First post-op appointment

I had my first post-op appointment with my surgeon this morning and he is very pleased with my progress. I have lost 12 pounds since surgery (2/28) and 23 since my initial consultation. My incision looks good and I feel good.

The best news is that I am off all of my diabetes and blood pressure meds and my numbers are better than they were before surgery when I was on medicine for both. I see him again in two weeks before I go back to work for a followup, and I am hopeful that things will be looking even better then!

On a food front, I've been on pureed food since Monday and I try something new each day. My tummy-approved foods now include: chicken breast, salmon, turkey, eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, spinach and peaches, of which my absolute FAVE is salmon. I've always liked salmon, but now I love each bite!

I'm also pleased that I've been able to take 10-15 minute walks on the treadmill twice a day. I walk slower than grass grows but it feels good to move. My 2-ish-month goal is to be able to slowly walk a 5K on Memorial Day weekend. Several folks from my surgeon's office are running or walking and I'd like to be able to do it. We'll see how it goes...no promises!

Yippee!!

Wow! Chicken and salmon at two weeks! I am impressed. I still have trouble with salmon, and it does not taste like it used to. I also stopped taking insulin and other diabetes meds after surgery. It is amazing how this surgery can correct diabetes.

Congratulations on doing so well!

I think she's pureeing it?

Pureed salmon, maybe with alittle cream cheese would make a great spread, wouldn't it??! LOL

Oh jeez. Pureed anything sounds so bad to me now. Pureed salmon? Pureed chicken? Yuck.

But at least the pureed food has more flavor than just another protein shake...at least for me!

You are correct there. I had a terrible time with protein shakes right after surgery. Loved them before, then right after I could hardly tolerate a medicine cup full. And I had stocked up, of course.

They are better now, fyi... I have the Premier Protein chocolate shake some days heated up with my coffee. It took a month or so but better now.

And now that I have set thinking about salmon spread, it is starting to sound more appealing ;)

I still can't do the protein shakes. I never really could. It's not the taste or consistency, it's the smell. I just can't get past the smell.

Surgeon chewed on me pretty good because I told him that I wasn't drinking the shakes. He told me I had to talk to the nutritionist to see if she could recommend one that I could tolerate.

Nutritionist: How much protein are you getting? Why is he worried? You're getting XX protein from real food, and you're losing at a good rate, so next time, just lie to him!

Can your nutritionist come Train the NUTs at our centre?! :) I'm going to be paying closer attention to your menu because I feel like if I don't get my protein shake in I'm struggling to get protein in. I'm 8 weeks post op though and still figuring out what I can eat. So far no fish goes down very well which is a huge disappointment as I love seafood.

I only found one company whose protein shakes don't smell like sour milk. BSN makes Lean Dessert and Syntha-6 shakes. When you open the container and smell it, it smells like cake mix.

Once I discovered BSN, I used their protein until I stopped doing shakes at about two years out. I loved milk shakes before surgery and really enjoyed the BSN shakes. I would suggest you try a sample of BSN before you completely give up and have to lie about it.

I was capable of getting enough protein from food, but really believe that the shakes helped with energy, lack of hunger and building muscle during the honeymoon period.

I knew people who had the surgery in the early 1990's before protein shakes took off. Those people were sick and weak all of the time and I saw an incredible difference in people having the surgery that did drink protein shakes.

Congratulations!

I bet if you can walk a little longer each day, you can make that 5K, even if you walk the whole thing! Great goal to set!