I forgot the log in for my account so I couldn't get on to update. Sorry about that. anyway. heres the blog about my hospital stay(:
Second day/night was definatley the worst. Lots of what i assume was gas pain. I had hiccups all day. and on and off the next day too. Walking really helped.
The upper GI was the worst part... I was really weak, still had a catheter and lots of IV's.. They took me down in a wheelchair and i was tired. They kept making me get up and down out of the chair cause they thought the people were ready, but they werent. so i got to sit back down. I probably would have fell i was so weak, if they didn't let me... The barium stuff and some other thing i had to drink werent that bad..
The first one I stood up in front of the exray thing and they took a bunch of pictures. i was so weak. i could only take a few sips and it kinda hurt to swallow a little bit.. but they let me sit down afterwards.. i was getting lightheaded.. then they tried to do the second one but couldnt get a clear pictures, so the genius people there had me lay down. flat. on like a metal slab table to take pictures...
Uhm.. I just had surgery on my stomach.. i ahve been sitting up at an angle int he hospital bed and in chairs ever since.. layign down flat on my back.. uhm.. OW. I toughed through it... The nurse said afterwards she was really sorry there wasnt anything she could do.. It sucked. It realy did. I was in so much pain.. even with the morphine..
Then i basically got up on my own.. rolling around with my arms and trying to prop myself up.. I couldnt really use my stomach muscles. they were all.. cut through.. and weak.. and hurt.. By that time i was crying. my blood prsesure was probably through the roof, too.
i got back in the wheelchair and had to wait 10 minutes for someone else to come help wheel me up with the iv pole and stuff.. i finally got back t omy bed and laid down.. the nurse left and my dad was there and i was wondering what the fuck i did to myself and why they had me do that.. it was terrible. Worst experience of my life..
I ended up falling asleep.. waking up a few hours later and they let me have one oz of water an hour.. for a few hours which was okay. it felt amazing to drink cold water. Lol. I felt better by then.. more morhphine kicked in and yeah.. they removed the catheter. i was kinda worried about that.. it wasnt pelasent.. but it was quick.. felt weird, burned little.. but it was quick and got over with fine. then the surgeon came and saw me that night and some other doctors and nurses and what not.. i was doing well.
the next day i had drank about a liter.. of water, crystal light, and some orange jello.. and they said i could go home if i felt up to it, which i did.. by then iw as going insane. i hadnt showered since the night before surgery, which i'm pretty obsessive about.. they unhooked wires and what not. took the stupid comrpession boots off (finally! those were annoying.). iv out, and i got up and washed my face and brushed my hair and brushed my teeth and put my hair up.. then i took some pictures of the room so i can remember.. texted my friend saying i finally got to go home. i had been texting him the whole time iw as in the hospital..
He knew i was having surgery, but didnt know what it was for.. he knew all about the pre-op diet i was on and was like 'how the hell do you do that?!' cause he eats like a pig.. more like 8 pigs... Haha. but i was fed up the second night, when i was in a lot of pain. and i texted him im just like 'i never told you what the surgery was for.. did i?' and hes like 'no id ont think so what is it?' and i explained to him. just cause i needed someone to talk to.. i thought hed be freaked out or think i was stupid.b ut he was really supportive. and he has been ever since.
i went down after they discharged me. they gave me the option to use a wheelchair but i wanted to walk... i needed to walk. we took one with us just in case i wanted to sit down, but we ended up just using it to carry my purse (that had a heavy binder in it and my laptop.. big purse_ and my moms.. which always has a ton of crap in it that makes it weigh 20 pounds. i stopped by the gift shop. i bought a tshirt so i can wear it.. that hospital changed my life.just a navy blue cincinnati childrens hospital tshirt. also, i got it at my size the day i left the hospital.. so hopefully in a few months it will be big on me and its just a way i can track my progress.
It is a little loser on me now(: i'm actually wearing it right now as i'm typing this, haha.
But yeah. did that then walekd to the parking garage.. i was still sipping on a lemonade crystal light. i dozed off in the car on the way home. finally got home.. and thats that(:
Next post will be about the first month.. it will be exactly a month in two days, so i figure its close enough.. and i'm really in the mood for typing/writing. haha. so i'll post that soon.
(:
Hope you're having a good day. and if you ahve any questions or anything, feel free to email me.. or message me on obesity help.
ashleyellen1637@aol.com
peace.<3
-ashley.
First blog dedicated to Weight Loss Surgery for teenagers. To my knowledge it's still the only one! We're also dedicated to teaching/spreading awareness about childhood obesity, metabolic conditions/diseases, healthy lifestyles, and anything in-between. (Started in May 2011)
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Friday, August 26, 2011
Surgery Day.
had my surgery on friday august 19th.. its now the 26th. ive kinda been bad at posting lately.. ive been really busy with preop stuff and then surgery.. and cause of the pain medicine they sent me home on i've been kinda out of it.. but i'm off that now, and all is right with the world (: or.. with me, anyway. haha. Uhm yeah. soo. heres how it went down.
Friday morning. got up, left about 4:20am, got there about 5:30am.. right on time. they gave me a bracelet and checked me in and i went back to a little room thing.. they went over everything and checked medicines and vitals, i met with an anesthesiologist or two.. actually i think 3.. not sure. and the surgeon popped in, a research person, a couple nurses, etc.. then they tried to get me to pee in a cup. right. because ive had nothing to drink since 9pm the night before, and wasnt allowed to drink anything.. i went before we left for the hour and a 1/2 carride.. and they expected me to be able to? funny. yeah it was for a rpegnancy test. they ended up drawing blood instead, which i'm perfectly okay with.. i told them straight up they could go ahead and do it cause i couldnt pee. but nooo they made me try like 4 times. waste of time. anywayssss moving on. surgery was scheduled at 7:45. by like 6:30 they had me change into a gown and stuff. i was on the gurney thing. they put the TED stockings on.. well. they had my mom do it.. shes a nurse and the nurse that was there had to go get another nurse to start my IV. dont ask why they kept changing nurses. i have no clue. anyways, yeah. that took liek 10 minutes. those things are soooo tight and hard to get on. i was crying from laughing so hard at my moms faces she made.. haha. but once those were on, they started the iv. then they put the compression boots on me and had me lay back. the surgeon came in, answered a questoin my mom had, made sure i was still 100% positive i wanted to do this.. and i was.. then he left. and another half hour of emeting with people later, they rolled me back..
my mom walked back to the or. a different nurse was rolling me back this time. i was in the hallway by the OR for about 10 minutes and they kept trying to make sure everyone was on their way or already in there or whatever. let me tell you somthing. they didnt use laughing gas on me. which i didnt mind. im glad they didnt. if they did, i wouldnt remember as much as i do.. like what the OR looked like and stuff, cause they start it back in the room.. and cause ia lready had an iv, and i have no problem with needles, they didnt use it. so i was still 100% there, mentally. and physically.. obviously. it was FREEZING. like. had to be 50 degrees. it was insane. i was shaking. my mom was crying and what not and blaming herself for letting me get so overweight and said she never wanted this for me blahblbhalbhalhfdsakjfadk;sjf bottom line is, its my own fault. It really is. I knew what i had to do to maintain my weight when i was younger. i chose not to do it, hoping id be lucky and itd go away.. yeah.. obviously not the case. so i took the initiative and looked into this.. and i'm so glad i did.
They eventually rolled me into the OR.. which was just as cold as the hallway, if not colder.. they rolled me up next to the operating table and had me schooch over onto it. i did. it was hard cause they had the iv in my hand. it didnt hurt. it was just.. uncomfortable to move, i guess. but i did. they had me move up cause i'm short.. and to get my head onto this foam-liek thing that supported it. it was purple o.o the operating table was liek.. blueishgreen. its not ana ctual table.. its like a gurney but no wheels.. lol. but yeah. got on there. layed down. people were talking around me and hope, one of the research people with the anethesia department talked t ome.. she had a spongebob hat on xD haha. shes telling the people how insane i am cause i didnt mind the needles and they didnt have to use laughing gas on me and i laughed. i looked over and saw they already attached the medicine to my iv.. it hadnt gotten in me yet. they didnt tell me they did it. i just saw the white stuff going through the tube.. and they told me to count to ten right when i saw the white stuff go in my arm.. i got to ten. i guess they wanted me to count out loud? htey relike are you to ten yet and im like yeah.t hey told me to keep counting. i felt reallllyyyyy sleepy. and i hit 23. and thats all i remember, till i woke up in the recovery room, later on that day..
I woke up too out of it to care what was going on. i remmeber my mom there and some of the nurses talking. iw as covered with like 8 blankets and had ivs going into me, and my pca was hooked up. the morphine button. and i think something else.. im not sure. aparently i was dehydrated when i went into surgery and didnt know it? so the surgery took twice as long as they said it would o.o i was kinda surprized with that.. they said itd take one and a half hours to two hours.. it took 3.. lol. but yeah.. i was in and out of being asleep that day.. i remember them rolling me up to my room. . . . and rehooking everything and i fell asleep.. and woke up at liek 2pm and felt some pain in my chest.. i pressed the pca button. (i had just gotten to the room around noon.. two hours after i got up in recovery.) and i told them i wanted to get up.. just sit in the chair.. one of the nurses helped me up and i got in the chair.. it was a weird feeling.. but it definatley eased the pain.. i hit the pca again. i was allowed to hit it once every 7 minutes i believe was how it was set.. it was kinda cold when it went into me. the morphine that is. and i was knocked out.. woke up on and off but at like 8:30 at night ig ot up and took my first walk.. they let me hold onto the iv thing. i dont think i would have beens table enough just with someone holding my arm.. and i did aight i think.. lol. then i went back and sat in the chair for a bit and texted a couple of my friends, even though i was completely out of it..t hey told me since then it didnt seem like me, lol. but i could only text with one hand cause the stupid machine would beep,e very time i moved my arm.. itd woudl say 'obstruction downstreem' or somthing like that and woudlnt stop till someone would hit the stupid run button twice. after about the 10th time i just started donig it myself.. i probably wasnt supposed to, but i was tired of listenign to it for 10 minutes waiting for a nurse to come in.. lol
uhm yeah. then i went to sleep not long after.. fun. right? okay. i'll make another post for the rest of my hospital stay, and since ive been home.. since ive been slacking in posting lately.. lol. yup. kaybye<3(:
Friday morning. got up, left about 4:20am, got there about 5:30am.. right on time. they gave me a bracelet and checked me in and i went back to a little room thing.. they went over everything and checked medicines and vitals, i met with an anesthesiologist or two.. actually i think 3.. not sure. and the surgeon popped in, a research person, a couple nurses, etc.. then they tried to get me to pee in a cup. right. because ive had nothing to drink since 9pm the night before, and wasnt allowed to drink anything.. i went before we left for the hour and a 1/2 carride.. and they expected me to be able to? funny. yeah it was for a rpegnancy test. they ended up drawing blood instead, which i'm perfectly okay with.. i told them straight up they could go ahead and do it cause i couldnt pee. but nooo they made me try like 4 times. waste of time. anywayssss moving on. surgery was scheduled at 7:45. by like 6:30 they had me change into a gown and stuff. i was on the gurney thing. they put the TED stockings on.. well. they had my mom do it.. shes a nurse and the nurse that was there had to go get another nurse to start my IV. dont ask why they kept changing nurses. i have no clue. anyways, yeah. that took liek 10 minutes. those things are soooo tight and hard to get on. i was crying from laughing so hard at my moms faces she made.. haha. but once those were on, they started the iv. then they put the compression boots on me and had me lay back. the surgeon came in, answered a questoin my mom had, made sure i was still 100% positive i wanted to do this.. and i was.. then he left. and another half hour of emeting with people later, they rolled me back..
my mom walked back to the or. a different nurse was rolling me back this time. i was in the hallway by the OR for about 10 minutes and they kept trying to make sure everyone was on their way or already in there or whatever. let me tell you somthing. they didnt use laughing gas on me. which i didnt mind. im glad they didnt. if they did, i wouldnt remember as much as i do.. like what the OR looked like and stuff, cause they start it back in the room.. and cause ia lready had an iv, and i have no problem with needles, they didnt use it. so i was still 100% there, mentally. and physically.. obviously. it was FREEZING. like. had to be 50 degrees. it was insane. i was shaking. my mom was crying and what not and blaming herself for letting me get so overweight and said she never wanted this for me blahblbhalbhalhfdsakjfadk;sjf bottom line is, its my own fault. It really is. I knew what i had to do to maintain my weight when i was younger. i chose not to do it, hoping id be lucky and itd go away.. yeah.. obviously not the case. so i took the initiative and looked into this.. and i'm so glad i did.
They eventually rolled me into the OR.. which was just as cold as the hallway, if not colder.. they rolled me up next to the operating table and had me schooch over onto it. i did. it was hard cause they had the iv in my hand. it didnt hurt. it was just.. uncomfortable to move, i guess. but i did. they had me move up cause i'm short.. and to get my head onto this foam-liek thing that supported it. it was purple o.o the operating table was liek.. blueishgreen. its not ana ctual table.. its like a gurney but no wheels.. lol. but yeah. got on there. layed down. people were talking around me and hope, one of the research people with the anethesia department talked t ome.. she had a spongebob hat on xD haha. shes telling the people how insane i am cause i didnt mind the needles and they didnt have to use laughing gas on me and i laughed. i looked over and saw they already attached the medicine to my iv.. it hadnt gotten in me yet. they didnt tell me they did it. i just saw the white stuff going through the tube.. and they told me to count to ten right when i saw the white stuff go in my arm.. i got to ten. i guess they wanted me to count out loud? htey relike are you to ten yet and im like yeah.t hey told me to keep counting. i felt reallllyyyyy sleepy. and i hit 23. and thats all i remember, till i woke up in the recovery room, later on that day..
I woke up too out of it to care what was going on. i remmeber my mom there and some of the nurses talking. iw as covered with like 8 blankets and had ivs going into me, and my pca was hooked up. the morphine button. and i think something else.. im not sure. aparently i was dehydrated when i went into surgery and didnt know it? so the surgery took twice as long as they said it would o.o i was kinda surprized with that.. they said itd take one and a half hours to two hours.. it took 3.. lol. but yeah.. i was in and out of being asleep that day.. i remember them rolling me up to my room. . . . and rehooking everything and i fell asleep.. and woke up at liek 2pm and felt some pain in my chest.. i pressed the pca button. (i had just gotten to the room around noon.. two hours after i got up in recovery.) and i told them i wanted to get up.. just sit in the chair.. one of the nurses helped me up and i got in the chair.. it was a weird feeling.. but it definatley eased the pain.. i hit the pca again. i was allowed to hit it once every 7 minutes i believe was how it was set.. it was kinda cold when it went into me. the morphine that is. and i was knocked out.. woke up on and off but at like 8:30 at night ig ot up and took my first walk.. they let me hold onto the iv thing. i dont think i would have beens table enough just with someone holding my arm.. and i did aight i think.. lol. then i went back and sat in the chair for a bit and texted a couple of my friends, even though i was completely out of it..t hey told me since then it didnt seem like me, lol. but i could only text with one hand cause the stupid machine would beep,e very time i moved my arm.. itd woudl say 'obstruction downstreem' or somthing like that and woudlnt stop till someone would hit the stupid run button twice. after about the 10th time i just started donig it myself.. i probably wasnt supposed to, but i was tired of listenign to it for 10 minutes waiting for a nurse to come in.. lol
uhm yeah. then i went to sleep not long after.. fun. right? okay. i'll make another post for the rest of my hospital stay, and since ive been home.. since ive been slacking in posting lately.. lol. yup. kaybye<3(:
Monday, August 8, 2011
Sleep Study.
Some people dont understand what this is, or what its for.. So I thought I would do a post about this.
I had a sleep study towards the end of July.. Don't stress too much over it. theres not much to it!
First of all, a sleep study is done for a lot of pepole, not just wls patients.. Its to check for obstructive sleep apnea, restless leg syndrom, parasomnia, insomnia, a few other things like that.
For your sleep study..
If you take any night time medicine, be sure to bring it. and if your nocturnal like i am, try to make sure you stay on a normal pattern.. or.. as normal as you can get, a few days before.. they need at least 6 hours of solid sleep to get their results. I ended up asking for a melatonin (3mg) to help me drift to sleep.. i cant without it, on most cases.
Basically you go in, they check your blood pressure and other vitals and stuff.. you talkwith and meet with a few people.. they check your records, etc.. they'll take your medicine bottles and lock them up, so they can give them to you later. im pretty sure thats just for liability reasons. Then one or two pepole will come in and start to hook you up to wires.
They do not hurt! Trust me. they're just like stickers. If you've ever had an ekg, its sorta like that.. I had two on each of my arms, two on each of my legs. a few on my stomach and chest.. a microphone taped to my neck.. its tiny. then they put two bands around me. one over my chest and noe over my stomach, with little wires attached to them to monitor how you move whenyou breathe.
Some of these are stickers, others are glued on..
Then they started putting them on my head. there were about 10 on there. they have you take your hair down if its long and in a ponytail and they put it on.
Before they put the glue on they scrub with like a qtip and this lemon-y smelling scrub. it just helps so the glue sticks better. then they use like a mini blowdryer to help dry the glue and wire to the glue.
when they're done with all the wires tehres about 30 total i believe.. then they put a cannula under your nose.. it looks like a little elephant nose. its sort of like an oxygen thing like youd see someone getting, in the hospital.. but it doesnt pump oxygen into you. it doesnt go down your throat. just rests at the bottom of your nose and upper lip. to catch how much air you breathe in and how much you breathe out. its kinda annoying.. but you get used to it. oh, and they put one of those little clamps on your finger. it doesnt hurt. it has a little red light. its to check your oxygen level.
You really cant move much after you're hooked up.. i mean.. i guess you could but thenw ires would come undone. I was afraid to aly on my side, so it wask inda uncofortable.. cause i usually lay on my stomach to sleep.. and i was on my back. oh well.
by 10:30 they said lights out and when they say it.. they mean it. i was texting a lot earlier and i had my phone in the bed with me, just cause i'm paranoid about my mom taking it and looking thorugh it.. i always sleep with my phone. but they made me put it up and on a table that i couldnt reach, to make sure. tv off, nothing. so i layed there.. i woke up every couple hours. it really was uncomfortable, im not gonna lie. but it was bearable. i drifted back to sleep shortly after.
They woke me up by turning on the bright lights in the morning and started removing wires. gave me my medicine back, etc.. i felt nasty. the glue and stickers left residue on me and it was just, ew. they offered t olet me shower there but.. i dont liek showering in hospitals soi said no thanks and they discharged me and told me i talked in mys leep.... interesting. haha.
uhm. yeah. thats really about it. then me and my mom went and got breakfast and went home.
They gave me this special lotion stuff to help remove the leftover glue from my hair.. it works really well. but smells REALLY strong. its insane. make sure when you rub it on your head before you get int he shower, the doors open. cause you wont be able to breathe very well.. if you have the same stuff i did. ifk not.. then just use nail polish remover. that probably works just as well.
So yeah. thats about it. its really not much to it. no needles nothing painful, unless they accidnetally pull a hair when they remove a sticker or anything.. but its not bad at all.
Dont stress about it. (: It'll be fine.
Heres some pictures i took when i had mine. Ive been meaning to post them here for awhile, but never got around to it.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/justashley1637/sets/72157627032581387/
Well there you go. (:
Hope you're all having a great day, or, night.. depending on where you are. lol. (:
Peace<3.
I had a sleep study towards the end of July.. Don't stress too much over it. theres not much to it!
First of all, a sleep study is done for a lot of pepole, not just wls patients.. Its to check for obstructive sleep apnea, restless leg syndrom, parasomnia, insomnia, a few other things like that.
For your sleep study..
If you take any night time medicine, be sure to bring it. and if your nocturnal like i am, try to make sure you stay on a normal pattern.. or.. as normal as you can get, a few days before.. they need at least 6 hours of solid sleep to get their results. I ended up asking for a melatonin (3mg) to help me drift to sleep.. i cant without it, on most cases.
Basically you go in, they check your blood pressure and other vitals and stuff.. you talkwith and meet with a few people.. they check your records, etc.. they'll take your medicine bottles and lock them up, so they can give them to you later. im pretty sure thats just for liability reasons. Then one or two pepole will come in and start to hook you up to wires.
They do not hurt! Trust me. they're just like stickers. If you've ever had an ekg, its sorta like that.. I had two on each of my arms, two on each of my legs. a few on my stomach and chest.. a microphone taped to my neck.. its tiny. then they put two bands around me. one over my chest and noe over my stomach, with little wires attached to them to monitor how you move whenyou breathe.
Some of these are stickers, others are glued on..
Then they started putting them on my head. there were about 10 on there. they have you take your hair down if its long and in a ponytail and they put it on.
Before they put the glue on they scrub with like a qtip and this lemon-y smelling scrub. it just helps so the glue sticks better. then they use like a mini blowdryer to help dry the glue and wire to the glue.
when they're done with all the wires tehres about 30 total i believe.. then they put a cannula under your nose.. it looks like a little elephant nose. its sort of like an oxygen thing like youd see someone getting, in the hospital.. but it doesnt pump oxygen into you. it doesnt go down your throat. just rests at the bottom of your nose and upper lip. to catch how much air you breathe in and how much you breathe out. its kinda annoying.. but you get used to it. oh, and they put one of those little clamps on your finger. it doesnt hurt. it has a little red light. its to check your oxygen level.
You really cant move much after you're hooked up.. i mean.. i guess you could but thenw ires would come undone. I was afraid to aly on my side, so it wask inda uncofortable.. cause i usually lay on my stomach to sleep.. and i was on my back. oh well.
by 10:30 they said lights out and when they say it.. they mean it. i was texting a lot earlier and i had my phone in the bed with me, just cause i'm paranoid about my mom taking it and looking thorugh it.. i always sleep with my phone. but they made me put it up and on a table that i couldnt reach, to make sure. tv off, nothing. so i layed there.. i woke up every couple hours. it really was uncomfortable, im not gonna lie. but it was bearable. i drifted back to sleep shortly after.
They woke me up by turning on the bright lights in the morning and started removing wires. gave me my medicine back, etc.. i felt nasty. the glue and stickers left residue on me and it was just, ew. they offered t olet me shower there but.. i dont liek showering in hospitals soi said no thanks and they discharged me and told me i talked in mys leep.... interesting. haha.
uhm. yeah. thats really about it. then me and my mom went and got breakfast and went home.
They gave me this special lotion stuff to help remove the leftover glue from my hair.. it works really well. but smells REALLY strong. its insane. make sure when you rub it on your head before you get int he shower, the doors open. cause you wont be able to breathe very well.. if you have the same stuff i did. ifk not.. then just use nail polish remover. that probably works just as well.
So yeah. thats about it. its really not much to it. no needles nothing painful, unless they accidnetally pull a hair when they remove a sticker or anything.. but its not bad at all.
Dont stress about it. (: It'll be fine.
Heres some pictures i took when i had mine. Ive been meaning to post them here for awhile, but never got around to it.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/justashley1637/sets/72157627032581387/
Well there you go. (:
Hope you're all having a great day, or, night.. depending on where you are. lol. (:
Peace<3.
Friday, August 5, 2011
truth.
<3 by passinglane on Polyvore.com
I saw this on polyvore the other day and made a set with it.. I thought i'd post it here. this applys for everyone. wls or not. I showed this to my friend and we're both trying our best to do this. <3 i may have to skip out on the fruit part.. My pre-op diet starts sunday. But the rest of it.. most definatley. <3(:
I saw this on polyvore the other day and made a set with it.. I thought i'd post it here. this applys for everyone. wls or not. I showed this to my friend and we're both trying our best to do this. <3 i may have to skip out on the fruit part.. My pre-op diet starts sunday. But the rest of it.. most definatley. <3(:
Approved! Got my surgery scheduled! :D:D:D
I'm extremely happy right now. I turn 16 on August 22nd. (2 days after my idols, birthday. :D random sidenote.. anyways..) And guess what? My surgery got approved today. literally 2 days after they recieved it. wooh! :D So yeah. My surgery is going to be on August 19th, 2011. :D:D<3333 Haha. I was asleep on the couch (i'm slightly nocturnal.. it was like noon.) and my mom shook me awake and was like crying and is like 'ashley they approved you! your surgery is in about two weeks!' i was like 'whaaa?' cause i was still half asleep.. she told me like 12 times before i finally understood what she was saying. i was speachless. like '... are you serious?' xD SHE WAS! fjdkals;fjasd;l This is going to be amazing. <3 Is it bad i'm not nervous at all? I guess i'm so used to hospitals and stuff.. the fact that i'm going to have a major surgery.. doesnt really scare me. I'm too excited about it. I trust the doctors. I really do. I feel really great about all of this. i have to go in on the 17th, and 18th for pre-op stuff.. and some research stuff.. I forgot that i agreed to collect urine or whatever, to send in for research... its like a 48 hour urine collection. that i gotta mail in.. before then. So i gotta get that done sometime in the next week. to check for kindey stones before/after wls? i dont know, i didnt really understand it.. just agreed to it. it seemed simple enough. Haha.
However.. I'm kinda nervous at the moment. A family reuinion for my moms side of the family is tomorrow.. I start my liquid diet on sunday, so i dnot have to worry about that.. But.. My mom has a huge mouth. when she found out shes like 'GO POST IT ON FACEBOOK!' and im like, uhm... no. I'm excited.. but not that exited. I'm not ready to deal with peoples shit about it. But yaknow, she tells everyone she knows.. And it takes forever to explain. and people just dont understand. and its just stressfull. I havent met half of these family members before. and my moms gonna go 'OH YEAH SHES HAVING WEIGHT LOSS SURGYER IN 2 WEEKS!' and let alone its not lapband or rny.. god forbid it be somthing slightly less common. The sleeve. Bleh.
I'm happy i've come so far in this process and i'm about there, but its still hard... dealing with peoples crap. yaknow? But i gotta get over it.
I'm hesitant to tell this guy I kinda like.. we've been talking a lot lately and hes been really open with me about stuff.. I've told him im having surgery.. But i havent said what. he hasnt asked.. so... its not that big of a deal... right? no. i know its bad. i should tell him. buttttttt im scared. aha. let me be. i'll figure it out. i'll have to tell him eventually. 'oh. you've lost 30 pounds... in 2 months? how the hell...?' ... 'uhm.... yeah i forgot to tell you.. i had wls..?' '... oh. damn.' yeah... dreading that. but oh well. I'll figure it out.
I have an album on facebook entitled 'my journey' that has pictures ive taken all over the place, that i'll eventually post on here.. from doctors appointments and different testing ive had done and just really explaining what i'm going through.. a pictures worth a thousand words, right? -- so... anyone whos ees that album can kinda figure it out.. i never say im specificialy having weight loss surgery.. it says 'wls' though. anyone who cares can figure that out or ask me. lol.
So i need to go to the grocery soon and get protein shakes.. i dont have any at the moment. and some more lean cuisines to have. its a modified liquid diet. i'm allowed one meal under 400 calories every day, up until the day or two before surgery. then i believe its just clear liquids.. and nothing after midnight before surgery. I gotta be at the hospital at 5am... and its an hour away.. i wont be sleeping that night. haha.
so.. yeah. <3 Thats that for now. I'm really excited. :) I know i can do this. <3
:D
<3
However.. I'm kinda nervous at the moment. A family reuinion for my moms side of the family is tomorrow.. I start my liquid diet on sunday, so i dnot have to worry about that.. But.. My mom has a huge mouth. when she found out shes like 'GO POST IT ON FACEBOOK!' and im like, uhm... no. I'm excited.. but not that exited. I'm not ready to deal with peoples shit about it. But yaknow, she tells everyone she knows.. And it takes forever to explain. and people just dont understand. and its just stressfull. I havent met half of these family members before. and my moms gonna go 'OH YEAH SHES HAVING WEIGHT LOSS SURGYER IN 2 WEEKS!' and let alone its not lapband or rny.. god forbid it be somthing slightly less common. The sleeve. Bleh.
I'm happy i've come so far in this process and i'm about there, but its still hard... dealing with peoples crap. yaknow? But i gotta get over it.
I'm hesitant to tell this guy I kinda like.. we've been talking a lot lately and hes been really open with me about stuff.. I've told him im having surgery.. But i havent said what. he hasnt asked.. so... its not that big of a deal... right? no. i know its bad. i should tell him. buttttttt im scared. aha. let me be. i'll figure it out. i'll have to tell him eventually. 'oh. you've lost 30 pounds... in 2 months? how the hell...?' ... 'uhm.... yeah i forgot to tell you.. i had wls..?' '... oh. damn.' yeah... dreading that. but oh well. I'll figure it out.
I have an album on facebook entitled 'my journey' that has pictures ive taken all over the place, that i'll eventually post on here.. from doctors appointments and different testing ive had done and just really explaining what i'm going through.. a pictures worth a thousand words, right? -- so... anyone whos ees that album can kinda figure it out.. i never say im specificialy having weight loss surgery.. it says 'wls' though. anyone who cares can figure that out or ask me. lol.
So i need to go to the grocery soon and get protein shakes.. i dont have any at the moment. and some more lean cuisines to have. its a modified liquid diet. i'm allowed one meal under 400 calories every day, up until the day or two before surgery. then i believe its just clear liquids.. and nothing after midnight before surgery. I gotta be at the hospital at 5am... and its an hour away.. i wont be sleeping that night. haha.
so.. yeah. <3 Thats that for now. I'm really excited. :) I know i can do this. <3
:D
<3
Sunday, July 24, 2011
update.
Ahh. I havent been on here in awhile. So.. well. i was diagnosed with type2 diabetes, and hypothyroidism. awesome. <-- insert sarcasm there. -- anywho. so my metformin was upped to 1000 twice a day, and im' now on synthroid.. among all my other numerous medications. i feel like my grandma. she died at 60 somthing from obesity issues.. liver/kidney stuff, type2 diabetes, cardiomyopothy, etc etc etc... she had about as many meds as i have to take now. i swore t omyself id never let myself get this far.. but i gues i did. at least i'm on the right track to get healthier now. <3
i just had my 3rd appointment with the wls team at the hospital.. it went good. i have lost or maintained weight every time ive seen them, since the beginning.. (I thank the new higher medications.. but everyone says some of the other changes ive made have helped.. so.. yeah. haha). it went good. the nurse practitioner sent off the final letter to insurance on friday.. i have medicaid, they're the ones that agreed to cover it in the first place. but then now they have to send off like a final confirmation letter. so i hope they approve it<3 they said once they get the approval my surgery could be in 3 weeks.
OH. and i found out i have sleep apnea. i got the results from my sleep study. no one thought i had it. my moms a nurse and shes like 'you dont have sleep apnea you don't snore you sleep fine' but... i do? i love being right with her.. especially about medical stuff.. haha. i thought i had it.. and i did. not that its a good thing.. but yeah. at least i knwo i have it now.
andddddd i mentioned ot the nurse at my last visit that my ucnle has bloodclots.. glad i did. she ran some more bloodwork and she found somthing.. i forget the name of it.. but some gene taht puts you at high risk for bloodclots. she said it shouldnt mess up my surgery at all, they'd just have to take extra precautions..
Met a few people in the same program that i'm in.. teenagers that have already had, or are going to have, wls. the ones that have already had it look great! seeing them doing so well makes me even more exited for the surgery..
aparently the insurance i ahve has a bond with the hospital/wls program im in.. a lot of kids in the program have the same kinda medicaid i do, and the nurse said they usually respond fast.. I turn 16 at the end of august.. if they respond as fast as they say they do, and its approved.. my surgery could be around my birthday.. i certainly would never forget my 16th birthday then, would i? haha.
well yeah. i hope insurance responds soon. this waiting is killing me.. even though its only been a couple days. haha. <3 kay. i'll try to update a bit more often. ive been pretty busy lately with volunteeering and just enjoying my summer. <3 haha. but yeah. (: thats that.
peacee<3
i just had my 3rd appointment with the wls team at the hospital.. it went good. i have lost or maintained weight every time ive seen them, since the beginning.. (I thank the new higher medications.. but everyone says some of the other changes ive made have helped.. so.. yeah. haha). it went good. the nurse practitioner sent off the final letter to insurance on friday.. i have medicaid, they're the ones that agreed to cover it in the first place. but then now they have to send off like a final confirmation letter. so i hope they approve it<3 they said once they get the approval my surgery could be in 3 weeks.
OH. and i found out i have sleep apnea. i got the results from my sleep study. no one thought i had it. my moms a nurse and shes like 'you dont have sleep apnea you don't snore you sleep fine' but... i do? i love being right with her.. especially about medical stuff.. haha. i thought i had it.. and i did. not that its a good thing.. but yeah. at least i knwo i have it now.
andddddd i mentioned ot the nurse at my last visit that my ucnle has bloodclots.. glad i did. she ran some more bloodwork and she found somthing.. i forget the name of it.. but some gene taht puts you at high risk for bloodclots. she said it shouldnt mess up my surgery at all, they'd just have to take extra precautions..
Met a few people in the same program that i'm in.. teenagers that have already had, or are going to have, wls. the ones that have already had it look great! seeing them doing so well makes me even more exited for the surgery..
aparently the insurance i ahve has a bond with the hospital/wls program im in.. a lot of kids in the program have the same kinda medicaid i do, and the nurse said they usually respond fast.. I turn 16 at the end of august.. if they respond as fast as they say they do, and its approved.. my surgery could be around my birthday.. i certainly would never forget my 16th birthday then, would i? haha.
well yeah. i hope insurance responds soon. this waiting is killing me.. even though its only been a couple days. haha. <3 kay. i'll try to update a bit more often. ive been pretty busy lately with volunteeering and just enjoying my summer. <3 haha. but yeah. (: thats that.
peacee<3
Sunday, July 3, 2011
conversations
Today my friend instant messaged me. I had told her I was having weight loss surgery, a couple months ago. She didnt seem very supportive at first, because her mom had the RNY and things didnt go all that well.. Physically I believe her moms fine, but her mom just changed after surgery so shes not fond of it. now she seems supportive, but This kinda surprized me. No one has really asked me anything about it. People have told me their opinions and that they think its wrong. But she genuinley seemed to be curious. I didnt mind talking about it at all.. I mean, I have this blog right? Haha. Its just no one really has seemed to understand it, in real life. Shes taken an interest. I'm glad I feel liek I can talk to her about it now. Its not so awkward. (:
My Friend: I have a question o.o
ashleyellen1637: yeah?
My Friend: I don't wanna sound weird or a dick anything with it in some way; but I kind of curious. Hah
ashleyellen1637: alright o.o about what?
My friend: Your surgury Aha
ashleyellen1637: Lol alright, whats the question?
My Friend: Haha; you know after you lose all the weight how there will still be the extra skin left o.o
ashleyellen1637: yup
My Friend: Are you going to have surgury to get rid of it or no?
ashleyellen1637: It depends how bad it is.. For younger people theres still a chance it'll go back. your skins elasticity or whatever isnt completely gone, like when you're older. But at the place i'm having the surgery, they offer free plastic surgery 18months after surgery if needed. So if i need it, then yeah I probably will.
My Friend:
ashleyellen1637: Haha no you're not, it's fine. Ive met a few kids that already had the surgery in the same program i'm in and some of them didnt need plastic surgery and they look great. So idk if i'll need it or not. But yeah, haha.
My Friend:
ashleyellen1637: Haha yeah.. Do you really think you could need it? i mean, idk, but your mom had it.. if you think you could need it you should ask her about it.
My Friend: I mean, I just wish. Running sucks ass.
ashleyellen1637: Lmao you're not a dick. and i'm ehh around 250ish now.. Before I started pre-op stuff i was almost 280, like, back in january.
My Friend:
ashleyellen1637: Diet changes. High protein, low carb, no soda, nothing with much sugar. 5 small meals a day instead of 3 bigger ones. a few weeks from now i start pretty much all protein shakes except for one under 400 caloire meal a day. its really strict.. but it works. lol.
ashleyellen1637: they do it so your livers not enlarged during surgery soi ts easier for the surgeon to get around.
My Friend:
ashleyellen1637: Every little bit counts.. when i see one or 2 pounds down i feel ecstatic. haha-- Cause i'm insulin resistance ive had to watch carbs and sugar and calories and fat since i was like... 3. Now its just a lot more strict ;l lmao. its second nature to me. i dont eat anything without looking at nutrition shit ;o it slike ocd ;l lmao
My Friend: I mean, I
My Friend:
ashleyellen1637: Haha that's happened to me before. the weight just re-distributed itself to like my chest or my legs then my waiste got smaller. -- i cannot understand how that happens to save my life. but it does. lmao
My Friend: But my legs are smaller, my tummy is smaller and my boobs are the same sizeee
My Friend: ;o
ashleyellen1637: your face, arms, ankles, neck, shoulders, all of those can accumulate it too. idk. if it didnt re-distribute, your magic. ;o
ashleyellen1637: xD
My Friend:
My Friend:
ashleyellen1637: Ohhhh well that makes more sense now. lol. well yeah if youve lost of course your gonna be smaller. and thats awesome (:
My Friend: Aha; I feel better and smaller but ughhh -.-
ashleyellen1637: haha theres more you can do besides running if you hate it that much. I always hated runnign unless i was playing soccer. lol
My Friend:
ashleyellen1637: Any form of exersize makes you feel better cause it releases 'happy chemicals' in your head. haha. and yeah, it is. I wish i could run |: strictly because i miss playing soccer. I had to quit soccer when i was 13 cause i physically couldnt play anymore. it sucked ;l
My friend:
ashleyellen1637: Ugh I know what you mean. Soccer, Softball, Volleyball, basketball, football, swimming, tennis, dance, skateboarding.. I havent ridden a bike in 3 years. I honestly think if i tried to get on one id fall on my ass cause i dont remember how to ride one. lmao. i'm scared to exersize, honestly.. do you know what cardiomyopothy is?
My Friend: Oh, I did volleyball, and tennis too but not for long. And I took dance most of my life. I'm going to start again. And you won't fall riding a bike Ash, you can't forget. Haha
My Friend: And, I dont know
My Friend: Hey, I gotta go. Text me if you want<3
My Friend: Byebye
^^^
I ended up texting her and talking to her more about it all. and explaining cardiomyopothy and how part of my heart is enlarged already and how it scares me to exersize because of it.. My blood pressure issues and stuff like that.
It honestly felt good tot alk to it not to my mom or one of my moms friends that her big mouth blabs everything to. If you dn't, i suggest finding someone you can talk to aabout it.. Someone that may understand or has a better chance of it. i consider myself lucky i at least have her. (: aha.
i'll post more blogs later <3 i've been really sick this past week so i havent been on the computer much. I'll update more for sure (:
have a good day <3
-Ashley.
My Friend: I have a question o.o
ashleyellen1637: yeah?
My Friend: I don't wanna sound weird or a dick anything with it in some way; but I kind of curious. Hah
ashleyellen1637: alright o.o about what?
My friend: Your surgury Aha
ashleyellen1637: Lol alright, whats the question?
My Friend: Haha; you know after you lose all the weight how there will still be the extra skin left o.o
ashleyellen1637: yup
My Friend: Are you going to have surgury to get rid of it or no?
ashleyellen1637: It depends how bad it is.. For younger people theres still a chance it'll go back. your skins elasticity or whatever isnt completely gone, like when you're older. But at the place i'm having the surgery, they offer free plastic surgery 18months after surgery if needed. So if i need it, then yeah I probably will.
My Friend:
Ohh, alright. Aha. I didn't want to sound like a dick in a way somehow asking it. I think it's great that you're having it done<3 But I know my moms self concious cause she didn't get the skin removed but I never saw how it looks if you get it removed. I'm curious. Aha
ashleyellen1637: Haha no you're not, it's fine. Ive met a few kids that already had the surgery in the same program i'm in and some of them didnt need plastic surgery and they look great. So idk if i'll need it or not. But yeah, haha.
My Friend:
Aha ohh, I got it. I wish I could do that:|
ashleyellen1637: Haha yeah.. Do you really think you could need it? i mean, idk, but your mom had it.. if you think you could need it you should ask her about it.
My Friend: I mean, I just wish. Running sucks ass.
ashleyellen1637: Haha yeah it does.. ;l
ashleyellen1637: I didnt mind it before. but now that im 100+lbs overweight, its hard.
My Friend:
ashleyellen1637: I didnt mind it before. but now that im 100+lbs overweight, its hard.
My Friend:
Can I ask how much you weigh? If it doesn't bother you. I feel like a dick asking
ashleyellen1637: Lmao you're not a dick. and i'm ehh around 250ish now.. Before I started pre-op stuff i was almost 280, like, back in january.
My Friend:
Ohh, what kind of preop stuff?
ashleyellen1637: Diet changes. High protein, low carb, no soda, nothing with much sugar. 5 small meals a day instead of 3 bigger ones. a few weeks from now i start pretty much all protein shakes except for one under 400 caloire meal a day. its really strict.. but it works. lol.
ashleyellen1637: they do it so your livers not enlarged during surgery soi ts easier for the surgeon to get around.
My Friend:
Aha damn. I'm not good with watching for low carbs and low calorie stuff. I mean, I feel smaller and better about myself; but I've only dropped like 3lbs
ashleyellen1637: Every little bit counts.. when i see one or 2 pounds down i feel ecstatic. haha-- Cause i'm insulin resistance ive had to watch carbs and sugar and calories and fat since i was like... 3. Now its just a lot more strict ;l lmao. its second nature to me. i dont eat anything without looking at nutrition shit ;o it slike ocd ;l lmao
My Friend: I mean, I
My Friend:
I mean, I'm like 195ish. I'm gaining weight but losing inches 0_o
ashleyellen1637: Haha that's happened to me before. the weight just re-distributed itself to like my chest or my legs then my waiste got smaller. -- i cannot understand how that happens to save my life. but it does. lmao
My Friend: But my legs are smaller, my tummy is smaller and my boobs are the same sizeee
My Friend: ;o
ashleyellen1637: your face, arms, ankles, neck, shoulders, all of those can accumulate it too. idk. if it didnt re-distribute, your magic. ;o
ashleyellen1637: xD
My Friend:
I'm thinner everywhere 0_o I mean I'm not gaining weight since I've started running again and shit. But since begining of freshman year, I've gained weight but got smaller.
My Friend:
I went from needing a size 18 dress and it was tight, to now I tried on a 16 today and it was loose
ashleyellen1637: Ohhhh well that makes more sense now. lol. well yeah if youve lost of course your gonna be smaller. and thats awesome (:
My Friend: Aha; I feel better and smaller but ughhh -.-
ashleyellen1637: haha theres more you can do besides running if you hate it that much. I always hated runnign unless i was playing soccer. lol
My Friend:
I hate running but it's a good stress reliever too and I feel healthier when I do
ashleyellen1637: Any form of exersize makes you feel better cause it releases 'happy chemicals' in your head. haha. and yeah, it is. I wish i could run |: strictly because i miss playing soccer. I had to quit soccer when i was 13 cause i physically couldnt play anymore. it sucked ;l
My friend:
Aha I've played soccor, softball, basketball, football, and I was a cheerleader and I swam. I've done it all but now I'm too fat to playy
ashleyellen1637: Ugh I know what you mean. Soccer, Softball, Volleyball, basketball, football, swimming, tennis, dance, skateboarding.. I havent ridden a bike in 3 years. I honestly think if i tried to get on one id fall on my ass cause i dont remember how to ride one. lmao. i'm scared to exersize, honestly.. do you know what cardiomyopothy is?
My Friend: Oh, I did volleyball, and tennis too but not for long. And I took dance most of my life. I'm going to start again. And you won't fall riding a bike Ash, you can't forget. Haha
My Friend: And, I dont know
My Friend: Hey, I gotta go. Text me if you want<3
My Friend: Byebye
^^^
I ended up texting her and talking to her more about it all. and explaining cardiomyopothy and how part of my heart is enlarged already and how it scares me to exersize because of it.. My blood pressure issues and stuff like that.
It honestly felt good tot alk to it not to my mom or one of my moms friends that her big mouth blabs everything to. If you dn't, i suggest finding someone you can talk to aabout it.. Someone that may understand or has a better chance of it. i consider myself lucky i at least have her. (: aha.
i'll post more blogs later <3 i've been really sick this past week so i havent been on the computer much. I'll update more for sure (:
have a good day <3
-Ashley.
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