the next few days post surgery

Apr 24, 2010

hey, its to late to back out now, its done.....     my surgery was on the morning of Thursday the 22nd of April.  At the time of surgery, I was down 48lbs. from my high weight of 302, the weight loss was due to Cigna insurance requirements of meeting with a dietician for 6 months prior to surgery and the week before surgery of being on a clear liquid diet to make more room for the surgeon.   the surgeon said this made his job soooo much easier for him and that it will make my reocovery alot faster and easier too.  I can tell you it has been.  I only used pain medicine for the day of surgery, and did not use it any longer.  the only pain i am experiencing is the gas pain that is still in my body that is bubbling up and down but not out, when I do pass some, it feels so good.  I was sent home on the day after surgery after they gave me water and i was able to drink it with no  problem.  Once home i walked walked and then walked some more, the next morning i walked 6 blocks in my neighborhood and then went to walmart with the wife and did some shopping.  This makes the gas move and the gas pains not so bad.

The things I experienced:
No Cathera insertion or removal while I was awake
No drain tubes
the first thing i had to drink was 3 shots of clear bitter liquid for xray to see if i had leaks, this was the morning after surgery, it was ok.
goal for first few days is 80g protien and at least 48 oz. of liquid to stay hydrated, this is tough to do with out feeling you are forcing down drinks all day.  I constantantly feel full doing this.
hard to get the protien drinks down, due to no hunger or thirst.
Gas discomfort, not really pain
sleep may be difficult due to not being able to turn during sleep due to incisions and soreness of surgery.
tough taking vitamins and calcium since there is not hunger, its like force feeding.
good news, doc took me off of my blood pressure medicine the morning after surgery.  no longer needed.

The biggest thing....

               having to keep your cool, when everyone gives you and advice and telling you how they are going to lose weight without the surgery, and that you shouldn't have done it.    first of all, how can someone who is morbidly obese give someone else advice on weight loss?  If they knew so much, then why are they so fat? and if they are gonna lose weight what are they waiting for? I guess they love being on high blood pressure medicine.   people are already telling me that you are going to look sick when you lose weight,  you are gonna gain it back, cause its not fool proof,  its all ok though,  cause i know i will be off of blood pressure medicine and hopefully resolve obstructive sleep apnea.  so how i look to them?  i dont care.  I will be more healthy and moving forward with my life leaving alot of weight and medical conditions behind me with them while they continue to give advice to others on how they should live thier lives.    oh well enough for now,  i wish you all who are about to do this much luck and know that I did have second thoughts the last few days prior to surgery and the day of surgery especially since i lost 48 lbs leading up  to suregery, I was thinking now that its off, if i just maintain a good diet and exercise i should be able to keep this off and lose more, but after speaking to my doctor, who said the choice is all mine and mine alone, that the last 18lbs lost was due to starving myself on the clear liquid diet and that once I start eating again without the diet, history has shown that this would fall into the category of the yo-yo effect on dieting.  And I dont think that I am so special that I am different that anyone else and be able to keep it off.  If that was the case I wouldnt have yo0yo'd in the past. ok now is enough.

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