am i an addict?

I have a confession to make...I love having surgeries.  I know what you're thinking--it sounds weird to me, too.  But, the truth is that I love going into the hospital and having a whole team of people there who are focused on MY comfort.  I actually even like the post-anesthesia grog.  I like napping...and I like that I get to do a lot of it after a surgery.  And, if I was going to be a junkie, pain-pills would be my "junk" of choice.  I like the fact that I usually get a few days off from cooking, cleaning and taking care of anyone other than myself.  I haven't had a TON of surgeries under general anesthesia, but probably more than some:

1. Wisdom teeth removed
2. Ulnar nerve release & Cubital Tunnel rebuilt (kinda like Carpal Tunnel but in my elbow)
3. Uterine ablation
4. Lap-Band

I also like the pre-surgery planning: checklists?--check!  I had the most fun yesterday preparing and freezing some of the casseroles I mentioned in a previous post.  Bonus!--I even cleaned out my freezer to make room.  Bye-bye old frozen stuff that I don't even know why I bought because we almost NEVER eat anything out of the freezer.  

While I was at it, I cleared out my spice cabinet, too (containers kept falling out of the cabinet onto my head).  Can you believe that I had some things in there from as far back as 2009?!?!?!  Even better?--I now have a full written inventory of what spices I have on hand stored in my phone.  No more getting to the market and wondering "do I need XYZ spice?"

Today is more casserole & meal prepping.  I'm also getting ALL of the laundry squared away.  Tomorrow is Pre-Op and, yes, I have a whole set of checklists for that, too.  :)

The cleaners are scheduled to come on Tuesday (surgery day) so The Hubs will come home to a super-clean house!

Cheers!

it's casserole time...

Although my husband CAN cook, if left to his own devices he will eat fast food 3x a day.  So, this week is all about prepping meals for him for the week or two after my surgery.  Casseroles are always easy to freeze & reheat and, luckily, The Hubs does not require diversity in his meals.  He is happy to eat the same thing for dinner, then lunch, and then for dinner again. (I know, boring, right?)  I asked him what he wanted and this is what he came up with:

• Tuna casserole
• Pastitso
• Hashbrown & Sausage Casserole
• Chicken Tetrazzini (I'm gonna sneak some cauliflower into this one)
• Chili Mac

What do these all have in common?  Heavy cream & cheese!!!  I'm getting a bit nauseated just thinking about it.  He was smart, though, and came up with stuff that I would NEVER make for him otherwise.  And, luckily it's all stuff that I don't really like so I won't be tempted.

Cheers!

it's gettin' real, y'all...

I haven't made any spreadsheets yet, but I do have checklists!!!

I went to Office Depot this morning and picked up some supplies: a groovy Mead Fivestar Flex "Hybrid Notebinder" & some tab-flap 3-hole document pockets of various designs.  I spent part of the day putting together my official Sleeve Surgery Notebook that will go with me to my Pre-Op appointment on Thursday and to the hospital on surgery day.  It will be the official "go to" place for both me and my caregivers.  

My checklists include:

Pre-Op appointment checklist (documents to take, etc)

Pre-Op supplies checklist (liquid fast, meds, etc)

Hospital bag checklist

Post-Op supplies checklist (allowed liquids, meds, supplements, etc)

My notebook will have:

Contact info for all of my doctors (surgeon, PCP, gyno)

Copy of Driver's License & Insurance Card

Advanced Healthcare Directive

Power of Attorney

Will

List of medications & supplements with dosages

Post-Op Nutrition booklet from the dietitian

Post-Op instructions from surgeon

Copies of all paperwork signed last week @ my surgeon's pre-op appointment

I have never been an overnight patient myself, but I have spent my fair share of time in the hospital as a caregiver.  In my experience it doesn't seem to matter how many times we tell the hospital staff about medications, something almost always gets mixed up or there is confusion about what they wrote down. Over the years, my family has learned just to print out multiple copies of the medication list for whichever family member is the patient and then we just hand one to anybody and everybody who walks into the room wearing scrubs or a lab coat.  Problem solved!

4 more sleeps 'til pre-op testing.

8 more sleeps 'til surgery!

***UPDATE***
Day-um, seriously...I cannot count!  9 sleeps 'til surgery as of the original writing of this post.  8 sleeps as of this update. 

11...no, 12

I got excited earlier today when I realized that I only had 11 more sleeps!  Then I realized that today was NOT Friday--which made it 12 more sleeps.  Still...it's progress.  I wish I could just go to sleep tonight and wake up the morning of surgery.

seeking hospital stay advice...

I've never stayed overnight in a hospital before (as a patient, at least).  Doc says probably only 1 night, 2 nights max.  I have a packing list, but would welcome any advice from those with experience.  Did I forget anything?  Am I taking too much?

• Advanced Directive/Medical Power of Attorney
• ID
• Insurance Card
• bathrobe
• brush
• deodorant
• Earplugs
• Eyemask (for sleeping)
• Eyeglasses
• Headphones
• Ipad (with books, movies & music)
• Ipad charger
• Lotion
• Notepad & pen
• Phone & charger
• pillow & blanket (for car ride home)
• shawl/bedjacket (my arms ALWAYS get cold...and for modesty)
• slippers
• facial cleanser wipes
• Wisp (Colgate® Wisp® is a single-use mini toothbrush with a breath-freshening bead that allows you to have a clean, fresh mouth anywhere, anytime – no water or rinsing required)
• underwear

Cheers!--and Thanks!

"surprise" from my doctor's office...

I just got around to going through the goodie bag from my surgeon's office and I found this!

18...

My husband thinks it's funny that we all count in "sleeps" instead of "days."  I have 18 more sleeps until my Lap-Band to Gastric Sleeve conversion surgery.  I bought a be-jacket today...seriously.  What's the point of surgery if you can't buy the gear?

Cheers!

hidey ho, neighbors...

I am so excited about my upcoming conversion to the gastric sleeve!!!

I don't have any spreadsheets, yet.  But, I did make some nice Word documents to help me (& my support team) know what I can & can't eat during the healing process.  Somehow, I had it in my head that it would be 3 months until solid food.  But it turns out it's only 6 weeks.  Woot! Woot!  

surgery date!!!

September 4th-noon!!!

(updated) hopefully getting' some news today...

I know I've been quiet on this here blog lately.  Mostly, I've been busy stuffing my face with ice cream, Coke, hamburgers and more than a few "last meals".  You know---wanna make sure I gain as much weight as possible before getting sleeved.  And, I've been doing a pretty good job of it (yes, I am making an attempt to disguise the disgust with humor).  Although I haven't weighed myself lately, I'm pretty sure that I am at (or at least near, or maybe even above) my highest pre-surgery weight from 2010.  I have had to buy new clothes because nothing I own fits.  I even broke a bra last week.  Blech!

The good news is that my surgeon is finally back in the country (he's been vacationing oversees for the last couple of weeks) and I have an appointment with him in 2 hours!!!  I will be signing consents for surgery--and who knows what else?  I am hoping to get some sense of when I might be having this surgery...since Dr. S didn't do my lap-band I don't know much about the how the timelines work in his practice.  I do know that, for the most part, they seem to move pretty quickly on most things (I got my insurance approval call just 4 days after submitting paperwork to their insurance coordinator).

Fingers crossed for a date this month!

[UPDATE]
Doc said his assistant will call the hospital today to get a surgery date & schedule pre-op testing.  I should hear from her by the end of the day on Wednesday.  After a quick glance at his iPhone calendar, he guessed that it could be as early as the last week of this month!!!

Prior to surgery I have:
Clear liquid fast--2 days
Neomycin sulfate--day before surgery (2 tablets every hour for 4 hours, then 1 tablet every 4 hours=12 tablets total)
Milk of Magnesia--day before surgery (3Tbs before noon)

Easy peasy!

Cheers,