Post Op Update 3

It's been several days and and I am down to 217, which is freaking awesome. 25 pounds down so far. 

In the last week, I have learned NOT to do too much of any exercise, because when I did some arm ones, the whole evening and next day, I was in pain and sore and I thought it was my kidneys! But not, it was just these poor muscles that were abused because they were not used to it. So I took a couple days off and then started it back with a smaller amount being done each time.

Food, that has been interesting too. I would have thought I would be able to eat the whole 1/4 cup of tuna salad, but nope, first few days I was full before eating it all. I was very surprised by this. That fact I am in week 3 and haven't hit a stall yet is nice too, but I know it's coming. I track everything I eat and try to keep the carbs and sugars low. Calories don't matter as much thankfully! Protein and fluids are the priority first. And water still hurts to drink. Warm fluids are awesome, but cold ones and water are a struggle. What's also weird about that is I can eat popsicles fine and those are frozen. 

I am also tracking inches, and that has as rewarding as the pounds coming off. My calf has gone down an inch and I didn't think that was possible. 

Interesting things also. I have some specific WLS oatmeal, it's definitely better when using hot water vs cooking in the microwave. It's also better with a little bit extra cinnamon.

It's such a learning curve, all of it. You read all the posts and articles and whatnot and think you're prepared or at least aware of what is going to happen. But then you're home by yourself and trying to remember all this information and end up googling everything all over again.

But walking is good and getting better. Life is good in general. I am getting more energy which is soooo nice. AND! It seems my perimenopause is, well, paused. All the hormones releasing into my system has been super good and if anything it means I should go on HRT when I am back in it again. Plus, I am still scheduled for a hysterectomy later this year. I hope that going into a full on chemical menopause with HRT is a good thing. It's only a slight worry right now. I have several months before it happens and time to speak to dr's and whatnot.

Post Op Update 2

 Almost and the end of Week 2. Next week is purees. And to be frank, I have absolutely cheated. Purees, ha, I have had a slice of ham with swiss cheese daily since a couple days ago. I KNOW my stomach is still healing. I try to keep all the other stuff minimal, well ok I do try "new" things almost daily but that's to see what my stomach will handle. For instance, it did not handle eggs yet. But it like grits. It liked cream of rice better. I have never had cream of rice before. Right now I am trying Miso soup. One of the bad things I eat (mow, is it really bad??) is an itty bitty creamy peanut butter. Soooo good when I just need a hit of something.

So the coming week has savory sweet potatoes, garlic mashed potatoes, some additional soup options and a ricotta bake. Oh and tuna salad, maybe egg salad if my stomach doesn't make me puke the eggs again and chicken salad. Food. Real Food. I am so looking forward to that. Though it will also be the start of the well known 3 Week stall. There is a good youtube video explaining why it happens and there a ton of reddit posts on it, so it's expected. It makes sense, you're introducing closer to solid foods into your system and things that have more carbs for sure. Bodies gotta adjust.

One of the more interesting things I've noticed in the last few days as I've started figuring food and how to adjust to my new stomach. We eat too much. I mean, of course that's obvious, but with this itty bitty stomach, I just don't need nor even want (ok, sometimes there is definitely want) more than what my stomach can handle and the fact that I literally can't eat more than that is refreshing. When week 3 starts, I will be shifting to a more normal pattern of meals of breakfast, lunch and dinner and my protein shakes will be the allowable snacks. It will be a bit of a challenge, especially sitting on my ass while I'm still recovering. 

And I also need to start walking outside more. Which I did today with Mike, and it was just .04 shy of a miles, but it was a pretty 20 minute walk. A good start for sure.

I've also started to do some squats and arm exercises. Both my legs and arms need some serious help. 

Time to drink some more water.

Post Op Update

 I am on Day 1 of Week 2 of Post Op. 

I am still on a full liquid diet, though I won't lie I have slightly cheated on said liquid diet. But I am trying to keep it to a minimum. 

In general, I am doing good. No complications or drama. Having major surgery was a new experience! It was a good one overall! Funny story! As I was getting onto the main table from my gurney, I literally got a charlie horse in my right calf muscle. Because of course my body has be difficult it seems.

The first few days were just slow, sitting and watching TV. Nothing bad or dramatic. Then we drove to Target. The car ride was painful, and while I enjoyed walking around Target, I got tired and I think a bit sore. I really did not like the car ride. Then I was back home and watching TV and not really into wanting to crochet or do my other crafty projects yet. And then Wednesday, I had a Dr's appointment. Which I had to drive to. 

That drive, that drive was much more painful. But I did it, got to my appointment. At which the Dr was surprised I drove myself because it seems I was not supposed to do that. Opps. I covered it with how I was a passenger the other day and the Dr. then just kinda slid over it. Then it was the drive home. One word. Excruciating. And it was 2 of my incision sites and I wanted to cry. I almost cried. It was close. The highway was the worst part, and the side streets second next painful. 

And then, I noticed a pain on my left side right below my breast. It was so intense that I took a pain pill yesterday and it made me a bit loopy. So loopy in fact I ended up clearing out a cabinet of old stuff nothing being used (some since 2015 and 2016!) and also reorganized some of the shelves in the fridge. And I did dishes. And wiped the counter. And emptied the trash. And made dinner for Mike. In other words, I did too much. I didn't rest. And my side still hurt. I took a different pain med, and it just made me tired. I went to bed early and thankfully this morning my side does not hurt as much. I did read a lot yesterday on seeing any other bariatric VSG experience the same thing. And it thankfully didn't see uncommon, but it could take time or no time. It could be breathing exercises or not, it could be a muscle or not. I felt like because of the driving it was a muscle that was overworked. It still hurts a bit today and I will probably take another pain pill that makes me tired and just rest. 

Also, I just miss food. I miss chewing food. 

But, I have lost close to 20 lbs so far between Pre and Post Op, so that's awesome and it's important. My health is important and my future health is important.

Time for more liquids...

Pre-Op Days blending and life

 What day am I even on? I just know it's Sunday and it's been a busy weekend but in general a good one. Saturday I headed to get my bloodwork done, hung out with my niece for a bit and helped with some yard work. 

My cold/allergies suck. Hugely. So hugely I am going to check with my surgeon's office to make sure it won't cause issues for Thursday. Gods, it's really only 4 days away!!

I'm mostly prepared. I have to pack my bag and probably read the literature they gave me another 6 million times. But seriously, people get surgery every day and are ok. Granted some of them probably die too but let's not go in that direction.

There is also some family drama. Levera texted me Saturday morning asking money for her daughters passport and I was like...are you serious? I don't have the money to do mine let alone hers. She did not like my response, which granted was a bit longer than what I just wrote. But 15 texts later, I was like...are you ok? And everything she was texting me was so child-ish. I barely responded to her but she just kept texting. I don't have time for her issues and lack of knowledge or understanding. It seems when I told her to take care of her daughter, that was considered insulting. I told her to get a job, she said she had one - taking care of her daughter. Seriously? Maybe that has to change now that my brother died and can't send her all his money?? Hmm, maybe be an adult and a parent and take care of your kid? I don't know, just an idea really...but it's a concept that she seems to struggle with. THEN, later in the day she posts to not just Dave's obit but also my Dad's! I'm like, fine post whatever you want (and she removed a mean comment from before which I am glad she did) but I removed the one she put on my Dad's obit. He didn't even like her and unless you can actually be nice to people, just leave my family alone. 

I am tired. It's been a good weekend, but busy. I need to finish some things and go to bed. This coming week will be busy and then soon enough it will be updates about losing the weight and getting healthier.

Overall, I am super good with what I have been drinking/eating as part of the pre-op diet. Adjusted and life is good. Here's hoping this also transfers to how little I will be eating after surgery.

It's a head game

 I don't think one realizes how much a head game it is. Food is this whole thing that you need/require to survive and as a species we've gotten to the point of consuming quite a bit more than needed. And some of it isn't even really good food for you. It's a chemical make up to make our brains things it's getting what it needs because it tastes good but the reality is your body suffers for it.

I guess because I do read so much on the WLS and VSG, and trying to make sure I am as prepared as possible, wrapping my head around the head game of my food habits has been interesting and somewhat surprising. Of course you want to think you've got shit under control. But that fact is I don't. I snack, sometimes good things and somethings bad, right moments/wrong moments. I "treat" myself for whatever xyz reason. I'm an adult, I can recognize that over my life time I've tried to do better and self sabotaged at the same time. Who knew!

It's been interesting, probably because no one LIKES to admit they make mistakes and while a big (no pun here) issue is my PCOS/endocrine system issues that contribute a significant amount to my body not doing the things it's supposed to, I think in the last few years (at least), my drinking and snacking have just made a whole lot worse.

I am really appreciating the fact that I won't be able to make those choices after the surgery, because those are bad choices that I seem to repeat on the most. Restrictive doesn't have mean bad and for so long, I have definitely viewed it as such. In this case, specially for me, it will feel like a curse but it will be blessing.

Making some life changes for 2022

 Since I just had my 2nd colonoscopy (yep, one of those more medical posts) in December, and it came back precancerous (which is not horrible, it's not cancer) it's like it lit me up in taking some more significant steps regarding my health. 

First off, I'm fat. It is what it is, I know what's caused it (thank you PCOS/insulin resistance and now perimenopause) and I've done a lot of different things over the years and have yo-yo'd the weight back and forth. My lowest was in 2013 when I weighed about 214 lbs. When my dad died, for about 2 - 2 1/2 years I drank more than I should have. The fact is, when you have PCOS/IR, you're fucked. Everything is a fight to lose weight and then a harder fight to keep it off. PMS? There goes the 5 lbs you've lost back with some extra. It's a vicious cycle and it can take some more extreme measures to get it under control (seriously, at one point I was working out 5 days a week, sometimes twice a day and using Fitbit to track my food/calories/carbs AND IT WAS STILL IMPOSSIBLE TO LOSE WEIGHT). And yeah I looked good but my weight did not decrease. Egg fasts accomplished that more than working out ever did.

Anyways, so now I'm getting old and I'm tired. I'm tired of everything being a mission impossible and not having any of the fun action scenes. 

So I started researching the gastric sleeve. My insurance wasn't the most intuitive to understand if it was covered how much it costs, so I was seriously considering Mexico. And honestly, would totally do that if my insurance didn't cover it - but a couple web chats later it was confirmed and when I hit my out of pocket max, they cover all of it. Honestly, that will be cheaper than Mexico so that's a win.

How my insurance works is this:

$1500 deductible

They then cover 80% - until...I hit the out of pocket max of $3000 - they cover everything else.

So essentially I have to pay $3000 for this (and they only cover bariatric 1 time, ever).

I've been all over Reddit, there are so many different forums there. I've been researching medical papers, medical sites (their info on the sleeve and the bypass) and just trying to get an idea of how much this is going to change me and life. I don't think I fully understand it all - some things you can't really know until it happens. But the overall pieces are that I will lose a shit ton of weight, my stomach will be the size of a banana and it's like a hardware reset for my PCOS/IR. Which means, a whole lot of good things I hope. 

It's a start. I still need to remain focused on the end goal, being healthy. This means to continue doing weight training and walking more. It means to look at food differently, yet again. 

 It's one step forward, a happy excited step for better things!!