April 2021 – Fervently Falling Together

4 weeks post-op

Well, it has been a minute since I posted. I figured 4 weeks since surgery was a good time to post an update! My incisions are healing well. No drainage, redness, or other signs of problems.

On my diet, I am currently in the pureed phase. The good news about that is I can actually have things like scrambled eggs in addition to beans (black, pinto, etc.) as long as they are fully cooked. All of my vegetables must be cooked well, since my stomach is still healing.

I tried the other day to eat a tiny bit of bread, and I was so full that I was in pain! I guess my stomach is not ready for that! My biggest challenge continues to be getting in enough protein. It is a struggle! Most days I am still relying on protein shakes to get my 60 grams of protein in. Light string cheese and light Babybel cheese continue to be many of my meals. I am adding protein powder to pureed fruit and vegetables. I learned that adding a full scoop of protein powder to only 4 ounces of pureed fruits or vegetables are NOT a good idea! YUCK!

The chewable multivitamins do not taste very good. I have to break them in half and be sure I have eaten first, otherwise I get nauseated. That will likely be a struggle for a little while. It will be great when I can swallow them whole again!

2 weeks post-op (4/7/21)

Well, it has been 2 weeks since surgery. Ups and downs as I had expected.

The good: The steri-strips (little white bandages over my punctures) are now off. My pain is pretty much gone. AND, I am seeing good progress on the scale. I have also found an unflavored protein powder that does not leave an aftertaste or change the flavor of my soup! Yes!

The bad: my hunger has returned somewhat, and my sugar cravings a bit as well. All of the Easter candy…Reece’s peanut butter cups and eggs, Dove chocolate eggs, caramel-filled chocolate bunnies… are all calling my name! I am SO SICK of full liquids! Yogurt, soup with added protein powder, and protein shakes. Hoping on Friday that my surgeon will let me advance to pureed foods. Never thought I would be so excited to eat eggs (actual ones, not the chocolate or peanut butter kind).

The ugly: I have to take actigall (a medication to prevent gallstones) twice daily for 6 months. The powder tastes terrible! Right now, I have to open the capsules and put it in food or liquids… the aftertaste is awful! Also, as my wounds heal, my skin (the punctures and the healthy skin surrounding them as well) is so itchy!! I was a bit surprised by the severity of it. The punctures are also larger and darker in color than I had expected. I know that itchy incisions= healing. I also know that my new battle wounds will fade with time. These are just the things that are bothering me right now.

(photo credit: Anastasia Purl)

Post-op days 6-10

(Photo credit: Anastasia Purl)

Already seeing some progress! Top row was taken on post-op day 6. Already down 15 pounds on that day since the start of my pre-op liquid diet.

This week was fairly uneventful in regards to my recovery. My pain has greatly improved, although today on day 10 post-op (April 3rd, Saturday) is the first day that I barely notice it. Even 2 days ago, the pain would catch me off guard sometimes.

My biggest issue the last couple of days is that I am SO SICK of protein shakes and yogurt! I can have soup, but I am supposed to add protein powder to it. I have not found one that tastes very good yet. In about a week, I will advance to the “pureed” stage, which will open up many more options for me! Unrelated to my surgery, on a positive note this week, I got my braces off after nearly 3 years!! Things are looking up 🙂

Post-op days 3, 4, and 5

On post-op day #3 (Saturday, 3/27/21) my vision had almost cleared up completely. In fact, by bedtime, it was 100% back to normal! That blurriness had me a bit worried, so I was glad to be on the mend! However, I was feeling a bit tired and “off” when I woke up. Still no hunger pangs. Pain continued to be the worst on my right side, especially the right upper quadrant (RUQ). I took oxycodone two times during the day. Another thing that happened on Saturday was I tried some soup with added protein powder (per dietician recommendations). Unflavored does NOT mean it has no taste! I added half of the recommended serving size to some soup and it was so AWFUL! Definitely will be on the lookout for a better unflavored protein powder!

Post-op day #4, Sunday (see above pic): Still in some pain, was able to wait until 5:30 PM to take oxycodone, but needed it again at bedtime. Consumed protein water (had to dilute it because it was WAY TOO SWEET), protein shakes, yogurt, and adding crystal light mix to my water to ensure I was drinking enough fluids. Weighed in at 223.6 pounds, stomach still gurgling a lot after eating and drinking, laughing was painful, felt very bloated. Took senna (a laxative) syrup because I had small, hard, marble-sized (sorry, TMI) stool at 10:00 PM. Constipation is a real issue with high protein diets. I am doing my best to get a minimum of 60 grams of protein per day. Guess it is my own fault for not taking preventative measures up until this point.

Post-op day #5, Monday: Decided to be safe and take senna syrup again, which resulted in a similar “result” as the day before, just more of it (sorry, TMI again). Started getting hiccups frequently, which really hurt if I was not bracing my abdomen at the time. On the plus side liquid Tylenol was controlling my pain. My stomach was still gurgling loudly and frequently, worst after I ate or drank anything. I felt really run down and tired, even after 9 hours of sleep. That evening I had (sorry, TMI again) an urgent need to go #2… afterwards, I felt much better and it definitely helped my bloating!

First full day at home (Post-op day 2): 3/26/21

I actually took this picture just before I left the hospital (1 day post-op). This picture makes me feel very vulnerable. You can see my stretch marks, my obese belly, my six puncture marks from surgery. As you look at this picture, the biggest puncture is the 2nd one from the right side. That puncture is the biggest, most painful, and the one that would give me the most trouble in next few days. Taking regular Tylenol, along with a narcotic (oxycodone) regularly, helped me to manage my pain.

At two days post-op, my vision was still blurry. I was beginning to worry about permanent eye damage (luckily that was not the case). Good news is I was beginning to “pass gas” or in medical terms, have flatus. I know, I know, TMI, but it is an important part of the recovery process. It means that my gut had successfully woken up from anesthesia.

By the end of post-op day 2, I was tolerating about 4 ounces of protein shake in one sitting (over 15-30 minutes) and about 3 ounces of 98% fat-free creamy soup. This also had to be stretched out over 15-30 minutes to avoid excessive gurgling and pain from the volume of liquid that I was consuming.

So, heading into the weekend, I felt pretty good. My pain was manageable and I was tolerating my full liquid diet. For the next two weeks, this would be my “job.” I needed to stay hydrated by consuming a full liquid diet with protein shakes, soup, and yogurt.