AprilJM

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5/2/08 - Here's the latest regarding my vertical sleeve gastrectomy.    It's been 39 days since my surgery and I have now lost a total of 35 lbs. (12 lbs. pre-surgery & 23 lbs. post surgery, which was on 4/24/08). I have been stalled for the past 2 weeks and finally started losing again as of this morning. I was beginning to freak out but after reading on the vertical sleeve forums, I found out that most everyone stalls somewhere between week 3 & 5 due to your body going into starvation mode. I was really getting discouraged and was asking myself..."What the heck have you done"! I would NEVER have put myself thru this for less than 75 lbs. and I'm really hoping for 100 lbs.   I started walking last week and I think that's helped some. I walk for 30 minutes 5 days a week. My biggest issue so far has been not getting in enough calories, liquids or protein. The doctor says I should get at least 1000 calories daily, 60 to 80 ozs. of water, and according to my weight, I should be getting 84 grams of protein daily. Needless to say...that's not happening. I've struggled to get in 300 to 500 calories daily, 15 to 20 ozs. of water and 10 to 20 grams of protein. I have felt completely drained and all I want to do is sleep. Go figure...   I finally decided to order some liquid protein, (since I just can't eat that much), and that has helped me gain some energy. Slowly but surely I'm getting to where I can eat & drink a little more each day. At first it was 2 or 3 teaspoons of broth and that was all I could hold. Now I can hold about 3/4 of a cup at a time with much more variety of foods. I still struggle to get in the proper amount of calories, liquids, & protein but it's getting better.    For those of you considering this surgery, I will say it's more mental than anything. I miss eating large amounts of food! I miss eating whatever & whenever I please! It's very depressing to think that you will never eat like you use to in the past. When they say you won't be able to hold as much food after surgery...they mean it!!!!!! However, the head hunger is sometimes overwhelming. The fullness in my stomach lets me know to stop but my mind still says I'm hungry. Even when you're full the food still tastes & smells so good. This feeling was something I wasn't expecting and was totally not prepared for. I thought I would feel full, like after a huge meal, and the very thought of food would be disgusting. But unfortunately, it's not like that, at least not yet. Sometimes it feels like a waste of time to even try eating because your stomach gets full before you want to stop and it's just easier to never start.   Somehow this surgery messes with your taste buds too. Chocolate & sweets have always been my downfall. Now everything tastes super sweet and if I eat more than 1 or 2  bites I will get very sick. I found this out the hard way. I stopped at McDonald's for a chocolate dipped cone on my way back from Murfreesboro one day. By the time I had eaten the chocolate off the top I was seriously ill. My heart was beating very fast, I was shaking all over, I broke out in a cold sweat, I was very dizzy and so nauseous I could not drive. I felt like I was dying! Courtney (my daughter) was with me and when we finally got to her house I had to lay down for an hour before I could drive home. I suppose this is what they call "dumping syndrome!" I had been warned about this but I assumed "dumping syndrome" meant diarrhea. And I thought it would take a lot more than a few bites of chocolate to cause it. It's definitely a horrible feeling and a mistake you will only make once! But the good thing is that I don't crave sweets anymore. I bought a Caramello candy bar last week, mostly out of habit, and it took me 4 days to eat the whole thing. So I can still eat chocolate, just in small portions. Or I guess you could say "normal portions!"    I can't say yet if the surgery was worth it but I'm hoping to feel a lot better about it as the weeks pass by and more weight hopefully comes off. Each day does get better and I can hold more food than the day before. But I have accepted the fact that large portions will never pass my lips again. After all, that's why I had the surgery...to eat less and lose weight. :)   I'll keep everyone updated and if anyone has any questions about the surgery, just e-mail me at april.mckinley@state.tn.us  

It's been 75 days since my surgery and I have now lost a total of 48 lbs.!!! (261 lbs. to 213 lbs.) (size 24 to size 18). :) :) I can't wait to get under the 200 lb. mark!   I am adjusting well to the "sleeve" and can now eat much more than I could after the first few weeks of surgery. However, I can't even come close to the amount I use to eat before the surgery, which is a good thing. I can tolerate most foods well, just in much smaller amounts. Bread still fills me up too quickly and makes me a little nauseous. I now prefer wraps because their not as bloating as bread. I also LOVE the low-carb thick burger from Hardees. I truly do not miss the bun and it makes 2 meals for me. The grilled chicken wrap from Sonic also makes 2 meals for me. The grilled chicken wrap from McDonald's is the perfect size. I can now say this surgery is awesome and well worth it! I would definitely do it again! The weight loss is quick & effortless!   The biggest issue I have now is not being able to drink while eating. I'm supposed to wait 30 minutes after a meal before drinking anything. I've heard different reasons for this fact, such as...drinking while eating flushes the food thru your stomach more quickly causing you to be able to eat more; drinking while eating fills you up quicker and you don't get enough nourishment from food; & drinking while eating can cause a painful pressure in your chest area. For me, the painful pressure is exactly what happened. I WILL NOT make that mistake again!   I would definitely recommend this surgery to anyone that is truly obese. The first few weeks are rough due to the head hunger and the grieving for food. I never would have dreamed I would grieve for food but I did...really badly! But the grieving & head hunger does fade away eventually. At first you feel like you will never be able to enjoy food again and the thought of that is very depressing. With the "sleeve" procedure being so new there wasn't much prep talk about the head hunger & grieving. I was so surprised and felt like a failure. You know how when you're dieting and start to miss food you just give in & have a splurge day. Well...that's physically impossible with this surgery and you will think you have totally screwed up the rest of your life. But when you see the weight falling off and you begin to feel lighter...suddenly food is no longer the most important thing in your life. I think I put way too much emphasis on food. I enjoyed it way too much so of course I was going to miss it. But I can now enjoy the taste of food again and can eat smaller amounts of whatever I want. After a meal I don't have that miserable bloated feeling or the guilt.   We went to Cracker Barrel the other night and I ordered chicken & dumplings, which came with 3 sides. I chose mac & cheese, and a double order of baby carrots. I made 3 meals out of this dinner and still couldn't eat the mac & cheese. But it was sooooooooo yummy!   I must say...for now...life is great! The "sleeve" is the best decision I have ever made! Weight loss surgery may not be for everyone, but it sure has helped me in so many ways! However, I will say that you MUST be mentally prepared for the changes. I still say this surgery affects you more mentally than physically in the beginning. But now I know...it all works out in time.  :)