Tag: gastric bypass

One Year Ago Today

Every now and then I use this blog to play “this day in history” by looking back at past posts from today’s date. I did that a few minutes ago and the posts from last year were all about the upcoming surgery. At midnight on May 3rd, 2022 I switched to a liquid diet for a day and then had to fast the following day so my stomach would be empty during the actual procedure.

My last meal was a glorious piece of chicken and a huge pile of quinoa. I posted a picture. It looked so freakin’ delicious.

It was my last supper. Everything since has been tiny and simple. The plate I dished out for myself on this date last year would feed me for days now.

I’ve had a few weird moments food wise recently. Jen and I were in a store on Saturday and they had candy next to the check out. I very nearly, impulsively, grabbed a bag of Reece’s Pieces. I couldn’t believe I almost did it. One year ago I would have and I never would have thought twice. I expected that after a year of this new lifestyle I wouldn’t be relapsing anymore like that. I guess I was wrong. Weird.

The anniversary is two days away. I wonder what will happen next?

Stuck

At 7:10pm I took a bite of chicken and either didn’t chew it enough or ate it too quickly and my stomach became very unhappy. It felt like it was stuck outside, waiting for the digestive doorman to let it into my stomach pouch thingie.

It’s 9:40, 2.5 hours later, and it still hasn’t cleared. The fuck, chicken?

At least I didn’t set the NHL record for wins in a season and then blow a three games to one lead and get bounced from the first round of the playoffs though, right? I’ve got that going for me.

Fuckin’ Bruins.

Choke

Friggin’ Bruins. One minute left in the third period and I was starting to think of what to write in the blog post when they snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, only to have the whole season get pissed down the drain. So much for me being cautiously optimistic. Choke. Epic choke. Not as bad as blowing the three games to none lead in 2010, but setting all of the standings records in the regular season and then blowing a three games to one lead in the first round is pretty friggin’ close.

Changing the subject to health news, because of my total schedule screw up combined with all of my stomach problems last week I ended up taking off six straight days from exercise. I am writing this post right now as I procrastinate over starting this morning’s jog (yog). I’m also on a steady streak of having stomach problems every other night. Last night I slept through the night. The night before I woke up with stomach pain. The night before slept fine. The night before woke up twice with stomach pain. Ect, ect. Here’s hoping getting back into the exercise stuff will straighten all of that out, somehow. Magically. Maybe?

One final note. I took out some trash last night and while I was out there (during a lull in the pouring rain) I checked on one of the bird houses and there was something there! There was a twig sticking out of the opening! This morning I took a look through the window and there was a bird perched outside of it! One of our bird houses appears to have a tenant! WOOHOO!

That doesn’t make up for the epic choke though. Epic friggin’ choke.

Twice Over Night

My last post was me saying a stomach ache woke me up around 1:30am and having a small snack made me feel better so that I could go back to bed. Truth. I didn’t get to sleep until about 2:30, but that had more to do with playing with cats than stomach issues.

No, the stomach didn’t become a thing again until about 4:30 when the second stomach ache woke me up. Ugh. Same deal. I went out to the living room so I wouldn’t disturb my beautiful bride’s sleep (though she did wake up with me the first time around. Sorry, my love) and had another small protein snack. It didn’t fix me quite as clearly as the first one did, but I did feel a lot better, and I was 14 grams into my 80 gram goal before the sun came up.

I missed both my liquid and protein goals yesterday. I missed them both three times this week. Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Not good. I was trying to cap off the liquid last night, and I was only eight ounces away. I was down to 12 ounces left in the water bottle I was drinking from. I wanted to finish the bottle, wait 15 minutes, and then have a protein bar to put me over the 80 grams of protein for the day. Unfortunately, by 10:00 or so I was having trouble drinking. My body just didn’t want to do it anymore. On top of that, I was dead tired and couldn’t stay awake. I called it a night and gave up.

That means I hadn’t had anything to eat after dinner, which was probably why my stomach was empty enough to hurt so much when I woke up the first time, and the one small thing I ate wasn’t enough to hold me over until morning. So I guess maybe the solution to the problem is to actually make sure I eat too much before bed? That seems counter intuitive. I was actually worried about how much I was eating after dinner/before bed over the last couple of months. Based on the past week, maybe I had nothing to worry about. We’ll see how it goes tonight.

Once I got up and started my day today I tried to get some liquid in, like I always do at the start of the day, but it was still weird. I was having the same problem I had before bed last night. My body just doesn’t want to drink anything. Does that have anything to do with the mostly empty stomach? There was a mild stomach ache that kicked in after I took a few sips, but nothing near as bad as last night. I just didn’t want to drink anything. It took me almost two hours to get through the last 12 ounces from last night. Once I did, I waited the required 15 minutes and then had some actual, real, non-protein bar food. I feel a little better after that.

So in summation, this week has been pretty bad stomach/food/drink wise. I am hoping I have it all figured out, and not having to drive to Foxborough and back each day will get me back to my sort of normal routine. Wish me luck kids.

I asked chatgpt to write a one page essay on dealing with the side effects of gastric bypass surgery. What did it come up with?

Gastric bypass surgery is a weight loss surgery that has become increasingly popular over the years. It is a highly effective way of helping individuals who are struggling with obesity to lose weight and improve their overall health. However, like any other surgery, gastric bypass surgery also comes with its side effects.

One of the most common side effects of gastric bypass surgery is nausea and vomiting. This is usually experienced by patients during the first few days or weeks after surgery. It can be caused by the body’s adjustment to the reduced food intake or by the changes made to the digestive system during the surgery. To manage this side effect, patients are advised to take their time when eating, take smaller bites, and chew their food thoroughly. They may also be given medication to help alleviate nausea.

Another common side effect of gastric bypass surgery is dumping syndrome. This occurs when food moves too quickly from the stomach to the small intestine, causing symptoms such as abdominal cramps, diarrhea, and dizziness. Patients can manage this side effect by avoiding foods that are high in sugar or fat, eating smaller and more frequent meals, and avoiding drinking liquids with meals.

Some patients may also experience hair loss, which is usually temporary and can be attributed to the body’s nutritional changes following surgery. To manage this, patients are advised to take supplements such as biotin and to consume a protein-rich diet.

In addition, gastric bypass surgery can increase the risk of developing nutritional deficiencies, particularly in vitamins and minerals such as iron, calcium, and vitamin D. To avoid this, patients are advised to take supplements as prescribed by their doctor and to follow a balanced and nutritious diet.

Overall, gastric bypass surgery can be a life-changing procedure for individuals struggling with obesity. However, it is important to understand and manage the potential side effects to ensure a successful and healthy recovery. Patients should work closely with their medical team to monitor their progress and address any concerns they may have.

Another Late Night

Once again I woke up at 1:30am after just a couple of hours of sleep to find myself with a stomach ache that kept me from falling back to sleep.

Fortunately I think it’s just one of those hunger aches. I had the smallest protein snack in the house and I’m feeling a little better. I think I can go back to bed now, after being up for about 40 minutes.

Wish me luck, oh internets.

Week 51 Weigh In

Well, wouldn’t you know it? I have three sick days in a row followed by a fourth day that wasn’t sick but was too busy/exhausted to hit my food and water goals and then I have a fantastic weigh in. Did we all see that coming?

If my goal is to get my BMI below 25, then my goal is to get my weight below 205, and if that is the case then I am sooo freakin’ close. After missing my food goal twice in the last three days and being sick to my stomach two of the last four days my weight this week is down a whopping four pounds to 205.6. Sooo freakin’ close.

My total since the surgery, which will celebrate it’s first anniversary eight days from now, is up to 225.8. My total since the first weigh in is up to 246.4. Amazing. I can’t even believe it. My BMI is exactly 25, which means I am right on the line between normal weight and overweight. Granted, I am just barely on the wrong side of the line, but I can still say I’m right on the line.

According to this list of weight equivalences, my total weight loss (since the first weigh in) is slightly more than one Arnold Schwarzenegger (235 pounds / 106.6 kilo). I am less than four pounds away from one male cougar.

Next Wednesday will be the week 52 weigh in, and the day after that will be the one year since surgery weigh in on May 4th. If I can somehow manage to lose 0.7 pounds before next week… I don’t even know what will happen. I might explode. Literally.

On a somewhat related health note, my stomach issues over the last few nights have made it impossible for me to wear my CPAP mask when I sleep. I think I had it on for a while on Sunday but I took it off when I started feeling nauseous. I had it on for a couple of hours on Monday but once things started going bad I ended up in the living room curled up in a ball on the floor. When I was able to sleep I was on the living room couch with Mr. CPAP still in the bedroom.

I went to sleep super early last night, a little after 9:00pm. I put the CPAP mask on, but woke up with a mild case of foamies about half an hour later. Once that cleared I didn’t put the mask back on because I was kind of afraid I’d spit up into the mask and then choke on it or something. My sleep numbers were pretty great last night but they would have been a lot better if I had the machine strapped to my head all night. I got nearly nine hours of sleep but I am still a little tired. The mask would have maybe fixed that. Here’s hoping I have better luck tonight.

So next week will be the big anniversary. Here’s hoping I don’t get sick again before then, and still somehow manage to get down that extra 0.7 pounds to hit that basically unattainable weight loss goal. Good luck, everyone!

Research

I did some Googlin’ about dumping syndrome and I am not sure I had it. Apparently there are two types of dumping syndrome, early and late. I didn’t have early. That happens 10-30 minutes after eating so that’s out. Late happens 1-3 hours later so the timeline matches up. I’m not sure about the symptoms though.

Heart palpitations (Maybe?)
Sweating (Yes)
Hunger (No… unless the pain was from my stomach being empty, but it didn’t seem that way)
Confusion (No… at least I don’t think so)
Fatigue (Hard to say as I was dead tired to begin with)
Aggression (Definitely not)
Tremors (Yes, twice to be specific)
Fainting (No)

Another area of this particular article lists these as well, but they might be just for early, I’m not sure:

abdominal cramping (Is that another way to say stomach pain? If it is, then oh yes)
fast heartbeat (I don’t remember)
lightheadedness (No)
diarrhea (No… I almost wish there had been. I think it would have helped)

On an unrelated note, I am nearing the end of my first of three days in the office this week and it’s fricken freezing in here, Mr Bigglesworth.

Did I Experience Dumping Syndrome?

This post is more of just a reminder to me to do some research when I get a chance… someday. I’m in the office today and the next two days and the schedule is jam packed with stuff. I don’t know when I’ll get a minute to myself. Well… another minute besides the one minute I’m spending on this.

When I first looked into gastric bypass I was warned of dumping syndrome. Think of it as a huge penalty for eating things your new stomach can’t handle. I am one day shy of 51 weeks since the surgery and I think I may have experienced it for the first time last night.

I ate a snack before bed then went to sleep. Three hours later I woke up to pee because I am old. When I got out of bed my stomach immediately starting hurting a lot. I mean, a lot. Like on a scale from 1-10 the pain was probably a 7-8. I tried to lie back down but it got worse. I tried to sit up straight but it also got worse. I tried to walk around but it got even worse. I couldn’t get any relief from it at all. It was brutal and it lasted for 2.5 hours without a break. I ended up in a fetal position on the living room floor begging my stomach to stop hurting me. It started at 2:30am and finally started to let up at 5:00am.

I don’t know if it was dumping syndrome (which is basically just your digestive system rejecting sugar) but I was told dumping felt like dying and that’s as good a description of how I felt last night as any. It was awful.

I need to poll the various support groups and find out what the individual symptoms are like. I need to know if that’s what I experienced last night or not. I also need it to never, ever happen again. I already threw out the snacks I had before bed last night. Never again, kids. Never again.

Sugar Free

My father’s 81st birthday was last weekend. Next weekend we’re having a small get together at his place and my sister is bringing cupcakes. I can’t have sugar, so no cupcakes for me. She can’t have dairy, so no cupcakes for her either. It got me thinking about alternatives. Are there sugar free or dairy free cupcakes available anywhere? I Googled and had my world slightly rocked.

I knew there was a candy shop in Salem, NH that has a sugar free section. I remember going in there once and wishing I had known about it when my uncle was alive. He had type two diabetes and would have loved some candy now and then. I thought it might be a good thing for Harry and his type one diabetes. He can have sugar, he just has to account for it with insulin. I thought maybe sugar free stuff would make the math easier for him. He wasn’t interested. He likes the real thing. I don’t blame him.

What I didn’t know, until today, is that there is a sugar free bakery in Salem too! Now before you think I am getting all excited, I am not. I am sure that whatever they are using in place of sugar is probably less than wonderful for you and I am already WAY overdoing artificial sweeteners (they are in literally everything I eat these days besides chicken and French fries, and even those I’m not 100% sure of) and I am not looking to have more. Do not expect me to start placing regular cookie and cupcake orders at this joint. Okay? I don’t want to go there.

I do, however, have a birthday in May. I wonder if a single slice of birthday cake might be possible. A small, tiny piece of cake that would take me three or four sittings to finish.

I wonder. It would probably cost a fortune and therefore wouldn’t be worth it. I just fantasized a little, you know? Birthday cake shouldn’t be a big deal, but accepting that those days are over forever is, while not difficult, a little sad.

Week 50 Weigh In

Not much to report today. I mostly just wanted to honor week because 50 is a nice round number. Two weeks from now will be a bigger deal, but 50 is nice too.

My weight this morning at around 5:30am matched the lowest weight I’ve seen since this whole party started. On the 11 month weigh in on April 4th I was 209.6 pounds. I’ve yo-yo’d between about 210 and 214 since then. I saw that I dipped below 210 to 209.8 last Friday. Today I was back to 209.6. I’ll take it. 221.8 pounds since surgery, 242.4 pounds since day one, 25.5 BMI.

Nothing exciting, only because it’s a number I saw 15 days ago, but still nice. I had a bad morning food-wise yesterday but once it cleared up, a little after noon, I was able to get a full day’s worth of food and drink in. I hit all of my goals. I don’t think this is a case of having a good weigh in after a bad day. It started bad, but it didn’t end bad.

Two weeks and one day until the one year anniversary of the surgery. Doubtful I’ll get my BMI below 25 by then. I don’t want to “diet” or anything to manipulate the numbers so I won’t change anything.

I started writing this post about three hours ago. I don’t think it’s very readable but I’m still going on. In further health news, I just booked a CT scan and a second MRI, both of my brain. Say brains the way a zombie would say it… braaaaaainnnnnsssss. Fun, huh? We’re all reasonably sure there is nothing wrong with that little spot in the middle of my thinking cap, but we’re going to get a lot of looks at it to make sure. The MRI is this weekend. The CT is next month.

Please, oh please, let the window project be complete by the time I get home today. Also, please let it be completed at an acceptable level where we don’t have to file any complaints or bitch anyone out.

Also, please let me get through the day without having the season finale of The Mandalorian spoiled. I watched about half of the episode this morning, but I didn’t get through to the end. I need to avoid spoilers and it… is… so… difficult.

Okay. Week 50 is in the books. Here’s hoping weeks 51 and 52 are positive. BMI of less than 25 or bust. Here we come! Also, the Bruins play the Panthers in game two of their first round playoff series tonight. Go Bruins!