Odds and ends - and a little bragging

Thought it was about time for another update as to what's going on.  I am trying to relax more and just settle in to my new life.  I'm still experimenting on the best time to eat lunch and dinner.  Breakfast is a given.  Thirty minutes after I eat breakfast, I take my morning meds.  I think last time I was whinning about how awful the vitimins taste.  The one I hate the most is the calcium citrate and I have to take it 3 times a day.  It is chocolate flavored chalk.  I discovered they sell a "chewy bite" calcium that is like eating a soft candy.  I have ordered them and hope they will taste better that the chalk.  I have tasted one in a sample pack and it was good.  The other vitamins I can tolerate and I don't take so many times a day.  I'm usually not ready for lunch at noon, but I'm try to have it by 2pm.  I'm sure I mentioned that the protein powder I am using now makes me want to gag.  I have ordered some samples of other powders and I'm in the process of sampling new flavors.  I had a chocolate/peanutbutter yesterday that wasn't too bad.  I'm supposed to have a protein shake for lunch, so I've got to find something that I can get down.  I've been eating dinner about 7pm, but I sometimes get that "low blood sugar" feeling before that. It is sort of a nauseated, hungry feeling.  The obvious thing would be to just move dinner back to 6pm, but that's not a good time.  When I start back to work, I will be getting off at 6.   I'm not supposed to eat between meals or I think I could have a little snack to get me to 7.  I tried drinking water, but it didn't help much.  I'll figure it out.

The other thing I'm struggling with is a feeling that my food is stuck in the middle of my chest, and not going down.  It doesn't hurt, it's just a little unsettling.  I know that there is a possibility of having an esophageal stricture after surgery.  When the surgeon is making your new stomach (pouch), they tighten up the opening of where the esophagus meets your stomach. It makes it harder for the food to pass through.  It is easily fixed by having an endoscopy and stretching the esophagus a little.  The only problem with that is the endoscopy has to be done in the hospital as an outpatient.  I really don't want to do that, but I guess I'll do what has to be done.  I see the surgeon again on Nov. 21.  I guess I'll see what he has to say about it then. The feeling evetually goes away, but it takes a while.  I have talked to others who have this same feeling, so I know it's nothing serious.

Last of all, let be brag a little.  I know it's not Wednesday, which was the day I was only going to weigh, but I found myself weighing this morning.  39 pounds as of today.  That's pretty spectacular!  That is since I started my preop diet on Oct. 2.  The jeans I have on are getting pretty baggy and that's a great feeling.  I've got to stop weighing so often, though.  I went a day or 2 with no loss on the scale and got discouraged.  I may have to take my scales down to my brother's house and that way I can't just  weigh whenever I want.  I don't need to make myself discouraged when I know that weight fluctuates from day to day.

I've been putting off going to the support group in Gainesville.  It is a long way to go, but I know I need the support of other people who are experiencing the same things I am.  I have found a forum on the computer that is just for the people who had the same surgery I have had.  You can ask questions and get a variety of answers.  It's been good, but I know that it would be helpful to talk to people in person for support, too.  I am going on Tues. evening.  No excuses.

That's it, I guess.  I've not gone back to my part time job, yet, but I'm thinking about the week of Thanksgiving to start back.  I've really been taking it easy, but I know that getting back into a routine will be helpful, too. I will not over do, but start off easy.  I certainly don't want to mess anything up.

Until next time,
woof, meow and xoxo from Bonnie