Monkey_doodle

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I think I need to tighten my belt- yes because of drooping pants but more because I need to focus on vitamins.  I am trying to determine what kind will work for me.  So far I tried chewables from Bariatric Advantage and I can't stand them.  I bought gummies vites but I think they may be sitting poorly in my new tummy.  I am trying to get through them as we speak.  The funny thing about those (one-a-day brand I believe) is that there are 25 servings in the jar.  What the heck is that about??  It's like the company is just squeezing a few more pennies from the consumer pockets. 

So, once the gummies are gone I will probably just go back to swallowing pills.  Getting in the right amount of fluids has been a struggle as well.  I could do 64 oz with no problem pre-op.  It's challenging- and the balance of not drinking and eating is rough too.  As for fluid intake and protein, I may try to look into something that does not involve shakes- saw an ad for some fruity stuff that has as much as 25g protein.  Pricey but so is my food menu right now...hahah. 

I don't know my weight today- I only know I have dropped 30 lbs from my visit for one month check-up.  It's been I'm sure more weight has been lost but I will wait until my next appointment on May 19th.  I don't own a scale and I don't see the point in obsessing over my weight again.  I already went through that nightmare as a teenager- no sense in reliving it again.  

This past weekend I attended a wedding and did fairly well.  The worst part was the fatigue.  I blame it partly on recovery time and partly on the new nutrition and getting all the fluids in that I can right now.  Oh, and it was humid in FL- a much needed break from the winter and still cold-temperature weather of the north though.   I was grateful to be able to sleep through most nights. 

I'm trying to keep stress levels low as well- this means avoiding stupid people. And by stupid- I mean idiots who have nothing better to do than stir things up. Not easy to avoid it seems.  Ignorance is bliss, eh?  Maybe I will try ignorance. 

This is how I am feeling the last few days.  Of course I started back to work a few days ago and I think a couple factors have contributed to the punched gut feeling- sitting for so long (I do try to get up and walk around) and wearing pants that are snug on my belly.  It's not even that the pants are tight but even an elastic waistband that just slightly pushes into my tummy feels uncomfortable after awhile. 

I would like to look like I actually care about my appearance at work - even though I don't generally see any customers, etc.  Alas, I feel I may need to keep wearing the sweats because they provide the most comfort for now.  I am also waiting for the "turn" some people experience- where you can eat at least a small meal.  Right now I am okay with yogurt and that is almost it.  Last night I went out to dinner with family - was able to eat a couple small pieces of calamari (first seafood attempt!), a couple small mussels, a couple bites of white bread...  A salad accompanied the dinner- which had a generous helping of spinach on top- it was tasty and refreshing.  I had about 4-5 bites- maybe a 1/4 of the sald- if that.  I was hoping it would help with BM's!  When dinner rolled around I had a walnut crusted chicken, with mashed potatoes, and (baby) brussel sprouts.  I was able to get a couple bites of chicken, potato, and brussel sprouts- and that was pushing it a bit.

I survived my first meal out.  It was an unusual experience because I was able to imagine- even by looking at what others were eating- how I would have likely consumed more than what I needed.  It has been a good thing for me to eat meals with others to help me learn better portions.  I did have several moments of longing for a whole roll to eat, etc but I realize that this was the old me.  I am doing my best to understand the new me and how to manage what may be my head talking me into eating more than necessary. 

I find that I am also able to eat a little more when I am eating with others.  I am still working on hydration and starting to think that as I increase my fluids it is helping with nausea problems.  I still get pretty tired after a few hours being out but I have to remind myself that it has not even been 4 weeks yet. 

A couple days from now will be the 4 week mark- the things I am frustrated by right now are:
- sore belly when my pants are snug against it
- eating only a couple tbs (sometimes (tsps) at a time
- fatigue, lack of energy
- irregular bm schedule
- loss of interest in foods I once enjoyed

The good things so far:
- significant weight loss
- feeling full on less food
- fitting into clothes better
- not in as much discomfort as my hospital stay

I don't know what happened last night but my bowels literally completely emptied and I wanted to throw up- with an empty stomach it only hurt that much more. I took some pepcid and anti-nausea meds and started feeling well enough to fall asleep again.   I managed to get through the morning today but felt woozy early on in the afternoon.  Decided to take a nap and still feel some nausea.  I have continued to keep on top of taking the anti-nausea meds but this is frustrating.  I have had a cold and wonder if some of the stomach problems are stemming from that as well.  Still feels like one step forward/one step back many days.  I'm hoping things will turn for the better soon.

Today- 15 days past surgery date- I finally put on my biggest pair of jeans and they fit rather comfortably on me.  No tugging at the belly button like they once did.  I can sit comfortably in them without being agitated.  Since my surgery I have found it irritating to have the slightest pressure on my belly- including any snugness from the stitching of underwear.  At home I have lived in the baggiest of sweat pants and sometimes sliding them down from my belly to get comfy. 

I can still feel some swelling inside my midsection but things like bending over and even starting to lay on my stomach (fave sleeping position) have become a bit easier.  My mom told me to take at least two outside walks a day so I have been trying to keep up with that as well as fluids and nutrition. 

It's going to be an on-going challenge to adjust to this not gulping water down- eating only tablespoons of food (if not teaspoons) at a time- making sure to get vitamins in as timed (and twice daily)- protein counts....  I have been trying to write it all down as I go so I can keep on top of it all (nutrition/fluids and vitamins).  Obviously I am still not 100% and may not be for a couple months- a recovery I was fully aware would take time.  My next greatest fear is if I will be able to survive work.  I go back on the 20th- but I am pretty sure I have the weekend off after only two days.  The woman who does scheduling is not the greatest and really has no understanding of ...well anything so I am hoping my ease back to work will be at least okay.  One thing is for sure, I won't have to pack so much food...hahah.

Speaking of food- still a lot of experimentation.  I'm trying to determine if peanut butter is an agent for bloating and gas right now.  I actually made the peanut butter cookies with egg and splenda as posted on the boards- they aren't too bad but my tastebuds are like "Eh" at most anything but yogurt right now.  I can taste the salt, preservative aftertaste, sweeteners...  I hope things settle down some.  Tuna fish was once a fave and now it seems rather bland to me.  What a strange transition this will be...

Here i sit just one week after discharge from the hospital and could not be more relieved. Even in just the last week alone I was still skeptical at my choice to have surgery- often thinking I would have been better off fat for the rest of my life despite my continual weight gain over the years.

Mommy stayed with me for two weeks - it was great- I live alone so to have someone do dishes and laundry was a real treat.  Mom was great about getting things for me when I was petered out from moving around only to sit down and realize I forgot my water or some other essential for comfort.  Mom and I did have our ups and downs this week- I had gone cold turkey from antidepressant at the hospital for 5 days and nobody gave me discharge info on how to start again.  So the homecoming was a bit strained as my mood becomes quite irritable and depressed without the meds.  I pretty much lashed out on mom and brought up old water under the bridge- we both cried- she almost left- and I tried to help her understand what was happening with me.  It was rough. 

The last couple days have been much better- my spare room has no bed yet so we would swap nights staying on my bed or couch.  I wanted her to be comfortable so I only asked to sleep in my bed on a night that I didn't feel right.  Mom also has vision problems so it was up to me to heal and be able to drive.  I learned this week who true friends were too.  I was sad to end a friendship that I thought could be supportive after all I had given up for that friendship- only to discover how self-centered she is..  She didn't even call me in the past two weeks and then saying she couldn't help me the day of hospital discharge to help me get some groceries and my meds because she was cleaning her house- when the week prior she said she would help.  I was highly insulted after all I had done for her.  I am trying to put this to rest but I still feel so burned by it all. 

Moving along- I sent mommy off to fly home today and only then was I able to REALLY go shopping.  My surgeon's clinic supports RNY mainly and the nutrition plan is geared for that surgery.  Mom was pretty strict about what to eat and so it was tough to try and get what I wanted.  Eating has been interesting in itself- learning what I thought I would REALLY want only to find it was so-so.  I am surprised to learn that yogurt is a big hit with me now as it was tough to keep remembering to eat it before.  Today has also kind of been the first day of real experimentation and I have been nibbling on meat.  A DS'er I know locally also mentioned some people eating chili right out of the hospital from Wendy's.  So sure as shit, I went out and bought some.  It's not too bad.  Protein shakes have mostly been no problem going down.  I started off with the more expensive ones from EAS.  I think I may have built a lactose intolerance as well so I am experimenting with Lactose-free milk, Soy milk, and Almond milk.  THe Lactose-free milk has the highest protein so if its good enough I will stick with that as a mix for protein drinks.

I try to start off with the "good" pre-mixed EAS protein drink (low carb version) in the morning- eat some food- protein drink- eat some food and end the day with a protein of some sort.  It doesn't always work out so harmoniously so I do what I can- some days I can get fluids in more than the food, and then vice versa.  Although I love coffee flavor, I have not ventured to try any of the drinks folks post on the boards but I will get to them soon enough if it helps with the protein.  I'm so glad the protein doesn't bug me as I have read about others really struggling with that part.

Vitamins will be my new goal this week.  So far I get about half- working on my routine for now.  Today I am most grateful for not having all sorts of belly pain and gas for once.  I truly believe that the lactose has been an issue.  Hopefully there will be few bumps in the road from here on out.  Post surgery was so tough that first week- I hope it just keeps getting better!

Last night and today was rough.  I finally decided after nearly a week of no anti-depressant/mood stabilizer meds I needed to start back again.  Called the pharmacy at midnight to ask if starting effexor would react with my other meds- when they said no, I took some protein drink sips and took a couple pills.  IN less than an hour I threw up about three tblsp of fluid.  Went back to bed and slept through most of the night.  STill feeling a bit of malaise.  I had to do something though because I am pretty sure withdrawal symptoms were starting to hit hard. 

Today was a rough protein day and I don't think I paid enough attention to fluids yesterday so I'm going to work on fluids today.  Trying to breathe deeply continues to be rough as well- I think it's partly the drainage tube and partly my feeling so full and bloated.  Mom also thinks my adding peanut butter to the latest protein drink added to my feeling of fullness.

I see the surgeon tomorrow for one-week follow-up and hope that the JP drain will be gone!!

Well, I gave the chewables a try today- figured it wouldn't hurt to start working on their intake.  Yuuuuck.  That's all I have to say about that. Oh- and one more thing about the chewable vitamins...ewwww- yucky-doooo.  This will be a plug nose, chew, and swallow jobber. Yick.  Any suggestions would be appreciated as I spent a nice chunck of change on these and plan to take every last one until they are gone. 

I was surprised to hear my mom say it today but I had a rebirth this week.  I am official and on the dark side now.  I was switched March 29, 2011.  I honestly thought I had made the biggest mistake of my life when after three days my discomfort only seemed to persist.  I was not able to keep fluids in and did nothing but vomit bile.  I desperately wanted just a sip of water to stay down.  (Of course I had an iv drip- but oh how I wanted that cold taste of ice and water down my throat).  Swabbing my mouth just didn't cut it.  Unfortunately, I didn't think to get a private room and my second roomie would frequently crank up the heat in the room making the room unbearably hot on top of my already extreme discomfort.  (I'm still ticked that not a single medical person could stop and ask if they could turn the heat down and give her an extra blanket...as if the aroma of her powdered eggs each morning was not torture enough!)  I sat with cold towels across my forehead and on my back to find some comfort!

A CATscan was ordered and xrays to determine if a clot existed or something was going on.  That was rough seeing that I had to swallow about a half cup of dye (which later made its way back up!) The surgeon pretty much figured my issues to be part of the healing of the nerve endings.  April 1st was a silver lining in the clouds and I was completely amazed at how well I was able to drink water at this point.  Less than a week out and I am finding that not only will my comfort level change a bit but also my ability to drink and eat (I'm hot, I'm cold- able  to drink- not able to drink).  I am finding that some moments I can drink "normally" while other times it's very difficult to get a few sips in. It's the first time I have so much satiety and this will be interesting to get used to for a bit.

My tummy feels rather bloated and the drain had to stay until I see the surgeon again in a few days.  My sense of smell is highly sensitive right now- pefumed lotions just smell so awful (never cared for them much anyway).  When I was able, I would leave the room when my hospital roommate was served her meals- sometimes the smell was awful for me.  (My mom came to town to care for me during this time and I had to ask her to take away the usually nice smelling Bath and Body works air freshener- just cant deal with it now.)  I have an acid feeling that I have been taking pepcid for and went home with an anti-nausea medication as well as vicodin.  The pain for me is really more from my stomach- when getting up and rolling on my side.  The drain is frustrating and was told by an RN that the drain can sometimes press on a nerve so that's why I can also feel it in my shoulder.  I try to breathe deeply and I feel in it my lower tummy as well as my shoulder.  I kept trying to mention to the RN's and resident's that it was not easy breathing with normal flow because of this and may contribute to my heart rate.  I was on a heart rate monitor for days 4 and 5 of my hospital stay- that was annoying but glad they took the extra measures to make sure I was okay. 

The only other significant thing was when I thought I was finally passing gas for the first time (took three days) and it was just a little more than I expected and ended up soiling It was a pain to wash myself as there is no shower there.  I know some people have talked about having the new bowels- at this point (with virtually nothing but crystal light, some protein shakes and water) it really just reminded me of a new baby's bowels.  I'm sure that will change...hahah.  I'm so ready to try some chicken but I will work on what I was sent home with- which I believe was based on RNY directions (eye roll). 

 

I figured since these are going to be a major part of my health I need to really buckle down and put down on paper (or blog) what I need to do.  I don't mind taking pills- it's the organizing and knowing all that I need to take.  So, I'm going to compile some notes here and edit as I go along....
*taken from DSFACTS.com Do take your iron with vitamin C
Do take your calcium with vitamin D

Don't take iron at the same time as calcium or zinc
Don't take zinc at the same time as iron or calcium
Don't take calcium at the same time as iron or zinc

You can group the rest of your supplements together as long as you keep in mind the above rules. 

 Calcium
http://www.dsfacts.com/calcium.html
Best Absorbed Form: Citrate
Take With: Vitamin D
Don't Take With:  Iron, zinc and caffeine   

Vitamin D
Best Absorbed Form: Cholecalciferol (D3)
Take With: Calcium Information on Vitamin D
In supplements vit D is available in two forms, D2 ergocalciferol and D3 cholecalciferol. The two forms have traditionally been regarded as equivalent based on their ability to cure rickets, but evidence has been offered that they are metabolized differently. Vit D3 could be more than three times as effective as vit D2 in raising serum 25(OH)D concentrations and maintaining those levels for a longer time, and its metabolites have superior affinity for vit D-binding proteins in plasma. [44-46] As a result it is preferable to supplement with D3 cholecalciferol.

Vitamin A
Best Absorbed Form: Retinol; retinyl palmitate and retinyl acetate.
Take With: B complex, vitamin D, vitamin E, calcium and zinc (since zinc gets vitamin A out of its storage deposits)
Don't Take With: Iron, copper, phosphorus, magnesium or calcium When zinc is combined with certain foods it may not be absorbed into your body. Avoid the following foods for approx 2 hours after you take zinc: bran, fiber-containing foods, whole-grain breads and cereals, and phosphorus-containing foods such as milk or poultry.

Zinc
Best Absorbed Form: Chelated zinc gluconate
Take With: Take with food if needed, zinc can be hard on your stomach.
Don't Take With: Iron, copper, phosphorus, magnesium or calcium

When zinc is combined with certain foods it may not be absorbed into your body. Avoid the following foods for approx 2 hours after you take zinc: bran, fiber-containing foods, whole-grain breads and cereals, and phosphorus-containing foods such as milk or poultry.  

also: http://www.asbs.org/Newsite07/resources/bgs_final.pdf 

The other day I completed my pre-surgery appointment.  My name has a strong Irish spelling (Sheilagh) not only was I called "Mister" (even though the form stated I was female) but I don't even recognize the garbled mess I heard- it did sound like my name so I questioned it and ...well since I was the only person in the room.  LOL.  After that ordeal I felt like stealing one of their pens.  But I didn't.  I refrained and behaved. 

It was pretty easy- and I was so tired (worked the night shift and had to wake up a little earlier for the appointment).  After the one nurse took the blood draw and pulse and heart stuff I so wanted to lay down on the table but she moved the back up so I had to sit up.  I started playing with the buttons to make the back go down but was too chicken to adjust it all the way from the noise it made.  I am sure someone would have knocked on the door and asked WTH was going on.  I'm such a chicken.  Bock bock!

It was St. patty's day...I have become less of a drinker over the years and cannot remember the last time I even had a drink.  I ended up wanting a nap but went for coffee with friends instead. 

Surgery is less than two weeks away. Holy cow.  Still learning what I need to know for everything.  I can't remember if I mentioned that mommy is coming to help out?  She cannot drive and I kind of need someone to drive- thanks to friends and family I think it will work out okay.  Mommy arrives in eight days.  Oh my!