Phenomenalfemale

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THE STORY OF MY LIFE...

I am feeling so much better these days (ok, like the last 2 days), and it shows. My coworkers, friends, and family (from phone conversations) are all remarking that I am getting my Megan MoJo back....this is a good thing indeed. I have to say, that surgery kicked my a**! But, I am at week #5 and on the up and up....one day at a time. I am down 35+, and not yet even aware of it, aside from the fact that I have to wear clothes in smaller sizes. The mind is an amazing thing. I hope my mind will catch up with my body, eventually...I still see the same old preop gurl in the mirror everyday, yo. I am almost about to start solid foods, yo. How exciting and freaky at the same time. I am going to experiment a little at home, cuz you know they say not to try new foods away from home! And I am back! Feelin' good, in the neighborhood! Peace out, ya'll.

This week was an interesting one. I did great with exercising, vitamins, and water, but my food issues are ugh.....I haven't really eaten much yesterday or today, I am totally afraid I might have a stricture. I dunno....no vomiting, but everything seems to get stuck, and I feel the food sitting there in my pouch. And, well, with anything remotely chunky (though chewed), I have weird stabbing pains in my stomach while the food is settling and being digested....lasts about 5-10 minutes, and then, it's gone. 

I've also refused to weigh myself since Wed, day #5 of my first weight "stall"...I just won't let the weighting game rule my life, so I took a break and will weigh myself tomorrow.

I welcome any and all healing energy....it's been a rough week, and I am just hoping to move this process forward.

Be well all...

The waiting game. We post op newbies should all be assigned an "old timer" post op mentor...I see many posts from my December post op comrades, and we're all just about identical in pace, pentameter, you name it, yet we all want more to report than 30 lbs or so lost....I read the profiles of 5 and 6 month'ers, and I know they're all at 60 to 70 lbs...so I guess what we newbies need is....a little patience. 

And protein. And water. And vitamins. 

We can do it, yes, we can...!

Well, here we are. Down 31 lbs, and it's perhaps my toughest week yet (aside from having the drain tube in during week #1). I haven't been sleeping well, very likely from my abdomen just not liking the firmness of my mattress...I can't seem to get comfortable and toss and turn all night. I have a post op friend who said she thinks it's gas or constipation, perhaps.  I started fiber this week, just in case. My clinic didn't mentioned fiber...I wonder if it's for life!

I also have a weird reflux thing as I am eating---I am using the toddler-sized silverware, and that helps control the size of my bites of food, but I still need to slooooow down my intake, and try to avoid getting air in there...these weird reflux things aren't exactly burps...they are like high-pitched noises (I call them aliens) and they take forever to come up, but are very uncomfortable as they decide to work their way up. I feel fortunate though...no foamies or vomiting. Taking Zantac 75 twice a day definitely helps. All in due time...

I am doing ok with my protein, I have been putting powder in my pureed foods...can't get the hang of the protein shakes yet, they're just too much for me. Thank god for dairy! Which could be constipating me...yee hah!

Keeping up with my vitamins, just not my water intake. I get in between 30-39 ounces now that I am working again, but need to be at double that. One foot in front of the other...

Well, just a quick update. I hope everyone is doing well!

Hey all!

 
Well, I had my 2 week check up yesterday, and of course, received thumbs up all around.  I started my vitamins Tuesday, and wow, it takes SOOO much longer now to get them down and I really have to focus on my morning routine. But, it’s going well. I have had to go home early from work once, and will likely go home again early today. I am exhausted. I may have a desk job, but this surgery has whooped my behind! I am still amazed at how much the quality of my sleep the night before impacts my energy level the next day. I know it’s not rocket science, but it’s amazing how much more of a toll it takes on a person post op.

I have noticed that my head hunger has subsided quite a bit, and I am relieved that it has. It was a terrible feeling to be pinned down psychologically.

 
Anyway, thanks for all of the support, and I’ll keep you posted!

  
P.S. Down 28 lbs so far, but still think I am the one person that won’t lose more than 30 lbs with WLS…no diet, no weight management intervention has *ever* worked for me previously…hope I am proven wrong on this one…

Thanks to all for their support! My employer (also my health insurer, and disability insurer- all 3 wrapped up in one, does anyone else think  there's something wrong with this?) has decided I am to return to work 2 weeks earlier than anticipated, on Tuesday 1/3/07. I was to return initially 2 weeks later, on 1/16/07. I would advise anyone pre-op to check with their WLS clinic, and try to gauge how effectively they can deal with insurers and disability vendors, this was something I did not do, and I now regret most severely.

I am in shock, but will do what is needed to continue to recover. I am not nearly where I hoped I would be at the time of my return to work, and I still cry at the drop of a hat (a side effect since the surgery. my hormones are way out of wack).....but I will try. My 2 managers are great, (both said they will accomodate me copiously next week and are shocked I am returning to work so soon), so I am hopeful.

Please continue to keep me in your prayers, and I will continue to put positive energy out there.

On a side note, as of today, I am down another 5 lbs since Tuesday.

Be well everyone, and again, thank you for the support!

M

Though down the 12 lbs I gained from IV fluids in the hospital +2 additional lbs, I remain convinced that I will be the only person who has had this procedure not to lose any weight post op. Odd, I know, but it's where I am at right now.

I do what I can around the house, load the dishwasher, walk a friend's dog, use the treadmill for 10 minutes at a time, and watch too much TV. I battled head hunger something fiercely today (I am sick of liquids), and am so glad week # 3 is around the corner.

I still have lower left quadrant pain in my abdomen (I was told by the clinic it is from my JP drain tube being in there for a week), but I think it's where they reattached the old stomach to the lower intestine, no joke. Anyone else have odd pain?

I stopped the painkillers yesterday night, I was tired of freaky, wild dreams, and not sleeping well, and slept great last night without them. I am managing the pain today as well as can be expected without meds.

Well, here we are! Almost through week #2, and have I said lately I can't wait for week # 3? I am dreaming of cottage cheese, scrambled eggs, and soupy mashed potatoes!

I wonder what protein I will end up liking. So far, the powders are icky, the liquid stuff is horrific, so I am counting on fish, dairy, and eggs (I don't eat meats) to pull me though once I can encorporate them.

Best,
M

I had my one week post op appt today, got my JP drain tube out (yes! i am free!), and am feeling better about me recovery. The team said I am right on track and am healing well. My lap incisions are nearly healed (all but one), and my drainage tube incision should be healing soon also.

Now I have to work on getting my fluids in and sipping small amounts of water, no gulps. It's an old habit I still have to work to break, as well as eating breakfast, I am not used to this.

I am down the 12 lbs I gained in the hospital from the IV fluids they put in me, and so now I am on a level playing field for weight loss. We'll see how it goes. The treatment team did not want top discuss weight loss with me today, rather, they asked that I focus on my healing and we could discuss that at my 2 week post op appt.

So, all in all, a good day, and the heartburn scare I had yesterday is a gas bubble, or so they say. Apparently, they can occur in the first 2 months post op, and I am to give it 24 hrs for the bubble to work its way out. Who knew? 

For now, I am remain hopeful and so glad I have taken this step in my life. 

Here is my posting on OH today, does anyone have any feedback they'd like to share? I am all ears!
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Hi all:

I am 4 days post op, laproscopic RNY.

Today was a doozie. I dumped today, accidentally. I tried soy milk (the clinic said it was ok), and it was far too sweet for me. Both my saw-toothed tiger stomach and my tiger esophagus let me know that wasn't cool (I call my stomach my saw-toothed tiger now that my stomach makes these new post op growls/noises)...I ran to the bathroom, made a quick deposit (not vomit, so you know what that was), and then ran to the couch to lie down, where I was instantly tired and had to rest for 25 minutes before the wave of heat and exhaustion passed. Ack. Wow, I hope never to have that happen again, and won't be trying soy milk for quite some time.

As with most post op folks, I am struggling to get my required amounts of water in each day (I am aiming for 50 ounces of water daily to prevent dehydration at this point, and that's a lot for me to handle), and I am trying to sneak in protein where I can. An average menu each day looks like this:  

Breakfast: 1 protein shake in skim milk (sugar free Carnation Instant breakfast)
Lunch: 1 ounce Malt O Meal hot cereal 
Dinner: 1 ounce Campbell's Healthy Request tomato soup
Snacks: 2 quarter cups of sugar free Jello or 2 sugar free popsicles each day, before and after lunch
Drinks: Lite Cranberry juice, and Propel Fitness Water Berry powder mix that I add to water

Does anyone have any suggestions for me on protein or other things I might try this first week out? I am struggling to even eat at this point, as I am not hungry and am bored with what I do have. 

I am doing much much better with the "head hunger". I know it's just my mind, and so I brush it aside, and it's going better, but I am totally fantasizing about dairy at this point (I will likely dream about a giant chunk of cheese tonight).

Anyway, I love OH, and am so glad everyone is here. Any specific suggestions anyone might be willing to share would be appreciated by me, and likely any other newly post op folks out there who read this.

Happy holidays everyone & thanks in advance for responding!

Well, I am now post op, I guess that's what I am. I am amazed...still can't believe it. The laproscopic pokes in my stomach are so small, after 3 days in the hospital, they are almost gone.

No real issues, aside from continued nausea. I awoke from surgery with a gas bubble in my throat, and almost vomited, and I received something for nausea. They started me out on the regular pain protocol, and I needed more stuff for nausea. I finally pulled out of the bad nausea on Thursday (I went in on Tuesday), and am still battling it.
I have a call in to the clinic to see what they can Rx OP for my nausea.

Also, I have developed what I call the Saw Toothed-Tiger Stomach Growl...it's amazing how much noise that thing can make!!! Hilarious. It doesn't hurt, but it lets me know it's working, so there ya have it!

Now comes the hard part. I have to get my water in....

So, I better get going, thank you ALL for the kind words of support, and I better get drinking! 

Best,
M