Survived the Tamale and HOliday

Thank goodness it is over. Don't get me wrong. I love the Christmas season, but wow was it tough to survive eating wise. I think I did fairly well. No sickness which is always good and which means I did not push over the limit. I was very prepared though. Knowing that my family would have tamales, I voluenteered to make chicken Posole. One so that I would have something to eat besides tamales and two cause it is good. My cousin also made a wonderful sugar free dessert that is becoming a hit at our family functions. It is so good!! I am thankful that God sent his son on this day to show us His love. This Christmas was not about how much food I can consume at each place I go, instead it was about being together with the ones we love. I am so greatful to have learned that this year and I know I have sooo much more to learn. I am thankful for all the support of a great family and husband. Merry Christmas !

6 Months ago

Today

6 months Ago

6 Months Ago

Today

6 months Ago

Today

6 months ago today, my whole life changed! At this time 6 months ago I was in Recovery of having Gastric Bypass. Wow did my whole life change. I never imagined that I would be 88 lbs down in 6 months. I never imagined that I would be climbing the hill behind my house, or taking a long walk just because, or riding our bikes 11 - 26 miles!! Never, ever in my wildest dreams did I think that. But .... it is true. I am so excited about my journey. It has been hard and very testing, but I draw my strength from my saviour Jesus. He is my strength and my encouragement, he has blessed me with a wonderful support husband, who is enjoying the new journey as well. Thank you to all who have supported me in this new journey. I am so thankful!

Overboard on the cheese cake

What in the world was I thinking ??? let me explain... I sang at the christmas banquet today at the church. After we had dinner I wanted a cheese cake bite. No big deal right, sure If you have only one ! Nope.. I had half then I had another half and that half, wow was I sick. I had a bad cramping for an hour . I think I ate it way to fast and the sugar was too much. So I will not be eating cheese cake or bites anytime soon.

88lbs !

I thought my weight was slowing down. There are days where I stay the same and then all of a sudden I just drop. It is funny cause if something does not fit me today, if I try it again in a week it fits. Today I weigh 164! Past my personal goal! I even fit into Becky's old jeans. I am truly blessed to be where I am and thankful for this new journey. I do need to get back to my excersise routine, cause my body and skin is starting to get well, you know saggy! I think it is mainly my arms and my legs, I did not realize that my legs were big, but I guess they were. Today my friend is coming to show me the bands so I can work out the legs and arms, I need to start toning now. And... I want to start running. Maybe for Christmas I can get some running shoes. We shall see.

Pushing threw the Holidays

OH my goodness. It is so hard to stay away from all this holiday food! Cookies, cheese cake, candy. I try so hard to limit it to one bite and eat slowly so I do not pick at food. The bad thing is that I can snack now and I need to stay in control of that. The good thing is that I only take a few bites and I am full. I need to survive the holiday and then it will be okay. I have Christmas tamales that I am dreading. As much as I want to eat one, I will stick to my plan at christmas. Eat only the ham and turkey , stay clear of the tamales. LOL Funny huh ? I know it is funny for me to be avoiding tamales !! Planning is the key my friends, plan , plan away!

6th Month Post OP!

Wow ! Today I had my 6th month appt. I can not believe that it is already been that long. I went it and alll my labs were good, however I need to be sure to get in 40 grams of protein in the morning. So I will be searching for a new protein drink. As much as I enjoy the drinks from Bariatriceating, they are so expensive and I will have to drink double. Doctor said all is good and I am doing great. I currently weigh 167 and he said I have around 37 more pounds to go and then I will be at goal weight. Funny thing is that my original goal was to stop at 165 and I am just about there! It is amazing to me to see how I am changing, my attitude has even changed. I use to be grumpy all the time cause I was always tired and although I was a confident woman, I was still miserable. It is so different now, I feel different. Although I am the same person, I feel like a new woman. All Glory goes to God, He is the reason that I am able to continue this journey. He is my strength daily. Thank you Lord, for self control ! With out you I am nothing !

3 hours to eat a tamale

Okay , so today Erica brought in tamales, I had no idea how I would react to eating that, but I wanted to taste it so I did. Man oh man was it good ! I took very small bites . I started at 12 and took the last bite at 3!! I did not want to get sick so I took it slow, It was sooo good! That was my treat for the week, I dont think I will be eating those at christmas though, as much as I want to, I cant too filling !

84 lbs

Today I have hit 84lbs. I also have hit another mile stone. I am now 167 and for the first time in a long time my period has come all by itself. That is an accomplishment.

New and Cheaper protein

Okay so I love the protein drinks from Believe, however, they are so expensive! So I get them when I can, but this morning, I decided to try something new. I mixed my sugar free chai latte from international instant coffee and mixed in 1 spoonful of the juice it up protein and WOW !! it dissolved instantly! No taste and It is super thin just like the one I get online. So now I will be on the hunt for instant coffee to add protein! So excited !!

81 Pounds !

Today I hit 81 lbs. I am weighing in at 171. My original goal was to be at 165 and stop, however, my new goal is to be at 140 which leaves me 31 more pounds. So next week it is time to get back to working out and work off the last 30! I still am amazed at my progress.

Frustration

I am a little frustrated, first I have not excersised and I feel like I am slowing down again. I have been 79lbs down since last friday. I need to lose this last pound. My goal is 33 more pounds . That will put me at 140 and I think that is a great weight. I am right now a size 14 and I do feel like my pants are getting a little big, so that is a good thing. But i need to excersise !!

First Thanksgiving

Well I have to say I was very prepared mentally for this day. I was very proud of my self and how I handled the day. First I helped out alot with the food and was able to fill that void. Then as we prayed and gathered around, I felt a little weird, but I prayed for strength. When it came down to serve ourselves I kind of waited for the line to go down and I served my self on a small cake plate, of course I felt weird but I enjoyed a little of this and a little of that. My cousin actually made me a sugar free dessert which was sooo delicious that I took some home ! After that I was full of course then we went to Angels house and we had a little bit of food there and hung out with family. Over all it was a great day and I was very proud of my accomplishment. We also had our very first Turkey bowl with the Alarcon's , so I did get my work out for the day ! Thank you Lord for LIfe, strength and Peace , I owe it to you ::)

Support Group meeting #1

So today we had the support group meeting. We had a great time. We all talked about what we are going thru now and before. We also traded clothes which was nice for alot of us who do not have clothes cause we are shrinking. Everyone looks great and it was a nice time. We have a plan for thanksgiving and will be meeting soon :) Happy Thanksgiving !

Support Group

Tomorrow I am holding my first Support group meeting at 7pm. I am excited to hear what has been going on with all the people from my class and how things are going with them. Lots of tips and lots of support. I pray that God will use me and I will be able to be an encouragement to this group. I pray that I can share God as my number one support :) Lord help me tomorrow, give me your strength and guidance....

What a Busy Week!

Well it has been one busy week. A little sad cause I did not get much excersise in this week. However I still did things, like a lot of walking. But this coming week is Thanksgiving and I need, need, need to get some excersise in. I will try to this week. I am really thankful this year Lord for everything !

Kingsley Appartment Feeding

Today we had a feeding at an apartment complex in Pomona. It was very cool, and small. God was very real today. It is always such a blessing to be apart of serving. Today I painted nails on a few little girls, and I met with a few young moms. I pray that God just continues to bring people into that complex and spread peace and love. I was so humbled and grateful again. These people were truly grateful. Thank you Lord for allowing Mike and I to be apart of your work and serving these people. Until next time !!

Disneyland 11/19/09

Today we went to Disneyland. We gad a great time . I was a little nervous cause I did not want to go over board with the food. Thank goodness I had a plan. I packed snacks and almonds and jerky. It was a great idea cause it came in handy. I packed a lunch and I already knew what i was going to have for dinner. We enjoyed the rides and the kids and we did not spend tons of money on the less important stuff like Food !! At dinner we had turkey legs, man oh man was it good and tender. I had such a great time with the family and the kids. We need to go back soon !

77lbs

Today I hit 77lbs !! At first I thought I plauted but then all of a sudden, I was down ! So here I am at 175!! Crazy ! My personal goal was to be at 165, however, I think I will go for 145. Thank you Lord for all of your strength Lord, Your Strength is what gets me through the day, week and hour !

Meeting for us Bari's

Hi ! Okay so I feel that I am called to lead a support group for a while for us bari patients. My class is still filled with so many questions and not that I have the answers, but I feel like I can give them encouragement through this. I know it is hard before surgery and even harder after. So I want us to all have a support group. So if you are interested incoming, even if you have not had surgery, please come ! All are welcome, husbands, and family too ! I will let you know about the date.

One Addiction to Another

OH NO !! I think I am addicted to Decafe Coffee ! Well at least it is decafe right?? WRONG !! I don't want to develop another addicting habit. I just got rid of one : ) But it is so good. I discovered Skinny Vanilla Latte , Help me Lord ! Maybe it can be my treat once a week :)

Symphony 6th Bday

Wow how time flys ! I am so blessed to have two beautiful neices who I completly adore. Symohony is our oldest niece and she turned 6 yesterday. I am so amazed by her sweetness. We are so thankful to have these girls in our lives. We had a nice dinner at her favorite place Kishis then to Becks for a game. Could not imagine life without them :) Happy birthday Symphony Cheese :) Love you

74 lbs !

So the other day I blogged that I thought I was in a plateau, well like I said everydat is different. As of today I dropped 2 more pounds. So I lost the one pound I gained and then lost two more. Hurray !! I am now weighing 178! By HIS strength only ! Thank you Lord

Be Encouraged !

Be encouraged my friends, God is in control ! I know sometimes we get discouraged, but keep your head up. We have no control over what happens, only He does. I am so excited and looking forward to my new Thanksgiving. At first I was nervous, but now I am excited. first off cause I am in control of what I eat, and second cause I have planned over and over what i will eat and third cause with God's help all things are possible, it says so in the bible :)
So be encouraged, Love ya

8 Wonderful Years !!

Where it all started !

Today marks our 8th Wedding anniversary! I am so blessed to have a supportive husband to walk beside me on this journey of Life. I am so blessed to be called his wife. I thank God every day for the life that He has given us. Sure we have our downs and our marriage is not perfect, but the difference is we have God in the middle! No matter what is thrown our way, we are sticking together , cause God is the cement that holds us together and what he has put together, NO man can pull apart. I love you Mike. Congrats to us both !!

Plateau !

Okay so I weighed my self and I gained a pound ! from what?? i have no idea. That is kind of discouraging. So I road bikes last night and today we will walk as well. I know that they say you that the weight loss is like stairs, they go up and down. I just feel like I am at a stop. But who knows really I may drop 5 pounds next week. We shall see. I won't be discouraged, instead I will step it up and move forward. Hey 71lbs is still 71lbs lighter. I feel great, I am strong and I am healthy! So I will move forward. I also need to watch my snacking. I think I am snacking too much, I think ! Lord please help me, I don't want to develope old habits. Thank you for your strength ..

Coffee and Potassium equals NO BUENO

I tried to have coffee today with my potassium in it. OH MY!! I had the dumping! Never before had I experienced that. I did. So, I will not be having that again. I will stick to potassium with crystal light or juice.

Feeling my new stomach, litterally

So at night when I lay down, I can feel all sorts of weird things in my body. Thing that i have never felt before. One of them is my new stomach. Yes, I can feel my new stomach. It is so weird. At first i got scared then I realized after I ate I could feel pressure under my bra so I started feeling around and felt it. If you feel around it it feels exactly like a small egg. Good thing is that if i eat too much my bra adds pressure so I stop eating. But yeah I can feel my new stomach.

72 lbs

Today I hit 72lbs. Feels a little more slower, but still moving. I am offically smaller than what I got married.. Wow that means if i put on my wedding dress, it may be BIG !!!

New size means shopping

So, My boss gave me a gift card for Kohls. I have never ever shopped there before for me cause the cute clothes never fit. So I walked in and I went the junior section and started looking at the size Large shirts. Well everything was on clearance up to 80% off so I picked a few and headed for the dreadful dressing room. Low and behold they fit ! A large Fit! I was so excited, I picked up 6 shirts for 5 bucks a piece and a pair of pants. The funny thing is that I still dont believe that I should be shopping in that section. So I went to the big section. Something in my mind still said that I needed to , so I went picked up a pair of pants and tried them on, and they were too big. After a few times of this, I was convinced that I don't really belong in this section anymore. It is sooooo weird. So that was my new shopping experience in the Junior section. I am officially a size 14. Still fitting a bit weird, but that is the size. Thank you Lord for all of this. I am overwhelmed that you have guided me through this journey. Thank you for selfcontrol, and teaching me all over again. It is by your strength only !

So sore

Oh my... my butt hurts so bad! Raquet ball litterally kicked it. My thighs and legs hurt from running. But we went again today . Pushing and pushing is the key. Hopefully in a few weeks, I will be running circles around MIke..

Raquetball

Okay so today we played Raquetball . Man, I was sore. Mike showed no mercy. He wanted me to move so I did. Wow that game really involves running. But I am getting better at it. Practice makes perfect. I think we are going to start playing on Tuesdays.

just some pictures

Picture of us and all the children at the Pumpkin patch. We had a great time !

70lbs!

Today I have hit my 70lbs. Very exciting. I have also reached a new size. I am in a size 14 now. I have not been in a 14 for a very long time. I can not even remember the last time I was. I feel great. I still feel big, although I am changing I still feel big. It is weird to me. I hear people all the time telling me how different I look and that they can not reconize me, but it is hard to believe. I feel like I look the same. I am trying to grasp that I am not the same size.
Not by my strength but by HIS only.

My hips

Last night I was lying in bed on my back and I felt my hips for the first time in a long time. I actually could feel my hip bone. I was like Whoa!! I think my weight is slowing down, but I do feel my clothes getting bigger, but the scale does not change much. This week I have lost 1 more pound but it can change tomorrow. Sometimes I stay at one for a long time then I just drop... That is all for today.. I feel good.

Attention ??

So is it weird to struggle with Attention? Let me explain. When I was younger, I was thinner. I always loved the attention from boys especially. So as I gained weight I never really lost my confidence and I still thought I was pretty but I knew that boys werent looking at me the same any more, which I was okay with. Well now, I have a bit of a hard time cause in my mind I still am the same person a big confident woman, but in reality I am shrinking and the attention is kind of weird now. It is either has to do with my age and maturity or it has to do with self image. I think I suffer from a little bit of both. Self image.. as weird as it may seem, I really still see a big woman. Today I was looking for a shirt and I told the lady I needed a 2x out of habit and she looked and me and said no honey that is too big for you.. I thought .. huh?? too big !! I have not heard that in a long time. Self image is weird and the attention is weird. The other thing I struggle with is that people say I change from week to week.. Am I really changing that much? I don't think so but then again, I see myself everyday. Either way ,I am happy and I feel amazing :)

65 lbs !

Wow !! I have hit 65 lbs !! I need to keep up on my excersise .. I feel like I slacking. Next week will be better .

62 lbs and counting !!

62 lbs today ! Still trucking on and moving. Feel like I snacking too much, I need to eat more protein!!

Blessings

So I have been saying that I have no clothes and I was kind of sad cause I don't want to go out and spend all this money cause I am shrinking. So yesterday I asked Marisa to ask her roomate Kim who is my size if she had any clothes she getting rid of if I could look. Marisa said yeah she is having a yard sale, so then she told Kim and Kim pulled out alot of stuff ! WOW!! I never expected that much stuff, but there were jeans and pants and shirts and sweaters and dresses. I was sooo excited. I now have a new wardrobe. Yeah !!

Weekend Food

Okay so we went to my parents and we had a great time. Hung out with my brothers and BBQed. We did something different we had never done before, we played tag football. It was so much fun ! I notice now that since I have weight off, I don't want to be sitting around, I am up and wanting to do things. We had so much fun and I was not huffing and puffing. I was actually enjoying it. I love new traditions, my mom was even playing and I made a touchdown !! Hard part was that my dad makes the best bbq chicken and food that there were way way too many choices. There was fish, chicken, beef ribs, shrimp, beans and pasta salad. All great food. In the end I settled for a chicken wing which I could not pass up and beans and some cheese and a few pastas. I was very satisfied. I had a great weekend. Until next time!

60 lbs Down !

Today I reached my 60lbs ! Wow ! I watch the scale go down and I can't believe it ! I feel awesome ! I am 16 weeks post op! It is weird to here people call me skinny.. I still look at pictures and see me, but I still feel big. It is weird, although I feel awesome and I know I am shrinking, it is just weird to here them say that. I am enjoying my journey though :) Through His strength only, not mine :)

25 MIles and So much Emotion !

Well today was a huge accomplishment for me. Today we not only rode the trail to Huntington Beach from Anaheim, we also rode it all the way back. 25 Miles !! I have to say on the way to Huntington it was easy and half way back to Anaheim it was fine. Then I hit the 20 mile mark and I could not do it anymore. I was literally crying and filled with so much emotion. One because I had already gone 20 miles and for me to give up now would be a let down for me and two I only had 5 miles left and wanted to finish so badly. So I was overwhelmed with Emotion. Mike was literally pushing me up the hills as I was crying. Then I stopped crying and pushed. By this time I only had 3 miles left and I was not about to quit with 3 miles left. On the last mile Mike went ahead and I pushed on my own. Man I was battling leg pain and my mind was saying stop, stop.. But I kept going ! As soon as I came across the bend, there it was... The Angel Sign ( literally)


I was so happy to see that sign, I again started crying. ( What a baby I am). I made it !! I was so happy now I had tears of JOY !! Body ache and all I was very happy. Came home and made egg salad sandwich and now I will enjoy the rest of the day. Yeah I did it !!

Motivation where does it come from ?

So last night I tried very hard to convince Mike for us to skip the bike ride. I have just had a very weird and challenging week and feel a bit discouraged. It is not just my weight, it is other things in life. He said no, we are going anyways, so off we went to the beach with no motivation in hand !
We got there and I brought my ipod to help push me along this time and let me tell you.... it worked. I forget the power of music. The power that it has on us to help us move, clean the house, worship, pray, and excersise. See when our brain is concentrating on music, it does not pay attentiont to what your body is doing. So I got thru the 5.5 miles in 23 mins! That is a record for me. On the way back for the remainder of the 11 miles, Mike and I rode and talked together. It was nice, and yes although I had no motivation, I still completed the 11 miles for the day!! Yeah.
It is not by my strength, but by HIS alone :)

Strength of my Life

Although I am having some rough patches, a friendly reminder that Lord you are the strength of my life..

Everyday I look to you, to be the Strength of my life . Your the hope I hold on to, to be the strength of my life.

56 lbs !

Oh yeah, I am also 13 week post op and down 56 lbs!

Riding the Trail

Wow today I accomplished something very big ! Mike and I road the Santa Ana trail from Anaheim to Huntington Beach total of 14 miles ! I was amazed . I guess I never thought I would ever be doing anything like that. Our next goal is to ride there and back to total 26 miles. I am glad and excited. I have a great husband who is supporting my ever step ! Thank you Lord for my achievements this far, I could never, ever do it with out you. Lord you are my strength !

No pain

Well this morning I woke up thinking that my legs would be more soarer than yesterday , but I guess excersing yesterday in pain was well worth it. I always heard that even though your muscles hurt, you have to push through it and it goes away. Well, I never belived it, but let me tell you, it is true. I still am a little sore, but not as much as yesterday. Today I will do yoga again and the Ab lounge. Wednesday are usually bike nights, but our bikes are being tuned up for our big bike ride on Saturday. We will be riding 22 miles to the beach from Anaheim, so please pray for me :)

Making it up the Trail

Today we went on a little hike behind my house on the hill. Mike has always wanted to do it with me, but I was not ever up for it. Today we did it and it was great. It is just a trail, but it has some small hills that made it challenging for me. I really enjoyed it. Although my thighs were burning from the night before 30 mins of Yoga, I still kept on pushing. It is so funny how things are getting easier for me. My next goal and challenge are to learn how to run. I say learn cause I have never been a runner and I want to make sure that I run properly before I hurt myself. Baby steps is what someone told me. After that we went down to the mall and walked around. I finished the night off with Ab lounge. I really want to tone my stomach as much as I can. We shall see..

Back to the real world

Well I just got back from traveling to New Mexico to see my family. I have to say that I had a bit of a hard time. Let me explain. First I did take my protein drink with me because I knew I would need to still drink it. So I tried to have that everyday. Secondly it was very very hard to not snack. For some reason when you are traveling you want to eat. So I had nuts, protein bars and jerky to snack on at all times. The other thing was I did not have a scale. I was a little paranoid cause I weigh myself daily which I am not supposed to do, but it keeps me on track. So, I was scared cause I went 5 days without a scale and no bike riding. We did walk around alot, so I did get some excersise in. The baby shower was a little tough, but I stuck to the cold cuts and beans, and yes I had 4 chips and salsa, which I felt very guilty about, but I did eat anyways. I think I did better with the cake then I thought I would. Being around sweets is hard at times cause I was so used to eating and eating that I never enjoyed what I was eating. So Mike had a piece of cake and I have 1 bite, just 1. It was really good, I did not feel guilty, but I really really enjoyed it. We got home and the first thing I did was jump on the scale and sure enough, I lost 3 lbs. I am offically now at 53lbs down ! My current weight is 199. I have not been under 200 pounds since I was 21. I feel really great and I am going to just keep on one day at a time !

The Slow down

I feel like my weight is slowing down. However, I also feel like maybe I am not eating correctly. I did have a few chips this weekend and I feel really , really guilty about tasting some of these things. I need to excersise this week , but i am so busy and I feel bad. I will be out of town this week and I want to start running. So maybe tonight when I get home, I will run or ride my bike. I am still at 50 lbs, so I need to step it up and make sure I don't slack on my protein.

49lbs!

I have hit 49lbs. I am now at 203. I am 13 lbs away from being at the same weight I was when I got married. It is true, it does strive me to keep on pushing. Last night we went to the beach and rode our bikes from Newport pier to Huntington pier and back. Total of 11 miles ! Amazing to me .. just amazing. Thank you Lord, cause it is thru your strength only :)

Stress !~

Why is it that when I am stressed all I can think about is food !! Today I had a really rough day and the first thing that popped into my head is A Carne asada burrito extra spicy with lots of cheese.. HELLO !! I can not eat that and I won't eat it, however my mind tells me to comfort my stomach and it will make me feel better !! Inside I want to scream !! Right now I am thinking .. Why on earth did the surgery again?? But then reality slaps me back and says " Snap out of it.. You are fine ... do something else with your time " . So in the end, I ate a string cheese and going bike riding at the beach , then I will get a shrimp cocktail and come home !

44 lbs !!

Today I hit 44 lbs ! Feel Great !

Weights

Today Mike and I went to the gym and he was my personal trainer. Man... My arms are killing me. The main thing is I don't want to get squishy, so I need to push !! So tomorrow is bike riding and then Thursday back at the gym.

Bike Riding !

Wow we did 7 miles tonight on our bike ride !! I really tried to push myself today, and so we went up the hill on Volante.. Wow . Mike told me I could walk it, and I said no, I could make it. And I did, slowly, but I made it! That hill made the rest of the ride way easier !! Once I get this hill down, my goal is to hit the Sierra hill !! Yikes !

My mind says one thing

Well Friday I went to Ross, since I am shrinking out of my clothes I wanted to pick up something for Saturday. Well in my mind I am still a 3x and need a 3 x. Welll I am happy to say I am officially not a 3x any longer ! I wore a 2x on Saturday and it was not snug.. which means, I am on my way out of a 2x. Wow!! I told Marisa : " Are you sure it is not too tight, and she said no it looks fine." but my mind is telling me NOOOO you are a 3x !! So that was kind of weird. Total Down 43lbs and counting..

Too funny not to share !!

Okay so we were watching the girls on Monday night and Symphony and Bella said , " Tia, watch us do Dancing with the stars." I said Ok.. Oh my, Symphony drags Bella around like she is a rag doll and Bella goes along with it. This is what we saw.. Tooo Funny !!

Riding on the Metro !!!!

So I decided to take Mike on a spontaneous date night !! On my way to pick him up I looked up the Metrolink schedule and decided to take the train to where ever it lead to .. which ended up to be Union Station ! We walked around to Olvera street, then we ate dinner at a nice little Mexican restaurant. I had shrimp tacos minus the tortilla of course and the rest went to waste. Mike had a burrito. We had a nice time and talked and then took the train home. It was a wonderful date night, and I really enjoy walking more than I have before. Exercise is fun now :) Well sometimes...

Dumping Syndrome

Well it took 8 weeks for it to happen. I wanted a oreo cookie shake with protein, however something went wrong... I think I put too much cookies or icecream, but OHHH i was in the rest room within minutes.. SO I will say, never having that again. Once is enough for me, Thank you !

UTI it is !!

Went to Doctor today and I have a UTI.. Thank Goodness! Well I am not thrilled I have one, but I am thrilled it is not kidney stones . Antibiotics, water and cranberry juice :)

40 lbs !!

I hit my 40 lbs !! yeah !!! And I can cross my legs. Still working on that, but have not been able to do that in like years, many, many years !

Back pain ??

Not sure what is going on, but I have Kidney pain :( So Saturday night I took my potassium as usual and I thought that my stomach felt weird from that. Then on Sunday morning I woke up and my lower back was kind of hurting. All in all I just felt weird. I felt like a dull pain in my back and like my pelvis area was sore , like I had to use the bathroom. I have been very regualar I have not felt like this at all since surgery. So all day I just got through it, I told Mike that if it increased than we might have to go to Er, but I hate the ER so I just went to bed. I woke up this morning and I feel a little better, however I still going to doctor. I do feel dehydrated, which means, I am not getting in enough water. Which I know for sure, cause I am not drinking as much as I should. So bad me :( Today I brought a large water bottle and will be trying to do 2 of these before I go home today !! I need to .. so pray for me .

Change, change and more change

Last night I took my 7th week picture ! Mike also jumped into the picture and I noticed he is changing too! He is down 17 lbs and I am down 38lbs. So he is losing half of what I am. By the time I hit 40lbs hopefully he will hit his 20lbs. Poor guy has no choice, we are eating fish everyday .. we are going to turn into a fish !

Tilapia Fish with Chili Verde Crema Sauce

So today I tried a new fish. My aunt told me to try Tilapia cause it is moist, so I did. I remembered that there was a receipe in my Before and after book for this and I tried it, although I altered it a little cause I did not have cilantro. Butats it came out sooo good and I served with rice and black beans. To spicy up my black beans I add some salsa to them and they taste great!

4 Tilapia fillets
1 can of diced ortega chilis
1\2 cup of reduced fat sour cream
chopped cilantro - I did not have so I added Herdez salsa OMGoodness great taste
juice of 1 lime- I only squeezed half of a big lime.

Combine all together and blend- Set aside

Mean time set the oven to 425 preheat
take 1 tsp of olive oil and spread over fillets back and front
put in pyrex glass and back for 8 -9 minutes depending on size of fillets. Once finished, serve on a plate and immediately place salsa mixture over and serve.

Mike and My brother loved it soo much !! Good Luck and I hope you enjoy !

People are just people

People are just that, people ! I am glad that God is God and he is a God of Mercy and forgiveness and grace. Cause, I am not! I am human and I get angry and frustrated at people. Especially when they hurt my family and friends. One thing that I live by is God is the judge and His promise is that truth will always be revealed. So for my family and friends, remember God hand is upon your life and your sucess. He is looking out for you and your best interest. He will never hurt us or let us down, but people will. That is why we must rely on HIM only.

A week of blessings

Well it has been a great weekend. We had an outreach on Saturday at Corona Elementry School in Ontario. Over 1,000 people came and were blessed. We had 700 back packs to give away. We gave free shoes, and food and haircuts. It was so awesome to see God's hand move over the people. We take for granted what we have in front of us. Some of these families don't even know how they are going to eat the next day. I was completly blown away !

Watching the Change

So last night I was taking some new pictures. As I started to sort thru them I was really starting to look at them. I then started to be amazed. Up to this point I have not really noticed too too much the weight loss. Yes I feel it in my body, but I still see myself as the same. But then I started looking at the pictures and I almost started crying ! I mean I find myself to be a very confident woman, and I know that as I started gaining weight I was still confident, so it made it hard for me to see how heavy I really was. So last night I was looking and I was like " Whoa"!! My face has changed alot. I can't even believe now that I let my self get so out of control. But just like God give us second chances, this is another chance that He has allowed me to have to be able to regain self control in my life. 35 lbs has made a huge difference in my body, and my walk. I can't wait to see what I will look like in 6 months !!

35lbs Down and Counting !

Today I hit my 35lbs !! Oh what a Joy.

Liquid Potassium Yuck !!

Well my doctor is saying I have to take the liquid potassium and there is no other way. He said to mix with juice, well HELLO?? , I can't drink juice ! So, I started looking up on the interenet and I discovered what it is for and why I need it. I also realized that is why my legs have been cramping and feeling numb at night cause my potassium is low. So I tried several ways this morning to take it down. First I tried yogurt, no way to watery. Then I tried fruit punch crystal light, way to salty. Then I tried Diet Green Tea , Bingo ! So now I will be drinking that everyday to get it down. I tried to have eggs and a morning star patti this morning. NO DICE!! I thought I was gonna puke, so I did not eat. I am not sure if it was the Ms. Dash or the patti. Either way, I won't be trying that for a while. I am going to give my self a week with the potassium and get tested again.

Eating out Experience

Last night Mike and I went out on a date night. We went to Market broiler and shared a plate, it is so weird to share. I had salmon and a bite of mashed potatoes and a few bites of salad oh and 2 shrimp. It was so good ! Our bill was really low, this is nice to be able to share ! Then we saw a movie. It was a nice date night ! I think the waitress thought we were cheap ! Cause we both felt weird saying we were going to share !! It was funny !

Traveling with the Band

Well I survived the Tour of Central Cal. Let me explain. I am in a Band and we went to Central California to minister at different churches. I tried my hardest to prepare my self for what was to come. The hardest thing for me was the car ride. What do we do in the car on long trips?? EAT!!! So, what I did was pack myself little snacks, protein drinks, lunch meat, string cheese and yogurts. I only ate when I was hungry and if we went to fast food, I ordered a side salad and since I packed Tuna, I had that over it! I think I did very well. I planned ahead and for the worse which helped because if I hadn't then I would have eaten things I should not have. I did not get sick once and I still feel great. The best thing to do is be prepared, have a back up plan. A few times I needed my back up plans. There were times that we did not have time to eat, so I had a protein drink and had some tuna. Since I packed ahead I took myself some sugar free cookies just in case I needed one, and they helped and they were good. So I still ate and did not feel deprived since I was not snacking. Another life saver is JU JU Jerky! It is Turkey Jerky . Very soft and tasty and high, high protein !! I only found at Albertsons, but very very good !!

Got home from the Tour and first thing I did was weigh my self and I was down ! So I at 34lbs now. !

33 Llbs and Counting

Today I am down 33lbs. It does seem like I am losing a tad bit slower, but in all it is still fast compared to a normal person. I am still eating 2 oz. Although I can have a little more than that. Majority of my diet is shrimp and fish. So good !

Beach bike Ride

So last night we went to the beach to go for a bike ride. It was a great idea and was a nice ride, but my butt is having a hard time getting used to that seat. I think I need a new one. We rode from Newport Beach to Huntington Beach, we almost made it to the pier, but I was pooped and we still had to go back to Newport. So we turned around and headed back. My legs were on fire ! Then we went to Baja restaurant and shared a shrimp cocktail. That was a cheap dinner !! It was nice and we had fun ! My calves are killing me this morning though ! We will try again next week. Meantime I am still playing on the Wii daily and it is fun !!

Shrimp Ceviche

Okay so I tried the Shrimp ceviche from my Before and After book and it was a hit! I made it twice this weekend. Very good, tasty and healthy .

Items Needed:
Salt and Pepper
Juice of 4 limes ( about 3/4 cup) plus 1 lime cut into wedges ( I bought lime juice in bottle)
1 1/4 pound of shrimp ( medium) peeled and deveined
3 Ripe roma tomatoes, diced
1 small red onion ( I used half of a large onion) finely diced
1 jalapeno chile, stemmed, seeded and very finely minced
1/2 cup green olive pieces
1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablesoon ketchup
Tabasco to taste ( I used about 2 table spoons)
1 small ripe hass avocado, diced

Fill a large saucepan halfway with water ; add 1 tablespoon of salt and juice and rind of a lime.
( about 1 1/2 tablespoon of juice) and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the shrimp and remove from the heat, and poach for 90 seconds. ( you will see the color change) Drain the shrimp and then immediately rinse with cool water. Place in a large bowl. Add the tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, olives, cilantro, olive oil, ketchup, lime juice, and tabasco and combine to blend. Season with Salt and pepper. Chill before serving and add diced avocado.

Serve with Chips or baked tortilla strips. Very good and tasty !! Nice summer treat !

Excersise

Current Picture - 5th Week Post Op

3rd Week Post op

1st week post op

Day Before Surgery

Tonight Mike and I rode our bikes for 4.7 miles ! He really pushed me and it was great. Before that we went to Target and the Wii fit was on sale so we got it. Wow it was cool, it takes your weight, height, BMI and tells you the age that you are. I am 49 years cause I am big and unbalanced. It was so cool, I did balance exsercises and games and areobics. It was cool. I am beat and I am tired. I am posting pictures of my progress. So far down 31 lbs. !! My body feels different !

End of a crazy Week !

Well, VBS is almost over ! It has been a crazy and exciting week ! I hate to see it go. Everytime it ends I think we should make it 2 whole weeks ! I was well prepared everyday. Mike and I ate at home, so I would not be tempted to eat there. So far I am doing really well being around food. I thought it would be a little harder, but now that I am eating fish, and shrimp and beans and little bit of fruit. I feel good. Today I had a Iced green tea - no sweeter and one sweet and low ! it was so good !! That is my treat for a good week ! Tomorrow the Beach - All Day! got to prepare !

Fruit Added to my Diet

So today I had my first month post op appointment. I met with Dr. Tanaka. That man scares me, he is so serious. Anyways, he said I was doing good to go ahead and add a few fruit into my diet. Soft fruits that is. So I looked inside my Before and after book and saw the list of fruit that are not too high in carbs. He did say if I was going to eat it, to eat with my meal , not to snack. My appt was almost 2 hours. Most of it was the waiting, I think they were behind. Anyways, I came home and had tuna with pickle and for dinner, I made shrimp, mushrooms ( which I tried) and rice, and salad for Mike. I did have two fresh cherries with dinner , and they were juicy and awesome. I love shrimp although I need to start having more fish. But shrimp is so easy. Tomorrow is Salmon and I am going to try a little bit of lettuce! All is well, drymouth is pretty much gone , as long as I drink 3-4 bottles of water. I did all vitamins today and all is well. A little too well. It is almost scary. I joked with the doctor, but he did not laugh. Uhh... awkard !!

30 lbs !

Wow !! Exactly one month post op and I am down 30lbs !! It is amazing to me !! I stay at the same weight for a few days and then all of a sudden, I am down! I feel execellant. One down fall is my potasium is low, I need to work on taking my vitamins. Really I do !!

Crazy Sunday !!

Well today is the kick off lunch for VBS ! I packed accordingly so that way there would be no going under. We stayed at the church pretty much all day until the wedding. The wedding was beautiful and the setting was nice. I bought some shrimp to take with me and I think I ate too much, cause I felt way uncomfortable at the end. It did stay down and I went to Bed ! Protein good, need to work on my vitamins !!

Eating out in a dinner setting

Today was Ira's quinceria. So I prepared for the whole day. I made my self some shrimp and decided that once everyone ate their food I would heat my food up and eat with them. It all worked out perfect! Once it was our turn to go and get food, I heated my shrimp up which was nice because I did not feel like I was missing out on anything. There was candy and I did want to chomp on a licorice, however I passed with the thought that I may get the dumping. I have yet to experience that and trust me I don't feel like I am missing out. I would much rather not test the waters and cross that line to know what the dumping is like. Anyways, I survived and went home. It was a very nice atmosphere, and it helped to sit with others that understood why I was not eating what they ate. Tomorrow is start of VBS and a crazy week !

Shrimp and Fish

Today I tried 5 baby shrimp. Since I was able to keep it down, I am going to try to cook some for my day tomorrow.

Little Bit of a Set back

Well yesterday was going well. I ate, had some tuna for lunch and sat well. I came home and had a protein drink coffee and it was awesome. About 3 hours later we had El pollo loco, of course I had beans and a little of the green salsa. After that we went to starbucks to meet with Judy ( from our church). I was looking at the menu and found that I could have Tazo Tea unsweetened with splenda. 0 calories, and 0 fat and 0 sugar. I started sipping and I did not really drink that much, but I sipped it on our way to Cypress to look at a bike. I was feeling fine and we saw the bike and it was not a good deal. The gears had been removed so basically she wanted $150 for a frame. She was kind of upset with Mike cause he called around to see what the cost would be to fix it. She said it would not cost that much, however we drove to Sport Chalet and priced it with the bike man. It was going to cost $160 to fix plus tires. For that price he said I could get a new one for $189. So I did. The bikes were on sale! So I came home with a brand new bike. On our way I was feeling hungry since it had been 5 hours since we ate, and I had a few bites of cold beans and salsa. NO GOOD ! I instantly started feeling pressure, like indigestion pressure really bad . I don't know if it was the movement or if I ate to fast or if it was the tea. We got home and we tried out the bikes and it was great. But I still felt sick. I had to throw up so I did, kind of got scared cause it was red like Blood, but then Mike said, you had that Tea that was pink and red, I think it may be that. But see nothing comes out. It just feels like it is there and its not. So i was miserable last night and this morning I feel a bit under. I am trying to drink protein shake this morning . We shall see. My side hurts from throwing up:(

Pants

Oh yeah , I tried on a pair of old jeans today that I have not worn in a year. They fit perfect.. It was exciting and weird !!

Everyday is Progress

Everyday is progress. That is going to be my new slogan! I am feeling more and more normal now. I am gettting my protein in first thing in the morning and then I am getting it in the afternoon as well. My secert is no sugar added icecream, frozen banana, 2 frozen strawberries, 1/4 of milk. Very very good and 17 grams of protein. My protein coffee's come in today and I am excited ! Last night I also discovered Crystal Light popcicles. Way better tasting then the sugar free ones and its like water. 15 cal per pop. Very refreshing, although I can barely eat half.

Water has been my challenge. It is very hard to consume water inbetween the food. I feel so full, and I don't want to drink water. But I know I have to. My goal for water is 3 16 oz bottles a day. Plus my other fluids, which is plenty. Today for lunch I tried to eat 2oz of salmon tuna with a little light mayo, pickle and lemon. It was good, but it is very filling so I only got through 1.5oz. which is still good. Tomorrow is another day . Thank you Lord !

Weigh In

Down 26lbs !! I can kind of see it a little now. I tried a skirt on I have not tried in a year and i buckled it ! although I think 10 more lbs and it will be perfect, but I don't want to miss it either so I will try again next week !

Green Chili Cheese Puff

So last night for dinner I wanted to make a receipe from my book. I decided to make Green Chili Cheese Puff. It was good, very cheesy and a little heavy and filling. I only had 1 oz and then 1oz of black beans. I was full until about 11:30. After dinner we went bike riding and then came home and worked on VBS stuff. I have started taking my vitamins from BariAdvantage. They are really tasty. The iron pill taste like strawberry , but after it is in your stomach, you can taste the after taste. So today I am going to try to take it right after dinner so I don't taste it all night long. I'll post the receipe tonight.

Bikes

So I found a bike , it is a beach cruiser with 7 gears. However, it is still really tough to ride. I should have listen to Mike when he said to not get it and to get a road bike. So I listed it last night on Craigslist and already have two people who want. They are coming today to look at it. I hope I sell it cause I want a road bike. Although riding it for just that half hour was hard work. I felt sore. Oh well hopefully I will find. I should have listened :)

Got to get that protein in !

This morning I decided I was going to try the new protein. This i s what I created:

1 1/2 ounce of Lite and Fit strawberry yogurt- 1 gram protein
1/2 cup of non fat milk- 4 gram protein
1 strawberry
1 small piece of banana
1/2 cup of ice
1 tablespoon of Juice it up protein - 12 grams protein
1 teaspoon of splenda

Blend and serve
Total protein= 17 grams of protein
It did make 8-9 oz so I drank this over an hour and half.

Not sure how many calories, but it has to be less than the protein shake. It was very tasty and I enjoyed it and was easy to take down. Whatever it takes to get the drink down..

Back to work part 2

Yeseterday was my first day back at work. I thought I was prepared, but I was not as prepared as I thought. I only packed enough for a few hours, and I packed cottage cheese, which makes no sense, cause it makes me gag right now. So, needless to say I was extremely tired when I got home. I made an egg and I added a nickle size amount of salmon from the pouch. Let me say this, the Salmon was good, but a little fishy, but the salsa and the egg covered that. After dinner, I could taste the salmon for about an hour after I ate it, not very pleasant. However, it sat very well and I was full for 4 hours! That is a long time ! So last night I made the rest of the salmon in a receipe from my Before and After book , so I am going to try it today at lunch and see what happens. I am on my fourth week of recovery so techically I can eat fish, I just need to start slow. Since I was so tired, I was thinking of ways I could get protein in. So I called Juice it up and they sell there protein by the Jug, and it is non flavor. It is 12 grams of protein in 1 tablespoon. Meanwhile, I am on the hunt for a bike. Last night Mike and I went to look at some, I found one I like, but it is $500. Don't think so ! So after I tried it on for size, we went home and searched on Craigslist and found a whole bunch. That is my goal this week to find a bike.

Back to Work

Today is my first day back at work . I had a bit of a rough start. Mornings are very hard for me as it is and this morning was a little earlier than usual. I tried to eat an egg this morning, but that did not go over well. I instead switched to a yogurt smoothie and drank that on my way in. The smoothie is great, however it does not have much protein so by 10:30 I was crashing. I had to have more yogurt. Today I don't feel like eating much of solid foods. I think I am going to make a soup when I get home , cause I not feeling the solids. I am a bit tired from yesterday. We went to the dog beach again and we had fun. When we got home, I made Mike steak, which by the way looked and smelled so good. But when I really looked at it , I grossed out to see all that blood. what is wierd is I use to like my steak medium but right now, I am so out of whack !
Next week I can start having fish. I am excited about that cause there is only so much you can eat at home with beans and cheese and so on, I really want fish and shrimp now. I pray that it agrees with me. So far everything has been okay with adjusting to new foods. One day at a time.

I have a plan now. As soon as I am released for excersise, I am going to start riding a bike. I found one today on Craigs list. I don't want to not excersise, I have to be my own motivation !

Black Bean Soup

This receipe comes out of the book Before & After by Susan Maria Leach.
WLS- 1/2 cup portion: Calories 62, Fat 2.5 grams, carbs 7.5 gr, and 3.5 protein.

Ingredients:
1 Tbs olive oil
1 small onion chopped ( I did quarter of onion and it was plenty)
2 garlic cloves chopped
1 15 ounce black beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups chicken stock or low sodium chicken broth( I used low sodium)
1/2 cup mild roasted tomato salsa ( Book recommends Newman's Own and Goya salsa, but I used Pace mild salsa)
Kosher Salt and Freshly ground pepper ( regular for me)
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
Shredded Chedder, chopped cilantro, sliced green onions for serving

Heat Oil in a large skillet , saute the onion and garlic lightly until browned. Add the beans, stock and salsa and season with Salt and pepper . ( Don't season till end, the garlic and onion give plenty of seasoning). Bring the soup to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes, until soup thickens lightly. Puree the soup with a blender until smooth and creamy. ( I pulsed my 5 times). Be careful when pureeing hot liquids because of the steam. Always cover lid with kitchen towel.
Reheat the soup before serving and whisk in sour cream. Now check the seasoning and add salt if needed. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with Cheddar, cilantro and green onion. Hot sauce may be added for taste. For WLS- a pinch of cheese per 1/2 cup serving.
For families, serve with freshly baked bread, or tostada quesadillas and a side salad.

Bariatric portion at this point is 2 oz per serving, enjoy !

Protein I actually enjoy !

Okay, so it has been one heck of a week ! Everyday is a new day! My total weight loss is 23 lbs. I am excited but can't quite see the results yet. I am trying everyday new things. Today I received my package I ordered from Bariatric Eating.com. Let me tell you, this lady Maria, she is a life saver ! I instantly opened up and in it came lots of sample protein shake, protein water and juice packets. It also came with two bottles that looked like Starbucks. Of course being an addict as I was to coffee, I instantly opened the Mocha Latte, I poured it on ice and started sipping . Oh my goodness !! I was in heaven! I looked at the bottle again, to make sure it was real! 20grams of protein in 9 oz! Wow! I love it! So the next hour I read her book and enjoyed a Mocha Latte and got my protein in. I was so mesmerized by this ladies book. She has written about her personal experience as a Bariatric patient and what has worked and what has not. She has put receipes in here to help us along every stage of post op! So, after my latte, I went to the market cause I was determined to make Blackbean soup. I got all ingredients and came home and made it . I can not believe this! It was the best soup ever and not just because I needed it, it was really really tasty! I felt so normal like I was not being deprived, and it feels so good ! I recommend this website to any Bariatric Post op patient. Bariatriceating.com. This book has inspired me and I love it !! I am on my way to feeling great ! Thank you Lord, for keeping me on this journey .

My progresssion

Hi,
Well it has been a rough one . I am getting stronger day by day, but each day is a new day. The weekend was very hard for me. I did not know how emotional I would be, I mean it is just food right? We got to Steves late so we would miss the food, however I was not feeling well cause protein only last so long in me and then I feel my self literally getting weaker. I was okay until everyone was eating and serving soda and then there was an icecream cake ! OMGosh I had to go cause I was going to lose it. I was not hungry, but coming out of being a compulsive eater to this is tough, I mean it like I am going through withdrawls. It is weird though cause alot of the food I think I want, if I taste it, it is not the same. So I am in a weird spot. Since it is so hot I am trying extra hard to stay hydrated.
Yesterday I went to church and I had lots of questions for Josh. He is 6 months post op and I wanted to see how he did the first weeks. He said just try to get in as muchprotein as possible. The items I am able to eat right now and tolerate are Eggs, beans ( but they give me gas), yogurt, and protien shake and string cheese. After church we went to Target to get some stuff, I have been dying for some other flavor other water , so I picked up Fruit Punch crystal light , WOW !! I also picked up Yogurt smoothie low fat, it is less sugar than my yogurt I was having and it is more protein, and it is the greatest thing that has happened to me since I came home ! It works miracles ! I love it so much, today I mixed that with my protein powder, a small piece of banana. We shall see !!

Day by Day

Today I woke up feeling the best I have felt in a long time ! Besides the cotton mouth I feel really good and feel like I am getting stronger. I was up very early this morning and am ready to conquer the day. I actually had a dream about bread last night..LOL . I know I am pathetic. I dreamt that I had a bite and it sat in my throat. It was weird. Anyways, so this morning I started researching online for Bariatric Recipes . There are not many out there, in fact there is one chef that I found and he is an actual Bariatric Patient and cooks like one. I instantly got excited ! I feel like there is more life now. I also went over the list of foods I can have soon and I am very excited ! Today I made decaffeinated ice tea with splenda, and OHHH it is the best !! I feel some what normal !

Scale !!

Okay so I weighed myself with my clothes on and I am down 16 lbs !! That is nuts !!

Day 4

Well I woke up with this awful drymouth taste, but I am smart now, I have started to freeze my water and so when I drink it is refreshing. I tried my hardest to get the Muscle Milk down, but I could'nt. I was gagging and so, I told Mike, I need something else. Frustrated he went to Walgreens and brings back a wonderful shake, with no after taste and no smell. So far so good ! I feel good and strong. Today I am supposed to have visitors, so I have to look presentable. I will keep you posted !! One day at a time !!

Day 2 and3 at home !

Sunday was good, I did nothing all day long, then I got a bit nauseated and could not get composure. I felt weak and awuful and a nasty dry mouth taste of a bad protein shake. I just rested and then took a late walk and came back and all of a sudden I hear like a sreetch... our AC goes out ! Perfect timing ! Well at least there was some what of a breeze and Mike said he would fix in the morning.

Monday Morning: Mike and I got up around 7:30 and it was already 77 in the house. I was thinking great , I am not staying here. So I drove around with him to get all parts, but it was so draining and I was so tired and weak, I needed protein ! So I just could not get the powder down. It is so weird how my taste has changed, like really. I got home and I started researching online and found a site called Bariatric Essentials.com . The lady on there had some encouraging thoughts and ideas, and so I sent Mike back out for a already blended protein shake. He brought back Muscle Milk, which helped me within half hour of drinking. Although it is easier to get down, it smells so bad. I felt like I had that taste in my mouth all day long, but i felt good.
Tomorrow is a new day !!

Day 1 at Home

Not a good night for me. I had really bad anxiety that I was going to dehydrate myself cause I was so thirsty and drymouth. I did not know to expect this. I kind of panicked this morning and so Mike took me for a walk. It was nice, on the way back I talked to a friend and she helped me realize it is one day at a time! Today was Krysten grad BBQ, so in support of her, we went for a while. On our way, I text Josh about the drymouth and he said yes , he had it too and to sip water and popcicles even though I think too much, it will help. And it did. Now I realize that I am not the only one, and this is normal. I am having a hard time with the protein but trying to get it down.
BBQ was hott!! I tried to stay hydrated but my body was too weak, we left and came home and I cooled down and rested the rest of the day. Day 1 down and tomorrow is another day !

Day 5 in the hospital

Doctor came in very early this morning and said that I should be going home today since I had no fever the night before and that he did not think I had Cdiff but had to wait for results before I go home. Okay I said and went back to sleep. Michael since he was up stayed up and got ready, he packed up the bags and blankets and everything. When I finally woke up I was alone and thought did he go home??
Surely he didn't he was just letting me sleep:) My day nurse came in and she just rubbed me the wrong way. If anyone watches Grey's Anatomy, there is a Doctor on there that is like overly happy, like really happy, sunshine, well that is how my nurse was Fake! She came in all suited up since I was on isolation and she had all these meds and I said " am I going home today?" She said" No", I said, " why not" she said " cause i have no orders and it is best you stay" HUH???? I was so mad and so confused ! First the doctor says yes, I can now this crazy happy nurse is saying NO??? So calmly, I said" well the doctor told me I was going home today, can we find out and maybe page him?" She said " oh no honey, he has many patients other than you and I will not page him , we will wait" Okay, this time I was crying, I just want to go home, I hate the bed, I hate the hospital, and I want to go home. Mike said I need to be nice, so I took a shower and waited, and waited, and waited. I told Mike, I don't think I am going home today and he said I don't think so either. Then, the Doctor came, he said I was cleared to go !! Yeah !!!! I am going home !!
Since Mike had already packed there was not much to pack so we did that and we left !

Ride home:
Ride home was a bit rough, I had to stop since I still had diaerrea. On the last stop, the battery died on the car. So here I am in half hospital gown and Mike says, " Jess you are going to have to steeer." I have orders to not drive for 2 weeks, so I said" ok". Thank the Lord there was a man there to help Mike out push the car so he could pop the clutch.

Home Sweet Home ! Nothing like it ! I love being home. Weighed my self and I am down 5 llbs since Monday . Can't wait to sleep in my bed !

Day 4 in Hospital

Doctor came in very early this morning and said that since I had a fever I will not be going home today, but my chest xray came out good and I have no fluid in my lungs. He said he was going to order a CT scan and more blood work to see what is going on. Okay I said and went back to sleep.
9:00am - I am up and want to shower so bad. I feel like I smell from the sweating. I can not shower yet cause I need to do CT Scan. They take me down and tell me I have to drink 60 cc which is 2 oz, I laugh and say, I will try. What I was really thinking was " HELLO!! I just had surgery, I can not even drinking 1 Oz.
So, I got there another problem my IV which I was on my third one by the way, was too small for the CT, so they had to give me another one. AHHHH !! Come on, the night before that I had trouble with my IV, and they had trouble finding my veins, 7 poke attempts. So I was scared I would have to be poked again 7 times, thank goodness he found one. He was great too, he knew I was scared. So into the CT I go. Once I got back to room, I showered and was watching TV and it said Farah Faucett Died. How sad !

Midafternoon: On with the day, I was a little down, cause I had no idea what was wrong with me. Doctor came in and said CT was clear and I had no leaks and no blood clots ! Amen ! I am cleared ! So it is a mystery why I got a fever.

3:00 - I went on FB to update and what !! Michael Jackson Died !!! No way, what is up with all these celebrities dying ! I quickly flip the news on and sure enough. Unbelievable ! The king of pop is gone, just like that ! The rest of my day consumed of watching the True Hollywood story of Michael Jackson and MJ news and MJ this and MJ that ! Still no return of the fever and if all else is good through the night, I can go home tomorrow.

5:00- Carrie my nurse is really cool, she came in to let me know bad news! The said" I don't want you to get weirded out, but they want to test for Cdiff", I said " what is that" She said " "since you have had diarrhea , we need to test to make sure it is not bacteria from the antibiotics, but from the time we test, we have to put a contamination cart" I was laughing, so now I am quarantined?? She said "no, just don't go through the hall and spread your poop" We both laughed !! I said if I have this can I still go home tomorrow? and she said yes, but I don't think you have it and if you do it is treatable with antibiotics. Ok, so now I am worried I got this thing, well no need to worry. Finished the day playing cards with Mike and my nurse was leaving her shift, she said to stop in a few months, and I said okay, I said, I hope you will remember me, I am the one who was with you when Michael Jackson died ! Off to bed! I can only hope I go home tomorrow.