5 1/2 weeks post-op

Going down...

Today is Saturday, my day to record my weight. I am down 3 1/2 pounds this week. I started out @ 291 and am now 267 ( 24 pounds) and I am 5 weeks post-op. I am feeling really good, and having no trouble at all. My body is happy, my tummy is happy all is going great for me.

Derrel and I went to Mexican food last night. I had the fajitas that I always get. They are cooked in this yummy orange sauce with peppers and onions. I did not eat any chips before dinner and did not eat the tortillas that came with it. I ate about 8 bites of chicken and some of the peppers and onions in the sauce. I am eating slowly, and chewing everything well. I am so amazed at the portions sizes I eat. Still strange to me. I am very happy that I don't feel deprived or feeling like I'm missing out. I feel satisfied and that is a nice feeling. I really don't have anything to nag about, as right now things are going really good. I have had no dumping problems, and my body is handling this well.

Derrel and I got to go out last night as Jonathan is at Grammy's house till Sunday. It's nice to be alone with Derrel. This past month pretty much kicked my ass and made me feel tired easily. A nice evening out was well needed and nice to have.

Today or tomorrow we will take another picture as it is the top of the month and I am taking pictures each month. It will make a great slide show in a year.

:) I will check in later in the week...

My litermates, and new friends...

Here is a picture of my some of my new friends that I met in Vegas on Feb 21st 2007. It has been nice to share stories with them and keep in touch.

Kelly, Cindy, Me, Zoey

Feb. 27th 2007. This group was 6 days post-op. :)

Busy, busy, busy...

Have not had a chance to write this week, as I worked full, hard days this week. Think my boss is trying to kill me. Movies everywhere, 1000's of them coming from another store to our store. Let's just say I'm tired of movies and movie boxes and glad my week is over and time done @ work.

Otherwise pretty uneventfully. Feeling good, eating good, and drinking my liquids pretty good. My aerobics teacher came into my store this week and she is the first person that has said to me "it looks like you losing weight". I know Mary pretty well, so I just pulled up my shirt. She knew what I had done, gone and had bypass surgery. She told me she was proud of me and wished me well. I threw away one of my work pants already. Hit the trash can! Yeah :) First pair gone.

I'm starting to worry about hair loss. So I'm looking into understanding about zinc vs zinc sulphate. I've read zinc really tears people up in there gut sometimes, so that worries me a bit. Still learning and reading, next all be trying it. I wrote the Dr. on the message board but did not really get an answer. I'll just keep reading. Anyone want to share there thoughts on what works or has worked from them, please share. I have a lot of hair, so I could stand to lose some, but understand I need to take that supplement too.

Still no change in my diet. Pretty much living on the same foods cause there working for me right now. I weigh in on Saturday.

Down 22 pounds

5 weeks post-op

Till Saturday...

5 pounds this week.

Since last Saturday I am down 5 pounds this week. That means I am at 20 since surgery (one month ago 2/21/07). When I went to the Dr the other day and his scale matched mine @ home and heard I was down 19 since surgery I was so happy on the way home I almost cried, but I didn't. This just might work for me and that feels great. The good part is I don't feel like I am missing out on food, I feel content. If I want a pound of salad shrimp I buy it, cause I know that a pound will last me 4 meals @ this stage. I've just been eating the same foods right now, still have not branched out to much. Figured if I can stand some soup, and stay on the crackers, fish, eggs, cottage cheese and such I will lose more in the beginning. I am eating to fuel my body right now. Couple of times I ate something different I did not feel good. I did not like that. Cottage cheese and fish and such make me feel good.

Well were off to a Farmers Market meeting in Newport. The Farmers Market starts May 1, and this is there 1st meeting so were all going. Jonathan will be selling planters with Derrel this year, it will be good for him to learn from dad, and he gets paid too when he works. He is 13 so you know he likes that. Jonathan is saving for Creation Fest this summer in WA. The stage is set and over looks the Columbia Gorge. It's 30,000 Christians camping and listening to live christian music all day .(http://www.creationfest.com/nw/) He has such a great time last year he want to go again this year. He enjoyed the mosh pit and rocking out the most. But he wants more money this year to take, so this gives him the opportunity to earn some for the trip.

Anyway 20 total for my weight loss, can't wait for next March!

Been reading my own blog...

Well I just took the time to read my own blog. Wow many up's and Downs. Sounds like I just really wanted to feel better. And I do!

Work is going fine. I was very busy today with lots of movies. My boss went to another store because they were closing and our store got a lot of there product. So there is a lot of receiving to do. A lot! I got a lot done for us at the store today. Glad to be out of there though. I was so busy @ work I never found the time to eat today. Derrel is not happy with me about that. When we get busy I'm just not finding the time for me. With no break or no lunch it can get tough. I will try to be better.

I was reading about my worries about having no coffee before surgery. Don't even miss it at this point. I took that few weeks to cut back and get off the caffeine. I am getting up heading to work without coffee and it's OK.

Otherwise not much to blog or nag about. I'm pretty happy with how I am feeling and how I am losing. Some of the other girls have lost more weight, but were all our own person. I am happy for how they are doing and losing. I have met some friends from all this, I hope we keep in touch.

I will weigh in tomorrow and write it down. I am not @ the point yet where I want to share my weight but I will share how much I have lost each week. At the top of the month I will post a new picture. We are taking new pictures of me each month.

Jenny is coming down this Sunday for a visit with her hubby Cory. It will be good to see them. Jenny used to be Jon sitter. We have become close. Jonathan is growing up now, but Jenny always calls and comes over. She cares a lot about us as we do her. I plan on taking some pictures then so I might just find one I will post here. Still pretty early in the game, but my clothes are baggy. One of my work pants has to go now. They are falling off my butt. I put on a T-shirt the other day that was tight on me, guess what- not anymore. Does not roll up anymore cause it's so tight, fit's fine now. That's a Ta Da moment I just had.

All is good!

Kool

Went to my doctor for my one month check up...

I only need to say I'm down 22 from December and down 19 since surgery! Not bad, not bad at all.

I am happy! No need to say anything else. All good news.

:)

It has been one month today!

Well I am one month post op today. YEAH! Still feeling very good. Amazing... Started out pretty yucky, but feeling really good now. I have not tried a lot of different foods yet, but the things I am eating I am enjoying. Pretty simple foods. Last night I had some tuna and cut the pickles really well and added a bit of mayo and just ate that. I also had some cottage cheese with that. Everything I keep picking seems to have a lot of protein. My body must want it, I don't mean to pick those foods. Just seems when I think about what was on my plate it has all this protein on it?????Did one egg white with salt all over it today for breakfast and my favorite my protein drink with soy milk.

I don't crave sweets or wish I had them @ all. Just seem to be satisfied, which is nice... :)

I am going to my primary Dr tomorrow for my one month check up. I will have a total from his office as his scale will be the same from my last weigh in @ his office. I got the results back from my mammogram and it came back negative. Woo-Hoo. Guess now that I'm old I have to do it each year. Blah. Oh well I will do it faithfully for myself.

I do have tomorrow off, but get to run again a good part of the day. My Dr appt. and Jon has a eye appt in the afternoon. Next week is spring break for Jon so he will be home to nag us. He he :) Derrel has been driving his bus @ work, and in his spare time he has been building cedar planters for the Newport Farmers Market on Saturdays. He has 100 plus planters in several sizes built to sell. He is going to be selling some shrubs this year and his cedar and red wood planters. They look really nice, they should sell good. Farmers Market starts soon. I am proud of his hard work! Our business has been going slower than we wanted, but were not going to go broke to make it happen. Coming together, just slower than planned. Maybe he can make some money this year to put back into D and S Greenhouses.

Till tomorrows news...

Just blogging about what I am eating.

Today I thought I would write about what I am eating. Does not take much and that is weird and just plain strange feeling. Just different, which makes it a strange feeling to have this tiny amount of food in front of you. I am in stage 2 of eating. That means soft easy to chew foods. If you can chew it up well and eat it slow the Dr. said it's OK in moderation. That's what I've been doing. As I approach 4 weeks I can add things as I want, but staying on liquids and soups I will have a greater weight loss success. Stage 2 is much better than stage 1 as I have WAY more choices now. Soup is fine, but try it for 2 weeks straight and you'll understand. Can't have cream soup either. Just plain broth, not many noodles. I have not been adding crackers either as they fill me to much. I might eat one with my soup but I don't add them to soup.

Today I ate:

Mixed OJ with a lemon yogurt blended with ice and I added my fiber to that. Was yummy. Lemon and OJ go good together.

One egg. Tried 1/2 of piece of toast today, took off the crust and put some smart butter on it. Small piece so I did fine and tasted good. I took a quarter piece of sausage Derrel cooked up and I could chew it very well, so I had that too.

Blended up my whey protein drink with soy milk and ice later mid morning. I am loving making iced drinks of all kinds, but the Whey protein drink with soy milk is my favorite things right now along with cottage cheese. Both are on my top list these days.

6-8 crackers

Popsicle

One piece of Gordon's fish fillet for dinner with lemon all over it. Did not finish that. Was way to full and still am 1/2 hour later. Too much. Fresh fish is not in available yet where I live, so had to go frozen for now. But they are easy to chew up and soft and yummy and healthy.

Drinking my Gatorade today too, sipping on it through out the day.

I boiled some eggs to for next week at work along with my cottage cheese! Still going to keep working on drinking more. I did not do really good today. Not bad, but could of done better.

I have been writing some friends I met in Vegas. It is nice to share each week and how you are feeling. We have been e-mailing each other back and fourth and it's been inspiring and enlightening to know someone feels the same or has felt the same. I am lucky to have someone to share with and have some new friends from all of this.

THAT'S TODAY... :)

Weigh day

3 pounds this week. Feeling good. My best guess is 15 pounds so far since surgery. I got a new scale after we came home from Vegas and it was different than the Dr's in Vegas. I will make my doctors apt. next week with my local physician for my 30 day check up. We will see what his scale says.

I have to work more hours next week as my boss will be out of town. YEAH! :) So I will make the Dr. apt. for the following week when I have more time during the day to see him.

3 more pounds gone.....

Friday... YEAH

Yeah. I made it through my week. Friday at last...

I can't complain much, I feel pretty good now. I have had no more days where I'm fuzzy, dizzy, weak or just plain tired. Tired from my work week, but I'm back to feeling like me. AT LAST

Pretty good day at work, and overall my week was good. Today was sunny and it was hard to be at work. I wanted to be outside. I have Saturday and Sunday off so I can get out this weekend. I will weight in tomorrow for this week. Trying really hard not to play the scale game, so Saturday's is my weigh day. My pants are getting big. My work pants will be the 1st to go.

I did do better this week on my attempt to drink more liquids. I am peeing more now, and I'm happy for that.

I will blog later about how much I lost this week. I'm just happy I feel better.

Doing pretty good...

Not bad... Not bad at all. I feel pretty good this week. Sore, but not from this surgery. It's just my ankle. But I've lived with that for sometime now. My vitamins and protein and sometime passing is making me feel better. I don't feel like I need to "nap" anymore. LOL I have been trying to eat every 3-4 hours or so. Just something, it makes me feel better. Today I've had for breakfast my smoothie (OJ and orange yogurt blended together) and one egg. Made a protein drink with soy milk and blended it with ice and took it out the door with me to head to work. Cottage Cheese (6-7 small bites) and a cracker. 2 crackers with a bit of peanut butter between them. I took soup with me, but I was busy @ work and never got to it. It's 6:30 now and I am feeling hungry so I need to take care of me and Jonathan and Derrel. Jonathan is nagging "he's hungry" Growing boy you know.... He is eating all the time now. He must have a hole in his leg. Oh yeah, he's 13. That's it... He finally got an appetite. Took him several years, but he is a bigger eater finally.

Anyway... I have my mammogram tomorrow and Jonathan has a dentist appt. so bz bz bz. Till later.... :)

Jonathan...

I think I can...

Well I am home from work. Phew... No doubt this is going to be a long few months until I lose some weight. On that concrete floor at work my ankle hurts after the 4th hour. I will not take anything, I am being stubborn and following Dr. orders not to take meds anymore. But it's going to be tough. I just keep telling my self I THINK I CAN... Pretty soon I will be saying I KNEW I COULD... I did finally got get the stool we have in the back and sat in it for 15-20 minutes while I was working on paperwork and the computer. We are not to be sitting while at work, but I don't get breaks or a lunch either while on shift. So I got the stool anyway and it did make me feel better taking a load off for 20 min. I got through today. :)

Hope it does not seem I bitching when I blog. This is just a good place to journal my day, thoughts, fears, joys for my future and a place to learn. I am happy I did this surgery and do not regret it at all. I just know it will be tough but worth it in the end!

I got down most of my Gatorade/Propel drink today and I am hoping that makes me feel stronger. Drinking more is my goal this week.

Today was a better day!

Thought I'd better start writing...

Jessica (derrel's niece) came down for a visit from Seattle, WA. This is her newborn Kaleb. This was taken Monday, March 5th 2007

I thought I better start writing and get through this day. If anyone ever tells me I took the easy way out, I might just punch them. Today has been kind of a yucky day for me. I just don't feel strong. I had a couple of good days, but overall I don't feel strong. I feel and look tired. Looked @ myself in the mirror today and I have circles under my eyes, there black. This has kicked my butt, and I don't like it. Then I start to wonder "what if this doesn't work either". OK - I know I'm kicking myself. Seems I'm good at that. I talked to Scott today, and he assures me I'M NORMAL... :) Derrel gave me the "pep talk" too. I know all this in the back of my head, sometimes it just gets to me. And today would be one of those days. Got to get back to the facts:

• i am 2 1/2 weeks post-op.
• i am feeling stronger most days.
• i need to drink more water/Gatorade
• i need to keep moving so I will feel stronger

I am going to try work on drinking more this week. I am not a big drinker anyway, but I think I am only taking in about 50 oz a day of drinkable liquid. I am still not peeing a lot and I am worried about that, so I am going to do something about it this week. So that is my goal this week...

It's hard some days to tell yourself the "good" words when you don't feel good. Derrel and Scott have been there to pick me back up. When someone tells you they play "head games" also, it makes you feel better and things will be better really really soon. I knew this was/is going to be a long year. With the one's I love, I can do this. Thanks everyone for being there for me. My Aunt Loretta has been very concerned for me and wishing me well with lots of support. Scott and Barb, and my step-mom have been great. My best friend Shelly. She has been picking me up with her words. And Derrel... My strength, love, and hugging me all the way. I need it- thanks all! :)

Tomorrow will be a better day...

Sunday's Note

Well..... Not a lot new to report. Which I guess is good.

I am feeling pretty good. Still get tired pretty easy. I go back to work tomorrow for my full week. I'm still being really careful on what i eat. A few new things I've tried are eggs, gravy, soy milk and all those have gone down fine and stayed down. I started making my whey protein drink now too with soy milk. Which is fine when mixing it up with something else. Eating is not as fun anymore, but that's ok because me losing is more important. Yesterday i weighed myself. It is one week since I bought my new scale. I lost 2 pounds last week. This year is going to take forever to me. I know a year goes fast, but I bet this year will crawl for me. That's ok, as long as I start to feel like me and become more healthier all will be good. Well back to work tomorrow. Oh joy! I'm sure it will kick my butt, as it does not seem to take much these past 3 weeks.

Rain, Rain, Rain

My short week at work was still pretty hard on my ankle. I know the next few months are going to be hard until I drop some of the weight. I know next week will be hard on my ankle, as I can't really take anything. Last night my back tooth was bothering me. I have my teeth cleaned every 3 months and my last check up did not show anything wrong with that tooth. :( Maybe it's just inflamed from my retainer. It was kind of snug the other night when I put it in my mouth and the next morning my tooth in the back was bothering me.

I had yesterday off, kind of a lazy day. I got a lot done in the afternoon as the whole house needed me to clean it. I got it all done. Derrel got sick the other day. Man I just started to feel better, sure hope I don't get it.

It's raining, and raining here this morning. They say it's going to be a wet day today. We are going to Eugene today to go to Costco and check some prices on a few things.

Till later...

Today is the first day I felt like me. I felt good all day today. Yesterday I ate some protein (cottage cheese) and today I felt so better. It was SO SO good.

I bought soy milk today. I have not tried it yet. I have some whey protein and I thought I could mix it with the soy milk and see how it goes. I am not ready to try milk yet as they told me that the surgery makes lots of patients lactose intolerant. I'm not ready to find out yet.

Everything to me tastes different now. Not as strong to me, less taste. Except Gatorade, it used to taste like watered down kool aid and now it tastes like syrup and is very sweet. I had to buy some Propel sports water, just to taste something clear. I have had to lick salt a couple of times this week. Felt just not right, so I licked some salt off my hand and it did seem to make me feel better.

Otherwise I am happy that I can add some new things into my diet this week and get more variety. I am trying things slowly and one at a time. I have made myself a scrambled egg white for breakfast before work and it has been yummy. I started taking vitamins today too! Over all today was good as I felt better. My short work week is over and I don't have to go back to work till Monday and then I will be back to my regular hours.

:)

Yummy Cottage Cheese...

Things are looking up. Still not 100% me, but almost. Learning to eat several times a day I am. I find if I let my body feel hungry, I crash. So I am learning to eat every few hours and I feel better. Today I put my yogurt in my Gatorade and blended it up and I ate one egg for some protein. Yummy. 3 crackers at work and a half of a banana. Came home and ate 2 tablespoons of cottage cheese. Oh man, after living on soup that was so good. I am drinking more, and licking salt if I feel funky during the day. Weird I know, but salt works when I feel dizzy, or just not right. I start my vitamins tomorrow, so I am sure that will help me feel better too. It does not take much at all to fill me now. You look at the amount of food and think it will never fill me, and it does. My work pants are starting to get baggy, and a few people have said that to me already. I just got a new scale so I started out fresh since it was different then the scale at the Dr. office, but I think I am down 15 so far. I am only going to weigh every Friday and record it down on paper for myself.

I was a bit sad this morning because it's hard to get up and go to work when I don't feel 100%. Derrel hugged and made me feel better this morning. After that I was better. Derrel has been so supportive and understanding. He hugs me when I need it and it has been great to have someone in my life that loves me for me! It has made us stonger and become even closer. I know the next few months are going to be hard @ times. My ankle hurts after a day on the concrete floor and I have or won't and can't take anything for pain. The results will come, I know that now. After a few pounds come off my body and ankle won't hurt the same. It will take sometime, but well worth it in the end.

Back to Work

I went back to work today. I am glad I only have to work part of the week this week. Today went well back at work. Getting used to all the work there is to do. My co workers missed me and a couple of customers said it wasn't the same without me there. Felt good! :)

Anyway, back to life....

Not feeling shaky today. That is good. Just have to learn my body all over again. Feeling stronger....

Feel like me!

Today is Saturday. I am feeling stronger more each day. At last. I know in my head it has only been 10 days since surgery, but it feels like forever. Anyway, i am better. Cleaned the house today and getting ready to return to work.

I am very tired of soup, and yogurt. I did learn I do like yogurt. It's just I don't have a lot of choices until next Wed. and I can start to add other soft foods into my diet. I'm craving salad, cottage cheese. Maybe my tongue won't like them anyway. Everything tastes so different now. My head says yes and my tongue says yucky.

Derrel bought me the Magic Bullet today. Barb told me about it the other day. It's a blender. So we made Gatorade slushies. When we get some fruit we can add fruit to the smoothies. It was a great idea from them and I love it. We will all use it. It's easy and easy to clean and fairly small. Thanks guys!

I took a nap today. I still get tired fast. I cleaned the house today and that always makes me happy. Back to work on Monday. It will be nice to see my customers again! :)

Feeling more like me...

Today is Thursday. So I'm one week and a day post-op. YEAH

I am feeling better today and each day I feel more like me again. I did talk to my boss today and she did respect the fact that I am worried about being there by myself running the store for 8 hours @ a time. She is going to let me have just 20 hours next week or so, with a couple of short shifts to ease back into job. I'm so glad she heard my words and understood. She told me my customers are asking about me and wondering where I am. :)

Going to Wal mart tomorrow to get somethings and buy a new scale. Ours is old and tired and way higher then I just weighed in Vegas. I took it easy again today. Just trying to take care of myself. I still feel very thirsty. I'm trying really hard to get enough but I think I'm am still dehydrated. Looking forward to something else to eat but soup. My body is craving protein, and water. I do like soup so it's not terrible, just boring! Otherwise I'M BETTER, not me, but better today. :)