Category: weight loss surgery

Migration

PatchRabbit has migrated north. Hair loss can be a side effect of gastric bypass. Bunny is just inspecting. Also, how long until the red hair is replaced by the white hair. Hopefully not any time soon.

Spoke a Little Too Soon

Okay, so when I wrote a post about being on the stage II diet, I posted a smidge too soon. Tomorrow. Or Thursday. Tonight we’re still liquid.

My first appointment today was the stage II diet class. I will be able to eat small amounts of food, but only if they are pureed down to the consistency of applesauce. On the one hand, gross. On the other hand, kick ass. It’s a Strange New World.

My second appointment was a post-surgical follow up with the nurse practitioner. There were two main topics of discussion. One was, you’re doing everything right. The other was, let’s try to get rid of all of this light headedness. We’re going to try a combination of keep doing what I’m doing, add an extra protein shake if I can hack it, and stop taking one of the meds. I can do that.

I weighed in today for the first time since before the surgery. I have a spreadsheet keeping track of my weight throughout this whole process, but I just scrapped it. It was a combination of my bathroom scale and the scale at the clinic. I have decided to just go with the clinic scale for now and to keep that as the official count. I can do a separate sheet for the home scale.

I want to share the weight loss numbers with the universe, but I don’t want to share the actual weight. I will try to do that with algebra. Hold on to your butts.

My first visit to the clinic was on January 19, 2022. That visit consisted entirely of checking my vital signs, including my weight. On that day my weight was calculated at x.

I’m sure I stood on the scale a few times in subsequent visits but I didn’t write those official numbers down until the day of the stage I diet class, April 29, 2022. On that day my weight was calculated at y=x-20.6. That was a couple of pounds higher than my pre-surgery goal, but it was good enough to proceed. I weighed in again today at the stage II class and the new number is z=y-22.4=x-43.0. Down a little more than 22 since the Friday before the surgery and down 43 since the first weigh in.

The question then is, which number is the accurate/official one? When I think of how much I’ve lost, should it be since the surgery, which is approximately 22.4 pounds, or should it be from the start of the process, which is 43? I don’t know. I also don’t really care.

Appointments Today

I am on day six post-surgery. The only negative so far is just really the dehydration. I’m trying to my best to stay on top of things, and for the most part it’s working, but it’s definitely a thing. One of the two appointments today is just a check up. Maybe they can give me a tip or two to help out going forward.

The other appointment is a big one. It’s a potential game changer. It’s the stage II diet class. In English, stage I is liquids only. That’s what I’m doing now and frankly I’m tired of it. Stage II is pureed food. Does that mean I am going to be able to eat actual food at some point today? If not today, then soon? Oh please. Stick some chicken salad into the blender and actually eat it? Scrambled eggs? Mashed potatoes?

The question I still have is, how much can I fit into my new little stomach. I haven’t ever really felt full, so that’s a question that needs to be answered. We may have the answer soon though.

On a much more painful note, my mother is still in the hospital. No details, just send her all the positive energy you can. It has not been a good experience for her.

So wish her luck, and if you have a little luck to spare, wish me luck too.

Day six. Hanging in there.

Monday Morning Check In

I’m sitting at my desk for the first time in days. Weird. I figured I’d type a quick update on my computer rather than on my phone.

Yesterday I did a good job keeping up with the fluid intake. I am supposed to be getting four to six ounces per hour, and I hit that every hour from 8:00am to bed time. I still feel pretty dehydrated today though. The light headedness is back. I am going to try and stay on top of the fluids today and see how it effects me. I don’t want to go back to the hospital, but I will if I don’t feel better. I’m drinking six ounces of protein shake right now. Hopefully that will top me off some. I’m thinking next hour I’ll have myself some chicken broth. After that, probably back to sugar free gatorade again. For a while, at least.

Wish me luck.

My Birthday

Today is not just Mothers Day. It’s also my birthday. 51 years young and all that bullshit.

No real birthday celebrations this year. Just liquids, protein shakes, and lots of intake tracking.

Also, I’ve spent the whole day with Jen, so it’s the best birthday ever.

When I was a kid I used to feel gypped when my birthday fell on Mother’s Day. This year I have bigger fish to fry.

Jen is making dinner. For herself. One of my fears going into weight loss surgery was guilt at putting a burden on Jen. I’m feeling quite a bit of that today. She is so encouraging and supportive and I don’t want to make things difficult for her.

I guess the point of this post is that I hope you’re all having a good day on my birthday. Do something fun for me.