One Month Post Op

Sep 30, 2009

I had my surgery - a Lap RNY on September 3rd, 2009 at 9:00am at UPMC St. Margaret's in Aspinwall.  Dr. Robert Quinlan from Pittsburgh Bariatrics was my surgeon.  My experience was alright - what you would expect from a surgery stay in a hospital.  I will admit that there were a few things immediately following surgery that I wasn't prepared for: my clear liquid diet for the first week post op included 4 daily "calorics" - I could have regular jello or a regular popscicle.  I also had chicken broth and ice water a lot.  One week after surgery, I had my check-up with the surgeon and was advanced to Pase 2.  I would say that Phase 2 - the mushy stage - has been the worst so far. Also, about 2 weeks after surgery, I took off my steri strips - I had 4 incisions for the laparscopic sites and one small incision for my drain (which was another story altogether...).  The 4 sites that had the steri strips were curling up and starting to fall off.  So, I removed them all.  Well, the next day, I had a horrible, red-blistered, extremely itchy, rectangular rash at all 4 sites.  It lasted for 14+ days and is finally getting cleared up one month after surgery.   I believe that the rash was more painful than the incisions itself!  The pain was the worst for the first week and I stopped taking the Roxicet on day 9.  I do get a little sore every now and then, but it feels more like a bruise or a pulled muscle. 

This phase of the diet has been very difficult for me.  I find myself not really eating or drinking anything due to the fact that dry items get stuck (and it's gotta be up there with the most painful things when it does get stuck) and that I can't handle eating another scrambled egg.  I'm mainly having issues with chicken - doesn't mattered if it's mashed, pureed, etc. - it seems to keep getting stuck.  I've had the most luck with cottage cheese, soup, super skim milk, applesauce, and yogurt.  Also, fish is good - especially crab - it's so soft.  I haven't had any issues eating those items.  My weight loss was huge the first 3 weeks - almost 8lbs a week.  The last 2 weeks it has tapered off to 3 lbs a week.  I have honestly not been exercising either, so I know that I have to start doing better in that regard.  In one month + one week (since the first day of my fast prior to surgery), I have lost 30 lbs! 

I am optimistic and just have to adapt to this new lifesyle.  It is hard - I'd love to eat some pizza, wings w/ blue cheese, or a big greasy cheeseburger with onion rings.  I don't think that those cravings will end overnight.  Right now, I'd settle for eating a salad or even a bowl of turkey chili.  But, that will come in time, I suppose.  I'll update in another month.

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