I feel like saying "Wow! What a journey!" except for the fact that I'm only 5 days in. Surgery went fantastically! I had THE best surgical team in Houston working on me and I am one of the first to have the procedure done with only one insicion. I couldn't imagine how 6 wounds would feel if I'm feeling this bad from one! So I begin this blog by saying:

PAIN! HOLY CHICKEN NUGGETS THIS IS PAIN! 

Thats what I felt when they first woke me up. And apparently, they had a very hard time waking me up-I wonder why *sarcasm* It took something like 30 minutes. I like sleep-I guess I should have told them that. That was the only "complication" I had with the surgery.  Everything went pretty smoothly and my husband said it was pretty quick.

Scene 2-hospital room: nice, morphine-good, love that pain pump so much I named it Sugar-was pretty much out of it for a while. Walked my 4x a day and did what I could to drink which was barely anything at all-thank Jesus for IV fluids. I was kept in an extra night because of pain and severe nausea but mostly because I was terrified of coming home. I needed that extra day and so I was released Day 3. My nurses and PCAs were excellent and I couldn't have had more caring people.

Scene 3-home: DUn DUn DUNNN-actually it wasnt so bad-walked a few times and just rested really. Day 4 was quite painful again as far as soreness goes and weird things going on inside my tummy which now feels like its in my chest. I have these sharp pains that come up every 10 minutes it seems like-I know its gas but it sucks because I can't burp for anything. I've had a hiccup or two which is quite painful so I recommend you do everything in your power to NOT hiccup and laughing is a little hard too because my tummy is sore. Its not too bad though. Day 5 is now and I am feeling pretty good, on the road to back to normal, but not 100%. Its too hot in Texas to walk outside so I'm stuck with my sucky treadmill. I would LOVE to swim and they tell me its okay but I think I'm gonna wait until my wounds turn into scars before I introduce chlorine...

I have bouts of buyers remorse...I wonder when I'll ever get to eat a nice rare steak again but then I remember that I have chef friends who are coming over in the next few days to make my creamed soup and they've offered to make me things like my pureed foods and one is so excited to make my first solid meal. Screw steak! I can barely have 2TBSP off food! I'm pretty excited on what happens from this point forward. Smaller clothes sizes, bigger opportunities, just an overall better lifestyle. My life was pretty fly before but what gets me by as I sip, sip, sip, walk, walk, is just how flyerrrr its gonna be! 

LOVE! 

My surgery was moved up by 2wks! YIKES! So that means my surgery is THIS Monday! I've known for a few days now but I think it JUST now hit me that in less than 2 days I will have a small banana shaped tummy. I'm going to have major surgery...HOLY SMOKES! I haven't even gotten started! I need a bag with this and that,apparently  I need to find a baby pillow now, a heating pad, some warm tea and I mos def need something other than the frikken hospital gowns if I'm gonna be walking up and down the hospital halls. I found some tube dresses-like sun dresses but longer, and they're very comfortable AND fashionable. I'm getting my bag together tomorrow but I'm making my list now. I really am excited despite some anxious energy.

I guess I'm most excited about seeing someone I've never seen before when I look in the mirror. I can't wait to see that chick! I always thought my weight didn't hold me back, that I did what I wanted and lived life without thought to my weight and for the most part I did but now I can't wait for the new opportunities and the different  experiences I'll be exposed to. I'm frikken excited for real...this is gonna be so badass! Ha! 

Love! 

I have an official surgery date of August 2! I decided to push the date back from July 19 because I really wanted more time to be smoke free and to lose as much weight as I could before surgery. Sure it’s only 2 more weeks but, if done right, that’s 10 extra pounds I could lose. Besides, I also have just a little more time to get prepared at work and at home; just enough time to put things in order.

Today is Day 7 of no smoking which officially marks the longest I’ve quit smoking without cheating.  It’s also Day 3 of liquid/low carb dieting. I plan to low carb diet for the first 2 weeks and then go on full liquids for the last 2 weeks. I start my day off with a protein shake, have a few cubes of cheese for a snack-if I even need it, some sort of protein (chicken breast or chef salad ingredients) and a salad for lunch or a protein shake, peanut butter and jelly as a snack and some sort of protein (same as above) and salad for dinner or a protein shake. I know what you’re thinking about peanut butter and jelly snack BUT the peanut butter is 90 calories and 2g of carbs! And the jelly is a sugar free kind that’s 40 calories and 4 carbs! Low calorie, low carb, a little sweet, a little salty…Its like the perfect snack for me! I think I’ve been doing really well. I actually worked out yesterday too so today is also Day 2 of workout plan. I’m not much for working out outside-ESPECIALLY in Houston! but I put on my walking shoes and walked to my grocery store which is at least a mile away and then had my husband come pick me up and take me home. I just couldn’t make it the way back and I didn’t want to push it. The experience showed me just how out of shape I’ve become and gave me more reason for this surgery. I used to walk a mile-no sweat! and I found it so hard to keep up with the beats in my iPod that I used to walk faster than. But I know that won’t last for too much longer.

I guess to close out this blog I take a cue from my cheerleading days and cheer P-S-Y! C-H-E-D! Lets Get  Psyched! *Herkie Jump!* because overall I am psyched. I’m a little nervous more so about losing the extra weight and being smoke free before surgery but I’m really excited. I’m energized with this new vigor for working out and being super fly in my 30s that I can barely stand it! So Hey Hey, I’m Ready to get Fired UP! *clap clap* Hey Hey I’m Ready to STRUT MY STUFF!! *Clap Clap*! Goooo Jenni!