Good Morning! Everything has been going good except a few things.
First, I've been able to get all my protein in over the last 4 days....if I remember right. I finally figured out that baked fish or chicken is too hard on my stomach right now. Even when it is soft it seems too dry or something and hurts when it goes down. Now, canned chicken or tuna goes down pretty smoothly with a touch of lemon juice or light mayo.
Second, I still don't have much of an appetite and I have to remind myself to eat. Although, last night I found myself wanting something sweet. That seems so weird considering my want "NOTS" ...lol...through the day. I didn't have anything...just some more water. It wasn't a TAKE-ME-OVER feeling...it was just a little craving. Hopefully, I don't feel too much of that from here on out.
Third, my weight....ugh....it doesn't seem to move! Very, very frustrating! I'm still getting only 500-700 calories a day.
Fourth, my incisions! Well, they do okay, then they leak again and the one will have more pus coming out. I talked to the surgeon's office yesterday and they said that some discharge is normal. And that if I'm not having any pain or fever, it will be okay! I am definitely keeping an eye on those babies!
Fifth, I have pain under my left side ribs. They feel like really bad cramps you get when you run. The night before, the pain woke me up in the middle of the night. It scared me! Then throughout the morning hours, it would come and go. Finally, in the afternoon when I spoke with the doctor's office, they told me it was just gas. That I wouldn't believe how many people call in with the same complaint of pain. They said to do the Gas X strips. So I did. It still came and went. Last night, I went to bed with the pain and got really uncomfortable. I tried to turn on my side and that made it worse. Ugh! I had to get up and walk...that seemed to help a little. I was starting to feel so good until this. Right now, I'm okay but it's still there. If you know anything about this, please chime in here and tell me all about it. It seems like the pain is right where my stomach is.
That's what's been happening! I hope y'all have a great day!
I've been told it's because your nerves are regenerating from where the surgeon cut your stomach and your muscle wall during the surgery. It's on your left side because that's where the largest incision was, where they removed the bulk of your stomach. Weird that your doctor's office didn't tell you this! Anyway, it's very common. I'm sort of dreading that stage - haven't gotten there yet.
ReplyDeleteAlso, if your weight isn't moving, you've probably hit the notorious first stall which generally hits at around 3 weeks. Some people stall for a couple of weeks, some people stall for over a month. Your body is just readjusting after your initial major weight loss, rebuilding glycogen stores, storing the water that goes along with glycogen, etc. Don't worry, the scale will start moving again! Pack it away for awhile, and concentrate on healing. :-)
--Beth M.
Hey Beth! You know, I thought about the pain maybe being the scar tissue growing in and over but the doc's office said it was gas. It's just hard to believe that it is gas because I don't feel gassy or bloated anywhere else. I don't know. I did a search on it and it seems that a whole lot of sleeve patients go through it at some point. Ouch! I don't like it! lol
ReplyDeleteAnd the weight loss...or lack of it...I totally agree with you. My husband keeps telling me it will come off and probably when I least expect it. It's just frustrating after everything that I've been through the last couple of months. I've got to learn to sit still and not fret over it.
Thank you for your advice/opinions and your encouragement! Penny
Penny, thanks for sharing your experience! I'm right there with you on the stall - stuck since Monday, expecting at least two weeks before it moves again. I'm trying to talk myself into putting the scale away - we can't let a silly number on a scale determine whether we're having a good day or a bad day!
ReplyDeleteThis post will tell you a bit more about why stalls are inevitable:
http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/2460-why-we-have-evil-stalls/
-Beth M.
Thanks again Beth! I appreciate the information. I know you're right but it's still very frustrating. This is a process, right? :)
ReplyDeleteI just found your blog and am so happy that I did! I am 18 days post op and I feel like I could have written these posts myself (some of them I have over on my blog, ha!) The pain the rib area has really been impacting me the last two days, I guess it's back to Gas X for me for a big. Almost everywhere else I feel great! But man that pain near the ribs!
ReplyDeleteHi there adauntingtaleofscalewarfare.com! Ha! I love your blog name. I'm going to have to check it out!
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading my blog and thanks for all the compliments. Oh yes, the pain under the ribs thing...ugh...it sure didn't feel good but it did go away! It's amazing how a lot of us sleevers go through the same things...well, with the pain and when it hits and where. Yours will get better soon, too! Hang in there!