Kind of a low point today. I've been plateau-ed on weight (gaining slightly) for a couple of days; I feel kind of like crap, and it's settling in on me once more, what I've done to myself.
Went to see my primary care doc yesterday and my surgeon's team today. My primary care doc told me to chin up, that I was off the metformin (a diabetic treatment drug) and that if my blood sugar levels stayed where they are, I might never have to go back onto it. That was good. In addition, she found that my blood pressure was actually a bit low, meaning I need to monitor myself to see if I should come off losartan (my blood pressure management drug) as well - more good news.
The surgeon's assistant examined me this morning, including incisions, and stated that I was doing great - no infection seen, no complications detected, healing nicely. When he asked if I was having any symptoms, I mentioned my right shoulder, which still hurts like mad especially when in certain positions - and to my surprise, he nodded and told me that this was a common side effect. Apparently, this is one of the effects of those gas bubbles from having the abdominal cavity inflated - when a bubble jams up against one of the nerve clusters that go through the abdomen, the referred pain is commonly in the shoulders and back. In his opinion, after asking me about where the pain was, he's 90% sure that this is in fact a gas bubble symptom and that it isn't actual damage or sprain, and will go away in the next few weeks. He checked, and pointed out that my shoulder isn't swollen in any detectable way, which also indicates this, and that it isn't really sensitive to direct pressure. So that's good news, I guess.
He also asked if I was feeling crappy. I said yes, in general, and he nodded. One week post surgery is apparently the low point, for various reasons. The ones he gave were low energy, the body (as he put it) beginning to realize what had been done to it and in its outrage heavily increasing water retention as shock response, and lowering available energy. So my 'blah' can be explained as low energy (yes) and a sudden increase in water weight (yes, the plateau) and general malaise. I guess that's good. He says that this should improve over the next week, and that once I stabilize, I should look for weight loss of 5-12 lbs per month (as opposed to the per week I was managing on the diet) as the former is a much healthier rate. I guess that's good?
Anyway. Back at work this week, easing back in. Having trouble caring about much of anything, including work, but expending more than its fair share of fucks dealing with work due to of course, having responsibilities. As in, expending a greater proportion of the few fucks I seem to have to give on work, as a strategic choice.
We'll see. Possibly going out with friends this evening. We will likely hit our favorite bar. I will drink water and not eat. :-P Because not socializing is probably worse for me than learning to accept my inability to eat/drink in public.
Weight: 303 lbs