Why I didn't need to be freaking out QUITE so much
I had my second follow-up visit at the surgeon's office today. I spoke first with one of the registered dieticians there, followed by a consult with a nurse. According to both of them I am actually a little ahead of schedule with my weight loss to this point, which is a relief. I was feeling like my weight loss was slow, so hearing from 2 different medical professionals that I am a little ahead of expectations felt good.
I am going to address something now that is very personal and not for the squeamish, so if stuff of this nature is bothersome, stop reading here. (I know there is no such thing as a paragraph with less than 3 sentences, but this is less a paragraph and more a disclaimer.)
OK. In the last few weeks there have been issues with...poop. I am only writing about this because I know some readers might be considering their own weight-loss surgeries, and poop is something that will come up afterward. Or in some cases, it won't come up...or, come out. I had a week in which I experienced some, shall we say, irregularity, and during that same week I actually gained 2 pounds. And I freaked out, hardcore. Frantically, I printed out the huge document given to me on CD at my last pre-op visit and found the section on "Constipation and Diarrhea" (I know, appealing, yes?) and found that both conditions are common and somewhat normal after weight loss surgery. It makes sense. Patients are not consuming nearly as much as before, and during the all-liquid phase, loose bowel movements are common. Once the puree' phase begins, the other end of the poop spectrum can happen, and with so little food going in, it can take time for a bowel movement to happen, and it can be reluctant when it does. Fortunately, there are ways to get things to balance themselves out, including probiotics, either in yogurt or as a supplement. The pounds I gained that week are gone, and they took a few of their friends with them, so that is also a relief. That week may have been my first plateau following surgery. Anyway, my weight loss seems to have resumed, at least for now, knock wood and Lord willing.
I am 1/3 of the way to goal weight. I lost a good bit of that prior to surgery, but still, this is an accomplishment to be excited about! And I am. I am also obsessive and impatient, fearing that I am not doing well enough. Old demons die hard, and those feelings of "not-good-enough-ness" will be difficult for me to shake, especially regarding something I have tried and failed at so many times. Surgery is a wonderful tool, but it's not a magic bullet, and it's not a quick fix. It's a tool...something I use to make the work a little easier and more efficient, not something that does all the work for me.
At my next doctor visit we will develop my formal exercise program, but today the nurse gave me some exercises for people with joint pain. I still have some joint issues, but I do think that the weight loss to this point has helped, and I am hopeful that further loss will help more. My energy is still not what I'd like it to be, but I think a lot of factors contribute to that. June where I live was one of the hottest on record, with many days topping the 100-degree mark, and heat like that makes me feel like a limp dish rag. Most days now we are in the 90's with about 1000% humidity. Blech. Plus, there are some sad emotional anniversaries this time of year and those things affect me. I am a sensitive Diva, after all. The document I printed from the doctor also said that some people experience a spike in depression following surgery, and I think that I have experienced that spike. Not an all-consuming, miserable depression, just sort of a bluer, more moody kind of feeling. As that fog lifts, and more pounds drop off, I feel sure that my energy will improve.
Knock wood and Lord willing!
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