Woke Up Three Sizes Smaller!!!!

Ok, I've averaged out to 20 pounds lost since the surgery, 3 months ago. I lost more, gained back a few, lost 'em again, y'all know the drill.

This morning, I woke up, and not only did my fat clothes not fit (the two sizes up I've been living in since a few weeks post-op), my normal stuff didn't either. My normal clothes are too big!!!!



While I suspect this is only temporary and will be wearing the fat clothes today, I think it is a precursor of things to come. While I'm still elephant-sized, I'm may no longer have to appear in hippo duds.

And I did all of the above without being able to exercise, as in week 3 I got hit hard with costochondritis and now at month #3 I'm having surgery next week as I can't walk.

It's amazing what happens when you no longer have to satisfy food cravings (anemia + hormones), bury your wild emotions with food (hormones), are not starving all of the time (anemia), and are starting to care about your appearances (post-op: no more raging psycho-witch from you-know-where with constant bloat, incredible painful gas and cramps, plus getting the will to live back again).

I did meet Snoopy the other day, got my picture taken, and for once in my life, I do not utterly hate my appearance.

My biggest side effect now that the brain fog from surgery has eased: hot flashes. The occasional side effects, far less frequent now: "You looked at me wrong, BAWL!!!!!" Yesterday I felt the tears welling up, and was able to stop them before they showed.

I shoulda done this surgery years ago!

Whoo hooo!!!! I am so happy for you! I hope your recovery continues on this path

Congratulations Chocolate. It's amazing and disturbing to realize how our hormones can create such havoc in our lives. I hope your upcoming surgery goes smoothly and relieves the problem you've been having.

Woo hoo!!! Sending hugs and healing thoughts.

WOOOOOO HOOOOOO FOR YOUUUUUUU So very very happy for you. I cant wait to be able to wear my skinny jeans again. One day I will get there. Once I feel up to actually doing some excerising.
I hope things go good for you during your next surgery. And I am sure your a beautiful no matter what
Sending good and happy thoughts your way

The other good news is the brain fog seems to have cleared a bit in the last week, although I'm sure the next round of surgery will bring it right back.

My move was successful, despite having 3-5 roommates, it's so much quieter here, and a beautiful park is across the street for when I want to hobble out and just sit, or bring the computer and work while in the shade. The tension and expense of the other place is only a rapidly fading bad memory, although I do have a lot of unpacking to do. My unpacking is taking awhile as I'm scanning and archiving old files from the now-closed business, then throwing the papers into the shredder, then into the recycle bin. It feels so good to consolidate and eliminate stuff. Goodwill and the Salvation Army have both benefited, and my "happy customer" rating on eBay has doubled. The pads are mostly gone, though I am still finding the occasional stash.

After the paperwork is gone, I'll tackle the reference books. If the file is on the computer, the reference book is outta here.

I've found that pre-op, I took a lot of comfort in stuff. Now, the stuff is a burden, thus best to be pared down to the minimum. If something doesn't give me happiness or is a useful tool, out it goes. From the eBay sales, I've set up a replacement fund for if I toss something that later proves to have been needed. I feel so free! This surgery was truly life-changing, from no life to having one and wanting to be unburdened so able to travel and do all the things I couldn't do before, at least, once the appendage gets heeled.

I'm now 1 day post-op from the nerve release surgery. I was in severe pain due to the walk out to the waiting taxi to get to the torture chamber... er... hospital, and not being allowed painkillers after midnight. The Tylenol wore off an hour before I arrived, and I showed early as traffic was light, thus I was an hour early to my appointment time, which was a total of three hours before the scheduled surgery time (which would turn out to be four hours before they took me in for the procedure).

As i was in tears upon arriving on the floor from pain and some frustration, the very helpful wheelchair pusher got in contact with the pre-op nurse. Going from zero to bawling in a hurry was a bit of a help here because on the first "we can't do anything," I went to full blown bawling, completely uncontrollable, undesirable, and had a lot of waiting patients get up and move away from me. Upon hearing the waterworks, a "patient representative" came out of their well-insulated office to find out the matter. I ended up with two cold packs which allowed me to distract the nerves from their pain while laying on their floor.

When the second wore off, I was in full blown "psycho-witch" mode, in pain, having a hot flash, and really *******g tired, so I wheeled myself over to the gal's office and demanded they do something or I was going to their ER for pain control 'til their surgery time. I didn't mention that I'd be calling 911 to do so as there was no way I could wheel myself down there.

This worked, and I got into a room, and later got the first hit of the painkiller. In ten minutes, life was much better. The anesthesia doctor made an early appearance, having heard about the earlier commotion, and I shared my printed list of medications, medications to not give me, and the surgeries. Thus, when I reacted badly to one of their GERD medicines, going from calmly answering a question to a fetal position mid-sentence, I remember one of the nurses telling me the doctor was coming, twice, then I woke up in recovery.

It pays to have psycho-witch mode!

Then I found out that the pre-op hot flashes had little to do with the endometriosis and my roller coaster hot flashes and many of the lightheadedness, nausea, costochrondritis, lump-in-throat post-op problems have very little to do with the BSO. I'm now in the running for surgery #11 for parathyroid tumors. The endocrinologist left a voicemail stating that while the hormone tests said what was expected, I'm in menopause, the calcium level was high which is not normal in addition to the large thyroid she found on exam. She's the first doc to think about it despite having a not-to-high reading on three tests in the last two years. One of those docs blew off the high reading as saying it was due to drinking too much milk, while the gyno said I wasn't drinking enough and should take a supplement! Now I find out the supplement would never be enough.

So while I am still three sizes smaller, I did pop on 4 pounds right before this surgery.

Now with the emotions on an even keel from the hyster, the nerve pain settled down, and with a thyroid problem about to be resolved, I truly wonder what I am going to feel like and if the world will be able to stand it.

BTW, the brain fog is back. After finding out how much pain I was in and all the things I tried to knock down the pain over the past few weeks, those docs insisted on general anesthesia. I'm back to being the new "normal."