Just Ducky - The Meditative Hag

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Hello my fellow "Losers"!
Its now around close to two and a half months post op and I thought I would give another one of my blunt and honest updates.

First, I have been truly blessed to be given a so far, very uneventful healing! in other words, so far I have not had one complication or hiccup.

The first couple of weeks were a rough time healing, but after that and with the increased protein my body went nuts and healed like a son of a gun.

I am back to the gym lifting more weights and exercising at higher levels than I did pre-op! I try to walk at least 30-40 minutes at least 3-4 times a week.

I am on regular foods, and to be honest I have not had one episode of anything getting stuck, dumping or not agreeing with my pouch. (Very early out there was one day where I made a protein shake with peanut butter that didn't sit well, but that was because it had so much air whipped into it from the blender.)

There are times I really wonder, "DID the surgeon do ANYTHING in there?" I never feel a sense of fullness and can eat (or could) eat nearly anything. All red meats are fine, any type of eggs, even had some gelato (a few bites of the hubby's gelato).

Now, granted, I measure everything well and work at eating very low carb. I read labels religiously and try and keep sugars under 10grams a meal and carbs under 20 grams a meal.

But when we went on vacation I had some hash browns, a few bites of a wonderful pulled pork wrap with cheese and have even tried some tortellini (just two little tortellinis). In some way this is bad and makes me realize I will have to be even MORE diligent in my watching what I eat...

Barring any "late" complications (Like internal hernia or ulcers) I am just going to be one of those lucky (or unlucky) RNYers who can eat anything and who WILL regain unless I use my head wisely and follow the directions for my tool!

The other thing that is a slight disappointment is that while the WEIGHT has been coming off quite well, the MASS (size) hasn't. (How often do you hear that?) I started my journey wearing a tight size 3X or a 26 and now I wear a.... 2X (22). Yep, that's it. Nearly 60 lbs gone, and really NO change in clothing size at all...Very disappointing in that department. The SCALE weight was never important to me...But health and SIZE was!
(I could have cared less if I was 199 but a size 10! )

I had bought some clothing in 1X and/or 18/20 thinking I would be in that by now and noooooo... It is way to tight. Oh well...Whats a girl to do? Maybe, just maybe when I get down LOWER than 200 I might get into something around a 1X or an 18/20.

So how are all you doing my fellow "Losers" (So many of you are such inspirations to me!) Anyone else like me who has a "cast iron stomach" and can eat anything or feels like the surgery wasn't even done?

As always...Use your tool and don't let the tool use you! Take your vits and minerals and follow doctors orders. For people like us (who can eat anything, who don't dump) we have to work even HARDER to make sure we measure things and are not tempted by old eating patterns or amounts.
Warmly,
Jackie

7-8-2010

Hello All!
I have read many folks blogs on here. Many kind of "gloss" over this part of the surgery, but I wanted to be honest with other pre-ops or people wondering what the surgery will feel like, what happens, etc,

It's a slow, steady, day by day and week by week healing process. Can someone "rush" it by doing too much or eating the wrong thing? You Bet! DON'T RUSH it...Imagine that there is a team of the most skilled automotive engineers and artists and they are in your body creating, sculpting and making you the worlds most sleek and expensive automobile! (Your color, your choice.). Would you want this team "rushing" your car and turning out a "clunker" instead of a Lamborghini Sports car?

Sure. Sometimes I feel like I *could* put more in my pouch, or *try* a new food or "cheat" with something. But instead, I measure, measure, measure and make sure to really follow the rules. I want this to work for me. The whole reason I had this surgery was to be around for my beloved Soul Mate and Husband of 25 years, my wonderful and loving adult Autistic son and my disabled MIL. I want to get back into dog and animal rescue and training again.Get into a size UNDER, "X" (3x, 2x, 1x etc.). ALL these things are possible, all I have to do is BE paitient and let the "skilled Enginners" in my pouch heal and finish their work.

OK, so I had my 1 week post-op visit with my surgeon on July 7th. I was down another couple of pounds making my grand total down so far of 29 lbs LOST in just 3 weeks! Not shabby! The doc's office was pleased!

I got bumped up to my next stage of eating, FULL-Liquids which means I can have stuff with cream/milk in it and my protein shakes full time. Wheee! Cream of wheat this morning (with added milk until it was nice and runny and added unflavored UNJURY protein powder was a delicious breakfast! AND, 3 little liquid oz filled me for hours. I had to force myself to eat lunch and have my mid-afternoon protein snack. I was just NOT hungry at all.

Now, a word to the wise. Remember my last post ("It's Alive!"). Please, please, please for the love of all that is sane and holy...DO NOT overdo things if you are feeling better than normal during your two week recovery period.

I did... I was bad... Very bad.
Since I was feeling so well, I decided to bend down onto all fours to help clean out one of the big dog crates the other day and as I was rising to my feet felt this awful "POP!" somewhere deep inside my guts. Then extreme pain that had me laying there on the floor for a good ten minutes. I was TERRIFIED, that I had ruined everything. I was certain I had torn some internal staple line, or made an incisional hernia.

Thankfully that same day was my Dr's appointment, so my surgeon felt carefully all around my incision to make sure there was no immediate herniation. Thankfully there wasn't. And they took out all of my staples and my incisions look good (except for the large lump under the one). The surgeon said I MIGHT have pulled one internal stitch loose or more than likely just "pulled" something and said if I had any more pain orproblems to call the office, come in or head to my nearest ER.  I thankfully have had NO additional pain or problems, and slowly that  area is feeling much better today, but it taught me a valuable lesson.

Activity is good, but over doing it, (Lifting, straining, stuff like that) is not good, even if we feel "up to it".  We have an upcoming Ren Faire we will be visiting in August and I want to be healed enough to be able to ENJOY it. So I've learned no more being a bad girl by overdoing things.

While at the Dr's I also got my Vitamin B-12 shot and the time with my Nutritionist. (The NUT works right there in the Dr's Office since it is a Bariatric Center of Excellence, so everything is 'right there'). They give you a choice of whether you want to do the Vit. B-12 Nasally, Orally (sublingual) or shot. I will be doing the shot myself.

Take care my fellow Losers and as always "Be Good"!
Warmly.
Jackie

7-5-2010

Remember the iconic scene from "Frankenstein" when Dr. Frankenstein was running around, proclaiming his "monster" was alive and revived?

"It's Alive! Alive!!" (insane laughter).

Yep, that's me. I'm OFFICIALLY Alive now. I have come back to join the land of the living and can finally see some good from this surgery I had.

I had my surgery on the 29th, and although I was blessed and there were no early/surgical complications it did take me a good "week" to really throw off the anesthesia and for my body to kick start itself in to some semblance of running.

I have more energy today, the pain is near nonexistent. The surgical site(s) are itching madly (always a sign of healing! At least for me!) and best of all...No more constant diarrhea and/or inner gassy crampy pain where you can't get comfortable in any position.

Don't even have to use the pillow for holding my guts in now.

My Rottie, Bella is no longer watching me and whining as if any moment I will just keel over and die at her feet. The other two dogs also can tell "Mom" is back in full force and Nicky my green cheeked conure is happy that he can come out and hang out on my shoulder again.

Honestly, the other thing that helped a bit I think, was starting my protein shakes just a wee bit early. Technically I was supposed to start the protein shakes tomorrow on July 7th, but I was so weak and miserable I added some protein shake (like 4-6 oz per day) so my body would actually HAVE something to use to heal itself with.

The other thing is I can now officially say, "Yes! I can see what everyone says about the being COLD all the time." thing is.

All my nice FAT adult life, I had been the furnace from hell. I could be buck nekkid in the middle of Siberia and would have been warm. Today it was a toasty 98 in St,Louis and I felt a wee bit cool.

So, I look forward to getting my staples out. I look forward to healing more and moving on to phase 2 of the liquid/puree diet and I definitely feel good because I think I will do fine at the Renaissance Faire next month. (I had been worried I wouldn't be physically up to it, but now I think I will do fine.)

Yes Virginia...So far I am getting my monies worth from the surgery. After only a 20 lb loss, I already can MOVE so much better and am no longer bothered by the constant pain of degenerative Disk disease.

Until next time my little losers!
Warmly,
Jackie

2 more days until my surgery and I join everyone over on the "losers bench" what a funny term huh? "Losers Bench" but this time it means seomthing WONDERFUL and grand!

My house is stocked with protein shakes and powders that I like, and all manner of clear and sugar Free concoctions. My kitchen and cabinates look like a cross between a Mad Scientists laboratory and a bodybuilders gym room (from all the Whey Protein powder cannisters). Thankfully I love the stuff. I know so many people have problems with the protein powders and thankfully I am one of the weirds ones that actually loves the taste of them! I think the trick is that I mix them with skim milk or almond milk (light) from the beginning so they have a bit more Oooompf and flavor behind them.

Unjury makes a delicious chicken soup protein powder that you mix with warm water and is really, really good! In fact it is better than a lot of that low sodium broth crap.

  I got a prescription for 10 Lovenox injectors and some kind of antiacid in a capsule (omeprazole). I'm thinking, "Ok, I can swollow this capsule NOW, but can I do it after surgery?" It says in bold letters to NOT crush or chew the capsule....Um. Well I will see what the doctor/surgeon/nurses say on this one. But it is things that make you go hmmmm.

Yesterday was actually the hardest day for me (psychologically) on the two week liquid diet. (And no, I did not cheat even once. Two weeks of clear liquids and protein shakes). But the family had grilled steak and that was ALWAYS my favorite food. So yesterday I did NOT eat dinner at the table with the rest of the family. I could smell that steak and grill smoke and charcoal and my stomach was doing flip flops of hunger. Then I was downing tons of water and low sodium broth. It wasn't pretty.

I tell myself that was the worst, and soon I will be able to slowly introduce chewable food back on the menu in about a month. If my scale at my house is to be believed (and it probably isn't. It's a cheap old scale) I am already nearly 20 lbs down from just the 15 days of liquids. I chalk it up to more closer around 12-13 lbs down which is still nice.

Tomorrow I am sure I will be a bundle of nerves the long night before surgery and the wait on tuesday morning before, and then...Over on the other side to do my walking and healing and sipping! (Yeah I been reading your guys posts on walking and sipping and walking) ;)

6-21-2010
Doing the PreOp diet blues....Oh yeah baby!  My surgery is on the 29th of June in glorious Downtown (or not) St.Louis. So, as every good paitient must do, I am doing the protein preop dance of 2 weeks of liquids. Today is day 6.

Remember Sesame Street? Remember this "Todays show is bought to you by: The number 6 AND the protein shake blues".

No, the shakes are fine, really. They are. But my body (which is a meat ADDICT) is getting use to the farting and burps and other "changes" that the preop liquid diet brings.

I walk or work out at the gym daily and it sometimes stinks to get REALLY woozy and nearly pass out with a 70 LB weight set over you. Actually, since after teh surgery we can no longer take any extended release meds or NSAIDS I am coming off of 4 different prescription medications. (Wellbutrin, Methotrexate, Enbrel and Vicoprofin) as well as prescription Naprosyn.

It wears a body out, it really does. It can get ugly too folks...Running to the bathroom to pee every 4 minutes from all the water and liquids. (Todays show is also bought to you by the letter PEE and Crystal Light!) Not to mention all the ugly pimples and boils from the body detoxing from carbs, crap, salt and sugar....Ah but you know what?

I know this is to keep me healthy! When I am doing the "blues" I tell myself all this is in preparation for the wonderful dance of a new me, and how much BETTER I will feel in several months to a year! I have waited nearly 11 years for this, putting up with 1-3 months of minor discomfort and changing my habits for the BETTER is all worth it.