Post-op

Today was my post-op appointment. I was really looking forward to it because the staples were irritating my skin. I also had lots of follow up questions.

I suppose first I should discuss weight. When I began the liquid diet I weighed 296.2. Today I weighed 277.2. That is really only 2 pounds difference since the day of surgery. I was told not to be concerned because there is still a lot of swelling inside and there will be for a few more weeks, especially with me being a revision patient. I was also told my home scale had to go MIA (missing in action) for a while. I have asked Keenan to put it in his trunk. I am not to weigh again until I go for my next appointment on January 18th. I'm not thrilled with the thought but it is the least of my concerns right now.

So my first questions were about the things my brother mentioned Dr. Kim said. Ok, so after a week of googling a topic I could not find and a friend who is a nurse (Cheri) had never heard of, turns out maybe my brother wasn't really listening when Dr. Kim was speaking to him. Imagine that! Yes, I did have a hiatal hernia which was repaired but they felt they caught it early on and it was minimal and quite routine. As for the stomach folding....well when you have lap-band for them to create the pouch they fold that portion of your stomach up over the band and secure it into place. Apparently mine took a little extra time to unfold and get to the band but it is all good.

I did a barium swallow today. Not the nasty stuff I did in the hospital, but the stuff I used to do for the lap-band. It is amazing to see it go down on the x-ray and see just how little of a stomach I have on the inside. I mean seeing it to scale because you really could not imagine. It does not look like a sleeve to me. I suppose thinking of it in that terminology made me think it was wider than it is. I have to say I wasn't much of a drinker before and after seeing how little of stomach remains, I cannot imagine drinking alcohol again without one drink have me a hundred sheets in the wind or however that saying goes. I'm ok with that. At the point I can partake in foods again I refuse to drink calories.

After talking with the PA today we decided it was best for me to continue with water intake, protein shakes, cream based soups that have the Heart Smart seal of approval (strained), surgarfree jello and popsicles. I have two more weeks of that and then I can get into pureed/blended foods. In those two weeks I need to invest in a new blender that can really handle blending down real foods. Ugh, I so crave meat even though the thought of eating it blended is not that appealing.

In the next four weeks I am to increase my exercising. I have been getting out for 30 minutes a day and walking in a store but I need to increase the activity side of it. I am just going to start turning on the Wii and doing maybe 10 minutes 3 times a day of the Zumba Fitness game.

So all is well in Q's world. I'm not sure if I will post again between now and the next appointment since I cannot weigh. Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and everything else.

I'm laughing because last year Dawn Humphrey started an anti-Valentine's Day dinner. We met at the Golden Corral in Burleson. Horrible food. Funny thing is, by VD this year I will be able to try solid foods so I am actually looking forward to eating at GC. Oh my, did I really just say that??