My Journey of a New Me!

I haven't written much since last week. I feel that a weekly update is better than a daily update.  So I weighed myself on Friday. That weight was 215.7. If you've been following along, that is roughly 18 lbs lost since the day of surgery!! I am on full liquids. I can have soup, protein shakes, sugar free jello, broth, and water. Not many options, but the soup is a nice change of pace! My clothes are feeling a little looser, but not much. I can tell a difference at least. I have a bunch more energy now. Yesterday, I cleared out my flower garden in the front. I could have continued, but I need to get a saw so I can cut a tree down that has decided to take up residence in the front yard. I am drinking/eating anywhere between 40 and 75g of protein. I am trying to get all my water in (64oz) but it is really difficult. I keep at it though. Hopefully next week I will be on soft foods and I can start eating eggs and other soft foods again! I miss chewing.

So far I haven't taken any pain meds. I will probably take some tonight so I can get some sleep. So far I have managed to drink 1.5 11 oz bottles of protein shake. Some water, 3 teaspoons of malt o meal and some egg drop soup. Of course taking very tiny sips and making sure I am not over doing it.  I have been waking around a bunch more today. I haven't been wearing my compression socks because I have been walking around. But when I go to bed tonight they will be back on. I walked down my stairs to do laundry and to see if our basement flooded. It only did where it normally does and it wasn't that bad. Walking felt great and I did burp up more gas. I'm feeling better Day by day. The incisions are not as bruised as they were before and they are less sore.

Being home is wonderful! Jay has been nothing but supportive and helpful with everything. The kids have been helpful as well. The dog and cats won't leave my side. The liquid hydrocodone on the other hand hates me! It irritates my stomach and makes it hurt, like physically hurt. So now I get the joy of crushing up extra strength Tylenol and putting in something that I can take it in. I'm almost to the point where I don't need medication, but it sure would help when I'm sleeping. Getting water down is a little more difficult than I thought it would be. I drink water no problem, but I'm use to drinking it quickly and with a straw. Now I have to drink it slowly and with no straw. My two week follow up appointment is the 8th. Hopefully by then I can move to soft foods. I can't wait for eggs!!! Next week, or when I feel less sore, I'm going to hit the gym. Treadmill at first. I don't want to over do it. But I'm excited that for once in the 9 years I won

I woke up several times during the night. But that is to be expected. I couldn't get comfortable until they brought me a heating pad for my back. As long as I keep up with my pain meds I'm good. When they told me of the gas that they pump into my body to open up where they needed to cut my stomach is no joke. The discomfort from the gas is terrible. But I've been walking around and it has started to disappear. Breakfast and lunch and dinner will be broth with protein in it. Tomorrow I get to start back on my protein shakes. I can't wait! Hopefully in 2 weeks I will be on soft foods!

Today is the big day! Surgery. I weighed in at 223.6. So I am going to say that is my starting weight!! I'm nervous and a tad scared. The pre-op diet was ok. The first 4 days were rough, but after I got though those it was a breeze! Say a prayer, cuz here I go.

The energy that I have is amazing. I love it!! These past 3 days have been hot!!! Like, heat index of over 100* hot!!! I caught up on the books I needed to review. Today I went to my one of my b st friends wedding. She was gorgeous! The food looked and smelled amazing. I am to the point where I miss actual food. I don't mind the protein shakes, but I miss tacos, and pizza, and hamburgers. I know once I have the surgery I won't be able to eat those like I use too, but I miss them. In 2 days I will have my surgery.  No, I will not be bed ridden for 5 days. I need to be up moving so I don't get a blood clot. Yes, you can come visit me, text me and I'll give you my room number. Please don't tell me I'm taking the easy way out. You try doing a liquid diet for 2 weeks before surgery and tell me how easy that is. I will have to change everything from what I use to eat to very teeny tiny portions. The holidays are going to suck! But, I'm ready to take back my li

The days just keep getting easier. Much more energy, not many problems waking up in the morning. The only issues that I have are the super loose stools that come along with an all liquid diet, and missing actual food. Don't get me wrong, detoxing is and was probably needed because with out it I couldn't have the surgery. But I can't wait until I can eat normal food again.  Today I went and had my pre-op labs done and got more information on what I can and can't have after surgery. Monday is my surgery date and I'll come home on Tuesday. Then begins the real work. Exercising, getting in all my liquids, making sure I'm getting all the protein in.  I can't thank my support system enough. It's been hard, but I know in the long run it will be worth it!! 

These past two days have been a million times easier than the first 4.  Yesterday (Day 5) I woke up and had energy for days. I mean, I have no clue where this energy came from, I don't want it to go away. The only downside to all that energy, no matter how much house work I did, I couldn't go to sleep when I wanted to. I still had my occipital nerve pinched so I was still in a fair amount of pain, but I pushed through it.  Today (Day 6) I got that occipital nerve fixed and I feel amazing. Still a ton of energy. I am managing to get most of my fluids in. I still have to choke down a shake or two. The water is going down smoothly. As I was making mac and cheese for my kids for dinner I didn't even have the urge to take a bite. I have worked and come to far to turn back now!   I have pre-op appointments on the 19 to get all the labs done. The kiddos have been taken care of and Jay is still being super supportive. Even when all I want to do it quit, he tells me no. 

OK, so I'm putting both days together because both these days were bad. Headaches were terrible trying to keep up on the water, shakes, vitamins, and broth intake is an around the clock thing. Day 3 was managable until about 10:30 at night when I couldn't stop throwing up. Up until 4 am I couldn't keep anything down. I woke up on Day 4 with my occipital Nerve pinched from throwing up so much. Day 4 was spent recovering from the throwing up and the pinched nerve. Still trying to get the hang of things. I have learned that sugar free items are much more sweeter than normal foods. They are sickening sweet. I'm now going to try to find recipes for homemade jello and Gatorade.

Most of you know that with out my coffee in the morning I'm not too pleasant. Well, let me tell ya, try detoxing from all caffeine and Advil, excedrine and pretty much all yummy foods. The headache also is terrible. Tylenol is laughing at me because it just doesn't work. I tried essential oils for my headache. It got rid of it only because I got it in my eyes and was panicking about my eyes. On top of all this I have a major ear infection. So bad the dr said that mine was the worst ear she had ever seen. My kids are being super patient with me as is Jay. He is my rock especially when all I want to do is cry cuz I was a cup of coffee. I tried to help mow the yard yesterday. I had no energy at all and almost fainted. I survived day 2 with no coffee and no food. All I want to do is sleep.

Today is July 12, 2017. Today I start my liquid diet for my sleeve surgery. The date for my surgery is July 24th at 9:30 AM. Yesterday I got the news that I am approved for surgery and received my date for surgery. I  cannot begin to tell you how excited I am for this new journey. Some of you might think that I am taking the easy way out. Well, let me tell you one thing, if you think for one second that this is the easy way out, you are sorely mistaken. For roughly two weeks, the only things that I get to "eat" is in liquid form. That means, no sushi, no seafood, no tacos, no hamburgers, no cake etc. Then again, some of you might think that this is going to be too hard for me to do. I can guarantee, that the hard thing that I have to deal with on a daily basis is the pain that is in my back every day. My knees that scream at me when I walk down the stairs, my ankles that give out for no reason at all, causing sprained ankles every month, the constant heachaches that I g