7 weeks post op!

I had my second follow up with my surgeon and nutritionist today- Everything went great. I have been really bad about taking my vitamins so that is one thing I have to start doing better. I had my first gain over Christmas. I'm not sure what it was but last week I was suddenly able to start eating more, which is great but at the same time, apparently its not LOL!


I was miserable from weeks 3-5. Now I am feeling normal again. I'm learning to eat a bite or two and let it settle and then another bite or two. 5 bites MAX and I stop because if I don't I get too full and it wants to come back up. I haven't thrown up yet but that's not something I am going for! I also need to start strength training. I got a yoga mat and a Jillian Michaels Yoga DVD so I am going to start doing that 3 days a week and strength training 3 days a week. I have one more month before I can have leafy lettuce. I cannot wait to have a salad!! Overall I am starting to feeling good about my appearance again. I feel comfortable and I haven't felt that way in a long time!

5 weeks Post op

Not much to talk about other than the fact that none of my clothes fit me! I may have to find a couple pairs of pants for work this weekend. I'm finally used to drinking my liquids constantly, which is something I never did before surgery. I still have a very strong gag reflex with certain smells and tastes but it is getting better. I am eating most everything as long as I chew it really well. Yesterday was my sons 3rd birthday. We had it at chucky cheese. I ate about two bites of topping from a piece of pizza. It wasn't as good as I remember, in fact most food doesn't taste the same. That is probably a good thing, but as someone who has used food as a crutch it is very traumatic and emotional. It's like losing a part of you. Sometimes I think how I would love to go out and have chips and salsa at a Mexican food restaurant. Or grab a cheeseburger without thinking twice. But unfortunately its habits like that which have forced me to make the decision to have surgery. After my sons party we went to Costco. It was a Saturday during the holidays at Costco....need I say more? Samples of every chocolate you could imagine, along with many other things I would have loved to eat before surgery. The only thing I sampled was a piece of roast. It was the first time I had tried steak. It was a bit to chewy for me so I threw it away. I didn't have a cupcake at the party although they smelled amazing and chocolate cupcakes are my favorite! I have days where my stomach is just not happy with anything, water, food, nothing! Yesterday was one of those days. Today it seems happy. Thankfully, because I have to work. Other than that I am down 47 pounds! Crazy! I started the mini pill because my periods have been awful and heavy!! I'm hoping it lessens my flow.


2 weeks til Christmas! How can that be!?

3 week post op appointment= DONE!

I am feeling so much better after last weeks dehydration episode. No more nausea. No more waking up exhausted. I am finally feeling human again. I'm officially on pureed and soft foods and I have been cleared for exercise. I have no energy for activity but my surgeon said he wants me to push through it anyway and build it up. So, that is what I shall do. I really want to start yoga so I may look into that. I am officially down 40 pounds! It feels so great to have that weight off! By butt is beginning to ache when I sit for long periods of time at work ( which I do). I'm also trying to walk around the building on my breaks. I started out in a 22/24 and I am now in an 18. I just bought a 1x jacket, which I haven't worn for years. My first goal is to be under 200, so 13 pounds to go! It will be the first time in 16 years that I have been at that weight. Unbelievable. Now I am just trying to figure out what my stomach can tolerate and what it can't. That's a challenge. I can't wait to have peperoni sticks or nuts!


This has definitely been the most challenging thing I have ever gone through. It was necessary and it was definitely time!

19 days post op- Rough week!!!

 Well, my week started out on Monday waking up to intense nausea and fatigue. I started feeling better toward the end of the day so I went to work and powered through it. Tuesday wasn't much better. I almost went home early but I somehow managed to make it through my 10 hr. shift. I had the next 4 days off and Wednesday my husband wanted to go get a few things so we went to Target and within minutes I was trying everything I could not to pass out. I was lightheaded, nauseated, I was having heart palpitations and shortness of breath. It was awful. Thursday was thanks giving and I started feeling a little better but I was still sick to my stomach. I took my blood pressure a few times at home and it was REALLY low. Like, the lowest its ever been for me. I got up and tried making breakfast but I thought I was going to pass out again so I decided enough was enough and had my husband take me to the ER.


After blood tests, urine tests and an EKG they discovered I was really dehydrated. Everything else came back looking good, no anemia, which I had originally thought, So I was relieved to hear that. They pumped me full of fluids and within an hour I was up and walking around! I do feel better but my stomach has been all jacked since that episode. Nothing sounds good. Everything makes me gag-even popsicles. I was able to drink a tiny glass of milk this evening but I can't say that completely agreed with me.


My tastes are changing. I can tell. Things that I used to like before, I don't like anymore. I used to love the flavor of cherry and now I just can't stand it. Its both frustrating and weird.


Its days like these that I can't help but pray that this is all worth it and I made the right choice.

10 days post-op- feeling great!!

I cannot believe its been almost 2 weeks since my surgery! I have one week left until I can start pureed foods. I am really feeling great- I'm finally able to drink without getting crazy bubbles in my stomach. Now I am trying to push my protein shakes and water. Todays goal is to drink an entire Isopure drink, a vitamin water and a bottle of water. That would be huge for me. I have really struggled with getting in my protein and water. I just cant seem to do it. I have to take a sip every minute or so to get them in and before I realize it, it's been two hours since my last sip. I also can't believe how fast this weight is coming off. Last time I was on the scale I was down just under 30#'s since starting my pre op diet Oct. 23rd. So that's 4 weeks! I wont weight myself again until Monday.


I need to start walking. But I wont start that until Sunday when I get back to work. I am counting down the days until I can start pureed foods. I simply cannot wait!!!!

1 week post op!

Hello world! I am feeling great and excited to say I am down a total of 27 pounds! 18 was lost during my 2.5 week pre-op liquid diet and 9 pounds in the first week post op. I am really feeling like a new person is beginning to emerge. I spent an hour this morning organizing my closet and going to through clothes that I am happy to say no longer fit me. And some of my clothes that were snug on me I can now wear. So YAY! I can't wait to go shopping although I am at least going to wait another month, if I can. My incisions are itchy and I must have had a reaction to the adhesive they used because my belly has a rash where they stuck the bandages during my surgery. I got out of the house most of the weekend and did some Christmas shopping with my husband and I think that has really helped me. I have one more week off work. I probably didn't need to take as much time off but I wanted to have it off just in case.


Life is good!

4 days post op

I'm starting to feel somewhat normal again. The pain is nothing like I had imagined. I've had zero nausea, and the only pain I've had is around my largest incision. Every time I drink anything I get trapped air and that hurts like a mother. Hiccups are very uncomfortable but manageable. I just cannot wait till I can move on to pureed food; applesauce, cottage cheese, eggs! My mouth waters just thinking about it. 2 weeks to go...the light at the end of the tunnel is starting to appear. I cannot wait to be able to eat normal foods. Right now I can eat about 1/2 a jello cup and I'm stuffed. My sleeve holds about 2 oz right now. As the swelling goes down I'm sure it will hold a little more than that. I had a drain tube that left a gaping hole on the side of my stomach and that's gross to see. Its been covered with a bandage but I just changed it and it looks so gross. My muscles are very sore and it feels much like after I had my c-section. I remember everyday I felt better and better and just like this surgery every day I feel like I can do a little more than the day before. I weighed myself 2 days after surgery and I was up 4 pounds but I know that was from all the IV's. I weighed again this morning and I am back down 3. I wont weigh myself again until Monday which will be exactly one week post op. I can't believe a week has almost gone by. It's crazy!


It seems the weeks leading up to surgery went by at a snails pace and now the days fly by! My post op apt with my surgeon is in 2 weeks. so we'll see what the scale officially says.