Friday the 24th of June

Well, it is day six post op, and my ports are hardly sore at all anymore. I can get in and out of bed, a chair, etc without much discomfort at all. On the down side, I am still running a temp in the 99s. It is minor, but a temp really makes me feel crappy. I finished the antibiotic that my surgeon gave me last night, and I still have a temp this morning, so I called my primary care physician and got an appointment for 11:00 AM this morning. Hopefully all it will take is a couple of antibiotic pills, and the temp will vanish also. On the brighter side, I lost two pounds! I am now down 28 pounds from the date I started the pre-op diet. Of course, 20 of those pounds were lost with the pre-op diet, but weight loss is weight loss, isn't it? So far none of my clothing is lose or baggy on me. I must have been wearing my clothes REALLY tight, as you would think SOME of my clothes would be lose after almost 30 pounds gone!

I felt really sick last night at bedtime. I was getting worried. For starters, I was running a temp then too, of 99.4 (not much, but as I said I always feel really crappy when I have a temp.) And I started having these cramps. I wasn't sure if it was gas or what. I was sweaty, and hurt so bad, and didn't know what was going on. I have tried to comply exactly with the post op diet instructions, so I was pretty sure it wasn't a leak or something like that. I got up to walk around, cause I was panicky lying in bed, and just couldn't stay there anymore. Well, when I got up, I got rid of a huge amount of gas (rectally, TMI, I know). And then...... I had to poop! First time since before surgery! And I felt SO much better afterwards! The cramping stopped, the sweating stopped, the anxiety vanished, all that was left was fatigue, which I came by honestly since I had been to my grandson's baseball game. Words can't describe the relief I felt!!!

I am still thinking about food, and what I am giving up (ah, that should be HAVE GIVEN up) to lose weight. Every food ad that comes on TV, every time we pass a billboard advertising some food I like, everytime I go out someplace, I think "wow, I'd Really like to have some_____________ (you fill in the blank, it doesn't matter, I want anything that sounds good to eat!) After reading one of my blog posts, one of you wise people suggested that I am "mourning" the loss of food. I think that hits the nail right on the head! Last night after the ballgame, we went to my daughters house and she had made homemade strawberry shortcake. I almost cried, I wanted some that badly! But I pulled out my zip lock bag with my protein drink powder, mixed it up, and drank my protein drink. My son in law offered me a mixed drink, which I guess would have met the post op guidelines, it would be clear liquid, but I knew it had calories. So I just thanked him and drank my protein drink. I'm really thinking about this whole food thing and how it relates to my life.

I mean, when I have company, I always bake something wonderful. My girlfriend came to see me the other day, and even though I felt crappy, I got up and baked a scratch apple cake with carmel topping. YUM! Just the smell almost gives me an orgasm! Of course I couldn't eat any, didn't even taste it. And I sent the left overs hone with her, so neither hubbie or I would be tempted. But why would I get up from my "sick bed" to make something that is a fair amount of work, just because one of my best friends was coming over? She would understand if I didn't make anything! My attitudes with food and friendshipand social interactions are all mixed together and scrambled around. (Scrambled? Using food terms to describe feelings?) Enough about food!

So, today is Friday, the beginning of the weekend, tomorrow I can start on full liquids, a BIG step forward. Will make my diet SO much more interesting. Also I want to throw a big "THANK YOU" out to LilMisDiva for her tutorial on how to add a weight loss ticker to my posts! Although I am fairly computer literate, I could NOT figure out how to add the ticker. Her tutorial is GREAT! Thanks LMD!!!

Enough for today. All you VSGers have a GREAT DAY and GREAT weekend. Get out there an DO something, be active.