I'm baaack!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey everybody, after a long ordeal I am finally back. We are using the computers at the library. Welll surgery was not a breeze for me, the staple gun machine misfired knicking my lower stomach and causing leaking into the abdomin. This landed me in intensive care for about a week and a full complement of tubes, and other nasty things. I am finally one month out, just got the last stomach tube out yesterday and have lost, drum roll please!!!!, a grand total of 26 pounds. This is about a third (little less) of the weight that they predicted I would lose. I can see that my face is thinner and my husband swears that little fatty deposits are disappearing off of my legs. My mother and Aunt were furious at first but now seem very supportative. They are very pleased about the weight loss but I know that I frightened everyone to death! Myself included!
They finally let me off the pureed diet yesterday but I still have to be careful to chew everything so much! Taking all the vitamins and stuff too, so hopefully my hair wont fall out in six months. I am still really weak, need to use the scooter in the stores, but can walk in from the parking lot to the store now. It is tough to eat too, I can fully appreciate your battles now that I am going through it too. Cottage cheese, yoghert, and string cheese seem to be the things I can have and I tried watermelon, boy it was great and was easy to eat! I still cannot stand up to cook much so am trying to find easy things to heat up. Potted meat and refried beans are not my friends though cause they both made me ill, I went to bed to keep from getting sick! Stuff with mayo also puts me off big time! LOL! So, would appreciate any suggestions any of you might have.
I ordered Susan Maria's book baritericeating.com it is really good and she has good ideas for eating things. She suggested making sugar free pudding and adding the protein powder to the pudding before adding milk. Worked like a breeze and tasted good! I found out that the wal-mart brand (generic) is not as sweet as Jello, so tasted better..... They will be weaning me off of the shakes over the next 6 weeks and then full food. I think it is going to be a challenge to eat enough. But maybe your stomach stretches to a little bigger. I guess mine is about 3-4 ounces now, they told me 4 ounces is the size of a deck of playing cards.
I hope all of you are doing well, we dont have a telephone at home so cannot use the computer unless we come to the library, but will try to check back in a few days, if we can. We are enjoying being home although my house here is topsy turvy from the flooring I had put down last summer and I cannot lift anything or do anything about it, but there is always next summer, thank goodness!
Welcome back, Cheryl !!
Wow, sounds like you had a rough ride . And, I'm so glad you 're doing okay and everything's starting to fall into place. Don't worry, you'll be eating right, drinking like you should be and feeling much stronger in a few more weeks. There are many folks that have no problems at all, others have serious issues, and that's just to show you that no matter how much you read up and learn and prepare youself, you have your individual game-plan and ultimately you can't ever be 100% prepared. Its a lot like parenting, isn't it? Even with the same set of parents, these little ones will each have their own style and you have to find ways to deal with them.
I sure hope that you get to the library often before you go back, and keep us informed. You're in for the ride of your lifetime, so hang on tight!
~Andie~
Cheryl,
I am so glad you are back and posting. Sounds like you had a tough ordeal. You are very lucky. There was a lady who died when a staple gun misfired. That was one of my concerns and I asked my surgeon about it.
You seem to be doing really great. Take it easy and try to rest.
I am praying for you a speedy recovery and hope you post more often as you can.
Christine
Oh, girl, I have worried and wondered about you! With this move, I have lost about everything including my mind. I am so sorry to hear that things were rough for you, but I am glad you are doing so good now. Congrats on the lbs lost!!! Just think, you'll never see those pounds again.
When do you leave to go back to Hong Kong? Can we get together at Jan's house (we'll have to tell her about this!!) Can you come to the H'burg luncheon on the 18th? I don't want you to go bac****il after I meet you!!!! Lemme know.
Smoochies
Arlies