Lets talk diet

Now post op is no walk in the park, most people think it is, but it isn't. I write this as I sit on a bus, and have just been given the clear to go to the next food phase. Pureed food.

REWIND

Weeks 1 and 2 post op are full liquids. This definition is a bit foggy, so let me explain it for you. Broth, soups (strained), greek yogurt (or any yogurt with less than 10g sugar per serving), unsweetened apple sauce, cream of wheat, and oatmeal. We can have milk (1% or skim), protein shakes (not me, it hurt me bad), water, and juice diluted with water (50/50).

Now for me, this was hard because I HATE everything listed baring the milk, and water... Regardless, I've been a good girl and my new "baby stomach" has handled everything I've thrown at it with grace, so... WE'RE MOVIN' ON UP!!

STARTING MONDAY!

Cue weeks 3 and 4 - Pureed foods!
This is all of last weeks stuff plus: humus, cooked or canned fruit and veggies (pureed), cooked meats and fish(pureed and softened with broth), crackers (they are like mush after your tongue hits em), non-sugar coated cereals (soaked and soggy in milk) and a few other things I dont recall from my bus ride.

This week is exciting for me as, one, its my birthday on the 15th, and I'm dying to get my mouth on some meat (hello double entendre, I walked right into this one). I'm not sure if breakfast will be a mini wheat (yes just one), or a tablespoon of tuna, but I know it'll be awesome.

****CRAVINGS HAPPEN****

Trust me, even if you're a meal skipper, or a binger,  cravings happen. Mine is still a burger (no bun), with some fresh mozzarella,  caramelized onions and mushrooms.... Now the issue? My stomach can only hold a mushroom at this point. So I'll wait a while (maybe August/September), and when I finally get my burger it will be amazing.

So whether you're on my path, or not... remember the trip is yours and no one else's issues, or joys will match your own.

I should've started this a while ago...

I started the bariatric "journey" July 22nd 2014, and for me, it is a road I never wanted to travel.

That's right, I did not choose this surgery, not even close. Instead, I chose to get rid of my PCOS the best way possible, by having them take out my extremely cystic ovaries. They refused. On the grounds that "you are too young to make that decision for your own body." So instead, they said the only way they would be willing to fix my PCOS is weight loss surgery... Now lets get to the funny part of this... The PCOS is what caused the weight gain, not food addiction, not eating when I shouldn't, not emotionally eating... the PCOS caused the gain.

Fast forward to surgery prep, months and months (11 months to be exact) of them telling me that I am like the other 95% of patients who get this surgery, which I'm not. The dieticians here assume we are ALL raging food addicts who do nothing but eat crap day and night... well, I'm here to say we aren't. I am in that 5% of people who are getting this surgery, not because I eat (in fact I'm a meal skipper), but because I developed an illness that caused the gain. No matter what I did, exercise, dieting, starving myself, and skipping meals because I just have no appetite when I'm irritated.... the weight from the PCOS just did not shift. 

-------------------------------------------On To Surgery-------------------------------------------

Waking up from the surgery was hard, you can't really focus on anything and your eyes want nothing more than to close so you can nap more..... An hour after the anesthesia wears off they let you get up and go to the bathroom, its a damn good thing they let me get up, because the first chance you get you will want to race down to the closest shoppers drug mart you can (bloody hospital gown, and IV rack n all) find for some lotion. The dryness of the hospital is worse than the pain of having your innards twisted, cut, burned, and readjusted to a new stomach (the size of an egg).

Day 2, was a bad day, and a good day.... I went 15 hours without pain medication, when they are supposed to give it every 3 hours... I pressed that button so many times, begging in tears.... when the meds were finally given, I was able to get up and move about. 

Day 3, I was released (HALLELUJAH). I took the train home, was not staying another day in Toronto. On my train ride they served me a meal, which I knew I couldn't eat, but it was boiled chicken and broccoli, with honeydew melon, cantaloupe, and strawberries.... Now every bariatric patient tests things, and MOST claim it was the worst thing ever.... I tested the chicken, and both melons, and it was awesome. Seriously awesome. No adverse reactions, but I wasn't risking it again.... Just in case.

I am now 8 days out of surgery, and the "liquid" diet is the most disgusting crap I have ever put into my mouth. The protein caused the "pouch" so much pain, I was sprawled out, across three seats on the bus, just gasping for breath.... so getting in my protein shakes is proving to be impossible. The past few days I've been able to only handle some oatmeal, applesauce, and water... I cheated and had a strawberry, and that was AWESOME. No adverse effects from the berry, in fact I felt amazing after it, so I may be adding that into my diet much sooner than anticipated. 

I'll post more in the future, but for now, those are my observations, and confessions.

Note: Because I was adventurous and tried these things, does not mean I advise you to do the same. The pain of non-tolerated foods/drinks is absolutely horrendous.