Véronique

Tuesday.

Precisely, this is why I'm not returning to my gym until one-month post-op just to be safe.

Well, I just tossed my first liquid meal of the day, which is not particularly a good sign. I'm wondering how long I should wait before I "eat" again.

I know every programme has different requirements and that's what makes giving advice difficult. I've already put in the call to my surgeon's office and a nurse should be getting back to me later today.

Of course, I am aware that in order to make this a success, I need to be very intentional about it.

Well, I know that my surgeon's practice says nothing about swimming per se but it does say that I can't bathe until at least one week post-op, as I had my surgery laparoscopically. If I had open surgery, I would need to wait six weeks.

So, I've been fat for most of my life. I've been fat ever since I was roughly 10 years old, but what I considered fat then is nothing compared to the state I am at now. After I got sex reassignment surgery, my metabolism went straight to hell and my energy levels fell. I didn't make any lifestyle changes afterwards, but the fact that I didn't was a part of the problem that resulted in the state where I am now. And gaining so much weight, I likely contracted sleep apnea due to my weight gain and also contracted plantar fasciitis, which makes it harder to be out and about without my arches screaming at me. I've tried so many diet and exercise programmes, from Bikram Yoga to Weight Watchers, from marathon training to calorie counting, from parkour to South Beach. In fact, I would have continued trying if not for someone in a chat room. They told me that I should get a lap band... to which I said "why? I can exercise, I have the discipline to diet, why the hell would I need a lap band?" We had a long discussion about bariatric surgery and I decided to do my research. I first considered the programme at Denver Health. After all, I didn't know about the programme just north of me in Fort Collins (and to be quite honest, that's kinda okay given the support network I've built up there) and I thought Denver Health was the natural place to go. That and UCHealth has had... issues with serving employees of the State of Colorado. So, I went to their support groups/medical weight loss classes (which were combined), attended sessions with their psychologist and saw their nutritionist only to get rejected because I had clinical depression. I feel the problem was that since the psychologist was not my regular psychologist and did not know me nor my support network well, that made her more skittish than she should have been. I then contacted the programme at Northern Colorado Surgical Associates (which is a part of the Poudre Valley Health System and their combined programme is called the "Bariatric Centre of the Rockies") and started attending their medical weight loss classes, their patient education seminar, got my regular therapist and prescriber to write my letter, and as of Tuesday, had surgery with them. Unfortunately, I don't feel that I can attend their support groups often (as their support groups are in Fort Collins and the transit back down to Longmont after 8pm is dismal at best), but the good news is that I have found other practices in the area which have support groups that I might be able to attend. I have a therapist that I really mesh with and I have a support network from both my church and my political party (Green Party of Colorado, FTW!) And I look forward to the future. I look forward to wearing all those cute goth/steampunk clothes I see in my Facebook news feed, I look forward to finishing up my transition by having facial feminization surgery/breast augmentation (which can only happen once I get to my goal weight, if my concern is having the best results), and most pressing, I look forward to the day I can waltz into the Denver Health support groups, look into the eyes of the nutritionists, psychologists, and that bariatric coordinator and tell them where they can stick it.

Precisely. And maybe there's a group in your area that could be helpful to you in other ways. For example, the bariatric programme at Rose Medical Centre has several different support groups and classes focused on a variety of topics such as going out to eat and menu planning. Since I'm not a good cook, I figure this is not only an excellent opportunity to learn about cooking after surgery but also get support from people who are also walking the path. After all, having the surgery is one thing, but making the habits you need to change to be more sustainable can result in better outcomes.

I'm grateful to be home, with my unfiltered internet access, lots to read, the fact that the binder my surgeon's office gave me doesn't say that I must wait to start the puréed stage of the diet (though I will call their office tomorrow to confirm). And the fact that since Sunday, I lost 3,8 kg (or 8,3 lbs)!

While being on the liquid diet does suck, the fact that I was able to lose 3,8 kg since Sunday shows me that this can be worth it.

While I don't, I know the office that did my surgery often does surgeries for people in Wyoming, Nebraska and (I think) Montana.

Just remember, follow up is critical. I have two therapy appointments set up for next week.

As much as I don't want to be unkind, I have to ask... What the hell is wrong with you? The surgeons are not playing around when they institute these requirements. This isn't a joke. Stick to your surgeon's guidelines.

My psych evaluation was very basic, hit all the requirements stated by the surgeon's office and no more than that. It was so basic that the nurse phoned me to query me about it. Because it was my regular therapist, they were willing to approve me in the end.

Anyone who even implied that it would be is full of it. But that doesn't mean that having the surgery is a bad move in and of itself.

I'm wondering, does cereal in milk count as a soft food?

Was it laproscopic or open surgery?

So, I've been burping and farting since I got the surgery and I was wondering, how long do people experience this?

I'm burping and farting quite a bit. What they say is the gas used in a laproscopic surgery exits through the body by burping and farting.

Sometimes, it hurts and sometimes it doesn't. I hear I might get discharged tomorrow.

I've already taken two walks around the surgical unit.

Compared to this morning after I woke up from surgery, I'm feeling much better. The pain has subsided for the most part and I have thrown up thrice. But never let it be said that I don't have character. I sung the first verse of the Marseillaise while being wheeled in to the OR.

Just arrived at the hospital. I'm tired, hungry, thirsty and two hours away from surgery.

Here's the e-mail they just sent out:

They know. They asked and I said. I have nothing to be ashamed of, I've tried so many diets and exercises and I am satisfied with the necessity of this surgery.