smashlee
Almost a month post-op...
Jan 10, 2013
This has been such a HUGE learning experience. Almost a month out, and I'm almost 30lbs. down. I weight less than when I got married and probably really close to what I weighed in high school. That's still no small-fry, but since my highest weight was around 295, this is progress.
I thought the weight would come off faster for some reason. I thought recovery would be a breeze and I'd be up running around in a day or 2. I thought as much as I love soup, I'd never get tired of it. All of these things I've had to re-evaluate. :-)
I am losing weight so no matter how fast it comes off, I will take it and be happy about it. I guess I let my mind think this was going to be a disappearing miracle or something...lol. It IS an amazing tool, but this was a lesson in everyone's body is different and that I need to learn patience. I hate being patient.
While my recovery was not a bad one, it was just much slower than what I was reading and seeing people report. I was down and very weak for at least a week. Pain was minimal and didn't really last but a few days but it was just the overwhelming exhaustion that took me by surprise. I don't know why, it was surgery for cripe's sake! I am highly drug sensitive so between anesthesia kicking my butt, struggling to get in 300 calories a day + water + protein = TI.ER.Duh! My lesson here was another of everyone's body is different and reacts different and don't expect someone else's experience to be the same as yours. Yup, ok, got it.
I still love soup, but this whole graduated diet took my a little by surprise. All doctors are different and have different plans. There are other people that had the surgery the same day as me that are already attempting a "regular" diet...whaaaa? A few days ago, I tried 1/4 cup of egg beaters (do you have any idea how LITTLE that is? really? 1/4 a cup??) and a Laughing Cow cheese wedge all mushed together. It was way too heavy and made me uncomfortable. I had that for lunch today but I also add a few drops of water and blended the crap out of it. It wasn't pretty but it went down much better. But about the soup thing....(squirrel!)...even if you read about it, you don't realize how you miss CHEWING something. Sometimes I try "chewing" the soup but it's not the same. Patience patience patience!
*sigh*
But I love the people on this forum. Some are very "soft" I shall call it, some are very factual, some are borderline hateful (their verson of tough love?), but it's a place where I feel safe. All these people, no matter what type of surgery they are planning, having, or had, all have battled the same demon. Obesity. What I find intriguing is that most people don't consider this a disease. It's almost as if it would be more acceptable if I were and alcoholic. If someone hasn't had a weight problem, they have no idea what we go through. "Just lose weight." "Just don't eat as much." "Just start exercising." I would venture that no one becomes obese JUST because they eat too much. Obesity is a side effect of a much bigger problem and that problem is different for different people. To me, this is just as absurd as someone telling a gay person "Hey, just don't be gay. You have a choice."
