Tuesday, November 25, 2014

My Life in Numbers

Countless bruises, stitches, and scars
28 surgeries or procedures
92 pounds lost 
9 months of no walking
7 units of blood
6 months of physical therapy
3 external fixators
3 ICU visits
3 prosthetic sockets 
2 feet
2 rehab stays
2 wheelchairs
1 amputation

I have come farther than I ever thought I could. I have come farther than I ever thought I would. I am inspired in life by the small things. I  enjoy my life to its fullest extent. Although the last couple of years have been pretty tragic, I am beyond blessed.

This is my first blog post. No, I don't read my posts after I post them because they make me sad and, usually, I cry.  

I have THE most amazing friends!!
Here are some pics you might have missed. 
Comparing different days of wearing the same outfit. 
I fit in my senior prom dress!! And the costume I used it for. 

Yesterday was my 2 year ampuversary and today is my (about) 8 month check up. I've lost 92 pounds!! Woohoo! The doctor said I'm pretty much perfect (she really did). I spent yesterday tutoring and hanging out with one of my besties and her family. We had dinner, I chased around her 2 year old, we watched a movie, and I did the stairs like 3 times; nothing holds me back!! Today I went to the movies with another best friend and we ate pizza. I have gotten to do so much cool stuff and I owe it to all the crazy changes in my life.

While I will always wish I didn't have to lose my leg, I am equally grateful it gave me the push I needed to get my life back on track. I am a better me and the best parts of my personality shine brighter than they ever have. I love my life and am happy to say I am content. Please don't read this as I'm done losing weight, because I'm not! However, I am immensely happy. 
Progress pics.

And that's life...

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

6 months, baby!!

So I hit the 8 month mark today. I feel awesome!! I walked 1.5 miles in 30 minutes earlier this week and am trying to walk every other day. I am learning to love food in a more nutritional way rather than in a "soothes my soul" kind of way. Eating right has become second nature to me and I enjoy "winning" my calorie goals and such. Oh... Did I mention I've lost 81 pounds? No? Well I did!!! I've also lost 23 inches (I think- this is hard to measure the same every time).

I am so proud of myself for doing this and sticking with it. I don't look like a super model... yet. It's really only a matter of time. I have to find clothes to fit me (blessing and curse) and am enjoying being thinner. I enjoy not losing my breath after a flight of steps. I enjoy watching my friend's 2 year old and being able to keep up with her. I enjoy life.

Every day isn't perfect. I don't feel like I'm smaller, but I know I am. I sometimes eat things I know I shouldn't, but have learned to eat them in extreme moderation.

I feel incredible!! I have a ridiculous amount of energy and love feeling good. I still have a fair amount of weight to lose, but I know I will reach it because I can SEE results!!

I'm even learning to not cringe when someone takes a picture. I took a selfie the other day once. Yep, that's it. Once. I have more confidence than I've ever had. For those of you who know me, you know that's a feat. Anyways, the point is, I am starting to LOVE myself and that is an important goal to me.

If you have ANY questions about anything, please ask. I am an open book about almost anything. I also promise to be honest. Ha!

P.S. Tomorrow's Throw Back Thursday (#tbt) will be awesome!!! 

And that's life...


Monday, August 11, 2014

4 Month Progress

So I've finally hit 4 months and feel amazing!! Seriously, why didn't I do this earlier? Oh, right. Because I thought it would change my life. It has, but in such a positive way that I do not regret it. At. All. I will post my progress pics in case you missed them on Facebook. A lot of my clothes don't fit well, which is a blessing and a curse. It's an expensive problem to have. Ha! Luckily I've gotten a lot of "pass-it-on" clothes from friends. 

Dad had some issues a couple weeks back with his kidney. This severely stressed me out. What did I do? I ate. But, and here's where I've made progress, I ate half a sleeve of graham crackers and some cheese. That's it. Even my stress snacking has become healthy. Who am I? Oh yeah, the 64 pound-lighter-version of me!! Woohoo!!

So my progress, other than my brain which has changed dramatically, is a total of 64 pounds and about 13.5 inches (I'm probably not measuring the inches right, but whatever)!! I think about what I'm eating now and how it will impact my calories. I take my vitamins (I did this before, too). I drink most of my water most days; I have a new addiction to tea. I still track ALL of my food. I drink 2 protein shakes a day.

Let's talk about this protein thing for a second. I am losing hair. Like handfuls of hair. Not like, oh that's a little more than usual. Like in amounts that I'm surprised I'm not bald yet!! Jeez! So I upped my fish oil, biotin, and protein. It's not so bad. I think it's also working, which is GREAT!! I don't think my hair is growing anymore, just thinning. What?! Is the surgery still worth it? YES!!!!

I constantly see people and want to tell them how awesome I feel and how awesome they can feel, too!! Have the surgery if you're contemplating it. Do it. Do it. Do it. It makes EVERYTHING better! I can actually go grocery shopping in a store with little sweating (for super long trips I still can't, but I'm working on it). I will be able to stand up in my friend's wedding. I can walk up a flight of stairs and still breathe. My seat belt has more space; I can lean up and get something and the seat belt doesn't lock me out. It's amazing what changes. DO IT!!!

Now for the important stuff: exercise. I'm about to start exercising. For real. I don't cringe quite as much when I think about it anymore, yet I haven't started running marathons either. Dad and I are going to work on exercising. I need to shake up my routine if I want results, I guess. If you change nothing, nothing changes. Right? So I'm going to start actually trying to exercise. Why is it so hot, though? It's actually been a mild summer, but it just started getting REALLY hot. Suck it up, I know.

I did have a little melt down the other day in the car. I saw a black car that had just been in wreck and had the front in all smashed up. I stopped breathing for about 2 minutes and then cried until I got my heart to start working again. It was awful! It felt so close to what my car was like. I was instantly flooded with all the images of hospitals, ambulances, amputations, etc. Just writing this is giving my goose bumps... I prayed for like 3 minutes that everyone was ok and that they would quickly recover. I hope I don't have to see a car like that again. I know better than to look, but I was talking and wanted to get home and looked- like an idiot. I will try not to look ever again. Ugh.

Other than that, my life has been peachy!! I went on 2 mission trips this summer, I've seen most of my friends, my cousin came to town, I've lost weight, I swam a few times, I did/do yoga, I've discovered tea, I'm awesome!! What more could I ask for?
And that's life...

Monday, July 7, 2014

Update

Sorry it's been so long. I was waiting for my typical 2 weeks to weigh in, but that was during mission trip. Ha!

I have lost about 5 more pounds since my last weigh in, but I feel like I do more. I finally hit my 10,000 step goal this last weekend. I had to do some laps around the house to get the last few steps, but it was WORTH it!!

I ate surprisingly well during the young adult mission trip I went on, despite all of the yummy looking food. I even walked on the track one day. Yeah, me. Weird, I know. I'm really rather upset I didn't lose any weight, but I seriously think I gained some muscle; I'm ok with that. 

I will officially have to get rid of some clothes and buy some new ones. I was cooking for the mission trip and reached up to stretch out my back and nearly flashed the other two ladies in the kitchen because my pants were dangerously close to falling off. Hahaha! I can wear some of my old pants again, but can't seem to make myself wear the shirts. They stick just a little too much for me. I am going to go shopping for a couple of pairs of capris for the next mission trip I'm going on (next week) and the rest of summer.

I'm hoping to get a "big girl" job this year and will have to go shopping for an interview outfit and work clothes if I get one. What a bittersweet problem to have!!

I have already told you that I feel so much better, but I can't say it enough. I FEEL GREAT!!!

I walked on my new leg all last week and am going to get it adjusted tomorrow. I think I'm already shrinking out of it somewhat. They will have to add padding for me and realign some stuff. Funny story: I had my test socket with my new foot and went to the dentist with dad like 2 weeks ago. It was making this weird sound and I sent a video (shown) to my leg people and said I think it's loose. I went to the bathroom (brought mom) and got up to wash my hands, when my foot fell off. Right there in the bathroom!!! So mom calls dad in, just imagine the people in the waiting room, and he sees me sitting on the toilet (fully clothed) holding my purse with my foot unattached, lying on the floor. Yeah. Only me. Hahahahaha! I wish we had gotten picture... It was hilarious! Luckily, the dentists office, for some reason or another, had some Allen wrenches that dad used to reattach my foot to my socket. #amputeeprobs


Tuesday, June 10, 2014

50 pounds down!!

I'VE LOST 50 POUNDS!!!! Woohoo!! I've finally hit my first BIG goal!!!

It's been awhile since I've written because there wasn't too much to report, except now I've lost 50 pounds. Yesterday I had to drag out my old clothes because my current ones are literally falling off of me. Not really shirts, yet, but pants for sure.

I feel better and more energized. I feel empowered and more content. I don't quite feel like I'm a changed woman or anything, but I feel the slow process of change.

I uploaded pictures the other day of my "change". On my phone, where I took and put the pics together, I could barely see a change. I almost didn't post them. However, I feel like since I'm 2 months post op and promised to share everything, I uploaded them. On my computer I can see a bigger change, but I still wish I could more readily (other than my clothes) see the results.

I guess I should repost the pics I'm talking about in case you missed them...


50 pounds on an average person is a LOT and you can easily see where they've lost weight. 50 pounds of me isn't really that much in the scheme of things and can't be as easily seen. I swear people are excited to see me, then do, and want to ask how I've lost the weight I have and still look "fat". Haha!

It's a process (I literally could not hate these words anymore than I already do). I didn't gain the weight over night and I won't lose it over night either (hate this saying, too). Sad, but true fact.

Surprisingly the water is getting harder to drink. I think I actually prefer cold water now to room temperature. I have gotten some 0 calorie Vitamin Water and Sobe Water to sneak in 20 ounces of yummier water each day.

In other areas of my life, I'll be going on 2 mission trips this summer. I'm trying to up my steps and activity levels. It's hard because my leg still isn't fitting as well as I'd like. We are working to perfect my third socket, so it's taking longer than it did last time. I'm still doing yoga about once a week, which I am learning to love. I feel more limber and flexible; I sit with my legs crossed or one leg under me which I haven't done since before the wreck. All of my scars are fading and I'm applying different lotions and oils to keep my skin elastic and fade the scars.

I have learned that I can eat anything in super small quantities. It's hard for me to hit 1000 calories a day (the "old" me still can't believe this). I still chew everything really well and wait to drink for at least 30 minutes before or after eating. I haven't thrown up at all, which is close to a miracle. I get my protein in with 2 shakes a day in between meals. They aren't as bad because I only have to drink 2 a day. I also don't want to lose my hair so I keep my protein intake high.

And that's life...

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

My secrets revealed!

If I were to give out all my secret "sleever" tricks, this is a list of what I would tell people:

1. GET RID OF ALL THE BAD FOOD BEFORE SURGERY. Seems self-explanatory and tedious, but well worth it. If it's there, you will eat it. End of story.
2. Buy a Camelbak Eddy Bottle, practice drinking two a day (64 oz.) and using the bite valve. It will help post-op. I know it says no straws, but the unique bite valve (which was definitely a challenge to learn at first) eliminates gas getting to your stomach.
3. Time yourself. No water 30 minutes before and after eating is CRUCIAL to your success. Don't think you can estimate this, because you can't; I can't. Unless you like throwing up in restaurant stalls, then go ahead and "wing" it. Also, practice this before the surgery.
4. Buy some containers that make packing food and portioning it so much easier. Just grab what you need for lunch and go. I prepare my food ahead of time so that I don't have to "think" about it; my meals are ready to go. It seems difficult, but it's really not.
5. Fail to plan, you plan to fail. Sounds stupid and cliché, but it's totally true. I try to always have some protein powder or a protein drink when I leave the house. Now that I'm permitted to eat any foods, this will be much easier, but it's not impossible for right after post-op. If I don't have something, then I end up trying to "estimate" the amount of calories, ounces, etc. in food and find the closest thing (fast food) to me. This is BAD!! Plan ahead.
6. Track your food. I use the My Fitness Pal app to track my calories. Again, tedious, but worth it. I was appalled to find out what I ate before the surgery when I looked up the calories. Wow. Use it for a few days before your surgery and definitely EVERYDAY after. If I have to track it, I'm less likely to eat what I'm not supposed to be eating. It's like my accountability partner. Also, track your steps. I use a Fitbit to do this (it has an awesome easy water tracker, too).
7. Find someone who will literally (yes I did this tonight to Dad) take the plate of fries away from you so you stop mindlessly eating them. Also, some kind of support, whether it's friends, neighbors, people you met in a class, whomever, is necessary. You canNOT do this alone. You need someone to support you and celebrate your accomplishments. Someone who threatens to kill you if you gain any weight back. These are the people you need in your life. Not people who will push ice cream on you or alcohol because it's liquid. Haha! Not to say that anyone who offers you the "wrong" kind of food is bad, they may just not remember that you've changed your life. This is an emotional, physical, and spiritual challenge (I swear I'm not being dramatic) that will ultimately change your life. You need people who be on your team and give you that push if you need it and that shoulder to cry on. I have the best support and couldn't have asked for any better people if I had hand-tailored the list. You need that too.
8. They say chewing sugar free gum is bad because you swallow too much air or maybe the gum... However, I like to chew it after eating as it helps aid digestion, clean my teeth, and pass those ridiculously slow 30 minutes after eating. I experienced no problems; try it before you subscribe to it.
9. You are also told to not drink out of straws because you swallow too much air. Of course I had to test this... I had no problems. Again, try it.
10. Do not weigh everyday. Weight naturally fluctuates all the time. Try weighing every week or two weeks. Remember you are changing your view of scales, clothes, chairs (maybe), etc. You will eventually plateau and weighing yourself everyday will only make you stressed and you will likely eat. NO BUENO.
Also, important things: take your vitamins, walk, and slowly make yourself work harder (still working on this). 

Now to the other stuff. I might have spoken too soon about the whole "not being hungry" thing. I feel hunger now. I told Dad that I think all of the inner swelling finally went down because I can actually feel hungry. It takes a long time of not eating (not recommended) for me to feel it, though.When I feel this way, it's harder to control how slow I eat. I just want to inhale all of my food. This is not good.

For the good things from my 6 week appointment (I feel like I have a newborn when I say that):
-I've lost 41 pounds since March 11!!!!!! Ok, so I'm a little excited. Check out my first Snapchat (taken 3 minutes after she told me how much I'd lost) and the goofy grin in the picture that follows. I was giddy all day. Ha! I texted like 25 people; I just couldn't keep it to myself.
-I am completely healed!! I can try any foods, in small quantities that I track, and keep a record of how my stomach reacts.
-I can swalow pills!! Praise Jesus!!! No more liquid Tylenol for my very serious aches and pains. I can take regular vitamins, too. I'm not sure if I will take non-chewable vitmains or not because I want to absorb as much as possible. We'll see.
-I did yoga today, for an hour and a half, since my very insistent friend (the same one who will kill me if I gain weight) wanted me to. It was AWESOME!! See my not-really-a-yoga-pose-but-the-other-ones-looked-too-bad-to-take-a-picture-of picture?! Yep, that's me, crossing my legs. Never thought I'd do that again, but there I am. All yoga-y and what not. Woohoo!
-I wore pants that I previously could not breathe in for the first time yesterday. Yep. It was amazing!!
-Too much information, perhaps, but I went down 4 inches and a cup size in my bra (no pic here... ha!).
-We took my measurements so I can track the loss of inches for the aforementioned plateau.
-I was told to take fish oil, biotin, and eat/drink my protein (60 grams) to avoid hair loss- which should start around 4 months. I actually already do all of these things... Yeah, I'm that patient. 

Now to talk about my relationship with my scale and all of my clothing. You can't tell by looking, but I'm surprisingly good with fashion stuffs. Most cute stuff is expensive and cheaply made in plus sizes, so I don't bother trying to rock a look that would look better on a size 4 than me anyway. I admit that it's hard to get on the scale. My stomach fills with dread when the nurse looks at me expectantly to step on the scale. I mean, I'm eating so few calories, but it's still in my brain that I have somehow gained. Plus, in the past, I only weighed to see if and how much I've gained or am horrified to see how much I've gained when I thought I'd lost. Ugh. So, I am working on getting my head wrapped around the fact that scales are checking my progress; no more, no less. If I plateau, it's not the end of the world. In fact, I most likely will. I refuse to see the scale in a negative light because it doesn't tell me what I want it to, though. So here's to looking at my scale in a new, more positive, light!

So I've read a lot about taking one bite too many and feeling like you're going to die. While that wasn't quite my experience, it was close. I literally, not figuratively, took one extra bite and had to wait for my chest and stomach to stop hurting for a good 30-45 minutes. Talk about uncomfortable! Ew. I had to breathe through some serious nausea, although I did not throw up and have yet to do so. Now I tune in even more closely to my body and stomach so I can avoid this in the future. It was the longest most excruciating minutes of my life... Ok, so that's dramatic- especially for my life, but it sucked. Trust me, don't overeat. That one bite is nit worth the discomfort on the drive home (which seemed like an eternity), during your conference, after lunch, in the middle of a big presentation, etc. It's. Not. Worth. It.

So that's about all the wisdom I can share for now. I'll be back soon for some updates on yoga, walking, my leg, and, of course, my weight! Thanks for all of the support!!!

And that's life...


Thursday, May 1, 2014

New socket and 35 down!

It's been one month since my surgery. I have lost 35 pounds so far!! 

This past weekend I went to Austin with my sister. It was a fun and challenging trip. Where there is traveling, there is food. I had to think carefully about what I could eat. I mostly ate eggs and the insides of tacos. We only ate 3 meals (it was an over night trip), so that helped a lot. I mostly learned to order with my stomach and not my eyes. I thought that one taco would never be enough- and then could barely finish it. Wow!! I kept reminding myself that I can always order more if I'm still hungry. Fortunately, I'm never hungry after eating; I'm full. 

Also, it's true what they say about not feeling hungry. I don't have that feeling anymore. I have to gage my "hungriness" on my mood or the last time I ate. I could actually forget to eat. How scary is that?! I keep a close eye on the clock for food and when to stop drinking. I'm trying really hard to increase my steps each day as well. 

On Tuesday I got casted for a new socket!! Apparently I lost weight in my face, chest, waist, and stump first. Who knew? So now I will be getting a new smaller leg. Woohoo!!! I think I will stick with the same basic design, but different colors and lace. I love this leg, what can I say? 

That's really all I have to update y'all on, so enjoy these excrutitating (to take) pictures of me. Haha!! 
(I feel like you can see my awkwardness in these pics... Ugh. Also, I see very little difference. Boo!) 

And that's life... 

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Now I have to walk, too?!

Dad decided I (we) need to start walking. We may have been a bit ambitious, though. I traversed the track at the park close to my house yesterday. Whew! It took me 1424 steps, lots of sweat, a headache, and, I'm ashamed to admit, some tears.
I hate working out.
It's hard.
It's hot.
It hurts.
I breathe hard.
I sweat.
I'm tired.
My face gets red. 
It generally sucks all the way around.

But I did it. And I (stupidly) promised to do it again.
The silver lining here? Get it? The clouds... It will get easier and I got to have a Smoothie King shake!! I'll take it!

So this whole experience is interesting. It reminds me of having my leg amputated. Stay with me, here. When making all the crazy decisions in the hospital, I kind of became detached from the situation. You know it's you and your life, but you have to use your logic to figure out what's best regardless of your emotions. I don't know if that makes sense or not. The point is, one day it catches up with you. For my leg, it was the first time I called myself an amputee: I started out saying the word and ended up half whispering it. Then I cried. That was never my life plan. I never saw a future where an amputation was on my radar. It wasn't even in the realm of possibilities. Likewise, a future where I am overweight was also never in my visions of the future. This whole process of eating again is like my whole hospital stay (minus all the bills). I feel kind of detached, but know it will eventually catch up to me. Not necessarily in a bad way, just in general. I make my food decisions with my brain rather than my emotions or my cravings.

For instance, I went to dinner with my sister and a friend tonight. After they had finished eating, I had almost completely convinced myself that some ground beef and refried beans wouldn't be that bad and were like mushy food. I was soooo close to ordering, but I tried to remember my end goal. You'll be happy to know that I did not cave, nor did I eat when I got home. I wrote this and went to bed. I'm trying really hard to stick to my food plan and "be good". It's hard, but I also know it will be worth it. Most life choices seem to be this way.

Don't let this post make you think I'm not happy or regret anything; I'm not and I don't. I'm a generally happy person, but I apparently have some deep thoughts occasionally. Enjoy!
Also, my favorite thing I've bought for this whole process were these cute little food containers. I got them on Amazon. They're 5.5 ounces and are perfect for portioning out my mushy foods. Such a good buy!!

And that's life...
P.S. Saw the world's largest hose today!! What are they watering with that?! Maybe it's a HUGE sprinkler!!! Who knows?


Friday, April 18, 2014

30?

Yesterday I subbed for the first time since my surgery. I also went golfing with Dad. Now when I say "golfing", I really mean I half rode half drove the cart to each hole in the freezing cold and drizzling rain. It was really fun, though!! I could put his size large jacket on and zip it! I wouldn't have even ever tried that 6 weeks ago. The subbing was a great first day back. I ended up walking over 5,000 steps and drank all my protein and water. I was tempted to cheat at dinner with Dad and his friend because I didn't plan for that after school, but I didn't! Woohoo!! Willpower.

My incisions were not healing like I thought they should be, and I was worried. Since I'm a little leery about infection (I can't imagine why... leg), I went to the doctor on Wednesday.  It appears some of my suture lines are actually infected. So I get to take some delicious (read: horrible-nasty-disgusting-bleh) liquid antibiotics and have a cream to spread on those things. Two days later and they're already looking TONS better!
While at the doctor, you know they weigh you. I am always worried I have gained weight, which seems impossible. It turns out it actually is; I have lost 31 pounds so far!!! I am so excited!! I have a little more to go before I reach my first BIG goal and can't wait!
Today I ate some mushy food for the first time. I made some Buffalo Chicken puree. Now stop judging that picture, it was DELICIOUS! I adapted and "healthified" a recipe from a friend. I was so happy just to chew something!! I will get through this phase by thinking of everything as dip, which this one actually was dip with a lot of protein. To those of you keeping a close count on my food timeline progression: yes, I am a little bit early on the mushy food. Like 5 days. I feel like I'll be ok, though. I will drink my protein for the rest of the day. It was more of a test run for Easter. I used my timer for the thirty minutes before and after the meal to drink my water. I also had no adverse or weird effects.

I was told I can never chew gum again because you swallow a lot of air or you can swallow the gum (which I haven't done in like 20 years). I think this is false. I tried gum because I need to chew. Now, it's sugar free gum, but I chewed it. I regret nothing!! I have always chewed gum. I feel like it really helps me focus and gives me something to do. It's weird, but so am I. 

My biggest challenge has been not feeling full. When you sip liquids, you don't ever achieve that "full" feeling. Ever. If you feel full after drinking, then you drank a lot really fast; something I can't do. I do feel very satisfied after eating my Buffalo Chicken Dip, and that is a welcome change. So is how easy my jeans come off without unbuttoning them! Ha!

I am dropping down my dosage of fish oil. I am having some adverse effects and am pretty sure it's due to the fish oil. So I'm going to skip a day and then just take 2 a day. We will see if that helps, which hopefully it does.

And that's life...

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Post-op-ness

I've been reluctant to write because I feel a little underwhelmed with this whole surgery. I mean, I'm still on liquids and I don't feel any different. It's hard to stay motivated when I feel the same. I have new scars (I think the count is at like 103958383920 million now) and am a little sore on my left side (like I did crunches- ha!), but that's it. It's sooooo frustrating!! I haven't noticed much change yet, although I didn't struggle into my jeans this morning and my ankle isn't swelling as much. Maybe these are good signs... 

However, I did meet with the doctor on Wednesday to get my itchy staples out and found out I've lost 27 pounds since starting my liquid diet!! Woohoo! I feel like I should've lost more, but I guess not. My pouch is also working perfectly and not leaking or anything! I'm trying to remain focused on my goal and not scratch my belly very much. Turns out I'm probably allergic to adhesive. Around each incision it's read from the sticky stuff and so super itchy!! They put a patch behind my ear to help with nausea, which I took off as soon as I got home, and it left a mark. The first pic is right when I got home and the second is tonight. 


The best part is I still get to sleep on my tummy! I thought I would have to sleep on my back for a while. Turns out I don't! Since I get little to no sleep that way, I'm a happy girl!! 

So after being on clear protein about 4 days, I switched to what they call "full liquids". These include soup and protein shakes. That's it. Just those two. Jeez!! Also, I have to be on them for 3, yes T-H-R-E-E, weeks. After that, I get to to go puréed foods with an "applesauce" consistency. This may sound unappetizing or gross, but I assure you that I am THRILLED to move to that step!! Every time I "eat" my soup my stomach kind of cramps up for a second. I've been assured this is normal and will pass. I sure hope so because I really don't like it!! 


At first I had trouble getting all my water in. I know, that's nuts. I was having lots of gas come back up and a little pain even though I was trying to sip. So I switched to my Camelbak water bottle with the bite valve and now I drink most of my water everyday! I'm not supposed to be drinking with a straw, but my Camelbak removes almost all of the air out of the water and works for me. Plus, I'm conditioned to see my water bottle, check how much I've had, and drink. It's the little things that make alllll the difference! 


I have to take a LOT of vitamins now. 1 multi-vitamin, 3 grams of fish oil, vitamin D, B-complex, 2 Pepcids, and my allergy pill. Sheesh! It wouldn't be so bad, but I chew my multi and B, but have to individually swallow the rest. My fish oil takes 2 pills at EACH meal to get it all in. Needless to say, I'm getting about 2 grams right now; morning and night. The Pepcid I take morning and night, too. I take the allergy pill only at night and the D only in the morning. It's hard to remember everything. Also, I have to chew the occasional gigantic fiber- gross!! The bright side is that after 6 weeks post-op, I'm allowed to swallow regular pills and can switch from these tiny or chewable pills and get some of them all in one! Also, I don't have to take iron which sounds like I would gag if I had to chew it. 


I know this pic is in one of the others, but I think my neck looks skinny, so I'm going to post it again. Haha! 


That's all I've got for now. Feel free to ask any questions. I'd post pics of my incisions, but it freaks some people out. Ha! 

And that's life...