Day 37, Yes I Can

Today is inauguration day and they are just wrapping up the ceremonies in Washington. As the leadership changes in our country, I am reflecting on the regime change in my digestive system. I am still adjusting to the reality that my food intake is now governed by President Tiny Stomach.

Some of the challenges that this has created include:

Thirst. Have you ever been really thirsty but only able to take a tiny sip of water at a time? Try it...it's a little tortuous.

Hunger. It's kinda the same as thirst...you are really hungry, you know you need to take small bites, and you know you need to space them out...but you look down and realize you have just eaten half of your food and once the first bite reaches President Tiny Stomach, you are in for some discomfort at best.

Fatigue. It's not the same as sleepiness but you realize your stamina is not where it should be...you are losing weight and you don't have enough calories to fuel a full day.

Cold. Don't ask me why, but with all these metabolic changes comes chilliness. In my marriage, i was the one who always felt hot, but now I'm the one sneaking the thermostat up.

Bad Breath. It's not fun to talk about, but when your body has burnt up all it's glucose it starts burning fat. This process is called Ketosis. This burned fat turns to Ketones and leaves the body via the mouth. Something like that anyway. Gross? I know.

Anyway, there is a new doorway pic for you guys to look at. I'm including the ones from before the surgery and two weeks after surgery for comparison.

Day 32 (253 lbs minus approx 45 lbs) A plateau?

Hi all, sorry for the delay between posts. I've been in a bit of a holding pattern this past week. I am still not back to work and there hasn't been too many developments of which to speak.

I seem to have hit a plateau...although the MGH weight center will tell me that there are no real plateaus and the reason the scale has stopped showing weight loss has more to do with fluid fluctuation than a cessation of fat loss. I'll take their word for it.

According to my own googling, it is common for people to lose most of their excess weight in the first 65 days. So if this is true, I am about 1/2 way through this period. Of course, everyone is different and having lost almost 1/2 the weight I expect to lose already, I won't be surprised if I am truly through the rapid part of the weight loss.

On the other hand, I have had very little activity since the surgery. Even though, I feel I haven't had that much to eat, it's possible that I am just not burning enough calories. I am researching exercise options now, so I am ready when I am cleared for more activity.

Some people were concerned with my mood. I want to let you all know that I feel ok. I think too much time in my house leads me to the life of a hermit...It's amazing how fast the days go by with nothing to do. I don't really miss work, but I miss a routine a bit. Well I am going to get out on the town this morning and run some errands.

I have a picture for this entry...but since Cheryl and I have a disagreement over who last had the camera cord (it was she), it will have to wait till tonight. Best...

Day 25 preparing to transition

Well it's been more learning the past few days. I have to admit that I have been a bit down too. I'm not sure why.
Part of me wants to get back to work, but part of me is not sure I'm ready. It's hard to judge my energy level at this point. When I am home watching TV, I feel like my old self. But if I have to function for 8 hours at work, I am pretty sure I'd be exhausted fairly quickly. I don't think my eating is stable yet.
I'm toying with the idea of going back to work in a flexible manner. I may go in mid-morning and leave mid-afternoon, just to get back into the groove. However, that would end my sick-leave and leave me in a bind financially. I'm thinking of calling HR at MIT to see if there are any options.
Although I am fortunate enough not to have any pain or severe problems after this surgery, I have to remember that the surgery I had was major and that it's ok to take some time to recover.

Regarding the feeling down...it's strange. I am not sure if it's boredom or loneliness, or what. I just kinda feel restless all day. Well I'll have more to say in a couple days. Feel free to let me know if there are issues or questions that you'd like to hear about.

Day 22 (256 lbs. minus approx 42 lbs)

So I had another bad morning, but luckily I had another followup at the MGH Weight Center. The nutritionist gave me some good adivice; I have to remember that it has only been 3 weeks since my surgery and it's going to take time to learn to eat again. I have always been a fast eater and that does not work post surgery. So now that I've had two bad experiences, hopefully I can be a more mindful eater. She also informed me that this is certainly a behavior related problem, for if it was stricture caused by surgery, I'd have trouble getting water down.

Another issue I have been having is nose bleeds. It's very possible that my sleep apnea pressure setting is too high right now (since I have lost some weight). This could be causing my nasal passages to become overly dry. I need to followup with the Sleep Dr. about that.

It was interesting to go to my nutritional group today and hear some of the problems other folks are having...some very similar to mine, some do not line up with mine at all. But for me, I have to learn to tell the difference between fake hungry in my head, and real hunger from my body. I now realize that I had no idea when I was truly hungry or full before this surgery.

Day 20 Bad Night

So last night I had the pleasure of going out on the town with a few old friends. We had a very nice time. The only problem was dinner. Even though I understand that my stomach isn't ready for all things yummy again, I still forget because I feel so normal. I ordered some things I should not have, and, to keep the graphic level to a minimum, it did not stay with me long.

It was the first time that I had such a severe problem since my little incident with the swallow test back in the hospital. After Gastric Bypass Surgery (Laporascopically that is), you have to do a swallow test in front of an x-ray machine. That involves drinking a cup of iodine, followed by a cup of barium. I had only been out of surgery about 24 hours and I just couldn't handle the gross-ness of these two liquids. The radiology people tell me that happens all the time.

But last night was just me getting ahead of myself. I need to be patient and just give myself time. Perhaps this bad experience will help me remember that.

The other issue I'm facing is fatigue. Even though I feel good, I am certainly not getting enough calories. While we were out and about around 10:00 pm, it felt to me like 3:00 a.m. This will certainly improve over time, but I need to remember that when making plans.

Day 18

So Happy New Year everyone. It's interesting to start a new year where I actually believe that I'll be lighter and healthier this year. This has been a fairly smooth couple of days. There is no huge weight loss to report, but I was weighing close to 260 yesterday. I think I weighted a bit more this morning, but that is why the MGH Weight Center people tell us to stay off the scale. There is a lot of fluid fluctuations going on so there will be some ups and downs on the scale.

Last night we hosted a small NYE party at our house with Cheryl's brother, Jeremy and his wife Meredith. Although there were lots of snacks I felt like digging in on, I pretty much settled for some Decaf Diet Tea and a few small Buffalo Tenders. Everything went down smooth. However, I think I have pulled an abdominal muscle. We don't really have an ideal spot in our living room for games; and I think I hurt myself reaching for an Apples to Apples card. At first, the pain was alarming because I feared I gave myself a hernia. I soon realized that the pain wasn't that severe and I only felt it if I turned a certain way. Hernias are not as common with a laparoscopic procedure as with an open one, but they can still happen.

Today I had a CIB to start the day and actually had a few bites of chicken, broccoli and sweet potato fries for lunch. I stopped after a toddler serving, but it is still progress. I am posting some updated "doorway" shots...Cheryl and I are not experts at the time lapse photos and the perspective is all wrong. I don't see much of a difference in size....do you?
Joe had a roux-en-y gastric bypass on 12/15/2008 at Mass General Hospital in Boston. This blog follows his experience.