Week #1

My First Week

Staying home from school and work for a second week after Spring Break was amazing; although I wasn’t feeling so amazing. I had a really hard time breathing, my lung capacity was being blocked by the trapped air. Granted, I still looked like an Air Head. My surgeon still said it was normal that the gas was there and it would leave eventually. I went to my primary doctor on Monday for my follow up appointment and she was worried, tried to get in contact with my surgeon and ordered me to the ER. Kind of a waste of time because the doctor there said he would have to just speak with my surgeon again and monitor my vitals. I guess it is better to be safe, than sorry. I was released after about 2 hours with the same explanation my surgeon gave me over the phone. Major waste of $300 L But he was going to visit me ad run a CT scan to check, but I was already gone. So Monday and Tuesday were rough.

My other pain came from my shoulders. Many people on this forum said this was pain from gas. It really was bothersome whenever I’d go to walk my dog, but be fine once I sat back down on the couch. In addition I had a pain in my right side whenever I would try to breathe in deep.

By Wednesday (my mom’s birthday), I was finally feeling relief in my lungs and able to breathe better. Therefore, the pain was lessening with everyday. By Thursday I was finally feeling like myself which was great! As the days passed, I would feel better and better. Saturday, my mom and I took my dog, Lily to the beach in Connecticut! It turned out to be a beautiful, but cold day and we really enjoyed it.

In order to sleep, I formed a reclining pillow pile on my bed to finally find a comfortable position. Forget about sleeping on my side!

As for my diet, I was allowed water, protein shakes, SF pops, SF jello, broth, Gatorade, and greek yogurt/Dannon Light N Fit. I’m stuck in this stage for 3 full weeks. Killer, but manageable.

While home, I had no distractions other than walking and TV so it was very difficult for me to fit off “head hunger.” Watching the Food Network was no help either! I couldn’t tell when I was hungry or full, so I emailed my nutritionist (who is awesome!) and she told me to realize to up my protein and water intake. WHAT A WEEK!

Weigh-in: 262 (lost 19 lbs)