Two Months Since Surgery

And an eventful time it has been


Yesterday was 2 months since my weight loss surgery.  I have lost 34 pounds since surgery and I'm seeing big changes in the way my clothes, rings, and even shoes, are fitting me.  My plan is not to buy new clothes for as long as I can possibly avoid it, partly because I don't enjoy shopping, and partly because my Bonus Mom (I dislike the word Stepmother) has offered to alter things for me when I'm ready.

I have also advanced to phase 3 diet, which means I can gradually begin introducing some vegetables and fruit, provided that they are cooked, soft and I avoid seeds and peels.  Last night, for example, I had a small portion of baked chicken for supper, with a little dab of stewed tomatoes.  Delicious!  Vegetables can also add much-needed moisture to a meal, which makes it much easier to eat and digest.

The week after my last follow-up at the surgeon's office, The Hubs became ill.  He went to a midnight movie on a Thursday and had scheduled time off from work the next day because he would be out so late.  He said that after he got home from the movie he was having some abdominal pain that kept him from getting much sleep.  He called the doctor, who was able to see him that Friday afternoon and, suspecting diverticulitis, sent him to the hospital for an abdominal CT scan.  That night at 9:30, the doctor called us at home to tell us that the scan indicated pancreatitis, told us that The Hubs was to have no food for 48 hours, only clear liquids, take pain medication as needed and if his pain became unbearable to go to the emergency room.  This began a week of medicine, temperature-taking, gradually introducing bland foods, watching and praying.  The Hubs is not a complainer but I could tell that he just did not feel well.  God's timing being what it is, I had scheduled time off that week for a trip, which I cancelled so I could be home and watch over The Hubs.  I was so grateful that my time off was already in place and work was one less thing I needed to worry about.

We laid around a lot that week and didn't do a whole lot of anything.  We both had freak-out moments during that time, but we also had moments of closeness, and even enjoyment.  We spent an afternoon watching the first part of The Animaniacs box set, remembering when we first discovered these brilliantly written cartoons.  We watched a lot of TV criminal misadventures, the opening ceremonies of The Olympics in London, and he caught up on DVRed episodes of Craig Ferguson.  There was some Facebooking and other computer time.  He missed a week of work, which, it turns out, was probably pretty typical.  The doctor was prudent in suggesting that we treat the pancreatitis at home.  From what we were able to learn, the condition generally runs its course in a week to 10 days, which is what we experienced.  I am praying that this was an isolated thing that will not repeat itself.

The Hubs returned to work last week, says he has no pain, no fever and feels fine.  Thank God.  This was about as scared as I can remember being for a long time, maybe ever.  I learned a lot from this experience.  I  know what I feel like when I am sick, what my pain tolerances are and what I can live with.  When The Hubs is sick, I can't step inside him and feel what he feels.  Those feelings of uncertainty and helplessness are awful.  And it made me appreciate the times when he has experienced those same feelings as a caregiver when I have been the patient, including, most recently, following my weight loss surgery.