Alfred and The Flux Capacitor

Yesterday was Alfred's very first adjustment since being implanted. My fabulous surgeon brought with him a senior intern and his charge nurse into the room—with my mom being there, it was a roomful. First he wanted to know how I was feeling—hhmm..loaded question at the moment. I generally tell people that I feel about 70% better than I did before surgery. I still throw up food. I still feel nauseous. I still get bloated. But it is not AS bad as it was before having Alfred. He then asked what I've been eating—hhmm...loaded question again. I try to eat! I get points for that, right?! I explained that my diet primarily consists of protein shakes (JuicePlus) and baby food, to which he said “but do you chew food?!” Well of course I do, but not a whole lot. My mom explained that I eat a few ounces a food a night, but that's about all. Generally, I cook dinner for my family and I eat a child's-size portion—if even that. He seemed happy with that since I was maintaining weight.

Now the interesting part (I think)...

My surgeon laid back the exam table and had me lift up my shirt so that he could see my tummy and then he pulled out his little whizbang machine—think portable ATM machine with a cord attached to a half-dollar-sized gizmo. The little gizmo gets pressed against Alfred by the nurse and then my surgeon and the intern start discussing numbers that are WAY over my head—all dealing with the workings of Alfred—and that's it. I thought I would feel a buzz, a snap, a zip, or zap during this little adjustment, but I felt nothing! My stomach/side are a little tender—probably from the pressing of the gizmo onto Alfred—but other than that, it was a breeze. 

The surgeon and his whizbang tool doing Alfred's adjustment

At the end of the appointment I had to fill out a questionnaire rating the frequency and severity of my nausea, vomiting, bloating, early satiety, epiglottal burning, and epiglottal pain. The last two were head scratchers for me as to what they meant, but I figured it out (think heartburn) and was able to fill out the questionnaire. The only one that really got a bad rating was the early satiety because Alfred really has no bearing on that—I blink in the general direction of food and I'm full. Once I turned in that bad boy, I was done! Alfred's next adjustment is in two months! It's such an interesting process...very interesting!