All things great, except for occasional belly pain. It has felt like acid so I've continued taking Ranitidine (one of the meds I used pre-op) on the assumption that I still have lots of acid down there, it's just no longer coming up. However the last couple of days I've had some sharp pains around the area of my wrap that started soon after twisting my body as I tossed a large bucket of water up over a railing. I've really slowed down a lot since then, as doing too much adds more pain, just in case a stitch started to tear through or something. No reflux or even heartburn, but just the pain.
Last night the pain kept me awake much of the night. It felt like acid but I'd taken the Ranitidine at bedtime, but it also felt sharp in that same spot. Logically I'm thinking, "OK, so maybe there's a little tear from the other day, and when I lay down a little acid leaks into it and causes so much pain?" Not sure...I don't think I'm going to call the doc just yet, but rather I will go back to small meals, softer food, and not a whole lot of water-bucket-tossing, and see if things calm down. If they don't - or get worse - or I start refluxing again - I'll be calling the doc for sure! Loving this post-NF life and not willing to go back! :)
Showing posts with label nissen fundoplication. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nissen fundoplication. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
A REAL Blog Post! (Update)
Just thought I'd post an update since I haven't done so in a while...
Healing continues. I'm able to eat just about anything now - including bread if it is toasted - but haven't done raw vegetables yet. Probably will be a very long time before I try those, other than cole slaw which the doc said I shouldn't have a problem with. But I'm eating most vegetables cooked now, even cabbage! I take anti-gas pills first to try and prevent bloating. No problems.
But about a week ago I started having some belly discomfort. I wondered if it was from the yerba mate but after 2 days without it, no improvement. It was worse after eating, and has progressively worsened day by day. I don't have a sense that there is anything wrong with my wrap itself, however, as it is still doing its job very well. So I backed off on my food portions (even though I don't overeat, or eat until I'm really full), and ate less more often...still no relief.
Last night I realized that I've gotten out of the habit of taking Protonix every morning. It's probably been a couple of weeks since I've taken it. Just because I don't have constant reminders of the acid in my stomach via the GERD, doesn't mean it isn't there, I'm guessing? So this morning I started back up on the Protonix, in the event that it's irritation from too much acid.
On the other hand - my activities are back up to normal levels (I cleaned all 8 bird cages today and vacuumed, moved some furniture, for example) and, even though others do everything within a few weeks of their surgery, my doctor gave me that 100-day thing, to go easy. Probably those other people were in better physical shape going into their surgery than I was...who knows?
So I still have a bit of "ruling out" to do before I'd have to call the doctor.
I may have mentioned that I stopped biting my nails? I've bitten them for half a century - yes, since I was a toddler - and now I am cutting them twice a week to keep them shorter than my fingertips. I don't like how they feel but I like how they look and they are turning out to be rather useful too! Having fingernails wasn't a side effect of the surgery that I had anticipated, but nail bits weren't part of my liquid and soft food diets after surgery - lol.
I continue to lose weight. I don't know how much exactly since my home scale isn't too accurate (but the needle keeps going lower), it was 27# when I was at my family doctor a couple of weeks ago. I can stop in there anytime to check, I'm sure. I know that this is a side effect that won't last forever :) but I'm back on my lowcarb diet that I've followed since April 3, 2004 - nearly 7 years - and, well, I'll write more about that in my Cheap'n'Easy Low Carb blog...
So all is well! I'm just loving being able to sleep laying down in my bed instead of up in my recliner, no waking with reflux in my ear canals or nose in the middle of the, no more worrying about every bite that goes into my mouth (although the reflux was there whether or not I ate anything, and no matter what it was)...just normal life. I can't stop being thankful for this, or for the opportunity to have it done. I just feel so normal now, I had forgotten what that felt like!
And that is my 8-week post-op update :).
Healing continues. I'm able to eat just about anything now - including bread if it is toasted - but haven't done raw vegetables yet. Probably will be a very long time before I try those, other than cole slaw which the doc said I shouldn't have a problem with. But I'm eating most vegetables cooked now, even cabbage! I take anti-gas pills first to try and prevent bloating. No problems.
But about a week ago I started having some belly discomfort. I wondered if it was from the yerba mate but after 2 days without it, no improvement. It was worse after eating, and has progressively worsened day by day. I don't have a sense that there is anything wrong with my wrap itself, however, as it is still doing its job very well. So I backed off on my food portions (even though I don't overeat, or eat until I'm really full), and ate less more often...still no relief.
Last night I realized that I've gotten out of the habit of taking Protonix every morning. It's probably been a couple of weeks since I've taken it. Just because I don't have constant reminders of the acid in my stomach via the GERD, doesn't mean it isn't there, I'm guessing? So this morning I started back up on the Protonix, in the event that it's irritation from too much acid.
On the other hand - my activities are back up to normal levels (I cleaned all 8 bird cages today and vacuumed, moved some furniture, for example) and, even though others do everything within a few weeks of their surgery, my doctor gave me that 100-day thing, to go easy. Probably those other people were in better physical shape going into their surgery than I was...who knows?
So I still have a bit of "ruling out" to do before I'd have to call the doctor.
I may have mentioned that I stopped biting my nails? I've bitten them for half a century - yes, since I was a toddler - and now I am cutting them twice a week to keep them shorter than my fingertips. I don't like how they feel but I like how they look and they are turning out to be rather useful too! Having fingernails wasn't a side effect of the surgery that I had anticipated, but nail bits weren't part of my liquid and soft food diets after surgery - lol.
I continue to lose weight. I don't know how much exactly since my home scale isn't too accurate (but the needle keeps going lower), it was 27# when I was at my family doctor a couple of weeks ago. I can stop in there anytime to check, I'm sure. I know that this is a side effect that won't last forever :) but I'm back on my lowcarb diet that I've followed since April 3, 2004 - nearly 7 years - and, well, I'll write more about that in my Cheap'n'Easy Low Carb blog...
So all is well! I'm just loving being able to sleep laying down in my bed instead of up in my recliner, no waking with reflux in my ear canals or nose in the middle of the, no more worrying about every bite that goes into my mouth (although the reflux was there whether or not I ate anything, and no matter what it was)...just normal life. I can't stop being thankful for this, or for the opportunity to have it done. I just feel so normal now, I had forgotten what that felt like!
And that is my 8-week post-op update :).
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
What a Difference a Day Makes!
It is now Tuesday morning. Yesterday I had almost no shortness of breath at all, and, although I got tired easily (I think I lost some ground in my healing process from the wrap surgery over the last week!) I was able to do pretty much everything I wanted to do. Just more slowly and with more breaks.
But the big thing is, I felt more normal than I have in I-don't-know-how-long! Certainly the last few years, when even "normal" days were painful and I had to be careful what I did and ate...but yesterday I ate what I wanted, nothing hurt me, and I did what I wanted, and nothing hurt me.
THIS is the start of the future that I have been looking forward to! I will continue to rest when tired of course (about in the middle of that 100-day stretch now), but my stamina I'm sure will increase as the days go on, and I can see what my future holds and it is all good!
But the big thing is, I felt more normal than I have in I-don't-know-how-long! Certainly the last few years, when even "normal" days were painful and I had to be careful what I did and ate...but yesterday I ate what I wanted, nothing hurt me, and I did what I wanted, and nothing hurt me.
THIS is the start of the future that I have been looking forward to! I will continue to rest when tired of course (about in the middle of that 100-day stretch now), but my stamina I'm sure will increase as the days go on, and I can see what my future holds and it is all good!
Monday, January 10, 2011
The Art of Compromise #lowcarb
There are a couple of schools of thought among low carbers...well, more than a couple, but for the purpose of this post, I will mention 2: one says that if you find low carb substitutes for the carby foods you are used to, you will have greater success; the other says if you learn to do without the carby foods you are used to, you will have greater success. Obviously neither is absolutely true 100% of the time, but each is mostly true to whoever lives by it.
I started out, nearly 7 years ago, believing the latter. And did very well with it for the first year or so. Of course there were some things I felt I could not forgo completely - such as Chinese buffet restaurants - so I compromised, with a trip to one per month. Gradually I evolved to the first school of thought, and learned or created ways to have what I wanted but in a safe, non-carby way. And this is pretty much how I have lived ever since. I do still choose a carby food or meal - or even a day! - once in a while but overall, 90% of the time at least, I eat low carb equivalents to the carby foods I enjoyed before.
After my nissen fundoplication last month I knew I would have to undergo diet changes, and one of them is giving up the so-called "gassy vegetables". This includes cauliflower, which meant no more mashed "potatoes"! Cauliflower is a substitute for quite a few low carb foods, but mostly, for me, it was my mashed "potatoes".
For the first few weeks of my recovery, when I was eating very soft foods to allow my stomach to heal, I didn't think or worry about carbs. It was hard enough just getting nutrition into my 3- or 4-bite minimeals. And I wasn't eating enough food to gain weight certainly. A side effect of this surgery is weight loss, even though it isn't a WLS, so I had no worries - I just had to eat what didn't hurt me. And one of those things was mashed potatoes. I kept a box of instant because they are easy to make up just a tiny amount, and they worked so well for me that I still have some on hand. And, since I can't make the standard fauxtatoes, I have found a way to compromise on mashed potatoes.
(Let me note here that regular potatoes, mashed, are way carbier than instant.)
I haven't done the carb count - haven't actually counted my carbs in years - but here is how I am able to enjoy mashed potatoes with my meal, once or twice a week:
- 1/4c heavy cream
- 1/4c (1/2 stick) real butter
- 1/2c full-fat sour cream
- 1/2c water
Combine the above in a small casserole dish and microwave on high for 4 minutes; remove and stir until smooth.
- 2/3c instant potatoes (mine have 14gN per 1/3c) which is less than the directions on the box, don't let that throw you if you try these
- 1/2c finely shredded cheese (I've been using colby-jack)
- S&P to taste
Stir in cheese until melted; add instant potato flakes and stir until smooth; S&P to taste; return to microwave for 1 minute on high; stir one last time.
This makes 4 nice-sized servings. For the potato flake portion, that's 7gN carbs. Everything else that's in there is very low carb. I'm guessing maybe 10gN per portion. Which isn't a bad compromise at all!
Here is the disclaimer: If you believe you shouldn't consume any starches at all, then don't make this for yourself. If you are morally opposed to potato flakes, then please don't purchase them as your hard-earned cash will be supporting their continued use.
As time goes on and I am seeing that I need to alter my low carb lifestyle to fit within the limitations of my "wrap" (the affectionate pet name that most of us call our fundoplications) I am hopeful that I will be able to continue to eat as low carb as I have for so long. But if I need to get creative, I will not be afraid - I will venture forth and find new ways of doing old things. Because that's MY school of thought :).
I started out, nearly 7 years ago, believing the latter. And did very well with it for the first year or so. Of course there were some things I felt I could not forgo completely - such as Chinese buffet restaurants - so I compromised, with a trip to one per month. Gradually I evolved to the first school of thought, and learned or created ways to have what I wanted but in a safe, non-carby way. And this is pretty much how I have lived ever since. I do still choose a carby food or meal - or even a day! - once in a while but overall, 90% of the time at least, I eat low carb equivalents to the carby foods I enjoyed before.
After my nissen fundoplication last month I knew I would have to undergo diet changes, and one of them is giving up the so-called "gassy vegetables". This includes cauliflower, which meant no more mashed "potatoes"! Cauliflower is a substitute for quite a few low carb foods, but mostly, for me, it was my mashed "potatoes".
For the first few weeks of my recovery, when I was eating very soft foods to allow my stomach to heal, I didn't think or worry about carbs. It was hard enough just getting nutrition into my 3- or 4-bite minimeals. And I wasn't eating enough food to gain weight certainly. A side effect of this surgery is weight loss, even though it isn't a WLS, so I had no worries - I just had to eat what didn't hurt me. And one of those things was mashed potatoes. I kept a box of instant because they are easy to make up just a tiny amount, and they worked so well for me that I still have some on hand. And, since I can't make the standard fauxtatoes, I have found a way to compromise on mashed potatoes.
(Let me note here that regular potatoes, mashed, are way carbier than instant.)
I haven't done the carb count - haven't actually counted my carbs in years - but here is how I am able to enjoy mashed potatoes with my meal, once or twice a week:
- 1/4c heavy cream
- 1/4c (1/2 stick) real butter
- 1/2c full-fat sour cream
- 1/2c water
Combine the above in a small casserole dish and microwave on high for 4 minutes; remove and stir until smooth.
- 2/3c instant potatoes (mine have 14gN per 1/3c) which is less than the directions on the box, don't let that throw you if you try these
- 1/2c finely shredded cheese (I've been using colby-jack)
- S&P to taste
Stir in cheese until melted; add instant potato flakes and stir until smooth; S&P to taste; return to microwave for 1 minute on high; stir one last time.
This makes 4 nice-sized servings. For the potato flake portion, that's 7gN carbs. Everything else that's in there is very low carb. I'm guessing maybe 10gN per portion. Which isn't a bad compromise at all!
Here is the disclaimer: If you believe you shouldn't consume any starches at all, then don't make this for yourself. If you are morally opposed to potato flakes, then please don't purchase them as your hard-earned cash will be supporting their continued use.
As time goes on and I am seeing that I need to alter my low carb lifestyle to fit within the limitations of my "wrap" (the affectionate pet name that most of us call our fundoplications) I am hopeful that I will be able to continue to eat as low carb as I have for so long. But if I need to get creative, I will not be afraid - I will venture forth and find new ways of doing old things. Because that's MY school of thought :).
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Jan 2nd...Not As I Planned
Today I have been short of breath all day, with some pressure/weight in my chest, and pain around my rib cage. Duration over 12 hours. Aspirin hasn't helped. I didn't take a sublingual nitro because it's not like any angina pain I've ever had. (I was diagnosed with prinzmetal's angina in 1997.) My sister is going to drive up here and take me to the ER. Hubby has to go to work, it is his 2nd night on his new job. The ER where I had the surgery is an hour away, that's where she wants to go. I will update when I know what's going on.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Dec.1 - Jan. 1 - The First Month [ #lowcarb #fundoplication ]
(NOTE: If you are seeing this on Facebook, please go to my blog - cheapeasylowcarb.blogspot.com - to see my whole post. I don't make my points in the first paragraph, which is all that shows up on my Facebook page :).)
Today I started out with a half-slice of an oppsie with butter and SF (and seed-free) blackberry jam, knowing I was going out for lunch. Got to the restaurant and ordered a chicken strip basket, figuring I'd split it with my grandson, and take any leftovers home. I ordered applesauce rather than coleslaw since I can't have raw vegetables (and I LOVE coleslaw!), split that with my grandson. Then they brought the "basket" - it was a PLATTER of humongous chicken breasts, 3 of them, with a delicious corn meal breading, plus about a half-pound of fries. (All this for $6.99 - if you're ever in Houghton Lake, MI stop in at Bobber's!) I ate half of one of the pieces of chicken but removed the coating first, and about 5 fries, plus some of the applesauce. I was very very full - too full, I found out when I stood up - but after walking around KMart I was more comfortable. Several hours later I made my grilled cheese sandwich using Oopsies, but couldn't finish it. That's what I've had today. Tonight I am nauseated for some reason...hat big pile of cheese on my sandwich, I'm thinking...
So, a lot has changed in one month. I'm losing weight like crazy but I don't know how much because my scale isn't accurate; I'll be at the surgeon's office again mid-month and will find out then.
I went into this knowing it would change how I eat forever, and that I would have to adapt. No choice. I am adapting, but I read accounts of people who, 10 years after this same surgery, are able to eat anything, and I find myself wishing the next decade away :). I miss my raw vegetables like salads and coleslaw as examples, but also cauliflower dipped in ranch and other things. If I could have one thing back, it would be raw veggies. But I wouldn't trade them for what I endured before the surgery!
I'm about 1/3 of the way through my 100 days. (The surgeon told me it will take a full year to recover completely, but the first 100 days will be "critical" and that I need to go easy on myself during this time.) I interpret "go easy" as to rest when I get tired, don't push it when something causes pain, eat what is comfortable in my stomach and no more, and things like that. As I have written about extensively in my other blog, there are a lot of physical and emotional issues that I didn't expect and that are impacting me nearly as much as the surgery has. But back to food...
I eat "mostly low carb" but admittedly not fully yet. There are days my stomach just wants something gentle, and that is usually yogurt or the inside of a baked potato, and anything else just doesn't work. In addition, since I'm still eating such small amounts, I'm not feeling any blood sugar impact from them. I've always felt physical responses after eating carbs, such as an about-to-come-down-with-the-flu-like feeling, a mild headache, and a faster pulse. Of course, since such a huge change has been made to my digestive tract, what and how I eat certainly has changed, and how I feel when I eat has changed, how meds affect me has changed...so maybe the whole response to carbs has also...still, it is a non-issue at this point, but how I eat is still changing almost day by day.
So that's my report for the first month after my nissen fundoplication, at least as it pertains to how I eat - mostly low carb, but now completely...yet.
Today I started out with a half-slice of an oppsie with butter and SF (and seed-free) blackberry jam, knowing I was going out for lunch. Got to the restaurant and ordered a chicken strip basket, figuring I'd split it with my grandson, and take any leftovers home. I ordered applesauce rather than coleslaw since I can't have raw vegetables (and I LOVE coleslaw!), split that with my grandson. Then they brought the "basket" - it was a PLATTER of humongous chicken breasts, 3 of them, with a delicious corn meal breading, plus about a half-pound of fries. (All this for $6.99 - if you're ever in Houghton Lake, MI stop in at Bobber's!) I ate half of one of the pieces of chicken but removed the coating first, and about 5 fries, plus some of the applesauce. I was very very full - too full, I found out when I stood up - but after walking around KMart I was more comfortable. Several hours later I made my grilled cheese sandwich using Oopsies, but couldn't finish it. That's what I've had today. Tonight I am nauseated for some reason...hat big pile of cheese on my sandwich, I'm thinking...
So, a lot has changed in one month. I'm losing weight like crazy but I don't know how much because my scale isn't accurate; I'll be at the surgeon's office again mid-month and will find out then.
I went into this knowing it would change how I eat forever, and that I would have to adapt. No choice. I am adapting, but I read accounts of people who, 10 years after this same surgery, are able to eat anything, and I find myself wishing the next decade away :). I miss my raw vegetables like salads and coleslaw as examples, but also cauliflower dipped in ranch and other things. If I could have one thing back, it would be raw veggies. But I wouldn't trade them for what I endured before the surgery!
I'm about 1/3 of the way through my 100 days. (The surgeon told me it will take a full year to recover completely, but the first 100 days will be "critical" and that I need to go easy on myself during this time.) I interpret "go easy" as to rest when I get tired, don't push it when something causes pain, eat what is comfortable in my stomach and no more, and things like that. As I have written about extensively in my other blog, there are a lot of physical and emotional issues that I didn't expect and that are impacting me nearly as much as the surgery has. But back to food...
I eat "mostly low carb" but admittedly not fully yet. There are days my stomach just wants something gentle, and that is usually yogurt or the inside of a baked potato, and anything else just doesn't work. In addition, since I'm still eating such small amounts, I'm not feeling any blood sugar impact from them. I've always felt physical responses after eating carbs, such as an about-to-come-down-with-the-flu-like feeling, a mild headache, and a faster pulse. Of course, since such a huge change has been made to my digestive tract, what and how I eat certainly has changed, and how I feel when I eat has changed, how meds affect me has changed...so maybe the whole response to carbs has also...still, it is a non-issue at this point, but how I eat is still changing almost day by day.
So that's my report for the first month after my nissen fundoplication, at least as it pertains to how I eat - mostly low carb, but now completely...yet.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Day 30 [ #lowcarb #fundoplication ]
(NOTE: If you are seeing this on Facebook, please go to my blog - cheapeasylowcarb.blogspot.com - to see my whole post. I don't make my points in the first paragraph, which is all that shows up on my Facebook page :).)
Today I had my first sandwich since my surgery, made on Oopsies. It had ham and havarti cheese and dijon mustard. And it was good. Tomorrow I am looking forward to a grilled cheese sandwich, now that I have a huge bunch of oopsie slices stockpiled.
I also had 2 fried eggs, part of a banana, and the rest of my SF chocolate pudding. And lots of tea of course. And a protein shake because I know I am not eating enough.
Weight continues to drop off of me, not because I want it to, but because it is a side effect of the surgery. I will have to deal with the ramifications of all that as they come but it is what it is. I don't know how much weight I've lost, I only know that my clothes are getting so loose, and I see and feel the changes in my body. And my knees are thankful.
Today I had my first sandwich since my surgery, made on Oopsies. It had ham and havarti cheese and dijon mustard. And it was good. Tomorrow I am looking forward to a grilled cheese sandwich, now that I have a huge bunch of oopsie slices stockpiled.
I also had 2 fried eggs, part of a banana, and the rest of my SF chocolate pudding. And lots of tea of course. And a protein shake because I know I am not eating enough.
Weight continues to drop off of me, not because I want it to, but because it is a side effect of the surgery. I will have to deal with the ramifications of all that as they come but it is what it is. I don't know how much weight I've lost, I only know that my clothes are getting so loose, and I see and feel the changes in my body. And my knees are thankful.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Day 28 - A L - O - N - G Day!
(NOTE: If you are seeing this on Facebook, please go to my blog - chiachatter.blogspot.com - to see my whole post. I don't make my points in the first paragraph, which is all that shows up on my Facebook page :).)
Pete had business down in Saginaw today, plus it was his 60th birthday, so we had a day trip. We also had our almost-21-month-old grandson with us since his mom had to work.
First let me say that since mid-October neither Pete nor I have been working. Pete had a surgery that didn't allow him to do his job so they let him go, and my job is seasonal; I only work from April-Oct. So things have been really tight, but our needs have been met by the faithful and loving Father we serve. Still, Pete has been desperately looking for work. He's applied, tested, interviewed for jobs but nothing. Then he had an interview yesterday with a small company that he came home and raved about, saying that he felt all of his experience in the past was leading to this position. And apparently they thought so too; we were on our way to Saginaw when they called to tell him he got the job!
So we had reason to celebrate. I haven't eaten in a restaurant since my surgery, and was a little wary, but all went well. (See my post about this at my other blog.) Then he took care of his business at the V.A. while grandson and I played in the lobby. The hour passed very quickly. After that we went to Pete's sister's house and visited for about an hour, then to a large thrift store. While there, though, I started to crash: stomach pain, weakness, light-headed...I knew I needed food but this seemed to be, to me, an extreme reaction to an empty belly! Still, I couldn't deny it and we had to go, even though I had to leave many more bargains behind...
Went to Midland on the way home so I could pick up some food for my parrots from Soldan's, then ate a light supper at the Texan, filled up the gas tank ($47!!!!), and headed for home.
Most days I feel good early in the day, then lose stamina and start experiencing discomfort about midway through. Today was no different except that I didn't just start losing stamina and experiencing discomfort - I hit a brick wall and wanted to drop, right there, and just curl up on the floor. That was really disconcerting...
I'm still trying to deal with, and figure out, all of these feelings and how/why I am such a stranger to myself. All of the hours in the car gave me plenty of time to think, and I'm still no closer to answers. A depressed, sad person has taken up residence in my head and pushed me aside, and each day is no better, in fact today was a little worse even while I was enjoying being with hubby and grandson, and all the things we were doing on our day trip. It is all so very bizarre.
I am pleased and praising God today for His working in our lives, and am really excited that we will once again be able to support His work! And Pete's new job, well only God could have matched him up with a position that is such a perfect fit. I am glad and thankful for all of these things as they float atop the sad feeling like a shiny new boat cruises on the surface of dark waters.
I love my husband so much.
Pete had business down in Saginaw today, plus it was his 60th birthday, so we had a day trip. We also had our almost-21-month-old grandson with us since his mom had to work.
First let me say that since mid-October neither Pete nor I have been working. Pete had a surgery that didn't allow him to do his job so they let him go, and my job is seasonal; I only work from April-Oct. So things have been really tight, but our needs have been met by the faithful and loving Father we serve. Still, Pete has been desperately looking for work. He's applied, tested, interviewed for jobs but nothing. Then he had an interview yesterday with a small company that he came home and raved about, saying that he felt all of his experience in the past was leading to this position. And apparently they thought so too; we were on our way to Saginaw when they called to tell him he got the job!
So we had reason to celebrate. I haven't eaten in a restaurant since my surgery, and was a little wary, but all went well. (See my post about this at my other blog.) Then he took care of his business at the V.A. while grandson and I played in the lobby. The hour passed very quickly. After that we went to Pete's sister's house and visited for about an hour, then to a large thrift store. While there, though, I started to crash: stomach pain, weakness, light-headed...I knew I needed food but this seemed to be, to me, an extreme reaction to an empty belly! Still, I couldn't deny it and we had to go, even though I had to leave many more bargains behind...
Went to Midland on the way home so I could pick up some food for my parrots from Soldan's, then ate a light supper at the Texan, filled up the gas tank ($47!!!!), and headed for home.
Most days I feel good early in the day, then lose stamina and start experiencing discomfort about midway through. Today was no different except that I didn't just start losing stamina and experiencing discomfort - I hit a brick wall and wanted to drop, right there, and just curl up on the floor. That was really disconcerting...
I'm still trying to deal with, and figure out, all of these feelings and how/why I am such a stranger to myself. All of the hours in the car gave me plenty of time to think, and I'm still no closer to answers. A depressed, sad person has taken up residence in my head and pushed me aside, and each day is no better, in fact today was a little worse even while I was enjoying being with hubby and grandson, and all the things we were doing on our day trip. It is all so very bizarre.
I am pleased and praising God today for His working in our lives, and am really excited that we will once again be able to support His work! And Pete's new job, well only God could have matched him up with a position that is such a perfect fit. I am glad and thankful for all of these things as they float atop the sad feeling like a shiny new boat cruises on the surface of dark waters.
I love my husband so much.
Day 28 - My First Restaurant Meals [ #fundoplication #lowcarb ]
(NOTE: If you are seeing this on Facebook, please go to my blog - cheapeasylowcarb.blogspot.com - to see my whole post. I don't make my points in the first paragraph, which is all that shows up on my Facebook page :).)
My husband and grandson and I spent the day in Saginaw, about 2 hours away. Hubby had some business down there, and since it was his birthday we were going to go to Fire Mountain for lunch. However, he got some great news while we were driving down and we splurged on Super Buffet to celebrate. (You can read more about his great news and other details about the day at my other blog so I can keep this one about food.) But today I ate a LOT of new-since-surgery foods and handled it all very well!
Super Buffet is nice because there are just as many American - or Americanized - foods as Asian on the buffet tables. I've always enjoyed buffets because I don't have to feel "different", I can take a lot of food, as long as it is low carb, as opposed to ordering off the diet menu in a sit-down restaurant while everyone else has burgers and fries. Plus, I like being able to have a couple of bites of a lot of things rather than a lot of bites of a couple of foods :).
#1 discovery: I can't do justice to a buffet like I used to. I was good for about 1/4c spinach with cheese melted on it, one small stuffed (cream cheese/crab) mushroom cap, about 2 oz. of baked fish, and 4 bites of mixed seafood* in butter. Then, after some hot tea and a rest, I was able to eat 4 small bites of their lovely apple strudel - a real treat, since I usually bypass it. But given as little as I'm eating, I am still getting very few carbs...
After a full afternoon we stopped in Midland for something I needed and then had a light supper at the Texan restaurant. I got corned beef hash and 2 fried eggs. I ate half. I told the waitress I couldn't have toast and she brought 2 huge pancakes instead - YIKES! I had a few bites of one of them but that was more than enough.
Then tonight when I got home I had another dish of my SF chocolate pudding made with 50/50 heavy cream/water instead of milk (thereby saving over 20g carbs!)...
I didn't eat enough meals today and felt hungry more than I felt satisfied. Just 2 meals, really, plus a snack. Glad that doesn't happen at home, and next time we're on a day trip I need to pack some things to have in the car with us. This didn't work well on several levels, not only my stomach but also in terms of comfort and energy (or lack thereof).
So that was my food day, first time restaurant(s) and it went just fine.
* The mixed seafood uses "Krab" which contains sugar, so I usually eat mostly the other stuff, with just a bite or 2 of the fake stuff.
My husband and grandson and I spent the day in Saginaw, about 2 hours away. Hubby had some business down there, and since it was his birthday we were going to go to Fire Mountain for lunch. However, he got some great news while we were driving down and we splurged on Super Buffet to celebrate. (You can read more about his great news and other details about the day at my other blog so I can keep this one about food.) But today I ate a LOT of new-since-surgery foods and handled it all very well!
Super Buffet is nice because there are just as many American - or Americanized - foods as Asian on the buffet tables. I've always enjoyed buffets because I don't have to feel "different", I can take a lot of food, as long as it is low carb, as opposed to ordering off the diet menu in a sit-down restaurant while everyone else has burgers and fries. Plus, I like being able to have a couple of bites of a lot of things rather than a lot of bites of a couple of foods :).
#1 discovery: I can't do justice to a buffet like I used to. I was good for about 1/4c spinach with cheese melted on it, one small stuffed (cream cheese/crab) mushroom cap, about 2 oz. of baked fish, and 4 bites of mixed seafood* in butter. Then, after some hot tea and a rest, I was able to eat 4 small bites of their lovely apple strudel - a real treat, since I usually bypass it. But given as little as I'm eating, I am still getting very few carbs...
After a full afternoon we stopped in Midland for something I needed and then had a light supper at the Texan restaurant. I got corned beef hash and 2 fried eggs. I ate half. I told the waitress I couldn't have toast and she brought 2 huge pancakes instead - YIKES! I had a few bites of one of them but that was more than enough.
Then tonight when I got home I had another dish of my SF chocolate pudding made with 50/50 heavy cream/water instead of milk (thereby saving over 20g carbs!)...
I didn't eat enough meals today and felt hungry more than I felt satisfied. Just 2 meals, really, plus a snack. Glad that doesn't happen at home, and next time we're on a day trip I need to pack some things to have in the car with us. This didn't work well on several levels, not only my stomach but also in terms of comfort and energy (or lack thereof).
So that was my food day, first time restaurant(s) and it went just fine.
* The mixed seafood uses "Krab" which contains sugar, so I usually eat mostly the other stuff, with just a bite or 2 of the fake stuff.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Day 27 [#lowcarb #fundoplication ]
(NOTE: If you are seeing this on Facebook, please go to my blog - cheapeasylowcarb.blogspot.com - to see my whole post. I don't make my points in the first paragraph, which is all that shows up on my Facebook page :).)
Hmm...didn't eat much today, haven't really felt like eating. Started the day with a scrambled egg and a slice of fried balogna - my daughter was making that for her son's breakfast and made me some too. Next meal was about 1/2c of 4% fat cottage cheese. Then 1/2c of SF chocolate pudding because a chocolate craving hit; I made it with 1c heavy cream + 1c water instead of milk to keep the carb count low. It whipped up light and very good, the whole bowl (4 servings) is less than 10g. And I finished off what was left of my baked potato from the other day which wasn't much, with lots of butter. I'm done with potato for a while now, don't want this to become a habit and need to keep to my no-more-than-2-small-potatoes-a-week rule.
One thing that's kind of major, at least to me: Hubby made a grilled ham'n'cheese sandwich, and I took 2 bites. He used store-bought low-carb bread which still has all sorts of nutritional nastiness in it but the point is that I ate grilled bread without a problem. Yay for that. My pipes seem to be working really fine. I want to start introducing some root vegetables next, in small amounts, cooked well. I miss my rutabagas and turnips and daikon.
Another thing is that I am eating much more normally and not obsessing so much about every bite. My mind isn't focused on the size of the bite (or the size of the swallow) and the amount of chewing so much now; I'm aware though, always. Not totally focused but still aware. It is getting easier to eat.
Hmm...didn't eat much today, haven't really felt like eating. Started the day with a scrambled egg and a slice of fried balogna - my daughter was making that for her son's breakfast and made me some too. Next meal was about 1/2c of 4% fat cottage cheese. Then 1/2c of SF chocolate pudding because a chocolate craving hit; I made it with 1c heavy cream + 1c water instead of milk to keep the carb count low. It whipped up light and very good, the whole bowl (4 servings) is less than 10g. And I finished off what was left of my baked potato from the other day which wasn't much, with lots of butter. I'm done with potato for a while now, don't want this to become a habit and need to keep to my no-more-than-2-small-potatoes-a-week rule.
One thing that's kind of major, at least to me: Hubby made a grilled ham'n'cheese sandwich, and I took 2 bites. He used store-bought low-carb bread which still has all sorts of nutritional nastiness in it but the point is that I ate grilled bread without a problem. Yay for that. My pipes seem to be working really fine. I want to start introducing some root vegetables next, in small amounts, cooked well. I miss my rutabagas and turnips and daikon.
Another thing is that I am eating much more normally and not obsessing so much about every bite. My mind isn't focused on the size of the bite (or the size of the swallow) and the amount of chewing so much now; I'm aware though, always. Not totally focused but still aware. It is getting easier to eat.
Day 27
(NOTE: If you are seeing this on Facebook, please go to my blog - chiachatter.blogspot.com - to see my whole post. I don't make my points in the first paragraph, which is all that shows up on my Facebook page :).)
Still sad and disinterested. Don't even know what to write about. Stresses in life are taking their toll I guess. I looked up depression after surgery in the wee hours of the morning and it is definitely an issue for people who have had major surgeries. I've been having very vivid, very strange dreams at night also; I usually don't even remember my dreams, if I even have them, so this is off-putting to me as well. Plus add the high level of stress in my home right now, I guess I get it. But wish I didn't have to. I need to burrow my nose into the Word is what I need to do. Get some perspective back through the Word and prayer.
More pain across my belly today than in a week or more, but also have other things going on lower in my digestive tract that have been an issue for a few years so I think that's part of it. That, and handling my almost-30# grandson, and moving the loveseat away from the wall when my dog was getting into trouble behind it. (If my gut can withstand the impact of the steering wheel in a collision without undoing the fundoplication at 3 weeks post-op, then I guess I needn't worry too much about a toddler right? Even if he does make me pretty sore.)
Nothing else new to report. Makes me wonder why I wrote anything at all today, other than that it is a habit. The way I feel isn't like me, I'm not like this. Get over it, Sherry.
Still sad and disinterested. Don't even know what to write about. Stresses in life are taking their toll I guess. I looked up depression after surgery in the wee hours of the morning and it is definitely an issue for people who have had major surgeries. I've been having very vivid, very strange dreams at night also; I usually don't even remember my dreams, if I even have them, so this is off-putting to me as well. Plus add the high level of stress in my home right now, I guess I get it. But wish I didn't have to. I need to burrow my nose into the Word is what I need to do. Get some perspective back through the Word and prayer.
More pain across my belly today than in a week or more, but also have other things going on lower in my digestive tract that have been an issue for a few years so I think that's part of it. That, and handling my almost-30# grandson, and moving the loveseat away from the wall when my dog was getting into trouble behind it. (If my gut can withstand the impact of the steering wheel in a collision without undoing the fundoplication at 3 weeks post-op, then I guess I needn't worry too much about a toddler right? Even if he does make me pretty sore.)
Nothing else new to report. Makes me wonder why I wrote anything at all today, other than that it is a habit. The way I feel isn't like me, I'm not like this. Get over it, Sherry.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Day 26
(NOTE: If you are seeing this on Facebook, please go to my blog - chiachatter.blogspot.com - to see my whole post. I don't make my points in the first paragraph, which is all that shows up on my Facebook page :).)
Why on earth would I feel sad and even a bit weepy today? I have no idea. Worked like a slave this morning washing dishes and cleaning my kitchen, then felt no energy and depressed the rest of the day, and had to fight back tears-for-no-reason several times.
I don't understand it, that's not like me.
Why on earth would I feel sad and even a bit weepy today? I have no idea. Worked like a slave this morning washing dishes and cleaning my kitchen, then felt no energy and depressed the rest of the day, and had to fight back tears-for-no-reason several times.
I don't understand it, that's not like me.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Day 25 - Feeling Almost Normal [ #lowcarb #fundoplication ]
(NOTE: If you are seeing this on Facebook, please go to my blog - cheapeasylowcarb.blogspot.com - to see my whole post. I don't make my points in the first paragraph, which is all that shows up on my Facebook page :).)
I'm starting to eat more normally now. I don't think about every bite that goes into my mouth, wondering if my stomach can handle it yet; I just eat it. I haven't ventured forth yet to test if I can handle some of the restrictioned foods but I now know that I can handle my lovely tomato soup, and vegetable juice. I can eat chicken skin and potato skin, and I can eat dry cereal. (I dropped some when I was packing it up for my grandson.) I'm going to be trying ground beef again in the next couple of days, and also a slice of thin-crust pizza which isn't a typical food for my low carb eating, but something I want to try. I've already eaten toasted pita which was fine.
I will probably start with more cooked vegetables this week, and will use a simethicone tablet with them at first, at least. And probably some cooked root vegetables. Potato skins are tough to digest I think, but I doubt that toasted rutabaga is any worse - but I will find out soon :).
So I believe all is going well, and my stomach feels more natural to me now. The big thing I'm still getting used to is chewing more, so that my food will fit down the smaller opening, so I still have to concentrate on that while I eat.
Today I ate cottage cheese, part of a piece of chicken, some creamed spinach, a whole baked potato (but not a big one - still, more about that in a minute!), more cottage cheese, and some yogurt with SF flavored syrup mixed in.
Here's the deal with the baked potato: Pete made us a lovely supper of baked chicken legs, potatoes, and creamed spinach. He served me a leg, a potato (well buttered of course!), and about 1/4c of the spinach. I'd only wanted part of the potato, along with a little skin, to see how my gut handled it, but once it was there on my plate, all buttery goodness...I didn't stop as planned. I paid the price, too, with pain...but it wasn't the same pain as I've had previously, where I felt I had hurt something inside. This was a more general belly pain, which I'm guessing will be more the norm unless and until my stomach normalizes in size again. (Actually I'd rather it not normalize at all, and that it would stay smaller, but that won't happen if I glutton out on baked potatoes!) After that, about mid-afternoon, I've only had a small cup of cottage cheese, and one of yogurt.
Tomorrow I'd like to start resuming my cooking tasks as I start adding back in more and more foods, and I'm looking forward to it!
I'm starting to eat more normally now. I don't think about every bite that goes into my mouth, wondering if my stomach can handle it yet; I just eat it. I haven't ventured forth yet to test if I can handle some of the restrictioned foods but I now know that I can handle my lovely tomato soup, and vegetable juice. I can eat chicken skin and potato skin, and I can eat dry cereal. (I dropped some when I was packing it up for my grandson.) I'm going to be trying ground beef again in the next couple of days, and also a slice of thin-crust pizza which isn't a typical food for my low carb eating, but something I want to try. I've already eaten toasted pita which was fine.
I will probably start with more cooked vegetables this week, and will use a simethicone tablet with them at first, at least. And probably some cooked root vegetables. Potato skins are tough to digest I think, but I doubt that toasted rutabaga is any worse - but I will find out soon :).
So I believe all is going well, and my stomach feels more natural to me now. The big thing I'm still getting used to is chewing more, so that my food will fit down the smaller opening, so I still have to concentrate on that while I eat.
Today I ate cottage cheese, part of a piece of chicken, some creamed spinach, a whole baked potato (but not a big one - still, more about that in a minute!), more cottage cheese, and some yogurt with SF flavored syrup mixed in.
Here's the deal with the baked potato: Pete made us a lovely supper of baked chicken legs, potatoes, and creamed spinach. He served me a leg, a potato (well buttered of course!), and about 1/4c of the spinach. I'd only wanted part of the potato, along with a little skin, to see how my gut handled it, but once it was there on my plate, all buttery goodness...I didn't stop as planned. I paid the price, too, with pain...but it wasn't the same pain as I've had previously, where I felt I had hurt something inside. This was a more general belly pain, which I'm guessing will be more the norm unless and until my stomach normalizes in size again. (Actually I'd rather it not normalize at all, and that it would stay smaller, but that won't happen if I glutton out on baked potatoes!) After that, about mid-afternoon, I've only had a small cup of cottage cheese, and one of yogurt.
Tomorrow I'd like to start resuming my cooking tasks as I start adding back in more and more foods, and I'm looking forward to it!
A Day of Rest
(NOTE: If you are seeing this on Facebook, please go to my blog - chiachatter.blogspot.com - to see my whole post. I don't make my points in the first paragraph, which is all that shows up on my Facebook page :).)
Today after church (excellent service, BTW!) we came home, ate, and rested. And I found out what happens when I eat too much. Pete made a lovely supper, I didn't stop eating in time, and it hurt. But overall, I feel like I'm eating almost normally now 25 days post-op - but I'll write about that in my other blog shortly, when I finish here...
It has really been a lovely day, and I feel ready for tomorrow when my daughter and grandson return home from downstate, where they've been visiting relatives over Christmas. It is always peaceful and quiet and neat and tidy when it is just Pete and I here, and I will miss that...but I feel more complete when my family is together. And tomorrow it will be!
And I think I can handle things better now. Yes I got exhausted easily after 2 days of shopping and activities - but really, was it all THAT easily? Compared to a week ago - or two weeks ago - no, it wasn't as easily as then. So everything is, I believe, as it should be at this stage of my recovery. I think I will be doing more and more as the days go by but am doing really well in that department at the moment, and feel good about that!
So tomorrow my family comes home, I have some shipping to do, and the usual bird cages to clean and other everyday housework. It will be a good day :).
Today after church (excellent service, BTW!) we came home, ate, and rested. And I found out what happens when I eat too much. Pete made a lovely supper, I didn't stop eating in time, and it hurt. But overall, I feel like I'm eating almost normally now 25 days post-op - but I'll write about that in my other blog shortly, when I finish here...
It has really been a lovely day, and I feel ready for tomorrow when my daughter and grandson return home from downstate, where they've been visiting relatives over Christmas. It is always peaceful and quiet and neat and tidy when it is just Pete and I here, and I will miss that...but I feel more complete when my family is together. And tomorrow it will be!
And I think I can handle things better now. Yes I got exhausted easily after 2 days of shopping and activities - but really, was it all THAT easily? Compared to a week ago - or two weeks ago - no, it wasn't as easily as then. So everything is, I believe, as it should be at this stage of my recovery. I think I will be doing more and more as the days go by but am doing really well in that department at the moment, and feel good about that!
So tomorrow my family comes home, I have some shipping to do, and the usual bird cages to clean and other everyday housework. It will be a good day :).
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Christmas Day!
(NOTE: If you are seeing this on Facebook, please go to my blog - cheapeasylowcarb.blogspot.com - to see my whole post. I don't make my points in the first paragraph, which is all that shows up on my Facebook page :).)
Lovely day! Soup turned out beautifully. The grilled cheese sandwiches looked and smelled amazing! I used English muffin bread, real butter on the outsides, and did them on my electric griddle. I used a slice each of American, swiss, and havarti cheese. My mom ate half of her sandwich and took the other half, plus a Christmas cookie, home with her. Pete had two sandwiches and two bowls of soup. (He usually eats double portions of things, that's why I try hard to keep him low carb but sometimes it is an uphill battle.) I didn't bake cookies this year but bought a package of 10 (?) cookies yesterday that would look pretty on the table - and they did. They are full of sugar and carbs and I ate 2. Won't have any more.
Since I can't eat bread, I had to forgo those lovely sandwiches. What a horrible thing that was, but the threat of great pain kept me from giving into temptation. Still, my pita cheese crisps were pretty good. I used a low carb pita, sliced it in half to make two very thin pieces, then I cut those into a few large pieces. Buttered them, sprinkled colby-jack on them, topped with havarti, and into the oven on a rack until the cheese bubbled and the pitas crisped up. They were better than nothing but I was still drooling over the grilled cheese sandwiches!
I nibbled a lot today. Started out with a dish of cottage cheese, then nibbled on cheeses while I made dinner, tasted a spoonful of my soup several times, then a half-cup of soup and some of the pita cheese crisps for dinner, a cookie about an hour later, the rest of the crisps a couple of hours after that, and another cookie just now.
Both the pita and the tomato soup were new re-additions to my post-fundoplication diet, as was the cookie. I am happy to report that I did fine with them all! Tiny bites, well-chewed, warm tea, and walking around - it was all good!
Lovely day! Soup turned out beautifully. The grilled cheese sandwiches looked and smelled amazing! I used English muffin bread, real butter on the outsides, and did them on my electric griddle. I used a slice each of American, swiss, and havarti cheese. My mom ate half of her sandwich and took the other half, plus a Christmas cookie, home with her. Pete had two sandwiches and two bowls of soup. (He usually eats double portions of things, that's why I try hard to keep him low carb but sometimes it is an uphill battle.) I didn't bake cookies this year but bought a package of 10 (?) cookies yesterday that would look pretty on the table - and they did. They are full of sugar and carbs and I ate 2. Won't have any more.
Since I can't eat bread, I had to forgo those lovely sandwiches. What a horrible thing that was, but the threat of great pain kept me from giving into temptation. Still, my pita cheese crisps were pretty good. I used a low carb pita, sliced it in half to make two very thin pieces, then I cut those into a few large pieces. Buttered them, sprinkled colby-jack on them, topped with havarti, and into the oven on a rack until the cheese bubbled and the pitas crisped up. They were better than nothing but I was still drooling over the grilled cheese sandwiches!
I nibbled a lot today. Started out with a dish of cottage cheese, then nibbled on cheeses while I made dinner, tasted a spoonful of my soup several times, then a half-cup of soup and some of the pita cheese crisps for dinner, a cookie about an hour later, the rest of the crisps a couple of hours after that, and another cookie just now.
Both the pita and the tomato soup were new re-additions to my post-fundoplication diet, as was the cookie. I am happy to report that I did fine with them all! Tiny bites, well-chewed, warm tea, and walking around - it was all good!
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Day 22 #fundoplication #lowcarb
(NOTE: If you are seeing this on Facebook, please go to my blog - cheapeasylowcarb.blogspot.com - to see my whole post. I don't make my points in the first paragraph, which is all that shows up on my Facebook page :).)
Strange day. Wall of exhaustion, everything took too much effort.
Ate some creamy cheesy macaroni, a few bites of cream of wheat (with half'n'half, butter, brown sugar sub, and cinnamon), some lovely fish that hubby fried up in olive oil (no coatings of any kind), and some full-fat plain yogurt mixed with SF almond flavored syrup. I can't seem to get more than 4 mini-meals - aka "snacks" - into my days, no matter what I'm supposed to be doing.
Hungry now but about to go to bed and don't want to lay down on a full (HA! that word has a whole new meaning now!) stomach - made that mistake last night. No reflux of course, but definitely miserable.
Speaking of eating: I have always finished what is on my plate. Now I am at war with the "need" to eat those last few bites vs. my stomach telling me, "Enough! Not one more bite!" When I don't listen to my stomach, I get pain. But the voice in my head has over a half century of controlling how I eat. It's a tough fight.
Strange day. Wall of exhaustion, everything took too much effort.
Ate some creamy cheesy macaroni, a few bites of cream of wheat (with half'n'half, butter, brown sugar sub, and cinnamon), some lovely fish that hubby fried up in olive oil (no coatings of any kind), and some full-fat plain yogurt mixed with SF almond flavored syrup. I can't seem to get more than 4 mini-meals - aka "snacks" - into my days, no matter what I'm supposed to be doing.
Hungry now but about to go to bed and don't want to lay down on a full (HA! that word has a whole new meaning now!) stomach - made that mistake last night. No reflux of course, but definitely miserable.
Speaking of eating: I have always finished what is on my plate. Now I am at war with the "need" to eat those last few bites vs. my stomach telling me, "Enough! Not one more bite!" When I don't listen to my stomach, I get pain. But the voice in my head has over a half century of controlling how I eat. It's a tough fight.
Day 22 - Hitting the Wall
(NOTE: If you are seeing this on Facebook, please go to my blog - chiachatter.blogspot.com - to see my whole post. I don't make my points in the first paragraph, which is all that shows up on my Facebook page :).)
I didn't even DO that much, but sure hit the wall of exhaustion today. From the time I got up this morning everything has taken a supreme effort to accomplish. So I didn't do much. Folded some laundry, kept falling asleep in my chair, took care of my birds, that's about it. It's all I could manage. Go figure, not sure what brought that on but tomorrow I have a busy day planned so enough of this nonsense!
P.S. I just wrote this in my other blog and thought it was significant so I'm copying it here as well: I have always finished what is on my plate. Now I am at war with the "need" to eat those last few bites vs. my stomach telling me, "Enough! Not one more bite!" When I don't listen to my stomach, I get pain. But the voice in my head has over a half century of controlling how I eat. It's a tough fight.
I didn't even DO that much, but sure hit the wall of exhaustion today. From the time I got up this morning everything has taken a supreme effort to accomplish. So I didn't do much. Folded some laundry, kept falling asleep in my chair, took care of my birds, that's about it. It's all I could manage. Go figure, not sure what brought that on but tomorrow I have a busy day planned so enough of this nonsense!
P.S. I just wrote this in my other blog and thought it was significant so I'm copying it here as well: I have always finished what is on my plate. Now I am at war with the "need" to eat those last few bites vs. my stomach telling me, "Enough! Not one more bite!" When I don't listen to my stomach, I get pain. But the voice in my head has over a half century of controlling how I eat. It's a tough fight.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Three Weeks Ago Today!
(NOTE: If you are seeing this on Facebook, please go to my blog - chiachatter.blogspot.com - to see my whole post. I don't make my points in the first paragraph, which is all that shows up on my Facebook page :).)
Hard to believe the first 3 weeks have passed already, then on the other hand it seems like a year ago I was in the hospital and then at my sister's. Once I got home the time stretched or something. While I was in the hospital those 5 days, I both couldn't wait to get out, and was afraid to leave because they were so good at managing my pain, and I was afraid of managing my own food and pain. Then 8 days at my sister's where I started to learn the different feelings and signals that my belly was sending me, and what they meant, and where I started learning how to judge when and how much and what to eat. It was a calm and stable place with a lot of support and no stress and I am everso thankful I could have that time there with her family!
Being home these last 8 days I have felt the stresses of everyday life and it hasn't been as easy but as they say, there is no place like home! I am again with the people and pets and things that I love best which are both comforting and stressful. But I'm not sure I'd want to be anywhere else :).
So. The day after The Fall. Yowser I'm sore! If I have had any belly pain I don't know it because the muscles have been screaming too loudly for me to hear it. But knowing it was just muscle pain I took the opportunity to go without any pain meds, except for my first-thing-in-the-morning one, all day. And for sore muscles I like activity. So I played with my parrots, cleaned 3 cages (yes it was slow but I still did it!), washed dishes and scrubbed pots and pans, and watched my grandson for about an hour. It seems I was always up and down to do something or other, and my husband thinks I have done too much. Tonight I would agree with him, late afternoon I hit the wall and could do no more, but it felt good to be moving, both for my soul and to keep my aching muscles too busy to complain much.
I wrote about this in my other blog already but I haven't had an appetite today, and haven't wanted to drink. Not sure why but by late afternoon I felt I should eat anyway, so I've eaten a few bites, several times throughout the evening. Now it is 11:00 p.m. and my stomach feels heavy and sore, so maybe I should have just followed what it was trying to tell me: I'm not hungry, don't send anything down! I won't make that mistake again!
But for 3 weeks post surgery I think I'm doing pretty well. Hubby thinks so too, except he thinks I'm pushing to do too much too soon. Yeah. Prolly. But I'm doing it :).
Hard to believe the first 3 weeks have passed already, then on the other hand it seems like a year ago I was in the hospital and then at my sister's. Once I got home the time stretched or something. While I was in the hospital those 5 days, I both couldn't wait to get out, and was afraid to leave because they were so good at managing my pain, and I was afraid of managing my own food and pain. Then 8 days at my sister's where I started to learn the different feelings and signals that my belly was sending me, and what they meant, and where I started learning how to judge when and how much and what to eat. It was a calm and stable place with a lot of support and no stress and I am everso thankful I could have that time there with her family!
Being home these last 8 days I have felt the stresses of everyday life and it hasn't been as easy but as they say, there is no place like home! I am again with the people and pets and things that I love best which are both comforting and stressful. But I'm not sure I'd want to be anywhere else :).
So. The day after The Fall. Yowser I'm sore! If I have had any belly pain I don't know it because the muscles have been screaming too loudly for me to hear it. But knowing it was just muscle pain I took the opportunity to go without any pain meds, except for my first-thing-in-the-morning one, all day. And for sore muscles I like activity. So I played with my parrots, cleaned 3 cages (yes it was slow but I still did it!), washed dishes and scrubbed pots and pans, and watched my grandson for about an hour. It seems I was always up and down to do something or other, and my husband thinks I have done too much. Tonight I would agree with him, late afternoon I hit the wall and could do no more, but it felt good to be moving, both for my soul and to keep my aching muscles too busy to complain much.
I wrote about this in my other blog already but I haven't had an appetite today, and haven't wanted to drink. Not sure why but by late afternoon I felt I should eat anyway, so I've eaten a few bites, several times throughout the evening. Now it is 11:00 p.m. and my stomach feels heavy and sore, so maybe I should have just followed what it was trying to tell me: I'm not hungry, don't send anything down! I won't make that mistake again!
But for 3 weeks post surgery I think I'm doing pretty well. Hubby thinks so too, except he thinks I'm pushing to do too much too soon. Yeah. Prolly. But I'm doing it :).
Three Weeks Ago Today! #lowcarb #fundoplication
(NOTE: If you are seeing this on Facebook, please go to my blog - cheapeasylowcarb.blogspot.com - to see my whole post. I don't make my points in the first paragraph, which is all that shows up on my Facebook page :).)
Hard to believe the first 3 weeks have passed already, then on the other hand it seems like a year ago I was in the hospital and then at my sister's. Once I got home the time stretched or something.
Anyway, I had no appetite today. Didn't even drink my usual cups of tea. Just didn't want to eat. Finally at about 3:00 I scrambled an egg with some cream cheese and at half of that. A couple of hours later hubby gave me a dish of full fat yogurt with SF flavored syrup in it...then 3 oz of cooked chicken breast strips...and I ate some tuna/mayo with swiss melted and mixed into it because I felt I needed more food but I didn't enjoy it and didn't really wanted it. Just thought I should.
I've had most of a cup of decaf tea to drink today (I usually drink 5-6 cups) and about 1/4 a bottle of water. I just feel blah in my belly.
But tomorrow is another day :).
Hard to believe the first 3 weeks have passed already, then on the other hand it seems like a year ago I was in the hospital and then at my sister's. Once I got home the time stretched or something.
Anyway, I had no appetite today. Didn't even drink my usual cups of tea. Just didn't want to eat. Finally at about 3:00 I scrambled an egg with some cream cheese and at half of that. A couple of hours later hubby gave me a dish of full fat yogurt with SF flavored syrup in it...then 3 oz of cooked chicken breast strips...and I ate some tuna/mayo with swiss melted and mixed into it because I felt I needed more food but I didn't enjoy it and didn't really wanted it. Just thought I should.
I've had most of a cup of decaf tea to drink today (I usually drink 5-6 cups) and about 1/4 a bottle of water. I just feel blah in my belly.
But tomorrow is another day :).
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Day 20: What I Ate #lowcarb #fundoplication
(NOTE: If you are seeing this on Facebook, please go to my blog - cheapeasylowcarb.blogspot.com - to see my whole post. I don't make my points in the first paragraph, which is all that shows up on my Facebook page :).)
Last night I had pretty much already decided I'd have some lovely oatmeal today. But my first meal was 5 tortellini in alfredo sauce that my daughter gave me out of her breakfast. (She is a pastaholic!) They were delish!
Next meal was my oatmeal, with half'n'half, butter, brown sugar sub, and cinnamon. Cooked it well, made it really creamy, and added lots of cinnamon.
Then a chicken thigh with spaghetti squash "strings" (nuked the squash first) fried in butter with chopped onion. Then the other half of the thigh and squash that I couldn't eat earlier. I was pleased that the chicken skin nor the cooked onion didn't seem to bother me, other than feeling a lump after eating the skin. Should have probably taken smaller bites of it.
Lastly I had some cream of mushroom soup and for some reason that didn't sit well and I had to take a zofran but it was good.
So 5 mini-meals today, started out carby but as I've said before, I don't eat enough for the carbs to really add up at this point.
Would love to go to the grocery store tomorrow, haven't shopped in nearly a month but at least I made sure we'd have plenty in the house for the 2 weeks I was away, and until I was up to shopping again. Getting stronger and able to do more every day, feel I'm recovering a lot more quickly the last couple of days, I think I'm up to it now - YAY! :)
Last night I had pretty much already decided I'd have some lovely oatmeal today. But my first meal was 5 tortellini in alfredo sauce that my daughter gave me out of her breakfast. (She is a pastaholic!) They were delish!
Next meal was my oatmeal, with half'n'half, butter, brown sugar sub, and cinnamon. Cooked it well, made it really creamy, and added lots of cinnamon.
Then a chicken thigh with spaghetti squash "strings" (nuked the squash first) fried in butter with chopped onion. Then the other half of the thigh and squash that I couldn't eat earlier. I was pleased that the chicken skin nor the cooked onion didn't seem to bother me, other than feeling a lump after eating the skin. Should have probably taken smaller bites of it.
Lastly I had some cream of mushroom soup and for some reason that didn't sit well and I had to take a zofran but it was good.
So 5 mini-meals today, started out carby but as I've said before, I don't eat enough for the carbs to really add up at this point.
Would love to go to the grocery store tomorrow, haven't shopped in nearly a month but at least I made sure we'd have plenty in the house for the 2 weeks I was away, and until I was up to shopping again. Getting stronger and able to do more every day, feel I'm recovering a lot more quickly the last couple of days, I think I'm up to it now - YAY! :)
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