AChocolateJewel

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Just got out of the hospital after a 7 day stay.  Lord knows I wouldn't wish what I went through on anyone, not even an enemy.  It all started on Wednesday (1 week & 3 days from Christmas) at work...my stomach started getting a familiar gassy feeling...it had been a year since I had an episode and I thought for sure I had gotten this thing under control so I wouldn't need surgery.  Well, I got up and walked to the shoppette on base with a co-worker who is also a dear friend and she knows my story and what happened a year ago.  Well, walking didn't help...we were going there looking for prune juice so I could popp and hopefully relieve some gas pressure.  No juice there so she drove me to the commissary...
got the juice...
sipped on a full cup of it...
waited about thirty minutes...
stomach kept getting bigger and hurting even worse...
waited another 15 minutes...
stomach stilled bloating, cramping and then I threw up!
I knew then I was in a world of trouble...
I tried to be a trouper and stay at work but things kept going down hill...
she took me home and the cramping started getting horrible...
we went to the emergency room and they immediately took me in the back...
back there they made we wait and the cramping got excruciating...
I was crying, sweating, praying, vomiting, crying cramping and hurting like hell...
I knew then I wasn't going on my vacation to Tucson that coming Saturday and may even be in the hospital and this was all before the doctor said a word...
the doctors were giving me all types of shots to help with the pain and nausea/vomitting and it wasn't working...
I was there from Noon to 7:30 and it wasn't until then that I had enough meds in my system to keep me calm with no pain so they sent me home...this time I didn't get the tube in my nose...man I was even going home with no hospital stay...
I'd dodged a bullet or so I thought...
well, at home once the meds wore off around nine the pain came back with a vengeance...
like an idiot I battled the gas and cramps and sheer pain ALL NIGHT LONG...
silly me did that because...
1.  I wanted to go on my trip to see my baby 
2.  I had a doctor's appt the next day with my primary care doc and i'd tell her
3.  Being a single parent makes you some kinda super woman and you wanna be with your child(ren) and take care of them even when you can't take care of you...go figure...
I was so sick that whatever I was there to see the PCM for she threw that out the window in search of a way to treat my current hellish problem...
I started throwing up and they rushed me to get a CT scan..
last time I had a CT I was so dehydrated they stuck me 10 times trying to find an IV site...i'm a hard stick anyway...
couldn't get the scan because I WAS DEHYDRATED they tried 8 times and decided to admit me..monitor me...and give me fluids to help out so they could plump up my veins...
once in my hospital room they shoved an NG tube down my nose, through my throat into my stomach and I knew I was in for a long haul, that tube hurt like hell and I cried like a baby and it pumped my stomach with a vengeance...
then began the continuous sticking looking for a vein...
I'm a size 16 and my body composition should be petite like a size 6 or something but I am not there yet so the veins are buried under my extra flesh thereby making them hard to find...
they stuck me and finally got an awful site on the inside of my left wrist and it stayed a day before it blew...
they stuck me the next day on the back of my right forearm after trying a few places on the back of my hand and coming up empty...
that one lasted 2 days, my arm swole up 2x it's size and was throbbing so then they went on a hunt for 2 hours looking for a vein...
not a one would pop up so then decided at that point to do an "A Line" that means they go in deep into an artery line to get a vein!!!!!!!!!
(one location for an artery line is in the groin area!!!!!!!
they gave me some lidocaine to numb up the area but it didn't work 100% and the doc stuck me 4 times and came up empty!!!
Lawd Jesus is all I could say, so they decided to do a central line...
they brought in a surgeon from the surgery clinic to do this very dangersous line...
he was a baby and you could tell he was cocky and insensitive!~!!!!
he used the lidocaine and started sticking in the tubing right by my clavicle (that bone we ladies love to see right under our necks as a sign that we are losing weight)...
it went it okay at first until he had to push in further which went right past where the lidocaine numbed it and then all I felt was sharp pain and digging, I screamed bloody murder and he shot me to numb it again...
well after digging in my flesh and attaching this tubing they have to sew it into place so it won't come out...
he began sewing it down and the needles was going into the flesh oustide of the numbed zone so he had to numb me a third time...
so between the stinging of the lidocaine and the sheer pain of the insertion I was worn out...
they gave me some morphine to sleep and I dozed off into la la land...
couple of hours later on I woke up feeling nauseated...
the nurse and tech were taking my vitals and I told them I felt nauseated...I hadn't thrown up again since they admitted me because they were giving me stuff for nausea...
OMG the nausea stuff had worn off, I warned the nurse and tech they scrambled for a bucket but were too late and I threw up...
okay throwing up ain't so bad right...true...unless it is YOUR OWN POOP coming out of your mouth!
Good goodnes it was doo doo coming out of my mouth!
I was horrified!!!!!!
it flew all over the bed, got on one of the techs and it tasted just like crap smells...
needless to say I cried like a baby and thought to myself  "Lord don't let me die"...
they gave me nauseau meds through my nose tube directly into my stomach...
cleaned me up...
let me brush my teeth and gargle...
gave me morphine and I slept again...
I had two more episodes of throwing up crap and I thought for sure it was an awful sign...
my doc was a young asian man who they said is great...but...
he was extremely self confident, negative and slightly condescending...
he had no idea that I was as well read as I am on the body and I wasn't going to allow him to do surgery without allowing my body an opportunity to heal itself...
my church family was great during all of this and it just so happens that the Colonel who is the SGH ( apparently some very high position in the hospital) is a member of my church and he knows me from singing at the church and he is the man working directly on my medical board package!!!! 
well the colonel got invovled with my medical care and we also have a gastroenterologist at the church (both of these guys are black!!!) who is prominent in the city of Ocean Springs and he got involved with my care and they both were talking with the young doc who was treating me...
so during one of his daily visits he was talking and eluded to the fact that I know Colonel Gasque and Doctor Dillan and they know me by name and are involved with my care and how he is treating me....
in essence what he was saying is "I'm a Captain and you are a TSgt and these guys are higher up than me, how the hell do YOU know them and they know you by name?!?!?!!!!!"...
I explained to him that we all go to the same church and he was floored and I was grateful to God!!!
Well the young doc was skeptical about the suggestions of the two black docs and he was pleased to tell me that, but he decided to take there suggestions and try them on me anyway...
Praise be to God they worked!
I still have some follow up to go through but God most definitely is good...
It took 7 says to get back on my feet and I am still here!...
I did get an opportunity to witness to some to  a major while I was in there too...
during one of my nightly walks he and I walked thr floor and I found out he is a Christian...having marital problems...his wife isn't a Christian and we walked, talked, sat in one local and talked and prayed...

Well, I am tired now...think I will take a nap.

Oh but before I go...
I came out of the hospital eating as if i've had bypass surgery based on the recommendations of the doc and dietitian...they recommended that I do it for at least 7 days to give my intestines time to get better...
went to a friends for Christmas dinner and everyone was talking about how much weight i'd lost...
I didn't eat anything for the first 5 days...
they also commented on how little I was eating, how well I was  chewing my food...on the food choices I made and my self control...
So praise God I made it through the holiday and I believe that if I can keep this up for at least 30 days I can make a lifestyle change...
I can say I am more cognizant of chewing up my food...
taking smaller bites...
measuring smaller portions out...
listening to my head and my tummy...realizing when I am full...
monitoring whether or not I am pooping and how often...

SO I MADE IT and WILL continue to make it!

Went to Wally World Friday in my BDUs (Battle Dress Uniform...the green suit) and I usually don't feel as feminine as I do in my Blues.  Well anyway, I was standing in line behind a lady who turned around to tell me thank you for serving our country.  I smiled and said you are welcome.  She waited a few minutes and turned around again and asked me how long I have been in the Air Force...after I replied...she thanked me again...yet again she turned around and asked me "how  old are you, cause when you said you'd been in 18 1/2 years I thought to myself that surely she is lying"...I smiled and said humbly "I'm 40"...said it 3 times so she would get...she then  proceeded to tell me that she is 41 and she looks way older than I am and how wonderful I look for 40 and how bad it made her feel...I told her thank you and kept standing in line..she proceeded to rant with the folks around me how young I looked and they chimmed in...it was hilarious.

Saturday night we had the office Christmas party and I wore a cute sweater/camisole set with black slacks and when I got to the party I had so many people oooing and aaaing over me saying I looked as if i'd lost 20+ pounds...that made a sista smile too...

I've been trying to keep it hush hush that I am not feeling well, because
a.  I am going on vacation starting next week and I don't want to hear
      my momma say "you should just stay home and get some rest
       he'll be there when you get better and understand."
b.  If I speak it, it might get worse...
c.  My co-workers will start pannicking and suggesting I go see the doc

I guess that is my independent superwoman side shining through.  Anywhoo, lower rib cage on the right side is aching something awful, especially when I take deep breaths and that was one of the symptoms at the onset of the horrible bout of Pneumonia I had last year.  Gosh that illness had me off my feet and in the hospital for a whole week and I just don't want that to happen again.  Right now I am just congested really bad along with the pain in my chest when I breathe deeply.  I figure tonight I will just rest and hopefully by the end of the weekend I will be feeling better.

Haven't weighed myself since the Thanksgiving break began and ended...I believe I did well though.  I didn't overindulge for Thanksgiving, in fact I ate less than most people and folks were asking me was I okay...I said yes and I meant it.  I wasn't pannicky about the holiday it just came and went effortlessly.  Praise God for that.  My boo spent a week with us and and while I was off from work and cooking breakfast everyday for us (me, him, britt and the dog)...I did well.  We walked a lot but I didn't do any jogging.  

Started running again this week and I felt like I had a midget sitting in my chest.  getting enough air was the hardest thing for me.

I went in for a check up with the doctor and she said my bad cholesteral was down and the good was up  and markedly different...in fact she praised me for how good it was.  She also said my blood sugar was perfect!  Can you say whoop whoop!  I know I did along with Praise God!  The ole blood pressure was up though 156/100 they checked it 3x while I was there and it only went down a little so the doctor changed my dosage for the prescription...they got me feeling a little sluggish and nauseated but it's only day 2 on them.  So I am gonna take it slow and hopefully next week my body will catch up.

Still don't know much with the career though...they did allow me to extend for the purpose of retirement and then they submitted me to meet a medical board.  So the Med board takes precedence over everything else.  I know God is in control and he will take care of all of that too in His time.

I am too excited and I don't know where to begin...it seems as if God has been handing out good men left and right.

It all started with my girl Reesa in the ATL...she has been a single, celibate, saved sista for the last 9 1/2 years and we've had the crazy discussions that any sisters have about when is it gonna be my turn to get a man.  Well she got to place as did I that we weren't gonna frustrate ourselves with having or not having a man (me a lil sooner than her) and she got to a place of doing what  she knows to do.  Take care of her and do what God wants her to do...or at least strive to live a purpose driven life.  Anyway, she has known a guy from New York for over 5 years...she does PR work and he is in the entertainment business.  So initially they were just business associates and then about a year and a half into that they became friends that would talk on a regular basis but not once did she ever mention or think of him in any other way than a friend.  I guess a lot of that had to do with the fact that they did all of their business slash networking on the net, by phone and it all started through a mutual friend who is a PR person too....well she had never seen a photo of him and he never saw one of her and during one of their recent conversations...he expressed an interest in her.  She had to fly to NY on business, they met, they liked...better yet loved what they saw and it was merely icing on the cake since they have been friends who have been open and frank in their conversations...well things are moving along swiftly and I am so excited for her...

My girl Li Li in VA is doing the same thing...she has a man who she has known for over 3 years and they have been co-workers then it turned into friends who have been there for each other through some thick and thin situations...this guy has prayed for and with her about personal things in her life that she has shared with him and he has given her brotherly advice, friend advice and christian perspective advice....he knows deep intimate things about her and then she in turn has done all of the exact same things for him and now after 3 years he approached her and told her he wanted to let her know how he felt...she was receptive because she too had thought what if once of twice in the past year...but she always thought she wasn't his type.  Well she is and he is moving swiftly towards what he wants...

 My niece who is a college freshman has her first boyfriend...gone nay nay...

My sexy...saved...single...70 year old...5 foot 1...130 pound MOMMA has got a man!  I am so flabbergasted and how this all came about and how fast it is progressing.  He's a widower from her church who was married for over 40 years and his wife died a year or so ago. 

Mom has been friends with his family since I was a teenager and i'm 40 now...She hangs out with his family (mom, dad, aunt, cousin, sister, brother) on a regular basis...he's a deacon in the church...his character has been above reproach and he is well known, well liked, saved, single and 58 years old!  He  started hanging out with my mom and his family doing the things that they have been doing for years  outside of just going to church...(bowling, movies, dinner) and then he started joking with her telling her that they should do some of those things on other days when he can't make it out with the family.  She said that would be fine but 2 weeks went by and he hadn't made any moves.  Mind you my mom was going on with her life and she hadn't thought anymore about it...I mentioned to her one day that maybe she and Larry could date and her immediate reply was "oh no I am too old for him and besides their are at least half a dozen single sisters in the church who I see on a regular beating a path in his direction every Wednesday or Sunday to speak to him."  Well he called her 2 weeks ago and said he was gonna take a chance and tell her how he feels and she reciprocated and now they are an item.  He has since spoken with the Pastor and his wife about my mom and how he feels, his parents, his adult children and his parents and guess what NO ONE OBJECTS they keep telling him that he couldn't have made a finer choice and that he better pursue her and they are all so happy for her.                

Things are starting to get to a place of normal for me.  It seems for a while all hell was breaking loose on every side...from my health acting a fool...the job stressing me out...the possibility of not being able to stay in and retire after giving Uncle Sam all this time...the surprise medical board they popped up on me, just adding one more stressor to the equation.  Nonetheless I have overcome some of that and the rest I will in time.

I've lost 10 pounds, not a whole lot by the standards of so many others who have had WLS but as many said here on the board to me, a loss is a loss...so love what  you've accomplished so far.  I have increased my run time by 2 minutes, increased the amount of Air Force style pushups I can do in a minute and I never had problems with situps.  I am feeling better physically, I still get a lot of stiffness and soreness in the knee but I am hoping with time and more strength training that will improve too.

Brittney is loving life and enjoying her senior year.  She is getting straight A's and I am so proud of her...she made homecoming court as one of the senior maids and she was excited about the experience.  she is prepping to go to college....right now it's University of Southern Mississippi, who knows that could very well change.  We'll see.  

My boo is doing well in Tucson, we are still working some things out in the relationship...nothing bad, he is a widower and the death of his wife still looms over him at times.  She died 2 years ago this month and the memory has ebbed up on him and he's been in a mild funk.  He's coming to spend Thanksgiving with us, so that will be a wonderful break for him.  I still have friends and family who are bugging the heck out of me wondering when we are getting since we have known each other for almost 2 years now (I was introduced to him 4 months after his wife passed), but I am not in a rush if he isn't emotionally ready for that.  

My mom is back on the dating seen and she is as giddy as a teenager tripping over their favorite R& B Singer.  I am really excited for her...he is taking her breath away because things are happening so fast.  It's not like they don't know each other, they have since I was a teen...but he was married at the time and his wife died a  year ago...they had been married for 40 years and now he is ready to move on and start anew and she is the one he is in hot pursuit of.  It's funny because my mom is 70 and he's 60.  He's settled and has quite a bit to offer and so does she so it's not a relationship of financial convenience. 

Just getting used to the changes they've made to the site.  I absolutely love them!  It's so much more user friendly.  Hope to post more here.