4 weeks ago today...

We entered the hospital for our surgery. In some ways it seems like a long time ago, but in others, it seems like yesterday.

Our eating is still a learning experience, but that's okay. We're luck in that we're able to eat a wide variety of food and our tastes haven't changed that much. The only thing we've noticed is that sweet fruit drinks (lemonade, Propel, etc) are way too sweet for our tastes now, so we have to cut them in half with water. Compared to what some people go through, that's nothing!

Okay, on to the stats and photos. Both Tia and I have lost 30.2 lbs in 4 weeks (28 days). We also did our measurements. Mark has lost a total of 11.5 inches (and has gone from a size 52 waist to a 48!) and, get this, Tia has lost an amazing 22.5 inches!!!!!!!!! I'm so proud of her.

Okay, here are the photos:

WooHoo! Losers again

Good news - our stalls appear to have broken and we're losing steadily again. We'll be posting our 1 month out photos and stats tomorrow.

The other good news is that we both appear to be able to tolerate toast! That's very good news for me as I was in need of some fiber. The whole grain white bread from Costco has 6 grams of fiber per slice, so that's great. More than one serving of the Benefiber! Things are once again "regular". Plus it's just nice to have some toast with peanut butter in the evening (have to get a little protein in there too!)

Our walking is going great - doing 1 mile 5 times/week at least. Today we'll probably try for a mile and a half. Man, and to think I used to get winded just going to the end of the cul-de-sac to get the mail!

3 week check-up

Tia and I had our 3 week post-op check up on Monday. Everything is great. Tia's infections are cleared up, our tiny tummy wounds area healing well and our energy levels are great.

Dr Lauter cleared us to begin eating solid food again! WooHoo! We still need to chew everything extensively and only little bites, but at least it's a start.

Our weight is only creeping down at this pont, which is kind of depressing. Believe it or not, it's because we're eating too little. On days that we eat more (700-800 calories) we actually lose better! The other challenge that has a dramatic effect on things is getting in all of our water in. It's mainly a timing thing, but also just getting used to always always drinking or eating.

The other big milestone is that we're up to walking a mile a day! That may not sound like much, but it's huge for us. Heck, I used to drive to the end of the cul de sac just to get the mail! Another side benefit of the walking is that it really helps with digestion after dinner.

Still no regrets at all. Unlike diets, we know this will work. It's just a matter of time. Tia, by the way, is looking great. You can really see her weight loss! We'll post some one month out pictures next week.

Stalls already?

What's up with that! Both Tia and I are stuck at 21 and 25 lbs down respectively and haven't moved in 3 or 4 days. From what I read, this is perfectly normal, although most people experience it around week 3 or 4 and we're 17 days out.

It's kind of demoralizing, but unlike regular diets, we know this has to work just because of the physical change in our bodies. I think our bodies are in shock from how little food they're getting and are holding on to every bit.

I've also noticed I'm not peeing much, so I'm really trying to up my water intake. It seemed to help yesterday. Man, this really takes effort and planning!

Still, neither Tia nor I have any regrets at all about the surgery. We know the weight will come off. Neither of us are especially patient people though. We want to post some "after" pictures NOW! :)

2 Weeks after

It's been 2 weeks since my surgery. As I stated in my last blog, my hospital experience was very good. Now comes the fun of trying to figure out HOW and WHEN to eat. Throughout my life it's always been, "only eat when you are hungry." Not so in this new WLS life. Now it's about timing, timing, timing.

For instance. This morning I woke at 6:15, got the child off to school by 7:00. My husband got up at 7:30 and was sweet enough to make me an egg for breakfast. It was almost one hour since waking that I finally ate. You may not think that is a long time, except when your body needs to eat every couple of hours and your last meal prior to breakfast was a snack around 9:30 the night before. So, do the math. That's 10 hours my body has been patiently waiting for it's next round of nourishment.

Now onto the emotional and physical side of things. My husband had a sentence in one of his blogs that stated, "if it wasn't for the 6 little incisions on my tummy, I'd never had known I had surgery." That rings true with me as well. My SURGERY and recovery afterwards have been a breeze. It's the other things that have me feeling less than 100%. Like the pneumonia I got while I was in the hospital. The fun of antibotics for the next 7 days. Please keep in mind that attempting to take the pill form of an antibotic right after surgery would be a terrible (TERRIBLE) mistake. So they prescribed me a liquid. Icky ca ca. I usually don't have a problem with medication, but everything I need to take at this point is liquid. I swear, if I didn't know better, I'd think it's eating away the tastebuds. No matter how much I rinsed out my mouth after taking the meds, I could still taste it. GROSS!
But, I sucked it up, thought to myself, "Tia...this is about your heath. You HAVE to take this nasty tasting stuff. It's not an option. Pneumonia just doesn't go away, left untreated." And so I took it.
Now I find out I have a yeast infection and Thrush caused from taking the antibotics. Amazing how modern medicine works, huh? Starting later today (after getting the prescriptions filled) I get to start on a whole new regiment of things to get my outsides to feel as good as my insides. I KNOW I WILL GET THROUGH THIS. I KNOW I WILL GET THROUGH THIS.

I know you have read this a 100 times before, but even with the crap I am currently experiencing, I'd still go through with the surgery again without a doubt. Any woman can get a yeast infection from taking antibotics. Heck, my girlfriend told me she got one just today. So this, in my opinion, has nothing to do with the surgery itself. Do not be discouraged that little things can happen afterwards. It's a part of life, no matter what your situation is.

As for the weight loss....I have lost 20.6 pounds in 13 days. I can't complain about that at all. I am flabbergasted at the fact that after having this major surgery, I'm not taking 3-4 naps a day trying to recover. Heck, yesterday and (so far) today I've not had a nap at all. I can't imagine having Gastric Bypass Surgery in any other way but laparoscopically. The energy I feel, so soon after surgery is amazing. My husband and I used to talk about taking nightly walks. Now we do it. We started with a casual stroll, then added a little more distance. Now we are adding speed. I think next week we might have to add some more distance again. We have goals of riding bicycles together, riding horses (without the horses dying under our weight). I want to parasail with my daughter when we go to Maui. I couldn't do that the last time we went. I will not embarrass her or me again.

Well, I've talked my own ear off, so I will close this blog for not. I will post another entry soon. Stay tuned..............

Quick update

Here's a quick update as of Thursday, March 6th. Tia and I are doing well. Tia's pneumonia finally feems to be on the downside and she's breathing pretty well. Can take deep breaths without pain!

Me? This is very weird. If I didn't know better, I'd never know I had surgery. No pain, no problem getting around. Only six little scars on my tummy remind me that it actually happened.

Both of us seem to be tolerating all the food we eat. Tia, who used to be addicted to Propel, now finds it way too sweet. But other than that, no changes.

We're starting to get the eating/drinking routine down. It's very different from "normal" trying to plan everything out. I'm so used to eating when I'm hungry, drinking when I want, etc. But it's getting better, more of a reflex now.

This is definitely do-able. Oh, here are are stats: Mark down 21 lbs, Tia down 13.8! That's in 10 days!

And now for a commercial break...

Okay, this has absolutely nothing to do with weight loss surgery (or does it?). I saw this ad on the Travel Channel while watching Anthony Bourdain in Hawai'i and was absolutely blow away. I just wanted to share it here.