4 weeks post op

Today I am 4 weeks post op and have officially survived not one Thanksgiving but two! The surgical pain is completely gone and my incision sites are healing rather well. My weight is dropped quickly this week.

Things I've discovered:

-The weeks when the weight comes off fast, I can't see or feel it in my clothes.

-The weeks when the weight comes off slowly, I can see and feel it

How I survived Thanksgiving:

It was hard at times because everything smelled SO delicious! I know I was supposed to make sure things weren't made with sugar and/or butter, but I picked out a couple of dishes in which I knew wouldn't be too sweet or buttery. I measured everything by the teaspoon. I picked a piece of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and a tiny bit of green salad. I didn't finish half of it. I enjoyed conversation, paid attention to chewing slowly for as long as it took to make things "liquid". I realized that I didn't need as much food because 1) I have a tiny tummy, and 2) After chewing one bite of stuffing for 20-40 times, it's not as delicious!

How I survived the road trip:

This was the hardest thing I thought. Jack in the Box smelled great, so did KFC. I bought a breakfast pita from JITB, hold the bacon. I ended up continuing to just get bites of pita, no egg, ham or cheese. I ended up taking one too many bites and threw it up. I ate 1 potato wedge from KFC which was fine, and it was enough. I had small containers of yogurt with me and one of my baby's spoons to eat it with. I also have the proti-diet protein crystal light type stuff, so I kept a pack of that mixed with water for fluids AND protein. Overall it was difficult, if not impossible, to get enough protein on the road, but some was better than none I felt. Or, it was better than making poor choices and throwing up. (Throwing up while driving is not ideal.)

3 weeks Post Op

I've found myself a number of times asking myself, "what have I DONE?" My cravings and appetite are almost non existent which I thought would never happen. There are some times when I feel like I'm hungry, but I know that as soon as I put food into my belly I'm full so fast.

Thanksgiving was a challenge but I did it. I ended up having small - like teaspoon sized - portions of the things I wanted. I had about an ounce of turkey, a teaspoon of stuffing, a teaspoon of mashed potatoes, and about 4 leaves of salad. I didn't even finish half. It was one of the first times I have ever walked away from Thanksgiving without needing sweatpants. I had a good Thanksgiving gift from my scale when it read "240". I lost 10 lbs! Actually I'd lost 12 since the Thursday before Thanksgiving. I need to take a pic, but we're out of town right now, so when I get back, I promise. :)

Almost 3 weeks post op

Sorry I'm late posting this pic. I weighed in at 249. I haven't been in the 240's since I got married. However, I've noticed that I'm still not the same size as I was then. I've lost weight in different places, but it's pretty much all over. I'm still not in the same size jeans as I was in 2008, but I have noticed a hip bone and butt bones sticking out where they weren't before!! I only read about these things in anatomy books. ;-)

I don't have a profile pic on here yet, when I get back to my own computer I will upload that as well.

Post Op Pic

I'm a little late with this picture, but here it is anyway.

I believe I weighed in at 254 in this picture and it was on my first post op appointment with my surgeon. I don't think I look too different, but it's early yet.

Eating has been... interesting. I find that my tastes have drastically changed. Many things make me gag, mostly the protein "shakes". I added protein powder to my yogurt which was okay for a couple of days, but this morning it make me gag. Its really frustrating. My surgeon stressed the importance of getting enough protein, and I truly understand, but... it's hard.

5 Days Post-Op

Well I did it. Yes, gastric bypass surgery is over and now the real work begins.

It was a little surreal being on the table in the OR when the surgical nurses announced my name and procedure. "She's having Roux-En-Y gastric bypass." Really? Did I actually finally make it? Yes, yes I did.

I woke up in recovery - well, sort of - I dozed in and out. I don't remember being transferred to the med-surg floor. I don't remember anything except that they said my breathing was very shallow. Well der - my abdomen was all torn up! It hurt!

My stay in the hospital couldn't have been better. I had excellent nurses in Heather, Windi, and Phyllis. They made my stay far more bearable and they were so good to me. I had some problems right away because I couldn't pee. What a strange problem. But looking back, every time I've had surgery I've had the same issues. I got over it though. I ended up staying 2 additional days because my pain and nausea weren't controlled well enough. I'm sure that is partially my fault for waiting too long to ask for the meds I needed. I think I'm paranoid because sometimes we get patients in who are total drug seekers and I did not want to be perceived that way. How strange of me!

So I went into the hospital on Monday and was finally discharged tonight. It has been an emotional few days simply because of not believing I'd actually made it to the end of the pre-op phase. But I did it. I did.

I haven't lost much weight so far, just 2lbs, but one of the nurses explained that my body is in "survival mode" and is holding on to any and all fluids I put into it. I won't weight myself for another week and then we'll talk. :)