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| The day I am discharged from the hospital! Me and “Pouch” my teddy bear that came to me all the way from Michigan! |
The nurse enters the room and sits next to my bed. She tells me “Angela, I have your hospital discharge orders here and I need to go over them with you”.
“When you get home, Dr. Kim wants you to no longer take the following medications:
- Two High Blood Pressure pills – don’t take them anymore
- Diabetes Pills that you take daily – don’t take them
- Diabetes Pill that you take twice daily - don’t take ‘em
- Diabetes Pill taken 3 times weekly - don’t take them
- Insulin injections taken twice daily- don’t take them
- Insulin injections taken once daily- don’t take them
“Don’t take my medicine …Really?” My tears began to fall.
Gastric Bypass surgery: a change in lifestyle and God’s Favor are supposed to work together to save my life. At 5’5” tall, I have often said that the 350 pounds I carried around were not only slowing me down, but those pounds were killing me. I wanted to be an effective support member in my ministry, and I wanted to see my business grow. I couldn’t do ANY of those things effectively while weighing 350 pounds and consuming 14 prescription pills three times a day; not to mention the three, separate injections I needed to take per day. Now, this skinny little nurse is sitting here telling me that I no longer have to take EIGHT daily pills OR ANY of my daily injections. “How can Dr. Kim be sure?” I ask her. “Haven’t you noticed your vital signs when we come in to take them? Your blood pressure has been normal, your blood glucose levels have risen no higher than 124 – and that was when you were in some pain. Your temperature is normal, you are off the pain meds now and you had already lost 20 pounds during your two-week liquid diet. It’s ok to cry. You are getting healthier!”
At 5:45 a.m. Monday morning, February 28th, 2011 my daughter, her Godmother and I walked through the doors at Celebration Health, and I registered at the desk. I was scheduled to undergo the Roux-en-Y procedure robotically, minimally invasively, and in HD/3-D under the direction of Dr. Keith Kim. I was ready for it. I have been ready for it. My daughter was snapping pictures and videos and asking me if I was excited. My sister called me from Michigan to pray with me… and I looked around in wonder at the marvelous looking operating room as they wheeled me in. Oh My God! I felt like I had just arrived on the Holodeck of the Starship Enterprise! Robotic arms protruded from the ceiling, almost in spider leg-type fashion. Mirrors and cameras and lights and… “It’s time for you to relax now” says the anesthesiologist. “Dear Father, I present myself before you now… I am in your Hands. Your will be done… I love you, Lord…”
Now it’s Thursday morning and I am being discharged. What an incredible week. My daughter and her Godmother (who incidentally came to Orlando from GEORGIA to be with us this week!) drove about 30 miles round trip daily to be with me… to go to school… to have conference calls for work… to be with me. Praise God! My beloved 83- year- old grandmother called the hospital so often to check on me that even the janitor knows her name! My baby sister mailed me a weight loss companion (pictured). I named him “Pouch” in honor of the size of my reconstructed stomach. My phone received so many calls and texts that the battery simply died. DIED! I still can’t charge it… I need a new battery. In the words of my adorable sister Sonya…”That’s CRAZY!”
God is amazing. I am shrinking and getting healthier. There is so much more to share with you… the surgery, the eight (8)-hour recovery, the MORPHINE ITCH and more… keep reading… keep praying. I’ll be here –
www.AngieBeeProductions.com
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