Dave is one month post-surgery

[Dave In Houston 199]

My surgery date was 5/28, so today is one month later.

The good:

• My pain was only moderate, and was manageable with just acetaminophen after the first couple days.
• I haven't had too much gas pain or nausea, either.
• I'm never hungry.
• I've lost 23 pounds since the surgery (33 including the pre-surgery diet).
• I'm wearing one size smaller jeans, and after losing another 5 pounds or so, I'll try the next size down.
• I'm also wearing one size smaller polo shirts.

The bad:

• If I eat too much or too quickly, I get quite uncomfortable. One one occasion, this resulted in vomiting.
• I've also had some Constipation.
• Crushing all my meds for the first week was awful. I was mixing them with yogurt, and they cut right through the yogurt flavor.
• The chewable Vitamin I'm taking is unpalatable, and makes me slightly nauseous.
• I do all the cooking in our house, and preparing separate meals for my wife and for me during the first few weeks was time-consuming.

I need to do better on planning my eating and drinking. I'm drinking way less Water than I used to, and I'm afraid I'm not getting enough calories either. I know I'm getting the recommended 60 to 80 grams of Protein because of Protein Shakes. I'm also not getting on the exercise machine enough. (I have a bad hip, so I can't take the long walks I used to take. The hip pain is decreasing a bit, though.)

I'd be pleased to hear observations from more seasoned surgery veterans about what to expect in the coming months, and any suggestions you may have to offer.

[Officially Not Fatty Matty 462]

Sounds very similar to me (I’m in Magnolia btw). The only difference is I was allowed to swallow pills whole from day one. And that started with a monster antibiotic pill right after surgery. I couldn’t walk much because of back pain (unrelated to the surgery), felt like I wasn’t eating enough calories or drinking enough. I’m one year out and I still don’t drink enough, am constipated but I’ve developed a pattern of laxatives to fix it once a week (I eat so little still it rarely bothers me to not go). Really for me once the one month hit things really took off. I was cleared for any food I wanted, with portion size being the main point of concern. I had no food problems other than if I ate too fast just like you. I’ve only done that twice now (you’d think I’d learn after the first time but no). If I ate over 500 cals a day for the first six months I’d be surprised. I just never thought about food much, lived off a couple Protein Shakes a day and a super small dinner like Tomato and mozzarella or just raw cucumber with some salt. Maybe be ready for some weird reactions when you look at yourself now or “before” photos. I don’t really recognize myself in either situation, but I love the new me. I just don’t always have that instinctive “that’s me” reaction in the mirror, and I’m mortified at how fat I was in the before pics even though at the time I really just thought of myself as a big guy.
Another strange feeling I’ve never talked about, at 6’4” 330lbs I felt like no one would ever mess with me (not that it’s a realistic worry) like walking to my car or whatever. I’ve definitely lost that sense of security (again, it’s unrealistic to worry about this)… I didn’t expect that psychological effect but it’s there. Strange feelings like that are things I never considered in the early days. None are bad or debilitating or even negative, honestly…. Just present… if that makes sense. Anyway I’m rambling but ask any more questions you can think of and I’ll do my best. Enjoy the ride, it’s really pretty awesome and I hope you have the best results.

[catwoman7 11,214]

the nauseated feeling from eating too much or too quickly is actually a good thing - it's what helps us control our eating.

unfortunately, a lot of us deal with chronic Constipation, even years after surgery. Find something that works for you and keep on it. A lot of us take a capful of Miralax every day to manage it. Other treatments that people have used include stool softeners, magnesium tablets, Smooth Move tea, and eating a few prunes every day. I'm sure I'm missing some here...but just find something that works for you.

I never had to crush pills either, fortunately. I was allowed to swallow (whole) any pill that was smaller than a pencil eraser from the time I left the hospital, so that meant I could swallow all but two pills (those giant Calcium tablets, plus one other one that I can't remember). Got around the calcium by getting chewables. The other pill my clinic's PA said I could hold off on for about two weeks, at which time I could probably swallow it whole (and I could...)

I do all the cooking in my house. Once I got to solid food stage, I made the same things for my husband as I did for myself. He'd just get more of whatever it was - plus I'd often add a starch for him, like a potato or some Pasta or rice. Otherwise, same.

[Dave In Houston 199]

11 hours ago, Officially Not Fatty Matty said:

Sounds very similar to me (I’m in Magnolia btw).

Wow, Matty. Your statistics tell me you're a remarkable story.

Did you log everything you ate? I feel like I should be logging but it's a real pain. The hospital recommends an app called Baritastic, but I don't feel like typing on the phone. In the past I've used a PC program called DietPower, but the user interface is really clunky. Right now I'm weighing portions carefully to keep from eating too much, but I'm not logging them.

I have a big roll of fat around the waist. How much weight do I have to lose before that goes away?

Also, did you tell people about the surgery? So far, I have told family and close friends. I suspect it will soon become common knowledge, but I'm not going out of the say to tell people.

BTW, I'm actually down in Sugar Land.

[Dave In Houston 199]

1 hour ago, catwoman7 said:

the nauseated feeling from eating too much or too quickly is actually a good thing - it's what helps us control our eating.

unfortunately, a lot of us deal with chronic constipation, even years after surgery. Find something that works for you and keep on it. A lot of us take a capful of Miralax every day to manage it. Other treatments that people have used include stool softeners, magnesium tablets, Smooth Move tea, and eating a few prunes every day. I'm sure I'm missing some here...but just find something that works for you.

I never had to crush pills either, fortunately. I was allowed to swallow (whole) any pill that was smaller than a pencil eraser from the time I left the hospital, so that meant I could swallow all but two pills (those giant Calcium tablets, plus one other one that I can't remember). Got around the Calcium by getting chewables. The other pill my clinic's PA said I could hold off on for about two weeks, at which time I could probably swallow it whole (and I could...)

I do all the cooking in my house. Once I got to solid food stage, I made the same things for my husband as I did for myself. He'd just get more of whatever it was - plus I'd often add a starch for him, like a potato or some Pasta or rice. Otherwise, same.

Thanks for responding.

You're sure right about the feeling I get when I eat to much making me careful not to overeat. In the old days, I never would have left two or three bites on my plate. These days, I'm very conscious of whether my gut is saying I'm full. Doesn't bother me to throw something out or put it away for tomorrow, if it will help me avoid that feeling.

I did take Miralax once a few days after surgery. The amount I took worked a little too well. I'll try a bit less next time.

I'm on normal foods now, but my wife is out of town to see her folks. When she gets back, I'll probably start her on whatever I eat. I don't like vegetables much, but I guess I'll prepare more when she's around.

Before surgery, I would serve those pre-made chopped salad kits. Have you used them? They're mostly cabbage and carrots, with very little lettuce. I don't know whether I want to chew a mouthful of cabbage until it's the consistency of applesauce.

[PhenomenalWoman 32]

Just now, Dave In Houston said:

Thanks for responding.

You're sure right about the feeling I get when I eat to much making me careful not to overeat. In the old days, I never would have left two or three bites on my plate. These days, I'm very conscious of whether my gut is saying I'm full. Doesn't bother me to throw something out or put it away for tomorrow, if it will help me avoid that feeling.

I did take Miralax once a few days after surgery. The amount I took worked a little too well. I'll try a bit less next time.

I'm on normal foods now, but my wife is out of town to see her folks. When she gets back, I'll probably start her on whatever I eat. I don't like vegetables much, but I guess I'll prepare more when she's around.

Before surgery, I would serve those pre-made chopped salad kits. Have you used them? They're mostly cabbage and carrots, with very little lettuce. I don't know whether I want to chew a mouthful of cabbage until it's the consistency of applesauce.

Every doctor's advise is different, but I wanted to share that my doctor's office literature says that we can't eat raw vegetables (salad) until 2 - 3 months after surgery, at the earliest. I now wonder if that has something to do with the difficulty of getting it down to such a fine consistency.

Your stats are impressive and your reflections are appreciated. Thanks for sharing!

[Officially Not Fatty Matty 462]

No I didn’t log anything. I tried it for half a day but I’m not disciplined enough to do anything like that reliably enough. I just kept mental notes and tbh it was really easy when it was two shakes and a cucumber all day. My estimates now are just that but I’m dialing into maintenance fairly easily. I no longer rely on my daily weight as I gain a tiny amount each day until I have my laxative around once a week and use my weight after that’s all settled out to compare. I’m losing about .3lbs a week right now which I’m ok with, it’s better than regain but I want to be careful.
I told my half of my family. My wife really doesn’t want her side to know so it’s not out there in the public domain so to speak. I honestly don’t care who knows but am respecting her wishes (she had the procedure too so it’s not just about me).
As far as the fat roll I don’t know. I was pretty barrel shaped, skinny legs and arms but not really a roll, just a thick torso. I will say that I was constantly amazed at how much better I thought I looked in the moment, but looking back through those in-progress photos now…. eehhh now it doesn’t look so great. It’s all about perspective I guess. If I stopped losing at 240 (my initial “realistic goal”) I would be saying the same thing, and if I get down to 180 (don’t want to) I’ll probably think I’m too doughy now. I guess I’m just always happy in the now. But I am happy. I said in my one year update that I feel like THIS is the me that I always knew existed.