"A Return to (semi) normalcy"...

      Today was my first day back at work and it was immediately made clear to me that I had not been keeping up with this blog as well as I should, for that I am sorry.  I have decided I am going to try to find something to post every week even if it ends up being a dozen lines and an update on my weight.

Well as I mentioned I had to return to work today after having a month off.  My feelings were understandably mixed.  I was really excited about seeing my friends and showing off my progress to this point.  I definitely don't get tired of having people come up and tell me how good I am doing and how proud they are...what can I say I am human and like to have my ego stroked from time to time.  It was however a bit rough getting back into the groove and I am still not entirely caught up on everything (although I did get all my email managed).

I had my 3 week followup appointment last week, everything went smoothly. My weight loss rate seems pretty normal compared to others who had surgery the same day as me ( there was one guy that was A LOT bigger than me that had already lost 45 pounds after 3 weeks).  I also got to see my friend Marie as she was there for her 6 week followup appointment.

I finally got my last drain removed, Which was by far the highlight of my day. I was really stinkin' tired of that g-tube and having to change the bandages every day and my skin getting raw from all the tape. The frustrating thing was that due to my complication I had  with the g-tube it had already slid most of the way out but they wouldn't pull it any sooner and when they finally did there was only about an inch and a half still in.

I also graduated to the next diet stage.  This stage has a lot more options.  basically if it is flaky or can easily be torn apart with a fork or your fingers you can eat it so most meat is ok as long as it is a tender cut or cooked until it falls apart or it can be pureed with a little liquid to a slightly chunky consistency (I know pureed meat sounds kinda nasty but it is actually pretty good if it is flavored well).

There are also some other limitations to the diet.  First and foremost protein comes first then complex carbs.  I can't have anything that is really sugary since that can cause dumping syndrome (I haven't had it yet and from what I have heard I don't want to), I also cant have anything really starchy (rice, pasta, bread, potatoes, etc) because starch turns to goo gets stuck together in a glob and then gets stuck trying to pass thru the small opening to my small intestines.  I am also supposed to avoid anything that is crunchy or hard to digest (onions, lettuce, corn) for a few more weeks.

My normal quantity is still one ounce of food every 2 hours.  I know that doesn't sound like much, and it's not, my wife who eats like a bird is eating several times more than me (granted she is in her third trimester and is now eating for two)  You may ask if I am ever hungry eating that small as a quantity, I can honestly say i have not been hungry once since leaving the hospital.  I have however overeaten a time or two, it feels like after Thanksgiving dinner after you have too much turkey and stuffing except somehow more acute and instead of just waiting for it to settle you usually end up throwing up a little bit (sorry for the graphic image there).  It is a lesson you learn very quickly just to avoid  that feeling.

I am amazed by how habitual how you eat is.  As part of the diet leading up to the surgery I was supposed to practice eating really small bites and as y'all know I struggled with this.  Well post surgery I have done pretty well but I have had a few slips and swallowed a few larger bites.  This is another agonizing experience that I have quickly learned to avoid.  I have also learned that eating when distracted is a bad practice because this is what has caused my overeating (by just a small bite or two) and the bites that were too large.

In the world of weight loss we have what we call "NSV's" or Non-Scale Victories, these being accomplishments or milestones due to the weight loss or getting more fit stuff like finally being able to jog a mile without stopping to walk part of it or having to buy new clothes.  My first NSV was probable the fact that I have been completely off my high blood pressure medication since the day of surgery.  I had another NSV this weekend and this one I think is pretty cool and happened far sooner than I expected.  I had to go buy a little spacer for my wedding ring because I had already reached the point where my fingers had shrunk to the point where it no longer fit.

Non-Scale Victories are really cool and all but so is seeing the scale continue to drop and as of this Monday I am at 346 pounds, if you are keeping track that is 35 pounds in 28 days which under other circumstances would be an insanely fast and unsafe rate of weight loss but following gastric bypass is considered a perfectly reasonable rate of weight loss and I am now officially under 350 for good which is awesome. Sorry, no pictures this time but I only have 10 more pounds to the next comparison pictures point so maybe a week, two at the most.

Just a quick note on the other major event in my life.  My wife's hip bursitis seems to slowly be getting better but she still has some pain.  Evren seems to be doing great every time he is measured at the doctors office his measurements and heart rate are dead center average so all is well with him.  His due date isn't until May 23rd but April's family historically has almost always come 2-3 weeks early so we are expecting Evren to be her in just under 2 months.  I know it will be a huge change and that we will be indefinitely bordering on the edge of exhaustion but I can not wait.

Thanks again for reading and as always thanks for the thoughts and prayers.