Slowly returning to "normal"

I can't believe it's been over two weeks since I last posted. I would say it's because I've been super busy, but that's really not the case because I'm nowhere near what I used to do before the surgery. I'll just blame it on the recovery. Yeah, that's it.

So, how am I doing? My usual answer is "I'm okay." I'm not 100%, but neither am I the slow-moving, I-only-get-up-to-go-to-the-bathroom-or-take-a-walk person I was two weeks ago. I can walk with relative ease, I can sit almost anywhere, I can sleep on my stomach again (this is MAJOR...I suffered from lack of sleep for awhile there because I just can't sleep well on my back), and I can pick stuff up from off the floor. This is all very exciting stuff, people. I just never realized how much I use my abdominal muscles for, well, everything--reaching for something, stretching, even for tipping my head back to rinse my hair in the shower (this might be more because I'm tall, so I have to tip my head back more than the average person). I'm not ready to do crunches or anything yet, but I'm better.

Eating is so different, and I'm still adjusting to the fact that it will never be the same again. The main things I eat these days are canned chicken, carrots, green beans, refried beans, yogurt (nonfat/low sugar), cottage cheese, deli meat, string cheese, and various other cheeses (mozzarella, colby jack, etc). I'm supposed to stick to 70% protein and 30% vegetable, but right now my diet is still limited because my stomach is still healing. Around 4-6 weeks, my options should broaden to almost any kind of protein--meat, seafood, cheese, dairy, etc, most vegetables (they say celery can be too fibrous for the stomach, as well as corn and maybe peas), soups (without the broth), and some fruits (though fruit should be used sparingly because of its natural sugars).

Meals are still 2 oz in volume, which equals about 4 tablespoons, and that fills me up. Over time, that will increase, but I think it'll stay at 2 oz until around 12 weeks. Oh, and it's supposed to take me 20-30 minutes to eat those 4 tbsp. You'd think it would be hard to make it last that long, but if I eat too quickly, I get sick, so I stretch it out as long as possible. If I haven't finished after 30 minutes, then I either throw the rest out or save it for later (usually the former, since the amount left over is so little).

I'm slowly returning to work. This past week, I managed to work about 5-6 hours a day--I'd go in around 9 or 9:30, work for about three hours, then go lay down in my car for 45 minutes or so, then work another 2-3 hours before I went home. We'll see if I can get up to full-time hours this week.

My clothes are definitely feeling looser--I should post a picture. My winter coat used to be a struggle to close, and now I can button it with ease. My pants aren't falling off yet, thank goodness, but I have a lot more room in the legs now. And it's weird to not have some of my shirts feel tight against my stomach. My husband says my double chin is almost gone, which is fine with me!

I meet with the surgeon again on Wednesday, my 4-week check-up, to weigh in and make sure everything is going well. I'll be sure to post again with the new updates!