6 weeks post op....

Sep 07, 2008

It's a little more than six weeks since my surgery, and I feel so much better than I did at the time of my last post!  I've lost 40 pounds, but some of that was due to the 2 week preop diet I was on, but I worked hard for every pound, so I'm counting them all! LOL!  The biggest difference, even more so than the scale, is that I FEEL a lot thinner.  My clothes are getting baggy, and yesterday I went to Belks and tried on a size 16w jacket and 20w pants and they fit!  The jacket was a bit tight over the hips, so I didn't buy anything, but it was the first time in a long while that there were things on the rack that were TOO BIG for me!  I guess this constitutes my first WOW moment.

I am eating just about any type of food now.  Dr. K gave me the go-ahead at my last appointment, but I am still being cautious.  I find that it is very hard to get my 70 grams of protein a day in without eating more than I can handle.  Also,  I look at calories, and it seems like to get 70g of protein, you have to consume more calories than I'm comfortable with right now.  I am learning every day what agrees with me and what doesn't.  The only major problem I had was with some rotisserie chicken that was fattier than I thought.  I had my head in the sink, feeling awful, but fortunately I had a Zofran, which fixed me right up!  I have not vomited yet, which is a blessing...I hate to throw up!

My favorite protein-rich foods right now are Chike vanilla and banana shakes, Oikos greek yogurt with DaVinci syrup mixed in, cottage cheese with chives, Wendy's chili, and cheese.

My main problem at this point is that I feel so tired most of the time.  While out of work, I napped at least 3 hours every day.  I have to go back to work on Tuesday, and I hope I will have enough energy to get through the day.  I also hope I am able to plan ahead well enough to have the foods I need handy so I don't get sick.  Dr. K says that everybody at this stage after RNY is exhausted, so I'm not too worried yet.  But if I don't start feeling better soon, I"m going to have to email him.  I just want to feel "normal" again.

I am amazed at how well I tolerate most foods and also at the quantity I am able to eat.  I try to only eat until I'm satisfied, and often stop and wait before resuming my meal, so I know I"m not overeating...it just seems like more than most folks eat.  I even asked Dr. K was he sure he actually "did anything" while he was inside during surgery.  He just laughed!  I guess only my surgeon knows for sure....


In the beginning....

Jul 26, 2008

Ok, I've decided I must record my journey because my memory of things will fade with time, as it has begun to do already.
First of all, I am stunned by the pain involved in this surgery.  Never ina million years did I think I would hurt this bad.  I had lap hysterectomy last year, and the pain didn't touch this surgery.  So I was "sorely" disappointed with that.  I truly thought I was dying.  So scary!  Today is the first day that my pain has been managed somewhat. Thank God!
I am frustrated because more avenues for pain relief were not offered to me, especially when I voiced my concerns about it preop. I know I have low tolerance for pain, and was wanting to deal with it in advance.  Nobody else thought that was necessary until I was hobbling around at home, feeling like death.
I felt horrible burning when getting up from a reclining position, or when sitting back down.  Then I felt like I was sewn up so tight inside, I couldn't straighten my back out fully.  Like I was the walking "7"!
Don't want to type too much here today, but I wanted to remind myself, for years from now, if I think this was easy...that it WASN'T!  It hurt like hell, and it was rough going for the first week.  Not an easy fix at all!

A little later, I will talk about the level of patient care at my hospital.  I want to wait until I"m off all meds so I can evaluate clearly but I've made notes.
Some angels and some totally clueless and borderline incompetents out there. scary!

The other thing I want to do is keep a journal of my daily eating.  This is very important, because I started doing it with my preop diet, and those calories will sneak up on you if you're not very aware.  Also, I think if we write it down, if we ever start to gain, we have a "playbook" of sorts to go back and follow to get on track again.

And...it's funny how you're afraid to say how much you weigh before surgery, and afterwards, it's no big deal in the grand scheme of things...I actually told my husband how much I weighed for the first time today. ANd not because if was less!

I about fainted when I checked into the hospital Monday and they weighed me in.  I estimated from my balance beam scale at home that I'd lost about 10 pounds from my preop diet.  At my preop visit, I weighed 284.  The morning of surgery, 262.4!  I couldn't believe it!  Of course, I went against my better judgment and weighed today, probably because it was the first day I felt well enough to crawl on the scale. and I weighed 294!  Damn anesthesia! My feet are tight and look like sausages!
This too will pass.

About Me
NC
Location
RNY
Surgery
07/21/2008
Surgery Date
Mar 05, 2008
Member Since

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6 weeks post op....
In the beginning....

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