franRN76

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Finally!  I had a 100% day. I got my protein in.  I got my fluids in.  I took all my vitamins and calcium.  I did my WATP brisk walk for 15 minutes.  All of this B4 midnight too!!

I drank my protein shake with 2 scoops body fortress and 12oz ff milk.  Protein >52g just from the shake.  I also ate 3 times today as well.  I had x1 egg, over easy and mushed fine with a fork, pureed crabcake and mashed potatoes, 3oz pureed homemade turkey chili. 

Been a little slower on fluids today though.  24oz water, 12 oz crystal light, 24 oz juice (diluted with water)

Exercised at 6pm.  I wish I had of done the WATP again, but I'm still battling with being fatigued easily. 

GOALS: for tomorrow
Take mvi/calcium per schedule
64oz fluid
split protein shakes in 2 servings
Carnation instant breakfast x1
WATP twice

Been a bit since I blogged.  So here goes.  1st off the pain in my side is much better.  I get a little twinge now and then to let me know that I have overdone it a bit.  Been taking the muscle relaxer at bedtime to try to keep the pain at ease.  2nd off the rash (from the steri-strips) is getting slightly less red, but the itching is slow to go away.  Benadryl gel is my best friend.

Still not sleeping more than 5 hours at a time.  Been taking just one nap a day.  Energy comes and goes.  Trying to get my vitamins and calcium in.  I have only managed once a day the past couple of days.  Also trying to get the protein intake upped.  Some days are better than others.  The shakes are really getting old though.  On friday I was given the ok for some pureed foods.  So I had 2oz salmon one day (ate more, but my pouch was grouchy),  4 oz tuna salad one day, pureed egg w/ one sausage link pureed (YUM) and 4oz pureed chili (homemade with turkey) yesterday.  Been tolerating SF applesauce with cinnamon and splendor and SF puddings without any problems.  Still been behind on my protein though.  But loving the fact that I can now eat some foods to get the protein in.  With that being said, I think I may be able to get by with just one protein shake a day, which I am gonna do first thing... then will take my vitamins and calcium.

Not sure what today has planned.  But I am so happy that I am feeling better and that my life is beginning to feel NORMAL after surgery.

I ended up calling my surgeon about the pain that I have had to my left side.  The soreness has been a little worse today, but I also got a sharp shooting deep pain in my left side (nowhere near incision) when I was putting on my jacket or with any slight twist.  He seems to think that I moved wrong and gave one of the sutures in my muscle a nice tug and the muscle twisted or reacted.  Now I am back to the day when I came home from surgery.  Having to pamper all my movements.  Got heat on it now.  Guess I cannot tolerate sleeping in the bed just yet.  That and bending once this morning is the only thing different that I have done that could have caused this pain.  So will be taking Liquid Tylenol around the clock and my morphine when the pain gets too bad.  Gonna take it easy and try not to bend or twist.  Kinda hard when I was feeling so good just a day ago.  MD was great to talk to.  He asked lots of questions and acted genuinely concerned.  I didn't feel rushed off the telephone and my pain was not dismissed either.  I only really called him b/c in the hospital he told me that if I was feeling good then all of a sudden felt like crap to call him.

Haven't been quite as good today with my protein and fluids. No protein as of yet.  Planning to have one shake in a few. 

10 oz hot tea
32 oz G2 with water
10 oz. G2 with water (Sipping on another 32 oz)
8oz FF milk

Drank 2 protein shakes with FF milk.  for a total of 60g protein (52g from shake and 8g from milk).  Had to force them down, but I didn't gag.  Think i did pretty good with my fluids too. 
20 oz golden mushroom soup
32 oz G2 with water (1/2 and 1/2)
 3 oz Popsicle
 3 oz Popsicle
 3 oz Popsicle
TOTAL: 63oz

Pain better. Haven't had to wear the abdominal binder yet today. Went outside and took the puppy for a walk 3 times.  Was cold, but felt good to get some fresh air.

Gonna try to sleep in my bed tonight...  wish me luck.  Don't even think I will have to take the morphine to go to sleep. 

Gotta do laundry tomorrow. TEC will do all the lifting, putting the clothes in and out of the washer and dryer.  I mentioned that I would help fold them.  He got upset and told me know.  C'mon.  I do not see how folding clothes sitting down, with him basically handing them to me, will hurt me.  I'm beginning to feel useless.  I need something to do.  Had a fleeting thought to vaccum tonight.. but changed my mind.. our carpte is thick and it might be harder to push... 

Sipping on my protein shake made with 4 oz of FF milk and 1 scoop of body fortress (strawberry).  Taste is a bit strange.  Guess that is because i haven't really had them in almost 2 weeks.  Its tolerable, but not as good as I would like to have it taste.  I mean, atleast I am not gagging or anything. 

Tired today. Didn't sleep well last night.  Layed down at 1am after I too my morphine but could not sleep.  So I ended up going back to the couch, which I could not sleep on either.  Stayed up and watched TV til 4-5am.  Then slept in fits til I finally got up at 10am.   Thinking of listening to my body and taking a nap once I finish this protein drink.

Doing ok on fluids so far..  about 8 oz G2 diluted in water and a SF eddy's Popsicle.  Plus the FF milk.

Soreness to left side I guess is a bit better today.. still feel like  a horse kicked me or I was used as a punching bag.

Got a 2nd wind from somewhere.  LOL. Was up early today.  Started drinking early and haven't stopped.  lol.  Definitely met my goal for fluids.  Milk was bad so I didn't do the protein yet.  1st thing in the morning.  Now do i want strawberry or chocolate?  Really not feelin either of them.  But gotta start that's for darn sure.  Took my vitamins and calcium twice today. 

Got my walking in. Lots of trips to errands today.  Pain was better today til I got home after being in the car for about 3 hours total and getting in and out 8 times.  Nothing that a little morphine didn't fix.  Was hoping that when I took it at 7p that I would have slept more than 4 hours.  Nope.  Didn't happen.  What I would give to sleep 8 hour straight again?  I did take a 3 hour nap in my bed today and felt pretty good when I got up.  Thinking that when I am ready to go to bed again.. for the night, that I may try the bed first.

Felt the first lovenox shot today since Ive been giving them to myself.  OUCHIE.  Fiance came running and asked what was up.  LIL.. I told him i was just being a WIMP.  Got a few bruises from them, but nothing to worry about.

12 oz Crm brocolli soup
24oz water
16 oz broth
16 oz g2 w/ water
 3 oz Edy's SF popsicle
 3 oz tropical SF popsicle
TOTAL : 74 oz 

Pain is better today.  The key is to stay on top of it.  Extra strength liquid Tylenol is my best friend.  Been taking it a few times today.  Morphine only once so far.  That was b/c I think I mighta overdone it a bit today.  We went to Petsmart today and I ended up walking around in there for an hour.  We are getting our 2month old cockerspaniel tomorrow, if the snow isn't too bad.

I would recommend buying some liquid Tylenol and some gas-x strips pre-op to anyone who hasn't had the surgery yet.  Also have plenty of SF drinks.. crystal lite, Lipton's DIET citrus green tea, G2 (but Ive been diluting it), SF juices ( Ive been using the 4 oz. reg version of white grape juice diluted with 12 oz water).  My MD also said I could have cream based soups so I bought a few cans, but only doing 1/2 cup at first and diluted with milk instead of water. So far so good.  Nothing has upset my stomach or hurt my pouch.

I really gotta get with the program on the protein...  but been concentrating on my getting my fluids close to goal.  So far I am doing better today.
16 oz G2 diluted half and half with water
10 oz clear soup
17 oz Lipton DIET green tea
 8 oz crm broccoli soup (used water instead of mil to prepare)
TOTAL: 51 oz
Might get some water in and a popsicle in an hour or so....  Still not at GOAL, but atleast I am approaching it

NO REGRETS!!!!  I'm on the LOSER's BENCH to stay!!!

surgery went well. no complications.  was up and walking within 3-4 hours after getting to my room from recovery.  urine output was low.  had to get a coupled of fluid boluses.  tons of iv electrolyte replacments.  had 4 ivs at one time and all being in use.  they kept blowing and eventually i ended up with jsut one.  i was on iv antibiotics.. flagyl and ancef.  had iv morphine and valium for pain.  the pain wasnt that bad but on tuesday i had went 4 hours without having any then went for the leak test and had to do alot of turning.. by the time i got back morphine was touching crap and had to take the valium, which knocked me out for 4 hours straight. By tuesday night they had swiched me to oral meds.  Walking was pretty easy cept for having to push that darn iv pole.

Home has been ok.  1st LESSON learned: i cannot sleep on the bed, no matter how comfortable i get.  Woke up in excrutiating pain.. pacing and crying.  1st time i had to take the 2ml of morphine.
Pain: for the most part hasnt been bad.  raking the morphine once a day and then started liquid tylenol during the day. seems to be helping.
Sleep: i'm wiped out. napping 3-4 times a day for 2 hours each. then sleeping for 4 hours at night.  trying to cup back on a nap but its hard.  i know that i need to be up more in order to get more fluids in.
Fluids: abut 40 oz in yesterday.  been drinking a little bit more each day
Protein: tried thur.. couldnt tolerate it.  Will try again today.
Walking: 2 nice long walks plus 50 trips to the bathroom
Been gasy and bloated and having losse stools with the gas.  Had that b4 i left the hospital.  surgeon says it is ok and that its my body trying to get rid of the barium.

In just a few hours I will be waking up and heading towards the hospital.  OMG!  I cannot believe that the time is here.  I'm nervous, but not too bad.  Unless the nausea all day today is a sign of it.  I could barely drink anything.  Good thing they will overhydrate me.

Gonna try to get 2 hours sleep before I gotta get up and get ready. 

This is hard to write, because I am having a hard time imaging 'YOU'.  I have seen the person that I am , as I am now writing this, for so long.   I am not so sure that you will recognize yourself , but I promise, I am You just in a fat and unhealthy body.  Take a long hard look at the pre-surgery hospital pictures  and vow to never get there again.  The changes you have made and will make will be permanent, no matter how hard that it may get sometimes.  Keep fighting to be you.  Never lose sight of who you are. Never put yourself last again.  Always remember to love yourself.  Never again turn to food as comfort. 

This road will be filled with ups and downs, but I know that we can do this.  So in less than 48 hours my new life will begin.  I look forward to working my a$$ off to become healthy, more active, a person whom I love,  a smaller version of me and, most of all a happier ME, as I imagine u are.  This is my dream ATM for you, my future self.