I'm so glad to be home....

And would like to thank each of you that prayed, called, e-mailed and posted. I appreciate your support more than you know. It is so wonderful to know that we have each other to lean on and that so many people are here for me when I need prayer warriors and some kind words. I thank each of you from the bottom of my heart. I am home, finally, and feel better, although the biggest problem at the moment is the foot and ankle problems. I have pulled some ligaments in the left foot when I fell and in the right ankle I have torn all the ligments, on the inside and out. I am gonna have to have physical therapy for a while. I can live with. The ulcer is right in the middle of my pouch and has stopped bleeding. Good thing, 4 pints of blood was enough. At least I know why I was so dizzy and fell. That was very very scary. My first thought when I hit the floor was I was having an anuerysm(sp?). Then not being able to get up for a bit was more frightening. Being me, I would not call EMS like a normal. I called my neighbor. Please don't let this discourage anyone from having the surgery. Going in I knew it was a possibility and I have had a bleeding ulcer before, 3 years ago when I was so sick. We are treating with meds and the endoscopy was a breeze. I slept through it and don't remember a thing until I heard the doc on the phone with my family. All my doctors have been absolutely wonderful. The staff at Frye Regional was very kind and caring and I could not ask for better care, although I tried hard last night to get my nurse to give my pain meds to the guy across the hall that kept hollering. She said she couldn't so I took them to help me sleep. LOL! I will try to be in chat at least for a little bit tonight. I talked to Pat Collins this afternoon and she still needs our prayers. She is such a sweet lady and I hate she is going through all this. God Bless her and all of you. Pat

I'm so glad you are home too. I called a couple of times--once no one answered & later I got a busy signal. But you were always on my mind & in my prayers. Heck, I leaned on you enough when I was preop--remember? Take it easy & you & PC are still in my prayers.

Breakfast: 1 slice FF cheese, 2 slices deli ham on 1 slice toasted 35 cal wheat bread Snack: 1/2 protein shake (put in the freezer for a couple of hours) Lunch: 3 oz. tuna, low-fat mayo, 1/2 hard boiled egg...all mixed together Dinner: 2 T. pinto beans, 2/3 chicken thigh cooked on the grill 5- 16.9 oz. water so far.... 85 oz. water, 85 grams protein....all my vitamins! Went to Ladies Workout Express for 30 minute workout, walked the pugs for 1 mile. Barbara

Today has been a bad day. Cell phone starting ringing at 6:30am and I swear I put 15 fires out before I even got into the shower. I had to take my first 2 conference calls from home because I was running so late from putting out those fires. I'm just now (at 4:15 PM) eating my lunch. I'll be up late to get my dinner and fluids in. Tomorrow will be a better day..... S: Choc protein shake with strawberries added B (which was really lunch): 2 oz meatloaf with 1 T spaghetti sauce and 1 T of parm cheese L: 1/4 c FF cottage cheese, 2 T NSA applesauce, 4 sesame melba toast crackers D: TBD, but probably seafood on artichoke hearts S: a protein bar or another protein drink since I missed my snacks today On a good note, I've been able to start eating cottage cheese again this week. I love cottage cheese but I tried switching to low fat cottage cheese a couple weeks ago and it made me because I have a butter fat intolerance. LF cottage cheese didn't bother me very often before surgery but now it makes me really sick. I'll stick with the FF forever now!

Today has been pretty good water wise for me but not food wise. I ran all afternoon so did not get my lunch in. I took a half day and was too busy to eat. B- Half of a Atkin's Mixed Berry Morning Start breakfast bar. S- none L- none S- about 5 circus peanuts D- Cooking right now - Oscar Meyer cheese hot dog. Not sure how well this will go down, I will keep ya posted LOL! Water- Working on my second 32 oz. glass

Darlene, I'm having one of those days too. I just don't feel like eating. nothing tastes very good, I don't feel great...I mean I don't really feel bad, and I'm not getting sick, but I just don't feel 100% after I do eat. So... B: 1 protein shake...gross whey but I added a dolop or peanut butter and it was better. Snack: maybe half of the pudding cup L. barely 1/4 flavored tuna, blaa and nothing else, yet. I've been trying to get my water in, but that is hard too. I've decided I need a beer helmet to put my water in so I can constantly remember to drink, Drink, DRINK!!!!! Tomorrow will be better

For today: Breakfast: last piece of spiniach quiche Lunch: 3 ounces of deli roast beef and 2 wedges Laughing Cow Lite French Onion cheese Snack: 1 small banana Dinner: 1/2 cup of ground beef in marinara sauce and 1/4 cup of sliced cucumbers and sliced mushrooms Snack: 5 sliced strawberries and a dollup of sugar free Cool Whip All my vitamins and about 48 ounces of water. Sipping on the last bottle before bedtime.

Breakfast: Same as yesterday. I need to try more things! I like variety! LOL Had 1/4 c. Egg beaters with 1 slice FF American cheese; 1 tbs unsweetened applesauce. Mid morn: Protein shake 30 gm. Lunch: Oh I really shook it up today. Instead of LC FF cheese, i had a harder swiss cheese LF on crackers. Tried to eat some SF jello but it was too sweet, couldnt eat it. Dinner: Well the chicken thighs we put out didn't thaw. so there goes that experiment. I hadn't tried chicken yet, guess we'll try to cook them tomorrow. So we put in the over one of those really thin crisp pizza crusts. They have them at Costco, has cheese and tomatos on it, garlicy, say it has like 14 gm protein in a 1/3 of a pizza. Which I wouldnt be able to eat. Sliced a little less than a 1/4 I'd say, ate about half and stomach started to hurt really bad. Maybe ate too fast, not sure. Didn't dump per say, but remember people say to lay on your side, so I did that and felt fine in like 5 mins. It was like my pouch was spasming. It would hurt real bad, relax then hurt relax .. Eve: Just finished my Calcium Citrate chew and Protein shake 30 gm. Only got 2 bottles of water in today so far! UGH! but the busy work at work is done now, so all the up and running around should be over, I'll be able to have my water next to me all day at my desk and hopefully get more in. Working on one now!

I had a difficult time eating today too. Must be something going around! Breakfast: 1 oz. Cabot 75% Light Vermont Cheddar Lunch: Tried to eat Bocca meat crumbles mixed with a little spaghetti sauce on top of a few slices steamed squash. I could only eat one bite. So ended up having 2 oz. of Manwich (sloppy joes) made with 93% lean hamburger. Dinner: 1/2 oz pork tenderloin. I put 2 oz. on my plate...but could only eat 1/2 oz. before I was stuffed. I know I shouldn't complain, but when I am trying to get in more calories per day and my required protein, it kind of sucks when I can only eat 1/2 oz! Snack: I tried to make a protein shake. Had some samples of Matrix chocolate. I tried it one week after surgery and couldn't stand it, but because I was so far behind on calories and protein, I wanted to give it another try. Turns out I still can't stand it! So now I am eating 3/4 c of Special K Low Carb/High protein cereal dry. I have tried it with milk in the past, but that made me nauseous. I prefer it dry! I did get all of my vitamins and my water in today. Plus I did 30 mins of bellydancing tonight. What fun! Hopefully tomorrow will be a better eating day for all of us! Laura

Hi Pat!!! I am sooo glad you're home and It was so good to read the post that things are better for you. I tried to call your room, but no answer. I did get through to Pat Collins, and she does still need our prayers and support. I'm just thrilled you're doing better. You ol' huzzy!! (respectfully). I'll talk to you in chat tonight, I hope. Love ya, Jeanie