Finally Slept All Night in my Bed

For the first time since I have had the surgery have I been able to sleep in bed. I have tried before but could never lay longer than an hour. Earlier this week I began getting uncomfortable sleeping in the recliner. Oh, the recliner. It has been my bed for almost 3 months now. It was too painful to lay back completely and I could not lean on either side of my body. Every time I tried to lay down in my bed it was difficult to breathe, my abdomen ached and I had no strength to raise myself to get up. The recliner allowed me the comfort to lay back with my upper body slightly raised and it was very easy to get out of.

This past week, I had been very uncomfortable sleeping in the recliner. I couldn't get my legs right, I tried stretching them out, moving them to lay closer to me bent, nothing helped. My legs and back were hurting. In my frustration I got up and decided I needed to lay flat for just a bit to relax and stretch out. I felt like I was cramping up.

To my pleasant surprise when I laid down, it felt so relieving. I wasn't having any trouble breathing. I turned to my right side where my body is healed and then used my body pillow to support my leg and apply soft gentle pressure against my abdomen. This took all pain away from my left side.

The next thing I know it is 4:00AM my husband is getting up for work. I got up and went back to my recliner. It was still uncomfortable so I went back to lay in the bed. Relief. I fell back asleep and slept until 7:00 AM when my daughter woke up.

What a milestone. It felt so great to sleep in my own bed again. :-)

Last Scab Finally Fell on my Incisions

Only a few days short of being 3 months post-op, the last scab that was still on one of my incisions that opened up and leaked.  It is still fairly sore inside under my incisions and it is still difficult to walk or stand for any period of time. It is almost very painful to bend over. I can lean to the side that had no complications, but the side that broke open and leaked still feels like it has hard knots inside and when I try to bend over it makes a burning sensation and pushes up against my rib cage.

My right side felt similar to this right after the surgery, but it went away after a few weeks after the major healing.

I do recall my doctor telling me in the hospital it could take up to 6 months to completely heal and now that I am almost 3 months out, I think it will take the entire 6 months before I am completely healed and can begin all my normal activities. Until then, it is one day at a time.

Here is a picture of before when the incision was open after I returned home from the hospital in mid September and the after photo was taken this morning after the scab fell off. 

Before - Mid September 2013

3 Months Post-op

Over Did It!

I just learned a valuable lesson. I have been getting out and doing more daily so I can get back to normal as well as be able to exercise. Well, the other day, we were out and decided to look at some new homes. Without thinking we viewed about 5 homes, all with stairs. I did okay going up and down the stairs, but later that evening my stomach area begin to hurt and ache. I was crashed and snoring by 8:00 PM. Then the pay off, yesterday I was so sore, I could barely get up and walk. My muscles in my abdomen are still not healed and sore, so it was too soon to do this much for me. I couldn't sit up in the chair for more than a few minutes at a time, so I ended up sitting in my recliner all day leaned back.

Today, I am much better. My abdomen is still sore and tender, but not nearly what it was yesterday. What did I learn from this, I am not ready for something that intense. My few steps in my home, okay, but multiple homes and multiples steps, not quite there yet.

I am very close to being almost 3 months out from surgery and my doctor did say it could take up to 6 months for my insides to be completely healed after all my complications. After yesterday, I think I will remind myself of that the next time I try to go out and conquer the world.

Review of Unjury Unflavored Protein Powder

My shipment of Unjury protein powder arrived yesterday. The bottle was bigger than I expected it be once I saw the box, but the scoop size is so large, that it says it is only 15 servings per the entire bottle. Seems a little spendy for $25, but I will say that just as other people reviewed about the product, it is truly tasteless. I even tasted a bit dry to be sure.

I mixed myself a glass of chocolate milk to try it. No problem, getting it down. It did not change the taste of my drink. It was the easiest 21 grams of protein I ever had to get down.

My only complaint, I had wished that it provided more servings per container. I still have my other liquid protein to get down and I may try it at a later date and see if it still hurts my stomach to save money.

My review is a nutshell, Unjury unflavored protein powder deserves 5 stars for the taste. It did not upset of hurt my stomach. My only thing is I would give it a 2 star for price in this economy.

Getting Out Again

I am beginning to finally feel like a normal person again. Today I weighed 186.6 pounds so I am happy with my weight still going down. I am able to do some light cleaning around the house and cooking meals for the family. I am back to driving again this week, but not long distances. I am driving my daughter to school and to the store for things.

My endurance is much better as I can shop for longer periods of time now and sometimes I do just walk around the store and browse just to get in some additional walking.

I still have muscle pain and fatigue on my left side where my main incision complications were after the surgery.

One thing is I am feeling much better mentally. My desire to celebrate the holidays has returned. I have almost finished my Christmas shopping, I have shipped off the Christmas gifts to my son and daughter-in-law in England. I even bought a new artificial tree. After throwing my old one out two years ago, I finally feel happy to get a new one. My daughter is so excited, but what 6 years isn't excited about Christmas.

I also have bought our turkey for Thanksgiving and most of the trimmings. I even want to bake our own homemade pies this year. My daughter cannot wait to help me make them. She loves helping out cooking in the kitchen.

It feels good to feel normal again, and I believe it has to do with my blood sugar level being normal and being off the meds. My entire outlook on life went from the doom and gloom I had to my per-diabetic mindset of being happy and positive. I like the new/old me.

Results 11 Weeks since surgery

So far I am still making progress. I am averaging about 3 to 3.5 pounds a week in weight loss. I am down a total of 35 pounds now. It really doesn't seem like much, and yes, I still look fat, but not a big as before. Here is an update of my photos taken yesterday in the parking lot at the local Target.

Before:
August 19, 2013

 Down 35 pounds

November 5, 2013 - NO more double belly roll. :)

 

 

As the Hair Falls Out . . .

First of all I am excited this morning as my weigh in showed I am now down to 187.4. Wooo Hooo!

As, I have been anticipating my hair to begin to fall out about now since I have read it starts somewhere between 2 and 3 months and finally stops about 7 to 9 months, I have been watching for loose falling hairs. I have occasionally noticed one here and one there, but yesterday I did some pull through my hair with my fingers and had more than just a few, my hair has begun the process of falling out.  It isn't falling out in clumps in case you are curious, it is just one here and one there, but it is all over. It is more of a thinning. It does not bother me at this time as I have always had extremely thick hair.  I have decided to let my hair grow out during this time frame and when it has completed the process I will see how my hair looks once it is done and begins to grow back in.

Sometimes are hair can do funny things after stuff like this so I will wait and see if my blonde grows in a bit darker or if I have my grey hair growing in at that time. Only after that will I decide what I need to do with my hair to manage it looking appropriately.  My conclusion is . . . Let's wait and see.

Eating Eggs

I have finally added scrambled eggs to my diet and have been successful at not getting sick from them as quite a few RNY patients do after surgery. I am increasing my protein and still trying to figure out the timing to get in all the required liquids. I drank unsweetened tea yesterday and it tasted wonderful. I have tried coffee and also drank about 2 ounces of my favorite starbucks blend, but insure I do not over do it, I only order a tall, drink a small amount and let my daughter finish it off.
So far this has worked out wonderful as I satisfy my little craving without over indulging.

189 pounds even

To my surprise, I weighed 189 even today. It was a little over 5 years ago that I weighed 189 on my up to my 222. So, it is quite a victory to finally be back down to 189 since all my other weight loss efforts would stall out at 192 and never budge any lower.

I did spend 2 weeks at 192, but I finally broke that this past week, YAY! My weight loss for this week was -3.2 pounds. The past few days I have pushed myself in doing things, going out and shopping.

I am ready to try some walking exercising this week. I do have some walking dvd's so I may just start with those in the house and see how much I can take, and hopefully I will begin to lose weight at a more consistant rate.