Five days into my recovery from the gastric bypass surgery and all is going well and back on track. I am putting behind me the rocky start of the first two days of recovery. I want to thank everyone for all the positive thoughts, well wishes, and healing energy that were sent my way. I definitely felt surrounded and supported by light and love. It means so much to me, especially in the first days of recovery which were a little frightening with the breathing tube and painful too, I was able to draw strength and comfort from the wonderful healing glow surrounding me. My gratitude and blessings to one and all.
The first week after surgery I am allowed only clear liquids. For some reason broth just doesn’t interest me, the few sips I’ve tried taste awful too me. I have been getting in lots of different fluids in the form of Crystal Light, sugar-free ice, some jello and flavored waters. Thanks to Mama Kelly who stopped by on Sunday with a variety of jello and waters, i.e. life water, skinny water, I’ve had a nice variety of tastes. She also brought some of her famous home cooking for my hubby and Angelgirl to enjoy a nice hot meal without having to cook. Her food is always delicious, and is being enjoyed by both. There was so much we could even offer some food to family who visited. Since hubby is off his feet as much as possible due to his fall and resulting leg injury, having tasty, easily heated food in the house has been wonderful. (Big thank you and much love to Mama Kelly!) I put aside one small spoonful of each dish for the freezer so I will be able to enjoy it too once I’m back on regular food (in about four weeks) and able to have three small (about 2 ounce) meals a day.
My throat had been raw from the complications and breathing tube being in for two days, but starting yesterday it finally started feeling better so I am now sipping even more which is a good thing. I do miss my morning cup of coffee, but since I add sugar-free creamor to my coffee I don’t think it counts as a clear liquid. It takes me about 90 minutes to sip 8 ounces, so it really isn’t worth it to have a cup of coffee at this point any way. It is much more important to get water in to me.
My left hand has finally recovered totally from the IV that was yanked when the nurse tripped over the tubing. The swelling is completely gone and the various bruises in my arms from failed attempts at inserting an IV have almost faded completely.
I’ve also lost almost all the weight gained from the surgery, which was a total of 13 pounds. Emotionally drained, feeling like a truck has run over your body, it is not a good thing to stand on the scale two days after surgery and see a huge 13 pound increase (265 lbs). Even though I KNOW it was fluid retention, it was still emotionally and psychologically a hurdle to overcome and force myself to stay focused and positive and hold on to knowing that all this was going to be worth it in the long run. As of this morning I have lost 12 and half of those pounds, so hopefully by tomorrow I’ll be back to the weight I was the morning of the surgery (252 lbs) and can start keeping track of my post gastric bypass surgery loss from there.
I am going to have my first outing today to the library and then a quick stop at Whole Foods to walk around a little and look for organic and healthy soft foods I can freeze in preparation for my transition to soft foods in a couple of weeks and other foods for the following weeks. One item I definitely want to get is a box of buffalo burgers - I had a sample of them several weeks ago when we visited the store before. I figure one patty will make two meals for me and provides a lot of protein. I will mostly focus on shrimp and chicken, but for a change (perhaps once a week) I figure a nice organic buffalo burger would be nice.
Tomorrow I have my annual appointment with the eye doctor. The next day I have my first follow up appointment with the gastric bypass surgeon. I should be allowed to start having regular smoothie type drinks. I am looking forward to coming up with combos that are not sweet - such as making blender soups like tomato soup with nonflavored whey protein and rice milk (for some reason the idea of tomato soup appeals to me), or low fat mushroom soup, rice milk and tuna in water (hoping the flavor resembles tuna casserole).
The best part of all the last few days is there is absolutely no hunger whatsoever. I sip water all day (as I am suppose to) but I do so because I have to, it helps my throat heal, and there are times when I do feel a bit thirsty.
I can not explain how truly heavenly it is to wake up every day and not feel hunger. I have watched my hubby and daughter eat all kinds of food, watched commercials for some of my favorite things without even a hint of craving, want or sense of loss. The only food that has any appeal to me right now is for some reason I am looking forward to being allowed scrambled eggs (soft foods are allowed the third week). But even though the thought of scramlbed eggs drifts into my mind now and then (most likely because my body is looking forward to some protein), I don’t feel any yearning for them or any need to resist them because even if a plate of scrambled eggs were in front of me I don’t have any desire to eat.
It is a little slice of heaven for me. For over 40 years I have battled with food in one way or another - from childhood poverty when we didn’t have much to eat on a daily basis and I would give most of what food I had to my two younger brothers, to the first 5 to 10 pounds I tried to lose when I was 13 years old, to the last couple of decades when I have lost over 100 lbs-regained more-lost again in an endless cycle of struggling with food daily and failing over and over. The struggle with the unending hunger that would rear it’s head relentlessly day after day drained my life in so many ways. Finally for the first time in my life, my thoughts, my energy, my focus can be directed in other directions without being drained away by the strain and constant battle to not eat and keep my calories down to as close to 800 caloires a day (which is the level approved by doctors and nutritionists I’ve worked with, and is the only level that works for me to lose a little weight slowly for a few months until I hit the wall and stop losing which hits around 200 lbs).
For now I am going to enjoy this “golden” period post surgery where there is no hunger and hope it lasts as long as possible (usually 3 to 6 months). For some people it lasts forever, and yes I hope that I am one of those people. But even if, or when, hunger returns it will be small and manageable now because of the pouch and I will be able to have three small meals a day of lean protein and a little veggie and not have to deal with hunger the rest of the time.
Tags: gastric bypass surgery, recovery
we went, along with another couple, to see Bruce Springstein playing his next to last concert at the “old” Giants stadium. He wrote a new song in honor of the stadium, “wrecking ball,” since the old stadium will be torn down soon. He is always at his best when in plays in New Jersey, and the concert was great. This tour he plays a different album each night - our night he did the Born to Run album, which of course is awesome. The show even had fireworks at the finale.
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STUMBLE!
