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Post by deedee484 on Jan 11, 2014 0:41:50 GMT -5
thanks Katie....we WILL make it!!
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Post by Taterweight on Jan 11, 2014 1:19:49 GMT -5
That SO sucks, Katie! . I freakin hate taking antibiotics coz they make me sick and I have to take potassium pills the size of a dang finger! I can see why you're miserable! But I'm with ya on the cheesecake...if a little bite can ease the tummy that's better than nothin, but I'd certainly work on liquids again, like PGB said -- back to basics....Popsicles, shakes, jello, whatever it takes to get off the roller coaster. Keep posting, we're here for ya, even if all we can do is commiserate and listen. Hang in there, it's gotta get better!
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Post by goodkel on Jan 11, 2014 1:36:01 GMT -5
I have to add something here about pizza. I could eat it every day. I ate it within the first few weeks. The trick is to just eat the top. Cheese only if all you are managing is soft stuff. Gooey melted cheese with hints of tomato sauce as seasoning. I could not and would not give up on pizza. You can still get the taste of it without hurting yourself.
If someone is bringing in fast food, just eat the burger. I still have trouble managing a thick home made style burger, but those fast food hamburgers are not as dense and easier on the stomach. Wendy's is practically like lace.
Buffalo chicken wings, the kind cooked and served soaked in sauce, mild of course. I managed two about three weeks out.
My point is that you don't have to deprive yourself. You just have to think outside the box a little and make a few adjustments.
Your mind might tell you that you want to inhale that whole slice. But, your stomach will feel full and satisfied with just the cheese. Try it next time.
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Post by deedee484 on Jan 11, 2014 11:30:25 GMT -5
Thanks Katie....it will get better!! Hope you have a good day today!
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Post by deedee484 on Jan 11, 2014 11:35:00 GMT -5
I have to add something here about pizza. I could eat it every day. I ate it within the first few weeks. The trick is to just eat the top. Cheese only if all you are managing is soft stuff. Gooey melted cheese with hints of tomato sauce as seasoning. I could not and would not give up on pizza. You can still get the taste of it without hurting yourself. If someone is bringing in fast food, just eat the burger. I still have trouble managing a thick home made style burger, but those fast food hamburgers are not as dense and easier on the stomach. Wendy's is practically like lace. Buffalo chicken wings, the kind cooked and served soaked in sauce, mild of course. I managed two about three weeks out. My point is that you don't have to deprive yourself. You just have to think outside the box a little and make a few adjustments. Your mind might tell you that you want to inhale that whole slice. But, your stomach will feel full and satisfied with just the cheese. Try it next time. Thanks Kel! You made my day! Just the thought of being able to eat the "top" of the pizza is good enough for me. Can't wait to be able to try that! Also a Wendy's burger sounds amazing! Thanks for the tips!
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katieahuf
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Post by katieahuf on Jan 11, 2014 21:46:14 GMT -5
Hey guys, I'm still sleeping all day and staying up all night. I'm still really struggling. My hormones must be all over the place because today has been full of tears and anxiety. I haven't craved carbs since a week before surgery and today it came back full force. I've heard there is a link between PCOS and carb cravings, but I don't know how valid that is. I just miss food today. And I miss food tasting the way it did before surgery. I want bourbon chicken and rice and mac n' cheese and a roll and brussel sprouts and green beans and a big salad and a piece of medium steak dipped in ranch dressing from Golden Corral. I want a caesar salad and shrimp alfredo from Red Lobster. I want a philly cheesesteak with peppers and onions and mushrooms and fries with ketchup and a huge coca cola with the good, soft tiny bits of ice. I want country ham, hashbrown casserole, two eggs over medium, grits, half of a biscuit with apple butter and about 3 cups of coffee from Cracker Barrel. And I want it all to taste the way it used to and I want to eat a good amount of all of it. I used to be really ashamed to admit to wanting food like that, but I'm not going to do it today. I'm going to admit that I want it, even record it and show it to you guys because it's okay to want it. For whatever reason. I might grieve and be sad, but that's okay too. But then I'm going to leave it here instead of carrying it with me and remaining miserable. I'm going to remember that this is not permanent and that I will be able to eat a meal again and that food is not everything that I want and that food does not define my happiness. Because I want other things too! I want to be healthy. And I want to be able to get 100 oz of water in every day and all of my vitamins and some form of exercise. I want to play with my animals and little cousins and go to school and work and find other things that make me happy besides food. I'm now going to go make a nice, small, room temperature glass of protein powder and take some pills and hang out with my momma. I already feel better.
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Post by brooklyngirl on Jan 11, 2014 23:15:41 GMT -5
Well said Katie
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katieahuf
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Post by katieahuf on Jan 12, 2014 0:24:49 GMT -5
Okay, so this was not planned or thought through. It just kind of happened.
I ate the tender side of my mom's t-bone. She cooked it on the grill pan in butter and olive oil with some Adobe and it was super moist and tender and in tiny bites. Like smaller than wet dog food bites. I had a craving, so I braved it. It was sour at first, like all meat has been so far. But I didn't stop after one bite because after it settled, I figured it was protein and iron, my tummy accepted it and I needed it.
I had about five bites total and the taste did improve as I ate more, it started to taste more like steak and less like rotten water buffalo carcass. So if any other newbies (who are able to safely eat/try new things) are experiencing sour protein, try to get a few bites down, it might improve! Unless it's chicken, because chicken is the devil. Just please, whatever it is, chew it well and take your time.
I'm so glad I did this because it made my stomach happy. So far, everything I swallow has been met with loud grumbling complaints, bloating, belches, hiccups and pain.
But not steak. It's been 30-40 minutes and not a peep has been heard. It's just as quiet in there as it is when I first wake up in the morning. I am pleasantly full and was able to take an antibiotic with something substantial in my stomach, so no nausea from that either! And the best part? Thinking about eating it again does not make me feel ill. I see steak and eggs in my future, ladies and gentlemen. There is hope!
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TLady
Junior Member
Posts: 89
Surgery Type: DS
Surgery Date: Original DS: 1/07/09 // Revised to Hess Method DS: 1/29/14
Surgeon: Dr. Steven Simper & Dr. Ara Keshishian
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Post by TLady on Jan 12, 2014 1:11:11 GMT -5
Katie, I've been following this and I'm so glad that you are feeling a tiny bit better, sometimes a girl just needs some delicious, moist steak. No one should have to endure rotten water buffalo carcass (that made me laugh btw)! I've really appreciated your honestly and humor. Here's to hoping that this roller coaster of recovery is finally in the smooth section!
~T
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Post by PrettyGirlBounce on Jan 12, 2014 1:16:39 GMT -5
Steak and Eggs! So delicious...a perfect DS food.
Having this as a healthy food option doesn't suck. Could be worse. LOL
I'm glad you found something that is working well in your new tummy...um and the fact that it is STEAK? Even better. Take it slow and enjoy.
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Post by fullhousemom on Jan 12, 2014 9:25:20 GMT -5
Steak was my lifesaver in the early months. I ate it at least five days a week, sometimes twice a day (the cook always love leftovers). I would buy a whole beef tenderloin at Sam's Club and cut it up and freeze it. At Sam's, which is like a Costco, it was about $11 per pound. It sounds expensive, but one, I couldn't eat alot of it and two, I never ate any sides with it. Just the steak. I had great weight loss success, and I really do attribute it to the steak!
Chicken got stuck in my stomach every time I ate it. At two years out, the only way I can really enjoy chicken is with a sauce or with some skin (and it was really hard to convince myself to eat that skin).
Regarding iron, beef is a great source. However, despite all the beef I ate, my iron tanked.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2014 9:56:43 GMT -5
Steak was my lifesaver in the early months. I ate it at least five days a week, sometimes twice a day (the cook always love leftovers). I would buy a whole beef tenderloin at Sam's Club and cut it up and freeze it. At Sam's, which is like a Costco, it was about $11 per pound. It sounds expensive, but one, I couldn't eat alot of it and two, I never ate any sides with it. Just the steak. I had great weight loss success, and I really do attribute it to the steak! Chicken got stuck in my stomach every time I ate it. At two years out, the only way I can really enjoy chicken is with a sauce or with some skin (and it was really hard to convince myself to eat that skin). Regarding iron, beef is a great source. However, despite all the beef I ate, my iron tanked. It still amazes me that some of you can eat steak early out. I love a juicy medium rare steak, but it is just too heavy on my stomach. I still need any meat I have pretty much slow cooked to hell so it is very stringy, soft an dripping in juice. Steak, pork chop, solid chicken meat, meat loaf, all feel like a lead weight dropped into my stomach and I can't eat anything after one or two tiny bites. Lobster, crab and scallops now give me those and some sauce or butter and watch out...but even shrimp feel heavy. Not quite as bad as the other meats I described, but I can only eat one or two of those. Lobster....I can easily eat two 5 oz tails, plus a little rice or mashed potatoes with butter as well as a broccoli spears. Katie, This post go so long that I haven't read back through, but why are you sleeping all day and up all night? Cameron has battle insomnia the last several years and he really makes it worse on himself because being a college kid he doesn't keep a set schedule and stays up half the night many times....then says he can't sleep when he actually slept half the day. His Dr's constantly told him the most important treatment for insomnia is a set sleeping schedule. Since he started his internship on Jan, 2 he has to be at work at 7:45 every morning, so he started going to bed around 11PM and now he gets a full night sleep and is getting to bed by 10 PM. Please don't take my comments as critical, because they aren't. I certainly understand you are struggling with your sleep. That being said, I would suggest doing your best today to not sleep at all during the day so you can get your sleep schedule flipped back to normal, and to try to go to bed at 9 PM or so , and then maybe slide it back 15-30 minutes every night. I would also suggest that if you are on any pain meds to stop them because those things do nothing but mess our systems up (for me they do absolutely nothing to stop pain but they constipate and can cause sleeping issues). One final thing, and I know this is MUCH easier said than done, but try to relax and not worry about things. All this stuff works out and you will do fine. Somebody early on used the term head hunger and I truly believe that is a real thing. If we think about food all the time, or the food we can't eat, we feel deprived and naturally "wish for that food". Cameron also has had severe pain management issues over the three years and one of the best remedies is distraction. That is find something to take your mind off the carb cravings...that can be reading a book, playing Xbox (I hate it but I know my kids love it), doinking around on the computer, or walking or going out to do something (the physical activity, minimal as it may be can do great things because it strengthens our body). Anyway, I hope that didn't sound like an old man giving you a lecture because that isn't the intent. Just wanted to share some things that I have seen work in the past. Good luck and keep on with your good work....you are getting there and things will feel better every week and pretty soon this stuff will be a distant memory. Scott
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katieahuf
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Post by katieahuf on Jan 12, 2014 21:05:21 GMT -5
I've had a pretty damn good day today. I walked out to my gramma's house to visit and walked back without being exhausted, my bowels have been regular since Friday, I gutted a meatball sub from Subway today, ate two whole cheesy meatballs and they settled just as well as the steak did. AND I'm working on my third bottle of water! Moving forward. I think I'm going to have to switch to a different multivitamin, though. The chewable centrum vite makes my stomach queasy.
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katieahuf
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Post by katieahuf on Jan 15, 2014 11:55:49 GMT -5
Heading back to the ED tonight for another top off on fluids. I started feeling weak again and my surgeon's nurse consulted my surgeon and they told me to go on back before it gets worse.
Man, I'm gettin' real tired of the weekly needle jabbing. I'm a hard stick, so it really turns into a rodeo. I'm starting to look like a heroin addict!
Food is easier; morningstar garden variety veggie patties are a new favourite.
But I have less problems with carbs and sugary items so for the past 3 days, I've been heavier into those foods than I'd like to be.
Kind of freaking out about that. I feel like I'm breaking my DS, and I'm scared that when I go back to the Doctor that I'll have gained weight back, but I think as I continue to heal that the protein will get easier and less nauseating. I really hope so at least!
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Post by Leonie on Jan 15, 2014 13:50:33 GMT -5
Hey Katie I am glad you are being so pro-active. How are you doing with adding electrolytes? At a stage it felt to me like water was not helping, but pedialyte was wonderful. Nowadays I add a sugar free sports electrolyte fizzy tablets to my bottle. Hammer makes a pretty good one.
Actually I feel a bit dehydrated tonight. It was an extremely hot day and I had loads of errands in the hot car after working out. I am sure I did not dehydrate as quickly before the DS? So this evening we had watermelon and feta cheese salad for dinner. My water bottle and giant coffe mug is my constant companion, but if I have lost too much electrolytes, I have to act fast.
Hang in there, you are doing well.
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Post by tina9999 on Jan 15, 2014 13:59:02 GMT -5
I want bourbon chicken and rice and mac n' cheese and a roll and brussel sprouts and green beans and a big salad and a piece of medium steak dipped in ranch dressing from Golden Corral. I want a caesar salad and shrimp alfredo from Red Lobster. I want a philly cheesesteak with peppers and onions and mushrooms and fries with ketchup and a huge coca cola with the good, soft tiny bits of ice. I want country ham, hashbrown casserole, two eggs over medium, grits, half of a biscuit with apple butter and about 3 cups of coffee from Cracker Barrel. And I want it all to taste the way it used to and I want to eat a good amount of all of it. I used to be really ashamed to admit to wanting food like that, but I'm not going to do it today. I'm going to admit that I want it, even record it and show it to you guys because it's okay to want it. For whatever reason. I might grieve and be sad, but that's okay too. But then I'm going to leave it here instead of carrying it with me and remaining miserable. I'm going to remember that this is not permanent and that I will be able to eat a meal again and that food is not everything that I want and that food does not define my happiness. Because I want other things too! I want to be healthy. And I want to be able to get 100 oz of water in every day and all of my vitamins and some form of exercise. I want to play with my animals and little cousins and go to school and work and find other things that make me happy besides food. I'm now going to go make a nice, small, room temperature glass of protein powder and take some pills and hang out with my momma. I already feel better. [/quote] I can soooo relate to what you've written here. It's shocking how much I miss some of my old foods - and the healthy ones too! I also miss a great big old mouthful of food. I had lunch with a coworker the other day & he put this huge piece of pizza in his mouth & I told him how much I missed being able to do that. He thought I was criticizing him for taking such a big bite - haha Hang in there - EVERYTHING always works out one way or another, we just have to allow it to happen - easier said than done I know - but you aren't alone. Glad you're finding a few things you can eat - I know that helps lift your spirits.
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katieahuf
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Post by katieahuf on Jan 17, 2014 13:39:33 GMT -5
Didn't end up going to the ED the other night. I just wanted to sleep, so I did.
Came back in to see Dr. Sudan today and I've lost 4 lbs since the 6th. So that's good news. Sheila and Kim tried to get an IV going to give me some fluids before I went home because I feel so weak and icky again. They even tried to stick my feet. Frickin' OW. No dice. Didn't even bleed.
Sooo I'm heading back to the hospital for 23 hr observation and as many fluids as I can get in that time frame. Please pray that they won't have to stick my feet or my neck for an IV. Euuugh, I'm terrified of that!
Doctor Sudan says the way i'm feeling is unusual. But according to my labs, I'm not that dehydrated. So the symptoms do not equal the lab results. He thought it might have been my sugar, but when I passed out at walmart they checked it and it was normal. No nausea or vomiting these days except just now when they tried to get an IV in my foot. That got me a little woozy and nauseous.
The nurses still can't get any BP when I'm standing, while my sitting one is normal.
Dr Sudan just says to keep drinking as much as I can and not to do much of anything and it should resolve itself and that tube feeding isn't necessary.
But I'm freaking out. I mean, is it going to get better on it's own? Is it something else entirely? Oh well, here we go again.
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Post by Girlrocker on Jan 17, 2014 15:15:16 GMT -5
Hi Katie, I'm so sorry; this is not highly unusual in early post-op recovery, it's a very dramatic change. You were right to stay on top of it, and this is exactly why we say staying hydrated is the most important. It could be a combination of things, the lack of nutrition, not quite enough fluid and Dr. Sudan sounds on top of it, you're in good hands. Leonie makes a good point about electrolytes too, that really trips some people up. I know the returns for medical treatment, being stuck with needles sucks, but hang in there, sometimes the early post-op road is a little bumpy, but it really does even out and get better.
Also, if you ever have a really pressing question and feel you don't get enough responses to a specific medical issue, go ahead and start a new thread about that question with the subject devoted to it.
Hang in there!
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Post by brooklyngirl on Jan 17, 2014 15:47:17 GMT -5
Katie- how much are you drinking and of what?
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katieahuf
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Post by katieahuf on Jan 17, 2014 16:21:28 GMT -5
I'm drinking water, lightly sweetened tea with baking soda and powerade and some orange-orange vitamin water.
Mostly powerade and water, though. I know about the carbs and sugar being bad, but I can't stomach anything else, plus it's got some vites in it.
32 oz is my median, some days under 16, very few days 48. But never over that per day.
My kidney functions are normal, pee is frequent and light coloured now, no more back pain since finishing the last anti-biotic. 3-7 BMs per day, almost always diarrhea.
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katieahuf
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Post by katieahuf on Jan 17, 2014 20:25:51 GMT -5
Got the IV on the second stick in my shoulder. Yaaay, no feet or jugular IVs! Thank God for the IV team. Attachments:
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Post by fullhousemom on Jan 17, 2014 22:16:46 GMT -5
Any chance the sugar in the Powerade could be bothering your stomach, resulting in more diarrhea, and leading to more dehydration?
I drink revive vitamin water when I need some hydration. You might want to eliminate the sugar for a few days and see if you get any relief.
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Post by goodkel on Jan 18, 2014 0:03:02 GMT -5
You should have a drink in your hand at all times and sip, sip , sip constantly.
Food is not important now.
If there is not enough room to get in both 64oz of fluids daily and food. Skip the food.
Dehydration will cause nausea. Sip, sip, sip to get past it. Eat a Saltine or two if you need to.
Experiment with many sugar free liquids, that sugar could be causing your distress.
When you say "diarrhea" do you mean that your feces are totally liquid?
That is great about the steak. It was one of my early go to foods.
But, as PGB said, you should go back to basics until your situation is resolved.
Don't stress your body more than it already is.
Hang in there, this WILL get better!
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Post by brooklyngirl on Jan 18, 2014 2:06:18 GMT -5
Too many carbs are not a big deal for the scale right now, but could me giving you additional stomach trouble that you don't need. G2, powerade zero, smart water, diet snapple, the sugar free vitamin waters, you'll find something that works. Just keep trying and focus only on the liquids until it gets easier. Have you tried drinking kefir?
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katieahuf
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Post by katieahuf on Jan 18, 2014 10:41:18 GMT -5
Yes, BMs are all liquid. The only thing that comes through whole is fat/protein and I'm not getting a lot of that sooo, you know.
I've never heard of kefir.
My potassium was 3.3 so they've got that going in my IV, which is frying the little tiny vein it's in, so they've decided to do a PICC line today and send me home with it when I leave. It'll make life easier, but I'm kind of freaked out about that. Sounds painful, but it can't be worse than the needle in my foot experience.... Right?
I'm not sure how long I'll be here, yet. Someone said maybe just 23 hrs, someone else today said possibly two days. So we'll see, I guess.
The problem I have with only liquids now is my stomach gets hungry and acidic without some kind of something in it and they pulled me off of protonix for now, so my reflux is worse than usual.
I had a few spoonfuls of grits and yogurt this am and that was okay.
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Post by fullhousemom on Jan 18, 2014 10:59:54 GMT -5
I've never had kefir, but my healthiest non-DS friends swear by it. I know there are some DSers who are stong proponents of it too. I've seen it at large grocery stores and the health food store. My local grocery store doesn't carry it. I would google it and try it!
The revive vitamin water is the only vitamin water with potassium. Leonie had a suggestion on another thread of a cheap way to keep your potassium up. You could pm her if you are interested. I looked into supplementing potassium when I was about four months out, as potatoes and bananas were not on my menu. I did add them sparingly, though I had to add the carbs as well. I wouldnt suggest that now as you have better alternatives. I found that trying to supplement potassium in the pill form was going to be too darn many pills, and I had been struggling with pills as it was.
The picc line might freak you out a bit, but I loved mine when I had surgery. I''ve been poked in too many places and the wrist iv's stink as well. My veins role.
You do know that you always want to be very well hydrated for a blood draw, right? Your dehydration is only making matters worse. Wish I could make it go away.
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Post by fullhousemom on Jan 18, 2014 11:26:32 GMT -5
I am just helping myself to some vitamin water. Whoa....880 mg potassium, but 32 grams of carbs. Good for me, but not a good choice for you. Too much sugar.
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Post by brooklyngirl on Jan 18, 2014 19:17:29 GMT -5
Katie- I had a picc line a while back for another procedure when they could not get a vein. It scared the shit out of me, but actually was better than being stuck a million times in a million places by a million people. Once you're dehydrated it makes it soooooo much harder, as I'm sure you know at this point. I would think it would be the best thing for you. Kefir might be something that could kill 3 birds with one stone 1- get in liquid 2- get some protein 3- possible help settle your stomach so that it would be easier to get other liquids in. When my reflux gets bad dairy definitely helps to coat and soothe my stomach. You might hate it or not tolerate it, but I'd say it's definitely worth a try.
*and the probiotics would probably be good for your system too!
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Post by Leonie on Jan 19, 2014 0:09:52 GMT -5
Katie Love I finally sat down and read through this whole thread. What a ride! Even though we have so much in common, I find it hard identifying with you: I have not vomited ONCE in the last must be ten years. That band really messed with your life.
One thing is for sure, you are one very brave and strong girl. Hang in there. Soon this will be a distant memory and you will have all the experiences of youth and Life with a capital L.
It seems like your Mom has been a wonderful support to you. Give her a hug from me. Tell her I see her love all the way from South Africa.
I want to encourage you to do some daydreaming while in hospital. Make a list here of all the things you would love to do and achieve in the next two years. Think of all those non scale victories (NSV's), the steaks, the scale numbers, the fun experiences, the skinny jeans, the grand adventures. I am not even two years out and I have done nearly everything on my list. Now I am into uncharted territory and life is grand. You will get there too, I firmly believe it.
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katieahuf
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Post by katieahuf on Jan 19, 2014 7:36:14 GMT -5
Thanks so much for sharing, you guys! They ended up doing a 'Power Glide' instead of a picc line. It's a longer thread but not as long as the picc and it goes in the upper arm as well. The whole procedure was painless and went a-okay, MUCH less scary than the foot stick. They had a hard time getting a vein even with the ultrasound, they roll like crazy. I've learned that my veins are tiny, crooked and rolly polly and they think it's because I was on steroids as a youngster. Interesting right? ETA: whoops! Hit post too soon! I'm still in the hospital, they wanted me to take in more fluids and increase my output. Probably going home today, but I get to keep my power glide for up to 29 days. So if I need more fluids, I just have to come back to the office and they can give them there! Soo worth the anxiety. Lol. Dude, this hospital food is heavenly. They have little portions of ground meats with gravy and they taste and settle sooo much better than they do at home, which is really strange. I think it's because it's more bland and I just need that right now. Feeling better! Still exhausted, but good. Leonie, thank you for your kind and encouraging words, they mean a lot to me. It has been a wild ride so far, but I've got my wonderful momma and the people here on the boards, and the support really has made all the difference. I keep having to remind myself that things are going to get better, and they will! I've got my mind's eye on riding my horses, hiking in the mountains and going salmon fishing in Alaska, just to name a few biggies. I will definitely keep adding to that list and I can't WAIT to start accomplishing some of those things. Also... Mmm, ribs. One day soon, there will be ribs. And a turkey avocado burger... Etc.
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