12/18: Week 9

Its been 2 weeks since my last post and that is because I am struggling to lose weight right now while trying to eat more food.

Based on my experiments, I can eat the following:

• Any Soup (no Noodles)
• Chicken if its very very moist (ie 3 peices and no things like chicken tenders)
• Fish NOT GRILLED (the grilled texture makes me feel super sick)
• Jello, Pudding, and Other Soft Food

I am suppose to eat Pork but I have not been able to try yet.

It has been raining and cold so I have not been able to be as active as I want to and work has gotten supper busy.  Because of work, I have not been sleeping much which is probably contributing to the fact that I have not loss weight.  I have been flat for 2 weeks!  2 WEEKS!

If I don't lose weight soon I'll go ask my doctor and the patient advocate at the hospital for advice.  Do you have any have any advice?

12/04: Week 7

Saw the doctor for my 6 week follow-up.  I learned something super interesting. 

• First, I SHOULD be losing weight every few days.  If my weight does not drop in a couple days, I am suppose to eat 200 more calories a day.  So, this week I was stuck at 255.  I ate 200 more calories a day and was not able to exercise because of the rain.  But I  lost 5 lbs! in 2 days.  I'm currently at 250.  Last night I lost 2 lbs...  I guess your body does adapt.   
• Second, the 3 month aggressive goal of gastric bypass surgery is 90 lbs.  I'm short 35 lbs so I have 6 weeks to lose 35 lbs.  I've lost 5 lbs and now just need to lose 30 lb in 5 and a 1/2 weeks.  Hopefully, I'll make my weight goals!  He said it was aggressive but I should have been closer to that mark if my weight wasn't stuck at 270 for 1 1/2 weeks and 255 for 1 week.
• If you are doing a normal low calorie diet, you should apply this method.  Whenever you plateau eat 200 more calories a day for 3-4 days until your weight loss continues then drop back down to what you were eating before.  Right now I am eating 800 calories or less a day.  This consist of the following:
• 1 Protien Milk Shake for Breakfast (w/ bariatric advantage protien powder) 340 calories and 54 grams of protien
• 1 Cup of soup (90-140 calories) for lunch and 1 for dinner
• 1 Nectar protein drink 100 calories and 24 grams of protien
• 2 bottles of water

Hopefully, I can make it down to 200 lbs.  I am at 250 right now down from 312 when I first saw my surgeon.  I was at 330 the prior year.

11/27: Week 6

Happy Thanksgiving!

This week was rough and not because it was Thanksgiving here in the US.  I am able to eat chile and smoked salmon, but when I tried to eat Turkey Ground Beef, I ended up throwing up again.  I also tried slices of deli ham with the same result.  I still cannot eat flaky foods so I will have to go back to liquids and pureed meats.  I am not eating any pureed meats just because it seems so unedible to me which may be the reason I cannot get up to flaky foods (fish and poultry).

I will try eating more solid foods again in 2 weeks.  I need to remember to eat very slowly and take only small portions.  I did not feed as sick as when i last tried to eat food which is good, but I still threw up which is not good.  I can see why people who hate the surgery complain alot about throwing up, but I feel alot healthier though I can't eat "good food".  Before the surgery I was a foodie, I do not think I can be a foodie anymore.

The good news is that I am around 255 now compared.  That is down from 294 from the day of surgery 6 weeks ago.  39 lbs is a little less than I wanted but still feels good.  Based on what I have heard or read, you lose most of your weight the first few months so I want to lose as much as possible for the first 3 months.  I feel a lot better health wise.

My blood sugar is well in check which is great.  Unfortunately, my stupid insurance, United HealthCare is not quickly approving more test strips!  Not only did they not pay for the Surgery cause I did not have 5 years of medical records (just 3 years and records from 7 years ago), but they cut the number of test strips from non-insulin users to only 1-2 per day (51 strips for 30 days).

I have my follow-up appointment with my doctor next week so hopefully every will be fine.

11/20: Week 5

Week 5 was both a positive and a negative.  First for the positives, I finally lost more weight.  I am not around 262-264 lbs.  It varies, but based on what my personal experience, walking for 45 min - 1 hr a day.  I am going to start working out more after I get back to normal meals.

The negative is that I tried to eat some soft flaky fish.  It was a horrible experience.  I ate 3 bites, and my esophagus felt like it was full.  My stomache felt horrible.  I tried to use the bathroom but ended up throwing up.  I had foamy vomit and spit up some blood.  I kept throwing up for 3-4 hours and could not eat or drink anything as I would throw it back up.  I went back to full liquids but was able to eat bean and vegtable chili again (Amy's black bean chili is actually really good).  I am going to try pureed / soft meat again next weekend at week 6.  Make sure you advance your diet slowly and like your doctor and nutritionist say try stuff at home first.  Also, based on everything i've read, take very small bites and take your time to eat.  It may seem hard to do but trust me you do not want to experience throwing up every single thing in your stomache and throwing up stomache acid for a few hours.

I am getting hungry if I eat at weird times.  I have been eating sugar free gello or tapioca in case I feel light headed or super hungry.   I mostly eat 16 oz of milk + protien shakes in the morning, 8 oz soup for lunch, and a 8 oz soup for dinner.  BTW those Campbell's V8 soups are awesome.  I've been pureeing them until last weekend, but now I can eat them unpureed.  I am still not eating anything chunky like chunky soup.

11/13: Week 4

It has almost been 4 weeks since the operation.   Since I switched over to full liquids and pureed food, I have only lost 2-3 lbs the last 2 weeks compared to 25+ i lost in one week on clear liquids.  I still feel full all the time, but all those food commercials make me crave a burger. 

This week i ate refried beans.  I bought a can of Turkey Chili for next weekend.  I am suppose to start testing purred white meat / poultry / fish products after 4 weeks.  After 6 weeks, I can start eating flaky foods like fish.

It will be interesting because you need the test the food at home first before eating it out.

What I have been able to eat on full liquids in restaurants is Tofu Soup in Chinese Restaurants.  Miso soup doesn't have much tofu and is not filling.  The Korean Tofu Soup I looked into had too many items in it besides just Tofu!

11/05: Week 3 / Day +19

Been on a liquid diet and had to start taking some diabetes meds as my blood sugars started to go up with more full liquid meals.   Also, I actually gained 2 lbs.  Hopefully I can lose the weight after I can start working out.  Been going to work every day and its interesting getting back into the swing of things.

To get ready for work, I make my protein shakes the days prior so that there are no bubbles and then go home to eat soup.  I was actually going over the calorie target as I did not know you had to only take between 700-900 calories.  I was actually at 900-1050.  It might not be much but that is why my weight was flat.

10/31: Week 2 / Day +14

It has been exactly 14 days since the surgery.  Also, Happy Halloween!

I started on Full Liquids last week per my doctor, and I have been feeling okay though my stomach has been hurting a little. 

I started my first day back at work today.  I did not realize that walking back and forth in the office would make my stomach start to hurt a little.  I should spend more time resting before working a lot again.  I am going to stop walking around a lot to let my stomach fully heal first.

Weight wise I have not lost any since Thursday.  I think that is me switching from a clear to liquid diet greatly increased my calorie intake.  My blood sugars are up.  If they stay around 140, I need to start taking meds again.

10/27: Week 2 / Day +10

Had my 10 day follow-up visit with my doctor.  Good news all my stitches are out or disolved and I can start brushing off the scabs from my surgical site.  I still cannot scrub the areas but I can brush it with my hand.  A few more weeks till I can swim again.

Because I have no pain, no nausea, and my bowl movements are fine, I am able to go to the full liquid diet.  I bought a bunch of canned soup, beans, and lactose free milk.  I can finally make protein sakes with non-plain powder.

Just had some V8 strained butter squash soup.  I actually feel very full after 1 serving.

10/25: Week 2 / Day +8

It is over one week over since I had the surgery.  I am actually feeling a little more discomfort because of the way I sleep. 

Also, because of my propensity for bloody noses, my nose has been drying up and bleeding in the morning.  I think this is more because of my own personal issues versus the surgery.   Just in case I'm going to ask the doctor about it.

As for my diet its going well though I can not weight to eat full liquids.  Flavored protein shakes taste a lot better than normal ones.  I have been adding crystal light to all my current drinks so it is not that bad but I want some warm and tasty liquids too, like plain chicken soup.

I see my doctor on Thursday as you are suppose to see him 7-10 days after surgery so he can check the stitches.  They seem fine and hopefully all goes well.

10/23: Day +6

Its been 6 days after surgery and I feel fine.  The one thing that worries me is I am not sleeping 8 hours a day.  I am so tuned to sleeping only 5-6 hours that even if i stay in bet i do not fall asleep again.

I hope my doctor allows me to do full liquids next Thursday when I see him since I really want to drink flavored protein sakes versus just isopure and water with unflavored protein powder.

As of right now, I have Strawberry, Vanilla, Chocolate, Cappuccino, Truffle, and other flavored protein powders I am not allowed to use, but can on full liquids.

My blood sugar is actually within the high side of the normal range since surgery which is good.  I am not taking any pills but I am also not drinking anything with carbs or sugar.  I hope it stays low when i get back on a normal diet.

10/22: Day +5

It has been 5 days since my surgery and everything seems fine.  I did have some concerns my stiches were infected.  There was some redness on them but that did not seem like an issue when i took a picture of them.  I took a picture so I could send it to my doctor's office.  It was actually stretch marks from me losing weight. 

The liquid diet is getting easier, but I am starting to get cravings for real food.  I am doing lots of random activities to keep that out of my mind including writing and updating this blog.  The liquid diet is not as tough as people made it out to be but that might just be because its only been 3 days on it.  We'll see how I feel when I am 1/2 way done.

I have been checking my weight every day and I either stay flat or lost 1-2 lbs.  When I entered the hospital, they weighted me and I was at 294 right now I am 282. 

10/21: Day +4

Yesterday was my first full day back from the hospital and being on a full clear liquid diet.  It was actually pretty tough to drink all that liquid down.  I used to drink 6-8 bottles of water a day but 4 was tough having my tummy so small.

BTW a clear liquid diet is as follows:

• Diet Coffee/Diet Tea
• Low Sodium Broth (realized i hated the beef and chicken version buying vegetable tonight)
• Water
• 5 calorie crystal light packs
• Isopure - get zero carb
• Medical Grade Protein Powders (100 calories / 20 grams of protein)

Today, it has been a lot easier to drink down the liquids and my tummy does not feel super full.  That was probably from the gas more than anything.  As instructed I walked 5 times outside and have been drinking liquids all day.  Nothing interesting to report though I am currently at zero pain still.  I took a shower and had to make sure the bandages and stitches were not wet too much. 

10/20: Day +3

I had surgery on Monday.  First day out of the hospital and on my own.  Both the hospital and the doctor's office called to make sure I am doing well which is good.  I am trying to drink 65 ounces of water and 70 grams of protein which is hard now since my stomach is so small.   I'm always full and have gas.  I am not drinking too much water which is good i'm limiting it to around four ounces.

What I did learn the last few days is get IsoPure Zero Carb not IsoPure Nutritional Drink and its hard to get BeneProtein!  Make sure you order all this before you go to surgery or it will be difficult.

Also, make sure to have test strips and a thermometer.  Also, you'll cannot watch yourself to much its more like rinsing so have good soap or by wash cloths.

As for the day of Surgery and up to now, it was all a blur.  I got into the hospital early in the morning.  Did a lot of paperwork met everyone involved in the operation.  Fell asleep then woke up 3 hours later and it was done.  I had 5 stitches and a drain attached to me.   As expected, I walked around in a circle later that day as it is important to help get your body working again.  I watched TV in bed while stuck to fluids.  I had a catheter which so I did not have to pee.  It was very weird.... 

The second day, I felt more pain so I actually asked them to turn on the pain meds which I did not have turned on since I didn't feel any.  The pain was more from my stiff shoulders than my tummy.  In the morning, you drink a some weird kaopectate tasting item and they watch it go down your new digestive track to make sure everything is fine and the stitches are holding.  They then took off the catheter and let me go to the bathroom on my own.  I had to pee into a container so they could measure if my output was good compared to all the liquids i was getting via an IV.  later that night i got diarrhea and a lot of gas.  Both are expected.  The nurse said that as long as its not bright the diarrhea was fine.  The next day, I spent a lot of time walking in my room trying to get my strength back and using the bathroom as I was still on IVs.  I was given breakfast and lunch was discharged that evening.  I was not able to each much cause i was pretty full since my tummy was small.

10/17: Day 0

Morning of the procedure.  Leaving for the hospital in 10 minutes.  Have been nervous the last 3 days that I have been waking up super early.  Well I guess that is to be expected as I need to change the way I lived the last 30+ years of my life.  Hopefully my doctor is right and I should have no complications.

10/16: Day -1

It is the day before surgery.  I did not have do the bowl cleansing regiment, but according to the pre-op diet some people need to do that. I have been drinking water and isopure all day so far.

Woke up early and have been on my liquid diet since then.  I have been drinking clear liquids every hour.   I don't feel hungry but we'll see how I feel after the surgery since I will be on this diet for 2 weeks. 

Also, yesterday I had a lot of protein.  Protein is very important in helping you lose weight as I found out.  I lost 4 lbs in 1 day.  I am hoping the Surgery will help me keep my discipline in eating well, but  also help cure my diabetes, sleep apnea, and other weight related issues.

10/15: Day -2

Last day to do errands as tomorrow I'm supposed to drink only liquids and drink 4 ounces every hour.

To my dismay, found out that beneprotient is not sold in austin so I decided to order Medial Nectar.  I love Nectar protein powder because it actually taste great!  I have also tried Baratric Advantage and that does not easily dissolve so you need a blender.  It also taste like Optifast, Glucern, Slim Fast, and other protein sakes.  They make you full, but the taste is very thick and after a while you get sick of it easy.

Speaking of protein shake flavor diversity.  One of the support personnel told me that you can add jello flavoring or extract to make the powders taste good.  I just need to find a powder with NO TASTE so i can add coconut extract!  I love coconut...

10/14: Day-3

I have am on the last day of my pre-op diet of 30 carbs and 5 grams of fat a day.  I have lost 14 lbs since I started.  I am currently 290 lbs and 5'5" (well a little less than that).

What I discovered during my pre-op diet is that if you love sushi and turkey you can find low fat and low carb options pretty easily.  I also turned to lean sandwich meats.  A slice of turkey is only 0 carbs and 0.5 fat and lean ham is 2 carbs and 1 gram of fat.  Hamachi AKA yellow tail sushi is also very low in carbs and fat.

Since it is the weekend before surgery, I have talked to a lot of people regarding the surgery itself and the results.  Everyone said the first 3-4 weeks is tough since you can only drink clear fluids for the first 2 weeks.  Ironically my psychologist (you get a eval as a requirement for surgery) said you have a lower chance of being depressed or straining your relationships with your loved ones when you live by yourself.  I guess it makes sense that you won't be tempted by others who can eat real food!

Today is Saturday so I am buying all the items that I need for post operation care.  I already got Prilosec, pain killers, tons of water, bariatric food (isopure), and gauze and tape.  I need to get some gas ex strips (I got chewables but the pre-op support team said strips are better) and looking for other food on the list of clear fluids such as low sodium broth and beneprotien.

I now I need to change my lifestyle to live a healthy life and get better self confidence.

Introduction

This is a blog to share my personal day to day experiences as a gastric bypass patient.   The main reason is so that I have something to keep my mind occupied during recovery.

I should add my stats before from 1 year ago. My BMI was over 55 and I was not controlling my blood sugars.  I did the surgery to both lower my BMI to normal and control my blood sugars.

My peak weight was 327.  I had to reduce my weight to 300 before the procedure and got to 307.  The pre-op diet and other things got me down to 294 before surgery.