The First Face to Face Friday

Four Weeks Post Gastric Bypass

The First Stall

After losing 14-15 pounds in a nine day period (the liquid phase), I was thrilled with my progress and the decision I had made to have gastric bypass.  I was on to pureed/soft foods and felt like is was smooth sailing from here. My surgeon had warned me not to weigh myself everyday, because after a quick weight loss like that, things would slow down for a bit, but I didn't listen.  Every chance I got I weighed myself and the scale was stuck at 204 pounds for THREE entire weeks.  No movement at all.  Not up, not down, absolutely no movement.  I continued eating the way I was taught, 60 grams of protein a day and I couldn't eat that much anyway, due to my new pristine pouch, however the frustration was unreal.  

Being a nurse, I knew there was a science behind weight loss, however,I continued to believe that this was just not going to work for me.  I looked up several articles and they all said the same thing.  Basically, that initial weight loss was not actual fat weight loss, it was water.  It is near impossible to lose that much fat in 9 days.  As I continued to eat and rehydrate my body, the weight was shifting from true fat loss and not just water.  Ever notice how when you go off a diet, you quickly gain back 5-8 pounds?  So, the scale was playing tricks on me and I just had to either deal with it, or stay off of it, like I had been instructed by my surgeon in the first place. 

The Blended/Puréed Stage (Stage 2)

 

One week out was one of the best days, a sense of returning to normal. I had spent the previous two days cleaning out my pantry and refrigerator.  I still have two teenagers living in the house (24 hours a day, due to COVID-19), so there is still plenty of snacks that they enjoy, but I tried to get rid of as much processed food and add healthier choices for them as well. After 9 days of liquids only, the thought of getting to taste more savory foods with actual texture, made me so excited to eat again, even if it was just a 1/4-1/2 cup at a time.  I was so appreciative of Dr. Pysher's two day pre-op liquid diet and in awe of all of the other patients I have heard of who have to drink liquids two weeks pre-op and one week post-op.  I also had found a new found appreciation for every Survivor contestant over the past 20 years. 

This was the first thing I made to eat for this stage, Italian Ricotta Bake, I got the recipe from The Complete Bariatric Cookbook and Meal Plan (listed in My Favorite Products). I always found it weird when people associated food with sex, I was now beginning to understand the concept.

I divided this up into 2-4 oz servings using jars (listed in My Favorite Products).  This made it easy when it was meal time to just pull one out and heat up.  I do recommend putting whatever you are eating on a small plate.  It looks like so much more food, it is more appealing and it heats up easier. 

The Initial Follow Up Visit

One week after my surgery, I followed up with Dr. Pysher.  I had five small (less than one inch) incisions on my abdomen and one small incision (less than a half inch) right below my left breast. They had been sutured inside with dissolvable stitches and had surgical glue over them.  The surgical glue dries up and peels off the first week to ten days. There was still some bruising around the sites, but the glue was almost completely gone. It's important to keep them clean and dry over the first few weeks, no bathing, hot tubs, swimming pools or any submersion in water. I never really felt any pain at those sites, the only pain I had was from the initial gas pressure and some tightness in my belly that resolved with Tylenol.  During the first week I used the Dissolvable Tylenol-it dissolves in your mouth like Pixie Stick powder, they sell it at Target and I also put a link to it under My Favorite Items.  Dr. Pysher was pleased with my progress and advanced me to Stage 2!  My vital signs were beautiful and my weight was 204! 

The Vitamins and Minerals

After gastric bypass I will be required to take supplements for the rest of my life.  I will no longer be able to meet my daily requirements with food alone. Dr. Pysher recommends the following for her patients, but many surgeons have their own recommendations.  

The Liquid Stage

Once I was home, I continued drinking out of the one ounce cups.  Hydration is the most important task for the first week.  Roz had educated me on allowing the water to just trickle down your throat. I had a brand new stomach and honestly felt like I was feeding a newborn. Forty eight to sixty four ounces sounds easy, however when you are drinking out of one ounce cups, it is quite tedious. I definitely noticed a sense of fullness after about an ounce to ounce in a half.  Walking around allows the water to digest easier. Now the trick was incorporating the protein drinks into the 48-64 ounces. Before the procedure, I thought this will be the easiest stage. 

The protein drinks I chose were 11 ounces and 30 grams of protein.  So, if I drank two of them I would have 22 ounces of liquids and meet my protein requirement for the day, leaving only an additional 26-42 ounces of other liquids that I had to consume. 

Not so easy, remember the protein drinks at this point had begun to taste like drinking a handful of melted down loose change with some added artificial sweeteners.  I got creative and diluted them, made smoothies, added PB2 peanut butter protein powder and even blended with ice and ate out of a bowl, to make me feel like it was a meal.  

As bad as it was, a week passes quicker than you realize and I was so excited to move on to the Blended/Pureed Stage. 

The Journey Begins

I had barely slept all night. I prefered the recliner, as it kept me upright.  I got through the night by watching King of Queens and other shows I haven't seen in years. I had gotten up to go to the bathroom around 5 am and decided to dress myself (around an IV-not recommended) and was ready to go home to my own bed.  I was so excited when seven o'clock rolled around.  Dr. Pysher arrived and spent more than 30 minutes reviewing the discharge instructions with my husband and myself.  Roz also came back and reiterated the importance of drinking slowly.  The gas pains had started resolving and I was quite honestly in shock about how great I felt less than 24 hours post-operatively. My weight loss journey had begun!