Two weeks post-op

This was the culprit! The Surgeon handed it to me at my post-op appointment on Monday.

To say I under-estimated the impact of surgery might be an understatement.  I don't know if my surgery was particularly difficult so that I had more pain and fatigue, but I wasn't able to pop up and go back to work.  In fact yesterday was my first day back and I'm only working half days this week and maybe next.  Unfortunately, I am having episodes of sharp pain that hurt more than the original post-op pain.  I told mom that it feels like someone has a fish hook in the flesh next to my belly button that they occasionally yank on.  The Surgeon couldn't explain it (perhaps didn't understand the level of pain).  It takes my breath away when it happens.  Sometimes it's predictable.  Gagging is particularly bad and I tend to gag when I brush my teath.  Coughing and sneezing are no fun.  But I haven't completely identified what movements can cause it, so those catch me by surprise.  The burning I feel is nerve regeneration, not much fun but expected. I've been off the Oxy since the Wednesday after my surgery although right now, it sounds good.

My skin is still recovering from the adhesives, it's dry and flaking now.  Two of my incisions have completely healed on the surface which is great but one popped a stitch and is taking it's time granulating under the large scab.  The belly button incision is healing well.  It scabs and peals and scabs and peals, but I think that's normal.  The surgeon was please with all but the one that popped open.  He would go back and try to re-suture it but I didn't think it was a big deal.  No one sees my tummy and even if they did, those are battle scars, right?

I still have a lifting restriction for four more weeks but he would prefer I try to keep to it for 10 more weeks. I'm allowed to get back into a pool or hot tub after my incisions are completely healed but I'm not allowed to do anything other than gentle walking for three months.  That puts a kink into my water aerobics class.  I'm not sure I want to pay the $70 for the term just to get into the water for three days a week.  It feels great but, it's kinda spendy.

The surgery notes are interesting.  They don't inspire confidence- there is a lot of "I think/ I wasn't sure...."  He did note that I have an enlarged and fatty liver, which is not all that surprising given my weight but it's still yet another thing to be concerned about.  All of my liver enzymes have been normal so there isn't a problem yet.

Yesterday I followed all of this with a visit to a gastroenterologist for the assumed IBS issue.  Basically, we have to do all the testing to rule out everything else since an IBS diagnosis is a diagnosis of elimination.  However, that means more anesthesia and they don't want to do that for 8-12 weeks.  So I'm scheduled for an endoscopy (check on the GERD damage) and colonoscopy in December.  She suggested I consider the low FODMAP diet but I just can't handle any more restrictions.  If I can make other choices to be closer to that diet I will but it's just not possible to adhere to it right now.  I'll wait until after the diagnostics are complete because I couldn't tell right now if it made a difference anyway with the surgery recovery mucking with things.  There are somethings I already know.  Sugar alcohols, lactose, onions, and garlic, all cause problems in my system.  I avoid or minimize my ingestion most of them (except I really love onions and garlic).  I think the goal will be to figure out what really bothers me and what I'm ok with but I can't restrict everything on that list with my current dietary restrictions and have a balanced and liveable diet.

I'm working to try to lose some weight but I'm struggling to find the balance between calorie restriction and becoming a total monster. I do not function well when I'm hungry and getting hangry is a real thing for me. Without exercise, this is even more difficult but I'm trying just to track what I eat again for now.

Anyway, that's all the medical news.  Life is so very fun!  But I'm alive and healing which is good.