1 YEAR SURGIVERSARY

A year ago today I was in Mexicali, Mexico.  I was spending the night in a hotel after finishing some tests  Dr. Alberto Aceves was my surgeon.  He and all of his staff are very thorough, helpful and accessible.  The care I received was excellent and I would recommend the option of undergoing bariatric surgery with him in Mexico to anyone.
and interviews with the Bariatric surgeons at the Hospital Almater.

My experience with weight loss surgery has been chronicled here in the past year.  I did great in the hospital but after a week or or at home I started having some problems with tolerating foods.  I went as slowly as I could introducing different soft foods and then more options into my diet to meet my nutrition and protein needs - I had a difficult time for about 3 months but slowly found the foods and vitamins that worked for me.  There was, and in some ways still is, a certain sameness to what I eat each day.  I remained as patient as I could and put up with bouts of nausea and gastric distress when I strayed from what my body could handle. Having those outcomes in mind makes it a lot easier to stay on the straight and narrow - believe me!

My weight loss has been quite swift and I suppose to people around me, pretty shocking. My kids never knew me at the size I am now - for my husband it was a distant memory!

 It may seem like fast = easy.  In some ways I guess it has been.  When you have a physical barrier to overeating it does make it "easier."  Though I've worked  hard to do it right:  get my vitamins, protein, liquids and exercise - just like all the other times I have "dieted."  Except now this is my life and not a diet I can safely stray away from on a whim.  To maintain lifelong health - I have to stick with these requirements.

I am proud that I have done so well in this first year and I believe I can safely maintain my new found healthy weight and lifestyle.

I want to thank my good friend Christina for making this possible and all my friends and family who have been cheering me on!

STILL ME AFTER LOSING (ALMOST) HALF OF ME

Since I met my goal weight  (I actually dipped under it by about 7 pounds and then gained back 3) - more people have been commenting about how I look.  I take it as confirmation that the weight goal I set is correct as most people are saying how "tiny" I look.  In a world full of women trying to wear size 2-6, I seem to be around a size 10 and apparently look good at this size.

I say apparently because, as odd as it may sound, I thought I looked pretty good when I was 135 pounds heavier. I mean. I know I was obese, but somehow I just never thought I looked especially bad.  I have shown my "before" photo to a couple of people at work who didn't know me before my weight loss and they were so shocked.  Then I can see it, as if through their eyes - the huge difference in then and now.  But in my mind; in my memory I feel pretty much the same.

Don't get me wrong.  This has been life changing in so many ways and I am glad I did it and believe I will maintain my healthier weight.  However - I am not changed.

We celebrated our 29th anniversary this week.  I put a photo from our wedding up on my other blog. When I looked at that picture,  I can honestly say I don't know how my size now compares to then.  I guess it is a form of body dismorphia that I can't grasp my own appearance as others do.  My wedding dress is stored in the closet and I think I will take it out and try it on!  That will tell me something, for sure.

I know many women dislike this and that about their appearance, and I have not loved all of me all my life.  I am lucky, though, that I was never obsessed with my faults and flaws and now that I have exchanged a lot of pounds for a lot of baggy and saggy bits I can accept the exchange and carry on.

A YEAR OF LOSS - NOW MAINTENANCE

I am now a year from the start of my weight loss.   Last year I was on my pre-op liquid only diet for the
week leading up to my BPD-DS weight loss surgery. I was asked to lose 20 pounds in the month between the time I scheduled my surgery and when it occurred - and I did it.  A lot of people said why did I need surgery if I could lose 20 pounds in a month?  Clearly people who were not aware of just how many times I had lost that 20 pounds (or 80 pounds) and gained it back!!

I reached my goal to lose 130 pounds last month.  I am working on a maintenance diet now - I lost a few pounds and gained a few - so I guess I am doing it right.  My latest labs are just coming back and I see I still need to work on my supplements and protein intake - that's why we keep up with the labs every 3 months.  Even though I can eat more, my body is still adjusting to these changes and I need to keep my awareness up with regard to what it needs to remain healthy.

I made a mistake in switching to a different potassium supplement - the quality must not have been good because my potassium really dropped down, even though I was taking it every day.  I went right out and got the one my doctor prescribed.

I am still struggling with my protein intake.  The same old song.  I feel like I eat all day long and still can't get enough grams of protein in.  I am going to have to get more creative.

If I get too heavy on the carb side of the food pyramid,  my body certainly reminds me.  No just the gassy kind of reminder, but I get diarrhea, too.  I don't mean to get gross, but simply to inform as I know there are people wanting to get the real picture of this whole life changing surgery.  While I can carefully and selectively eat carbs - there is a consequence of going too far!

 I am happy to say that I get to enjoy a few cocktails when we go out.  Wine is hard on my stomach and I can't drink enough of it to get tipsy - but a good martini goes down easily and has yet to give me grief!

I have been getting to the gym less which is not ideal.  I need to get back  to  weight workouts.  I know that building muscle is important and will make me feel and look better, too.

We ride bikes every weekend and I can tell I am stronger and faster as time goes by.  We also started taking dance lessons - Western Swing dancing to be specific.  Two nights a week we are dancing for a couple of hours.  Fun, good exercise and another great activity for us to do together.

So that's the physical side of things - more on the emotional side coming up.

GOAL

I have mentioned that I have been close to my original weight loss goal for or some time.  My weight has been fluctuating and hovering just above that goal number but this weekend I got on the scale and found I had reached it.  Goooaaaalll!

When I was on vacation my sister was having me try clothes on from her closet - a new experience for me.  She gave me some capri pants and I wore her swimsuit for a couple of days.  Mine is still a big old plus size one.  swim suits are just so expensive and I didn't want to invest in one until I am at a stable size... We also tried on clothes at a consignment shop and I bought a few things in smaller sizes than I ever thought I would wear.  Pretty cool.

 I am now actively working to keep my weight at the current level.  Not just because my husband is calling me bony butt (we both miss my former JLo-ness) but because I think I have lost enough.  I have a lot of extra skin and a pretty major poochy lower stomach which can all be covered effectively with clothing.  I don't want to go further and get beyond my current "issues."  My sister is very into me getting plastic surgery to remove the excess skin (and weight) but it isn't something I am interested in spending money on in the foreseeable future.

I also can't keep buying new clothes!  I mean, I like shopping and buying clothes, I always have.  But now I want to buy clothes which will last in my wardrobe.  I  have too many things I have bought and worn a few times and now find are too big.  I am looking for a local consignment store (with a better attitude than than the ones in my town which are very snobby) and hope to make some trades with my too big clothes.

This week will be 10 months since weight loss surgery.  I continue to increase my capacity to eat but still have to be careful not to eat too fast or too much. I still count my protein every single day and aim for 100 grams.  I am vigilant about taking my vitamins.  I am exercising.

I had my first real cookie last week and had no problem with the carbs backfiring on me.  That will not be an everyday occurrence but it is nice to know I can indulge now and then with no major ill effects.  I am also enjoying a cocktail or two most weekends and used some Advil this weekend with no stomach upset.  So the things I was promised would heal and become more "normal" have happened.

Now I am adding more fruits, vegetables and whole grains back into my diet.  When I was in Idaho I bought some Huckleberry Jam at the Farmer's Market and have been using it on my peanut butter sandwiches - heaven! So sad it is almost gone...

OBSERVATIONS ON MAJOR WEIGHT LOSS



May 2012 with my Maggie



I have had some interesting interactions with people about my weight loss in recent weeks.  I have now lost about 117 pounds and while many people who have known me for a long time are very complimentary, I have not received any of the comments I am told others hear all the time.  No one I have encountered has suggested they didn't recognise me. People like checkers at the store where I have shopped for years or the woman at the dry cleaners have not said a word about my transformation.  I guess my world isn't as interactive as reported by many "big losers."

At book club an old friend took me aside and said she was worried I was losing too much weight.  I said to her that I was almost at my goal weight and that the weight loss had actually slowed down considerably. 


June 2013



She admonished me to be careful as I was looking "too skinny."  When I pointed out to her that I am wearing a size 14 - which thrills me, but isn't exactly skinny a few other book club members entered the room.  They looked kind of shocked.  I think because they are probably size 2-4's and would agree that size 14 is nothing to brag about!!

Today I went in for a hair cut and my stylist said something interesting.  (We have known each other for over 13 years.  She used to do my nails, too, back in the days I had acrylics - so we have spent a lot of time together over the years.)  She said that while my weight never seemed to define me, that she could see I had "come into myself" by losing it.  I thought that was very interesting, especially as my daughter had said something similar a week  before.

In many ways I didn't let my size limit or define me, but there are aspects that can't be gotten around, in which  we ARE defined by obesity.  It is interesting that others can see that weight loss has freed me of those undefined, but real barriers.

And if I stay a size 14, I am fine with that.  Actually, I am more than fine with that!

Seven Months Post Op Weight Loss Surgery

This week I enter my seventh month since my BPD-DS surgery.  I have lost 113 pounds. I've been working hard on my supplements and my protein intake which was slightly deficient in my 6 month labs.

This means I rely on pre-made protein drinks and bars for 60 plus of the 90-100 grams of protein I need each day.  Right now I am enjoying the Premier Protein drinks and bars and can buy them in bulk at Costco.

There is such a disconnect between the reality of trying to eat 100 grams of protein a day (with a stomach roughly the size of a banana) and what people think - including my doctor who e-mailed me a note about increasing my protein.  He pointed out that there are 7 grams of protein in a meat or cheese serving roughly the size of a pack of cards.  Apparently he didn't think about how many of those servings I would have to eat to reach 90-100 grams a day! 

My little treats and beyond protein extras are things like a few bites of strawberries, raspberries, broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, salads and this weekend - 1/2 of a scooped out potato skin.  Woohoo!

I'm tired of eating the same lunches over and over so I searched the store this weekend for some new ideas and found a bread  from Alvarado St. Bakery which is 15 carbs per slice with 5 grams of protein.  It is pretty dry, but since I can eat mayo to my heart's content, I slathered some on a slice, added some mustard and 4 oz of cheese.  Tomorrow morning I am going to toast a slice and put almond butter on it for breakfast!  Pretty exciting stuff!

BEFORE AND NOW PHOTOS

I say before and now because I have not reached goal weight - still have about 30 pounds to go!

Spring 2012

                                                                        
                                                                           Spring 2013

5 MONTHS POST - OP BPS-DS WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY

Or maybe some sugar free protein ice cream...

I am now at the 5 month mark and have lost so much more weight than I expected in this time frame.  I am down nearly 100 pounds already. I really didn't expect this.  My weight this month has been slower to come off - in fact it bounces up and down a bit but I think I will make it to the 100 pound mark by the end of the month or at most the first week of April.
I am going to the gym 3-4 times a week and have been going on weekend bike rides.  I am walking most weekdays at lunch for 10-20 minutes.  Hurray Spring weather.

I have been bad about logging my food for the last few weeks - but good about my vitamins and water.  The potassium supplement is still awful and I have missed it a few days here and there due to my desire to avoid gagging memory lapses.  I will do my next set of labs in late April.

I am experiencing hair loss.  I noticed about a month ago that the hair loss was creeping up.  I had a hair cut and my stylist confirmed it.  I am lucky that it is pretty evenly distributed and not leaving bald spots.  I take the appropriate supplements and will continue to use Nioxin shampoo - it is just part of the deal for over half of us who have weight loss surgery.

I calculated my BMI and I am very close to moving out of the "obese" category and into the "overweight" one.  I suspect I will never get into the normal range but that's okay with me - the trainer at my gym is borderline "obese" according to BMI and I wouldn't mind looking like her one bit!

THE SLOW DOWN



One of my favorite snacks. Even better than on bread or crackers!!

 My weight loss has really slowed down in the past month.  I went from losing 5 pounds a week, to 3 pounds and now I am at 2 pounds which is pretty much what I managed pre-op on a good diet with lots of exercise.  This brings me to the point where I need to be much more mindful of all of my food choices.

For those who think that weight loss surgery is a magic bullet and you can eat whatever you want afterwards - forget that!!  It is a tool.  A really big, helpful tool, but only that.  The human element still factors in every single day.  (Something my co-worker can't understand because he is always trying to get me to eat stuff like donuts he brings in.  Friday he brought me a croissant thinking that was a better choice than a donut.  Sigh.)

Now I need to stop adding that little spoonful of brown rice to my dinner, and skip the potato in the pot roast, add Splenda to the coleslaw dressing instead of sugar.  The carbs need to be monitored much more closely.  The big plus for me to giving up bread and sugar is that I don't have to be concerned with fat* - so I picked up some brie to add to my lunch and used full fat mayo when I made deviled eggs yesterday!

In fact, a tip I learned onone of the DS forums was to add whipped cream to greek yogurt to cut the aftertaste and up the fat. I find it impossible to find full fat yogurt anywhere and I feel lucky when I find 2% instead of non-fat. 

The thing people don't realize in all their fat fearing frenzy is that the food companies fill in the flavor lost by taking the fat out by adding sugar.  So the non-fat Fage I just bought has 38g of carbs!!  This is simple vanilla yogurt - no fruit added to up the carbs. Sugar is a MUCH bigger problem in our diets than fat and it is added in everywhere, especially where the fat has been reduced out. 


*Actually, I really need the fat to help with my dry skin and hair.

TYPICAL DAYS

 I mentioned in my last post that I would list a typical day or two of eating at 4 months post op.

I start each day with about 1/4 cup of grape juice with my potassium supplement mixed in.  Then I usually have a protein hot chocolate and a protein bar.  I make my own and I have an assortment of them from different companies. I try to make sure they are at least 10 g of protein. So usually my breakfast is between 20-30 g protein.

This is what the taro one looked like!

Mid-morning I have a snack, right now I am enjoying Trader Joes Protein Banana Muffins - 7 g protein but 22 g carbs, so I don't eat them too often! Otherwise I might have some sunflower seeds, nuts or finish my protein bar from breakfast.

Lunch is when I get the most variety and opportunity to experiment.  Costco had a good price on Bay Shrimp so I bought a few pounds and portioned them into baggies and put them in the freezer.  If I take one out the night before, it is thawed enough to add some chopped celery, mayo and seasonings.  I have been putting it in a container with 1/2 avocado and it makes a great lunch with some Wonderslim crackers - 19 g protein. I also look for soups with higher protein and add the protein pretzels or crackers to up my intake.

The other day my boss took me to lunch at a Dim Sum place (I managed to get a customer to finally pay off a $10,000. bill he had owned since last April!) I had almost 4 pieces of Dim Sum.  I am terrible about the names, but one was shrimp in a translucent wrapper, two were minced shrimp and pork dumplings and one was taro with something in the middle.  It was great and I was thrilled that I could eat so much.  I suspect the "wrappers" added up carb wise - but what the heck.  It was a treat!

In the afternoon I sometimes have a protein bar/chips depending on how much I ate for lunch and when I managed to take a lunch break.

Dinner, for some reason, is the meal that I have trouble with.  By the end of the day I am hungry but my stomach is easily upset.  I usually have a small portion of chicken and few bites of veggies.  One recent dinner I added about 1/4 of a potato skin (potatoes scooped out but with butter and salt!)  I have been trying out a lot of recipes from low carb cookbooks to expand my dinner menus. If my protein isn't adding up to 90-120 g for the day, I have a protein drink or another protein hot chocolate.

For a treat, I love to have my red grapefruit sections.  The other night I was wanting something different so I melted some semi-sweet chocolate chips and put roasted almonds in the melted chocolate, spread them out on wax paper to harden and broke them into pieces.  A few of these nuts is a nice treat with hot tea at the end of the day.

4 MONTHS POST - OP WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY

Next week I will be 4 months out from my surgery. I basically feel much more "normal" in that I am not so tired, I am exercising and I can eat a larger variety of foods.  My weight is already down 63 pounds since the surgery and 83 total.

What follows may be TMI for many people, but as I know I have readers looking for info on the post-op experience from the BPD-DS, I may get a bit personal!

I had purchased the 60 day DS kit of vitamins and recommended supplements from Vitalady before the surgery, but whenever I tried to take them I threw up.  The chewables have gotten me through as I healed but I am trying out the "real" stuff this week.   I have 4 packets to take each day, they need to be taken with food in my stomach (I learned that lesson the hard way when I waited too long after dinner to take them the other night.)  Since they are capsules and tablets of all sizes and shapes, it does take many, many sips and swallows to get them all down.  Difficult to manage.  Then comes all the burping and stomach discomfort. Everyone says it gets easier and I am counting on that but I really miss the ease of the chewables!

My doc had me go back to the lab to re-test all the areas where I was low, especially the potassium and I am all good now!  In fact, I went in on Saturday morning, sailed through the lab quite quickly, walked over to radiology and lucked into a walk-in appointment for my mammogram.  Wow - what a great difference having smaller and less dense breasts makes for that particular annual event! 

I am adding  (I can't believe I am saying this knowing how hard it is to take all the stuff I am taking now) a pro-biotic to my regimen to try to get my bowels in order.  I know that all the diarrhea I have been experiencing is not good for maintaining my good nutrition levels and I have read that the pro-biotics can help. I am not sure what is causing the bowel issues.  I keep my dairy pretty low.  I am afraid it may be the salads which is sad because I so enjoyed having them.  I promised myself I would not have one this week to test it out - so we'll see.

Otherwise, I am tolerating meats much better, I even had some thin slices of rare skirt steak the other night.  Eggs still make me gag as do homemade protein drinks.  I need to be VERY mindful when I am eating to go slow.  I usually violate this when I am eating at my desk at work - I get pain from stomach to throat which feel like the food is stuck.  It takes 15-20 minutes to subside. If it happens at home I can lay down which helps.

My portions are still in the 1/2 cup per meal range so I rely on high protein snacks to boost my protein up to the 100 g range each day.  I will post some food logs later in the week to show what I am eating and how it all adds up.

BRA SHOPPING - I DIDN'T NEED TO SEE THAT

For the past month or so I have put off shopping for new bras.  As we know, gaining and losing weight are bra shopping occasions and I have lost a lot of boobage.

I went out this weekend and was professionally measured.  My bra size didn't change all that much, but I was probably wearing them too small in the first place.  I tried on about 15 bras at Penny's and not one fit.  I went down the mall to Lane Bryant and tried about 7 more.  None fit.

I was a distressed and sweaty person so I went home.

The reality is this.  I have a lot of loose, saggy skin hanging around my armpits. It needs to be contained.  And those padded, push up bras make my breasts look puckery.  Not a good look.  I like a simple, unpadded bra.  I don't care if my nipples might show.  When did everyone get all weird about nipples?

I was disheartened and tried to explain to my husband why I came home in such a state.  He was really sorry he asked.  He didn't want to think about the saggy, armpit skin thing.  Ever.

I braved another shopping trip this evening and got lucky at Kohls.  The key to dealing with sudden weight loss saggy stuff is an Olga bra. There were several of them that fit very well and managed to manage the flesh.  Plus they were BOGO1/2 off.  Nice since I suspect I'll need new ones again in a couple of months.

ONEDERLAND



Not past this sort of attitude - but on my way...

 My body is in onederland.

That is fat speak for making it out of the 200 pound range into the 199 and lower range! 

It is the promised land for many of us.  And a place I have not seen since the early 1990's.  Now let's see if I can make it to a weight I have not seen since the 1980's...

3 MONTHS POST OP WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY

I finally hit the 3 months mark this week.  I don't know why it feels like such a milestone, but it does.  I guess it is the point where most post-op's feel more settled in, get the labs done and the mystery of how the body is handling things is illuminated.

I feel settled in some ways, but my bowels are still a daily question.  I have been trying to decide if I am lactose intolerant and can't determine an answer.  I have yet to determine the issues behind the days I am in the bathroom repeatedly vs. the more normal days.

I managed to eat two bites of beef stew meat* but then last night some roasted chicken upset my stomach.  I can only eat a couple of bites of egg and many foods still set off my gag reflex.  One day I can eat smoked salmon with a little cream cheese and the next day I can't.  I did have a couple of salads this week - it was so great to have that fresh, clean crunch again.  The salads may have been behind the gastric distress - but they were worth it! So each day is still an adventure.

The small amounts I can eat also pose issues.  I made a batch of "protein pancakes" on Sunday.  The entire  batch is a serving - 6 little pancakes.  I could eat 2.  So the breakfast I had hoped would be 19 grams of protein was only 6.

I finally got my special order potassium supplement from the pharmacy and started it on Friday.  It is just awful stuff.  "Fruit flavored" stuff to mix into water or whatever and it is sour and gross.  I experimented with adding it to different things this weekend with little success.  It is going to be a hard thing to take every single day...

But I am focused on the pleasures.  My grapefruit, more salads, a little pile of sunflower seeds I munch at my desk.  Not to mention that I am down 78 pounds.  My closet is pretty empty and I can't even believe the stuff in there fits me - it all looks so small!



* I make all kinds of things for my husband's dinner, including beef which is not yet advised post-op.  I tasted a couple of bites for tenderness...

A COMPLIMENT?

I went to a meeting last night for the new business I am starting.  I saved a seat for my friend and was keeping an eye out for her arrival.

I missed seeing her come in the door but saw her approach from the other direction.  Apparently she didn't recognise me when she came in.  I asked her if I really looked so different - she gave me an "are you kidding me?" look.

It is hard to see it in ourselves.  I certainly see it in my clothes,  most of which are hanging off me or new.  I feel it when I am putting lotion on after a shower; seems like every week I feel new bones emerging.  I even noticed that my behind hurt after a long drive - that big ole' cushion is missing!

But to look so different that someone who has known me for 10 years had trouble picking me out in a crowd?  Wow.

MEDICAL STUFF



13 of these!

 My company switched back to Kaiser insurance and I signed up for a new doctor.  I couldn't believe my luck that among the 5 or 6 doctors taking new patients there was Dr. Vij - who specializes in obesity and nutrition!  I had my first appointment with him to see if he would do my periodic labs (every 3 months the first year for post -op weight loss surgery patients who have done the malabsorptive component.) I am 3 months post-op as of Wednesday!

He was great.  Understanding, knowledgeable and helpful.  He understood about the labs and was just wondering why I had gone to Mexico for Bariatric Surgery when Kaiser does it.  What?  I had been told for years by 2 different doctors that Kaiser didn't do weight loss surgery only "patient education" and liquid diet plans that aren't covered by any plans.  He was amazed and looked to see who my previous docs were - wonder if he will say something to them?

Anyway, had my blood drawn this morning - 13 vials of it. I had a student doing the draw.  He got quite a work out!  Results soon - looking forward to seeing if I am holding my own, nutrition wise.

LOTS TO CELEBRATE

I was reading around on the weight loss surgery sites over the weekend.  It is amazing how many people who have had surgery in the past 3 months and how differently they are doing.  Somehow I missed that when I was researching the process. 

One woman wrote about how much pain she still has after a month - I had none after a week.  Another wrote out her daily food log and after 3 weeks she is eating practically normally - including beef ribs.  A bite of beef puts my stomach into a knot and I am 8 weeks out.  I noticed a post from someone about how great brie cheese is - well, I loved it going down but the "back end" was anything but great!

I am just happy that I have made it through the holiday season - made wonderful meals for my family and ate at the table with them.  We dined out and I ate my little portions without it being a big deal.  I still made cookies and desserts and, my favorite,  "Monkey Bread" without eating any of it. 

I have lost 65 pounds since September, I am into some 1X  clothes and practically everything I was wearing in September has been taken in or donated away.  My body looks alarmingly different and I hope that exercise will help tighten and lift things.  I need to buy new Spanks because my current pair are too big.  And new bras because I can't fill in the ones I have!

While my husband considers it a waste to go out to celebrate New Years because I can't drink or eat much - I know there is a lot worth celebrating for my health and my looks and the benefits to both in the year ahead.

GIVE IT A REST

It's been a bumpy ride for the past month.  My healing stomach is not happy about most things I put in it and suddenly the day before Thanksgiving it decided it didn't want ANYTHING in it.

Doctors advice - just give it a rest.  So 24 hours with nothing - yes, on Thanksgiving - and then sips of tea and juice for 24 hours then try some chicken broth.  So far those 3 things are the only things that don't make my stomach cramp.  But I keep trying clear and blended soft things.  Am I worried about my lack of protein and nutrition in general?  Yes.  Can I do anything about the state of my stomach?  No. Got to give it time.

If I believed in a higher power that wished to teach me a lesson, I would say this is one of humility.  I went into this with an attitude that I would just sail through the recovery steps.  Clearly not happening!  So I must back myself off my expectations and do what I can. There is no point in forcing anything in this process and if I am the oddball that can't eat an egg or tolerate protein drinks 4+ weeks out, I need to find what I can tolerate and eat until then.

What I am doing is walking more, and using some small hand weights for upper body strength training.  I am working pretty much full time again. 

DS POST-OP DAY 11

As I mentioned in my last post, there is very little to be found online about these first post-op weeks - and now I know why. 

First of all, please believe me when I say I have got all the information and support I could possibly use.  A nutritionist, support groups and literature.  The reality is:  this is a battle each post-op person has to go through.  I know that, I just don't like it.  I am used to sailing through things that are difficult for others. The surgeon said lose 20 pounds in a month - I did it.  I was the post-op champ in the hospital, cheering on the patients who were struggling. I simply just did not expect this starting to eat thing would be so hard.

The one thing that goes down easily and feels ok in my stomach is Malt-O-Meal cereal. Oh, and Bean with Bacon soup is good, too.  Just can't puree it - nope.  Gag city.  Just chew, chew, chew. The whole - just make tasty food and put it in the blender thing - nope. Not working for me.

Every variation of protein drink I have tried has disagreed with me.  Too sweet or weird taste and stomach upset. Everything I have tried adding the unflavored protein powder to has turned out awful.  Now clearly, this is an issue with my taste buds because some of these things tasted fine before surgery.  That's why I tried so many things - to be prepared.

The number one thing I am concerned about is that I am not getting my protein needs met.  I'm about ready to snort lines of protein powder. Since that is probably not the answer, I am just going to have to gag down the protein drinks.  I am going to stick with the non-dairy stuff again and see if my stomach settles down.  I keep reading that lactose becomes problematic for people and maybe that is one of the issues. I hope that changes on the log run because of the predominance of whey protein on the market, not to mention in my pantry.

DAY THREE- POST-OP

I am on day 3 of my new tummy and switch.  I'm feeling good.  Got to shower and I have been sipping juice and Gatorade and walking around the hospital and sometimes just around my room. I am a little butt sore - more than anything else my bottom hurts from being on it so much!

I have not had any pain meds since this morning and except for achiness in my stomach and a little in my back, the pain is mild. I drank blue juice this morning to check to see if I was leaking - no leaks.  Tomorrow I will do a barium test and have an x-ray to see of my new plumbing.

Just got off the phone with my son.  He was asking me about my new tummy and what food it can tolerate and when.  The process is slow; building from liquids to soft food to mushy foods, etc.  The plus is that I don't feel hungry.  An improvement over the last month of dieting.

So I am watching the Giants winning with the sound off - Spanish announcers! and working on my needlepoint and keeping busy.  Home in 3 days!