One month post-op today.

[Emilie.Lancaster 189]

One month after a gastric sleeve.... Ups and downs.

I'm eating all kinds of things, in tiny amounts, and sipping. 23 pounds down since surgery day, so, not too quick, not too slow.

I now take two chewable Multivitamins, calcium+D, and Biotin. I am off the pain meds, but I've saved some percosets for when I'm feeling better... *wink* I just took my last prilosec. I wonder how that will shake out.

Physically, I feel mostly back together, but not 100%. I teach 7th grade, and I have enough energy to teach all day, so a win there in the recovery column, but I'm having a devil of a time finding all the words I know that I know. Several files in my brain have bad directories now. Very frustrating, but I have hope that it will resolve soon. Stoopid anesthesia.... My incisions are still angry red, but totally sealed up. I had a pesky suture that kept poking out of one, but I finally clipped it off below the skin and it covered and closed itself. I realize just now that the itching has gone down dramatically in the last day or so. Win. My waist and thighs are drawing in, but that makes my flabby lower abdomen look bigger! I know it's melting, too, but not as quickly, and relativity is a bitch.

I'm tracking all my foods, and I'm hovering around 8 to 9 hundred calories on a good day, sometimes less, but I am getting consistent patterns established. I can go on this way indefinitely, I think.

In 30 minutes, on an empty stomach, I can bring 12-16 ounces of Water. I can totally feel the water flow through the pylorus. More solid things, say, cottage cheese, I can take about 4 ounces, but I need to take a break in the middle. Fish, I can get 2-3 ounces in, and no more. And it must be very wet fish - not overcooked. I threw up once, and it was overcooked trout. I had slime first, and when I could not stand the discomfort any more, my husband said, just get it over with. I don't like to vomit. Myself needed convincing, but I felt better after. I've only puked once on the soft foods, so I count that as a win, too. I've tried some other more solids, too. A bite of carrot even. No problems. But I don't want to push it.

I'm cooking and shopping out of habit, and my freezer is FULL. I think I will just stop cooking altogether. What I cooked tonight will literally take me a week to eat.

Maybe over sharing here, but the first real poop was rough. A week after surgery, we were shopping and I realized what needed to happen. I made a nice normal poo, and then felt nausea. I think the intestines had been in a shock and the waking to do their job was too much for them. It's gotten better since, but its days between the little poops. Small eats means small outs. Doesn't bother me much. Similarly, sex was a cautious adventure, too. A week out, we managed a gentle try, three weeks after surgery, all systems were ready for anything. Win.

And, as always when I am on a diet, I want to put hot sauce on everything. However, I don't think this is a good idea just yet.

I am curious as to what comes next and to see how this goes. At one point several years ago, I was 293 pounds (5'11"). I worked hard and dieted down to 187. That was impossible to maintain through a divorce, a brief time of homelessness, a career change, and a new relationship. I'm at 227 as of this morning. I'm pretty sure that losing some more is in the cards, but how much more? At my lowest, I was thin looking. Some said too thin, but 10 or more pounds would not change that look much, not at my height. My doc says 149 is a healthy weight for me, but I think that is WAY too thin. I'd be a bag of bones! My boobs would be two empty purses with olives at the bottom! So, goal... 175, and then reevaluate? That's 52 pounds from here, and if I go 2 pounds per week that gets me there by summer. We shall see...

Lastly, my husband is taking this opportunity to get himself back on track. He was banded 7-ish years ago. He dropped 150 pounds, but he's put 25 or so back on in the last year. We've been happy and eating like newlyweds... Anyway. He's been super supportive. His goal is 210, from his staring point of 275. Doing the math, from collective high weights to goals, 400 & 293 to 210 & 175, we will have lost a collective 308 pounds. That's like two people... It's us getting ourselves in better health together.

[ProudGrammy 8,322]

devil of a time finding all the words

@@Emilie.Lancaster

me too!!!!

7th graders can give you problems all the time LOL!

my problems are related to "senior" moments

looks like you are doing fine

23 lbs down!!!

MUST work on drinking more!!!

you should be drinking 64+ oz of Water a day

drinking is essential - take small sips, all day!!

FORCE yourself

taking your Vitamins, keeping track of food, cooking, eating

Protein is VERY VERY important - sounds like you are doing great!!

problems with itchiness, incisions, tiredness - things should continue to improve

poop - always a "shittttty" discusssion!!!

common discussion!!!

glad that things are moving along!!

glad your night time "maneuvers" are doing well !!!

as far as GOAL, get to docs chosen weight if you want

stop or loose more, it's up to you, it's your body

wonderful that you and hubby are doing this together

step by step, hand in hand - baby spoon to baby spoon!!

next post, paragraphs please - easier to read - thanx!!!

good luck

kathy