I’m about 9 months post op now and am continuing on well with life. Life is normal; food is still constantly on my mind. But I haven’t thrown anything up in a while (aka food getting stuck) & my portion sizes are improving.
I’ve been able to put on some weight lately because I do look very thin. And I can run multiple times every week, 4-6 miles each time. I’d say my energy is good, but not 100%. My vitamin D levels are normal, B12 is high and protein stores (prealbumin) dropped lower again. I continue to work to incorporate protein into every meal…Greek yogurt, protein shakes, chicken, beans, etc. I plan to ask my nutritionist to do another follow up on my bloodwork to see if there’s any improvement.
For my friend Steve, I was even able to enjoy shrimp & avocado sushi. I enjoyed some jalapeño poppers for an appetizers and took half the sushi home to enjoy at lunch the next day.
My 10K last weekend was rough. The weather here was 70s and humid! And since the race didn’t start until 9:20, it just got hotter. I had to walk almost every mile for a few seconds and drank a sip of water at each water station. The race usurped all my energy that day. Hydration is key!!
So that’s 9 months without my stomach!! Have a great day!
I have to go back and read some blogs from the early days to just recall everything you ate! That sushi looks amazing! Maybe one day my family will take a trip out there and stop by to have dinner with you guys.
The 10k’s… that’s going to be rough. I was in pretty good shape going into surgery, but right now, one lap around the post-op ward is getting me winded!
For the first days, laps around the post-op ward are a win!! Just rebuild your strength slowly, walk the wing, take naps and focus your energy on recovery!!
I was in LA last week but couldn’t make it to SF. It was ironic my trip got scheduled the same week as your surgery.
I’m just glad to hear your surgery must have gone well. And impressed you’re lucid enough to blog and respond! 😉
Hi Marne and Steve,
I am two weeks out of surgery and adapting to this new path. In my prior life I was extremely healthy which I think attributes to my ongoing fast recovery. I am eating pretty much everything now, but at VERY small portions, very often and conscientious of nutrient content. Eggs are not my friend right now, but I’m sure I’ll give them a try in the future.
It takes about an hour to sip a glass of water in the morning and room temp works best….
I run out of gas often during the day, but I have noticed daily improvements on the energy level. So I’m hopeful this will change and I am looking forward to more activity and perhaps even running again by the end of the year. (Thanks for the inspiration!). Baby steps.
I have a question for you guys: Post surgery, how did you find a primary care physician for your follow up and on-going care, that has experience on this lifestyle? I have my first appointment with my surgeon this coming week, I will ask him for his recommendation. I doubt he has much information, though.
Also, B12 shots… Some say weekly, others monthly.
Signing off for now… Going to try some plain yogurt with blueberries and hemp seeds!
Barb
Hi Barb,
Honestly, this surgery is so rare I’m explaining it to my doctors. I think you can just explain to them it’s similar to gastric bypass, except more extreme in that they take out the entire stomach. Except for B12, I’ve found that a lot of my side effects are very similar to those who have had the roux en y bypass for weight control issues.
My PCP was actually one of the disbelievers about my surgery until I told him I had adenocarcinoma.
Keep it up Barb!! You’re in the toughest stretch of recovery.
I don’t take B12 shots. I just do b12 sublingual drops. My B12 is still too high, so I went away from daily to once a week to see if I can get my levels down to normal. I don’t like shots, but the sublingual (under the tongue) drops are perfect for me.
Marne