Sorry for the apparent delay in posting a December Journal Entry, but here is what happened. This past weekend I typed and typed and typed spilling my heart and soul regarding everything that has happened since the surgery...all the trials and tribulations and the successes and questions...and just (YES JUST) as I hitting the save key, to save the update, AOL logged me off...how disappointing. Well I'm over it now, I've just not found the time to re-type it all. I will try to get back at it tonight. (Tuesday, 12/13) Bear with me, I'm still not 100% and I get tired very quickly. I am back to work and that takes alot out of me. So for now, know that I am doing well, healing well and the only real pain that I have is back pain (which I did NOT have before the surgery) I've lost 30 lbs so far. And 17.5 inches all over my body. I'm definitely not eating enough. If you're interested to see what I'm currently allowed to eat you may check out this link: Eating After Gastric Bypass - Food List I.  I'm never hungry and so therefore I do not get the needed amount of daily protein in. I have started losing hair very quickly, so that is enough of a wake up call for me to try harder to get the protein in. Well, I've got to quit now. I'll write more very soon...I promise.

12-22-99 - Finally back with some more updates. I never really did tell you much about the hospital stay. Suffice it to say that I was not REALLY prepared for the amount of pain that I was in. Mostly due to the fact that I expected the surgery to be done LAP, and when that was not possible, I had the additional pain. I am still experiencing quite a bit of pain in my back which I did not have before the surgery. I hope this soon goes away. I have joined the gym and met once with a personal trainer to develop a routine. I'm still not back to the office full days, although I am working full days. I just work from home half day and go to the office half days. This helps with the tiredness that I am still experiencing. Well as of today, I am down to 273 a loss of 34 lbs so far. That almost averages to 1 pound a day since surgery. I'm sure that I won't keep up that great rate for long, but for now I am pleased. I have not experienced any of the dumping that so many of you describe with the RNY procedure as you are learning to re-eat. But I suppose that is due to the fact, that I am still eating virtually nothing. Today, I vow I am going to go to GNC and buy the Designer Protein Mix that I read so much about on line. Maybe this will help me to get in my daily allotment of protein (a feat at which I am failing miserably)

I finally got the opportunity to save some pictures off my digital camera that I took in the hospital and one that I took the day I had the staples removed, so I will post them for now, and update you all with more info later.

Regarding the diet and what I am presently eating, at 34 days post op, I am still on a "soft" diet. The most of which is to be made up of 5 daily servings of Carnation Instant Breakfast, which I find I can no longer stomach…only the thought of drinking one more glass of that, turns my stomach in somersaults. So I've been eating yogurt, soft boiled eggs, s/f ice pops, totally mushy cereal in milk, bouillon, etc. Not yet a diet fit for a KING, but it will do until the pouch heals sufficiently. I find that I still have quite a lot of indigestion. But I believe it is because I don't keep enough food in my belly and I'm taking a lot of Aleve and pain medicine for my back. This is probably the cause of the sour stomach.

12-27-99 - Well, I've hit the 40 lbs mark.  Today I weigh 267 down from 307when I left the hospital.  The last two pictures in this table are pictures that I had taken this morning.  I can notice the difference, but no one else has noticed yet - boohoo...or maybe they did notice but just haven't said anything...yep that must be it.  Anyway, here come the pictures: Click on the thumbnails to view a larger version.