Will I Ever Learn?

Today we had plans. Ray and I am mostly hermits, so a day with "plans" is a big thing for us. We had invited my Mom, a niece and a nephew, out to lunch and then to a local production of The Christmas Carol. I had reserved the seats.

They arrived to pick us up for lunch at a local Chinese restaurant. This was going to be my first time trying to eat out since my surgery. I didn't order anything, instead I just got an extra plate so that I could just pick a couple of things from others plates, since I wouldn't be able to eat much. 1 small piece of bbq pork, 1 bite of beef teriyaki, the inside of a crab rangoon, and I pulled the skin off a chicken wing to get a few bites of chicken. The meal was nice and everything seemed okay, at first.

We all piled into the the car to head to the theater, when the pressure from my pouch started. Very quickly it progressed to nausea, and I begged Mom to get me home quickly. I barely made it the 1/2 mile home, got out of the car and lost it. It's a good thing I can't eat much, so there wasn't much to lose.

Mom and the kids went to the theater, afterall, the tickets had already been paid for. Ray refused to go without me, so we stayed home, as usual. Within about 30 minutes I felt back to normal and like a complete fool. When will I ever learn? How do people eat out after this surgery? Obviously, I still have a lot to learn. Until I figure this out, my meals are going to have to continue to be at home only.

Live and learn.

Life is good.

Hi everyone! Thank you for the wonderful comments that are left for me. The support I have gotten has been overwhelming and I really appreciate it.

I have been enjoying trying to eat some "normal" foods. I haven't have much trouble at all. I did once get a piece of meat stuck uncomfortably, but by stopping eating immediately and breathing through it, I got through it. It took about 30 minutes for the discomfort and pain to pass. I realized that it was my fault, of course. I had been eating while at the computer and wasn't being mindful about my chewing. I hope I don't make that mistake again.

I won't get weighed again until I see my primary care on Dec. 28th, so I don't have a weight update. I do feel a little lighter though, so I hope that I am doing well.

Since I don't have much to report, I thought I would share this wls mantra that I came across in a forum:

The Four Mantras of Life Post WLS:

1. Sip, sip, sip. Need your fluids.
2. Walk, walk, walk. Exercise and prevent blood clots.
3. Any problems - CALL YOUR DOCTOR!! 'nuff said.
4. Never, and I mean NEVER, trust a fart! You may find yourself experiencing a "laundry emergency"!

2 Weeks Post-Op

I went to see my surgeon and my dietitian today for my 2 week post-op check up. I had 2 main goals for these appointments. I wanted my diet advanced to soft or pureed foods and I wanted permission to get back in the pool at the YMCA.

The first appointment was with the dietitian. She had me get on a special scale that calculated body fat percentages, lean muscle and all that stuff. I don't know how it works, but it was difficult for me to balance on with my hip problems. She told me that I lost 12.5 pounds since my surgery so my total weight loss to date is 74 pounds! She told me other numbers too, but I don't remember them all. Then she told me that I can start on soft and pureed foods. Yippeeeee!

When I got home this afternoon, I had 1/4 cup of low fat cottage cheese lightly sprinkled with pepper. You would have thought I was eating lobster the way I was savoring it. As I type this I am trying a single slice of deli roast beef. The flavor is incredible. I am chewing it obsessively to make sure that I don't have trouble with my pouch. It is amazing how long 1 oz of roast beef can last when you have to eat it in tiny bites and chew it forever.

The second appointment was with my surgeon. She was pleased with my weight loss and with how well I have healed. She had to remove one stitch from one of my incisions that had started poking through the skin, but that was it. One of the things that I was worried about was that she would put me back on many of the medications that I had been on prior to surgery. I was told that I would be temporarily off them while recovering from surgery. The only one she put me back on was the vitamin D supplement. So I am only taking 3.5 pills per day now, instead of the 16 I took before! She also approved me to go back in the pool, so tomorrow morning I will be in the water! I am so looking forward to that feeling of weightlessness and pain relief for my joints.

I want to thank all of you who leave such wonderful comments for me to read. Your support means so much to me. If you have any questions, I hope you will feel comfortable asking. I will do my best to answer. Take care!