Morning all,

I'm out of bed but not working today. Since I last checked in, I've been in the ER again twice and lost 3 more pounds. My gastroparesis (or whatever this is) certainly goes in cycles. I had 4 really good days followed by a return to nothing going down. My ER experiences (I suspect at least partly due to full hospitals with Covid) weren't great. A real push to get people in and out fast and the last trip was in an Uber during the middle of the snow-ice storm...argh! The balancing act is that the medicine that is helping my tum to accept fluid and food causes nasty side effects but without it, no intake.

I do have a couple of pics for this Friday.

1.

My general mood...

2. Santa came early with a new Fitbit, a Charge 4...

QOTD: no clue at the moment.

Food: DW made me some tofu scramble, I have Jello and bone broth handy and all else is wait and see. Also working hard on the fluids.

Exercise: My goal is to do some chair exercises since I'm wobbly.

Wishing everyone a safe and healthy day,

Janet

Congrats on your anniversary. I hope that you have a wonderful day!

This is particularly for Mel, but I thought everyone else would find it funny too!

Pickle-flavored food:

https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/pickle-flavored-foods /?_cmp=recipeoftheday&_ebid=recipeoftheday1242020&_mid=38494 0&ehid=4367e60fe8f81893934a99876f49ef417aa63ae1&os_ehash=436 7e60fe8f81893934a99876f49ef417aa63ae1

Janet

I second the warm sal****er. My grandmother also used it, but as I've gotten older I've found that it really helps.

Sweetie, some days are just rotten and I find that bad head and neck pain cause shoulder pain from being so tense.

I'd love to get your recipe for the baked donuts. That may be something that I can eat!

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Happy Friday everyone!

JB, I love your decorations and Fezzie is being such a cat!!

I had a very bad gastric reaction last night. I don't know what caused it because I didn't eat anything new. N/V and intense pain but after about 2 hours with a heating pad on my stomach, it eased off and I went to sleep...argh! Trial and error sucks!

I have a telehealth appointment with my neurologist this morning. I'm not sure what he'll want to do. I also have an appointment on the 15th with a bariatric doctor who also deals with post-op complications. I'm also hopeful that their nutritionist can give me some guidance.

QOTD: I usually weigh first thing in the morning to get a reading on where I am. I went through an unhealthy period where I weighed multiple times a day. I finally adjusted to the fact that my body isn't a machine and that there are complex reasons that I lost or gained.

Food plan: no clue after last night. Maybe some Jello or a bit of plain yogurt later in the day. Gotta give my guts some rest.

Exercise: I really want to do my PT exercises twice today.

My pic for today is my Muslim neighbor's version of Christmas. Yes and those are his 2 boys!

He is such a goof!

Have a safe and healthy day everyone!

Janet

I'm just getting around to reading your response and it makes alot of sense. I've been taking 2+ caps of Miralax per day for a couple of years, and it really helps to keep things regular. I was really worried that there would be too much fiber in it though, but now I'm not "regular." My GP wants me to take mineral oil, but ugh!! Then again there isn't much that goes in, so not much to come out!

My GP suggested walking after eating, but I've been too unstable to do much. I know that movement does really help.

Also I agree that warm liquids help to move things along, and my GP said that caffeine helps to increase the stomach's motility. Problem is that it can also irritate my stomach so I'm touch and go with that. I've also found since RNY that warm & iced fluids are more palatable to me than room temperature liquids, so I keep an insulated bottle of iced water/tea and a bottle of warm tea (often herbals with lemon & ginger) next to me all the time.

Thanks again for your input. If you have any other thoughts, experience or suggestions, feel free to message me with your contact info!

Janet

So sorry to hear the results was positive. Please take gentle care of yourself and get lots of rest (and Netflix!!).

Physically distanced HUGS!

Morning, morning all. I woke up feeling cheerful this morning and I plan to enjoy that emotion as long as it lasts!! It's cold but sunny here and the cats and I are soaking up the sun while it lasts!

I'm still really struggling to eat much, and the real bummer is that the Unjury meal replacements that I bought to help my nutrition are making me very sick. No idea why, but my tum was NOT happy! I did get my bariatric chewable vitamins, so fingers crossed that helps! The other problem is that with little nutrition, I get very tired very quickly, very similar to what we experienced in the first while after bariatric surgery.

QOTD: I LOVE Brussels sprouts, especially roasted! Unfortunately they have way too much fiber to be part of my diet any more. JB, I LOVE pancakes and waffles with peanut/almond butter and I hate French toast with syrup. I mean it's eggs and who in the world would want syrup on eggs?! In the privacy of my own home, I actually eat French toast with ketchup...don't tell though!

My QOTD: for those of you a few years post-surgery, do you still have regular appointments with a surgeon? Do you find it helpful? I am grateful for my surgeon and how the surgery changed my life, but the surgeon was horrible and his follow-up program was full of misinformation. After the first year, I only went for my 2 year anniversary. Now with my diagnosis of gastroparesis, I would like to have a follow-up appointment but certainly not with my original surgeon. Unfortunately, I find that way too many weight loss surgeons just want to do the cutting and not the long term care. Your experience?

Food plan: LF yogurt w/ unsweetened applesauce; SF Jello (?); pureed turkey w/ orzo soup (thanks to a wonderful friend!) plus maybe a few ounces of canned chicken; a popsicle; maybe some egg whites

Exercise: I need to do my PT exercises twice today.

Wishing you all a safe, healthy and happy day!

Janet

I agree that ice storms are pretty as long as you don't have to go out and drive. Also when we lived in our old house, the neighbors had HUGE old trees and I was nervous everytime the wind blew or it stormed that one of the limbs would fall on the roof!

Happy day after American Thanksgiving all!

It was a very strange Thanksgiving at our house. Part of me was really depressed that I couldn't really have the "traditional" Thanksgiving fare, but I was able to have some very mashed sweet potatoes with egg whites. Not turkey and stuffing but I'm grateful that I'm able to eat some food again. This really feels like being early post-op again, figuring out what agrees with my stomach and definitely what to stay away from. There's alot of trial and error. And trying to figure out how to eat small, frequent meals and to still get in my fluids. At least I have some experience with this....

I set up a Zoomsgiving for my family. Half of us refused to meet in person because of Covid, and the other half (who still think that Covid is a liberal creation!) met a week ago in a restaurant. We did manage to chat and be civil, but not being in the same room probably was a big part of that. Honestly, I'd not be adverse to continuing this tradition for the long term, but we'll see.

My anticipated menu for today:

Egg whites, mashed sweet potatoes, a small pouch of salmon, grits, LF yogurt, applesauce and a popsicle

Exercise: I'm still walking with a walker because I get really dizzy, but I'm going to try some gentle chair exercises. I REALLY wish that our local indoor pool was open. I know how wonderful being in the water was even before my surgery.

QOTD: For the most part, this will be a gift card holiday. It's too difficult to ship things, but I might order some things online and have them delivered to the recipients. In the past, I often gave handmade gifts, fruit baskets and sweets, but since I'm not planning to see anyone, that won't work...oh well. I have chosen several food banks and a homeless shelter for women and children that I will make some donations to. So many people in our area are in real need, and I'd like to help them feel special.

Sorry no new photos today, but sending lots of virtual hugs to everyone!

Janet

Morning all. Here's hoping that you are well.

I had a rough night and still pretty off kilter this morning. I'm still having alot of nightmares and waking in a panic. Ended up crying for an hour experiencing the anger, fear, frustration and hopelessness of the last year. And then politics and the pandemic on top of it all. Sometimes I wish that I could wrap my arms around all the people in pain right now and we could cry and laugh and remind each other that we're not alone. Physical distancing and wearing masks help to keep us safe but it's so easy to feel alone and forget that there are smiles and kindness under there.

I was able to eat and drink more yesterday but still lost another 1.2#. With a completely new menu, it's hard to even know what to eat. I've.been eating yogurt and applesauce, egg whites and last night had a pouch of salmon. I probably should start having protein shakes again to increase my nutrition but I want to talk to a nutritionist and a bariatric gastroenterologist about it first.

I wish that I could move my body today but I'm being cautious until the PT comes.

I'd like to crochet for a while and maybe take a cat nap.

Wishing everyone a safe, healthy and happy day.

Janet

Oops, you hit send before I did. If I can, I'll add my post to yours!