Six Weeks from surgery

It has been a little over six weeks and I feel pretty good. My total weight loss is between 45 and 50 pounds. I saw my surgeon last week and he didn't make any significant comment as to my status; except to tell me that I need to start exercising more frequently for a greater length of time. I have since joined a gym and I enjoy going. My energy level is where it used to be (my wife says it is higher) and I find I can walk for 45 minutes and then lift weights and not feel exhausted the rest of the night or the next day. I am definitely dropping sizes, I used to wear a size 3X shirt and now the 2X fit fine- for now anyway. I hope to be back to XL by August. My pant size is down 2 sizes; depending on the brand of course. My one difficulty right now is eating. I found that I am becoming more sensitive to certain foods, especially foods high in sodium it seems. I try foods and if I become ill I quit eating, sometimes for the rest of the day. I have also become frustrated a couple of times if I wanted to eat something because it looks or smells really good but I couldn't. This is a rare occurrence however, most of the time it doesn't bother me too bad. I know it is important to keep up with the vitamins and I do my best. I am starting to feel like my skin is too big as a result of the rapid loss in weight. I am interested to see if it will tighten on it's own or if I will need surgery for that. All in all I am still glad I had the surgery but as they say, the honeymoon is over. I am excited to see progress and people have made comments to me on how I look thinner- which is nice. (A lady I attend church hadn't seen me and was amazed at the change.) I intend to stick with the exercise, which I feel is where I am going to have the greatest benefit. I will report again soon.

Week 3 After WLS

Today marks my third week following my weight loss surgery (WLS as those in the know call it) and I feel ok. My current weight was 280 pounds which makes a total weight loss of 25 pounds; which is not bad for three weeks. I have begun to eat more foods, I don't have a problem with chicken or eggs. I have discovered that green beans are a DEFINITE no right now. I thought I would try them and as soon as I swallowed I had immediate pain followed by extreme discomfort for 20 minutes. I was able to finish the chicken after that. I do not get hungry between meals and I haven't been cranky, which is something I was worried about before surgery as in the past I became a large grouch when I was hungry. I have a lot of energy some days and no energy others. This was beginning to frustrate me and in addition I had only last 2 pounds in the last 5 days. I have not been snacking or drinking things I shouldn't be and I have exercised regularly, the amount depending on my energy level. So this morning I was really frustrated and I started to look around the web for some kind of weight loss expectation (which I still have not found). I did discover a physical process called hibernation syndrome. It basically boils down to this; when your body thinks it is starving it begins to try to slow you down by not giving you energy and in some cases making you depressed so you don't want to move, thus conserving energy as your body is trying to survive. In people who have had WLS this occurs around weeks three or four (which I am in) and can last for up to 6 or 8 weeks. At some point your body decides it is not going to get more food and begins to burn fat for energy. I was very relieved to get this information because it describes what I am going through. I hope it doesn't last too long, I want to move and see more progress. I can tell I am going to have to learn more patience. I have not been in much pain lately, I can get up and down and twist without any issues. I don't have many food cravings and they are very manageable when I do. My plan for the coming week is to keep walking as much as I can and stick to the diet. I still think this was the best decision for me. I will see what the next week brings.

The First Week

Day 1- I was discharged Saturday morning, just a little before noon. All together I was in the hospital nearly 48 hours. I was not in much pain because I was still taking full doses of percocet so most of the afternoon was spent relaxing in the recliner (a large feet due to awful play of the Penguins that day). I hurt as much as I did in the hospital, but if I didn't move much it wasn't awful. I continued to take the pain regulation on full doses at regular intervals. Day 2- Sunday was probably the worst day, excepting the immediate hours following surgery. The main cause was the build up of gas in my intestines that I could not pass. I grew very uncomfortable and found it hard to even find a comfortable position in the chair. I maintained the Phase 1 liquid diet and found that I could not eat more than 5 bites of Jello without being full. I did not have any cravings for any other foods- even the popcorn that the kids ate that day. I was coherent enough to visit with several people who were kind enough to stop in and see me, but I was ready to rest when they left. Getting up and down was difficult but easier than it was in the hospital. Day 3- Monday finally brought relief to the gas pressure. When I was able to pass it I became much more comfortable and I was able to relax. I started stretching the time between pain medications and even took half doses during the day, which helped my mind feel like I had come out of the fog. I was able to walk further and the pain from the incisions was not as severe, unless I coughed. I did spend a large portion of the day resting. I tried to drink as much water as I could, but it was difficult because it tasted funny to me (even bottled water so I couldn't blame the city). Day 4- I showed great improvement on Tuesday. I started to move more naturally, however still at a slower speed. I still had some pain, especially standing up or sitting down, but it was less than Monday. I began to move farther distances wanted to see how I felt so Kristen and I went to a department store to look for Mother's day presents. I was able to walk around for 30 minutes and then I returned to the car while Kristen checked out. I was quite tired afterwards, my stamina was very low so I rested for most of the day. Day 5- Wednesday. It had been six days since the operation and I felt very good. I went to an appointment and to the store. I also spent time outside and moved much more than I had the previous days. I still had pain when I stretched, bent, or twisted- basically anything involving the my core directly. II decided to move into the next phase of the diet because I felt my body was ready for it. I started with a scrambled egg, and I ate it as directed waiting a minute between bites. I ate probably 2/3 of the egg and then was satisfied and I felt even better as the day progressed. Day 6- Thursday. I continued on the phase 2 diet and had more energy as I gave my body more nutrients. I have lost 14 pounds, I started at 305 and at my morning weigh in it was 291. I walked farther and even went on a drive by myself. I absolutely sure I can return to work next week. I have a hard time lying flat on my back because it is hard to get up- but not impossible, I cannot lay on my side. Pain is less frequent but still there at times. My endurance is still quite low, but I feel good. I am happy I made this decision, I think it will be the life changing kick start I need. I feel good at the progress I have made this week.

The hospital

After being in recovery they moved me to room 511, this was around 5:30 pm. I was still in considerable pain and not completely aware of my surroundings, I think largely because of the anesthesia. My nurse, a wonderful person named Sarah, gave me liquid form of percocet which pretty much put me back to sleep. I woke up three hours later and was able to watch some TV and call the kids to tell them good night. I had ice chips to suck on and I always had one in my mouth. At 10 pm Sarah came in checked my vitals and gave more pain medicine. I was able to ask for this every four hours and I pretty much did. The pain was tolerable for most of the time. The last half hour before my medicine was due again became uncomfortable, but not as bad as when I first left surgery. The next morning I was still groggy, but the anesthesia haze had left me. I learned that I was experiencing two different kinds of pain, one from the incisions that was sharp but did not last long, and one from a build up of gas in my intestines that I could not pass. The gas pain was not as sharp but it was uncomfortable and lasted longer. As each day progressed the pressure became greater. For breakfast (and all the rest of my meals) they brought me broth, jello, a popsicle, and juice. I alternated between the broth and the jello, never touching the other things. After relaxing a majority of the morning the nurses aid, another person who did a fantastic job, came to help clean me up and to move me around. The first thing I had to do was to get out of bed, which was a huge endeavor. I could not even scratch my legs (or my back as I found out), so swinging my legs over the side of the bed and twisting to sit up was a big deal. We eventually go it, thankfully I did not fall as she was 8 1/2 months pregnant and I would have killed us both, and I was able to walk around the room. I sat in a chair for a while and went back to bed. I then would get out of bed every so often, each time was painful, but easier than the time before. Friday night was not bad, except for the pain from the gas and during the night I actually got out of bed and walked the hallways twice. Saturday morning the doctor came by and said I could go home and we went through the steps for that. I still could not pass any gas, but the pain was tolerable with the medication and I was able to be home early Saturday afternoon. I received good care in the hospital but I was glad to come home.

The Surgery

Well I made it through the surgery. I spent the morning fluctuating between nervous, relaxed, and even a little excited. I was at the hospital at 10 and I had to wait 10 minutes when they called me back to prepare. I changed into one of those fashionable hospital gowns and they put the bracelets on me. A word on the bracelets; don't EVER say you have hay fever when they ask if you are allergic, they put an Allergy band on and I had to explain each different person what I was allergic to; it became a pain. I sat in a little room for 45 minutes or so, during which time I spoke to three different women who were associated with the surgery through either preparation or anesthesia. The time finally cam when I had to say good bye to Kristen, not my favorite moment and I was wheeled to a staging area. I was quite relaxed at this time, I had an IV in and maybe they gave me a sedative, I don't know. I sat in this area for 40 minutes, the anesthesiologist came in and explained what he was going to do. They finally wheeled me in the OR where I was awake for 3 minutes, max. The operation took nearly two hours and as Dr Felix told Kristen afterwards, "Nothing unusual or unexpected happened". What else can you ask for? I was in recovery for two hours but I only have vague recollections of the second hour. I was in considerable pain and asked for medicine what seemed like every fifteen minutes. I also had extreme dry mouth so they gave me ice chips. I was then taken to my room. The surgery itself was fine and the hospital was very good. I will continue with the rest of my stay with a later post.

Hello, welcome to my blog where I am detailing my experience with gastric bypass surgery. This was a decision that was a long time coming, I have been thinking about it for over a year. My main goal is to avoid the problems that obesity can lead to, such as diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. I am a healthy person, except for my weight, and I want to keep it that way. I looked into two different surgeries, the lap band and the gastric bypass and opted for the latter. (For details on both and to hear about the program I chose go to www.hopebariatrics.com My surgeon is Dr.Felix, who is a very nice guy. He is experienced and seems to take his job very seriously.) I then started to jump through the hoops required by my insurance. I had to see my family doctor every month for six months, who put me on a 1900 calorie per day diet- which worked pretty well until Christmas :) I also had to see a psychologist and go through a huge panel of tests. All this leads up to my surgery which is today, I only have four hours until I report to the hospital- Sewickley Hospital for those familiar with the area. If all proceeds as planned I will be in the hospital for two nights, meaning I can come home Saturday- which is good because the Pens start their next play off round that afternoon. My official pre-surgery weight is 305, however I was up to 315 at my top weight. My goal, after surgery and the lifestyle changes that come with it, is 180 pounds. I don't think this is unrealistic, however it is a stretch. My intent with this blog is to document my success after surgery. Over the past week I have been fluctuating between very nervous and excited. Right now I am very hungry, as I was on a clear liquid diet yesterday and now can't have anything until after the surgery. I will try to post my surgery and hospital experience on Saturday. This is a major decision but in the end it will be worth it. Wish me luck!