Franken-sweatz

I'm absolutely in love with the doctors at Sentara Medical Center here in Woodbridge. Not only is my surgeon a Giants fan, but my anesthesiologist is a Giants fan. I even saw another doctor roaming the halls with a Giants scrub cap on. We've got some smart people working in the DC area, I'm telling you.

So, surgery has come and gone already and I can't believe I'm on the other side of the fence now. Waking up in recovery was very bizarre. First off, without my glasses, I'm completely blind. You could be standing three inches from my face and I'd still need to squint. So picture this: I'm waking up, I can't see shit, I'm in pain, I'm nauseous and now I'm crying. What a sight, right? They do have some great drugs though. I've never been one to handle medication though, so with each dose of Dilaudid I would pass out almost immediately. No complaints from me though.

So, even though this was my first (and hopefully) only surgery, I think I've been handling everything like a champ. With each passing day, I feel less and less sore. It's much easier to get around. Learning how to eat is very strange though. I'm simply not hungry, but I know I have to get food in me so I don't die from starvation. The most I've been able to get down without feeling terrible is 4 tablespoons, which is right on track for when I'm ready for the mushy food stage. I can feel the food going down though, and sitting in my stomach. I don't even know how to describe it - I suppose only people who've had this surgery can relate. It's just such a relief not to be drinking that disgusting Opi-Fast any more. The protein shakes that I bought tastes just like them though, which I'm not thrilled about at all. I'm going to need to figure something else out, because I can't seem to choke these things down very well.

I am a little annoyed with two things though - and I fully plan on bitching about it even though this surgery is helping me save my life and I shouldn't really be caring about aesthetics right now. The largest scar is near my belly button; it's larger than the others because that's the location they yanked my stomach out of (graphic, huh!?), it seems like they sewed the skin up a little too tightly at that location because there's this sunken in, dent thing right above the scar. Also, since the scar is right near my belly button, and the skin was pulled tightly, it shifted the location of my belly button ring hole, and it's now all stretch out. I think if I try to put it back it, it'll lay really crooked. Who cares though, right? I might just rock the crooked piercing, and be done with it. I'm kinda hoping that as I lose weight, the skin will even itself out or something. What do I really know though? Seems like it could be logical, right?

Starting weight: 273.4

Last weight in: 260.9

Height: 5'8"

Surgeon's goal: 180

Personal goal: 160