Chris's Journey #29- The Battle for Me Part 3: Aftermath

If you are just starting to read this blog my name is Francesca, and I am Plain Vanilla Fitness, and every Tuesday for the past six months I have been posting my very good friend and client's Chris's Journey. Recently he made the decision to have gastric sleeve surgery. This is one week after surgery...

Before I begin, I need to say thank you to everyone for all the positive words and show of love and support for me during the past week. I know several people in my life were caught by surprised by this, but everyone was supportive. I am grateful for the visits I had in the hospital, at home, all the FB messages, and stops by my place. Finally, the prayers meant so much to me. The fact that so many people took time to pray for me makes my heart just over flow with joy. Thank you again to all!

A few weeks ago, I was discussing my surgery with a friend and she was telling me how much she would like to do the surgery. I asked her what was her biggest obstacle in getting the surgery, and she said it was her family. She was afraid that her family would not be supportive at all. She approached the subject with them at one time, and the family told her that surgery was the easy way out and that she could lose the weight if she really worked at it. She looked at me with sad eyes, and I just tried to comfort her. My heart hurt for her, because that thought process is so wrong. Surgery is not the easy way out at all. Let me give you a glimpse of my world has changed since the surgery happened just a week ago.

When I got out of the surgery and woke up in my hospital room, it was instant pain. To complete the gastric sleeve and the umbilical hernia I had, it needed to be done laparoscopic. This included poking five “bullet holes” abound my stomach and chest and removing the stomach out through my belly button. Because of the weight that I was and by exercising with such a heavy body, I developed an umbilical hernia. That hernia was the biggest my doctor had ever seen and added an hour and half to my surgery. So waking up the pain of inserting the necessary tools inside me to do the surgery gave me so much pain. To fix the hernia I currently have my belly button packed with so much gauze it feels like concrete in my belly button and makes it hard for me to get comfortable any way I sit or lay down. So for 7 days now pain has been a part of my life.

Let’s talk about gas. To get around vital body parts to work on the stomach, the surgery involved putting gas inside my body. The gas is to help inflate and give room for the instruments to be able to get to my stomach. With a surgery like this, a lot of gas is involved. When the surgery is over the gas is left in your body to be removed naturally (let your imagination take over). When I talked to people who had the surgery done before me, they told me that the gas was the worst part. The pain for the gas is hard and rough and stays a lot longer than you would want. Those people were right and then some! The pain is harsh and intense and is one of the most painful feelings I have ever experienced. It is almost like getting shocked by electricity from the inside. The intense pain comes out of nowhere. I can be sitting down and the pain just comes in like a charging bull. I cannot tell you how many conversations I have had with people in the past week that came to abrupt end because the gas pain just made me lose all words. Even 7 days after the surgery the gas hurts me and at times brings me to tears. The only way to get rid of the gas is time and walking. The time cannot get here quick enough. If I knew the pain would be this rough, I would have had to think a little more about the surgery. I am glad I didn’t.

My body is now trying to react to the new body it is. My brain is telling me I am hungry all the time, but my stomach feels full all the time. I now have to write a new owner’s manual for my body to determine what the new status quo will be. I am also exhausted all the time. I took my first trip outside on my own today. I was out for only a short while and I needed an hour nap. That part is to be expected. Healing from surgery takes time, and the best way healing can happen is through rest.

This surgery was not the easy way out for me. This surgery was a life saver for me. It was the final life boat in the Titanic that was my body. As soon as the healing for the hernia and the bariatric surgery is complete, I will be back in the gym and working out hard. I will be monitoring my calories and the kinds of foods that go in my body. Also, in the past 6 days from the surgery I totaled up the number of calories I have consumed. That total ended up being only 940 calories since surgery. 940 calories in 6 days or 157 calories a day is crazy huh? Imagine only 157 calories a day. How hungry would you be? Does that sound easy to you? My body is going through hell right now to prepare myself for the work I will be doing in a very short amount of time.

So, I wish I could respond to my friend’s family and say to them, please do not think this is easy. I would tell them to do some research instead of just assuming that this is easy way out. From the entire pre surgical tests and doctor’s visits to the psychological tests to proving that I had been trying to lose weight for years and years. To the pre surgery all liquid diet that was so difficult because I could not eat anything for over a week. Then finally the surgery that I went through that I both hate and love for everything that my body is currently going through. This process has not nor will it ever be easy. This is HELL on Earth. But sometimes you have to go through Hell to get to the Heaven. Thankful my family has been amazing, and my friends have been there every step of the way for me. I pray that my friend’s family will open their eyes and hearts and see that sometimes everyone needs a life saver to help save their life.

Sincerely, Chris