gail2b

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Back to work today and was finally able to weigh this morning with an almost 6 pound loss in 2 weeks.  I was happy with that and now can get back to cooking my own food instead of eating out.  I go to see Dr Blaney tomorrow and will be interested in what he has to say. 

Well we have had a great week with my middle son and the youngest.  Just wish my older son could have joined us.  This October he will be getting out of  the ARmy so hopefully next year he will be with us also.  I've been able to get my protein in and not to have any episodes.  The week before we came I had several issues with chicken.  Hopefully that is changing and going to get better.  I have been able to do water therapy everyday and can't wait to get on the scale to see what my loss has been these last two weeks.  I usually don't go this long but there hasn't been a scale around to check.  However I can tell I've lost inches as I can wear a 16.  That is 16 regular in pants not the "w" behind it.  Oh course that is just one  brand.  I've actually come down from a 24 to an 18 since surgery.  I am feeling so much better as far as getting these pounds off just wish my knee would cooperate and feel better also.  Well I'll take the weight loss any day. 
My middle son will be going back to Cleveland tomorrow hope it won't be another year before I see him.  His girlfriend is going to Chile next week and she said that when she gets back they will come down for Thanksgiving.  Hope that will happen as we should all be together at that holiday as my older son will be home then as well.  Well on Monday back to work and home. 

We are having a wonderful time just lying in the sun and sitting by the pool.  I have eaten well as far as protein as we have had shrimp or fish almost every night.  Still limiited to my exercise to the pool but I have been doing 30 to 40 min in the morning.  I go back to the ortho in 2 weeks I'll be interested in hearing if I have to have another surgery.  I know losing the weight so far has helped but am still experiencing my knee collapsing when I don't wear the knee brace.  I'm continuing to do my leg exercises in the morning and evening.  I did have a great shopping moment as I purchased a regular sized pant that was not in the woman's section.  I haven't weighed this week as there has not been a scale available but I feel I have lost more; can't wait to see.

I am on vacation this week and sporting a 18 bathing suite.  I am now down 4 dress sizes and feeling a lot better.  Still having issues with my knee but I knew it would not be the 100% cure.  I've finally lost enough weight that I can wear the knee brace comfortably and get rid of the cane.  I am enjoying the beach and using the pool.  I am getting to spend some time with my son who I have not seen in a year.  We are having a great time and a lot of WOW moments.

I know everyone has had an episode of eating something that either didn't go down right or actually got stuck.  Well I had the oppourtunity earlier in the week to have this happen and let me tell you it was not fun.  I had lunch on Monday about noon with was about 2 oz of chicken.  I had reheated in the microwave and it was a little chewy but I thought everything went down okay.  ONly to discover about 6pm didn't feel very well; had the watering of the mouth like I was nauseated and a hurting in my upper chest location where my new pouch is.  This continued and got a little worse until 8pm when I finially decided I needed to call my dr to see what he thought.  The dr on call felt I had something stuck and told me to take a few sips and if it did not go down to call back in the morning as my dr was in the office and would take care of it.  Well a few sips sent me flying and/or heaving.  Nothing really ever came up but it was enough either to give me some relief and/or go on down. Next morning still afraid to eat or drink anything as I still had some pain so I went on to my dr.  Long story short they did a swallow and apparently whatever it was went on down as everthing was open and flowing well.  Moral to the story chew very well, don't heat chicken in microwave unless in a sauce.

Well I've been back to work for 2 weeks and I am feeling better each day.  I have almost lost 40 pounds so far.  Can't believe how fast it is coming off.  I have limited myself to only weighing in once a week.  I know there will be ups and downs as my body adjusts to the amount of food I am able to intake and the weight that is coming off.  I am following the suggestions given to my by my Nut and I think I am doing pretty goodl.  At first I was having trouble getting my protein in but I am now doing better with that.  As far as exercise I am limited in what I can do because of my knees.  I have started slowing getting back in the pool and just walking.  I am having trouble with the water; but am making a conscious effort to improve on this as well.  When eating it only takes about 2 oz of food and I feel full.  KNock on wood so far anything I have eaten has gone down fine, I have just made sure that I chew, chew, chew and of course chew.  Small bites and no liquid for 45 to 60 minutes after eating.  I am just staying a steady course for now.

Well today has been better still having the left sided pain but am trying to work through it and I am still taking some pain med as I need it.   I am due to go back to work on Monday and as I can hardly tolerate being a rider in a car I feel like if I can get there I will be okay.  So DH is planning to drive me to work on Monday and pick me up.  Hopefully I won't have to call him early.  I am concerned about my knee it is giving me problems and I know that my ortho wants to go in and clean it out again but I am just not up for any more surgery right now.  I just want to get back on my feet from this surgery before I have to look at another.  I am hoping I will get some relief as the weight comes off.  Right now having stability with the knee problems as it keeps buckling.  Go back to see my WLS dr on Wednesday.  I  am doing well on liquids and creamy soups just scared of when I start to eat regular food.  Had my first experience with that pain mid chest with drinking a little to fast.   I did get to go out to eat with DH and had his soup that went with his dinner.  I ate maybe 1/4 of it then brought the rest home.  I had to be careful as it was a cheesy soup with potatoes I had them leave the bacon bits off and then I discovered the potatoes had peeling on them so I only ate the soup part.  Did well with  no problems.  Very cheap dinner out and left feeling satisfied.  Of course I do wish I could have had some salmon but maybe next time.  I am finding that although I would like to eat regular food I am not missing it as much as I thought I would.  Just taking one day at a time.

Thought I was on the mend but that pain came back as well as swelling in my abdomen.  Given this was a big rearrangement of vital organs I called the dr.  Since it was after 5pm I had to talk with the answering service who informed me that my dr wasn't on call and one of the other drs in the practice would call me back and if I did not hear back from them in 15 minutes to call back.  Well after the 3rd call back I had figured that it would be better to go to the ER and let them take a look and that is was the dr on call thought as well as I did not have a fever, wasn't throwing up and my pain had increased so it was worth having a check out.  Well after a IV fluid, lab work , urine, chest x'ray and abdominal x-rays the ER doc said everything looked fairly normal to him but he could see what I meant about my belly feeling very fluidy and that left side pain with the tearing burning feeling had so increased.  The only thing that was a little off was my urine as I had ketones but given how my diet had been liquid that wasn't all that unusual.  I do know I have been struggling with getting the protein in and maybe that is why my muscles are not healing as quickly.  So today I have doubled up on my morning shake and adding unjury to my carnation instant breakfast to give me a little over 39 grams of protein in this one drink.  So maybe if I do this twice a day until I can get where I can chew food this will have to surfice.  I can say this is one of those moments when you say what have I done to myself.  I know that in a few weeks when this pain is behind me I will be very grateful that I went through with this.  However until then I will have a sad face.

Well I almost made it through the day without using pain meds.  I went for short am and pm walks using my cane as my knees are continuing to bother me.  I'll be glad when the pain is gone and I can go back to wearing the knee brace. I'm supposed to go back to work on Monday I hope that that will be the case.  Went all day without using pain med but right before bed had an episode and had to use some.  OH well small baby steps.

I have been following the liquid diet protocol in getting 64 oz of water and my dr had said I could introduce cream soup, sf pudding and yogurt.  I am journeling this as well as the grams of protein. I have not been getting the amount in each day but I am now at the point that I am ready to start trying the various protein drinks so we'll see how this goes until I can begin to introduce actual food in.  I have been struggling with severe pain in my left side that comes on intermittently and gets grabs ahold of me without letting up.  I have had to continue to take the pain meds about every 4 to 6 hours.  Today I was able to go 8 hours before needing it.  I did see my dr today about the pain and it is just my body telling me it is still needing to rest some and mending muscles/nerves back together.  I'll be glad when it passes.