MWS

Howdy!  Guess I'm a restless soul....three blog posts in one day!  I just was thinking about Easter and how one of my most precious memories of my mom and I was when we would go see Michael W. Smith in concert.  We saw him two times and the last time we went, I swear he looked right at my mom and I (we were standing/sitting in the middle row of the arena) and smiled.  I will never forget that.  One of her all time favorite songs, Easter or not, was "Above All."  I will leave you today on that note.....

She so loved Easter, and we would watch "Passion Of The Christ."  I cannot watch that movie right now as it's stuck in San Antonio with the rest of our junk as we can't afford to have it shipped back to Phoenix.  I remember, always, the movie and my dear mom.  How I miss her so!  Here is her picture with a bouquet of flowers she got from my dad...probably when she was in the hospital with her hip replacement.  Anyway, you can see how happy that made her.

This is for you, Mom....

Love,

Happy Easter!

OK, I'm back!  I couldn't resist, I had to decorate for Easter.  I just love spring and Easter, I felt the need to push myself to go around and find all the cute blog things.  So I hope you enjoy it.  I hope you all have a great Easter.  I just went for another walk, had a protein drink and just crushed up my morning pills.  EVERYTHING has to be crushed, and I can only eat in small quantities.  Like, I finish my drink and I'm full.  I have a few bites of soup, and I'm full.  I can see me losing LOTS of weight on this new life.  But it has lots of rules, ones I'm just starting to learn.  Each day I hope to get stronger and better.  I'll keep you all informed.  Now I'm going to rest for awhile.

Hugs,

I'm Alive....and somewhat kicking!

Howdy, everyone!
This isn't going to be one of my longer posts, as I can't sit for too long yet as I'm still very sore where the surgery was done on my abdomen.  Man, I woke up on Monday night and I thought I had died and gone to Hell!  I thought, "why did I consent to THIS?"  Especially that first walk in the hall at the hospital.  But each walk is getting better and better and today I even showered after taking a walk out in the outside.  That felt sooo good!

Thank you and God bless all of you that prayed for me and my surgery.  I feel the love all around me and I love each one of you!  I pray for you, my dear friends and family.  I will post again in a few days.  Promise!

Hugs,

Happy Easter to one and all!  Sorry I got home too late to decorate the blog, but I remember one thing....HE IS RISEN AND ALIVE!  :0)

Wordless Wednesday

God is good, isn't he?

(Photo taken by myself at Mission Beach, San Diego, CA.)

Yikes!

Hello, folks!

I know, I know...don't everyone drop their computers!  Today is the first day that I could even remotely think about dragging myself out of bed to the computer.  I can't stay long, my back and legs are already rebelling.  But I knew that some of my very good blogger friends would worry about me, so I made the effort.  It feels good to be able to blog again!

Let me tell you, I want to strangle the guy (or girl) who came up with this liquid diet with the yummy protein drinks!  I've been to Hell and back with severe diarrhea, vomiting and weakness so bad I couldn't even hold my head up straight.  I've been in bed so long, I think I've termed the phrase "bed head"!  The first week (last week) I was on what is called "whey" protein and my body reacted so badly to it, I almost landed in the ER.  I called the Bariatric Clinic and the nurse and dietician suggested to switch it to "soy protein."  They also said I could be lactose intolerant.  Let me tell you, I was born and raised on milk.  I LOVE dairy products.  So how could that happen?  At any rate, so far, I let my stomach rest yesterday and today I started the new soy drinks and so far, so good.  I've had almost two drinks today and they have stayed in my stomach.  We are making progress.

I'm scared to death about Monday, but then I can't wait for it to be over and I can start the recovery process.  And losing weight.  That is very exciting!  And going back on my arthritis meds that I had to stop for surgery....that is very exciting, too!  Maybe I can walk better and without my trusty cane!  So everyone please pray for me on Monday.  I won't blog again until it's over, so don't worry if you don't see a post until the end of next week.  Maybe Gina will put on her blog how the surgery goes, because Dad said they would call me after the surgery.  I had a very good talk with him last night!  Gina couldn't talk, so I missed speaking with her last night.  :0(

I hope you all are doing well and I think about you often.
Pray my recovery goes well!

These are my last few days with my whole stomach!!  Next week I'll only have 25 percent left!  Come weight loss!!!

Hugs to all,

Look At The Shirt

Good Sunday, everyone!  I hope it's been a good for you all.  I am going to start this post with the winner of the Pain Drop contest.  I decided that I'd feel creepy getting something with the security label off, accident or not, from somebody I didn't know.  It was inconsiderate of me to even ask in my last post.  Forgive me?  Next time I'll pay attention to what I'm doing!!

OK, the moment you've been waiting for, the winner of a brand new security label intact bottle is.....drumroll......

CARMEN, who owns the blog "This Is My Fibro."   Please visit her blog at: http://thisismyfibro.blogspot.com.  For some reason the link won't work when I attach it to the blog's name.  It's a wonderful blog that I've followed a long time.  She is a survivor of fibro and lives with her husband in Texas with two adorable dogs, if not frisky!!  :0)  They  are looking into foster parenting at this moment and I hope all works out well with them. As with most of us fibro victims, we can't go the nine months to carry a baby without severe complications due to lack of our medicines.  I've wanted a baby so very badly but it just isn't in the cards for me.
I am so very sorry to have botched up this give-away.  I feel terrible to give away just one bottle when I could have given away two.  IF ANYONE WANTS THE NEW BOTTLE BUT NO SECURITY LABEL ON IT, JUST GIVE ME A EMAIL OR COMMENT AND IT'S ALL YOURS.

OK, now the real reason I've named this post "Look at the Shirt."  That has become my new mantra now.  Today is day one of the two weeks before surgery and all I can have is my lovely strawberry protein drink, chicken broth, jello, and non-sugar, non-carbonated drink and of course, lots and lots of water I want.  I enjoyed my last Mt. Dew and pancakes drenched with syrup and butter.  My sweet hubby took me out to a late lunch yesterday and we had the times of our lives.  It was fun talking about how much we could do after I lost all my weight.  I could go back to work as a nurse, just like the good Lord intended me to.  We could go on reasonable vacations and leave my damn walker behind!  People wouldn't stare at me all the times.  I could walk a flight of stairs with no problems.  Oh, the list goes on and on!!

But it's sooooo damn hard right now to tell my stomach, "no, we cannot have pancakes or chocolate cake right now."  We want to fit into the adorable shirt I pictured here that my mother-in-law got for me.  I love that short, but when I tried it on when I first got it, I knew I couldn't wear it and have it be legal!!!  But the first time I CAN wear it and have it look good, I will be so happy and thrilled to photograph it for the blog!!!

Well, guess I'll go and have my tasteless strawberry protein drink (I hadn't realized they had one in chocolate!) and have some jello.  Actually, the jello is the best part of this diet!
I'll keep you all posted how this are going....probably in the afternoons.  This morning I hurt so bad passing out sounded like the best way to go.  It just has to get better. 

Hope you all have a great Sunday.

Big hugs,

Ramblings

Howdy, my fine folks!!  Please forgive this post if it seems all over the the place...that is how my mind is working these days!!

Ok, let me get this unfortunate (I think!) news out into the open right now.  The Pain Drops Give-away has just ended, as stated on the previous post.  I've got one perfect bottle, security seal intact, waiting for someone to win it.  And then, through the fault of a my own, by sheer and total accident, removed the security seal on the other bottle of Pain Drops.  Why, you ask?  I guess I thought it was one or my five thousand medicines that needed to be opened.  NOT ONE DROP CAME OUT OF THE BOTTLE, so it is still perfectly brand new.  Just no security cover.  I am so very sorry!!!  I feel like such an idiot!!

So here is the thing:  I still have the one bottle with the security cover intact and I have the bottle that hasn't been used, but NO security cap.  It is up to you:  Should I just give away ONE bottle and lessen you chance to win in half or give the two away as is.  For those of you that entered the contest, please respond to THIS POST.  I'll wait another day or two and the give away just the one bottle.  Please forgive me for being such a stupid bimbo!!  :(

Well, a few days ago I went to the pre-op appointment and saw the nurse, the doctor, the dieticition and then we went over to the hospital to the surgical department where I met the anesthesiologist.  He was a really nice guy.  He said my neck was kind of thick, though, which might make putting a breathing tube hard down my throat.  He said he might have to do it with me sedated, but partially awake, and then put the tube down like that.  I wasn't too found of that option, either, but I'll do whatever it takes to make me go to sleep and NOT feel the surgery!!!!

And then, my dear primary doctor, forgot to leave a prescription for my Atenolol, which lowers my heart beat and blood pressure.  I'll have to call her office on Monday and ask her to STAT one over to Walgreens.   We got all my other post-op meds filled, which consisted of liquid Lortab and Milk of Mag.  Yummy!!!

Tomorrow is Day One of the beginning of my new life.  I start the protein drinks 4 times a day and the bariatric clear liquids: jello, chicken and/or beef broth.  This goes on for two weeks and has the purpose of shrinking the liver for surgery.  Afterward, I exercise more and more and the bariatric full liquid diet starts: puddings, protein drinks, skim milk, ec.

WOW.  I just cannot believe I have come this far.  Back in December, it seemed like I would never overcome the mountain the paper to consume.  All the testing and waiting to see if my insurance would cover it.  What a roller coaster ride this whole thing has been!!!

Thank you for listening and being there for me.  I really appreciate each and everyone of you.  Sorry for the sappiness....I think I'll go ready to put my feet up and say night night!

Hope you all have a great day tomorrow and let me know about the new contest posts.