MrsGamgee

I'm suffering from a bit of PLOM (poor little ol' me) disease today. Recovery from surgery has been going really well. I'm getting my fluids and protein in without issue. I'm well into soft foods and enjoying the variety I'm able to have now. The only thing I really miss is crunchy veg... but I'll get there soon enough. What's getting me down today is stupid really. I caught a cold last week. And as per my usual with a head/chest cold, the final phase is always the lingering cough. Seriously, it's killing me. I haven't had pain in my stomach since a couple of days post op. Now though, it's back. Not near my incisions, but above and below. My poor abdominal muscles which were traumatized by surgery are now taking a beating every time I cough. I try to brace my belly with a pillow when I feel the cough coming on, but it doesn't really help. I know it's just a cold, and it will pass in a few days. I'm whining... I just want to be able to do some walking again without triggering a coughing fit. I want my belly to stop aching.

Day 3 - my ideal day I wake up at 530am, feeling rested and awake. It would be a clear cool morning, and I would have tea out on my balcony. My wee-lings and hubs get themselves fed, dressed, and ready for the day without me needing to nag them. After they leave for school and work, I go for a nice long walk, listening to whatever book I have downloaded at the moment. Then I spend the rest of the morning writing without dealing with writer's block. Lunch with my girlfriends at a local Korean fusion place and lots of green tea. Laughing, talking, and catching up. After lunch we're able to hit up a crafters market and spend time window shopping. Then I go home in time to greet my wee-lings as they get off the school bus. We read together for an hour, and they help me make dinner... something like a bloody Mary steak salad. My hubs gets home from work, we enjoy dinner together, the wee-lings do their after dinner chores without a fuss, and then we all enjoy an episode of Doctor Who together. Then the wee-lings go to bed, happily. My hubs and I then get to watch an exciting football game between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, which Saskatchewan wins handily (of course). I'm in bed by 1030 at the latest (a late night for me), read for a little bit, and then lights out.

My clinic has different post op diets for rny versus vsg. Vsg patients have a clear liquids phase, then full liquids, then soft foods. Rny patients start at full liquids and move through the phases in 2 week increments usually. Sleeve patients are graduated from level to level more slowly.

I don't have any words of wisdom for you... just know that you aren't alone in these feelings. Sending ((hugs))!

I wanted to share these pics because they are a little surreal to me. The first is from two years ago (yes, that's the incomparable Stan Lee... it's from Fan Expo in Calgary), the second is from this morning. I'm wearing the same outfit in both pics. There's a 50lb difference between the two. I didn't really see the difference until I looked at how stretched my shirt was over my belly in the first pic.

Interesting... I've found since surgery I actually don't get up to pee during the night, whereas I always used to. And I'm getting my 90oz of fluid.

Day 2 - eat all my meals distraction free. Well, failed at the outset, as both breakfast and lunch are almost always eaten in the living room. BUT, tonight I'm going sit at the table with my family. They'll be having pasta with meat sauce and garden salads. I'll be having tex-mex flavoured ground turkey with a teeny little bit of well cooked broccoli. ** note to self ** read tomorrow's challenge today so I can plan accordingly.

One bonus with game meat is that it largely very lean... yay you! I would second what was said above. Starting with braised meats, stews, and other 'wet' cooking methods seems like a good idea.

Honestly, I'm doing pretty well with my fluids and protein. Please do listen to your doc about your hydration. If you can't get it in on your own, you will need IV fluids. Not something to mess about with. Hope things get easier for you soon.

I honestly didn't even give a thought to the fact that my body would need a certain level of calories hor the healing process! Doh! I have no willpower when it comes to the scale. Every morning like clockwork, and I've been seeing some numbers that surprise me a bit. But I know my 3 week stall is looming, and I'm really hoping that awareness will help me deal.

Mine are 170 per shake. Part of that is I'm using unsweetened almond milk to mix them because if I do plain water, they're nasty to me. I'm using Diesel Chocolate Obsession right now for my shakes... it tasted the best out of all the samples I tried. I'm staying around the 700 cal mark right now, with the two shakes. Right where I should be according to my RD. I just find it mind boggling that *I'm* at a point in my food-addicted life where I'm stressed about 170 calories. So bizarre!

Me too. I'm diligent about measuring out my food, and I'm sticking at 1/4 cup at meals. What's driving me a little crazy today is that I need 2 protein shakes a day to get in my protein numbers, but they are so calorie dense. I know I'm not supposed to be concerned about calories, and really... who is this woman who's stressed about 170 calories???? But still, it irks me.

My day of went pretty smoothly. My surgery was at 9am. I was allowed water until 3 hours before surgery so, I got up early, showered and had a big glass of water. My hubs and I walked to the hospital (just live a couple of blocks away), and I got checked in on the ward. I was pretty nervous, but the nurses were wonderful and reassuring. I was put in a room, got changed into a hospital gown, and then we started the pre op process. They took my vitals, went through all my Rx meds, went through all the pre op questions, and then they gave me a shot of heparin. A little while later, a porter came to walk me and my hubs down to the surgical holding area. I was told to get comfy on a stretcher. My surgeon and anesthesiologist both popped by to say hello, we talked for a minute about the surgery and they left. After another 30 minutes, a nurse came to wheel me down to the OR. I said goodbye to my hubs, and we were off. The nurse wheeled me to the door of the OR, and then I walked in and got up onto the table. We again went through the pre op questions, name, birthdate, what surgery were they doing. They hooked up my IV, and strapped my arms down. They put on the blood pressure cuff, some leads to monitor my heart, and then they put me under. I don't remember much from being in the recovery room. It's actually a little confused in my head with other times I had been in there. I do recall when they moved me out of recovery, the feeling of motion and watching the ceiling go by. The next thing I remember is waking up in my room, my hubs sitting beside me. I had to pee really bad, so the nurses helped me out of bed (the special bariatric hospital bed was a pain in the butt to get in and out of). I spent the next 12 hours sleeping, dealing with pain meds, and peeing. I hope all that helps and I wish you all the best with your journey!

Oooo... that looks so yummy!

My rny was a little over two weeks ago and I'm in the same boat. I'm having difficulty recognizing if I'm full. I'm diligent about measuring everything so that I don't overdo it. What it tells me is that I'm going to have to be really strict with myself about quantity and getting that all important protein in first. On the upside I have noticed that I just don't get physically hungry right now.

My motivation was the same as yours. [emoji4] I had been type 2 diabetic, dealing with hypertension, and high cholesterol for 6 years when I made the decision to pursue WLS (2 years ago... my program is long). I wanted to see my wee-lings grow up. I want to grow old with my hubs. I had RNY just over 2 weeks ago, and I'm already seeing great results. I left hospital off all my diabetes meds, and down to just one blood pressure med. It's astonishing. I suggest you become a sponge on these boards. Absorb everything you can. I think the more knowledgeable you are going in to surgery, the more successful you'll be. Good luck to you!

While not strictly a before and after, I did some meal prep for the week and I'm excited! I know these are all variations of brown mush, but they are yummy brown mush. In the middle I have chocolate Peanut Butter overnight oats. All approved by my RD. 1/4 cup servings all around. When I'm able, I'll reduce the amount of oats and add in chia seeds like I did before surgery. The bowl on the left is Asian inspired ground turkey (onion & garlic powders, dried ginger, five spice powder, a splash of soy sauce, and some chicken stock). The bowl on the right is tex-mex inspired ground turkey (onion & garlic powder, ground cumin, coriander, chili powder, chipotle powder, tomato paste and some chicken stock). I'm so excited to be cooking again, and to be trying different things!

I have 2 wee-lings (8yo, 7yo) and I've been up front with them, in an age appropriate manner, from the beginning. They have known from a very young age that I had to take a lot of medicines (diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol) because I am overweight. They knew about my medical conditions because I felt it important that they know how to call for help if something ever happened to me when it was just us. They've grown up knowing that it's super important to eat healthy and be active. They know that because of my medical history, they are at risk too, and they have to take care of themselves. When I made the decision to pursue WLS, after I had talked it over with my hubs, I sat them down and talked to them about it. I told them that I was tired of all the medication I had to take, I was tired of not having the energy to play with them, and I wanted to be able to go on the rides at the fair with them. It meant that I would have a lot of appointments (my program is 2 years from orientation to surgery) and that ultimately I'd have an operation. Then I enlisted their help. I told them that I would need help with remembering to eat better and to exercise, and let me tell you, no one nags like a 5 or 6yo. They stayed with their grandparents while I had surgery, so that my hubs didn't have to worry about them and me... and our 7yo had a rough night of being concerned about me. Now that I'm on the far side of surgery, they are great at helping me with little things as I recover (my youngest carried our shopping bag at the farmer's market this morning and didn't let go of my hand, in case I got tired). Kids are smart. They know when something's going on. It's important to educate them honestly so that they don't get stressed out about things they don't understand. Just my two cents.

B-side... Seeking help for my mental health. Yup, I've done it (prior to my experience at the bariatric clinic) and I'd do it again. That said, I think there is still a stigma around it. I know when I told people that I was having appointments with the mental health department with my clinic, some people would give me a bit of side eye.

Good morning everyone! Happy June! Surgery: RNY, May 16, 2019 Goal #1: To get back to regular walking/nordic pole walking 6 days a week, 5km per day, by the end of the month. Goal #2: To feel comfortable eating at the table with my family again. I've been eating separately from them since my liquid diet began because it's been too much of a challenge to be around while they're eating real food. No weight related goals as I don't really know what to expect this early out from surgery. And I know my 3 week stall is looming. Day 1: How do I feel at the moment? Emotionally, I think I'm in an okay place right now. No buyers remorse, no new stress, and I'm very pleased with where I'm at right now. Physically, I'm still nursing a wicked cold which is adding to my fatigue.

I totally get this! Like many, immediately after surgery I was badly constipated. In fact I didn't even pass gas until day 4. It felt like my insides had forgotten how to work. It was almost like I had to teach myself how to fart again, working intentionally to get my muscles to relax. I wish I had read about the gargling thing beforehand. [emoji4]

I was told to expect pain like that off and on as I heal... as things that were a bit more tightly stitched heal and relax.

Bravo and bravo! I am impressed! They're going to adjust... in the mean time you do you!

An NSV from the odd files... since I've gotten home from the hospital, I sleep through the night without having to get up to use the bathroom. This is astonishing to me, as I've always gotten up at least once to pee every night for as long as I can remember. I'm getting all my fluids and more, so I can't attribute it to dehydration. I'm wondering if it's connected to the fact that my blood sugars are super level, and I'm no longer on my diabetes meds.

I have 5 as well. One teeny one under my sternum, and four across my belly. Three of them on my belly are about an inch wide and the one on the far left is about half an inch (but with the most bruising.