Fat Frog Diary

I wasn't sure if it was the banana pudding or overeating that caused me the stomach distress. It was the rich banana pudding. A second attempt to eat it resulted in pain and stomach cramps the rest of the night.  I also can't have freshly opened carbonated drinks or coffee. (dammit on the coffee)  I gained a couple of pounds, so I am back on soups and shakes until I get a handle on what I can do. Most meats are still uncomfortable unless I whirl up the food processor. So, I think I will step back to mushies and work on veggies. No carbs. I may even cut back on oatmeal. 

Lessons Learned  1. You still can't eat more than 5 oz.  2. Eating rich desserts mean pain and nausea.  3. You can't sneak in seconds later, either. 

It was a shock to see potatoes included in the list of pureed food. But, since I am craving savory foods and am repulsed by sweets, potato salad sounds ideal. Delicious and, eaten very slowly, my tummy doesn't react. 

I finally ate something too soon. I put blueberries in my yogurt. I mushed them up, so it is most likely to be the skins. Pain! OMG!  It will be a week before I am willing to try grit again. 

Woke up early, and excited to visit Dr. M. Left on time, and arrived a little early at 8 AM. Got weighed and registered the official 254 lbs. I'm good with that, since my home scale dipped below 250 recently. I should be hitting the 3-week slump soon, and that's fine. Now's the time to up my game. Biggest News: I can return to work at last starting Thursday 11/21/2019. Already contacted the boss, scanned the documents, and emailed Sedgewick. Whew!! So ready! Doc released me to start puree'd foods. Can't wait to tuck into a few of my favorites, and even the fishes I'm allowed. Still, I'll be good and introduce one new food at a time. I've not had a single dumping syndrome episode or any other food intolerance. This is going almost too well. I can start my elliptical too. Considering it's often cold out there right now, my elliptical will be my friend until spring/or at least warm days where I have no excuse. In both cases above, it's time ...

I'm bored. It's been cold and rainy, so I can't walk right now. I made the Thanksgiving grocery list and the Service Auction Casseroles grocery list too. I'm making crock pot tapioca pudding. Later I will make cubed steak burgers and sweet potato soup. The soup is for me. The burgers are for lunches this weekend.  I just had the last two pucks of taco soup, so I need a new go-to soup. 😋  Time for me to be a super cook. 

Cindy J. took me home, and I was so grateful I was almost crying. She even came back the next day to Stitch and Bitch in the afternoon. She advised me to try to do without my bed wedge and antacids. By golly, I slept better, and my reflux is gone! Yaaaay!  Maybe it's because I slept so well, but I realized I had been making a fundamental mistake in how I eat. I still want to drink with my meal, and that one habit is allowing food to pass before I get the signal that I am full! The time to correct the bad habit is now, while I am still on full liquids. 

At 0930 I completed the final tick on the checklist. My digestive system finally cooperated and gave up the end game product needed to prove it was fully functional. I had begun to worry.  Now I have to wait and worry. Nurse Shannon has confirmed Dr. Motamarry will be doing rounds today. Then, if he agrees he will put in the orders for my PICC line out, and the drain in one of my incisions to be removed. If so, my first act will be a shower at home!  Cindy J is supposed to pick me up when I call or email.  It is now 1350. The doctor has not come. I'm trying to hold on to hope. 

I slept all yesterday but lay night and today no one has let me sleep. Whether it's vitals, a pill or shot, lab work, another doctor coming in to c check on my labs will my stitches they have not let me alone more than 20 minutes I am ready to scream for need of sleep.

I thought today would never arrive. But three hours from now I will be on the operating table and my guts will be rearranged.  I have to praise the phlebotomists here. All of them so far have been consumate professionals. One stick, every time. Tina, who just left, never hurt me. I'm truly amazed.  At this moment I am free of all devices attached to my PICC line, and I want a bath. Penny, my nurse, is in a dither. She knows the Gabapentin has made my world tilt, so she wants someone with me, but the current PCT is male. LOL!  That's my current project. I get pretty bored.  Despite being a Clear Liquid diet, the food is good. I like the Blue Raspberry Popsicle and I even liked the coffee black but I had to sneak in sweetener from my stash in my suitcase. Still, yum! 

I just called Riverside Hospital. There's no direct admit orders for me today. I'm so angry I'm shaking. This is required for me to have two days of a heparin drip. I'm packed. I'm dressed. My CPAP has been cleaned and packed. I took extra days of leave to be there this morning, ready for two days of lab rats turning me into a pin cushion while they monitor my PT/INR, unless the doc also managed to send in the order for two IV's, like I asked. Four minutes until the doc's office opens. I hope they are ready for this phone call. Update: I called the office. Miss "M" (no relation to the doc) swears she had this conversation with me, informing me that a direct admit has to be done the day of admittance and when Dr. M gets in, he will call the orders in. Then, Miss M will call me to tell me when I may appear at the hospital. This doesn't march with any practice I know of. Always before doctors were able to schedule a direct admit many days ...

I'm dizzy and stoned on Gabapentin, so if my language offends you feel free to stop reading. I was told I'd be admitted on the 6th. I was told "M" would call and give me the time. I called the doc on Monday because M had not called. I was told M had the day off and they'd leave a message. Tuesday afternoon I called as a follow-up and was told M always calls between 3-5 pm, and I have to wait. I waited. At 6 PM, I stopped waiting. Now I'm angry. I went online to the patient portal and found out my surgery is at 7 AM on Friday. That's good to know, but not what I need. I will call at 8 AM and try again.

The nerves started to hit me today. I kept expecting a phone call from the surgeon's office for a time to appear to be admitted. No call. I finally called. They don't tell you until the day before your surgery. Ummm.. I should be admitted two days before so they can start the heparin drip.  Adding to my nerves is starting the Gabapentin tomorrow, and I thought I had lost the bottle. I called Walgreen's and was reminded that it was a liquid that needed refrigeration. Bingo! I found it in the fridge.  I'm always concerned when starting a new medication. Side effects and allergic reactions are top of the list. 

I was struggling with the diet because I had misread the list of allowed foods. I had been trying to follow the 24 hour clear liquids diet! OMG! No wonder I had been struggling. Needless to say, I have enjoyed vegetables and white meats this afternoon and evening. Full tummy and contentment. 

I cheated twice now. Halloween was impossible to resist. Especially when Snickers are in my face. Now it is the soups. I don't want to strain out the broth and drink only that. So far I have managed to restrain myself from eating meat. Just veggies, much softer by cooking. I've got to do better.