"T" is for Two

This past Monday marked my 2-weeks since surgery.  It also meant a follow-up with my surgeon.  I went to that appointment on Tuesday morning and  I weighed in 14 pounds less than I did on surgery day, so I've lost a total of 25 pounds so far.  I can already see the difference in my face and my clothes are fitting a little looser.  The surgeon was pleased with where I was and told me that my weight loss will slow over the next couple of weeks, and that it is normal to go through periods of more rapid weight loss, and then slower weight loss, and even plateaus on the scale while my body catches up.  But even when this happens, he says, I should still be losing inches.  My next follow-up is on the 9/29 - exactly 1 month to the day of my surgery.

Food-wise, I have progressed to the pureed stage - yummy! LOL  My diet this week has mainly been 2 protein shakes a day, supplemented with 1/2 cup of refried beans & salsa for lunch and 3oz of greek yogurt for a morning and afternoon snack.  So my shakes are my breakfast and dinner.  The problem I found going back to work is...I forget to eat.  I'm never hungry, I don't know what hunger really feels like anymore.  Whatever it feels like, it is not the same as it was before.  If I don't set reminders for myself to eat, I will easily forget.  I am struggling to get my 64-oz of fluids in daily, which I knew would be a problem for me. I was never really good about drinking that before surgery. I am much better now, but still not where I need to be.  I am, however, managing to meet my minimum protein requirements each day...as long as I don't forget to eat!

Accomplishments this week:

1. A 14 pound loss since surgery!
2. Blood pressure meds were cut down to half per day!
3. I was able to wear a shirt on Monday that I hadn't been able to wear since I bought it around Christmas last year.  I bought it without trying it on and then realized it was a little too tight when I got home. Since I bought it in Alabama, I never returned it.  I was happy to see that it is no longer "a little too tight" and fits just right! 
4. I can now wear my wedding ring again without shoving it on my finger.  I developed dermatitis from the nickle in the ring about a year after we got married.  It was from about a 10 pound weight gain after our wedding. I have since not been able to wear it except every so often.  I have been wearing it all week now and so far, have not had any issues. It seems to fit much better now...YAY!
5. Went back to the office.  Yes, this is an accomplishment, although I really miss working from home!

Goals for the coming weeks:

1. Exercise more!  This is a biggie for me!! I need to find something to do and get into a routine!
2. Find a local support group and go!

This has certainly been a process for me, as I know it is for everyone who goes through this surgery.  One good thing, I really have no desire to eat anything sweet. The thought turns my stomach!  However....I would LOVE to be able to have a nice juicy cheeseburger or a big ole slice of pizza! LOL  But alas....I can not....and that is okay.  I am bummed for a moment, but remember the ultimate goal and the tool for the second chance I've been given to make it happen!

One week Post-Op and So Far, So Good!

Well, my surgery went as planned on Monday Aug. 29th. I arrived at the hospital at 5:00am and they got started prepping me pretty quickly.  I think the surgery started around 8:30am, which was about a hour later than scheduled.  Thankfully, all went well during the surgery. I did have a small hernia that they fixed during surgery, but other than that, everything went smoothly.

From the surgery, I developed something called subcutaneous emphysema.  It is where the air that is pumped into the body cavity during the surgery migrated it's way up into my collar bone area, neck, and face.  My eyes were extremely swollen and I could barely see out of them. I had no peripheral vision whatsoever. I also couldn't breathe well because of the air constricting the airway in my neck.  Once they got me set up on the CPAP machine, though, I was good to go and could breathe much better. So my face and neck looked swollen, but it was from air, not fluid.  It was really a strange feeling. Thankfully it has mostly gone away and my voice has returned to normal.

I had to stay 2 nights in the hospital and was discharged Wednesday evening.  The best thing about coming home was being able to SHOWER!  They did not let me shower in the hospital because I had a drain hooked up to me and I couldn't shower until the drain was removed. They didn't take the drain out until Wednesday afternoon and by that time, I figured I'd just wait til I got home!  It was good to be home again.

So far, so good with the diet. It has been tough, I won't lie.  This has probably been one of the hardest things I have done in my life.  Right now I just long to taste something other than water, Crystal Light, jello, and popsicles. I long to be able to chew my food instead of having to sip it!  Those are the hardest things.  Last night, the boys made popcorn for themselves and it was really hard for me because I love popcorn and that smell just permeated the house.  But I am staying positive and trying to remember that it's just popcorn and one day, I might be able to eat some again, just not right now...and if I never do, the end result will be worth it and it won't matter.  The biggest thing that excites me right now is the fact that I am "graduating" to smooth soups and dairy products so I can finally make my protein shakes with milk again and I can have some Greek yogurt and things like that. It will be such a welcome change from the clear liquids. In another week, I can start on the soft foods and I will be able to do scrambled eggs.

I know I said I was going to post before and after pics, but I got busy before the surgery and didn't have a chance to post the "before" pics.  But...look at any of my Facebook pics...and that is what I looked like!  I will post after pics...I'm aiming for once every month, but we'll see how it goes!  So far I am down 17 pounds total.  I dropped 11 pounds in the 2 weeks prior to surgery by doing protein shakes and then I've dropped another 6 pounds since Monday. 

So that about sums up my week!  I am overall doing very well and feeling good and praying it continues this way!  I am thankful for everyone's support, thoughts, well-wishes, and prayers!!