire process, but most especially during my hospital stay, and recovery this past week and a half. I would not being doing so well right now if it weren’t for all that he has done for me while I have been recouping!!! He has taken me for walks to make sure I was getting my exercise, taken me for drives when I just needed to get out of the house, picked up whatever I needed to keep me happy, and entertained, from wherever he felt he needed to. He bundled me up when I was freezing, even letting me steal his socks, which you must know are THE BEST kind when your feet just will not warm up, sat up with me when I couldn’t sleep, tolerated any of my whining & moaning, and even made sure I was taking my medication or using my breathing exerciser thingy!!! (I really do know that thing has a name, but for the life of me I can’t remember it at the moment!)

Love,

I really appreciate all you have done for me – I seriously wouldn’t not have been able to do all of this without your love and encouragement as you stood by my side and continually held my hand, both physically and emotionally!! I love you, and because God has placed you in my life, all those many years ago, I know that I am SERIOUSLY BLESSED!!! 😉

Love, love, love, your grateful wife!!! 😉

Anyway, I am sorry for the extremely long post today, but it has been a while and I know that I have had a lot of people rooting for me, and wanted to make sure that you know how things are going here!!! Thank you so much for all of your kind encouraging words, and I hope to have a lot more successes to report in future posts!!!

Here is to a FABULOUS day! ;-)

 If you want to have a different life, you have to live differently!

BTW – that “breathing exerciser thingy” is called an Incentive Spirometer – I knew I would remember eventually!!

What’s Going On?

Good evening!

I realize it has been a while since I have last posted. The only reason I can seem to muster is I have been MIA because I have been so focused on getting ready for my gastric bypass surgery! So, I thought it would be a good time to give you all on update on what’s going on! Well, my day of surgery is quickly coming, it is in exactly 2 point something days, to be exact!!!

I am excited, and nervous, and excited, and scared, and excited, and oh so READY!!!

I am not actually afraid of the surgery, or all that entails; I am more worried about my hospital stay, even though it will only be for two nights. I am also worried about work while I am gone. (I am on family medical leave for at least the next month). I don’t feel that I am a workaholic at all, but I am not sure I can put it out of my mind for the next month. I can hear all of you already, oh suck it up, you big baby – we would LOVE to have a month off of work!! Yes, yes, I hear you! I know you are right, but it is really an odd way to get a vacation!!! LOL! 😉

Anyway, I have been on my liquid diet for the past 12 days, and out of all the hoops I had to jump through to get to my surgery, I can honestly say that this has been the hardest!! I am allowed to have sugar free pudding, yogurt, sugar free popsicles, smooth soups, sugar decaffeinated drinks of all kinds, skim milk, and a few different kinds of protein drinks. So, I do have a lot of options, but I just wasn’t prepared for the serious cravings that I have been dealing with! I have been craving, barbecue, steak, beef, ribs, meat, essentially, yeah meat!!! I am not a chips kind of girl, and I can walk away from most cookies, cakes, and other desserts, but a really great cooked piece of steak really makes me happy!!! SO, that might be the hardest thing that I have had to deal with since being on this liquid diet!

My struggle was made even more difficult when some friends of ours asked us to go out to dinner with them this evening, and they had decided on a steak house. I sat there with my protein drink while one ate a steak, another had ribs, and my sweetie a really yummy piece of grilled chicken! But I am happy to report that I MADE IT!!! WHEW!!! I had to squeeze my sweetie’s hand a couple of times under the table for moral support, and before I knew it, dinner was over, and I was back at home having some creamy pea soup! (My favorite soup, by the way!!)

Well, my surgery is on Tuesday at 2:30 PM and I will be checking into the hospital around noon that day! I really can’t wait! I just want to get it done and over with, and be heading back home to start my new life with my sweetie. It will be easier when he and I are on the same page food-wise; he is 6 weeks ahead of me after all, but I know that in a flash 6 weeks will have passed and we both will be well on our way to our new fit-selves, and lifestyles! THAT MAKES ALL OF THIS WORTH IT!! That, and the 50 pounds I have lost so far!! WHOO!!! HOO!!!! 😉

Anyway, it is getting late, and I have some reading to get done before I hit the hay this evening, off I go!!

Here is to a FABULOUS evening! ;-)

 If you want to have a different life, you have to live differently!

 

Day 1, Liquid Diet!

Good evening!

It is so hard to believe that the time for my liquid diet to start has come, and I have almost made it all they way through my first day! WHEW!! The start of the liquid diet means, that I have only 2 weeks to go before my big day!! 😉

For those of you who may not know, since the middle of April, I have lost 40 pounds, and have been on a journey toward getting bariatric surgery! A laporoscopic gastric bypass roux en y, to be more exact! It has been a long and sometimes very difficult journey, but I am so close now I can almost touch it!!

I am on a liquid diet for the next two weeks, and on September 4th, at exactly 2:30 pm I will be going in for my procedure! I have done all that has been asked of me, and have received my approval letter from my insurance, so all is ready to go! Well, everything  except this two week liquid diet.

Now, I have been getting so many questions, so I thought I would take a moment to answer a few for you, that is if you are curious…

Why if you have already lost 40 pounds, would you still go through with the surgery?

  • Well, the answer to that is that with about 90 more pounds to go to, and if I were able to do it all on my own, I would have done it a loooong time to go, and I know that weight loss surgery is just going to be one tool in a whole arsenal of get fit and healthy tools. Just a sampling of some of the other tools being exercise, nutrition, meditation, faith, and personal support!

Isn’t bariatric surgery the easy way to get healthy?

  • The easy way out??? Anyone who thinks that weight loss surgery is the easy way, has NEVER TRIED IT THEMSELVES!!! It is a load of hard work, and is gonna take some more serious determination to succeed!!

I have friends who have had bariatric surgery, and they have gained their weight back. What makes you think you will succeed?

  • You know, I can only answer for myself, since everyone has their own stories, but I know that even with the surgery, I know that health and fitness is something I am going to have to always me mindful of, for the rest of my life. I know that his is the right step for me!

I am so nervous, and yet so excited at the same time! I saw my hubby have the same procedure exactly 4 weeks ago, and he made almost all parts of the process look like a piece of cake!! I really hope that I can make it look just as easy!!

Anyway, this liquid diet lasts for two weeks, and the purpose of it is to help shrink my liver so that when they move it out of the way for my surgery, it doesn’t get injured or damaged in any way!! AND the liquid diet really consists of some foods too: yogurt, skim milk, sugar-free pudding, j-ello, V-8 juice, smooth soups, decaffienated teas, Crystal Light, no-sugar-added cocoa. So, I do have quite a few options!!! 😉

Anyway, it is getting late, and I would like to spend some quality time with my sweetie before bed!! I will make sure to keep you posted of my progress!!

Here is to a FABULOUS evening! ;-)

 If you want to have a different life, you have to live differently!

There’s No Place Like Home!

Good afternoon!

I am very pleased to announce that Jason and I are finally back at home! You know what they say, “Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home!” and baby, is that ever true!!!

YEAH!!

Jason is doing GREAT!!! He is tube free, drain free, and is very happy to be home! According to our doctor, his only jobs right now, and for the next week or so, is to breath, walk, and sip his liquids!! Sounds cushy right? Well, maybe not so much, but he is in agreement that we are sooooo blessed, and that God is taking FABULOUS care of us!!

I have to give him kuddos because this is probably the first time in our 17 years of marriage that Jason has really had to give up the reigns and let me take complete care of him! He is a trooper!!! I know that the day that he can walk around the house without me following and watching him making sure he doesn’t get dizzy and fall, he will feel like a truly free man!! Soon, baby, very soon!! 😉

We are just so happy that he is just on the other side of this surgery! We know that the hardest part is yet to come, and that dealing with all of the mental stuff is going to be the next tricky part to get through – and maybe something he will always have to deal with, but life is really good!! I also have to mention that it has humbled us to the core about how many old friends, new friends, and family members have come out of the shadows to encourage us, and to share there love, support, prayers, and well-wishes. We will be forever grateful for all of you, and pray that even if it is only in some small way that we can return the love back to all of you! 😉

I also want to give a shout out to the AMAZING staff at Salem Hospital, both our surgical team, as well as the SUPERB nurses up on 5NW!!! Every was so attentive, caring, and there was never a time where we felt like we were a nuisance, or a bother! I felt like there was a lot of laughing going on during our entire stay, and that was AWESOME!!!

Anyway, Jason and I are going to have a quiet evening of sipping, breathing, and walking! Yes, Doc, we were listening!!! 😉

Here is to a FABULOUS evening! :-)

 If you want to have a different life, you have to live differently!

Jason’s Post Surgery Update!

Good afternoon!

I apologize for the delay in getting this post out, but we have been a little busy! 🙂

Jason is doing extremely well! He is currently napping, but has been up walking, has had his imaging tests, and upper GI that we are assuming went well this morning, because he has been given the A-ok to start drinking sugar free, caffeine free, non-carbonated liquids! So he is a VERY happy man!!

We did have a bit of a rough night last night. You see, I am not sure what time it was, but we had some of our friends visiting; Dawn, Errin, BobbieJo, Mark, and Heather. The nurse had come in to get Jason ready for his first walk of the night. The goal was to get him to walk at least 200 feet. So, to give him his privacy, Dawn and Errin left for the evening, and the rest of us moved our conversation out into the hallway while Jason was prepped for his walk!

As we were all still laughing and talking, Jason, as well as his nurse, Heather (AWESOME NURSE, BTW!!!) came out of the room, and started their walk. Both BobbieJo and Heather commented that he was walking pretty fast, but I didn’t think anything of it – he seemed to be walking much slower than he normally does to me! So, we kept on chatting, as he says to us, “I’ll be back in a minute!”

I knew he was making the loop in hallway, and so I kept watching for him to come back from the other direction, and noticed that he still hadn’t made it back yet. I didn’t think anything of it, until a few moments later, and I realized he STILL hadn’t made it back. The next thing we know is that there is a bunch of people coming to his room really quickly looking for him, and that is when BobbieJo says, “I wonder what is the matter?” I really wasn’t too worried, until she said that, and it clicked, “DUH! There is a reason it is taking him so long to get back!” and I head in the direction that he initially had taken off.

Who knew that this tiny amount of Crystal Light could make a man so happy!?! 😉

Side note: this is the point that I almost started running to see if I could find him, but realized that running in a hospital might not be too safe, and freaking out really wouldn’t help him or the staff. 😉

So, I mozy’ed as quickly as I could and when I came around the corner I saw a large lump on the ground, and realized that it was Jason!!! GAHHHHH!!! Apparently he had gotten dizzy, and before they could get him a chair to sit down in, he had passed out and had fallen to the floor!!

Now, before I go further, I just have to really say thank you to both BobbieJo and Heather, because before I could really panic, they both reassured me that it was alright, this could sometimes happen, and that they both concurred that he really had been walking quickly when he left the room!! (That is my sweetie, the overachiever!!!) Anyway, I took a deep breath, and calmly (at least I thought it was calmly) went over to him, got down on all fours, and started petting his hair and asking him if he was alright! Thankfully he was, and even though I didn’t see him fall, it sounded like he fell on his bucket (AKA his behind – thank you, Miss Kay!!), and did not hit his head or anything!! He was pale as a ghost, and I think he had just scared himself more than anything, but with the help of some other staff members he was able to get up, and get back to his room, so that he could try walking again later after some more of his anesthesia wore off!!

They checked him out, did a couple of other tests, and placed a couple of more monitors on him, but he is good, and he did successfully complete his first walk at about 3:30 this morning. He not only walked the loop once, but twice, and had the nurses walking with us laughing hysterically! Apparently, the little hospital no-slip socks that they have you wear, Jason decided that he would call them his “pimpin’ socks”, because whenever anyone saw him walking in them all the women would come out to watch! It couldn’t have possibly been because they were all standing at the ready in case he was about to go down again, but who am I to burst his bubble?!!! 😉

The view from Jason’s room!

Anyway, as of right now, he has walked a few times today, without incident, they have removed his catheter, and a few of his monitors. He is a little antsy, going a bit stir-crazy having to be cooped up in his hospital room, but he is still charming the socks off of everyone, and trying to make the whole floor laugh!!! He really is the life of the party, and I almost feel like I should have brought some kind of h’orderves for the festivities!

He had just gotten some vegetable broth delivered before he decided to take a nap, so I expect that we are going to have a quiet afternoon here, which after the excitement of last night – I am TOTALLY cool with!! 😉

I really do thank God for that man of mine, and that he is guarding over him, every step of this journey!!! I have said it before, and I know it will not be the last time I say it, but I really am one lucky, lucky girl!! I love you, B’Spoon!! 😉

Here is to a quiet, uneventful, but FABULOUS afternoon! 🙂

 If you want to have a different life, you have to live differently!

Better Late Than Never!

Good afternoon!

This is Jason playing with his Sophie girl this morning before we headed off to the hospital!

So as for my updated…

WHEW! It has already been a looooong morning of waiting our turn, but Jason has finally gotten in to get his surgery started! He ended up going back about an hour after he was originally scheduled to.

They took Jason back to his pre-op room first and got his IV started and whatnot, more on that in just a minute, but this is Jason totally excited that he has complete control of the remote control to the television!!! LOL!! He is too funny!!

As for the “other prep” they did, unbeknownst to either of us beforehand, they shaved his stomach from chest to groin!! It kind of looked like they had shaved a bear of his sweater!! It is quite a look! 😉 and it makes me laugh thinking about how badly that is going to itch once it starts to grow back in!!! I am sorry love, beauty can be painful!!! LOL!! 😉

He is in great spirits, and was busy making myself and all of the staff he came into contact with laugh!! He is such a charmer!! Even with his surgical hat which makes me think of him having some kind of jiffy-popped head!!! LOL!! Do you remember those?? 😉

Oh, and I can not forget! Jason weighed in this morning as having lost a total of 67 pounds since he first started this journey in April!! Which means he has lost an additional 6 pounds since just yesterday – the stinker!! 😉 I am very proud of him, and I know he has definitely earned his success!!! 😉

Anyway, it sounds like the surgery is going to take between 3-3 1/2, so I will be busy trying to keep myself busy in the surgical waiting room – hoping that time doesn’t just draaaaag on!!! but we will see!!!

My next update might not be until later this evening, but I will make sure to keep everyone posted on how he is doing!!! 😉

Here is to a long, but hopefully a-atypically-patient-waiting-kind-of afternoon!! 😉

 If you want to have a different life, you have to live differently!

 

Off We Go!

Good morning!

Well, we are up and at-em this morning! Just about ready to head out to the hospital!! Jason is feeling “Great!”, but he is pretty antsy!! He even made me breakfast this morning!!!

WHO IS TAKING CARE OF WHOM HERE??? 😉

Anyway, his bag is packed, I have packed a bag for myself, and he is busy playing with his Sophie girl!! Our girls know that something is up – they know what it means when the suitcases come out, and I can tell that Sophie is just begging pappa to take her with him!! Not today little girl!!

Anyway, I am praying that all goes well this morning, and time seemingly flies, so that I can see my sweetie’s smiling face in his room this afternoon!!

God is good, all the time!!!

I will keep you posted!!

Until then….

Here is to a FABULOUS morning! 😉

 If you want to have a different life, you have to live differently!