August 3, 2017. The day of surgery. I arrived at the hospital filled with the mixed emotions of fear and excitement. Excitement about the healthier future that was coming and fearful about the unknowns of my new way of life. Bob accompanied me to the hospital where I was met by two dear friends and pastoral colleagues. Their presence helped to calm my nerves as they waited with me and Bob and held me in their prayers during surgery. I am thankful for the support of family and friends during my hospitalization after surgery (only 2 nights) and the first couple of days at home. Their support and the time they spent with me helped me get off to a good start in my transformation.
For the first 2 weeks after surgery, the focus is on getting enough water and liquid protein into your body – 64 ounces of water and 60-80 grams of protein. Because of the size of my new stomach, I could only drink about 2 oz. of liquid at a time. This sounds so easy but it was really difficult because drinking caused my stomach to cramp. Still, sip, sip, sip was my mantra. During this phase, I enjoyed protein shakes, sugar-free popsicles, sugar-free jello, apple juice, and broth. All in very small quantities!
My first challenge was getting enough fluids to avoid dehydration. Dehydration is the number one reason that weight loss patients are hospitalized after surgery so my daughter made a chart for me to use to track my fluid intake. I must confess that I struggled with hitting my targets but must have done okay since I didn’t need to be treated for dehydration.
Another challenge during this phase was taking my vitamins and other medications. Everything needed to be in a liquid form which had a horrible taste! I gagged so much that I avoided both. Probably wasn’t a good idea, but the pain of gagging made it necessary. Once I could handle semi-solid foods, I switched back to oral medications and vitamins. This was ahead of schedule but because vitamins are essential to getting the nutrients your body needs I thought it was worth it.
Beginning with the third week after surgery, I was able to move from full liquids to soft and then semi-solid foods. It was exciting to be able to eat soup, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, cottage cheese, refried beans, applesauce, and sugar-free pudding. Later I added foods that I could cut with a fork; pot roast and chili were very yummy. It took about three months before I felt comfortable eating solid foods like steak, hamburgers, chicken breasts, pork chops, and crunchy vegetables. All of this in very small quantities and with lots of chewing! Along the way, I still needed to drink LOTS of water and protein shakes to make sure I was getting enough of both.
One of the benefits of Gastric Sleeve surgery is that the part of the stomach that produces the hormone ghrelin, which tells you you’re hungry, is removed. My doctor told me this was going to happen but I didn’t fully understand its impact until after surgery. This is one of the best side effects of gastric sleeve surgery! I realized the benefit right away and haven’t felt hunger since surgery! This led to another challenge – remembering to eat. I managed this by setting up reminders to eat on my phone.
My nutritionists recommended that I eat small meals or healthy snacks every 3-4 hours. This changed my whole way of organizing my life – I learned to pack an assortment of healthy snacks and meals to take to work with me every day. Bob and I started sharing meals at restaurants. My refillable water bottle became my best friend and went with me everywhere.
It’s now been 11 months since surgery and I’m proud to share that I’ve lost 75 pounds! While I feel wonderful physically, I’ve struggled emotionally. I’m still trying to figure that part out so stay tuned.
Thanks for reading and journeying with me!