*I'M BACK + BIG UPDATE* - My Story (16st gone + pics!!)

[CraigA]

All the best to you mate, its probably fluid thats built up thats added the weight on? it will soon come off once your healed.

 

[toxicsgrl]

Hi Guys,

I've not been ignoring anybody i promise, i have been discharged from hospital again today as i was sent back to A&E on Friday the 5th October with what turned out to be a post op wound infection. I was really ill on Friday and my stomach was bulging with fluid and was hot to the touch and red. Went to the GP who just sent me straight back to hospital. I don't think i've ever been so ill in my life, i was sweating but cold, shivering, felt really down with no energy and just felt sick. I went on IV antibiotics for a couple of days but they then decided to open me up again and clean out the infected fluid etc. I was bed bound again for 24+ hours and being 32 years of age, normally fit and well, and having to use commodes, urine bottles and having to be bed bathed because you haven't got the strength to get out of bed is a very degrading experience

I am back at home now though, my stomach is looking alot better and i'm feeling alot better in my self since i was last discharged. - I think knowing how i feel now etc i think i left the hospital infected / unwell. Oh and somehow i've put loads of weight on, which has completely baffled me. I was 14st 9llb when i went for the op, the surgeon told me they cut 5llb of skin off, and i'm now 15st 2llb, so god knows where that has come from lol. - At the moment i don't care though as i want to get sorted.

So glad you are feeling better xxx

The weight gain could be water retention etc and if you've been bed bound and not exercising then your metabolism may have slowed down as it wouldn't have needed to work so hard if you were lying down all day. Don't worry about the weight though!!! You've got it all off, it's how you feel, and in a week or a few weeks you'll emerge from all the stinky sweaty horror as the new you and it'll be amazing!!! I dont know you but I'm so proud of you! Only a bit further for your journey and you're done I hope I do as well as you! Another 2 years for me! Xx

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[Cat Lover Sue]

Wow Cookie - you poor thing. Glad you are feeling a little better now though. You must be right, I suspect you were initially discharged already infected!

I agree though that the weight gain is likely to be fluid. You're bound to put some weight on lolling about, but as soon as you're back up and about it will go.

Sending all my positive vibes. xx

 

[Zest for Life]

It's fluid, water retention, it weighs so much, Ask any woman!!! Once swelling goes and your moving around the fluid will go.
Yes sounds like you went home unwell, glad your on the mend now. Keep us all updated,

 

[ThinspiRaytion]

Wow, that is absolutely incredible. Well done sir. YOU SO SLIM NOW.

 

[Helcat]

You story is really inspiring; although recently you have been through the wars. As everyone has been saying, don't stress about the weight, let your body recover - try and stay smiling.

 

[Zest for Life]

How's everything going? Hope your starting to feel better and that your healing well.
Keep is updated, x

 

[cookie12]

How's everything going? Hope your starting to feel better and that your healing well.
Keep is updated, x

Feeling so so still. I'm having alot of weeping of fluid from my scar. District nurse has seen and said it's quite common that the fluid build up has found a weak spot in the scar and made its way through. It's just not nice and smells quite bad sometimes. Also it seems my infection didn't completely clear up on the right hand side of my stomach (problem area last time) which has become hard and red again and the GP has prescribed antibiotics. GP was gobsmacked that the hospital didn't discharge me on antibiotics. GP has said next 48 hours are important because if he doesn't see an improvement in the redness etc he may send me back up to the hospital, which i absolutely do no want to do. The swelling is also very uncomfortable and you can't seem to do anything for any amount of time before it builds up, and you then have to lie down for 30mins - 1 hour to get it to go down again.

Also district nurse examined by pressure sore and it doesn't seem to be getting any better

I do feel a bit better in myself though which is quite surprising. The whole thing has really knocked me about and it's very hard to try and stay positive but hey ho i'm sure it will all come good in the end, even if it's going to take alot longer than i expected.

Thanks for the support guys.


Cookie

 

[Zest for Life]

Well watch that infection, you might need intravenous anti biotics. If she want to send you back to hospital then it may be the best thing, get sorted once and for all. It's no good having all this build up of fluid and infection. Your body is working really hard to heal and is now fighting infection too. It's alot. I'm glad your feeling better In Yourself you've done amazingly well, it's such a shame you've had these problems. take care of yourself, don't dismiss hospital, you'd feel so much better if that infection was under control. Sorry long boring post lol!!!
We are all routing for you and look forward to a post when your fully on the mend, won't be long now,

 

[JackC]

Well done mate

 

[Zest for Life]

How you doing? Has infection cleared up?
Hope all is ok x

 

[simonie2012]

woooow
you do a great work my freind congratulation

 

[simonie2012]

woooow
you do a great work my freind congratulation

 

[Zest for Life]

Hey, hope your well and look forward to an update x

 

[cookie12]

Hi Guys,

Been a week or so since i last updated so here goes. Things are finally moving in the right direction although very slowly. I have no pain at all now from the scar / op area and i only have the feeling of tightness sometimes, especially when i take off the pressure garment. I still feel good in myself, and don't feel i'll etc although i am very fed up with it all but i was expecting that before i started so well let that one go . The infection seems to have completely gone now after the antibiotics so fingers crossed no more admissions to hospital due to this op!!!. The only problems i have now are the leaking fluid from my scar, and my pressure sore on my bum, which basically haven't really altered any since i last posted. The scar is still leaking, although i have seen a bit of slow down in terms of output and my dressing isn't as blood soaked as it was a week ago on a day to day basis. I started with another problem with the dressing though, i was using tape to secure the dressing to the wound and it was irritating my skin so i now have to wrap a bandage round my waist to secure it, but after a few hours that itches like hell so i can't seem to win with that

The swelling around my stomach isn't really going down any either but the Dr says swelling could take months to settle so i'm not bothered about that yet although it is uncomfortable and annoying (anyone with experience of this please let me know what to expect over the next few weeks / months) and finally this bloody pressure sore on my bum. God this thing is annoying as hell because it hurts, stings, and itches all the bloody time!!!. As per my orders from the nurses i'm spending as little amount of time sat on my bum as i can (this is one of the few times i've sat at my computer desk in the last few weeks) and i spend the majority of the day alternating between standing up, lying on my settee or my bed, and i only really sit down eating meals or in a car (oh and the loo lol ) but it's not healing at any great rate, fair enough it is healing but extremely slowly. It was 3cm x 3cm when i left hospital for the 1st time, and now it is apparently 2cm x 1.5cm but that's 4 weeks worth of healing!!! - I'm due back work a week tomorrow but district nurse said no chance because of the sore as i work in an office, so would be sitting on my bum all day and she said it just won't heal / could get worse if you do plus the obvious pain and discomfort i would have as well doing so. So i need to go and see a Dr to get signed off again for an extra 1 or 2 weeks.

Very weird feeling being off work so long (this will be my 6th week) as i've never been off work for this long in my life. I left school and started college 3 weeks later, left college to start working with only a few days break in between, and then left that job to work where i am still to this day, so until now the most time i've ever had off in one go is now!!!

 

[toxicsgrl]

Hi Guys,

Been a week or so since i last updated so here goes. Things are finally moving in the right direction although very slowly. I have no pain at all now from the scar / op area and i only have the feeling of tightness sometimes, especially when i take off the pressure garment. I still feel good in myself, and don't feel i'll etc although i am very fed up with it all but i was expecting that before i started so well let that one go . The infection seems to have completely gone now after the antibiotics so fingers crossed no more admissions to hospital due to this op!!!. The only problems i have now are the leaking fluid from my scar, and my pressure sore on my bum, which basically haven't really altered any since i last posted. The scar is still leaking, although i have seen a bit of slow down in terms of output and my dressing isn't as blood soaked as it was a week ago on a day to day basis. I started with another problem with the dressing though, i was using tape to secure the dressing to the wound and it was irritating my skin so i now have to wrap a bandage round my waist to secure it, but after a few hours that itches like hell so i can't seem to win with that

The swelling around my stomach isn't really going down any either but the Dr says swelling could take months to settle so i'm not bothered about that yet although it is uncomfortable and annoying (anyone with experience of this please let me know what to expect over the next few weeks / months) and finally this bloody pressure sore on my bum. God this thing is annoying as hell because it hurts, stings, and itches all the bloody time!!!. As per my orders from the nurses i'm spending as little amount of time sat on my bum as i can (this is one of the few times i've sat at my computer desk in the last few weeks) and i spend the majority of the day alternating between standing up, lying on my settee or my bed, and i only really sit down eating meals or in a car (oh and the loo lol ) but it's not healing at any great rate, fair enough it is healing but extremely slowly. It was 3cm x 3cm when i left hospital for the 1st time, and now it is apparently 2cm x 1.5cm but that's 4 weeks worth of healing!!! - I'm due back work a week tomorrow but district nurse said no chance because of the sore as i work in an office, so would be sitting on my bum all day and she said it just won't heal / could get worse if you do plus the obvious pain and discomfort i would have as well doing so. So i need to go and see a Dr to get signed off again for an extra 1 or 2 weeks.

Very weird feeling being off work so long (this will be my 6th week) as i've never been off work for this long in my life. I left school and started college 3 weeks later, left college to start working with only a few days break in between, and then left that job to work where i am still to this day, so until now the most time i've ever had off in one go is now!!!

So glad you are feeling better sorry to hear about the pressure sore, I hope it heals quickly for you. Make the most of the time off. You are an amazing inspiration to me. I have the same amount to lose as you did so knowing you cane out the other end in one piece is a great comfort for me.

You'll get there x

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[cookie12]

So glad you are feeling better sorry to hear about the pressure sore, I hope it heals quickly for you. Make the most of the time off. You are an amazing inspiration to me. I have the same amount to lose as you did so knowing you cane out the other end in one piece is a great comfort for me.

You'll get there x

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Thank you so much for saying i'm an inspiration - i've always said if my story helps someone i would be chuffed to bits - If you stick at it, it will all come good. It took me just under 2 years to lose it and i'm still going in a way due to ops etc, patience and will power is the key as at the end of the day it's not a bad ratio because i put my weight on over 20+ years so losing it all in 2 is pretty good going, well it was too quick due to the amount of lose skin i ended up with!!!

Yeah the pressure has been a real kick in the teeth and has put me right back in terms of recovering, i am probably ready to go back to work in every way bar this, i can't sit on it for long before the discomfort gets too much and considering i work at a desk, it's just not possible to sit there for that long. The GP has signed me off for an extra 3 weeks as well so frustration is really going to kick in now, well it has already!!!!

Cookie

 

[CraigA]

Stay strong Cookie you will get there in the end mate.

You could try and see if work would let you go in and work for like an hour a day just to ease back into it, if this is possible for you.

We have had people at or work place that have done this (due to other problems not the same as yours) and it seemed to work out well.

Just something that might be worth considering

And i would just like to say how much of an inspiration your are to myself and others on here, you rearly have done great things and i wish you nothing but the best.

 

[hells2012sw]

Wow Cookie, you've been through the mill a bit, totally agree on the phased return aspect of work, once your signed fit you should usually aim to work back up to full time hours slowly, say one week at 50% the next at 75% so as not to over do it.

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[toxicsgrl]

Stay strong Cookie you will get there in the end mate.

You could try and see if work would let you go in and work for like an hour a day just to ease back into it, if this is possible for you.

We have had people at or work place that have done this (due to other problems not the same as yours) and it seemed to work out well.

Just something that might be worth considering

And i would just like to say how much of an inspiration your are to myself and others on here, you rearly have done great things and i wish you nothing but the best.

Craig I've just read your original thread and you have done amazingly too! 11 stone loss in under a year is fantastic! X

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