Things... and Stuff.

Well, I said that I wasn't losing pounds, but thought that I was losing inches, right? Well, it turns out that apparently I was right. I'm comfortably in a size 20 now. It's been two months since I dropped a pants size, so, that's pretty cool. Since I started this journey in a 26/28, being down to a 20 already makes me feel pretty good.

I have several pants in the top of my closet that are 18's, that I'll hopefully be in soon, and after that, my mother-in-law has lots of 16's and 14's for me that a friend gave her. So, I'm set for a little while on clothes. Plus, I tend to wear my clothes a long time, even after I probably shouldn't because they're too big and baggy. Kind of like how last night I was in the kitchen making spaghetti for my husband (Can it PLEASE be Dec. 22 so that I can have some spaghetti sauce yet???), and I was wearing my favorite pair of lounge pants... even when I was at my heaviest, they were loose-ish on me. You can just imagine how they look now... my husband and I could probably BOTH fit in them. Oh well. They're still comfy, and they're not falling off yet. I'll eventually get rid of them...

So, I have my first complaint/issue since surgery. It's nothing to do with my surgeon's office, but instead my body. So, post-op, they closed my incisions with Dermabond... or something like it. Super glue, basically. I have a minor adhesive allergy... that is to say if I have medical tape or a bandaid or something on for too long, I'll break out in a rash. I have never had Dermabond before, so, I didn't know how my body would react to it. So, I warned them of it, and it looked like everything would be fine... Well, about that.

So, in addition to working for a heart surgeon's office, I sometimes help out at a Plastic Surgeon's office. When I was there yesterday, I was showing my RN friend my belly button incision, which was hurting a bit. Well, the reason it was hurting a bit was because the incision has healed, but the Dermabond was still in my belly button, all gross and such. So, she helped me get it out. Now I have a slight rash around my belly button where the Dermabond had been sitting. It's itchy, and red, and slightly painful, and annoying. It's the only incision I've thus had issues with, but it probably doesn't help that as you know, overweight people have skin folds. I have one right at my belly button area, so, that area rubs a bit too. Of course. Good news is that it's not horrible. It's just a little irritated, so, I'm hoping it will go away soon. :)

I've been thinking about what I can do to exercise right now, since walking is out. I want to start getting back in the habit of taking walks with my daughter on weekend mornings, but, as a good example, tonight, after 1am, we're supposed to get snow, and it's not supposed to stop until 1pm tomorrow. Walking? Not so much. Playing in the snow with the little one? Absolutely! We're only supposed to get an inch, but she's never really seen/played in snow before. Last year, she was too little to figure it out. I can't wait to play in the snow with her this year... but I digress. I think I'm going to start doing yoga again.

Before I got pregnant with my daughter, I was doing yoga almost daily, and I really enjoyed it. It relaxed me, I got more flexible, and I was working out to boot. As I'm recovering from surgery, I'm getting more and more energy (I feel better today than I have in a LONG time), and I need to expend it. Exercise is a great way of doing it! I'm going to have to take it easy at first, since I'm still not 100% healed, but, doing something is better than nothing. :)

~♥~
Lady D

Shakes and Pounds

I am so tired of protein shakes. No, seriously. I need to get some SF Torani flavored syrup so that I can mix these puppies up. Right now I have: chocolate, vanilla, Chocolate PB. Tomorrow, husband is going to get me some of the Premier Salted Caramel to try. The Premier strawberries and cream is pretty good. But with the Torani syrups, I can add awesome flavors, like Raspberry, Cherry, Strawberry, Mint. And since I'm doing two of these puppies a day, I'll at least get some variety in my life. *sigh*

Well, I know in a previous post I mentioned briefly the Nectar shakes. Well, I'm finding that I'm not a huge fan. Of the ones I've tried so far: Twisted Cherry, Apple Ecstasy, Roadside Lemonade, Crystal Sky, Caribbean Cooler, I've only liked the Lemonade and the Crystal Sky. And that's only if I mix things with them. The Caribbean Cooler isn't bad, but it tastes SUPER watered down, and that was mixed in the normal 8 oz. water. The Apple Ecstasy tasted like... to be honest, I'm not sure. Not apple. LOL. I won't be going back to that one. Twisted Cherry isn't bad, but I mixed it with 20 oz. water like I have been mixing the others, and it was super watered-down tasting. I would recommend slowly adding more water to the flavor you want. Also, it has a funny aftertaste. I ended up mixing in a Meijer Lemonade "Crystal Light." The Roadside Lemonade and Crystal Sky aren't bad, as I said, I just have to have things mixed in with them. But, if you're having issues stomaching the milky protein shakes, these are a good substitute. Nectar also has a Wild Grape flavor I'd like to try, and a Dragon Fruit Fusion flavor I'd like to try. The other flavors they have I'm not interested in, but you might be. So check them out. :)

So, in other news, the doc said that the 12# is fine. I should not compare myself to others as we all lose weight at different levels, and as long as I'm following the program, it will happen. So, #PatienceIsAVirtue I guess. LOL. I'm going to stop weighing myself every day like I did pre-op. As I said, that was more to keep an eye on my water intake. Now I keep a super close eye on my water intake, because I don't want to end up in the hospital with an IV in my arm. No, seriously. So, I'm going to start weighing-in once a week, on Wednesdays. Why Wednesday? Well, I took the idea from Michelle Vicari, aka, Eggface. She weighs herself on the same day of the week she had surgery on. So, since I had my surgery on a Wednesday, that's when I'm going to weigh myself. So, I'm sitting at 267.4# as of this morning. I gained a pound back from what I had lost from surgery. Which is probably the stupid water weight crap. That's another reason that I'm going to only weigh myself once a week. I only want to see actual results. I'm not going to drive myself crazy over every little pound. So, yeah. There's that.

How's your week going so far?

~♥~
Lady D

Frustration is a thing

So, I sent an e-mail to my surgeon's office today. I'm so frustrated. I've lost 12# since surgery. And that was in the first few days. Since then? Nothing. Not. A. Single. Pound. I keep seeing people on my surgeon's office support group that have lost 40-50# already. My only thought is that I lost 85# pre-op. So, maybe my body is slightly more used to losing weight? I have no idea. I e-mailed them just to make sure that this is normal, and that they don't think something is wrong. I'm sure everything is fine, but, DAMMIT it's frustrating. Any other post-ops out there experience this?

So, it's now like... 25* outside. It's nasty. I hate winter. I can't take walks with my little one outdoors right now because it's too cold for her (she doesn't think so, but I do!). So instead, I'm sitting here under a blanket in my WAYYYY too big pajama pants, under a fuzzy blanket, watching Grey's reruns. Is it Spring yet?

Also, new theme... what do you think?

~♥~
Lady D

Pics of me throughout the years...

So, again, I've been doing a lot of reflecting lately. I'm sure I could go pull more pictures, but, Nah. Too much work. So, I've been heavy my whole life. Literally. I have photographic proof. I pulled all these pics from my Facebook profile.

Easter when I was about... 5?

Maybe when I was 6 or 7...

My family used to do Pre-Civil War Reenacting. This was maybe when I was 10? A bit older perhaps?

All of these three pictures were taken from my senior year in High School. The bar pic and the horse were both from TN, the other was one of my senior pictures.

My husband and I at our wedding... And I've been that size until I started my journey... You all have seen the progress since then.

~♥~
LadyD

PB2 and prepping

So, tonight, I made an awesome protein shake... I was running out of RTD ones, and I needed to have my second shake of the night. So, I improvised.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Shake

-1 scoop Premier Vanilla Protein Powder
-1 tbsp. PB2
-2-3 tbsp. SF chocolate syrup
-8 oz. 1% milk

Mix well. Serve cold, enjoy.

The shake is delicious. It comes out a little on the thick side... I'm assuming due to the PB2. It's fabulous though!

Tonight, I also came to the realization that I needed to do some prepping for this week. I made another batch of soup, so, meal prep, and then I prepped my vitamins for the week. I was afraid I'd forget them one morning, so, I put them in 2 oz. portion cups, and labeled them for the week. Then I put them in my lunch box.

I'm also going to make another of the Chocolate PB Protein shakes, just so I can grab it and go in the AM. :)

~♥~
Lady D

Broccoli Cheese Soup

So, tonight, I made Campbell's broccoli cheese soup for dinner. I doctored the hell out of it like I always do... I added the requisite 1 c. 1% milk, and then I added: 2 slices 2% American cheese, oregano, basil, garlic powder, and pepper. I heated it until it was smooth and yummy smelling on the stove, and then I strained out the big bits. It was surprisingly really good!

Also, check this out.

I met my protein goal!!!!! :) I'm still short on my liquids for the day, but there's still a few hours. :)

~♥~
Lady D

Graduating, the Itch, and a Milestone

So, today I got to graduate to the full-liquid stage. I actually cheated and did it for dinner last night because I could just not take another night of Jell-O. For my first full-liquid meal, I made my protein chocolate mousse, and thus, I'm having no issues, AND, I get 4g protein per 2 oz. I know that doesn't seem like a lot, but honestly, it's not bad, considering other than that, I'm only getting my protein from my protein shakes.

I'm doing fairly well with getting my protein. Yesterday, I got 57g/60g. So, I'm ALMOST there. My fluids were not as awesome last night... only 39 oz. :( I'm having trouble getting my fluids. I'm able to take slightly larger sips now, but I can still definitely tell when I've taken too big of a sip. It's not that it hurts, but it's definitely uncomfortable. I did find an AWESOME new water flavoring, at Wal-Mart. They have Great Value "Crystal Light" in Blackberry Lemonade flavor. Someone from the surgery facebook group mentioned it, and it's amazing. I love it. Right now I'm sipping on a Crystal Sky nectar with a lemonade Meijer brand "Crystal Light" packet added, and a bottle of water with the Wal-Mart Blackberry Lemonade "Crystal Light." I'm working on it.

So... anyone looking for a Christmas gift idea for me??? I'd REALLY love a mini-muffin pan!!! ;) If you follow the Eggface Blog, she makes these great little "Egg Bites" as she calls them. They're basically mini crustless quiches. I need the mini-muffin pan to make those. I don't need it for a few weeks yet, but I need one. :D (And no, I'm not really asking anyone to buy me one, just more lamenting my lack of one)

I'm actually feeling really good today. I have decent energy, even after going over to the hospital and walking all over it with two of my PA's and my co-worker. I'm honestly saying it's from my vitamin I took this morning. At my post-op appointment the dietitian said that I could try taking one of my vitamins and see how I do even though they don't usually start people on them until they're two weeks out from surgery. I took one this morning, and first off, they taste awesome. Just like drinking a cup of orange pineapple juice... yummy. I've had no ill effects so far, so, I'm going to start taking them just a bit early I think. :)

I got to stop giving myself my Lovenox shots as of yesterday. Honestly, the shots themselves aren't too bad... the medicine burns a bit, but from the bruising, and how many you have to do, you kind of run out of where to give them to yourself... and then they start to hurt. :( So, no more Lovenox! Yay! :)

So... you know when you get a cut, and then as it starts to heal it starts to itch... and drive you crazy? Oh, I've got six decent sized cuts across my belly (see the picture of my incisions below... I forgot to post it before now... the pic was taken a day or two after surgery, and they are five of my six incisions. My sixth is in my belly button.) that are driving me CRAZY! I'll have to look in my binder and see what (if anything) I can put on them to help...

Oh... I forgot. Tuesday, I hit a weight loss milestone... and I'm almost passed it now, but I'll share anyways... so, Tuesday was 90# Down! The reason I say I'm almost passed that is I'm now 97# down... lol. But here are the 90# pics... :D

~♥~
Lady D