So, as the title suggests, I am totally freaking frustrated!!! I am almost 3 weeks post op. The first week went well...I lost 10 pounds. Then I hit a stall for about a week and then a couple of days ago the scale started moving down again. I was feeling happy that I had ended my first stall and then bam I gained 2 pounds! I mean I am doing everything that I am supposed to. I use myfitnesspal religiously. I use my fit bit. I have been exercising more now than in the past year. I eat right and drink right. Intellectually, I understand what happens when we stall or gain weight for that matter when our bodies are in the process of losing weight. I've read many articles about converting glycogen, how I might be losing size and not weight, how getting smaller doesn't translate into the scale moving downward. Intellectually and logically I understand and I get it, but emotionally it is too much.
So since my life is about moderation and restriction now...I've decided to put the scale away and only weight once a week on Thursday mornings. I found an old tape measure and will also begin taking my measurements. Oh how I wish I took my measurements before hand...it might have saved me some heart ache.
Well that was in the past and now....MOVING ON. I am still on my pureed stage which is going perfectly well. Yesterday was a good day. I actually got 600 calories in, which is amazing for me! I do think I need to get more calories and carbs in everyday. It seems kind of low.
ON A SPECIAL NOTE. I URGE ANYONE THAT IS PRE-OP OR JUST BEGINNING TO TAKE BEFORE PICTURES. I KNOW IT IS DIFFICULT TO SEE YOURSELF ON A PHOTO, BUT DO IT!!! ALSO, TAKE YOUR MEASUREMENTS SO WHEN YOU HIT THOSE STALLS YOU CAN AT LEAST GET SOME PEACE OF MIND BY MEASURING YOURSELF.
I TOOK BEFORE PHOTOS (WHICH I HAVEN'T POSTED YET BECAUSE I WANT A COMPARISON PHOTO), BUT I SOOOOOO WISH I HAD TAKEN MY MEASUREMENTS.
IT WILL BE HARD TO FACE THOSE NUMBERS, BUT WHEN YOU ARE LOSING YOU WILL BE SOOOOO HAPPY YOU DID.
Well,
I have hit my first "stall". It has been approximately 5 days since the scale has budged. Yes, yes, I know...don't look at the scale. I keep trying to remember that stalls happen and that I'm probably still losing in size, but it is still depressing to see the same number on the scale every day. I try to logic it out in my head. Like...I'm only eating less than 400 calories a day...there is NO WAY that I can't be getting smaller. I've also read a few good threads on here about what happens physically in your body when you are losing weight. So I understand that I'm probably still losing inches, but I want to see the numbers! I wish I would have taken my measurements prior to surgery. I guess never too late to start.
Today was my first day with pureed food! I have been looking forward to this for about a week now. Liquid diets make you soooo sick of liquid diets. I pureed some beef stew with some greek yogurt and that was pretty tasty. I also pureed some chicken in the can with some greek yogurt and some fresh cracked pepper. It looked absolutely disgusting, but tasted yummy. So I am excited about this new stage of food because it actually tastes like food. I was getting pretty sick of all the sweet tasting liquids that I was required to drink. I just keep trying to remind myself that pureed food is the same as eating regular food except my body doesn't have to work as hard. Thinking this way helps me get down the gross looking "meals".
I'm still not totally pain free. I still have some pain on the left side of my abdomen. I did call the nurse today just to make sure because everyone else seems to be pain free at this stage. I am confident nothing is wrong. I think it has to do with how many incisions I had and maybe the layers he went through. I really wish it would go away though because I want to up my exercise routine. I am kind of sick of just walking.
My surgery was schedule for 2:45pm (Hawaii time) on Wednesday, January 30th, 2013. My husband and I arrived at Castle Hospital at 1pm, but was told things were running behind and the lady scheduled before me hadn't even gone in yet. It was a little after 4pm that I was finally rolled in. As far as I can tell, I was in surgery until about 630pm.
As soon as I got to the hospital, the nurse had me check in, get undressed and lay down on one of the beds. Then I met the anesthesiologist. As I was waiting, they asked me a bunch of questions and started my iv. My iv had to be done in my wrist...I am always a tricky one when it comes to my veins. I don't really know if I was just tired, but a few hours with the iv I felt kind of silly to put it is the only way I can think of it.
I was pretty excited going in there and my husband was a nervous wreck. That was not a surprise though. I tend to be the positive one and he is the negative nancy, although he says he is "realistic". I had no anxiety at all while I was waiting. My husband was allowed to wait with me and we just did crossword puzzles or read magazines or played with our phones.
I remember waking up and hearing, "you did really well. The dr. is very happy with how things went." I did no feel very well. It was very foggy. I didn't really know what was going on. I am not sure what time I woke up or was rolled to my room or anything like that.
I remember waking up and feeling pain. It was all in my belly area. Maybe I am not used to pain in my abdominal area, but it hurt for me. It feels like when you have a bruise, but much worse. They kept giving me morphine. I was allowed to have it every hour if I wanted it, but I kept falling asleep so I would say I got it every 4 hours. My head was foggy still afterwards. Actually, now that I think about it my head is still a little foggy. I'm a little forgetful right now.
I never changed out of my hospital gown...so I don't even know why I packed a bag. Honestly, all you need is chapstick and maybe music. I brought my preggo pillow which I definitely used. I also found it helpful to sit up. I didn't want to lay down. I think it was helping with the gas in my body. I had gas, but it felt like it was mostly in my belly. I had no shoulder pain like others have reported.
Even when I got home, I wanted to be propped up. Last night, I actually put pillows under my belly and slept on my stomach!!! I haven't slept on my stomach in 5+ years. The pressure seemed to make me feel better. Today I finally farted!!! I know that is silly, but I wanted to fart so bad, but couldn't. I was so jealous of my husband who just kept letting it rip! I haven't had a bowel movement yet.
I would definitely say the first 3 days are the hardest. I was considered to be in the "doing extremely well" category so I don't know how people do it when they have complications. Waking up from surgery definitely sucks. I kept thinking, "what the hell did I do to myself". Those thoughts are short lived because not even 4 days later it is bearable and I am excited to make progress.
I can tell you that the first couple of days I mostly slept. The tiredness would just hit me out of nowhere. It was extremely hard to get in my liquids...I think mostly because I was sleeping. Even when I was up it was hard work. It is hard work to drink that 4 oz. every hour. You have to work at it. They wanted me to be on clear liquids the first 2 post op days and get in between 48 and 64 oz and 80grams of protein. They did tell me not to worry too much if I couldn't because I would still have lots of fluids in me from the Iv. I am pretty determined to make my goals because I want to do this right, but it seems my whole day is consumed with trying to get my liquids in. Today I have drank a whole 24 oz and reached 40grams of protein, and that was damn hard. I did take a multi-vitamin today with no problems.
I've been lucky with the nausea, but I play it on the safe side. I do not push anything and take very small sips. I do not want to vomit! I pretty much hate vomiting. The fullness feeling everyone talks about...I'm still trying to figure it out. When I drink it feels a little like I have to burp and then I burp.
These are what they require me to do post op for a week or longer:
1. Take nexium once a day
2. Use my spirometer
3. Go walking
4. Drink 80 grams of protein
5. Drink at least 64 oz of liquid
6. take my multi-vitamin 3x daily
Oh and lastly...what I do not like the most is the strange body odors. It is pretty wretched. As soon as I could take a shower, I was in there washing it off. Well, it does return.
