6 weeks post op

Hi everyone,

So I know it's been a while since I've posted, but I'll try to fill you in now. The first month after surgery was hell for me. My incision wasn't healing properly and hurt me all the time, I had no energy, I was severely dehydrated, and I felt sick all the time. I was also having a hard time figuring out where my stopping point was when I ate. One bit too many and everything would come back up and I would feel sick for the rest of the day/night. I was also experiencing a lot of nausea and vomiting.

However, I'm happy to say that for the past week or 2, I've been feeling loads better! My incision has healed up and is no longer bothering me; I've increased my antacids which have helped with the nausea and vomiting, and I've figured out that if I eat slower and listen to my stomach, I know exactly how much I can eat and not get sick.

Right now getting in protein and exercise are my biggest challenges. I'm supposed to be getting in 60-80 grams of protein a day, but in reality I'm getting in about 20. This is partly because protein doesn't go down as easily as other foods, and partly because eating only protein is boring. I like adding a little veggies or pasta/rice to my meals! However, I am trying and about 80-85% of my diet is protein based. I'm eating about 5 times a day, and usually around 2oz. of food at each sitting. I would guess I'm eating around 800 calories per day. Soups, Atkins protein bars, and cheese have become my staples. I also eat a lot of chicken breast.

As for sweets and bread, I can't believe I'm actually writing this, but they have lost most of their appeal for me. Very rarely I'll really get a craving for something sweet, and I'll have a bite or 2 of chocolate or cake or whatever and I'll be satisfied. I never thought I would see this day! My birthday was 2 days ago and my husband bought 3 miniature cakes for us to share. He ate one for himself, and the other 2 are still in the fridge. I had about 5 bites and I was stuffed. I haven't felt the desire to eat the leftovers either.

Exercise is something I'm trying to increase. I went to the gym for the first time earlier this week, and I'm planning on going again tomorrow. I figure if I ease into it it will be better than trying to be all gung-ho and then giving up. Sometimes my husband and I walk to work, which takes about an hour. Anyway, I'm just trying to increase my activity level where I can.

Another challenge is hunger. Now that I'm more active and finally back at work, I'm getting hungry every 2-3 hours. This is fine because my surgeon wants me to eat 5 times a day, but it's a little scary to me. I guess I've always equated being hungry with going on an eating binge, but thanks to my sleeve, a few bites is all it takes for me to feel stuffed!

Anyway, you want to hear about the weight loss right? I've lost 30lbs (14kgs) in 6 weeks. I would say I'm losing about 2-3lbs (1-1.5kgs) a week. If I increase my exercise and protein levels I'm pretty sure I can lose more, which is a huge incentive. So I'm going to give it a shot.

Anyway, I'm attaching 2 pictures which were taken this week on my birthday. Both of them are me with my coworkers. I don't think you can see a difference, but maybe by the next 30lbs you'll be able to...

Well anyway, till next time!!

1st Post Op Visit

Well readers, good news!! I've dropped a total of 13.5 lbs (or 6.1 kilos) in a 8 days!!! Yay!! My doctor was extremely pleased with this, and I was ecstatic to say the least. My surgeon advised me that I would continue to lose at round this rate for the next 3-5 weeks before slowing down. I hope he's right!

Daily challenges for me right now are just trying to get my liquids in. I think I'm drinking so much, but at the end of the day it turns out I've only drunk around a liter of fluids, so I need to work on that.

Still not much appetite. I usually get hungry around 1x a day, and then I'll have a couple bites of egg or hummus or cream of wheat and I'm fine until the next day. I never thought I could be satisfied on a couple mouthfuls of food a day!! Of course, over time my appetite will come back, and I will need to eat  more to keep protein and energy levels up; but right now while I'm still off work and can lie in bed eating nothing, not being hungry and losing weight, you'd better believe I'm going to take advantage of it!!!

Pain is at a minimum now, so that's a huge relief, still just a little sore around the incision at my belly button. My scars have healed up beautifully though!! You can hardly even see them. I'll be sure to post pictures next time.

I'm a little nervous about going back to work next Tuesday, because I'm worried that I'll be irritable and have no energy. But that's why when I start back to work I'm going to make sure I'm getting enough protein in, even if I have to subsist on nothing but protein drinks until my appetite returns. Since I'm the sole supporter of my household, I really can't afford to take any more time off. My husband has been really sweet and taken time off from English school to put in extra hours at his part time job at the Japanese video store, but unfortunately it's not really going to be enough to make much difference. Any help I can get is truly appreciated though.

Ok, well, not much else to write. Still just experimenting with what foods work for me and which ones aren't so good. I'm sure I'll have more to say when I go back to work and when I start to eat normally again.

I've also decided that I will post pictures every 25 lbs (11 kilos) lost, because any less weight than that and I doubt you'll see a difference. Anyway, 12 more pounds (5 kilos) and I'll post pics I promise!!!

Thanks for reading!!

J

It's too early for meatballs (even tofu ones)

So my doctor is very laid back when it comes to eating guidelines and introducing new foods. The words that are written in my packet are as follows:

"For the first month following surgery, make sure to drink at least 2liters of fluids/day and get between 60-80 grams of protein from soft vegetarian sources, eggs, fish and seafood."

This is followed by a list of acceptable foods (i.e. cream of wheat, mashed potatoes, eggs, beans, veggies burgers, yogurt, soups, fish, rice, egg noodles, etc.

So my tummy was making this weird rumbly sound today and I thought "gas? hunger?" Trying to expel the gas in my tummy didn't work, so I thought, "Maybe I'm hungry? After all, I haven't eaten in 5 days..."

I tried 2 very tiny bites of a veggie meatball and my stomach started screaming at me and throwing lightening blots through my digestive system.  Clearly, it did not want food. So went to the message boards to get some advice from one one of my sleeve sisters out there in WLS world, and got the following reply, which I thought was uber helpful and plan to discuss this with my surgeon when I meet with him on Friday.

"Golden" wrote:


At this point, your stomach probably isn't doing a great job of communicating with you at all because it's so traumatized! Nerves have been cut and it will take time to get proper full signals, or any signal really. At four days out, I would chalk it up to shock/gas/healing gurgles rather than hunger. But if you're sure it's hunger, I would check and make sure you're on a good PPI - acid can make your feel hungry when you're not - and then ask your doctor what you're allowed to have. Request a list of foods and drinks you're allowed if they didn't give you one and then stick to it - you don't want to risk hurting yourself!

I'm 14 weeks out and just feel like I'm actually starting to understand my new stomach. There's some trial and error to be expected, just don't push too hard. If it helps at all, this was my schedule, which I've found to be pretty similar to many people here:

Week 1: I was on clear liquids (water, crystal light, diluted fruit juice, chicken broth and jello) for the first week after surgery. 

Week 2: Started full liquids, which is typically defined as anything that can go through a straw (milk, cream soups, protein shakes, yogurt - often the latter two can be thinned with water in the beginning). 

Week 3: Purees (same stuff as week two but adding some pureed soups like lentil or potato, thinned refried beans, well blended). Purees for two weeks.

Week 5: Soft foods, which is where ground meat started (soft boiled or runny scrambled eggs, refried beans with melted cheese, maybe some soft white fish, mashed banana, ground meat, spoonful of smooth peanut butter). Two weeks of that.

Week 7-8: I was finally allowed a more "normal" type diet, although some things like raw veggies, fruits and nuts had to wait a while longer, until week 12 or so.

GOOD LUCK, you'll do great!  

First Post Post-OP

Surgery went well, thank G-d, and  was released from the hospital on Friday evening (had the surgery early Thursday morning). This is the first surgery I've ever had, so I think that's made it a bit more traumatic for me than for others who have experienced it before, because I really had no idea to expect this much pain. Pain meds have done a pretty decent job of controlling that though, and I find that I'm recovering little by little each day. Today has been a day of  3 major accomplishments for me. 1) I've been able to stay awake and lucid for more than 20 min at a time, 2) Took my 1st shower post-op, which felt great, and 3) Tried my first real food! (Well it was very watered down cream of wheat, but it counts right??) 

Hoping the pain begins to ease up here in the next few days and I should be in good shape. Will probably have to take a few days more off work than originally anticipated, but it shouldn't be an issue.

Its so funny, I had this surgery to lose weight, but weight loss is currently the farthest thing from my mind. Right now I just want to get the pain under control and feel normal enough to get back to work.

I can't sign off without giving a shout out to my wonderful, amazing, incredible husband. He has waited on me hand and food--if I wanted something he immediately runs and gets it or makes it for me, he fluffs my pillows and makes sure I have clean, comfortable sheets, he takes care of the dogs, and he stays by my side the entire time. When we were in the hospital, he the only time he wasn't at my side was when he went to get something to eat. 

I also want to say thank you to my Mom, little sister, Agent 001, SB, DO, T-Dizzle, YA and Mi-KE and everyone else who have been so kind and sent me cards, flowers, emails, texts, etc. You're support and kindness have been a constant source of encouragement and positivity in helping me get through this recovery time.

Hugs to all of you!!! 

Ok, this post has wiped me out now, so I'm going back to sleep :) Till next time 

T minus 7 hours and counting!!

Well, I managed to get through the Colyte. I sincerely hope that that was the LAST time I ever have to go through that. Horrible, horrible stuff! I started freaking out earlier big time, but thanks to my good friend Ativan, I am in fuzzy-happy-sleepy mode; so I'm hoping this euphoric state will carry through till I'm out of surgery and back in my hospital bed. We've got a really great lady taking care of our dogs the next two days, and my husband will be staying with me the whole time in the hospital. All of the rooms there are single person rooms with pull out couches, so he can even stay the night! That's such a huge comfort, I can't even begin to describe. My mom wanted to come up and stay with me too (and to be honest I really want her here as well!), but we don't have an extra place for her to sleep at the moment and it's her birthday and my little sister's college graduation this week, so I wanted her to stay at home and enjoy celebrating :) I know she's thinking of me though. Plus, my husband is really sweet and supportive and wonderful, so I know I'm in great hands. (Sometimes a girl just wants her mom though :) ) Anyway, signing off for now. I'm going to try and get a couple hours of shut eye before I leave for the hospital at 5:30 am.

1st Post

So my best friend asked me to start this blog so she could keep up with my progress, since we are currently in 2 different countries. 

I'm getting sleeved tomorrow morning at 7:30 an am super nervous!! But to be honest, right now I'm more focused on drinking down this entire gallon of Colyte colon cleanser that my surgeon is making me drink. Why, in this day in age, they do not have this disgusting stuff in a pill form I will never know. Absolute misery drinking down what is essentially a gallon of salt water and running to the bathroom every 5 minutes. However, the nurse said that this was the worst part of the whole surgery. I hope she's right!

I just keep telling myself it's worth it because after this surgery is over I will finally have the means to get  my weight and life back under control. I'm sick of being fat, of losing a bunch of weight only to regain it, of feeling horrible about myself all the time and of holding back from doing things because of my weight. 

I've spent a lot of time lurking on "vertical sleeve talk" recently, and have been really inspired. People really seem to lose weight and keep it off with the surgery, so that's what I'm hoping for too! The fact that I'm paying all costs out of pocket will be a motivator as well I'm sure....

Anyway, that's all for now! I'm posting my official "before" pic, which I made as ugly as possible so that when I post my "after" pics I'll look even cuter!

-J