The Skinny: Getting Better All The Time.

Six days out from the surgeery now and feeling much, much better. Most of the pain is gone and what's left is more than manageable w/ the meds I was given. In fact, I'm only taking them at night to make sure I sleep well. And in just a week there are some fairly major changes. First, apparently I'm not snoring any more. That in itself is a huge deal. I've snored pretty steady for several years, much the chagrin of my dear wife. Now, apparently that issue has resolved itself. I'm not sure why, though. I can't imagine it's just the weight loss because, while I'm down to 311, when I was on my way up to 311 I was still snoring. The only thing I can figure that opening up all that space in my torso has made my night breathing easier. If you ask my wife, that it itself might be worth the price of surgery.

I am pretty much as mobile now as I was prior to the surgery. There are a few things I can't do. For example, i was lying on the floor this evening and rolled over to try and push myself up "push up" style. That made one of my suture lines feel like it was going pop, so we won't be trying that maneuver for a while. I'm still a little stiff getting out of bed and I try to avoid lifting much weight (though I have slipped on that a couple of times with no apparent pain). I do still experience some of the peripheral "gas" pains that the doctor talked about. They've steadily lessened, but this evening I got one stuck in my shoulder (yes, gas pains all the way to the shoulder, short of like a preview of what my heart attack would have felt like) and it won't go away unless I lie down. So, I'll lay in bed and type this.

The real "major" issue that I'm experiencing at this point appears to be something related to the nerves in my legs. Prior to my surgery, I started noticing that the big muscles in my upper legs would get to feeling numb on the outside edge, especially if I worn jeans or something tight. I has assumed the weight was cutting off circualation and that once I started to lose it would gradually lessen. However, in someways it's actually gotten worse. I went for a walk w/ my wife yesterday and my the time we got back my legs literally felt like they were on fire, but to touch the skin it felt numb. That went away simply be sitting back and resting. However, it's been happening more and more in the night was I sleep. It's like when I lay down something is getting cut off so that when I roll over or make the slights move, it literally feels like the skin on my leg is ripping apart. I keep hoping that will get better, but it is definitely something that I'll address w/ the doctor this week.

The fact is, in most ways I feel as good, if not better, than I did prior to the surgery. That, of course, doesn't count the "eating" thing. In many ways, I have literally gotten a new stomach, and I'm still not sure what this baby can do. Pain wise, it feels good. I still get cramping here and there, but that seems to tail off more and more each day. However, eating can still be a somewhat painful experience. Cold drink can made it flop over. Certain foods still make me want to blow chunks at the very thought of them (can you say chicken or beef broth?). I have started drinking the protein shakes again, just to make sure I'm getting enough in my system to function. I certainly don't feel hungry, but for several days the mere thought of food was enought to turn my new stomach. That has changed a little. My wife baked bread again today, and the smell was very inviting. Also, the kids at Papa Murphy Pizza for dinner, and that made the ol' stomach growl a bit too, which I found heartening. I wan't to be thin, but I still want to be able to enjoy the foods that I do eat. I have eaten a small bowl of Malt o Meal with a little butter, but next time that baby's got to have a little sugar because otherwise it's like eating wet sand. Also, my sister-in-law made some potato soup and brought it over and for the past couple of nights I've been able to put down a few spoonfuls of that also. In fact, I probable could have done more but there wasn't much left. Fact is, I don't really know what this new stomach is capable of yet and I haven't learned to interpret the signals it's giving me. Is that feeling telling me that I'm full? Or is it a hunger cramp telling me I could do with a little more? Or is it just pain from digestion?

I also need to talk to the dietician about this apparent two week jihad against sugar in my diet. I am wondering if that's just a calorie watch thing or if there is a medical reason for it, because about the only drink I can stomach right now, beside water, is a low-sugar G-2 Gatorade drink which I have been nursing for most of each day. I could get more fluids if I can up the sugar content a bit. And if it's just calorie intake they are worried about, I don't think they should. Honestly, at this point I'm probably living off 500-600 calories a day.

Finally, as promised, I do have some new pictures, so view at your own risk. I guess I see a difference. I certainly feel a difference. However, former University of Utah basketball coach, Ric Majeris, was once asked about weight loss. He said he'd dropped 30 lbs, but on his body that was like tossing a deck chair off the Titanic. I know how he felt.