Measurement Madness

So today I am officially 2 weeks and 1 day post op, and I can sincerely say that so far the roux en y was the best decision I have ever made. We did have a panic earlier this week where my left calf had swollen to be 2 inches bigger than my right calf. My dad rushed me to the ER where they checked everything out and found nothing. So all in all, recovery has gone pretty smoothly. I have my appointment with the nutritionist tomorrow so I can start the next phase of my diet this upcoming Monday. And boy, can Monday not come soon enough. I have been on a full liquids diet for over 2 weeks now!! I am doing well though, all things considered. I can eat about 4 ounces of protein shake or 4 ounces of soup at one time. I actually had well blended broccoli and cheese soup last night and that really hit the spot... for once!

At this point they would like us to walk a grand total of 1 hour per week. I have been averaging walking 3 or more hours every single day. I think I am doing way better than anyone, including myself, ever expected!

Anyways, down to stats and pictures.

Weight: 257! (I drop between 1 and 2 pounds per day here lately!)
Upper Arms: 16
Neck: 14
Bust: 40
Waist: 45
Hips: 57.5
Upper Thigh: 32
Calf: 18

In two weeks I've lost 14 inches overall!! And since I started my journey in February I have lost a grand total of 24 inches!

SIZES
Pants: 20 (and even one pair of 18s!!!)
Shirts: XL
Jackets: It's too hot to even attempt!
Shoes: 9
Bra: 40DD
Dresses: 1XL

To Shake or Not to Shake...Tips and tricks

Some helpful things I've learned...

1. The BEST protein shakes, hands down,  are GNC amplify 60 mixed with skim milk. Delicious!!! No chalkiness or awkward after taste!

2. Walking relieves the pain! So does having someone rub your back. During surgery they pump you full of gas and postop you'll have loads of gas pockets. Having someone rub them up helps you push them out!

3. It's best to drink only 3 to 4 ounces at a time, if even that much! If the first few days you can't quite get all your water and shakes in don't panic. You'll get there!!

4. Your taste buds WILL change. Suddenly Ozarka water tastes sweet and the usually awesome store brand spring water tastes like it has been filtered at the local dump. Everything changes!

5. Be ready for some loud bowels and odd bowel movements.  I thought I was dying. Turns out this is a normal course for par for up to 3 weeks post op.

6. During the full liquids phase it's okay to drink water at any time. No worrying about it being 30 minutes before or after your meal!

I did it!!

On Monday, June 10 at approximately 12pm I went under the knife! I remember being wheeled into the OR room, a swarm of people around me, and the next thing I knew I was screaming I couldn't breathe because of the oxygen mask secured to my face. And then everything was a blur until I saw my mom and my husband. I had come through surgery with flying colors. It took about two and a half hours for them to complete my hiatal hernia repair, remove my gallbladder,  and do my roux en y bypass. Which all things considered isn't too shabby! For a day and a half I was flying high in the la la land of pain killers. I was thanking everyone and telling complete strangers how great they were. Then they took away the meds and the gas pains hit. I was miserable. I didn't want to do anything or go anywhere. I was fine attempting to sleep in the always awkwardly angled hospital bed. But alas, no rest for the weary. Every 4 hours I had a breathing treatment and I was steadily being pumped with antibiotics for my elevated white blood cell count. I was finally released at 3pm on Wednesday afternoon.  And I won't lie that first night and following day home were rough. I was cursing the day I decided to have surgery. But then, magically, after some awesome sleep, encouragement, and much walking I felt 100 times better. In fact, on Friday I spent over 4 hours on my feet and walking around without feeling any pain. And once again the clouds parted and I could see the sun again.

I have yet to really feel hungry. In fact I have to be reminded to drink my 12 ounces of protein shakes and 64 ounces of water each day. But, even though I'm not truly hungry, I can't wait to have some real food again. July 1st cant come soon enough! Maybe I'll get to have some modified Fourth of July barbeque.

I would like to take a moment to say that my awesome support team consisting of my amazing husband, parents, family, and friends has made ALL the difference. During moments of discouragement and darkness they have been the glue holding me together. I wouldn't of been able to do this without all of them cheering me on.

Pre Op Measurements

These were taken the Saturday (6/8/13) prior to my surgery!

Weight: 266
Upper Arm: 17"
Lower Arm: 15"
Bust: 45.5"/40"
Waist: 47"
Hips: 59"
Upper Thigh: 34.5"
Calf: 18.5"

I started my preop diet at 283lbs, so in about 10 days I lost 17 pounds! I started my journey at 293 making it a total preop loss of 27 pounds!! This was beyond my wildest dreams and much more than I ever expected! I feel like this is a great precursor of things to come!