theworldaccordingtoeggface: Eggface Back to Bariatric Basics Giveaway

theworldaccordingtoeggface: Eggface Back to Bariatric Basics Giveaway: It's back to school time. I loved this time of year when I was a kid. New clothes, new classroom, newly sharpened pencils with clean erasers...

This is a fabulous blog that I found (thanks, Mellissa).  I am blogging for two reasons: It is a great site for anyone who wants good recipes and tips for managing their weight, and two, I get an extra entry in the contest. ;-)

I will be posting my usual post later tonight. . . last night I crashed!

Getting Closer!

            Another good day, but I have gotten pretty sore as the day progressed.  I am sure that I have been pulling and stretching a bit too much, but didn't do any damage.  I am just still healing and may have overdone it just a tad.  It is so hard for me to just sit and not do anything.  Sure, I can read, cross-stitch, do homework, but sore sitting is worse than sore moving.  I have had a small cough as well.  Not sure what that is all about.  Plus, our friend Randy came over to do some bow shooting and update the DJ computers, and the three of us were laughing a lot.  I have been pushing myself the last few days pretty hard, and I think it caught up to me tonight, too.  No matter because it will go way.

            On a really awesome note, I weighed myself tonight and I am at 220 even!!! WOOT!!! I was so psyched when I saw that number on the scale.  It has been at least five years since I weighed that number or less.  Talk about motivation!! I needed to see that kind of weight loss.  It sparked my desire to focus on moving around today and trying to get things accomplished. 

            Tomorrow night I am going out for the first time since surgery.  Glenndini has a show and there are several errands that need to be run.  I can’t drive so a friend is going to cart me around.  Or, drive Miss Daisy as we joked. :-)  I am a bit nervous because the weight loss is noticeable at this point and if I run into people that I know their reactions may be varied.  Some could be happy and excited, some could be awkward, some could be . . .who knows, but it all goes back to that Pretty Woman quote.  I will have to reinforce the behavior of simply saying thankful and being grateful when compliments are given.  Wish me luck!

            It is hard to believe that it has already been a week since I had surgery.  Boy, time does fly!  Alas, this is a short one because I am ready to cuddle up for a good night’s sleep and visions of a skinnier healthier me dancing in my head. G’night all.

Don't Let the Bastards Get You Down

            Today was another productive day! Visited with my Mom for a bit, chatted with the Avon lady when she dropped of my order, and did some more painting.  I took a little nap on the couch after dinner because I didn’t sleep too well last night.  Too much running through my head, lol.  Tonight I helped a friend with a paper and worked on my own PhD assignments.  Not too exciting, but it was a good day to me. :-)

            I caught myself thinking about how my self-image is going to be changing as I go through this journey.  I always refer to my “fat girl pants” and shopping at the “fat girl store,” but I am not going to be able to say that soon.  I will be able to shop in stores that I haven’t stepped foot in since 2004.  That is going to be different, for sure.  I can already tell a difference in my upper body - I don’t need to wear both a regular bra and a sports bra anymore.  One is enough.  You can bet I’ve been doing chest presses while sitting at my desk in an effort to keep things from going south, if you know what I mean. ;-)  I haven’t decided which pair of pants I am going to keep as a reminder of where I have been and to where I will NEVER return.  I do know that adjusting my self-image so that it truly reflects my physical being is going to be a greater challenge than the other lifestyle changes, I think, because it is so hard to get rid of the bad things.  I can get a hundred good compliments, but that one negative statement is the one that sticks and takes over my thinking.  One of my favorite lines in Pretty Woman occurs when Roberts and Gere are in bed talking.  She says, that “The bad stuff is easier to believe.”  It’s so true.  I work very hard to simply say “thank you” when given a compliment, but it is so hard to not come back with all of the things that I thing are ugly or wrong about me.  What is it about our society that makes us feel that to believe the good things and be proud of the good things is bad or makes someone a braggart?  I will not let the bastards get me down, though, as my favorite band U2 sang.

            On a random note, I really miss singing.  I haven’t been in a show since May, and I did sing at the wedding a few weeks ago, but I haven’t had a chance to even sing some karaoke much since May.  I need to find a place to sing.  It is such a powerful way to energize myself and get the positive vibes flowing.  I would love to sing in a little acoustic duo or something, lol.  All I have to offer that is my voice; I cannot play any instruments.  I can jingle a tambourine, but that is about it.  Maybe I will find a karaoke night in the next week or so when the soreness subsides a bit more so I can really expand my diaphragm and breathe correctly. 

            Well, friends, it is time to end for the night.  Have a fantabulous day and know that whatever struggles you face, we can get through it together.  Sending good mojo and happy thoughts . . . 

GO TO THIS LINK TO SEE THE SHORT SCENE FROM PRETTY WOMAN.  

It is not graphic. :-) 

Tuesday Already?

  

              Today has been a much better day.  Obviously, the soreness continues, but my back feels so much better.  I accomplished several tasks around the house that have been on my list for awhile.  Although I didn’t get much done in the way of PhD work or school work, I still feel good about the day.  I was up moving around, stretching and getting some exercise.  I dusted the entire house, patched some holes on the doors that I am painting, painted the first coat on the doorknobs for those doors, ran extension cords to light up my mini purple tree in the office, put in weather stripping, laundry, a bit of caulking, dishes, and made my Glenndini his lunch for tomorrow.  I did finish bits and pieces of paperwork type stuff, but that was it.  Whew!  No wonder that I am feeling a bit sleepy, lol.  It felt good to feel like me again, though, and give my body a rest from sitting at the desk too much -- even if I did move slowly and have to take many breaks.

               Speaking of my back, I have the best husband in the world. Sorry ladies, he is all mine. <3.  We have been redecorating the house, as I’ve mentioned, and most recently made some upgrades to the office furniture.  We bought a beautiful white leather desk chair that has a low profile and looks great in the room.  Glenn was going to buy the second one today since Office Max was having a sale and I had a coupon (My friend Valerie would be proud, lol).  Well, knowing how uncomfortable I have been, Glenn bought a more expensive chair that has lumbar support, a higher back, and arm rests.  OMG, I love it!!! He is truly the best thing that has happened to me. I am such a lucky girl to have a guy who cares about me like that.

            I did the first phase of “closet clean-out” tonight.  Boy, did that feel great!  Wasn’t able to get rid of too much yet, but a lot of things are on the cusp of being too big to wear without looking ridiculous.  I will definitely need to go shopping for some school clothes when it is time to go back to work.  I will have to record a fashion show for Youtube! Haha.

            Alas, it is time to get some sleep.  My mommy is coming to visit tomorrow and I want to be awake enough to enjoy her company.   So until tomorrow. . .

My awesome chair!

Happy Labor Day!

            Today has been a so-so day.  I feel the same as usual, but a bit more comfortable because I am no longer constipated! ;-)  I was up extremely late catching up on last week’s work for one course, and woke up early.  Needless to say, I took a nap this afternoon.  I have been putzing around online and catching up on some things that I wanted to check out.  Eating my soup, pudding, and jello.  I really want to try some cheese in my soups to jazz them up a bit, but I need to go to the grocery store.  Maybe tomorrow evening if Glenndini is up to it. :-)  A friend sent me a web address for a site that explains how to make homemade baby food.  This will come in very handy when I need to move to the pureed foods portion of the post-op diet.  There is a recipe for a mango, apple, banana "sauce" that sounds really yummy!  Plus, it will just be a great way to make some fruity desserts and side dishes.  Check it out:  www.wholesomebabyfood.com. 

            Tonight I tried some regular coffee. Now, I know that I am not supposed to have caffeine, but I did the research before surgery as to why caffeine was bad and feel that I could have a watered down, not so strong cup of regular coffee once in a while.  I didn’t make a really strong cup; I used Glenn’s K-cup to make a small cup of coffee.  It was a bit weaker since he had used it once.  I took a few sips and was so sad! It did not taste like the coffee I remember at all!! I thought that the few sips that I’ve had of decaf so far were bitter because they were decaf, but I am so afraid that my taste buds changed and now coffee -- one of my all-time favorite things in the universe to drink -- will no longer taste so yummy.   I am not ready for that reality, and will experiment with some natural sweetener and milk.  

           I am still a bit uncomfortable and not sure how to tell if it is hunger or surgery pain.  I feel like I could eat more after eating my soup or pudding, but don’t want to push it.  Sitting at my desk is painful because my back aches horribly.  But it must be done.  I have to keep working through it to get caught up with classes.  I think a large part of my back pain is that my abdomen muscles are sore and pull on my back muscles. I sound like a broken record, huh?  Truthfully, this is the hardest part of the recovery so far.  I just can’t get comfortable, whether I am sitting, standing, or in bed.  I may try some Icy Hot in a bit.  I gotta do something, lol.

            I am reaching an anxiety stage at this point -- I just want to get going!  I want to start eating and exercising and living this next chapter of my life.  Don’t worry, I am not going to jump ahead or do anything to ruin the progress that I am making, but I am so ready!  I have so much on my plate already, but there are so many other ideas and projects that I have started to think about as far as support for bariatric patients and exercise clubs.  I need about 40 more hours in a day, or a drug that makes sleep unnecessary. LOL.  For now, I must get back to another major goal that I will be achieving in the future:  Earning my PhD.  Until tomorrow. . . 

            

Sunday, Sunday

          Happy Sunday!  Today was a pretty good day and I have no complaints.  I have moved on to the Full Liquid/Liquids Only post-op diet after discovering that some of my soreness yesterday was not pain or gas, but hunger.  I was just feeling really uncomfortable and sore late last night, even after taking the pain meds, and none of my liquid options seemed to be doing the trick.  I decided to give some of my cream of broccoli soup a try.  I took three tablespoons, mixed it with some ultra skim milk, and heated it in the microwave for a few minutes.  Then, I strained it to get out any chunks or pieces of broccoli.  It was wonderful!  I felt better and realized that some of those aches were hunger pangs, not soreness.  I had more soup today, and some pudding with protein powder added to it before chilling.  It tasted fabulous, too.  I am not so keen on the jello with protein powder.  The consistency is just too weird.  I will add my protein powder to other foods, but the jello is just going to be straight jello, lol.  I still need to order a few bariatric cookbooks from Barnes & Noble, too, so that I can start to love food and prepare it correctly, rather than looking at it as a chore.

            I took a shower this morning and was wiped out.  I can't believe how much it took out of me.  I had to take a nap before I could start my class work.  I do have a bit of indigestion tonight, I think.  It could just be soreness from sitting at my desk and that darn gassiness.  It is rather uncomfortable, but I keep pushing through it because I really do need to get some of my course work completed.  I may call the doctor on Tuesday to see if there is something that I can take for it.  I know that constipation is a common problem post-surgery due to the pain killers and limited food intake, and I understand that it is a small price to pay for the wonderful changes that lie ahead of me, but if I don’t have to be any more uncomfortable than I already am, it will be worth the call.  I have been using my pedal exerciser, but it hasn’t helped too much.  On the bright side, I am getting exercise in!  

            Can I just say how excited I am to go shopping for new clothes?  I was day dreaming about going to Target and Gabe’s and the mall and Ross’s and. . . .well, you get the picture.  It will be so awesome to buy a belt that I can wear for fun and not because I need to hold my pants up over my belly.  I want to clean out my closet so badly, but my clothes are not big enough yet to get rid of them.  I don’t have plans to go many places at the moment, but I don’t want to get rid of things too early.  I have several pieces of clothing that I have saved from years ago, even though I know that I will want to start fresh, because I loved them and did feel that I looked good in them.  I have tried a few of them on, and I am getting so close to buttoning those jeans!! Another 15 to 20 pounds and I will be able to fit into the outfit that I wore the night that I met Glenn. <3  It will be a good day when I can meet him at the door in it! We might have to go out on the town to celebrate! Or, maybe I will just wear it to a Loyal Hanna show and surprise him. ;-) 

I'm Back!

            Hello, all!  I’m home and ready to continue this journey from the other side now, the after-surgery phase.  I feel good overall; really sore and tired, but that is to be expected.  I can’t complain otherwise. :-)

            Wednesday was a long day, but I don’t remember most of it.  LOL  I checked in and was in the short stay unit until around 9:45.  Here, they put in the IV, checked vitals, gave me the breathing practice instructions for after surgery to avoid pneumonia, and a few other business type things.  Then, I went to the anesthetist to get ready to “go under.”  It was pretty quick after that, lol.  They started the med, and the last thing I remember is hearing the operating team yell out the names of the instruments to be used so that they could record them for the inventory.  I woke up in recovery, and was there for quite a while.  Apparently, I was having trouble waking up and there was not a bed ready for me.  Also, I had a catheter, IV drip, and pulse ox.I went to my room around 4:45 p.m.  My parents visited for a while, and Glenn was able to see me before he left for a meeting.  He came back to tuck me in, and then went home to get some rest himself.  I went to sleep soon after, but the night was very restless and painful.  Every two hours someone is in the room to take your temperature, blood pressure, etc.  The greatest problem was my back.  It hurt fiercely because of my arthritis and being on my back at a 45 degree angle.  At one point I was in tears, but they were the kinds of tears that just happen and cannot be controlled.  At any rate, I took the pain meds whenever possible to try and get through the night.  I knew that I had made the right decision, though, and that this was just part of the journey. 

            Thursday morning Dr. Z. came to visit, told me things went well, and that I was going to be disconnected from everything later in the day.  Also, he said that as long as the day went well, I would go home Friday.  That was great news!  I got cleaned up in the bathroom, which was a challenge with all of the wires and cords hanging everywhere, but I did it.  Then, I had my breakfast of diluted grape juice, decaf tea, and protein jello.  I didn’t finish much of the jello, but “munched” on it throughout the day.   The wires came off, and then I visited with my brother before lunch.  My parents visited while I ate my lunch of diluted cranberry juice, and chicken broth, and after they left, I took a nap.  My in-laws came to visit in the afternoon, and then I had my dinner of beef broth, diluted apple juice, and decaf tea.  In between, I went for several walks up and down the hallway.  My sister-in-law and nephew stopped by for a few minutes, and Glenn came in the evening to watch part of the football game and give me a back rub (He’s so awesome).  Then, it was bed time.  I had begged and begged throughout the day for a heating pad, so I got one.  It helped tremendously and I actually got some sleep. 

            Friday was a long day and began with the same breakfast.  A student nurse was going to help me with a shower, but I told her that I wanted to wait until I got home.  Dr. Z. removed the wound drainage bag, gave me a few instructions, told me that he’d see me on the 10^th, and left to complete my discharge paperwork.  Amanda (student nurse) took my vitals, gave me an IV drip antibiotic (under supervision of her instructor), and then removed my IV.  She was great, and I wish her the best of luck! Then, it was just a matter of waiting for paperwork to go through and having my hubby help me out with my stuff.  He met the escort and me at the front door, and we were homeward bound! 

            Glenn was fabulous, as always.  He set up the desk we bought Tuesday night and got me a new chair so that I would be able to get back to work when ready.  He bought the groceries, got my meds, and did a few other things around the house, too.  I took a nap, showered, and then visited with friends who stopped by to see me.  It was a nice, relaxing return home.  I do have to sleep on the couch, though, because being flat is too painful.  I can use pillows as props while on the couch.  I will have to wait a few more days before I can sleep in my own bed.              

            Today has been pretty relaxing as well.  I woke up and had jello for breakfast.  I tried some broth twice, but it just makes me queasy.  Throughout the day, I’ve had a few popsicles, about four sips of decaf, two bottles of water with Propel mix, and about four sips of a water, ultra skim, and Breakfast Essentials mix.  With the last one, I couldn’t tell if I was uncomfortable because of the milk, gas, or being too full, so I stopped drinking it.  That is one of the things that I will learn as time goes on, according to Dr. Z.; everyone is different so I will have to learn to judge that full feeling for myself as the days pass.  If I do eat or drink too much, it will come up or I will dump -- neither of which would be fun. 

            And, that is pretty much the extent of the last few days.  As I said, I feel pretty good considering everything, and am trying to save the pain medication for the night time so that I can get restful sleep.  I am so excited and ready to move forward in my journey, but I know that I will have to move through the next few months slowly and getting used to my new way of life.  There will be struggles, I am sure, but they will be nothing that I can’t handle.  Tomorrow I hope to tackle some of the PhD class work that I need to complete for this week and last week, and rediscover my loves for reading and cross-stitching.  Wish me luck! 

            Thank you for such wonderful love and support; I am truly blessed to have such great friends and family.  This journey is more rewarding because I am sharing it with all of you. 

             The picture below is of my incisions, just to warn readers.  It is not graphic by any means, but I wanted to prepare folks for what they will see.  I know that people are curious as to what the incisions look like and how big they are, so I am sharing this picture for those people.  We are curious by nature, and if no one is willing to share, then we will never satisfy curiosities. :-) 

My five incision marks; the one with the padding is where the drainage bag was attached.  Dr. Z. removed that on Friday morning before he discharged me.  They are starting to bruise a bit, and the edges have some shirt fuzz, but otherwise the sutures look good. Of course, I am bloated as hell from the gas that they used to puff me up, but that will go away in a few days.  :-)