Thanks Ladies!!!! 

Awesome!

thats a great question.. and I was wondering the same thing lol.. I did find an egg poacher at metro.. and it seems to work much better!  thanks for all the ideas everyone!

So I am ten days out.. and feeling SOOO much better than this time last week!!!  It has been hard... not having much of an appetite... trying to get used to timing my meals and measuring what I eat. 
Its hard to have to take a handful of vitamins and pills everyday..
I'm trying my best to get all of my water and protein in but its really really hard to remember!  My cell phone is constantly going off to remind me to take all of my vitamins and meals.
I still have head hunger, and when I see a commercial about food I think that I want it... but I know I cant have it. 
Mike and the kids have been AMAZING this week.  Very helpful and understanding. They have made some delicious (healthy) meals and it is hard to watch them eat, it always smells SO good, but they still need to eat!
So having the surgery doesn't take that away, but I already knew that... but I was hoping that I would just hate food after lol

Even though its hard... and it will be for a long time I'm sure, I know I made the best choice for me. Its been a month today that I started Optifast and I have lost 34 pounds.  So just over a pound a day.  That makes me happy.  Right now I am sitting at exactly 300 pounds.  And I love the fact that the next time I step on the scale I will be in the 200's :)

Last night my husband, my children and I went for a walk, and it was SO nice!  Ive been trying to walk a bit more everyday.. but this was the first time we went as a family just for fun without having somewhere to go.  I'm hoping to make it a habit!!!

I start purees on Tuesday, and I am really excited about that!  Just to be able to add a few textures will be nice after 5 weeks of liquids! I also start back to work on Tuesday and that makes me really nervous.  Even though my job is pretty laid back, and I will have help for a few days... I hope I don't overdo it, and have enough time for my meals since I will have to have both lunch and dinner there.  Yesterday I was feeling great and decided to re organize the kitchen cupboards, and within 10 minutes I felt like I was dying.  I really have to learn to take it easy!

I hope I don't come off as whinny.  I'm so happy with my progress.. but I just dont want people to think that its easy, because its not! But it is worth it!!!

 my meal plan says that next week i can start purees  whi*****ludes beans  what kinds of beans do they mean?  im confused

I didnt see it at Costco but it is at Walmart, and Shoppers Drug Mart in the mall....

thanks for all the other tips.... i did buy a juice one from Popeyes... its strawberry Kiwi.. but I havent tried it yet.

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Weider Whey Protien Fruit Splash... Peach Mango.... just like peach juice... but with 20 grams of protien.  Its the best and soo much better than the milkshake options....

You should be able to get it at Costco... but i have also gotten it at Shoppers Drug Mart and Walmart... I also cant handle the Boost... gross.

I got home from the hospital yesterday.. and I think I'm doing ok all things considering... quite a bit of pain in my left side.. but it helps to walk and that what I'm doing all the time.. walk sip walk sip.

My hospital stay was really good... Dr  Hagen is amazing and the surgery went just as expected.  I was nervous but I think I handled myself pretty well.. 

I tried to joke and make light right up till it was time to go down to the OR... my mom hugged me and started crying which made me start... and then when the nurse came to get me I started again saying goodbye to Mike.  They walked me into the OR and I laid on the table.. there were a lot of people there.. everyone was nice and very interested in my tattoos... even after they gave me the sleepy juice Dr. Hagen was admiring them lol.

I remember them trying to wake me up after the surgery to move me onto the other bed and I tried to sit up and move myself.... When we got to recovery i was in SOOO much pain!!!!  The worst in my life for sure... i couldn't stop moving because it hurt so much.  They finally gave me drugs and I was out cold.  Between surgery and recovery I was gone for over 6 hours.. I obviously didn't mind since I was out.. but it was had for Mike and my mom to have to wait that long.

 

The first night I ended up having a room to myself which was so nice and unexpected... and it was the room at the end of the hall so it was nice and quiet.. The second day I ended up with a 96 year old woman as a roommate who had broke her hip... she was in soo much pain and still hadn't had her surgery when I left yesterday.  For the most part I was fine... did lots of walking and was able to get up to the bathroom on my own... 

 

The morphine helped a lot with sleeping.  The only complaint I had was with the ladies who came in to take my blood.  Apparently I have no veins and they had a really hard time finding a place to take blood so I ended up pretty black and blue.

 

 

I was overwhelmed with all of the vitamins and meds i was sent home with.. so much more than i thought I would be taking... and with the blood clotting needles and everything else they tell you to get at the pharmacy.. it came to just over $500.... thank god I have savings lol.  But at least it all works out to about a 6 month supply.

 

 

Injecting myself with the blood clotting needles has been hard.  My husband is wonderful but has a queasy stomach, so I have to do it on my own.  You would think since Im a piercer that Id be a pro.. but its different when you re putting something in you!!!! It stings a bit.. but once I learned to do it properly its not as bad...

Taking it hour by hour... in more pain than i thought it would be.... the girls on this forum are either super tough or lying lol.. (just kidding)   i may have already had an incident with dumping but I'm not sure... yesterday I tried some of the liquid Tylenol that they give you from the hospital... all of my food has been staying down no problem.. but about 15 minutes after i took the Tylenol I got really hot.. my face got all flushed, and i started walking... I thought I had to pass gas but ended up  passing alot more on the kitchen floor. (TMI I know)  That has never happened to me before and it was out of me and on the floor before I even knew what was happening.  I went to the bathroom and started to dry heave as well... and then I broke down crying... it was a low point for sure.  I am following the meal plan to the tee... and I intend to do so the entire time... that way I cant fail.  My mom thought the Tylenol may of had sugar in it or because I don't like it I may have drank it too fast.....

My husband is the most wonderful caring person i have ever met and has been by my side non stop through this whole thing.. he makes and measures all of my food.. 

 

 

does all the laundry and cleaning ... and just takes care of me.  (and Im sorry but any man who will clean up your mess off the kitchen floor with out complaints and still tell you that he loves you is freaking amazing) I am the luckiest woman in the world.  I was also subscribed some perks and i have to say that they are pretty amazing!  Knock me right out.  I'm feeling better today.. eating better and not as emotional ....  

The vitamins are very large and not the best.... but at least I can get them down without wanting to vomit.  The really big one is Calcium and I have to take it 3 times a day... it tastes like a giant cinnamon heart... but soo big!!!!!

This is quite the journey we have decided to embark.. and i knew that before i started.. but you really cant know until you are really in it.

So... tomorrow is the day.  I'm on my last day of Optifast.  3 more shakes to get down and then I'm finally done lol  I am down 19 pounds... and that makes me happy.
 
The kids are off to their dads tonight for the week... their bags are packed and ready to go... I shed some tears this morning when I walked them to school... its hard to say goodbye.... but they are being so strong and supportive.  My daughter gave me one of her teddies to take to the hospital with me so I can have someone to hug.

I talked to my Mother last night (adopted mom) and had a good cry... i seem to be super emotional.  My mom (birth mom) is coming up tonight to stay with me, and my husband took the week off to be with me.  We will be at the hospital at 8:30am.  Surgery at 10:30.

My mother asked me what worries me the most, and I don't know... the whole situation I guess.  I'm scared.  I'm scared of the pain... I'm scared of complications... I'm scared of the healing process.

But I am not scared about the outcome.  I have never been more ready or determined to succeed at anything in my life.  This is life changing ... and that's what I want it to be.  I'm soo freaking excited to get on the bench!!!

See y'all on the flip side

YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Glad to hear you were in and out so fast!!!!  And good luck to you... I am having my surgery on Tuesday at 10:30.. so I know how exciting it is.... yay!!!!

So.. one more week!  This time next Tuesday I will be rolling into surgery.

The nerves have kicked it... and along with it.. second thoughts...  which I know are normal.. and I know I wont back out. I know how bad I need this.. and that its the best thing for me.. but its really really scary!!!

The kids are going to their dads Monday night.. and staying with him for a week.  I'm so thankful for the help and I know I will heal easier if I don't have to worry about cleaning and taking care of them.. but I'm going to miss them like crazy!

My mom is coming down Monday night to be with me when I go to the hospital.. which means the world to me!!!  To be able to have her and Mikey with me should keep my nerves in check!!!  Mike took the week off to take care of me after the surgery too...

I don't know what I did to deserve such an amazing family.. but I'm soo happy I have them!!!!

Optifast has been going very well... 15 days down... 6 more to go.  My head hunger is under control.. as is my constipation (for the most part!!!) I'm down 15 pounds... I don't know if that is enough.. but I have done everything I was told to do.. still haven't cheated at all.. not even a nibble... although I have definitely complained about it from time to time lol....

I'm so excited to get this part over with.. and move on to the real journey...
One more week!!!

lol once again teachero***** to it before me.. but just as well.. since she was the one who gave me the idea... half and half is the only way I can drink it... after 10 days .. four times a day .. with 9 more still to go...... its just easier to get it down.. than trying to pretty it up lol... now if i could just figure out the constipation part of it AHHHH!!!!