Free At Last

Oct. 27, 2008 -- I am free at last of the rubber drain hanging out of my side. It was removed last Thursday when the doctor's assistant simply pulled it out. No pain involved. But the following day I felt as if I had the flu -- headache, sore muscles, lethargy. That only lasted about 24 hours.

I am now off the Diovan blood pressure medication, off the metformin diabetes medication, and sleeping without the CPAP (and showing no signs of sleep apnea or excessive snoring). I have lost about 20 pounds since the surgery three weeks ago. The goal is 30 pounds in the first month.

On Sunday I reached the 300 pound mark on my home scale which showed I weighed 341 pounds when I was at my heaviest. This picture of me during a firefighter training session shows what the guy looked like in August.

I am exercising more every day. Some days it is just a short walk but other days I walk a lot more. We take the dogs to Harmon Field and walk them (and me) there. That is usually a stroll of from one to two miles. On Tuesday and Thursday nights we join others from the fire department for physical training at a local gym. So far I am cleared only for light exercise so I use the treadmill and the recumbent elliptical trainer.

My diet is still very bland. I eat six meals a day, each one two to three ounces of cottage cheese, yogurt, cream soup or pudding. All fat-free and sugar-free, of course. This is supplemented by drinking about 80 grams of protein a day and a total of at least 62 ounces of water. But on Tuesday I get to step it up a notch, going to pureed foods. Stuff the consistency of baby food.

I am staying full and feel better every day. My back no longer aches with every step, my knees feel better and I think I am sleeping better, too. Best of all is the reduction in medication!

So far -- All is Great.

On the Way to health

Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008 -- My surgery last Monday (Oct. 6) went off without any serious hitches. I actually was up and walking that afternoon. I got to go home Wednesday afternoon and spent the rest of the week taking short walks, long naps and drinking protein supplements. But here is the best news of all:
My blood glucose readings are way, way low. Dr. Bour sent me home without one of the diabetes drugs (metformin) because my readings had been so good in the hospital. Since coming home they have ranged from 89 to 113. Before, while taking 1,500 MG of metformin a day, it was a great day when I had a reading as low as 113. The average for all samples I took before surgery was 118 with medication. My fasting readings were always above 110. So it appears to me the main reason for the surgery -- diabetes -- will be met. I will continue to monitor the glucose readings closely and remain on Actos until advised otherwise by Dr. Bour. I am still on blood pressure medication with readings around 115/60 but as the weight drops the need for blood pressure medication may drop as well.
Speaking of weight: the scale tells me this morning I have lost 17 pounds since the day before I went into the hospital. That is 17 pounds in the first week. Of course, I have had very little to eat other than protein supplements but this is a good start. My only complication is one I experienced after throat surgery in 2006 -- urine retention. I left the hospital with a catheter and will see my urologist tomorrow. It took a couple of weeks for my bladder to wake up and work on its own last time. I pray this one will be shorter. No pain, just an inconvenience.
The hardest part of that first day was probably the dry mouth. Nothing to drink -- not even ice chips -- until the following morning to make sure there was no stomach acid churned up that might cause damage. About 9 Tuesday morning I was rolled down to X-ray for a gulp of a barium solution so Dr. Bour could be sure there were no leaks. Thankfully, there were none. Back in the room I got my first ice chips, soaked in blue food coloring so that if any leaks out the drain they put in my left side it will show up clearly. No leaks there, either.
I am very impressed with the staff at Hillcrest Memorial Hospital. They went out of their way to make certain I was as comfortable as possible and that my wife and daughter had all the support they needed. I had at least one, and sometimes two, RNs taking care of me. They treated me like the only patient in the hospital.
I spent Tuesday walking the corridors of the hospital and punching my pain medication pump. It flowed enough to keep me happy. Since returning home I have been walking regularly. First, it was just the length of the driveway, about 150 feet. Now it is down the driveway and halfway up the hill. Next: the top of the hill. Tueday I go back to Greenville for my first post-op support group meeting and Thursday meet with the nutritionist and the doctor.
This would have been impossible without great support from my family. My daughter Cathy flew in for the surgery and early post-op. Son Tim relieved her when I got home so he could spell Sylvia of some of the chores. I had daily calls and messages from my other two sons, our grandkids and friends.
Wednesday brought a huge surprise. My friend Kevin Hall drove up from Miami to visit me in the hospital and then spent a several hours watching me doze off in my favorite chair at home. What a thoughtful thing to do.
Art Heise, another old friend, brought Kevin to the hospital and gave great support to Sylvia. Art and I have a regular appointment for lunch every Wednesday at a spot in Hendersonville that has Harp beer on sale on that day. Art and Kevin drank a pint or two in my honor Wednesday and Jessica, who manages the place, sent them off with a gift for me: A shot glass labeled "Harp", a child's menu and a T-shirt.

The Time is Near

Oct. 5, 2008 -- My surgery is still on schedule for Monday Oct. 6 at 8 a.m. We have to show up at Hillcrest Memorial Hospital t 6:30 a.m. so we will spend the night in a hotel near the hospital. My wife and daughter will stay there until I can go home Wednesday in order to avoid the 110 mile roundtrip from the house to the hospital.

I am not nervous but I do look forward to getting it over with. The folks at Bariatric Solutions in Greenville, SC have prepared me well. I know what to expect and what will be expected of me.

So this is my last post until I get back home from the hospital.

I have spent the day on a diet of clear liquids. No problems with that. I can have beef or chicken broth, sugar-free jello and such. Everything is cut off at midnight. No even water, except for a sip to take required medication. They say I won't get a drink again until the second day after surgery. Makes my mouth dry just thinking about that.

On The Road...

Oct. 1, 2008 -- Finally, I know what time the surgery is to start! We drove down to Hillcrest Memorial Hospital in Simpsonville, SC early this morning for the pre-surgical assessment and meeting with the anesthesiologist. Again we both were impressed with the thoroughness and attention to detail of all those involved in this process. The whole deal, from start with the business office to final details took about 1 1/2 hours -- most of it answering health questions.

The biggest thing of the morning: Surgery is set for 8 a.m. Monday, Oct. 6. I have to be in the lobby of the hospital at 6:30 a.m. Surgery will take about two hours, then I go to the recovery room for an hour or so before moving into my room for my two night stay. Nothing to eat or drink -- not even water or ice chips -- the first day.

Hillcrest is small teaching hospital south of Greenville. It is part of the Greenville Hospital System and the center for bariatric surgery. Everyone we met with is part of the regular crew that specializes in gastric bypass surgery.

I feel very confident and reassured. The support group sessions, special diet classes and all the other preparation has been fantastic.

When Dr. Bour did the EGD he took a biopsy looking for a particular kind of bacteria, which he found. So his assistant called this afternoon with a prescription for antibiotics I have to start tonight.

Sept. 30, 2008 -- Met with the pre-surgery diet group for the last time today. I made my weight goal, or rather came very close to it, by losing 10 pounds over these past three weeks. I should be a few pounds under the goal by Oct 5, the day before surgery, when I go on a clear liquid diet. Nothing at all after midnight the night before surgery.

Sept. 25, 2008 -- Gadzooks! An 8 a.m. meeting in Greenville, an hour's drive away meant an early morning for us. But it was worth it. All of those scheduled for surgery around my Oct. 5 surgery date met with Dr. Eric Bour, the bariatric surgeon, and his assistant Katie M. Meyer. They went over a lot of ground we had covered in the various support group and diet group meetings but this was a very intense review. We went over all the things that can go wrong, what to expect in the recovery room and so forth. Once again we both left convinced I came to the right place for this surgery.

Sept.23, 2008 -- My third diet class this morning. I feel fine and have lost six pounds. The Optifast 800 is not as bad as I expected. In fact, it tastes pretty good and it certainly takes away the hunger. Or most of the hunger. The real meal I eat once a day is very welcome. We weigh everything. No more than four ounces of protein. But dill pickles are "free" and I have already gone through a whole jar.

Sept. 17, 2008 -- This is the second week of the crash diet before gastric bypass surgery. It is still going well.
On Monday I had the EGD procedure and Dr. Eric Bour said my innerds look fine except for a small lesion. He took a biopsy but said he sees a lot like that. I don't remember any of this, of course, so it is second hand from Sylvia.