Tali S.

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Ok, things aren't working as well as I'd hoped.

It's been 4.5 weeks since my surgery and I've lost a good amount of weight. 30lbs! HOWEVER!!... 20 of them were in week 1 (and I'm measuring from pre surgery, so It's not from the hospital fluids). I'm happy with the 30 - don't see a change in the mirror yet, but I'll trust the scale. The last three and a half weeks...it's going so slow. I go 6 days with no change then drop 2. then again. and again.  I'm not happy with my nutritionist, I feel rushed and like I'm not getting all of the information I should. Also they don't focus on protein here like they do in the states. No shakes, and the plans she suggest are about 20 grams, not 60! I feel very limited, and not limited enough all at the same time. It's not a good feeling. I also don't feel that restricted. I can definitely eat more then expected so it's goign to take a lot of extra will power to limit myself. I need to get better at eating every 3 hours and getting in more water. I'm not eating all the right foods. Too many carbs. And not getting in my vitamin supplements.

SO...I'm flying home to NY for three weeks to meet with a better nutritionist and get some better diet and exercise kickstarted. I'll have access to a natural food chef and a personal trainer. Hopefully it will set me on a good routine and give me some recipe ideas and good healthy habits to bring back to Israel with me.

Anyone know of a good nutritionist in nyc or westchester county??

I didn't realize it would be THIS hard.
I am officially an emotional wreck.

I had no idea how much comfort and soothing food was providing to me pre WLS. I feel desperate to eat, like it's truely a drug.  I feel like my security blanket has been ripped away and all I want is my mom. Who sadly passed away almost 2 years ago.

I'm white-knuckling it here...

oh, and a 6 day stall (days7-12) isn't helping. Isn't it too early for this?!?!

I did it!
Surgery was a success and I am officially on the other side - time to make it work for me! My surgeon's words of wisdom the day after surgery: "I kept up my part of the bargain, now it's time for you to keep yours!"
Quick (ok as I scan through this again..not so quick) recap:

Day of surgery:
I was feeling pretty calm. I didn't get really nervous until they rolled me out of my room, made me say goodbye to my friend, and took me down to the holding area pre surgery. I felt very alone and started to cry! It's scary! And it got scarier. For some reason I thought they would have me asleep before going into the operating room - wrong! I was wheeled in there, and asked to slide onto the operating table. Then 5 people decended on me and started wrapping things on my legs, strapping me to the table and taking off my gowns (though they kindly covered me with a sheet first). Looking around at all these peering people and machines and screens - it felt like i was in some movie -or spaceship. The only thing that calmed me down was the laugh I had at the Queen music playing in the room. 
Waking up after surgery was the worst feeling i've ever had. PAIN PAIN PAIN. I can't even describe it. My friend said I would float in and out of sleep. snore. cry. snore. cry. snore. cry. All I heard was him asking the doctor to give me more pain medicine! Then all of a sudden I was back in my room. The pain wasn't as disconcerting as the feeling of needing to pee! Apparently I didn't have a catheter and they just brought me a bedpan. That was not going to happen, no matter how hard I tried. So I waited imatiently until the nurse finally let me walk to the bathroom with her assistance. After that I felt much better. Then, the most horrifying thing happened. My roommate and her visitors started eating McDonalds! The smell of french fries right after WLS should be considered a form or torture. Then, sleep. Not a lot. but in and out.

Day 1 post op: 
Feel pretty ok! Better then expected anyway. I was able to move around the halls very slowly and sip some water - I got down about 3/4 of a small bottle. Some visitors distracted me. overall I was just very sleepy and would drift in and out. The day went by quickly.

Day 2 post op:
ouch! 
Worse then day 1. I took a shower which felt good but  wasn't easy. I drank about 2 bottles of liquid (mostly water with a cup of broth). The broth hurt my stomach. some more pain meds which made me so loopy I seem to have taken home a hospital towel. Then waited a few hours for the dietician to come and to be discharged. Another friend came to pick me up and get me home. I was so scared to get in the car and drive but it turned out to not be too painful. Drank another bottle of water, crushed up an ibupro, then bed. I slept fairly well.

Day 3 post op:
Feeling ok for most of the day. I wouldn't call it pain - just discomfort. I am scared to move too suddenly or bend down. They say things are not so delicate inside but it feels like I am goign to explode if I move! Trying to walk. determined to drink 8 cups of water. Took the antacid. Dreading the blood thinner. Watching tv and resting. PAUSE for pain....ok. pain is here unexpectedly. Felt a really sharp pain in my new stomach that took about 20 minutes to settle away. Maybe it was the antacid? My planned trip to the grocery is now cancelled but my friend is goign to pick up some veggies so we can make some home made vegetable stock to have on hand.

Surprises:
1. Trouble beathing after surgery. I can only take shallow breaths.
2. My hair has been dyed blue. WHAT?! There is about a 1/3 section of my hair that has blue ends right now. Shampooing three times didn't help so far. Uh oh...my face and tongue were also blue but that has since faded.
3. Feeling hungry - people say it is just head hunger, but i am pretty sure my body is calling for food. Thankfully I couldn't imagine actually eating - i'd be too scared of the pain!
4. They didn't send me home with pain meds, just instructions to grind up some ibupro if needed.
5. Need to do an injection of blood thinner for two weeks. Luckily my ex is a doctor and he is taking good care of me now that I am home.
6. I feel like i'm pregnant. Or at least what I am guessing being pregnant feels like.
7. Crazy dreams - mostly about food. I think I had a very long dream about eating two pounds of tortilla chips, one chip at a time.
8. Realizing that I did research about what happens before surgery and after surgery. Not much about the actual surgery! That is what made me very scared in the pre-op room. I didn't know what was goign to happen.

Here's to the next few days being better...
tali

It's official! After meeting with the surgeon, who was VERY nice and answered all of my questions, we decided on RNY bypass and scheduled it for November 13th!  33 days. That leaves 19 days to eat normally + two weeks of carb free. Is it hypocritical to want to eat all my favorite foods now knowing I won't eat them again for a very, very long time, if ever?!? Today I'm 80% excited, 20% nervous, 100% wishing my mom was alive to be here with me through this process. I think I'll clean out my closet and organize by size, g-d knows there are many in there. Let the countdown commence!

I made a decsion.After 7 years of having my weight spiral out of control it's time to put an end to it and take control! I'm 28 and am looking forward to finding a husband and starting a family, something that just doesn't seem probable in this shape. So, I've made the decision, after many failed diets, to look into WLS. After speaking with a nutritionist and my family doctor who both recommend it, I have set up an appointment with a surgeon to discuss the different types and which would be best for me. The past month has been spent getting poked and proded and tested to bring a full picture of my current health to the surgeon. This is easier said then done and seems to be never ending when results from one test lead the doctors to suggest yet another test due to something they see. One CT of the liver to go, and I should be done! I'm lucky to live in a country that has universal healthcare which would make this very affordable. The downside is that I just moved here a year and a half ago and have no idea how this system works! I am learning as I go, and hoping with each appointment that the doctor speaks english. It keeps life intersting. So, here's to the start of a very long journey. Hopefully giving me results like the ones I see from all of you here on this site. I want to turn my health around and be able to enjoy life to it's fullest.
L'chayim! To life!