Hi everyone,
I'm just over one month post-op and I feel like I'm doing great. I woke up last Wednesday (exactly 4 weeks and 1 day post-op) and all my pain was gone. No more burning belly pain at all. My surgeon said as soon as my pain goes away, I am cleared for Crossfit. I decided to wait another week just to make sure everything is fine - and I was on vacation anyway. I am excited to re-start Crossfit tomorrow but scared that my time off has undone all the work I had done pre-surgery. I am hoping that I will bounce back quickly.
As far as food goes, I seem to be able to eat everything if I keep my portions small. I usually weigh and measure every meal to make sure I don't overeat and so far I have not had any problems with dumping or vomiting again (since the first couple of days of soft foods). I also chew my food into oblivion. I very rarely have the feeling like something is stuck in my esophagus and never feel any pain from eating. I am fully aware that this may change as I keep healing but for now I am cautiously optimistic.
I do find it frustrating sometimes to not be able to eat a normal-sized meal but I believe that it will get better with time and that my "normal" will evolve. I did deviate from the nutritionist's instructions a little bit but I don't think they always take into account that people react differently to this surgery. She told me to eat chicken and not beef but beef goes down way easier than chicken so I'm eating it. I also had some salad in small amounts (tiny pieces of lettuce, tomato and cucumber) and have had no problems at all. Amazing how much you crave fruits and vegetables! I do notice that carbs go down a lot easier than protein so that is something I'm keeping my eye on.
I lost 24lbs on the two week pre-op diet and 21lbs since surgery even though I've only lost a couple of pounds the last two weeks. I'm definitely happy with 45lbs in 6 weeks. For some reason I don't have any anxiety about stalling. Maybe in a few months I will feel it but for now I feel very content. I have also stopped weighing myself every day and just weigh on Saturdays.
I am so grateful that I was able to have this surgery and with such a smooth recovery for the most part. I honestly believe that being close to 100% compliant on the pre-op and all the work I did at Crossfit before surgery helped significantly. If you have not had surgery yet, I highly recommend starting an exercise program now. Leg and upper body strength comes in very handy the first few days when your abs are fried.
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