Before Xmas Update

Hi guys! Hope everyone had a wonderful thanksgiving filled with family and friends! You guys have become a wonderful place for me to vent and brainstorm as i type and let my feelings out about whats been going on with my adventures. Since i havn't updated since my last wall of text i figured its about time i Stop buy again.

Fair warning the rambles will start now as i let my fingers just go if you don't like long winded randomness might want to skip to the TLDR if i remember to put one in HAHA. And i will TRY to correct my grammar and Spelling issues but i cant really catch them all and sometimes i capitalize in the oddest of places im not sure why.

Anyway... Last time if im not mistaken i was talking about how i couldn't really get anything down and was struggling with liquid intake and worse yet the problem with my ankle witch was causing me to not get my exercise in as regularly as i would like and for a few days at all. Well..

Part one Food intake has become alot easier. I still have some issues sometimes. and Some of it i just have troubles chewing enough due to the lack of most of my molars. * i have 1 top molar on both sides with a missing tooth in-front of it in the same spot witch makes chewing rough* So i still rely on my little 1-3 cup food processor for alot of things. Homemade turkey chili or Re-fried beans with chicken will usualy end up in there and then warmed up on a plate before adding the hot-sauce and sometimes a tiny bit of cheese/fat free sour cream. I still have my scale and measuring instoments. Granted i need to get a good set of measuring cups cuz i just have an all in one little 1/4-1 cup thingy that we got with our instapot for xmas last year. granted i never have more then 1/2-3/4 a cup at a time anyway and when its the latter its usualy when i make tomatoe soup and just heat up about 3/4 a cup to put in a water bottle or coffee mug to sip on for a while. I have also noticed that since i started having normal food even if it is blended i feel hungery ALOT more often ive even started having growls again witch i haven't had since i was only have 1 shake a day and that's about it. when i coudln't get anything down. And i dunno the hunger mixed with the growls really bothers me mentally i dunno. I feel like because of it i go to eat weather its a piece of lunch meat or piece of deli cheese or part of a cup of triple zero yogurt or something far more often then i should. witch when i think about that i get upset with my self. Part of the problem might be im still having ankle issues not as bad as before but i cant do as much as id like yet * ill get to that a bit later even though there's not really much more to it.*

As for my fluids im still having issues there. i feel like im drinking all the time i have bottles of water everywhere. literally everywhere. i try to get 3-8 bottles of water from work during the shift finally went back last thrusday for a few days and tonight is my first day back for week 2. Its nice to be back to work even though if money wasn't an issue id rather have stayed home with my pups for a bit longer haha anyway there are days its better then others and it hasn't been as bad as before thanks giving most days. but there are still some where my lips get so dry they start cracking and i never seem to get enough water to fix it or my mouth is so dry all the time it feels covered in wax or worse like dry cardboard. ya know when cardboard gets wet and then left out and then drys and is all rough and gross feeling. I dunno surgeons office and my nutritionist didn't really have much to say about it especially since my urine isn't usually stating that im super dehydrated except when i first wake up if i get 6-8 hrs of sleep that day. l dunno. ive tried to set alarms but got annoyed so quick i subconsciously started tuning them out. i guess. witch just annoyed everyone else. so i need ot figure something else out there. I feel like im drinking all the time. But the water just doesn't seem to disappear as fast as i would like. and when i do feel like im drinking abit more its usually at times where i gulp probably more or bigger gulps then i should. And i am terrified i will stretch my pouch with water. there have been a couple times where i have gone to take my drink and with out thinking about it gulp gulp gulp and i stop as soon as i realized what i did but by that point i already am full and my tummy might or might not hurt and that really ****** me off when i do that too. But the fear of stretching my pouch is horrifying and i don't know if that is another subconscious issue i am having with getting enough fluid. Once again neither the nutritionist or surgeons office when i went for my last apt seemed to have much to say on the matter. And my psych appointment kinda seemed to just go mmhmm ok how does that make you feel. uh i just told you. oh i see. here look at this picture can you remember these words like urg >< so i was a bit frustrated at that time. Still frustrated with my fluid intake and the craving for lemonade has been insane. But anything store bought is loaded with a million figuratively of course LBs of sugar and i don't want to fall down the sweet rabbit hole again! I know what that leads to gallons of sweet tea a day and i DO NOT NEED THAT! My teeth problems stem from a very unhealthy addition i used to have to energy drinks and MT-dew. Witch thankfully i as able to drop well before the surgery but fell into the sweet tea and wasn't able to crawl out of that till just about 2 months before surgery. Plain water makes me nauseous more often then not. and alot of crystal light hasn't been sitting well. Propel got me thru the first couple weeks post op but now i have 2 cases in the fridge and its hard to drink any of hte flavors i have. Lately the vitamin water zero lemon stuff has been helping alot and i make Lemonade at home with Pure lemon juice and Monk fruit in the raw. but im afraid ima get back in the sweet cravings if i keep doing that and i really really want to avoid that. Though i have been doing pretty good.

As for my ankle after a trip to my PCP she told me she thinks by looking at it. granted she didn't do more then poke my ankle in like 2 spots and that's about it that she believes its Tendonitis and i need to keep stretching it and moving it. Witch i have been doing there are days its alright and others where i have trouble walking on it still. slightly annoyed she didn't want to check any other tests or anything on it. And super super annoyed it has severely limited my walking exercises. sure my dogs are not happy about that either I still can not put full weight on that ankle with out some serious pain. and walking normal hurts like hell. heel to toe heel to toe full motion and i find my self walking/limping heel to heel heel to heel or knee bent on my toes avoiding weight on the foot as much as possible. but when i catch my self doing that and favoring it to much i try to force my self to walk as normally as i can to help try and stretch it out. And when im sitting at work or home i try to move the ankle around to stretch it or pu**** down to stretch it more still it mainly just ends up with my ankle/foot cramping up or just tightening to the point i want to almost scream but not sure what else to do about it. I have an elliptical and i sadly admittedly have not been on it in sometime. its an old second hand on that the internals don't really work. but still gets me moving when i actually use it* and i need to try and focus on getting on that when i have problems walking. I say this to my self but i need to actually freaking do it. And the fact i haven't has been frustrating me as well.

All in all my spirits are still high Frustrations here and there mainly with some doctor visits, my ability/commitment on my weighing/measuring of food, my water intake or lack there of and just my irritation with my self for not exercising like i should. I feel id probably be down in the 230-220 range by now if i were to have been exercising properly or even lower i guess the heavier you are the faster you drop at the begging i guess its just my laziness that is creeping back in due to the injury and i hope my brain doesn't start making that as an excuse. I generally fluctuate between 4-7k steps a day right now and those numbers annoy me as well. I know it sounds like im frustrated and annoyed all the time maybe i am haha but i still try to keep a positive outlook on the entire thing and keep pushing forward. the worst part is when i get closer to the 7k i have gone over my goal of 10k a few times my ankle hurts so much that when i finally sit down or lay down for bed its hard to put any pressure on the feet after that again. Hopefully that will get easier with time. Got new insoles for the shoes maybe that will help right now they kinda hurt cuz they are making my feet have support witch i haven't had in ages that much weight kills any support in the shoes very fast

Id share my daily meals but as i said prior my food journals have been lacking to non existent. something i massively need to work on i got multiple apps to try and help track stuff and im not utilizing them. I have the scale and im not utilizing them >< i truly need to work on that. Its hard. Hmm been typing for a while not sure everything ive talked about so far haha. So i think i should probably cut this off for this installment.

I guess my TLDR would be along the lines of -

Having problems getting my fluid intake still.
Feel hungry alot more often ALOT more often Especially when i get closer to the 3 meals with a snack days.
Ankle still messed up but i can put weight on it. just hurts alot!
Spirts are still high and trying to stay positive even though i am frustrated with my self most of hte time. And annoyed with some parts of doc appointments exams ect.

Also just wanted to say that you guys have helped me stay sane thru some tough times indirectly just by spending some time with past versions of yourselves and yoru advice to others on this forum. I have read alot of other peoples problems and the repose that you guys have given. Some i haven't scene posts from for a while and hopefully they are still doing well just moved on with their lives others are still here sharing their experiences and helping those of us that are new to this world. and even those that have been here on this journey alot longer but still finding new problems or exciting twists and turns. Giving advice sharing anecdotes of their experiences. I love it all! and it has given me insight into somethings to look forward to and others to be wary of in the future. And so far I've also known/felt that i have a place to come to and just let it all out. So hopefully my experiences and the trek I've been on so far in my adventures can help anyone else in theirs in some way. So Thank you everyone!

Timothy

One thing you really need to know is that you cannot stretch your sleeve out with water. Imagine yourself filling up a balloon with water and how it would stretch out. Then realize that the sleeve has an opening at the top and the bottom. So the water will flow through and never stretch it out.

After about a week, I was fine with gulping water most of the time. After 12 years, I still might have a time when I drink too fast and it comes back up. I usually put a 64 ounce pitcher of Crystal Light Lemonade in the refrigerator in the morning and fini**** by night. I also drink water and sugar-free ginger ale or Coke Zero.

My secret for pain now is Biofreeze. It is essentially an ice pack in an aerosol can and takes away the pain quickly for me. I do most of my exercise in the swimming pool. I can walk an hour in the water and have no pain. The same walk on land would give me sore feet and legs that want to cramp up.

I have worn a Vivofit since they came out about 2012. I keep it on in the pool. My current one does not count my steps when I walk in the pool. I am looking for one that will. It also does not record when I am pushing a grocery cart or a lawn mower. So I keep track of my time doing that and estimate my true steps for the day.

Just think of you as a work in progress and enjoy each experience.

Oh that is good to know! I do still get pain sometimes when i drink to much i can feel it and sometimes i do feel like some of it wants to come back up that also those same times haha but ive tried to be soo careful with it cuz the nutrition class person and others have told me that drinking to much would stretch your pouch out faster then eating to much.. hmm Food for thought. I also Take your advice with much consideration especially since you have gone thru this for so long and have alot more experience! Thank you for that. Yea i went to the pool when we went to my last doc apt in just before thanksgiving. i have always been a water baby. Could hardly walk but was hard to pass up 4 hrs in a heated pool about 90 degrees F and or a Hot Tub 104 degrees F while its about 20 degrees outside and snowing! Was amazing! and the firs time i went in a public pool in years self image problems and had a blast the water felt great on my ankle and just pushing with my toes didn't really hurt much till it was time to get out and walk on land. Wish i had a pool at home even if it was just wide enough to do a lap or 20 lol. Might just have to suck it up and get a pool pass again and see about stopping in after work. Will have to see how the finances line up after the new years. Still tryign to get out of hte hole that was this surgery and the time off work. Just posted on my GFM that the family wanted me to set up that ill be taking it down at the end of the month and wanted to give everyone that commented or gave a little bit a final thank you ^_^. Tis the season for thanks and appreciation is it not?

I might have to try the Biofreeze. Never used it before and sometimes putting my ankle on an ice pack even wrapped in a towel its either not cold for ever or too cold OR to bumpy and pokey itt hurts the ankle haha just cant win. Thanks for the advice! lets see how it helps.

Timothy

It does take a while for your new stomach to handle some foods. I'm 1.5 years out, but if I forget to chew veggies thoroughly they feel all "pointy" in my stomach for a bit.

The hunger you're feeling may be excess stomach acid rather than real hunger, and drinking extra fluids can help with that. My #1 diet tip is: if you feel hungry and it's not mealtime, drink a glass of water (or other liquid). Usually that quiets my stomach and I forget about food until mealtime. But if the hunger comes back, then I eat something. That way I'm never telling myself "no"; I'm just delaying for a short time. This has really helped me a lot.

That makes sense. Yea today was a very gurgly day. or Growly i am not sure. still trying to figure out how everything feels again. Cuz the growly/gurgly stuff i haven't felt since before the surgery at least to this extent. Just getting back to work gotta get my schedule and meal times reset to where i was 2 months ago roughly. Granted im not sure if i can do the intermittent fasting this early out. as i was before.

Thank you for hte advice ^_^