Geminidream’s Posts
Gorgeous photos from your trip, thank you for sharing them! And there's no way I could do what you did. Kudo's on winning their Wheel of Fortune, it sounds like a nerve wracking experience.
Ooh that pendant is so beautiful, I'm sure whoever ordered it is going to be very pleased. And thank you for the pics of your fur babies...I could just boop them through the screen.
It's a shame your mom isn't more supportive and interested in your health. It's hard for me to understand as my mom was always very interested however in her last years she'd run everything she'd gotten out of my past my sister who is a CNA and knows more than most doctors. 
She'd tell Mom I was just being overdramatic so that's as far as the concern went, lol. I'm glad you have this place to vent safely. You don't need to apologize at all. Hugs and I'm crossing fingers that all those diagnostics go well and as painlessly as possible.
Your baby goats are so cute and I bet when they get to that springy age they'll be so fun to watch. Congratulations! I'll have to read other replies to see what you have named them. Hope you've had a great first weekend with the babies.
QOTD: Neither. If I had the land, money and time I'd raise mini Jerseys and polled Dexters. Good dispositions, a smaller amount of meat and good milk productions. Although, I don't think I'd turn down Valais Blacknose sheep...their babies prance so stinkin' cute!
Lately my meals are pretty much the same thing: breakfast is that protein/collagen shake with lots of ice, I'm usually not hungry for lunch or dinner but make myself eat around 6 or 7 and in these early days I'm still avoiding any processed carbs or potatoes and rice. So dinner is just as much protein as possible without costing me too much on carbs. Dr. said she wants me sticking to 20-30 grams per day. When my knee allows more exercise I'll add more carbs and fats to fuel that. For each day I usually eat around 500 calories but allow myself up to 1000 so it doesn't feel like a punishment.
Finally hit two big markers this weekend and right at the 9-week mark in my generic Contrave journey: 1- I made it to Onederland finally and 2- I hit the 30# loss mark. It doesn't feel like it though in my jeans. The 18's are still super baggy but I can hardly zip up my 16's of the same brand. And personally, I'm sure those are vanity sizes.
Molly
Sorry you are having this trouble. Do you still have your gallbladder? Any time I've had diarrhea issues it was always related to poor food choices on my part. (Greasy or too many 'tols'.) I had my gallbladder removed during my first wls and ever since have had to be careful not eating very fatty foods. And funny thing is that I never had constipation, that is until I started taking the generic of Contrave. (Bupropion and Naltrexone.) Those meds combined with drastically less food volume has me taking a fiber supplement in the morning and a softener in the evening. That will be daily so long as I'm on this med combo.
I read in your reply that you may need a scoping to check for strictures, hope that won't be needed. Early in my post-op days I had to get a stricture stretched three times but after that everything has been fine. Oddly the only time I'm unable to get food down is when I'm under a lot of stress and heartache. In support group the nurse said that is a fairly common side effect and doesn't last long. I don't know about it being common but it usually only lasts a day.
Hope you get relief soon!
So sorry to hear your wrist is bad. Do you happen to have an office chair that has the central post going between a wheel assembly at the floor and the bottom of the seat? My son got one for me a few Christmases ago and it is fine when I pivot to my sewing table but my 'desk' is a vintage NCR workbench that is probably the same height as a drafting table, about 5" difference. Maybe raising your chair would give you better ergonomics so that you don't have to have help raising the desk.
On Amazon I found taller wheels and a neat set of extender/support clamps for the center support and now it's raised enough but not too much so I can use it at both desks. The listing lingo on one that is just like mine says 'Office Chair Cylinder Replacement-Sytopia Fix Sinking Office Chairs, 4 pieces clamps for Height Extenders up to 5 inches...' and I got these replacement wheels: 'Office Rubber Chair Casters Replacement, 3 Inch Heavy-Duty Computer Gaming Desk Caster Wheels Smooth & Safe Rolling for All Floors Including Hardwood and Carpet. Set of 5' And the nice thing is that I was able to make those changes all by myself.
Are you anywhere near being the age your state defines as Senior? In Spokane we are that age, meet the income limit and have gotten on the special Senior property tax rate program. HUGE help.
Hugs.
Ooh, I definitely want to try your egg salad. Sounds like you invented a winner there.
Enjoy your A/C! It is one of the best inventions.
Sounds to me like you made a good call on the rotten shark. What if you'd gotten food poisoning and missed the rest of your vacation? Sorry the cold has gone through your family. Sounds like you might want to get that chest checked, it could be an infection in there.
Feel all the way better soon!
Your breakfast bowl looks yummy and your hydrangeas are beautiful. Sorry you have high temps again. Ours have been a roller coaster so far, have yours? This summer it seems like Mother Nature said, 'Hold my beer!' That or she's off her meds.
QOTD: Probably some Nonna in Italy made this first and it has a real name but I thought I invented it: White Spaghetti or Day-Before-Payday Pasta. Hubs was a one-striper airman, we lived on the economy in Germany and I wasn't working; one day before payday there was only some butter, a partial sour cream and Kraft parm in the fridge. I boiled and drained what was left of pantry spaghetti noodles, returned to the pan, added s&p, butter and the sour cream. When it was all melty some parm went in then shook more on it at the table. Not healthy but it fed us and we've made it often ever since just 'cause we like it. It's nice not being that poor anymore, haha.
The grandkids came over yesterday and it was a chaotic whirlwind, so much fun. My breakfast shake lasted till around 2 and I finally ate again at 7 when they'd gone and we'd cleaned up. Weird meal: 1/2 c. ff cottage cheese, 3 oz poached chicken breast and an unremarkable veg. Still trying to hit 30# gone (only three pounds away!) so I'm being strict.
B: Choc. Protein/Collagen/Almond milk shake with a generic Miralax my dr. wants me to switch to. So far, no tummy pain.
D: It was supposed to be a frittata, ended up a scrambled mess: 1/4 cup egg substitute, 1 medium zucchini diced, 2 pieces turkey bacon, diced. Some Alpine Touch helped. Way behind on protein, calories and fat today so later for a snack a Fairlife shake for the macros.
Therapy again tomorrow. Tri(To-Get)Care wasn't paying the bill and the therapists billing dept. were trying to come after me for $500. The bill trouble was worth it -finally resolved- and I've made really good progress that I never believed would happen. I don't have to go down stairs backwards holding the rail for dear life or pull myself up by the rail. PT exercises getting better but I still don't do the DUI Walk well. That should get better.
Have a nice evening and I'll see you tomorrow.
What is it about Texas that has made it's citizens so badly treated in recent years? I'm still mad for you all and the way the power companies treated their customers after that damaging cold spell a few years back. Now this horrendous floor...oh my, the heartbreak of it. I think I'm going to be donating to The Cajun Navy...seems they are always quickly boots on the ground and really people.
Hi all. Your meals sound good and give me great ideas. I haven't felt up to my usual cooking since starting Contrave but finally realize I actually do feel great and poor Hubby has really been neglected without complaint since May. It wasn't much effort but I defrosted cabbage rolls and shucked corn for his supper last night. He was so pleased to have a real meal that he not only un- and re-loaded the dishwasher, voluntarily took out the compost container and watered my pot ghetto on the patio. That was sweet but I feel so guilty.
Your swimming sounds heavenly, what a great facility and I bet after your training it will be a whole new kind of fun for you two. And kudo's to Irvin on that rabbit hutch, that looks like a very practical design.
Wish I could send you some of our weather. 85 degrees, a few clouds and a nice breeze. My PT lady is out sick today so I'm going to flit out and replenish my fat free cottage cheese stash.
Saturday is the 8 wk weigh in and I think I'm in a plateau but that won't prevent me from eating as clean as possible today and tomorrow. Prob. 2 meals a day and one snack. My usual shake for breakfast; dinner will be chicken breast, 1/3-1/2 cup whipped nf cottage cheese, cucumbers and the snack may be a hard boiled egg or a Fairlife shake. And LOTS of water, hahaha.
Edit: Forgot the QOTD! I color code the files for the house but that's it. Things like my closet and paper crafting stash are organized by their colors but that's about it.
'The bird feeder shot is so cool! I've never seen one as pretty as that here but I'll look it up in my WA state bird book, who knows maybe they are on the coast. Hope you aren't part of this nasty heatwave too. Though I feel bad complaining, it is very dry heat here...how do people in the South get used to heat AND humidity?
Great job on the weight loss!
Wow, your photos are great! You showed so much more than whatever website I looked up yesterday and provided better scope of the overall site too. Thank you and yay for OH letting you upload them all. I'll have to drag Hubby in here to view them. And now I have to drag out my copy of the family genealogy because some of them were in the Salem area (one was a participant in the witch trials and 'later repented of it' according to the book) and maybe there is a Pattee in there somewhere.
QOTD: I don't run unless something is chasing me but for the past 30 years I've worn the precursor to the Nike 'Swift' then switched to that because my then-podiatrist strongly suggested it. Have to go back to Amazon today because I think they have a Hoka running shoe at a good price, I'd like to try that. (Not a Prime Day deal but the Clifton 10 is a good price.)
Your 'sliced soupy' is intriguing, is it an East Coast thing? I've never heard of it here in podunk Eastern Washington.
Supposed to be 99 degrees today so I'm just doing PT and working on rearranging my big sewing pattern cabinet plus doing some purging along the way. Going to try out my sideways mini stepper (PT said not yet but I can't help it!) in the a/c.
B: my usual shake ...at nearly 3:30 p.m. I am still drinking it
D: the first yellow squash of the summer sauteed, the shrimp I didn't eat last night with 1/3c whipped nf cottage cheese
LS: fresh Korean cucumbers and I may have to have a Fairlife shake if my protein isn't high enough. Haven't logged any of this today yet.
Keep cool and have some tall, iced bevvy's!
Aw, I feel bad for you having a bad pain day. That makes everything so difficult. Hope the appointment with your surgeon went well. Can't believe they didn't let you know about that earlier than last Thursday, that's crazy.
LOVE the miniatures scene, I literally laughed out loud. Until recently we only ever had Siamese so except for the 'swelegant room that is a scene lived over and over and over with us. The sound of a cat yakking would make the best alarm, it will wake you from a dead sleep.
Good luck on the search for the right baker's rack. That's the kind of challenge I love. Wonder if they'll have any on the Prime Day sales?
Glad you had a great vacation, from what you describe of your job you definitely earned some R&R. Your YMCA sounds great and I'm glad they have so much to offer.
QOTD: I had no idea there was an American Stonehenge either, wow! Hubby and I love historical places and living in Germany as newlyweds (his first tour of duty) spoiled us with ruins of castles everywhere and of course the standard tourist places. When we got back to the States we were snobs. 'Pfft, this is only 200 years old, its so new.' hahaha
Here's an odd NSV: There is so much sorrow here and nationally since last week but I didn't stuff my face for comfort. That's 99% due to the Contrave but that 1% was me. This week I finally get to give my grandkids big hugs (one granddaughter is the age of the girls at that camp) and my son-in-law who's a firefighter/EMT. I don't think he knew the Idaho firefighters personally but that brotherhood is really strong in the Washington/Idaho/Montana area. He probably rubbed shoulders with them at one of the annual Seattle Firefighter's Stair Climb. Its amazing to see them walk up 69 floors in full turnout gear wearing and using oxygen.
So, food.
B: The chocolate protein/collagen coffee 'milkshake'
L: 2 slices of lunch meat, half a cucumber and 1/4th a yellow pepper.
D: 2 oz overcooked shrimp chopped into 1/2 c nonfat cottage cheese, cucumber slices (the Korean cucumbers are finally coming in from the garden!)
It is scorching hot and dry here till Wednesday. There's been 3 wildfires that I've heard of) and pray the winds will be calm. I'm going to try for cold foods this week and increased exercise.
Grateful for the new week! Hope you all have had a good Monday.
First...great job maintaining your weight! What you experienced is not what I think of as dumping...that is when the sugars and fat**** your bloodstream fast and you get an unpleasant reaction from it. For me, it feels like what I've been hit by a truck. Terrible abdominal pain, my heart races, break out in a cold sweat, feel compelled to lie down and if I'm lucky fall asleep as the pain begins to subside. Then afterwards I have a bit of a after-dumping spaciness. Rarely there is diarrhea but I'd had my gallbladder out with my first wls in '99 so maybe that is why?
Check what type of oil was used to fry those chips as well as the expiry date on the package. Maybe your body just can't handle that style oil anymore or as you say maybe it's related to your gallbladder issues. Were you nauseated as well? When my mom would have a gallbladder attack she suffered 'at both ends' as she used to put it. If you still have a relationship with your wls, give his nurse a call and see if she/he thinks it warrants a visit to your pcm. Hoping this doesn't happen to you again, it must have been very unpleasant.
Hope the rest of your weekend goes well!
Aw, Melody, I'm sorry things are difficult with your mom. I for sure prayed and asked for some good days for her so you can refill your own bank of strength to keep dealing with this situation. You clearly have a very compassionate, loving heart to care for her in the midst of that kind of stress.
The webcam birdfeeder sounds like something both of you will love. And the chance to see Cardinals...wow! They aren't native here but people have tried to get them established here.
Your photos were cute and beautiful, thank you for sharing them.
Hi Mary, thank you for starting the Tuesday post. Being new here I feel like it isn't my place to do that and besides, I still can't figure out how to add pics to posts.
Your Door Dash sammies sounded good and it leads me right to the QOTD answer: We never get takeout and only eat out once or twice a year. We are just too cheap, lol. I can make Arby's at home with my Instant Pot, beef deli meat cut as thick as we want and some seasonings (bouillon powder, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper). Their sauce is in the grocery stores here now so it makes a cheap meal. For our anniversary, there is one Chinese place we love so usually we go there. I refuse to have the stink of deep frying in my house so I don't attempt to cook Chinese. And besides, our family joke is that Hubby is 'Restaurant Death'...we can take him to any wonderful restaurant and that meal will be awful.
It has been very sad around here, the whole community is in mourning for the two firefighters who were murdered and praying for the third who is in the hospital. All the flags are at half-staff. My son-in-law is a firefighter in the Spokane Fire Department and I can't wait to give him a tight hug the next time I see him.
Today is another follow-up with the ear, nose, throat Dr. Trying yet again to get him to fix my broken nose but doubt it will be successful. I've actually stretched the left side of my face from pulling the skin away from the nose to help open it up better. He says fixing that would make my nostril problems worse. I just want to be able to breathe normally.
Getting so close to Onederland again (5#!) so I'm trying to do what exercises I can and keeping control of fats and carbs. I should set up a ticker again.
B- The same SF chocolate protein/collagen shake.
L- Probably nothing.
S-1.5 cups of watermelon
D-Might thaw one of my egg substitute and turkey sausage packets and have that on some lettuce or raw Red Russian kale.
LS-Chia water again and a hard boiled egg.
Have a blessed day!
Hi, happy Weekend Eve! We are having some perfect weather today...high of 79! I have to drive out to the military base one more time for the med that they didn't have in stock earlier this week. Boy am I glad I don't work out there anymore, I don't miss that commute. We're a podunky little city but drivers aren't the best here, lol.
QOTD: I had to Google this because I only know of two (Bennie and Joon, Vision Quest) and one tv show (Z Nation). Apparently there were several others but I'm not a current cinema buff so I have no idea if they were popular or not. We get mail from the Screen Actor's Guild every year which I presume is a royalty check from a previous occupant who must have worked on one of those two films. We just mark it 'not at this address' and send it back.
Have a great weekend everybody! Crossing fingers the Saturday weigh-in will be a good one, I've been sneak peeking and it just might be.
Hi! Hope everybody has a nice Wednesday. Hope today in the scale house goes well. It's so nice having a garden to come home to. Have to go on base again for the bloodwork that never happened last Friday. I'd better call out there to verify the hospital is open before driving 45 minutes for nada.
The grands were so much fun yesterday but wowie did it hurt. Pushing through paid off on the scale, knocked off a bunch of water weight and made it over the first 20#...21.5 lost in 4 1/2 weeks. It will settle way down of course but this was nice.
QOTD-Tylenol and occasionally some very old Canadian Tylenol, Arnica gel, CBD gel (In WA there is a coffee shop and a p*t shop on every corner, we so classy 
) a mini tens unit, ice packs, heating pad, comfrey poultices and when things are really dire half or one of the precious saved BIG pain pills leftover from recent dental surgeries. I sure miss my Motrin, I recall it being a wonder drug but with ulcers...nope.
B-still not hungry but I'll make a shake to take with me to the base
L-probably nothing
D-a fake out ssam with fresh garden lettuce, chicken meatballs and kimchi.
I better get moving before I grow roots into this chair, the day after socializing I am always wiped out but having a reason to get going helps.
Hope your Hump Day is grand!
Hi everybody! Checking in quick today and then I have to scramble to get the house ready for the grands this afternoon. This will be the first time we've had the baby here since she's become mobile so there is a lot to protect her from. They all will be picking raspberries and the unripe red currants, if I know them. That's the whole reason I garden...to get the joy of seeing them eat it. I should set a stopwatch on the red currants, they decimated them last year in under fifteen minutes I think.
QOTD- I got (very unpleasantly) punished for not eating veggies as a young child so when Mom joined this new thing called Weigh****chers in the 60's we all had to learn to eat root veggies too. (And liver, and cold green beans from the can for a snack-ugh.) She never cooked parsnips so I learned to love them as an adult. Next year I want to try to grow Japanese Burdock for my son who is a Japanophile. Kohlrabi isn't technically a root veggie but I adore them fresh in the summer dipped in a yummy dressing. Also jicama...yum, yum, yum. But a root veggie slow roasted with meat in the winter is so good.
B-chocolate protein/collagen shake
L-1/2 c ff cottage cheese, sprinkle of sf raspberry jello, 1/2 c raspberries
D-Chaos. If they stay for supper I'll be too busy to eat. DD and two of the grands have Celiac, Hubby refuses to eat anything gf as a substitute.
Enjoy your Tuesday and keep cool!
Hi, looks like everybody here had a good weekend. The pictures were so cute! Sorry about that awful heat, it was the opposite here and I actually turned on the fireplace Sat. and Sun. evenings. In June! That's just wrong. But the cool weather made it easier to do stints in the garden and I cleaned up quite a bit, even managed to get 3 cucamelons planted. After harvesting more mullein I'll get the big squashes planted. Very behind on the garden this year, crossing fingers!
QOTD- Never did either of those when I was a kid and when our kids were the age for it I was too fat to join in so, no. However, the grandkids are almost the right age for it so I'll either join in with them or jus****ch. We have Silverwood theme park nearby and I'll suffer through the chlorine rash and the pool water ick factor next summer to join them on some of the water amusements. Too fat this year!
B-always my beloved icy cold protein shake
L-going to steal your cottage cheese and raspberry idea along with a sprinkle of sf raspberry jello for fun
D-turkey taco meat in some fashion. Made a small soup with it last night. Might do that again today.
Get to see the ear, nose, throat doctor again tomorrow and will try one more time to convince him to fix my broken nose. We're going into the 70's/80's so hopefully the garden takes off like a rocket.
Enjoy your Monday!
How nice that you got to watch the grandkids race. They grow up too dang fast.
QOTD: Chew gum. The dr's head nurse led our support group back in the day and she harped on that one over and over. She said dr. has had to go back to too many of his patients for emergency surgery to remove stuck gum. I'm slightly suspicious of that but I still haven't had any gum in nearly 19 years.
PT went much better today and I can tell there is good progress being made so they gave me more homework to do. I was even able to kneel on a cushion on top of a padded table for around 4 minutes!
B- my usual choc. protein/collagen shake.
L-nothing
D-1 oz steak, 1 cup asparagus
That's only 322 calories and 56 g protein. Looks like I can afford some Ants on a Log for a snack tonight!
Have a wonderful weekend! We started a cooldown today and will stay around the 60's for a few days, I'm going to take advantage and get some carrots planted.
Chrissy, have you ever tried off-brand versions of Miralax? Dr. wants me to switch to that instead of Benefiber and supposedly she wrote a script for it but I highly doubt the military has it in it's formulary. They haven't provided bariatric vitamins for years, cheapskates. haha
Thank you for the link to the recipe, it sounds delicious. Enjoy your pup and the pool this weekend.
Hi, hope you all are having a nice day. Praying for safety from the thunderstorms and severe heat the forecasters are talking abou. Your humidity must be awful but having strawberry picking to look forward to with family sounds fun anyway. I've been spotty keeping up online this week but the phone call with Dr. went well, she was pleased and agreed to keep me on the pills for another refill or 2. Have to go to base to pick them up and do the required bloodwork tomorrow. My body has been protesting being put to work so hard in the garden this week but, tough beans. The beds are overrun with field bindweed, morning glory and catmint. It can't be left alone or it will cover everything.
QOTD: Gardening. The kids bought me a t-shirt that says 'Indoorsy', pretty much sums me up. Used to love swimming but can't do chlorine anymore and the only public pool is the YMCA which gives massive ick factor. Someday I'd love to see the ocean and I bet my favorite outdoor activities would be walking the shore and watching waves. Saw the Oregon coast when I was 2 after Dad's mom died but I have no memory of her or the ocean.
Today's planned food:
B- chocolate protein/collagen shake. So delicious it's like dessert.
L or S: 1/2 c nonfat cottage cheese, 1/2 cup sliced strawberries, 1/2 tsp SF strawberry gelatin powder. Wherever I saw the recipe they called it either Pink Fluff or Pink Stuff; very tasty whichever.
D- spring greens salad w/rotiss chicken, baby tomatoes, salsa for dressing.
LS-2 T chia seeds in water.
PT tomorrow a.m. and this time I'll take up their offer of icing afterwards.
Hi, nice to see you all again. Father's day was nice and quiet. Hubs was out helping a friend so I did as much in the garden as I could. Monday he and our son went out for guy stuff and it was another nice quiet day. Worked hard in the garden, overdid it a bit. Had to head to Costco today for protein powder, it was great going so early with little crowds and for the first hour I wasn't even limping. That is amazing progress from the PT and weight loss. Finished the month with 17# loss. Today is the telephone appt. with my dr and hope it goes well.
QOTD: I help Hubby whenever he'll allow or requests it but it is usually a very stressful situation. Daughter is a fire wife so she frequently needs help with babysitting, that's a win/win for both of us. Grandbaby time does me so much good. Chatting with Son last evening he let slip he isn't cooking much because bills are pretty high so I dragged him to MollyMart (aka my canning room) and made him take some jars of meats and veggies. He hates to ask for help.
I've hit the interesting point with these meds where I'm actually tired of having to eat. If it wouldn't mess up my 'regularity' I'd be perfectly happy with a couple of protein shakes a day but that isn't healthy long-term.
B: canned shake 'Nurri' brand in chocolate. Same stats as Fairlife but tastes like you are dieting. Costco didn't have any Fairlife this time, bummer.
L: nothing
D: mixed spring greens, 8 cherry tomatoes, 3 oz rotisserie chicken, 2 T lite Ranch dressing, 3 slices of a small avocado
LS: 2 T chia seeds in water
Enjoy the rest of your day! After talking to the dr. I'm heading back to the garden.
