Pass the Gravy, Please...

So, I'm now on the last phase of the recovery diet plan. This means that I can begin to introduce real food to my life again. WOW! that sounded so wonderful! ...and I could not wait to have an actual dinner with the family. 

Thanksgiving was lift off.  

I love Thanksgiving. It is the only time that I enjoy cooking. My grandson could eat an entire turkey by himself! He LOVES food and it is a joy to watch him. His football coach continues to encourage him to bulk up, so eating is not an issue for him. I cooked for two days with heavenly anticipation. I was careful... sticking to soft foods (easy at Thanksgiving — mashed potatoes & dressing!) and making certain the turkey was moistened with gravy. No problem there!!! And then I think I ate about 5 bites and was done. That was a good thing.  I felt satisfied and was thrilled.  

Fast forward to the next day.

Blood sugar was elevated a bit, resulting in an insulin injection which always makes me ill. Needing to eat, I tried a scrambled egg and apparently ate it too fast. The resulting pain is up there on the same scale as a kidney stone. I swear — it does not let up — and is excruciating. It takes time for the food to pass through the itty bitty opening — so add being nauseated to the pain and it was a day to remember.  That is the bad part of all of this. Every day is an experiment with my new body (planned or unplanned!).

Remembering to eat slowly and chew to a pulp is something that I struggle with.  I've always grabbed something to eat on the run and washed it down with a glass of water. Not so much anymore. All these behaviors that we have known for years and never follow are now coming back in spades. Eat slowly... Put your fork down between bites... Do not drink while eating.  

When I was in Italy, dinner was a two hour affair.  Everyone visited and enjoyed the time together — how did we get so far away from the old traditions?  Now food is gobbled up in less than 10 minutes and no one talks about their day.  Unless they text.  No wonder we are an obese nation!

A Month Already?

My surgery was one month ago today.  I knew it would not be easy... but I did expect to rebound more quickly than I have. The combinations of internal discomfort along with the adjustments in diabetes have made for some difficult weeks.  

In the grand scheme of things, I am doing great! But I feel pretty miserable most of the time.  The best way to explain how I feel is to compare it to a hangover. A bit nauseous all the time and all I want to do is get my head on a pillow. The doctors assure me that it is just my body adjusting to its new way of living — but feeling crappy all day has not been pleasant.  It has put me way behind in work and — as many of you know — I have no patience for being DOWN. But I have no desire to do a damn thing. I can’t even focus on reading a book. All those plans of recovering while lounging on the couch with my embroidery have gone out the window. Just me, my pillow and Katie on the bed.

Attempting to regulate my blood sugar has become a challenge. The requirements for insulin change daily. I feel like a chemist.  Not to mention a pin cushion.  And making certain to ingest a minimum of 60 grams of protein daily continues to nag at me. I am now on Stage 3 diet... which is introducing “soft” foods. Scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, ground chicken, a bit of mashed potato — that type of thing.  Everything has to be moist, so I can have low fat gravy. No starch yet. And the one thing I am really missing is a piece of good French bread! Each day is a new adventure and I'll continue to bring you along with me as I move into this new lifestyle.

Weight loss to date: 24lbs!

Glenny,

xoxo

My Own Personal Journey...

"This is the first day of the rest of your life." 

An almost historic quote overshadowed by the barrage of affirmations found daily on Facebook, blogs and coffee mugs. But for me, that quote is a reality. On Oct 10, 2012, I had gastric bypass surgery....roux en y to be exact. This was not a snap decision. 

I have been researching this surgery for almost six years. Readily available to the wealthy and a select few for quite some time now, the procedure has been touted as a weight loss miracle... an easy way out. Far from it. I decided to keep a journal of my journey... as I feel it is not a miracle cure, and definitely not the “easy way out”.

I just had major surgery. My innards have been assaulted in the worst way and are screaming in protest. Not just pain, of which there is plenty, but of all things foreign being forced upon my body.  Everything has been rearranged and altered both physically and with drugs... including my brain so as not to register the agony. Nausea and all wonderful things associated with surgery are ever present.  And this is the easy part. 

I am a poster girl for the diets don’t work statistics. Thirty years ago, I was a fashionable size three... a tiny, small-boned business woman. As a very active youth, teen and young adult, I had broken many bones. In later years, that translates as arthritis. By age thirty, as the joints began to rebel, I quit some activities and promptly gained twenty pounds. I wasn't concerned. Joined a gym and Weight Watchers. Fitness became my new focus and it wasn't long before I had shed the extra pounds.  Imagine my surprise about a year later to realize that, not only had I gained back the original twenty pounds, but had added an additional ten! Thus began the cycle. Any attempt to diet, exercise – successful or not – would result in weight gain.  There is so much I could write about the various stages of weight and the progress of my personal and business life during these past 30 years – however, that could be an entire book on its own merit.  I am going to make short journal notes about this procedure. 

I was in the hospital 4 days and probably should have stayed at least one day longer. My surgery was laproscopic. I have six small incisions on my stomach – closed not with staples or stitches – but super glue.  Well, I don’t really know if its super glue – but it’s something like that – how perfect is that for an artist?!  Glue.  

I vacillate from being excited about this new venture in my life to being horrified at what I have done. The procedure is permanent. Yes, many people do gain the weight back eventually. That statistic frightens me.  How COULD they? This is hell, and it’s only the beginning. For the next two weeks, I have nothing but liquid and tons of protein. Seems simple. I am home from the hospital, all medications and “food” lined up on the counter – ready to go. 

Currently, I am taking it easy. I have no choice, nor would I want to jeopardize this long-awaited procedure. I will keep you updated as to my progress – the good and the bad – on this blog as I begin my recovery... and my new life!

Glenny xoxo