Sorry for not getting an update sooner -- I have been working primarily off my mobile phone, which I find challenging for longer projects such as this. I have finally gotten my Surface Pro 3 to work (an aside -- it is way too much technology for me, so I struggle with it regularly), so here I am.
To answer the most pressing question everyone seems to be asking, yes I am feeling better, although today has not been terrific. Once I got past the clear liquid phase, and was able to have yogurt, it helped. I saw my doctor on day 6, at which point he gave me permission to advance to cheese and tofu, so I have spent most of the past week living on that. Whipped cottage cheese has 15 grams of protein per 1/4 cup, and tofu has 2 grams of protein per ounce, so it has been fairly easy to get my 50 grams of protein a day in. As for liquids, I am relying on crystal light lemonade, low sodium V8 juice and water, and most days get close to the 64 ounces I need.
Interestingly, my sense of smell has become incredibly heightened, which has turned out to not be a good thing. As many of you know, I have always been sensitive to smells; I can't wear perfume or use certain soaps and shampoos because they give me migraines, while other scents send me running to the bathroom to vomit. I find it even worse now, as things that never bothered me before send my tummy into an uproar. I am never sure when I will find myself overwhelmed by something no one else can smell.
Foods I loved in the past may have the same impact on me. Already I am finding things to be super-sweet. I used to love Gold Peak Diet Iced tea. I love all my tea sweet (I sweeten it with Splenda). Not any more. I feel as if I can taste the chemicals in the artificial sweeteners. I not only have no desire for coffee, but I am turned off by its smell. A tuna salad sub from Mike's here in Belmar used to be may favorite. I decided to get some of the tuna without the sub yesterday. Three times I ate it, three times I experienced "dumping syndrome" (sort of a very rapid evacuation of the food in your system, accompanied by hot flashes and cramps), so that s no longer an option.
These challenges I was prepared for. Everyone -- friends who have had this surgery, doctors and other healthcare providers, online resources -- all advise of the changes in how your body reacts to and processes food. In fact, one of the reasons the surgeon recommends staying out of work for at least two weeks is to give you time to adjust and figure out how to manage food.
In fact, other than the food issues, which I will figure out, I am feeling really good. I am down 27 pounds, and can easily walk around the block without getting tired or out of breath. Each day I am trying to add more steps and more activity into my routine. Tomorrow, I am going to try yoga.
So, do I regret the surgery? I don't think so. As I am still recovering at the Jersey Shore, I feel like I am still in a bit of a bubble, so the jury is kind of out until I get back to my real life. Juggling food at work will be challenging, s I easily get distracted, forget to eat, and then gulp down whatever I can find. Clearly, that is going to need to change. Same with liquids; I will need to make a conscious effort to stay hydrated throughout the day, instead of drinking water non-stop from the time I get home until I go to bed. One of the benefits of spreading my liquids out throughout the day is that I no longer find myself getting up to go to the bathroom five or six times a night, which means I am sleeping much better.
So overall, yes, I am better off now than before surgery. I just need to find my new normal.
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