Catherine Shinn Habhab

I finally took my rings in to be resized. After 65 pounds, they were a tad loose. I was surprised when they took them down a full size. I just got them back and of course they are so pretty when they are all polished up, but I was amazed at the size. They are little! Who knew I had small fingers. Put a smile on my face today.

Wow, it's been a long time since I have been here. Post sleeve life has been good. Ups and downs and unforeseen events but the majority of it I would not trade if I could. Weight is still an important part of my life but it does not hold the control over me that it did while I was obese or even that it did for the first 18 months post op. I was fanatical about doing everything right in order to shed the weight as quickly as I could. It worked by following the recommendations of my surgical center professionals. I have since realized I can not live the rest of my life so regimented and constrained. That does not however mean that those things that were recommended and I proved worked will be abandoned. It is really about using those tools I learned, in addition to my surgical tool, to manage my weight for the rest of my life. My weight is under my control I am not under it's control.
 
I started my journey on Nov 23, 2010 at 492lbs. One year post op (Jan. 10, 2012) I was 200. Today nearly 2 years post op. (Jan 7, 2013) I set here at 196. This is about 6 lbs heavier than I want to be. I had gotten to a low weight of 177 around September 2012. I was still 4lbs away from "ïdeal" weight but my body fat was under 9% and I felt like crap. For once in my life I made a conscientious decision to be heavier. That concept is still surreal to me even as I type this. I found that I felt the best and looked the best in a range between 185 and 195. I am using a target of 190 as my new life goal. Now is where I get to make myself feel better and preface that this is all weight before any removal of loose skin so in all reality my "real" body does weight less. My best guess based on others I have seen that have had removal is that I have at least 25lbs of skin that could go. Will I ever be able to get the skin removed so that I can actually see what my "real"body looks like? Who knows, I doubt it. And yes there is a bunch of extra skin. I like to make jokes about it, after-all who doesn't want a butt that looks like a Shar-Pei? The reality though is that it sucks. I have bags and folds that are a constant reminder of the size this container used to be. I can dress it well but in my birthday suit it is not a pleasant sight. Uhhhhggggg! Is the extra skin burdensome enough to regret the decision to have surgery, nope, never. The surgery is still the best decision I have ever made.
 
One statement of advice to those looking to go through this that have significant others (in the pre-politically correct days I would have said spouses). Be very aware of what THEY are going through as you are on your journey. This affects them too and often in a blindsiding way. Even the most supportive and enthusiastic partner can get lost in the waves of attention that a successful WLS patient will be seeing. And trust me, when they get swept under and begin to feel like WLS has unexpectedly become their whole life too.....the results are not good.
 
I hope you all are doing well and I will be back more often. I had forgotten how good it feels to simply put into text what is swimming around in my mind. Take care Ya'll!

Well, it's the end of another year and to be honest, I still have to remind myself to write 2012 on my checks (when I actually have to use one). Therefore, writing 2013 is going to be a huge pain in the rear for me. Now, I am not one to make resolutions. To be honest, i don't think I've ever kept one I've made so I finally realized that there was no reason to make any. If someone wants to change, they will...it won't just magically happen becasue it's January 1st. Trust me, I wish that was a case. If it was, we wouldn't all be constantly working to get/remain healthy and thin. Also, there would be a lot of surgeons out there who wouldn't be as wealthy as they are right now...thanks to us. You are welcome surgeons...from all of us. Sorry, i digress. Now, I thought I wold take the time to look back on my year and share my wisdom with you all....or at least what I think is wisdom. It could be a big ole pile of steaming crap, but I'm going to share it anyway. Lucky for you all, if it is crap, you don't have to smell it since you're reading it. So, here is what I've learned...or at least began to learn in 2012.
 
1. It's true, you do feel much better when you stop smoking. But, it's also true that even after a year, there are times you still want one....even if it's only for a second or two
 
2. Weight loss surgery is NOT an easy fix. It's hard work and I battle every day with changing my negative food thoughts and behaviors. But, it does get easier.
 
3. Getting frustrated becasue you can't eat what others are having is normal. Crying and yelling at your husband for eating pizza in front of you is PMS.
 
4. Fiber is CRITICAL after WLS
 
5. Stalls are normal...even if they last for a while
 
6. Getting down for being in a stall is just as normal....but remember number 5!
 
7. My weight loss is not like anyone else's. There are people who have lost more or not as much in the same amount of time.
 
8. Going from a tight size 26-28 to a good fitting 16 feels better than any food can taste
 
9. Taste buds change....which can be good and bad.
 
10. Pulling out my clothes from the dryer and having to double check to make sure they are mine due to how small they look is the coolest thing about doing laundry
 
11. Sex is better....and it was really good before hand
 
12. Raging hormones can make you a b***h to live with so make sure you live with someone who truly loves you.....I'm lucky because I would have divorced me if I were my husband
 
13. Make up sex while having raging hormones is even better than better
 
14. My boobs hang low....(cue my "hang low song"....for all those who have read my prior blogs)
 
15. I miss my boobs...and my butt.
 
16. Surgery can give me my boobs back and I'll still be thin....sounds better than having perky, big boobs right now.
 
17. Onions don't sit well with me anymore
 
18. I fart....a lot since surgery.
 
19. I really hope that stops soon....but not as much as my husband does
 
20. I have a rabbit living in my colon....and we've learned to live together
 
21. Pain after surgery isn't as bad as I thought it would be...and they didn't give me the right meds to deal with the pain
 
22. Walking is the best thing to do to get gas out
 
23. I am not perfect and sometimes I eat things that I shouldn't...but I don't eat much
 
24. Alcohol has a WHOLE different affect on me now.....that can be good or bad...good for me, bad for hubby who doesn't like me tipsy. LOL
 
and last but not least
 
25. Laughing through all the ups and downs is the only thing that can keep you sane
 
So, with all these little tid bits learned, I plan to go into the new year with an open mind and a willingness to continue to make positive changes, the knowledge to know I'm not perfect, and strength to say no to the bad food (most of the time). I hope you all are able to do the same.
 
Happy New Year everyone.....here's to a safe, happy, and healthy year ahead.
 
 
Now for some funny stuff.....LOL
 
Have to remember to eat so that I don't look like this in the New Year!!!
 

 
 
Have to remember not to eat too much so this doesn't happen....again....LOL
 

 
 
Most importantly, I have to remember to be happy with who I am...on the inside and out.
 

Ever since my surgery I've not once experienced that trigger of madness that carbs use to cause before.Until yesterday.
 
Everything was fine until about 17:00 when I decided to have a slice of christmas fruitcake.One slice became 2 and I thought I was fine.But I couldnt stop eating after that.I want to list what I ate,so that I can remember how easy it is to just slip right back into old habits if not cautious!
 
We came back to the B&B at about 18:00 and that is when the binge started.Over the next 6 hours I had 3 rusks (about 40 carbs and 200 calories each) one of those round lindt chocolates,5 blocks of fruit and nut chocolate and then I decided I needed protein (not!) and ate about 5 thai pork riblets.
 
Now Im not sure if it the gin and tonic I had before the fruit cake that made me not think things through or if it was just the sugar that triggered me.The thing that bugs me so much is that until yesterday,I couldnt touch chocolate as the taste was just to revoltingly sweet.It would make me feel so aweful.But for some reason in combination with everything else It tasted wonderful and I could munch away at it just fine.
 
Not having access to a scale today is driving me absolutely crazy now and I am wondering how AM I GOING TO PRACTICE WHAT I ALWAYS PREACH.I can eat a breakfast of 1 egg and a sclice of bacon but as for the rest of the day,the whole family's going to spend all of this day on the beach and I have no idea what food there will be.I find myself eating fried foods and not grilled (by choice,bad choice) and I have had quite a couple of french fries already this holiday.
 
Maybe I should first find out where I can weigh.Then I should see if I can find any shop thats open (small town,everything seems to be closed on boxing day) to buy some deli meat (ham or turkey if they have) and then I should just stick to 3 meals and a few beef jerky sticks as snacks.
 
No one seems to understand that being so close to goal,I dont want to gain any weight now.It is not a matter of just losing it again.I have to try to get to a point where I dont gain with every special event in life.
 
Anyhoo,no use obsessing about this as a lot is out of my control at the moment.This is why I prefer hotel stays to Bed and breakfast stays it is just easier food wize.
 
Ok,now to tackle the issue of 1.no umbrella for the beach 2. ME NOT WANTING TO EXPOSE MY FLAPPING ARMS,BOOBS AND LEGS in front of all these people today.
 
Happy holidays everyone!

Merry Christmas Everyone. Ok, I'm a day late and a dollar or two short but it's the thought that counts. Hope you all enjoyed a wonderful day with family and friends. I had a very interesting and different Christmas than I normally have...but I have to say, it seemed to end with wonderful memories and a great story to tell when I'm old and frail.
 
So, my day started tthe same as it normaly does on Christmas. Nothing really exciting. Due to finacial reasons, my husband and I did not exchanged gifts so there was no "under the tree excitment" to be had here. Not that it's a bad thing at all. We've always said that as long as we have each other, we don't need much else. I mean having a roof over our heads is REALLY nice and I wouldn't want to give it up but if we had to...well, then we would have to figure something out...TOGETHER.
 
Now, my normal day consists of going to my parent's house for Christmas dinner with my sister and her family (husband and four children). I was really looking forward to the family time until I made the call to my parents to wish them a merry Christmas. What do I hear? Phlem!! Lots and lots of it. Not only can my mother barely talk, I hear my father in the back ground doing the same thing. Long story short....Christmas at the Morgan's is CANCELED unltil further notice. So, my husband and I venture out to find something to cook for dinner. I didn't have anything that would rise to occasion of a "Christmas Meal" so I figured i would go get either lamb, prime rib, or a ham...yes, I know one of these things is not like the other...but hey, at least it's not CHICKEN!!!! LOL
 
So, we go store to store...meaning we went to two (we live in a small town) and much to my surprise, they were closed. We even went by our 24-7 Walmart and that was closed too. HUMMMM...now what? Again, we take a mental inventory of what we have in the freezer....CHICKEN...and maybe some hamburg. Neither seems worthy of a Christmas feast. So, I get an idea...let's see if the Chinesse place is open today. Sure enough it is. Yippie. Looks like we will have our own version of "A Christmas Story" this year.
 
So, around 2 I call and place our order. Not sure why I odered so much but I am sure my husband can handle most of it. I also figured due to my Christmas day food intake already, i would be able to pack more than normal away in my little tummy. I am still not sure where all the extra room came from. So, we changed our clothes so that we wouldn't be eating in our P.J's, took the five mile drive to the Chinesse store and picked up our food. Once home, my hubby set the table (as best he could at the last minute) and we sang...."Fa Ra Ra Ra Ra, Ra Ra, Ra, Ra." I figured it would be very insensitive to ask the people at the resturaunt to sing "Deck the Halls" like in the movie...I mean it is a complete stereotype and I in no way wanted (or want) to offend anyone. Then, we ate...and laughed...and talked. We talked about how sometimes the best memories come from an unexpected change of plans. And to be honest...I agree.
 
After dinner, we enjoyed a bottle of wine and some ciders. Took some photos and watched "A Christmas Story." Around 9:30, I went to bed with a full tummy, a fuzzy head, and a huge smile on my face. Don't get me wrong, i would have loved to spend the day with my family and I wish they weren't sick...but it's nice to have a story to tell for years to come.
 
I hope you all made your own memories yesterday and I hope they were good ones. Merry Christmas everyone!!!
 
 
This was our Christmas Feast....notice, there is no peaking duck

 
 
This is my meal...and no, I didn't finish it all. LOL

 
Me Showing off my Husband't "lighting skills' (3rd floor) Also, I find it so funny that when I saw this photo I was like, "WOW, I'm thin!!!" And, I said that while wearing sweats that were two sizes too big, a huge oversized sweat shirt, and a bulky coat...again...too big. Funny how times have changed. LOL
 

 
And of course, the chopstick shot

 
Last one...Me by the tree

I think I've got this thing about "dumping" with the sleeve.
 
Let me explain.I think I've been eating relatively low carb recently.And I say I think as I am not tracking my carbs,just checking my protein intake more or less every day.But I have not had any added carbs this week except green peppers and onions.Tonight I had a bit of TGI friday spinach and artichoke dip with some veal strips.During the day I had some chicken strips and some beef strips.Had 2 Dolchi gusto cappucinos.And then tonight I decided to have some Amarula liqeur.Its like Baileys.
 
I took one sip and bam,I started feeling hot,nauseas,palpitations,feeling like I had to visit the toilet,felt absolutely aweful.Early post op I had a couple of incidents like this when I would eat some sugar or fat for that matter.But lately I would have a cookie if I wanted or ok,I sont really do sugar at all anymore really.The cookie would be it.Mind you I've had some caramel popcorn and I was fine.
 
But I think sometimes my carbs are just not that low and then the added sugar (like in the popcorn) doesnt affect me at all,makes me super tired but thats it.
 
I think when I am quite low carb and busy dropping weight fast,I cannot do sugar or a lot of fat.I think the Amarula like the Baileys have got cream in it and lots of sugar and boy did I feel sick from a tiny sip.I can drink a jin and tonic once in a while and if I sip it slowly and nurse it all night,I am fine.
 
So,sugary drinks,just like anything else sugary is now off limits.Thinking about it,I shouldnt really drink the tonic either as it is carbonated and even if you stir out all the gas,there is still some left.
 
One thing I am sure of.Alcohol will not be a problem in my future as it is as unappealing most of the time as ice cream,and I use to eat a pint of that per night pre-op.
 
You live,you learn.

I was sleeved Aug. 28th 2012 and am down 49 lbs! Losing went slow ti.ll I reached the 3 month mark. I'm 7 lbs from my primary goal. My first goal is 125 lbs. I would be happy if I didn't lose any more. I feel great. I am so thankful I was able to be sleeved. I'm wearing younger, cute, clothes now. My husband is tickled to death about how I look, but kinda nervous about other men looking at me! But that'll keep him on his toes LOL! That's all for now. Thanks for reading my jumbled thoughts...

The moment I say my hair is not falling out anymore,hands full come out.
 
The moment I say eating is now stress free and easy,I have a bad day...lol
 
Today was a bad day and counting the caramel popcorn I had at the movies (went to distract myself,ok,not...to eat popcorn) my calories was about 1500 for the day I believe.Wont know as I dcided not to track today.
 
That was at lunch time and of course it did trigger a worm in my head.For dinner I tried to be good,had 3oz of turkey breast and capsicum but an hour later I found some chicken livers my housekeeper had made with perri-peri and onions and I ate about another 3oz of that.Then I was on a roll.But,I stopped myself and have had 3 huge cups of tea with milk since then.
 
Funny thing is Stress really gets to me these days where as before the surgery I was tough.Really tough.My kids nearly fainted when they saw me cry a month or so after surgery as I am not,or was not,the crying type,ever!
 
I live thousands of miles from my family and when things go wrong there with one of them I feel so isolated and powerless.but what bugs me more is that I have physical symptoms that I can only think is stress.I am not sick but have a huge fever blister on my lip.My back and face for that matter have broken out in acne-like pimples...I look like a teenager at the moment.
 
Of course before we go home we always groom ourselves a lot and pretend we always look like this...hehehe.This time though,I am full of pimples,a fever blister,my nails are as short as they've ever been so no nice french manicure and my bras just dont fit.I am now a size 38 C cup but the problem is with a C cup the bit under the arm is too narrow to hide the jelly bits on the side of the boobs and under the arm so I either have to wear a bra that is floppy in the cup or one which makes the jelly bits show.I have gone out and bought an insame amount of clothes just because I am stressed about everyone seeing me for the first time.Stupid isnt it?
 
I have also developed this crazy pain between my shoulder blades and I am sure it is because my boobs are hanging the way they do.My little kid tells me my back looks like a moon so I've been looking for those posture support thingies.Problem is "due to higene issues madam" one cannot fit them and I dont have a clue which size I should buy.Also"due to higene issues madam" you are not allowed to return it.
 
Tomorrow I will smell the roses.My little kid is coming back from camp (was a little lost without her) and my friend from Perth is coming for a quick visit.I have taken control of my overly busy schedule.Have dumped the project of bringing a couple of guys that are on the streets in Brazil since been released from prison back to SA before christmas on someone elses shoulders (I will still donate the tickets) and the women I look after here in prison will have to wait till monday for a visit.
 
I also suppose I shouldnt use this blog as a sound board but should start up a diary again...lol.However,I do plan on reading this in the future when I struggle and posting some stressors on here now might help me handle future stressors and eating issues that might go with that.I will then have no excuses as this have been a super stressful year and people often say,life happened and I started regaining because of stress,yada,yada,yada! No excuses ok? No regains! No slipping back into bad habits because of life.Life is happening now too and one bad day will not kill me as long as I take control again the next day.
 
Should try and sleep more though as it is one thing I am not controlling very well.I almost never get to bed before 2:00am and that is bad for the weight loss.So,gallas,going to bed now.

179.7 pounds this morning.
 
Eating off plan once every 2 weeks seems to help every now and then.When I was on Atikins if I stalled I would have a plate of spagetti bolognese and voila,the weight would drop.Should just be back on plan immediately the next day though.
 
Happy me!!!!

Monday December 10 11:30am
11 Days Before Surgery Day
 
I decided to start this blog to document this entire life changing experience. And if it will help others contemplating this survery or already in the process that will be great too. I probably should have started the blog months ago because my process began in August. I'll just give a brief overview....
 
I began looking into Gastric Sleeve in July when I realized I was never going to be happy unless I lost weight and I was never going to lead a full life unless I lost weight. I've dieted my entire life, with some success but mostly disappointment. I did manage to lose 160 pounds 11 years ago (doing low carb) --- at that point I was still 200 pounds but I was very happy. I was a size 16, which for me was a huge accomplishment. I managed to keep the 160lbs off for about 5 years. I was then diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and Thyroid Cancer in the same month. I had my thyroid removed and had radiation. It seemed to get harder and harder to keep the weight off, although I have still followed a mostly low carb lifestyle. It was so demoralizing. I have slowly regained 60 pounds back over the 6 years. I tried Weight Watchers, thinking that my body was so used to low carb that it needed something different. I GAINED weight on WW. I went back to low carb -- no success. I was despondent. I'm thankful I've still managed to keep the other 100 pounds off but I really believe I was on the road to gaining it all back. I came to the conclusion that I MUST do something drastic, NOW. I'm 49, with Multiple Sclerosis and Lupus and I want to make the most of my life NOW because I do not know what the future holds.
 
Like I said, I started looking into this in July 2012. By the end of July my mind was pretty much made up. I was going to do this! I had my first appointment with my surgeon August 16 and that is when my journey "officially" began. Aetna required a 3 month medically supervised diet program, which I completed in November. So here I am, finally! 11 days before my surgery.
 
I don't have an official diet to follow before surgery... my doc just said "don't gain". However I have been supplementing meals with protein shakes for a while. I finally found a couple protein powders that are actually GOOD and that I ENJOY! Nectar Chocolate Truffle and About Time Birthday Cake. Both are high quality whey protein isolate. I haven't lost any weight though but he said that is ok. And I do plan on having a few Last Meals with my hubby. He is a little bummed out that I won't be able to go out and eat for a while ( he is not overweight).
 
I'm excited and apprehensive at the same time. I know I will miss real food. I'm a native New Orleanian --- food is basically a religion here and it really is a huge part of normal life. EVERYTHING revolves around food. I wonder if I'll ever be able to eat normal things ( of course in much smaller portions)......but deep down I know that this is what I NEED to do.....

I GOT APPROVED THIS MORNING!!!!!!!
WOOOT WOOOOT!!!!
 
TOMORROW AFTER MY CLASSES I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT WITH MY DOCTOR TO FIND OUT WHEN THE DATE IS!!!
 
IM SOOOOOOOOOOOO FREAKING EXCITED!
 
THANKS EVERYONE FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!
 
KEEP ME UPDATED WITH YOUR JOURNEY & BE MY FRIEND!! <3

This is a rant, so I apologize in advance for being all over the place...
 
So the last few days I've had ZERO motivation to work out.  I'm just coming off my cycle so I know that's part of it.  However, I just feel so blah.  Part of me knows it is the cold weather too, the sunny days, late nights of summer...I hate the heat but love the summer...
 
Okay back on task...I'm just in a funk regarding exercise.  I walk daily but that is not enough.  I have literally every exercise DVD, tape, etc. known to man.  So there is variety I'm just not feeling it.  I even have an exercise bike, bands, weights, you name it but still no motivation.
 
I had the great idea to buy something (my other form of therapy I'm working on) a new workout outfit and a new piece of equipment.  I thought I'd buy either a home gym thingy (like the one Chuck Norris uses) or a treadmill (my 3rd one - I've given the others away).  Then I thought I'd buy one of those exercise chairs like on the Steve Harvey show, (see it here) until I saw it was $700 for something I can basically make myself.  Don't judge me, it takes me a while to figure out the real deal with me sometimes.
 
That's when I knew I was avoiding the real problem...no motivation. I've never been the type that gets a rush after exercising.  Even when I was thinner I didn't feel all giddy after working out.  It was/is a means to an end. 
 
Now don't get me wrong...I love belly dance, pilates, and bollywood dance.  So I know there are things I enjoy.  I think I'm just a combo of bored and lazy.  Plus, when I do those, I don't get as good a workout as when I used to hit the gym or lift weights.  So it feels like they are not worth my time. I do tolerate callanetics and t-tap which are good exercises but man they get boring really quick.
 
Which brings me to my next point...I don't want to go to the gym.  My days are literally full enough without going to a gym for a hour a day (I live in the country rual suburbs).  Plus, to pay for what I already have at home seems like a huge waste.
 
After all this, I guess there is no real point to my post other than I'm bored and lazy.  I guess I'll get back to my pilates and callanetics and maybe buy myself something to use when doing pilates.  Don't judge me, I'm still a work in progress.

This past week was wonderful.  I was able to spend much needed time with my family (worked from home multiple days), enjoy a nice long weekend, and just de-stress.  I did pretty good eating over the holiday.
 
I was pretty proud of myself.  I decided to view the food as "not going anywhere" rather than my "last hurrah".  This made all the difference in the world.  It helped me to realize just because I'm getting sleeved doesn't mean I will never eat some of the foods I enjoy again. 
 
I'm sure I won't be disappointed at my next weigh-in.  I have about a week to get ready.  We'll see what the scale holds.

Wow! Today has been a 180 from yesterday in terms of how I'm feeling about myself and the surgery. I am not down in the dumps. I kept super busy most of the day, but when I was able to wind down, I had some time to think about some of the things I was told in my pre-op class...
My dietician told me that she likes to listen to audio books while she walks on her treadmill or exercises.
 
There are a few reasons why this is an awesome idea...
1. Watching TV while exercising you have 1/3 commercials... most commercials are of fatty, delicious food. Seriously, NOT what I need when I'm trying to lose weight and break bad habits!
2. Music is a good option too, but after a week, you've heard them all and it doesn't really appeal anymore.
3. If you are like me and enjoy books but don't have time to sit down and read in the peace and quiet... kill 2 birds with 1 stone! Knock out my exercising and feed my brain all at the same time!
 
I thought, well, I will give that a try. Looking into it, I found that it is really expensive to download books... goodness gracious! After some researching and confusion of what their "deal" was, I found that I like audible.com best. I got the app for my iPod touch and download a few books.
 
I found some good inspirational books by Joel Osteen... How? I'm not sure... I have NO idea how his book got brought up. Thank goodness it did though! It was just what I needed and I didn't even know it.
 
So, I downloaded my book, ran downstairs, and fired up the treadmill... for the second time since surgery. (I've been walking, but more aimlessly around inside buildings and even my house.) I haven't had the motivation to really get into exercising yet for some reason. I got excited about the audio book thing though and was eager to get going.
 
I hopped on the treadmill and next time I looked down I had been on for 10 minutes... like nothing. I only ended up walking 15 though. I didn't want to overdo myself because I'm still pretty sore at times.
 
This book (so far.. I had to stop myself after the intro, before he got into "Day 1") talked about how your words affect your future. If you wake up tired and say, "Oh, man. I'm just so tired. It's going to be a horrible day." It will be. I've been told that a million times... blah blah blah. I know. I needed a reminder though. If you're feeling tired, say outloud, "I feel great. I'm healthy. Today is going to be a great day!" It will be a good day!
 
Also, it talked about how no one believes the things you say about yourself quite as much as you do. If you tell yourself enough that you are beautiful, happy, blessed, radiant, soon enough you will feel like you are... and you will be!
 
I needed these words (although I paraphrased A LOT from what the book says) I hope that they help someone else through their time of difficulty too.
 
Today truly has been a great day for me. I hope it has been for you too!!
 
I HIGHLY recommend considering listening to an audiobook while exercising. There are soooo many out there that there will be something for everyone to download.

I am 11 days post-op. I have lost 25 pounds total. I cannot believe it. I am so thrilled. OK. So I am going to post the truth. I started eating soft solid and solid foods. 3 days ago. Seriously. I couldn't stomache another protein shake. They were so sweet. I started with 2 teaspoons of mashed potatoes, thinned out with gravy. Zero problems. 3 hours later, I ate another 2 teaspoons. Again zero problems. I loved them. I decided to not take anymore chances that day, so the rest of the day was isopure protein water, and water.
 
2 days ago, my mom made deviled eggs for Thanksgiving so I took 1/2 and mashed it up really well. I ate 1/2 of that (so 1/4 egg) and then waited and I felt great. Again, I waited about 3 hours and had the other half. I ate it over the course of 15 minutes and chewed really, really well. I slept like a baby yesterday. I was able to drink almost a whole protetin shake and another isopure water throughout the day, along with my water.
 
Yesterday I was feeling really brave. I made one chicken apple sausage link, cooked moist in a little broth. I cut that one sausage into three chunks and then cut one of the chunks into teeny tiny pieces. I ate slowly, one piece at a time. I had no problems. Throughout the day I ate the other 2 chunks of sausage the same way. I had no heartburn, no slime, no gas, nothing. I ate teeny bites, and stopped when I felt full. I waited several hours before eating again. I still supplemented with isopure and protein shakes along with water.
 
Today, I made some creamed spinach (yum - my fave) and ate about 1/2 cup throughout the day, 1 teaspoon at a time. I ate about 3 oz of dark turkey meat (no skin) over the course of 3 meals (so about 1 oz each meal).
 
I walked on the treadmill 3 times today (each time 12 minutes). I am getting ready to walk for a fourth time. I am off work for one more week, but I feel really great. I have a lot of energy. I have to say, I feel like I have had a relatively easy time with my recovery. The first few days were rough, I'll admit. The first couple days home from the hospital I hurt like hell. I couldn't get the gas out of my body. It was painful and my body kept rejecting the pain and nausea medication. I kept throwing up, which of course made it hurt worse. Sleeping was not happening. I couldn't get comfortable.
 
BUT - suddenly, on the morning of the 4th day, it didn't hurt so bad. And on the 5th day, I was able to finally get comfortable and fell into a deep sleep. I needed no pain medication at all. I started taking my chewy vitamins. I started walking on the treadmill (2-5 minutes at a time). As I got stronger, the pain practically disappeared over the next 24-48 hours. I have read from other posters, that unfortunately, their recoveries haven't been so easy. So I feel blessed.
 
25 pounds gone forever. I am looking forward to when I can post that I have lost 50 pounds...