1 Month Post-Op Photos

The Ups and the Downs

I want to end this on a positive note so I'll write about the bad first.

Really, I only have two complaints. They both revolve around food.

I'm three and a half weeks out and I'm still having issues with a lot of foods. I've had to purge myself four times in the past two weeks. I've discovered my stomach holds two tablespoons and not a drop more. I've vomited more in the last two weeks than I have in most of my adult life. It's not terrible but it's very discouraging.

Since I had such a terrible day yesterday I'm doing full-liquids today. I think that is a good policy.

And my second gripe, I'm still not able to figure out my portion size. Some days 1/3rd of a cup is just perfect, others it's excruciatingly too much food. I still think I'm eating too fast.

OK... now that that is over here is the good!

I've discovered Worldwide Pure Protein Shakes. It's so easy to get my daily protein. I have a shake for breakfast since I'm not much for food and I have a shake before I go to bed to give my body something to gnaw on while I sleep. The good part... 70g of protein is easy. I'm totally in love with the cookies and cream flavor. To me it tastes more like coconut than anything else. I also like the banana flavor.

My bowels are basically back to normal. This is very encouraging. The diarrhea was driving me nuts. I think they should warn patients pre-op that they will have rather significant diarrhea.

And my healing is still progressing rather well. Some days I have a slight twinge and others nothing at all. The bruising is 90% gone and my incisions are glue free.

But taking the bad in consideration with the good, I still do not regret what I have done. My habit is to consider the future is far more significant than the present and hopefully with enough time and "training" I will know my limits.

I do not regret this...

10-day check up

I forgot to post about my 10-day check up. The surgeon says I am progressing well and he removed the drain I had sticking out of my side. That was a rather weird experience. Not necessarily painful, just a very odd sensation.

I weighed 31 pounds lighter as well or better stated I have lost 11% of my excess body weight. My weight loss really didn't sink in until about a week later when I had a thought come to me as I was walking through Walgreens.

I will never gain those 31 pounds back again! That was a very good feeling.

Learning my limit

I'm 2.5 weeks out from surgery and things are going reasonably ok. I'm no longer sore from the surgery and my incisions are healing well.

On Tuesday I was able to progress to phase three of my diet which is "soft foods". I have been having a hell of a time with this phase. This may sound gross but I never knew I could make myself vomit until I tried to eat eggs. According to other WLS folks, eggs are notoriously hard to eat and it may take as many as five or six months before I can tolerate them well.

I'm having a difficult time learning the limits of my food intake. I'm constantly eating too much and it always seems like I'm eating one or two bites too many. I'm guessing I'm eating too fast and my stomach cannot tell my brain I'm full until things are literally backing up. So far I can eat about two or three tablespoons of food. Or it could be I'm eating the wrong foods. I'm not sure. I'm certainly not a fan of vomiting.

I ordered a food scale that should be arriving this week coming up. I'm really hoping this helps me measure my food intake and things.

Tomorrow's strategy: Measure out 3oz (1/3 cup) of food and see if that helps.