Catching Up With Nicole

April 1, 2013 by · 3 Comments

Bariatric Bad Girls BraceletsMy, my, my. It’s been a busy few weeks. I’ve had so much going on that I’ve hardly had a chance to do anything blog-related. So consider this my catch-up post. I know it’s April Fools Day, but no jokes in this post!

My Trip to Virginia: My friend Robin from BBGC hosted a party in Virginia, and as soon as I knew it was happening…I had to go. Standby flights worked out in my favor, and I got to spend last weekend with some of my favorite ladies in the WLS community. In this pic: Carla, Crystal, Nicole, Suzanne, Robin, and me….all sporting our pink BBGC bracelets.

I’ve spent so much time talking online with these ladies, and only have seen them in person one other time in Atlanta for the Obesity Help event. I feel so much sisterhood with Bad Girls, and I wish I could spend so much more time with them in person. I’m really looking forward to the WLSFA Meet and Greet in May, as well as the Obesity Action Coalition conference in August.

Reactive Hypoglycemia Update: After 2 months of waiting, I finally got in for my endocrinology appointment at the Utah Diabetes Center. The doctor reviewed my symptoms, food and exercise diaries, and agreed the best thing to do for now is to monitor my blood glucose levels. I got my DIABEETUS testing supplies and it’s been nice to have better marker of my blood sugar levels than just symptoms alone.

I have been holding back at hard exercise at his suggestion, so most of my workouts are less than 30 minutes (and usually just walking). I also met with a nutritionist, who suggested that I eat about 300 more calories a day, with more complex carbohydrates and protein. I’ve only had 2 RH episodes in the past two weeks, which I consider a victory. Unfortunately, my 3-month weight plateau continues…

nicole at instacareBronchitis: I’ve been out of commission with bronchitis for a few days, but I’m starting to be on the mend. I had 10 days of minor symptoms that eventually culminated in pure misery and a visit to Instacare. I’m on day 3 of antibiotics, and spent the majority of Easter weekend asleep in bed. I’m hoping to be feeling good enough to travel to California this week for some time with family and the Social Media Managers World Conference in San Diego next weekend.

The 2013 WLS Awards: Today I found out that I was chosen as the “favorite WLS newbie” in DivaTaunia’s Weight Loss Surgery awards. Thank you to all who voted for me…I’m happy that you have been inspired by me (and felt inclined to vote). Check out the podcast to see which other nominees are rocking the bariatric world.

Swimsuit Season: The weather is warming up, and it’s time to find a swimsuit. For the first time in my life, I’ve actually tried on some 2-piece tankinis. I’m still looking for the right suit, but I’m excited to have SO MANY more options than I did in years past.

April is going to be a busy month, but I’ll try to post on my blog as often as I can. I’ve been trying to test out traveling with and without my laptop. It’s a lot easier to ditch the laptop and bring one less bag with me on the plane…but I can’t do everything I want to on my iPad. After I get back from San Diego, I leave for Type-A Advanced in Philadelphia, where I’ll be speaking on one of the expert panels. Then I’ve got WLSFA in Vegas in May, and FitBloggin’ in Portland in June.

 

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The 12 Days of Christmas – Bariatric Style

December 3, 2012 by · 1 Comment

12 days of christmas bariatric styleMy friend Jennifer from Bariatric Bad Girls Club wrote a funny weight loss surgery version of The Twelve Days of Christmas. She shared the link from her blog in BBGC, and it had me in stitches. Oh, how I relate to this, especially this year since it’s my first Christmas since surgery.

The 12 Days of Christmas- Bariatric Style

On the 1st Day of Christmas, my surgeon gave to me, a Roux-n-y Surgery!
On the 2nd Day of Christmas, my surgeon gave to me, two weeks of protein shakes.
On the 3rd Day of Christmas, my surgeon gave to me, three French Vanilla Protein bars.
On the 4th Day of Christmas, my surgeon gave to me, four follow-up visits.
On the 5th Day of Christmas, my surgeon gave to me, five little incisions!
On the 6th Day of Christmas, my surgeon gave to me, six weeks of soft foods.
On the 7th Day of Christmas, my surgeon gave to me, seven laps of swimming.
On the 8th Day of Christmas, my surgeon gave to me, eight glasses of water.
On the 9th Day of Christmas, my surgeon gave to me, nine little bites.
On the 10th Day of Christmas, my surgeon gave to me, ten clothes sizes.
On the 11th Day of Christmas, my surgeon gave to me, eleven kinds of beans.
On the 12th Day of Christmas, my surgeon gave to me, the tools to succeed!

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Obesity Help 2012 Conference Recap

November 18, 2012 by · 6 Comments

bariatric bad girls at waffle house

Last month, I attended the 2012 Obesity Help Conference in Atlanta (hashtag #OHAtlanta). Even though I’m not active in the Obesity Help support forums, I was happy that they were hosting an event. A lot of my friends from Bariatric Bad Girls Club were attending, which was enough motivation I needed to buy a ticket.

Because I was flying out to Atlanta on standby, I wasn’t exactly sure when I’d be arriving. I had my hotel room at the Hilton booked for Friday and Saturday night, but I ended up getting out on Thursday. And by getting out, I mean that I took the scenic route. I missed the direct flight to Atlanta by about 5 minutes because the stupid security line at SLC was longer than I’d ever seen it. Rather than waiting 5 hours for the next direct flight, I connected in Tulsa, and got to Atlanta Thursday evening.

waffle house cheese eggs

I tried to connect with the other BBGC ladies throughout my travels, but I couldn’t find anyone who had an empty bed in their room. I found an inexpensive (aka ghetto) hotel that was a few blocks from the Hilton, which was convenient for our breakfast plans in the morning.  In the morning,  I hauled my luggage down Virginia Avenue toward the conference. I was flagged down by a bunch of friendly people thinking I was mistakenly trying to walk to the Atlanta airport (which is close, but not within walking distance). I got to the Hilton, and immediately saw my BBGC ladies.

And where did we decide on for breakfast during an obesity conference in the South? Yup, Waffle House. Let’s just say a few people in the group got very tummysick and regretted the meal. I got the cheese ‘n eggs and was spared from getting myself too ill.

bariatric bad girls in AtlantaWhen we got back to the hotel, we went to the clothing exchange in one of the conference rooms. It was nice to be able to get some “new” clothes in smaller sizes. Between what I got in the exchange, and from Robin from BBGC, my suitcase was totally full when I came home.

There were lots of classes each day. Some were panel discussions, others were intensive courses about everything from plastic surgery to diet plans. Beth (aka Melting Mama) is the fearless leader of the BBGC, and was on the best panel discussion that I attended. She is excellent at bringing up difficult topics and discussing the hard realities of life after weight loss surgery. A lot of people don’t realize that weight loss surgery makes you more prone to alcoholism. When the food that you’ve relied on your whole life suddenly loses it’s appeal, transfer addictions happen. The discussions that happened about transfer addictions at the conference were very enlightening.

BBGC Fab 4 in Atlanta

One of the most wonderful things about OHAtlanta was the creation of “The Fab Four.” Suzanne, Angela, Crystal and I were naturally drawn to each other during the first day of the conference, and we were inseparable until we all left to go home. We sat with each other in classes, ate our meals together, chatted over drinks, and bonded like sisters. Although I connected with almost all of the BBGC’s in Atlanta, the Fab Four is the best thing that came out of the conference for me. We talk daily over a group instant messenger, and discuss food, clothes, relationships, non-scale victories, and our inappropriate senses of humor.

On Saturday night, there was a weight loss fashion show and masquerade ball. It was so fun to see the men and women in the fashion show who have had success and have gained confidence. So many smiles from the participants and cheers from the audience. After the fashion show, people donned their masks for the masquerade ball. Because it was in October, some people went with pretty dresses and masks, others went in Halloween costumes.

I went with a dress that I really like and feel cute and confident in. But part of me wishes that I’d gotten in on the group costume. Because black and pink are the colors of BBGC, a bunch of the ladies decided to go as the Pink Ladies from Grease, complete with Beth in her fashion show attire and Carla as “slutty Sandy” wearing her Slimpressions and red heels. I’m not in the Pink Ladies pic, but look how cute they are!

Besides the official conference events, we had a blast going through the vendor booths. There were some great vitamin, protein, and weight loss surgery-friendly products for sale. I skipped on the fizzy tablet that turns into vitamin jello, but I did buy my first Slimpressions.

I feel so blessed and fortunate to be a part of such a wonderful group of ladies (and a few token gents). It’s not just a support group for me. They are my virtual family. Because they’ve gone through a lot of the same struggles in life, we’re bonded. We rely on each other when times are tough, answer questions that we may have been misinformed on, and get our daily vitamin reminders from Toni. I met quite a few of the BBGCs briefly in May when I stopped by the WLSFA meet and greet on my way down to Cali for a wedding, but I didn’t get to bond with many people. After spending adequate time with my ladies in Atlanta, I can’t imagine my daily life without their support and humor. There is a lot of love in BBGC…just ask Carla who gave the most epic kiss of the weekend.

I went to quite a few conferences this year, and I had the most fun at OHAtlanta, hands down. If you’re interested in attending a future weight loss surgery event with the Bariatric Bad Girls, the next one will be the Las Vegas WLSFA Meet and Greet in May. I’ll be there with bells on.

 

 

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Frequently Asked Questions About My Gastric Bypass Surgery

September 30, 2012 by · 8 Comments

weight loss surgery not easy way out It’s been seven months since I went under the knife for my gastric bypass surgery. My life has changed in so many ways. I’ve lost over 100 pounds, my eating habits are different, I am more active, and I’m in better health than I’ve been for a long time.

I’ve been grateful for all of the support I’ve had through these months of change and transition. Writing on this blog has been very therapeutic, and I’ve been excited about the friendships I’ve made through sharing about my journey publicly. But after all these months….I don’t feel like my everyday existence is very strange or unique as a weight loss surgery patient. I don’t really have as much to write about, and sometimes I’m not sure what people want me to write about. I decided to do a Frequently Asked Questions post, since I get a lot of questions on a daily basis.

 How long had you been considering weight loss surgery? Were you looking into any other surgeries besides gastric bypass? Yes, I also considered the Lap Band and a Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy. Deciding to have weight loss surgery was a multi-year process. I began researching they different types of weight loss surgery in 2008. For a while I was thinking about doing the lap band. But after a few friends of mine had bad experiences with their lap bands, I was less interested in it. I read some older posts from a favorite blogger of mine, and she gave a lot of information about her experience with gastric bypass. I was encouraged by her long-term success with it, and decided it was time to consult a bariatric surgeon.

I went to the mandatory informational session at my surgeon’s office at the beginning of 2011. My intention to pursue Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RNY), but began considering the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (VSG). By the time I met with Dr Smith to discuss my options, I was fairly certain that I wanted the VSG. We talked about the pros and cons of each procedure, and his recommendation was that I do the RNY. He said my weight loss would probably happen faster and it would give a better physiological results. I trusted his recommendation for me and decided to go with the bypass.

What food has made you the most ill since surgery? My food tolerances have varied a lot over the last 8 months. It’s hard to know when a food that I’ve had no problem with in the past will make me miserable the next time I eat it. The worst offender for me is applesauce. Even though it had no sugar added, it causes dumping syndrome. I’ve had two experiences eating it that I never want to repeat.  I was nauseous, shaky, dizzy, and broke out in a cold sweat. The other things that have made me super sick are grilled shrimp, scrambled eggs, and iceberg lettuce.

When was the first time you looked in the mirror and thought “Wow, I look skinny!”? I haven’t had a lot of “WOW!” moments with myself, but I recently had that moment looking at a picture. About two weeks ago, my office manager took a picture of me with my awesome coworker Suzanne before a work retreat. She showed it to us to make sure it was acceptable to post on Facebook, and I couldn’t believe how good I looked. I got so many supportive comments on the picture on Facebook…but I felt bad that I was the one getting all the attention on it. But I have to admit, I REALLY like how my body looks in it.

What foods do you eat these days? I have a pretty good variety foods that I regularly eat, but I’m still restricted on breads, pasta, tortillas, and simple carbs. Some veggies, like celery, I can only tolerate if de-stringed and cooked. If something is breaded, like fish sticks, I will peel off the breading. These are my current favorites:

  • Hummus and carrot chips
  • String cheese and Tillamook medium cheddar
  • Sauteed mushrooms and zucchini
  • Curry with meat and veggies, no rice
  • Teriyaki steak
  • Soup
  • Toppings off of pizza (cheese, sauce, meat, veggies)
  • Deli-style chicken salad and crab salad
  • Watermelon, blueberries, strawberries
  • Turkey jerky
  • Dannon Light-n-Fit Greek yogurt with PB2 (only Greek yogurt I can tolerate)

11 pounds lost

What have you done with all of your clothes that are too big? I’ve got a big box of clothes in the top of my closet that are too big. And I wait to put the clothes into the box until they’re hopelessly too big for me. I’ve passed on some to people in my hospital support group, but now a lot of people are smaller than I am. I’ve meant to take them to the plus-size consignment shop in SLC, but I haven’t ever made an appointment to do some. Some items I want to list on eBay. But I’m open to giving them away to a good home. Most are size 22-30.

Why did you decide to write about your surgery experience so publicly? I knew that the surgery process would be difficult, and I wanted to have a good support network. I anticipated getting a lot of questions about what was happening with me and my body, and I figured that I’d probably have to repeat myself less often if my friends had a place to get the information publicly.

Also, I hadn’t found a lot of weight loss surgery blogs at the time I started Beauty and the Bypass. In a lot of cases, the posts I read seemed a little too…unrealistic. Of course, reading about significant weight loss is interesting and inspiring, but not very many blogs went into the emotional impact of the surgery. Even though it’s been hard to personally open up about the emotional and mental aspects as a weight loss surgery patient, I don’t regret it. Much. A few times I’ve felt overexposed and wished that I hadn’t written so candidly.

I’ve connected with many other WLS bloggers through my online support groups like Bariatric Bad Girls Club. I discuss a lot of the emotional issues there, instead of blogging about all of them. Because support groups exist, I think that’s why there aren’t as many bloggers writing about those issues.

What is your greatest regret? With how much my life has changed in such a relatively short time, I wish that I wouldn’t have put off having surgery for so long. I had so many weight-related health problems, and was miserable with my body. If I would have had surgery 2 years earlier, I wouldn’t have “dieted” up my weight so high. Then again, I gained 75 pounds in the time that I was considering surgery, and it took those feelings of desperation to push me over the edge to go for the surgery.

Who/what/where did you “turn to” when you felt on the brink of failure? My husband has been an amazing support to me, and I turn to him most often. I’ve turned to my daughter, who posesses incredible maturity and instincts to know how to help me when I felt too pathetic to ask for her help. I have prayed many time for strength, health, and courage. I’ve relied on my friends and family, both online and offline. I ask for help in my support groups.

If you could go back to your first meeting with your surgeon, what would be the top 5 or 10 questions you would ask him? Honestly, I felt very prepared and informed by the time I first met with Dr Smith. But the main thing that I wish I’d known before surgery was that I couldn’t take NSAIDs after surgery. I didn’t know until I was being released from the hospital and they told me in my discharge instructions. I’ve relied on ibuprofen for pain relief for most of my adult life, and not being able to take it has been difficult. If I would have known about NSAIDs before surgery, I think I would have opted for the VSG. I also wish I would have talked to him about hair loss, fatigue, and adequate protein intake.

If there’s a question about my surgery experience that I haven’t talked about, you can ask about it in the comments. I will do a follow-up post at some point.

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Breaking Through My First Post-Op Plateau

April 18, 2012 by · 8 Comments

Losing 50 pounds was my first big goal in my weight loss journey, and I achieved it with  pretty consistent weight loss. But once I hit 50, I had my first plateau. I even gained 2 pounds! *Gasp!* I blame part of it on travel…I’ve been traveling like a maniac the last few weeks. First we went to southern California for Easter weekend to stay at my in-law’s beach condo in Ventura County. Last weekend I joined my husband on a long layover in Dallas.

Let me tell you – it’s HARD to eat the way you need to when you’re traveling, especially airline travel. I can’t take the foods I would like to pack through airport security, and the stores within the airports don’t sell them. I was subjected to taking protein powder for shakes, nuts, and other dry items. Also when traveling, I tend to eat out at a lot of restaurants. I typically share a meal (or even a kid’s meal) with my husband or daughter. Those are my most likely reasons for the weight gain and plateau.

The good news is that I got right back on track as soon as I got home on Sunday, and I was pleasantly surprised that the scale showed I not only lost the 2 pounds I’d gained, but I was down a bit more. I weighed in at 318.5, which is a total of 54.8 pounds lost. Another good thing about traveling is that I’m much more physically active than usual. Between walking down airport concourses, sightseeing and shopping, my stamina seems to last a lot longer. With all of the flight bumps and cancellations coming back from Dallas, I’m sure I walked at least 3 miles in airports on Sunday.

A happy non-scale victory I did have while traveling was being able to fasten the airplane seatbelt without an extender. This is a HUGE victory for me, because I do travel so much and I have felt so much shame in asking a flight attendant for an extender. I also could put my tray table down about 95% of the way (which before I’d just avoid it because it was nowhere near flat). When I travel with my husband or daughter, I often put the airplane armrest up so it’s not digging into my thighs. This time I tried to put down the armrests…they’re not as bad as before, but I think they will soon be a problem of the past.

This week I’m amping up my physical activity so I can be ready for the Color Me Rad 5k on the 28th. I probably could use some new running shoes, but I don’t want them to get all gross and stained from the rainbow powder. I’ve been sticking closer to my diet guidelines and avoiding eating out this week. Lately I’ve had a daily craving for tomato soup, so I get my comfort food fix that way.

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I Want To Be Sedated

March 8, 2012 by · 1 Comment

Today I was sedated with Propofol, the drug that killed Michael Jackson. After the procedure, the PA said to avoid moonwalking for the rest of the day.

As I’ve mentioned in several other posts, I’ve been having a difficult time with keeping liquids and solids down the last 10 days. I’ve been having some pretty violent vomiting, which can cause scarring on my surgical anastamosis (where the stomach pouch and small intestine come together.) At my 4-week post-op visit, Dr Smith told me that I probably had a stricture, and would need to have an endoscopy to see if I needed to be dilated. Unfortunately, the soonest I could get an appointment was Thursday (today), so I’ve had a tough few days. Monday night I was in the ER to get hydrated, and I’ve still been having a tough time getting enough fluids.

This morning I had to be at St. Marks at 7:30am for registration. Once all the paperwork was order, I was taken into endoscopy. I got in my gown, was hooked up to IV fluids and monitors, and had an EKG. I was asked the most comprehensive health history questionnaire imaginable. I’m allergic to fentanyl, which is commonly used in endoscopic procedures, so they said they would be using a different drug on me.

Once all the pre-procedure stuff was taken care of, the took me into the endoscopy procedure room. They put me on oxygen by nasal cannula, and the tech told me about the functions of the endoscope. The actual scope was smaller than I expected, much to my relief.  Within the black cable (which is hanging down in the from the machine on the right), there are functions to insufflate (blow air) and suction, as well as the camera.

They called Dr. Simper (one of Dr. Smith’s colleagues), who would be giving me the procedure. He reviewed all the risks and benefits of the procedures, then I signed consent forms. They started an IV push of Propofol, and everything got fuzzy until I fell asleep.

The procedure took less than a half hour. The endoscopy showed that I indeed had a stricture. A normal anastamosis is supposed to be 10-15mm. Mine was 4.5mm. This is like the difference between the diameter of a dime versus a pencil. No wonder I had such a hard time keeping things down! They successfully dilated me, and said I should be having immediate relief.

As I woke up from the sedation, I felt so loopy. I was jabbering about how colorful my dreams were, and how the wallpaper border of the room looked like it was moving like a conveyor belt. They told me that I was coming off of Propofol, which was one of the drugs that killed Michael Jackson. I was told to take it easy for the day, and to avoid any moonwalking for the rest of the day. I was advised to have clear liquids for the rest of the day and to avoid any “activities that require good judgement.” 

I was given some apple juice with Sprite to drink, so they could see if I could keep it down. I was excited that I was able to drink and keep the drink down without discomfort. After finishing more IV fluids, they released me. I spent most of the day sleeping, which wasn’t hard because I was still so groggy from the sedation. I sipped on broth and juice, and had some sugar-free popcicles. After being on clear liquids so much this week, I’m VERY excited to go back to soft foods tomorrow. Bring on the cottage cheese and yogurt!

But enough about Michael Jackson, endoscopic procedures, and liquid diets…how about The Ramones?

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Four Week Post-Op Report And Vlog

March 6, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

Monday morning I had my 4 week post-op visit with Dr. Smith. In the waiting room, I ran into Barbara, who was one of my surgery buddies from the pre-op class, who had her gastric bypass the day after me. I weighed in at 341.2, which is down 32.1 pounds from my pre-op weight. We talked about how I’ve been having some bad days, dehydration, and how persistent my nausea and vomiting is. He was concerned that I may be dealing with an esophageal stricture, and ordered an endoscopy with dilation. This procedure requires a clear liquid diet, for at least 24 hours.

The scheduler tried to get me in for a next day appointment, but the soonest she could get me in was Thursday. I’ve been trying to keep to the clear liquids diet, but it actually makes me more nauseous.

I went into work for 3 hours, and was not feeling quite right the whole time I was there. I went home napped, and got progressively worse through the afternoon. By the time I decided to call my surgeon for direction, it was 5:15 – just missed his office closing.

I called the answering service, and Dr Smith called back a few minutes later. We discussed my symptoms, and he agreed that I was dealing with severe dehydration. He advised me to head to St. Mark’s ER for IV fluids.

I arrived at the ER a little after 6pm.  Luckily the waiting room was pretty empty, and I was through triage within 20 minutes. By the 30 minute mark, Dr. Paradise was in the room assessing my symptoms. I got started on IV fluids and had a series of tests done. I was so dehydrated that I hadn’t urinated all day, and I wasn’t able until a liter of fluids was in me. As I got more hydrated, I was more comfortable and felt less yucky. Once my levels were what the doctor wanted them to be, he had me start sucking on ice chips and sipping salty Sprite (I can’t have carbonation with my gastric bypass, and salt will counteract the CO2). When I kept them down, I was able to be discharged.

Today was a lot easier than yesterday. I was properly hydrated, so I felt less fatigued. I worked for 3 hours, was able to attend a fun lunch with some bloggers, and relax and recuperate for the afternoon. Rosie wanted to audition for a play, so I helped her prepare a song and resume, took her to the audition, then went home and got straight in bed.

I got an extremely loud case of hiccups, and decided to record it…but as soon as I hit record, the hiccups were gone. But since I had the camera out, I decided to do a quick vlog post for a 4 week post-op update.

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One Month Of Beauty And The Bypass

March 2, 2012 by · 8 Comments

It’s crazy to think it’s been a month since I started my weight loss surgery blog. 5 weeks ago I publicly announced that I was having gastric bypass surgery. I’ve talked about what I’ve eaten, the surgery process, emotional struggles with my obesity, post-operative complications, and added pictures along the way. Already I’m feeling healthier and more confident.

It hasn’t always been easy to talk about what I’m going through, and I’ve tried to be as honest about the process as possible. It’s been incredible to see how many people have reached out to me – those who have had surgery, those who are thinking about surgery, and those who purely appreciate sharing my journey. I’ve had some haters, I’ve had some rude and insensitive comments, but overall…I’m SO glad I decided to document the process.

Since I started the blog, my BMI has gone from 53.5 to 49.2, meaning I’ve gone from “super obese” back down to “morbidly obese”. Next step, I’ll just be “obese”. I’m down a little over 30 pounds, and I’m shrinking all over my body. These are my current measurements, with a total of how much I’ve lost:

  • Neck 16 (-.75)
  • Bust 50.5 (-1.5)
  • Chest 44 (-2)
  • Waist 45.5 (-4.5)
  • Upper belly 49 (-4)
  • Hips/butt 59.5 (-2.5)
  • Thigh 31 (-3)
  • Calf 23 (-1.5)
  • Ankle 11.5 (-1)
  • Bicep 18.25 (-1.75)
  • Forearm 13 (-1.5)
  • Wrist 7.5 (-1.5)

Being back to work has been a challenge. I’ve struggled with some major fatigue, some days it’s hard to stay even 3 hours, and I always follow-up my work shift with a hefty nap. I’m not sure how I’ll feel through the next few weeks, but I’m trying to be patient with my recovery. I’m still dealing with a lot of nausea and vomiting, but I’m getting more comfortable with what I’m able to eat (and how much). I’m still craving things that I can’t have (like Easter candy), but there’s reassurance that avoiding those “bad” foods will help me avoid getting sick.

Today’s food diary:

  • Light yogurt
  • 1 TB peanut butter
  • 2 oz marinara sauce, mushrooms, and cheese
  • 2 oz shredded pork, enchilada sauce, and cheese
  • 3 oz Simply Apple juice
  • String cheese

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Some Days Are Harder Than Others

February 27, 2012 by · 1 Comment

Some days I have a lot of energy. Some days I don’t.

While I was on FMLA, I had the luxury of resting, lounging, or sleeping as much as I needed to. Being back at work doesn’t allow me to follow my body’s cues when I’m needing to rest. If I push myself at work, that means I pay the consequences at home.

I got to work just after 8. By about 1pm, I was SO tired. I had eaten a light lunch of minced up deli turkey with some melted Laughing Cow cheese. I didn’t even finish half of it before I got shaky and nauseous. I ran to the restroom and lost my lunch. When I returned to my desk, I was dizzy and lightheaded. I figured my blood sugar was too low, so I had a few sips of juice and water. Five minutes later, I lost that too. I didn’t feel safe enough to drive home, so I sat back in my chair and tried to get my bearings. I left shortly after.

Because I wore myself out so much, I easily fell asleep and took a 3 hour nap. When I woke up to eat, I had a hard time keeping down soup. I had a hard time keeping down water. I felt too tired to do anything but lay in bed and be on my computer a little bit. As the night has dragged on, my body has broken out into hives. This is the 3rd time it’s happened since surgery, and all three times have been on days I’ve overdone it.

In an attempt to avoid reckless vomiting and widespread rashes, I REALLY need to listen to my body and stop before I’m too worn out. I’m trying to work myself (slowly) back to full time hours, but I really can’t handle more than 4-5 hours without rest. I have the option to work some hours from home, but by the time I get in bed to nap, my mind is gone for the night.

Food diary:

  • 2 oz Light yogurt
  • 3 oz Protein shake
  • Deli turkey and Laughing Cow wedge (lost it)
  • 1 oz Pomegranate Blueberry Trop50 (lost it)
  • 2 oz cream of vegetable soup
  • 2 oz marinara sauce, cooked mushrooms and melted cheese
  • 1 TB peanut butter

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Pushing The Limits

February 25, 2012 by · 1 Comment

nicole and rosie bullock

This has been a great week, but it’s been EXHAUSTING. Not only have I been back to work, my husband went back to work, so I’ve had to start doing more things independently. I’m still trying to figure out what my body is capable at this point, both in activity and the foods I can eat.

This week I worked 18 hours over 4 days, meaning I worked 4-5 hours each day. Some days were easier than others, but I always left the office as fatigue set in. I had just enough energy to drive home, climb my 3 flights of stairs to my apartment, and get in bed. Every day after work I took a 2-4 hour nap to recover. But I’ve never been one to sit still too long, so I tried to get out and do something every evening. By the time I got home, I was so tired that I skipped the blog posts and went straight to sleep.

I’m trying to work my way up to “legitimate exercise” by walking more in general. As I crunch numbers in my head, 400-600 calories a day doesn’t seem like it’s enough for me to be consuming if I’m exercising. But it’s hard to eat more than that, and I want my body to tone up, so I’m trying to add in walking wherever I can. Because it’s frigid in Utah, I usually do my walking in stores and malls.

venous stasis dermatitisOne thing that’s been frustrating this week is my skin. I have VERY itchy skin around my surgical incisions. The scars are healing nicely, but they are so itchy! I’ve had eczema since childhood, so rashes are not uncommon for me, especially since I’ve been stressed and have been pushing myself to get back into normal life again. I’ve broken out into hives a few times, and have gotten this nasty rash on my feet. I already have problems with venous stasis dermatitis, but this looks and feels different. I’ve been wearing my compression stockings daily and have tried to use the right ointments, but nothing seems to work right. Maybe I’m pushing myself too hard? Thank goodness for Benadryl!

Today’s food diary:

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