Hospital Update

I am just now getting around to update this. I am doing ok now ... but last Sunday was the day from hell.

I hadn't been feeling good all day it started about 4am. It felt like someone was standing on my chest.... I thought GREAT! I've been doing all this to get healthier and NOW I am going to have a heart attack!

... well after I calmed myself down and laid down for a while it felt better ... I figured I was having an issue called "dumping" that happens to bypass patients sometimes. It can mimic a heart attack but it's all in the digestive tract. The only flaw in that theory is it happens right after you have eaten something ... I hadn't eaten anything since dinner around 6pm the night before.

Well since the pain stopped I didn't give it much more thought. There are so many freaky things that pop up now and again from this surgery that I just chalked it up to one of those occurrences.

Noon came and went ... I ate a little lunch and everything seemed fine but I was just zonked out ... I felt so drained I laid down and fell asleep. I didn't wake up until nearly 7:30pm. I figured I should get something to eat because I have to eat a little something every 5 to 6 hours or I don't get enough nutrition in to me.

With in two teaspoons of food I had to run to the bathroom .... I was so sick :(

.. then the chest pain started again ... then I got hot, cold and sweaty/clammy all at the same time. I thought ... hmmm not good.

I wobbled myself back to my room and laid down ... as soon as I stretched out I felt a little better and I turned to my left side and just laid there but started to get a little uncomfortable. I then turned to my right side and WHAMMO!!! I felt like someone had just gutted me like a deer! The pain was so intense I couldn't breathe. I couldn't even speak for a minute... then I just screamed it hurt so Goddamn bad!

My sister and nieces came racing in and Jessy took one look at me and called 911 .. I loathe going to the hospital ER's but I was in no position to argue. I was nearly ready to pass out.

All I could think of was this had to be Gall Bladder related .. I can remember my Mom and Sister being in agony before theirs were removed.

Once they got me in the ambulance - my first time ever in one of those contraptions - they gave me some good drugs and everything calmed down.

I then got to the ER ... a brand new multi million dollar state of the art new addition they put on the Hospital. (this is useful information for later in my story)

So they all did their thing .. ran tests ... CT Scan ... blood tests ... pushing here ... prodding there ....

Conclusion was .... small intestinal blockage.

Ok fine .. "we are going to admit you for the night for observation"

So my sister and brother in law leave and I am laying there watching the lovely flat screen TV that the ER has as part of their new gorgeous roomy rooms.

They then said umm we don't seem to have any room at the inn ... all the rooms were filled to capacity ... but they "saved" me a place in the hall.

I found that rather funny that I now had to move from my gorgeous ER room to the hall for who knows how long ... someone is either going to have to die or go home for me to get a room

One of the Nurses commented that now we need a new hospital since they can take so many more people in the ER now.

(See why I told you how fancy it was?)

Ok back to me ...


around 9am I get visited by one of 3 Surgeons .... man I sound like a Christmas Tale here....

The Surgeon of Gall Bladder present ...

He is sure it's my Gall Bladder and has a plan ...


The Surgeon of Gall Bladder past ...

It could have been your Gall Bladder but it's moved the problem is your intestines ... He has a plan ...

The Surgeon of Gall Bladder Future ...

It's not your Gall Bladder it's your Liver ... She has a plan


:D


By the time all was said and done I got into a room by 11am and they all got together and decided that ....

I had a small intestinal blockage caused by an inflamed, enlarged Gall Bladder which backed up into my Liver causing the infection and I was going any where until that started clearing up .... fast forward 4 days and the levels in the liver finally are nearly back to normal but the Gall Bladder really needs to come out.

So I am looking at yet another surgery probably with in the next month or so and on top of it the Endo's office called and wanted to redo the biopsies ... I said well ... you guys are gonna have to wait .. I can only handle so much once. My arms already look like I have been severely beaten. My neck just stopped looking severely beaten.

I'm trying not to let it all get to me ... it started to about mid wednesday ... I was really starting to lose the plot.

But now I am definitely home and brought some heavy duty antibiotics with me. I have to see both the Surgeon next week and have my 6 month bypass Eval with that Surgeon and get more blood tests to check on the liver progress on Monday and then on Thursday more blood tests for every other level ...

I should have taken out stock in the needle company :(

So tomorrow is the day ... I go see my bypass Surgeon for my 6 month check up and bloodwork and I will find out what the next step is.

One thing I must add ... the staff at the hospital was wonderful ... everyone was so nice and professional. They really made the stay a lot more tolerable ... I just wanted to go home so bad :(

I really liked one of my Doctors ... man he was cute .... I really looked forward to seeing him every day :p

The results are in ... sort of

I was called by the Doctor who did the procedure. One nodule is benign. The other 2 probably are but guess what? There was blood in the samples so they want to do the biopsies again. I haven't called to schedule it. I can't deal with the thought of going through that pain again. I am not good with confrontation and I am putting it off because I will be telling them She WON'T be doing it. Either they can find another Dr. or I will. I refuse to let that cold, angry little person touch me again.


I am so frustrated right now. I knew this was going to happen. She broke so many blood vessels it would have been impossible not to get some blood in the specimens.


I'm really angry too. I don't want to go through this again. I have to think about if I will or not.


On a very nice note though, as of yesterday I've lost 71 pounds since surgery and a grand total of 154 pounds since I started my new life.


So that still trumps all the nastiness I had to go through with this Thyroid garbage.


I refuse to let that ruin my good feelings.

I finally took the plunge!

Well I have finally done it!

I haven't had a haircut in nearly 20 years. My hair has been down to my butt since my early 20's. After my BIG hair days of the 80's I just let it keep growing.

So with all the changes going on in my life and my body my hair has been suffering. It was looking pretty bad and I have lost some due to my surgery. So I decided it was time for my hair to get healthy too.

People that know me will remember how long my hair was.

So Friday I took the plunge. It was time for another drastic change in my life.

Here I am 29 inches later .... Whaddya think? =0)

I love it. I never thought I could ever have a cute short hair doo! =o)





Here is the back. Sorry for the blurry .. hard to take myself lol





And here is the tail I had cut off for Locks of Love

that brought it to right above my shoulders. Six more inches were cut off as I got my new style.





So far everyone in my family looks at me with the OMG look .. then take a deep breath and tell me how cute it is :o)

And here is one I got a bit artsy with ... just a hint of color

It's Over ...

I'm back among the living. What a nightmare that was

I came home and just went to bed. I was so stressed out.

One thing I can say is if for whatever reason I have to have this done again .. that Doctor will never touch me again. She was rude, arrogant and worst of all cold and very rough.

She hurt me so badly I was tearing up ... I was trying so hard to keep it together and she says to me .. "Shall we cancel this procedure" I was just stunned ... you have no idea how badly I wanted to say yes lets! At that point I was only 1/3 of the way through the procedure.

She stuck me 18 times - six needles per nodule (I was told it was only going to be 3 aspirations per nodule) and once she was in there she jack hammered the needle until she found the right spot.

I've had this done before when the left side of my Thyroid was removed and it never hurt like this. My neck is so swollen and I can't turn my head. The only time she her tone was friendly with me was when another doctor came in to was some of the procedure.

As soon as I was done she said now you realize this may have to be done again if we don't get definite results. I said to myself ... I think not - at least not by you.

She even told me to stop breathing the way I was breathing and breathe right and to stop tearing up it was causing mucus in my throat.

Just how is one supposed to breath with needles being jack hammered into the base of ones throat and a scan wand being jammed into the side to show the nodules.

If anyone knows the answer let me know so I can be a "better" pin cushion next time

When I came out my sister came right over to me and said Jesus, what did they do to you.... and then I burst into tears.

It looks like there is a golf ball trapped under my skin and I am all bruised. I never had that happen before.

After I calmed down I guess it was my time to get someone like this. Up until now all of the Doctors I have seen have been excellent. Very kind and compassionate.

I'm really not a baby and I'm not looking for anyone to fall all over me. Do what you have to do and lets get it over .. but geez at least have a little empathy for your patient. She had to have known she was hurting me.

I was pretty much a wreck the rest of the afternoon. But, after a good nap I don't feel too bad .. just swollen and sore.

I managed to eat a little and I get some water in me so that's always a good sign

I should know sometime next week what the results are.

I have really felt blessed because everyone I have had to deal with for the last 6 months has been so professional and so nice so I guess odds were that I get a sour one eventually.

I will make it known I don't ever want her again and why. I really wasn't looking for coddling but if she had just said something kind and given me a minute to gather myself it would have been an entirely different experience ... instead she chose to treat me like a two year old and threaten to end the procedure if I couldn't control my emotions.

I guess I just need to figure out how to enjoy having my throat stabbed 18 times and show no emotion or feeling.


Here are a couple shots I took quick to show you the damage


at a distance:







Up close: You can see each needle stick and the horizontal bruising from her jack hammering the needle once in there.








You can see the swelling ... last night it was sticking out just as if a golf ball was in there.

I am just so glad it's over ... for now anyway

Getting Nervous

Tuesday I have the biopsies on my Thyroid done at 8am. I'm so nervous, but trying not to obsess.

9 needle sticks


I am so not looking forward to this :(

My Version Of Pizza

I have been craving Pizza a bit lately but have denied myself because of all that doughy starch

I decided to see if I could figure out a healthier recipe.

This is what I came up with. (preheat oven to 400)

1 Tbs Olive Oil wiped over cookie sheet
1 can of whole wheat pizza dough - pressed out into a 13 x 9 rectangle
2 Tbs of Parmesan Cheese - sprinkled over crust
1/2 cup spaghetti sauce - spread over pizza leaving a 1 inch border
1/2 cup low fat Ricotta cheese - dollop evenly around pizza
10 green olives - placed evenly around crust
1 tsp basil - sprinkled evenly
1 cup fresh Spinach - piled evenly over crust
1/2 medium white onion - sliced and spread over crust
4oz of low fat Mozzarella - sprinkled over crust

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. 12 for a softer crust / 15 for a crispier crust

I like a thin crispy crust. It's much easier for me to digest

Here is the finished product:



I cut the pizza into 6 portions. They were approximately 4 x 4 inches. I added up all the ingredients and nutritional values and it breaks down per slice to this:

Calories: 214.5 per slice
Fat: 9.19g
Cholesterol: 12mg
Sodium: 295mg
Carbs: 22g
Sugar: 3.1g
Fiber: 2.6g
Protein: 11.6g

Compared to a plain cheese slice from Pizza Hut:

Calories: 440
Fat: 14g
Cholesterol: 35mg
Sodium: 1,010mg
Carbs: 60g
Sugar: 7g
Fiber 4g
Protein: 19g

My version is nearly 1/2 the amount of the bad stuff - not too bad for my first attempt I think.

I'm sure I could have saved even more calories if I used cooking spray to prevent sticking .. but I was all out. I could always have left off the Olives and Parmesan cheese as well, but I was going for a nice punch of flavor.

I accomplished that ... it was completely delicious.

Blood Results

I received my blood work results ... everything is good except my Vitamin D

I have started a prescription mega dose of 50,000 units weekly for 8 weeks.

After I finish with my script I have to be re-tested.

Hopefully this will bring me back up to a semi normal rate.

Otherwise I fear I will be taking enormous amounts of Vitamin D the rest of my life. Not the worst thing in the world ... but a pain in the neck ..... literally lmao

Adventures In Tofu!

Well I did it!

I keep forgetting to mention it there has been so much going on... But I am an official tofu eater now

I tried my first tofu last week and it turned out pretty darn good.

I sauteed Mushrooms, Onions and Zucchini with diced firm Tofu added some salt, pepper, garlic and a swig of balsamic vinegar and my beloved Wortershetershirester sauce

It tasted fantastic! Here is a pic!



I have also since tried the soft tofu and made a shake with my protein powder and Nesquik, a splash of milk, 5 ice cubes and a tbs of honey.

It was pretty tasty as well with the consistency of a milkshake

I still haven't found Edamame yet though lol ... I think I'm going to order it online so I can try it

My Three Month Check Up

Thursday I saw Mike, my Surgeons PA. He checked me out head to toe and told me things look good. I haven't heard anything back on my blood tests. He said if I didn't hear anything back that my levels were doing ok and I don't have to see him again for 3 months! Woo hoo!! {=^;^=}

He said my color is good and my hair looked great. I've not had any loss at all from what anyone of us can tell. I have lots of hair and have always had a tendency to shed but, I'm not finding clumps or hair anywhere or losing handfuls when I shower. I just have the normal strand here and there that I always have.

I attribute part of that to the kick as Bariatric Fusion Vitamins I take and trying to work protein into everything I eat.

I addressed the swelling I am having in my right leg. It's not nearly as bad as it has been over the years .. but enough that I am noticing it. So I am trying some lasix every other day for about a month to see if that helps .. I've been on it for 3 days now and it seems to be helping .. my leg is "loosening" up.

I also saw my Endocrinologist on Thursday as well. That appt. went so so. I went to get the results of my scan I had done before my surgery.

As expected I have growths on what's left of my Thyroid. After a momentary panic and mini meltdown I calmed down. My Mom died of Thyroid cancer at 61 years old. I've already had the left side removed from 2 golf ball sized growths 10 years ago. My Mom's side of the family has had many issues with Thyroid disease in general. My Grandmother, her other daughter and my cousin, her other Granddaughter suffer from issues. So with our family history they aren't messing about.

I have to go in for 9 needle biopsies (3 in each growth) at the beginning of July. If they come back negative then I will have a check up again in 3 months. If they come back inconclusive (as they did the first time I had to have Thyroid surgery) or positive the other half of the Thyroid will have to come out.

So worst case scenario is another throat surgery and I live on a tiny pill the rest of my life. The alternative is not a very pleasant thought, so I guess a pill isn't so bad.

Over all I feel great though! I have more energy than I have had in a very long time. My BMI has come down over 20 points ... and I walked all the way from the parking garage, into the hospital and up to my Doctors office with out sitting down half way. I've never been able to do that.

I can also wear my seat belt comfortably now and I bought a new outfit that is so cute and summery. It's 4 sizes smaller than what I have ever been able to buy before. I was sure it wasn't going to fit, but it did ... with room to spare!

Little daily victories ... every day brings something new and exciting .. and this is still really only the beginning.

Even something as simple as being able to stand and clean the stove tonight just made my day. Every day that I can do something I hadn't been able to do for a while brings me one step closer to being able to make that walk around the block I am just dying to do.

Nutrition By Natalie - 10 Worst Drinks

I found Natalie on You Tube and I really like how she gives you information on different nutritional aspects of food.

Here is one video that really impresses me. I really don't think we take into account that what we drink effects us.

I haven't drank any soda or carbonated beverages since I started my new lifestyle. Every now and again I am guilty of having a diet Arizona iced tea or a cup of tea or coffee with Splenda. I haven't been able to get used to having them unsweetened. I don't drink them every day however.

95% of my liquid intake is water. I really started craving ice water after my surgery and it's stuck with me. I don't really miss other forms of liquid.

So watch this video. It gives you some really good info on how these types of drinks can deplete your vitamin B and dehydrate you among many other long term harmful effects.