Today marks fifty days since I had Gastric Bypass surgery and there's 57 pounds less of me. That's about as fast as you can lower your weight without amputating an appendage or two.
Reaction from others has been fascinating. There have been people who haven't noticed and others who've stared at me like I was a "What is wrong with this picture?" puzzle. My barber commented that my hair was uncommonly long and shaggy…and then, a minute or so later, he added, "Say, have you lost weight?" A couple of salespeople who used to know me on sight have balked at saying hello, like they aren't sure it's still the same guy. Mostly though, friends are surprised and encouraging, and many are curious about the process. Here are some things I find myself saying over and over…
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I feel great. I have occasional moments of fatigue…though less often than when I was packing 340+ in poundage. For the most part, I have more energy and a greater ease in getting around and doing things. Aches that I had long ago accepted as old age and permanent are now gone.
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I eat very little…less than I ever imagined a human being could ingest and survive. I try to down two protein drinks a day and to have one or two appetizer-sized meals. In a restaurant, I consume about a third of a normal portion, then take the rest home and make two more meals out of the balance. I'm not supposed to do this but I've had days when I got busy and one protein shake was my entire consumption.
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I'm never hungry except, every now and then, in an intellectual sense. I need to explain this. Food is no longer a particular joy for me and some of my once-favorite meals (especially those high in carbs) are simply less pleasing to my post-surgical palate. But I see them and I remember the old pleasure of eating them…and I have to remind myself that that just doesn't work anymore. So do I miss the fun of eating something that tastes really, really good? A little. But losing the weight is well worth losing that gratification. I'm told my taste buds will eventually rebound somewhat but even if they don't, it's a great trade-off.
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I do miss undiluted fruit juice. I'm one of those people who's never cared for coffee, tea or wine. My body doesn't like milk. I won't drink beverages that contain artificial sweeteners. And last February, I gave up carbonated sodas, which you have to do if you have this procedure. So before the surgery, the list of liquids I could imbibe was pretty much down to water and juices. Post-surgery, I'm supposed to avoid anything with high sugar content so that eliminates most of the juices, at least in unexpurgated form. Just to break the monotony of H2O, I drink them heavily watered-down and I've formulated my own lemonade that's high in lemon, low in sugar. It isn't wonderful but it's my big thirst-quencher. If a magic genie gave me the chance to eat or drink anything I used to eat or drink, I'd go for a big glass of real, full-strength, pulp-free orange juice. The weight loss is still a great trade-off but that's what I miss.
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I have experienced almost no pain from the surgery. I have an occasional twinge in one of my shoulder blades which my personal doctor and the surgeon agree was a physical response to the operation. I thought at first it was a side effect from my new posture but apparently not. When you're on the table and someone's cutting into you, there are these little muscular traumas that can occur in the oddest places and that's where I had mine — in that shoulder blade. They both said it would soon disappear and, sure enough, it's going away. So are the incisions on my stomach, which now look like cat scratches. (One of the entry-points — the smallest one — is called the "liver retractor" incision since all it's for is to insert a laparoscopic tool that moves your liver to one side during surgery. Mine is just about invisible now, which is fine. I have no further plans that involve having my liver retracted.)
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Clothing is a constant concern. I'm giving away dozens of 3X shirts since they now hang like caftans on my carcass. I have a lot of shirts and pants I once grew out of and have now grown back down into…but I keep having to try things on, see what fits and file this or that either in the giveaway pile or on my "maybe in a few more weeks" rack. There's little point in shopping since anything that fits me now probably won't in a month, but I may have to. I'm also trying to decide when to take a couple of now-oversized sports coats in to the tailor to see what he can do with them. There's a shiny one we could maybe fill with helium and sell to the Macy's people.
Lastly: I still don't recommend this surgery to everyone. I've been in e-mail contact with someone who had it the same day I did and who's had a lot of problems, probably because she was in worse shape to start with. She doesn't regret doing it but I can see how someone might. If anything I'm writing here makes you think it might be right for you or a loved one, imagine a big "Your mileage may vary" alert flashing on your computer screen. It is not just a weight reduction…it's a complete change of life and with some folks, it may not be for the better, especially if you don't have excellent medical support. It also may not solve the problems you think it will solve. I'm happy that I think I look and feel more like myself than I have in twenty years. Not everyone's life can stand that kind of reversion, to say nothing of all the other modifications.