Three weeks post-op

Three weeks ago, I was in the operating room. I think. Maybe I was in recovery... I'm not actually sure how long the surgery lasted. Funny that I never asked. Funny, too, that I don't think I've mentioned they found during surgery that I had a hiatal hernia: part of my stomach was squeezed above my diaphragm. The surgeon repaired the hernia first and then did my sleeve. I have six incisions, which is standard for my hospital. I've heard of people having three to seven. My incisions are healing well; they're still covered with Steri-Strips, which I think my surgeon will remove on Thursday at my follow-up appointment. 

The up side

As of this morning, I've lost 30 pounds since last July: 7 pounds on my own, 9 on the pre-op diet and 14 since surgery. I'm floored. And excited. 

My husband and I both have noticed it's easier for me to get up from a chair, and this weekend, when we went for walks, my back and hips didn't hurt. I love that my health already is improving!

The down side

With that said, there are some frustrations. After three weeks of liquids (with a little yogurt, pudding, ricotta and cottage cheeses, and Cream of Wheat thrown in), I'm feeling ready for some solid food.

Cottage cheese doesn't want to go down, Cream of Wheat turned me off this morning, and even yogurt isn't appealing, partially because the yogurt I have right now is low-sugar and I can taste the artificial sweetener (yuck). I'm looking forward to moving away from artificial sweeteners soon. Usually I make it a habit to avoid them; I think that's healthier. 

I'm not sure what my tummy will think of solids — but I'm ready to find out. An egg sounds good, maybe soft boiled. 

Support groups 

I've found several support groups on Facebook. Some are general bariatric surgery groups, some are sleeve-specific and some focus on recipes. I've learned people have amazingly varied experiences: no complications, bad complications; no nausea, lots of nausea; slow weight-loss, fast weight-loss; no problems eating anything, problems eating almost everything. 

One thing that makes me cringe is "I've only lost xx." That "only" negates the hard work, takes away from the success and demeans the person. I hate it. And I see lots of people doing it. I will not. I will give myself credit for working hard, and I'll claim my success. 

Another thing that makes me cringe is reading stories about the horrid things some people have had said to them, things like "I knew someone who had weight-loss surgery and they died" or "I know someone who gained all her weight back." Here's how I think about it. If a friend were diagnosed with breast cancer, would you tell her about the people you know who died of breast cancer — or about success stories you know of? Wouldn't you cheer her on and hope for the best?

Yes, it's possible to die from weight-loss surgery — but the fact is, most people don't. Yes, it's possible to regain all of your weight — but not everyone will. I expect to carefully consider everything I put in my mouth for the rest of my life. Everything, every time. Does it support my health? Will it move me toward my goal? If not, what are the impacts and am I willing to live with the consequences? 

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe all of my early hard work will pay off in creating habits that will last without effort — but I'm not counting on it. I'm prepared to work for my life, for the rest of my life.