35 day Post Op Update (with pics)

[careteam70 18]

Had an appointment at my weight loss clinic today for my 30'ish day check up and decided to post an update. This is a summary of the past 30 days and will include....
THE GOOD, THE BAD, and THE UGLY..... wahhha..wah. wha.. wha (okay as close as I think the good, the bad, and the ugly theme would sound like in print)

The Good: I have lost 40lbs post op (I weighed in at 271 lbs, my surgery weight was 311) I do not include my total weight weight loss from start of the program, just from the surgery date (I weighed 329 at my heaviest).

I am getting my energy back, slowly, but I feel it coming back. I am able to go to the gym and use the treadmills with my wife and son, walk farther, go up stairs without feeling my hips and knees grind, and I can mow the lawn and do yard work again.

This next one may sound silly, but to me it meant a lot. I was able to take a bath. Normally for the past several years I have showered daily, but there have been days I would have loved a good hot bath to just soak for a bit. For years I was afraid of lowering myself and slipping and falling, and even the last time I did take a bath I displaced so much Water into the run off drain it was basically just me laying in about 2 gallons of water. Our tub is a normal size garden tub. I was surprised to not only be able to bathe but actually see space between me and the edge of the tub.

My family has been very supportive. My kids think it's great i am looking out for my health, and my wife...well some days she is like a Marine Drill Instructor while going over my food choices and if I took my Vitamins or not.

I may need to buy some new clothes soon. I normally wear XXXL T-shirts and XXL pants but have noticed my shirts hanging on me a lot lower. Before I did not have to tuck them in because my gut would hold them out like a circus tent, now I feel like I am wearing a mini skirt with the shirt bottom hanging so low. My friends and family say they can see the weight loss but I think a lot of us have body dysmorphia and just can't see any improvement, so all i have to go on is my clothing feeling loose an dthe fact I don't have to turn sideways in supermarket aisles to let others pass.

I do not feel hunger. Do I think of food I can't or shouldn't eat? Hell yes I do!, but it's more like food memories of what i used to eat for comfort, and I know that's what they are. Not feeling hunger is a double edged sword because I do have to remind myself to eat and it is very easy for me to go an entire day and realize I have not eaten anything.

THE BAD: This is where I confess all the things I should not have done, but did anyway, and the consequences.

The first, I have to come clean to upfront. I was a smoker for 30 years before I quit for the surgery. I felt I had quit the habit for good by the time of my surgery but during a stressful time I stupidly bought a pack of cigarettes and spent the next 4 days smoking that pack. (Now I can hear the boo's and hisses coming through the internet and the comments of "But you had quit! why did you start again stupid!"). I am not going to explain it or give any excuses or ask for any forgiveness except from my wife. Here we come to the main reason I mention this at all. I developed the worst case of GERD's, acid reflux, heartburn, etc I have ever had. I am still trying to clear it up. Stupidly I kept asking myself what was causing it. The food I was eating was the same, my liquid intake was normal, what could it possibly be I would ponder as I took another drag off of my cigarette. Yes I am a slow learner (Just ask my wife) but the correlation to smoking and immediately afterwards having a severe GERDS flare up finally dawned on me. What chantix could not do, severe burning hellfire in my esophagus was able to do. I put the smokes down for good.

I have experimented with some foods I probably should not have. I figured I eat chicken salad and softened chicken...I should be able to eat a chicken nugget right? I do not know if it was the breading, that fat it was cooked in or what, but I was throwing up (Dry heaving really) for about 20 minutes. There have been other experiments, and I do forsee more as my food choices increase. I do not go out and try to eat a double cheeseburger in one setting, but I may tear a piece of meat off the side and nibble on it (and then dry heave for 20 minutes, make a mental note not to do that again and foolishly go and find something else I shouldn't eat and nibble on a bit of it) I did mention I am a slow learner right?

During a phase of nausea I had my wife go out and get me a bottle of diet ginger beer. This is non alcoholic and is basically ginger ale except 10 times stronger in the amount of ginger in it. I opened the bottle, poured a shot glass worth and let it sit for an hour until most of the carbonation had worn off. Drank it and it did really settle my stomach. We since that worked a week later after working in the yard I got a can of ice cold soda..yes plain old sweetened soda. First mistake is I gulped it (I go more into liquids below), second mistake I did not allow the fizz to dissipate, third mistake well was drinking the damn thing at all. This time I threw up for real..kinda..just the soda coming right back up and even up and out my nose. sigh....Now I know you may not have heard this...but I am a slow learner

THE UGLY: This is where I mention things that are kinda sucking that I actually did not cause to myself. At least i think so..maybe.

Drinking, no not booze (not yet as least) I mean just normal drinking of water, fluids, etc. Before surgery I used to love to just guzzle a soda, or water, or even the first cup of coffee of the day. (Aha! I can all ready hear you all out there wagging your fingers saying "sip, sip, sip") Well as many of you post ops know, that doesn't quite work for many of us now. Even an ice cold glass of almond milk can be an enemy if I drink to fast. The other issue I have is not drinking with meals, or before, or after etc. It is an ingrained habit that I will admit I am still struggling with (easy fix is just not having liquids around me during meal times).

Hypoglycemic events. I have had two and they scared the bejeesus out of me. I don't know if it was from lack of food, from eating/drinking something I shouldn't have or what but as soon as I start sweating and shaking, feeling sleepy and weak i check my blood sugar and normally I run 100 and to see it down in the 60's or 70's is scary.

and as promised really shameless before and after pics.....not for the weak of heart

[Orchids&Dragons 9,047]

You are a man dedicated to the truth! Congrats on your success so far. You prove that you don't have to be perfect, but it sounds like you're right there 99% of the time. Your pics are amazing, the change is very noticeable! It's nice to hear how supportive your family is.

I love your good, bad, ugly theme. Thanks for sharing and good luck on your journey!

[vsg4vfc 7]

Thank you so much for the post. I'm female and a different age group but height/weight wise our stats match pretty well and I've felt very discouraged with my progress so far (over 2 weeks out, following the regiment but only lost 11lbs). I definitely understand your hunger vs food memories feeling. I'm still trying to figure out which is which since my food memories are still like heavy cravings which I thought was going to go away.

I really hope I'm able to show more progress like you did. You're doing awesome!

[madscientistmommy 124]

Great job! What a difference! Thanks for sharing the bad and the ugly too. Congratulations!

[Orchids&Dragons 9,047]

16 minutes ago, vsg4vfc said:

Thank you so much for the post. I'm female and a different age group but height/weight wise our stats match pretty well and I've felt very discouraged with my progress so far (over 2 weeks out, following the regiment but only lost 11lbs). I definitely understand your hunger vs food memories feeling. I'm still trying to figure out which is which since my food memories are still like heavy cravings which I thought was going to go away.

I really hope I'm able to show more progress like you did. You're doing awesome!

Sadly, true hunger usually goes away for a while, but head hunger and cravings are a real, ongoing battle.

Edited May 23, 2018 by Orchids&Dragons

[YeahOkay31 651]

Fantastic job, the difference in your stomach is quite noticeable! I slip up too, i think we all have our bad & ugly. 😊

[J San 1,071]

Pre op still but the advice I give is take it in stride. Your only just over a month out, you can't expect to get rid of all your unhealthy habits so quickly. 40lbs in that short of time is amazing. I can only hope to be so lucky. Slow learner or not your learning what you can and cannot do. I myself have a different crutch that I turn to in my times of "stress" (doesn't take much to convince myself i'm stressed). I have been pretty damn good for the last few months but worry about keeping it up after surgery. Before and after pics look great man, we are of a very similar body type so I kind of get an advance look if I do so well. Keep up the good work and keep us posted on how things go. You got this man!!!!