Yesterday was my first post-op appointment with my surgeon. It was very brief and to the point. I guess that's the thing when you deliberately choose a surgeon for being one of the best surgeons without caring about his/her personality or bedside manner. He's very efficient, but that doesn't leave a lot of room or time for coddling me. I'm actually okay with that. I had a brief fight with cancer five years ago and I was glad to have the best surgeon. I never saw him smile until my very last visit with him post-op. I didn't mind sacrificing warm, fuzzy feelings for cold, clinical ability.
Anyways... the appointment went well. I weighed in and was given a sheet that explained what I could expect between now and the next appointment. Then I spoke to my surgeon for a few minutes, he made sure I was doing okay and asked if I had any questions. I really didn't. I've been researching this surgery for two+ years now so I could probably be a coach for it. And that was it. It was probably my quickest doctor appointment ever.
And here are the stats:
Weight 234.5 lb (down from 254 @ my initial consult)
BMI 42.9 (down from 46.5 @ my initial consult)
Fat % 48.3% (down from 50.5%)
Fat Mass 113.5 lb (down from 128.51)
FFM 121.0 lb
So there you have it! I'm hoping to take some pics this weekend and post them. I can tell I've lost weight by looking at my face, and also along my upper torso.
Friday, September 11, 2015
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
8 Days Post-Op
I wanted to give an update yesterday on my week since surgery-versary, but I was honestly just tired and didn't feel like getting on my computer. I had an allergic reaction to the glue my surgeon used on the incision sites, so I don't really want to take measurements yet. Plus I'm sure I still have some swelling so it can wait. Actually, my abdomen looks kind of lopsided at the moment--the right side sticks out a little more than the left.
I can give you my weight for yesterday (One Week Post-Op):
238.4 lbs!
That's 6.5 lbs down in the week since my surgery and I'm down a total of 16.8 since I began my pre-op diet!!! So yay! That's exciting :)
I can tell by looking at my face that I've lost weight. But I still have a ways to go before I go down a clothing size. When I was on Ideal Protein, it took me almost 30 lbs before I went down to an 18/20. I lost about 33 lbs on Ideal Protein over three months. I think I will have that beat shortly!
I started back at work today. I was initially planning to work a 1/2 day for the first few days, but I ended up getting busy and the time flew by and... well it was close to my usual time when I finished what I was working on so I asked my boss if I could just slip out 30 minutes early. I was absolutely beat when I got home. I feel so tired. I will play tomorrow by ear. I was able to eat what I needed to eat. I did try to shoot for closer to 2.5-3 oz eat time I drank rather than 2. It allowed me to put a little more time in between my meals. That helped a bit. I was very careful not to overdo it! I did the 3 oz for water ONLY and just tried to take a couple extra sips of protein each meal.
I've also gotten bored with my Isopure ready-to-drink protein drinks. I really wanted to get a little variety. I have also found that by adding some things together I can get the protein I need. Keep in mind that I am not getting many calories in every day. It's a struggle to get in enough protein each day! Here is what my meals looked like today:
I can give you my weight for yesterday (One Week Post-Op):
238.4 lbs!
That's 6.5 lbs down in the week since my surgery and I'm down a total of 16.8 since I began my pre-op diet!!! So yay! That's exciting :)
I can tell by looking at my face that I've lost weight. But I still have a ways to go before I go down a clothing size. When I was on Ideal Protein, it took me almost 30 lbs before I went down to an 18/20. I lost about 33 lbs on Ideal Protein over three months. I think I will have that beat shortly!
I started back at work today. I was initially planning to work a 1/2 day for the first few days, but I ended up getting busy and the time flew by and... well it was close to my usual time when I finished what I was working on so I asked my boss if I could just slip out 30 minutes early. I was absolutely beat when I got home. I feel so tired. I will play tomorrow by ear. I was able to eat what I needed to eat. I did try to shoot for closer to 2.5-3 oz eat time I drank rather than 2. It allowed me to put a little more time in between my meals. That helped a bit. I was very careful not to overdo it! I did the 3 oz for water ONLY and just tried to take a couple extra sips of protein each meal.
I've also gotten bored with my Isopure ready-to-drink protein drinks. I really wanted to get a little variety. I have also found that by adding some things together I can get the protein I need. Keep in mind that I am not getting many calories in every day. It's a struggle to get in enough protein each day! Here is what my meals looked like today:
1 packet of Unjury Vanilla protein powder mixed with 8 oz of unsweetened soy milk
1/2 can cream of chicken & mushroom soup mixed with 1/2 can of water and 1 packet of Unjury unflavored protein powder
Each of those was divided into 2 oz containers but I did try to drink slightly more than one container per meal
Saturday, September 5, 2015
Day Five Post-Op
In general, I'm feeling a little better. I can move and sleep a little easier. I'm getting in all my protein every day. I'm still pretty sore and I get these twinges of pain in my chest when I swallow sometimes.
My biggest issue is my skin around the incision sites. It appears I am allergic to the glue they used. So now my skin around the incision sites is all red and I have little bumps everywhere. My entire abdomen itches, and it's just generally uncomfortable. And there's nothing I can do to make it better. They can't give me steroids, which would be the normal route for this. They can't remove the glue because it's too soon after my surgery. So that leaves me with taking Benedryl. I can also put ointment on the red, itchy areas, but I have to be very careful not to get it on the incisions.
There are certainly worse things that could have gone wrong with this. I am just going to keep moving forward. The PA for my surgeon told me that this wouldn't go away for probably a couple of weeks. That is not awesome. So yay me.
In case you're curious what I'm "eating" at this point post-op, here is my menu for the day:
That gets me my goal of protein. I alternate 2 oz of protein and 2 oz of water all day. It's way few calories, which makes me a little nervous, but hopefully soon my stomach capacity will allow for me to take in more calories. It should get much better when I can add mushy foods to my diet.
My biggest issue is my skin around the incision sites. It appears I am allergic to the glue they used. So now my skin around the incision sites is all red and I have little bumps everywhere. My entire abdomen itches, and it's just generally uncomfortable. And there's nothing I can do to make it better. They can't give me steroids, which would be the normal route for this. They can't remove the glue because it's too soon after my surgery. So that leaves me with taking Benedryl. I can also put ointment on the red, itchy areas, but I have to be very careful not to get it on the incisions.
There are certainly worse things that could have gone wrong with this. I am just going to keep moving forward. The PA for my surgeon told me that this wouldn't go away for probably a couple of weeks. That is not awesome. So yay me.
In case you're curious what I'm "eating" at this point post-op, here is my menu for the day:
- Syntrax Nectar Fuzzy Navel protein shake (8 oz divided into 2 oz portions)
- Campbell's Cream of Chicken and Mushroom Soup with a packet of Unjury unflavored protein (1/2 of it today, so 8 oz divided into 2 oz portions)
- Isopure Apple Melon RTD (6 oz divided into 2 oz portions)
That gets me my goal of protein. I alternate 2 oz of protein and 2 oz of water all day. It's way few calories, which makes me a little nervous, but hopefully soon my stomach capacity will allow for me to take in more calories. It should get much better when I can add mushy foods to my diet.
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