It's Here!!!

World League weekend has finally arrived!!

I have my Team USA shirt and my Team USA banner...I'm ready! 

I have planned dinner the next two night to make it easy for me to stick to my plan.  It would be amazing if I got through a second weekend in a row of paleo eating.  Wish me luck!

Hugs!!

Thursday Update

I have been up since 5am since I had to take BFF to the airport.  I'm wired now, but something tells me I should expect and afternoon crash.

Recovery

I'm SO much better today!  I felt like such a whiner yesterday, but looking back I'm surprised I made it through the day.  This morning most of the swelling in my arms is gone...some left in the left one.  Plus they still hurt from being so tight.  But overall, so much better.

The incisions are starting to look less angry on my breasts.  Sorry, no pics.  :)  And the bandeau is helping them to push down.  They are looking outstanding in my opinion!

My arms are coming along.  They are still wrapped all the time, so I don't see the incisions as often.  The doctor didn't tell me to start the scar therapy on my arms, but I wonder if I should.  They are really coming along.  I hope to take a good picture of the incision for you this weekend, but for now:

I walked by this dress at Macy's and just loved it.  It is nice to not wear a bra and have a dress look like this.  Two thumbs up!

Weight

Another half pounds of bloat gone.  One more to go!!  It has been a LONG time since I have had steady weight loss like this.  Feels good!

Paleo

Yesterday was another successful day!!  I do find that I'm eating more nuts than I anticipated, but I'm not going to concern myself with it until the scale stalls.  Then we will need to discuss.  :) 

Breakfast - mini quiches
AM Snack - 1/2 serving almonds
Lunch - My Fit Foods Turkey Meatloaf & veggies
PM Snack - apples & almond butter
Dinner - Mexican Chicken
Late Snack - Fruit (but probably nuts)

Weekend

I might have mentioned this about 100 times, but the World League Volleyball matches are in Dallas this year.  So all my pretty giant boyfriends will be in town.

Can't wait!!!

Olympics

Speaking of "Can't Wait"...the Olympics are less than a month away.  I want swimming finals tickets so bad I can taste it, but they are just scare and super expensive.  Oh well, if it is meant to be...  In addition to the awesome experience of being at the Olympics, I actually get a two week vacation.  That is going to be amazing as well!

I still need to do little things like buy a raincoat and shop for a/c converters.  Oh and, you know...heal.

Hugs!

Yuck!

Recovery

I am a good patient.  No.  I'm am a stellar patient.  If the doctor tells me to do something, I do it.  However, I found my line.  I wore those compression sleeves yesterday and they were horrible.  They hurt worse than any of the surgery issues.  So when I got home, I switched them for a different pair which felt better but were still really uncomfortable.  I woke up this morning and my forearms were so swollen that I couldn't even make a fist.

I went back to the wraps and called the doctor to tell them.  My only concern is that after she said I could go back to the wraps, she said, "Maybe you just aren't ready for those yet."  All the swelling is gone from my arms, so they aren't going to get any smaller.  I just don't think there will be any way for me to wear them. 

So I'm a little bummed this morning and I don't feel very well (which I think stems from anxiety.)  My biggest fear is that I will still be in wraps when it is time for my trip and that makes me very, very sad.  But I will just move forward and take things as the come.  No need to worry about any of that now.

On a positive note, everything looks GREAT!  I will try to get new pictures of my arms for you this week.  Also, I actually slept on my side some last night so that is just going to get better and better.  I tried several times to add a photo of a new dress I got this weekend, but it would only post sideways.  What is up with that?  Anyway, maybe another day.

Weight

No change today.  This is the first weekday since starting Paleo that I haven't moved down.  I didn't do anything off plan yesterday, so I'm not concerned.  We will see how the next few days go before I give it any thought.

Paleo

Everything went well yesterday!  Today's meal plan:

Breakfast - mini quiches
AM Snack - 1/2 serving of almonds
Lunch - My Fit Foods Steak Salad
PM Snack - Apples with almond butter
Dinner - Either a My Fit Foods Chicken Salad or Leftover Carne Asada w/Black Beans
Late Snack - Fruit or nuts

Weekend

I have to get up tomorrow morning at 5am to get BFF to the airport.  She is going to a Jazzercise convention.  But this weekend I get to see my volleyball boys and I could not be more excited.  Go Team USA!!!

Hugs!

Progress!!

Recovery

I had my 4 week progress follow up with the surgeon today.  When the receptionist showed me into the room she said I was looking really good.  That always makes you feel good!  Then the nurse came in and her eyes widened and she told me that I really look like I have lost weight.  Woohoo!  YAY!!  Then the surgeon came in and HE said something about my weightloss.  He kind of laughed at me when I told him I was trying to eat Paleo, but whatever, it is obviously working for now!

So, I got all but 2 staples taken out, so my arms feel MUCH better.  I just have one under each arm and they both hurt (pull) a bit, but it is better than 20, so I'm good.  No more bulky wraps is a huge plus as well!  However, I have to wear compression sleeves.  These things are crazy tight and not very comfortable, but once they were on (which is almost impossible), you kind of get used to it.  They definitely slim down my arms as opposed to making them bigger like the wraps, so that's nice.

He told me that we still need to work on getting my breasts to drop.  He said that my breasts were very tubular which is why he wanted to use saline implants.  The saline ones would help to round them out to look less torpedo-like.  I'm all for that!  So, I have to wear a bandeau.  He told me to wear it today and then I can just start wearing it at night after that.

I still didn't get released to Jazzercise (boooooooo!), but he said that I can walk/jog.  Bleh.  Fine.  My next follow up is in 2 weeks. 

Last Night

My plan for last night:  walk, run errands, shower & wash hair, go to BFF's for a rewrapping, watch Olympic Trials, go to bed.  Six little words changed that:

"Want to go to the game?"

I hesitated for about 2 seconds.  I'm so glad a I went though.  Our seats were in the 3rd base box right by the visitors dugout.  First row...  It was unbelievable.  It was such a bummer that the game was not a good one for the Rangers. 

The Rangers third base coach even threw me a ball, but the obnoxious guy above me reached over me and grabbed it, practically out of my hands.  I meant the guy looked at me and threw it to me.  I didn't even get up, just put my hands up and it would have fallen in.  This guy reached OVER and DOWN to grab it from me.  He even "apologized" and called himself a ball stealer.  I meant it wasn't any big deal, I'm not 5.  But I just get tired around annoying and obnoxious people.

Weight

Hit my post plastics low today.  If I can lose another 1.6 pounds this week, I will be able to start working on the 5 pounds I put on pre-surgery.  That would be SWEET!

Paleo

Still going strong.  I was so proud of myself for not deviating from the meal plan yesterday.  All of the other girls ate at the Ballpark, but I had my Mexican Chicken before I left home and took a little baggie of nuts for a mid-game snack.  That is a choice I'm really proud of!!

Today's meal plan:

• Breakfast - mini quiches
• Lunch - My Fit Foods Chicken & Veggies
• PM Snack - Apple slices & almond butter
• Dinner - I'm going to meet a friend at Fuzzy's Taco Shop, so I'm trying to decide between a Garlic Shredded Beef Salad and Huevos Rancheros
• Late Snack - fruit

Maroon 5

The new album drops today!  Downloading now.  :-)  That should make walking later this week more enjoyable. 

Hugs!!

P.S.  Is the Blogger spell check working for you all?  Mine isn't and I'm a bad speller!!  :)

The number for the day is...FIVE!

Weekend

I had a wonderful weekend.  BFF & I went to the Rangers game on Friday.  It was hot, but I love my Rangers!  The only annoying part is that the girl sitting next to me insisted on putting her feet on my chair, so I would get kicked in the head & back quite a bit.  I asked her to stop, but she didn't and I wasn't in the mood for confrontation.  It wasn't hurting me or anything, just annoying.  People are so inconsiderate.  But the Rangers won and the fireworks after the game were AWESOME!!

Saturday night BFF, Lizard & I went to ShareBear's for dinner.  She had grilled us up a feast!  Beef & Chicken kabobs, pork chops, steak, shrimp, veggies, sweet potatoes and a salad.  We drank delicious wine and stuffed ourselves on the grilled goodness.  Everything was on my plan except for the wine (and some whip I put on my after dinner coffee), so I felt pretty good about it.  Plus, we had such fun!

Sunday night, I met up with some blogger girls.  I'm hoping someone posts the picture.  I love meeting up with fellow bloggers and we had a great time!! 

Weight

After my feast on Saturday and Tex-mex last night, I was a little worried to step on the scale this morning.

I lost FIVE pounds last week.  FIVE.  I have only lost that much in one week a handfull of times.  Exactly a handful in fact, five times since my pre-band diet started.  To caveat, I'm not working out much at all, so this is mostly bloat that I'm losing.  But I think we all know how inspiring it is to see that scale move down, regardless of what it is!

I would love to work hard this week and lose the remaining 3 pounds of bloat I have from surgery this week.  Then I could start hacking away at that extra 5 pounds that crept up on me before the surgery.  How cool would it be to get back to my "normal" weight before London?  Pretty cool, I say.

Paleo

I mentioned some of my Paleo slips over the weekend.  But I have really stayed away from refined sugar and white flour, so I feel like I'm doing well.  Plus...FIVE pounds.  :-)  I guess this week will be a test.

Today's menu:

• Breakfast - mini quiches (recipe below)
• Lunch - My Fit Foods Chicken Tiki Masala
• Snack - My Fit Foods Protein Pak (boiled egg, grapes, etc.) & almonds (if needed)
• Dinner - Mexican Chicken (chicken, black beans, rotel, & salsa in the crock pot)
• Snack - Fruit

Everything on this list sounds good to me (well I've not had the lunch yet, but it sounds good...), so I still don't feel like it is going to be too tough.  BFF wants to go to Chipotle for lunch today and although I will be a long for the ride because I have another errand, I will abstain and have my healthy prepared dinner.  That is a BIG deal for me!

Mini-Quiches

Someone had asked me how to make my mini-quiches (Jen, maybe?) but I couldn't email back to her comment, so here is how I make them in case anyone is interested:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Spray muffin pan.
• Prepare fixins.  (Last week I fried bacon and used that with chopped mushrooms.  This time, I used organic crumbled sausage, onions & peppers.)
• Put some of the fixins in each cup.  Don't fill it up, but you want enough to taste it. 
• I usually then put some cheese in them.  I had some leftover butterkase, so I put that in half, and then used some shredded cheese I had for the other half.
• I beat up 6 eggs (for 12 quiches) and added some salsa and some milk.  (Also salt & pepper and anything else you might want like garlic, chili powder, cayenne...whatever.)
• I separated the egg mixture between each cup.
• Bake for 20 minutes.

Easy peasy!!

Olympics

I was glued to the TV this weekend for a lot of the US Olympic Trial coverage.  Some of my favorite moments (i.e. the ones that made me cry):

• Eaton achieving the world record in the decathlon.  I didn't cry because he did it exactly, but it was more how the guys that were in front of him running in the last 1 mile event (but weren't in contention in the overall decathlon) got out of the way in the end and started cheering for him to make it.  It was just such a wonderful example of sportsmanship and I loved it!
• Lolo Jones making the team.  She came from such a hard childhood and she just kicks ass.  She was so genuinely happy and I was happy for her.
• When the two Olympian sprinters, immediately after qualifying, grabbed up their little boys and tried to get them to high five.  Adorbs!
• I didn't cry during the synchro diving trials, but I was happy for Dumais and Ipsen.  I should get to see them in London!  Woohoo!!
• I was mesmerized by the Men's 3m Springboard competition.  I was cheering for Colwill & Dumais, but they were battling for 2nd.  Only one would make it to the Olympics.  Then Ipsen (who was first) botched his next to last dive and suddenly Colwill & Dumais were 1-2.  I felt bad for Ipsen, but I was so thrilled for Colwill.  Love him! 
• After that competition, I wished that I had 3m Springboard tickets in London, instead of my Womens 10m Platform which was what I was able to get.  For some reason I looked at my itinerary and realized I was wrong.  I didn't have W 10m, I had M 3m!!  If Chris and Troy do well, I will get to see them in London.  I seriously cried at that.  HA! 

If you know me well, you know I'm not a cryer.  I'm just not.  But there is something about sports and particularly about the Olympics that just gets me.  Love.  Love.  Love.  I am an Olympic Nerd and there is no way around it. 

I have another surgical follow up tomorrow, so I will give you an update on my recovery then.  Have a fantabulous week!

Hugs!

TGIF Blogland!

Weight

Another pound and a half of bloat...gone!  This means that I'm 2 pounds from my pre-plastics weight.  Woohoo!  After that, I feel like I'm getting somewhere, even though I have another 5 pounds to get to my "normal" weight and another 5 to get to my lowest.  I realize that it is mostly bloat weight, but it still feels good to be over 6 pounds lower on Friday than I was on Monday!!

Now...the big key is keeping it off through the weekend.  Last weekend, I gained back over half of what I lost during the week.  No bueno!  So, this time, I'm more prepared.  I look forward to telling you on Monday that I maintained my loss...or possibly increased?  Do you think that might be possible? 

Paleo

I can tell you that I haven't felt hungry all week.  I know I keep saying that, but it is true.  When this starts getting harder, which it will, I need to remind myself of this over and over.  Help remind me when I start caving!!

Breakfast:  2 Mini Quiches
AM Snack:  15 Almonds (1/2 a serving)
Lunch:  My Fit Foods Chili
PM Snack:  1/2 cucumber, 20 Almonds, 1 slider hamburger patty w/cheese and 3 jalepeno poppers (GF)
Dinner:  Baked tilapia with veggies
Evening Snack:  1 serving Mixed Nuts

Hmmm...I had over 2 servings of nuts yesterday, so I'm going to need to watch that.  They are just so easy!!  Plus, I did a lot of snacking in the afternoon.  Our company had a party so the slider patty and poppers were a last minute thing.  I can't turn away those poppers! 

My biggest challenge for the weekend will be avoiding snacking during the day tomorrow and during the evening Sunday. 

Sleep

I slept 5 hours last night.  That is just not normal for me...I'm a 8-10 hour sleeper!!  I went to bed early, but I could not fall asleep.  Finally, after midnight I got up and took some Tylenol in a desperate attempt to sleep.  Luckily, it worked.  I woke up at 4am, wide awake as can be.  I think I finally drifted back off around 5am and then woke up with the alarm.  I'm not tired at all this morning.  It will be interesting to see if I crash in the afternoon!

Fitness

I went on the treadmill at lunch yesterday!!  I walked for 20 minutes (60 seconds of jogging) on Wednesday, so yesterday I walked for 30 minutes and jogged for 60 seconds and then again for 90 seconds.  It hurt my arms a little to jog, but cardio-wise...it felt fantastic!!  I can't wait until I can start pushing a little more.

Recovery

Speaking of hurting, things are definitely hurting less.  During my lots of awake time last night, I discovered that I can lay on my right side (gingerly) but not my left.  My arm mobility is 100%, but I still have to move slow in the extreme angles. 

The breast incisions are looking less angry and the scar therapy seems to already have some effect.  There are still some stray stitches, but everything is moving along.  Arm incisions are looking great and I have so much hope that these staples will come out in 4 days!

Weekend

I'm headed to the Rangers game tonight with BFF.  Since she eats gluten-free, I know we will go to dinner somewhere I will be able to stick to my plan.  No snacks at the Ballpark shouldn't be too tough, but I might treat myself with a diet soda...

Saturday night, we are having a little girls night at a friends house.  We are grilling meat and veggies and having a wine tasting.  The wine is the one treat I'm letting myself have over the weekend.  I will try and limit myself to 2 glasses total.

BFF usually comes over on Sunday evenings but she has plans this week, so I'm on my own.  Dangerous!  This is my snacky, snacky time.  I'm cooking chicken lettuce tacos to have as leftovers for the weekend and I really like them, so I hope I'm not too tempted.

Olympics

I tracked down another volleyball ticket for the Olympics!!  I found a guy who had one for one of his children who isn't going now.  I only needed one because it is the 2nd week after SIL leaves.

I had a dream the other night that I was leaving for London but totally unprepared.  I have been waiting for so long, but now it is time to start making final preparations.  There are 5 weekends before I leave and I have something planned almost every single weekend day or night.  Geeze.  It will all come together though!

Hugs!

Almost Friday!

Weight

Another 4 tenths of a pound of bloat...gone!  Still another 4 pounds of what I'm considering surgery bloat to go.  Considering I've already blown through almost 9...not bad!  The big key is this weekend.  Typically, I do so well during the week, then crash and burn on the weekends.  But I think I'm planning better and feel like I'm setting myself up for success this weekend.  I'm taking one at a time!

Paleo

Paleo Day #3 went really well.  I had my unfill yesterday and I figured that I would be STARVING!  But I wasn't.  In fact, I was more satisfied throughout the day yesterday than I was last week, pre-fill and pre-Paleo.  I'm absolutely shocked about that.  Before when I have tried to get rid of carbs, I have been so much hungrier, but I don't think that I have ever given up so much sugar.  Maybe that is the difference?

For breakfast I had my mini-quiches.  Lunch consisted of leftover beef & chicken fajitas with grilled vegetables and a dollop of sour cream and cheese.  It was funny because I took a bite of beef (big for a bandster bite, but small for a normal person) and chewed and chewed.  It just didn't get small enough to where I would normally swallow, but I knew that I had the unfill.  I crossed myself and swallowed.  I was so relieved when everything was fine.  I'm just hoping that I can continue my good habits of chewing and not get lazy.

For my afternoon snack, I had about 15 roasted almonds.  Then there was a catering error at my office and we were blessed with some bacon wrapped jalapenos.  I had three pieces and they were yum-o!!  They weren't huge pieces but I felt stuffed!

When I got home, I put off dinner for almost an hour which is just unheard of for me.  I just wasn't that hungry.  These ARE NOT things I normally say, people.  I had some leftover roasted chicken from BFF and I topped it with some leftover spaghetti sauce.  Meat and veggies on more meat...very Paleo! 

For an evening snack, I had about 1.5 ounces of mixed nuts.

I am only on Day #4, so there is nothing to get cocky about.  But if this continues to work, I think I can continue to do it for a while.  Talk to me in a week.  Ha!

Fitness

Yesterday was my first day back to exercise.  I was all psyched up and ready to go!!  I went down to the gym in my office building and I walked for 20 minutes.  I was soaked through my shirt and you would have thought I ran a 5k.  Ha!  I did vary my speeds and incline, but it is amazing what you lose during a month of recovery.  Today I plan to walk 30 minutes at lunch.

I jogged for about 60 seconds, but I could feel my incisions pull, so I stuck with walking.  I might test out another 60 seconds today.

Recovery

Yesterday I was able to wash a little more of the "crud" off the incisions, so I started using the scar therapy on my chest scars.  We will see how that goes.  You put it on like nail polish and it is hard to see if you got it on.  They said that it was so much better than Mederma, so I'm trying it.  But I actually used Mederma on my band scar and you can barely see it now.  I keep thinking that maybe I should just go with that.  I don't know.

I bought a compression shirt and I couldn't even get it on.  I don't know if it was because it was too small or I'm just afraid of getting stuck.  Ha!  I'm going to wait until BFF is around so she can help me if I need help out.  I just don't know how this is going to work.

My arms are less and less sore each day.  I can feel the staples, but they hurt less.  All good signs, right?

P.S.

I just got an invitation to lunch to go for BBQ.  I turned it down and I'm going to work out and eat what I brought.  Go me!! 

Hugs!

I'm loose, baby!

Good morning! 

Weight

The bloating is starting to disappear!!  I lost another 2 pounds since yesterday.  I know that isn't "real" loss, but I want that "not real" gain to GO AWAY.  :-)  I have a little over 4 pounds of it to lose before I'm back at my pre-plastic surgery weight.  Then another 5 pounds to get to my "normal" weight. 

Seeing as I lost 2 pounds last week and I've lost 2 pounds each the last two days, I really feel like I will get through the bloat part soon.  Then I will be able to see what Paleo is doing for me.  I just can't say, "eat paleo and you will lose 2 pounds a day!"  Ha!  Although I feel sure it isn't hurting.

Paleo

Speaking of Paleo...Day #2 is in the books and it was good.  I had my plastics follow up yesterday morning, so I was running later than normal.  I didn't eat my mini-quiches until almost 10am.  No morning snack necessary!  Around 1pm, I had another My Fit Foods prepared dinner.  This one was a Cobb Salad and it was great!  I mean it was just a salad, but it was a good one and the mustard-y dressing was really good.  I'm going back this weekend.  The meals aren't cheap, but they are delicious and satisfying and there is no waste.  It works for me!!

I haven't been really challenged with this yet, but I know it is coming.  And there is always a concern that I will be hungrier with my unfill and the hungrier I am, the worse my decisions become.  Only time will tell, but so far, so good.

Un-Fill

Today I got a 1cc unfill.  It isn't a ton, but it should allow me to eat most any type of food without getting stuck.  Although, no doubt extra hunger will come along with it. 

I went to my doc's office and the lobby was all atwitter with news that Hot Doc is moving to Oregon.  Dagnabbit.  Not only is he nice to look at, he is a super amazing aftercare physician.  I have gone to everyone at the practice and Hot Doc is head and shoulders above the rest (including my surgeon who I also like)  in his bedside manner and technique.  First time, every time. 

Hot Doc was training somebody new and things didn't seem to be going well.  Out of the 8 or so people that came out, only 1 said it was fine.  Everyone else was complaining about her "digging", one said that she was poked 3 times before Hot Doc had to take over and finish on the 4th try.  Yikes!  I went in and while we all talked about the Olympics, she went to task.  She felt around, but it was no issue whatsoever.  Maybe I just have a super awesome port!  :-) 

Anyway, now the true test comes.  Can I sustain a substantially Paleo diet and continue to lose weight without much band juice?  I'm very fortunate to have BFF who eats gluten free for health purposes...so there won't be a situation that she is going to be in front of me eating a giant burger or pasta dish (I'm not tempted by the gluten free kinds as much.)  So many people around me eat healthy naturally.  Even though sometimes it gets frustrating because it makes me feel bad when I want a giant piece of cake and they don't...that's my issue, not theirs.  And in the end, it is a positive influence and I give it a lot of credit for helping me change many of my habits.

Recovery

I washed the incision areas on my chest last night.  But I had a lot of little stitches that haven't dissolved yet, so I didn't feel like I could start the scar stuff yet.  I think it needs a few more days to get all the crusties off.  :-)  I am starting to get a little more comfortable in bed.  I still have to sleep on my back, but I can sleep with my arms above my head which helps.  I don't know why, but it does.

I ordered a couple of compression garments on-line.  I'm hoping they fit!  All of the women's ones I found were either long sleeved (not going to happen in 100 degree weather!) or too short-sleeved to have an effect.  Crossing my fingers!

It is all downhill to Friday!!

Hugs!

Well Piddle.

Recovery

Okay, well I have good news and bad news.  Let's start with the bad:

• My staples are still in and my wraps are still on.  Sigh.  The doctor said that I move my arms a lot which is good for my breasts, but bad for the arm incisions.  He seemed to think I would be happier in the long run if I leave the staples in for another week.  As bummed as I was to hear that, if he thinks it will be better in the end, then I'm not going to argue with that.
• Once the staples are out and the wraps are off (hopefully next week!), I will need to wear a compression T shirt for another 3 weeks.  This certainly is a long process and I can't be more glad that I decided to just do it instead of waiting until after my trip.  Have any of you worn compression T-shirts?  I'm not even really sure where to look.
• Did I mention the staples are still in?  Yeah. 

Now for the good:

• All the tape is off both my arms and breasts.
• The doctor said that my arms are looking "just brilliant" which felt good.
• I don't need to wear a bandeau at this time, but it is possible he is just waiting another week because I'm still wrapping the arms.
• I am to start breast massage each day to get them to start dropping.
• I can start the scar therapy on my breasts.
• And the best news of all...I can exercise.  No arms though, so just walking or maybe a light jog.  I didn't bring my clothes today, but I will walk tomorrow with Godmother at lunch and then walk after work on Thursday.  I bet by Friday I will be feeling so much better!!

Paleo

Yesterday, my first day of Paleo went GREAT!  For breakfast, I had my egg cups which were just delicious.  For lunch we went to Pappasito's and I had gluten free corn chips with guac and about 1/3 of the lunch combo fajitas with no tortillas.  For an afternoon snack, I had some mixed fruit and some almonds.

When I got home from work, I had my first prepared meal from My Fit Foods.  It was chicken salad on a bed of lettuce.  This wasn't truly Paleo because of a little bit of sugar in the dried cranberries, but the oil used was better than normal (I can't remember but something about the treatment) and there were no artificial preservatives...all "homemade" and natural.  Anyway, I was skeptical.  I squeezed some lemon over it and sprinkled with sea salt and garlic pepper, then mixed it up.  It was AWESOME!  Seriously, so very good.  If everything else is close to this good, I will be going back to this place for sure!

The problem was that after dinner, I still had a lot of time on my hands and I got a little snacky, snacky.  I had some strawberries with 2T of cream, a boiled egg, a piece of cheese & some almonds.  At the time, it felt like I was eating a horse, but really it wasn't that bad.  And definitely devoid of refined sugar and white flour which is the main goal.

This morning I woke up 2.2 pounds down, so if nothing else, the bloat is coming off.  I have a little challenge going to lose 1.5 pounds per week until my trip.  That would get me below my pre-surgery weight.  Then I can just focus on enjoying my trip.

Sonicare

One of the guys I work with is hyper-focused on dental hygiene and convinced me to get a Sonicare.  I tried it for the first time last night and I have to say that it is going to take some getting used to.  It kinda gave me chills, but I'm sure that I will be okay with it in time.  Have you used one?  It certainly did make my teeth feel good!

Hugs!

Another Monday! Here we are.  :)  I feel like this is going to be a fantastic week!

Weight

I lost 2 pounds last week and normally I would be over the moon.  I am happy about it, but when you put on 10 pounds practically overnight, you want it to go a little faster, especially since I was 5 pounds down on Friday. 

I know I tend to fluctuate more than the average person.  It boggles my mom's mind since she doesn't fluctuate more than 2 pounds or so at the most.  Last night I jumped on the scale to see about where I might be this morning to prepare myself.  I was up 8 pounds since Friday.  WTF?!!?  Anyway, when I officially weighed this morning, I was 5 pounds less than that.  My body is odd.

One of my coworkers asked me this morning, what I'm expecting from this Paleo thing.  The funny thing is that I don't have a real answer.  I mean I want a few things:

1. I want my body to normalize.  The surgery has really messed with it and I would like to get it regulated.
2. I want to lose more weight.
3. I want to have a nutrition plan that is safe and realistic for me.

I still had cream & sweetener in my coffee this morning, which isn't Paleo, but I think that if I gave up absolutely everything, I wouldn't last past the week.  I will ALWAYS be battling my weight.  I want to se if this is something I can sustain that might help me do that for a while.

Paleo Meals

Last night I made Paleo Spaghetti.  I made a homemade bolognese sauce  that had a lot of veggies (carrots, celery, mushrooms) and ground beef.  It was delicious!  Then we had it over spaghetti squash.  I liked it!  I think that next time I might try it over zucchini spears instead, but I definitely will be having it again.

For breakfast, I made egg cups/mini-quiches.  I made them with bacon, mixed mushrooms, & butterkasse cheese.  They are delicious!!  Dairy is something that many hardcore paleo followers give up, but I'm leaving it right now along with corn and sweet potatoes. 

I believe that if I give up refined sugar and white flour, it is going to do amazing things for my body.  I'm also giving up potatoes and rice temporarily, but that might be something I work back in over time when I feel that I'm better limiting my carbs.

For lunch, half my company is going out for a June birthday lunch.  There are 5 or 6 of us that all had birthdays this month and we are going to Pappasito's Tex-Mex.  I'm either going to have fajitas with no tortillas or the Pappasito's Grill which is a skewer of grilled beef, chicken, bacon-wrapped shrimp & veggies.  I will probably end up with the fajitas because the meat is really good there.

For snacks, I have roasted almonds, a cucumber, & mixed berries.  Tonight for dinner, I'm going to try one of the salads I bought from My Fit Foods and then have some strawberries for dessert.

There is nothing about today's meal plan that makes me feel like I'm sacrificing, but it is only day #1!  :-)

Recovery

Things are going well with my recovery.  I'm looking forward to my follow up with the surgeon tomorrow.  I'm REALLY hoping that I get my staples out and that I can remove the arm wraps.  I'm also hoping that he releases me for some sort of exercise!

I have a small hole right under my left armpit that is having trouble healing.  It still oozes a lot, especially when I'm sleeping.  I'm eager to see what he has to say about that.  Hopefully it won't leave a big scar but if it does, at least it is in my armpit!

I still have a lot of anxiety that I'm battling but I know that exercise will make it go away.  I just have to be patient a little while longer!!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend and happy Monday!!

Hugs!

And they're off...

I'm going to the horse races tonight and I'm really looking forward to it.  I'm meeting my Jazzercise Diva friends who I haven't seen much lately because I haven't been Jazzercising!  It is going to be a fun time.

I was another 1.2 pounds down on the scale this morning, which means over 5 pounds of surgery bloat has come off this week.  That obviously makes me super happy.  I'm still eager to start eating Paleo style next week (I say as I'm eating my oatmeal.  Heh.)  It just would be super nice to take my trip at my more normal weight and then focus on moving forward when I get back. 

Tuesday night was my monthly dinner night with the girls.  It was a small group because summer is just a busy time.  We went to a restaurant called Company Cafe.  Lots of organic and clean food.  95% of their menu is gluten free.  We shared some loaded sweet potato fries that were ridiculously awesome.  Then I had roasted chicken and vegetables.  The flavors were incredible.  I had leftovers last night and they were wonderful!!

Lizard, BFF, Beth Ann, & ShareBear

Picture time!  I had BFF take a couple pictures of my arms last night when she was helping me with my wraps. 

I tried several times to flip this picture and I couldn't get it done.  Anyway, it is definitely a major incision and lots of bruising.  There is still a little med tape on there as well.  But as you can see, it is on the underside of my arm, so it isn't super easy to see in a casual situation. 

But...

That is my new arm.  I don't have a good similar before picture, but I think you can tell the difference from this...

I hope when all is said and done, I can get copies of the doctor's before and after pictures. 

It this ideal?  No.  But am I happy to exchange a scar that will fade over time for a big blob of jello?  You betcha!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!

Hugs!

Ten Things Thursday!!

1.  Jersey Boys was great!  I love that show.  The Frankie Valli actor wasn't as good as the first performance I saw, but the show is so good and the music is fun.  The actual Frankie Valli is coming to town in September and if I wasn't going to be in Chicago, I would totally go!

2.  As far as recovery goes, another night in my bed and it went better than the previous night.  I didn't even try to move, I got in bed about midnight (late because of the show) and laid down on my back.  Took longer than normal to fall asleep, but it did and my back is really thanking me for getting out of that chair.  During the show, I would have these sensations of a needle poking me in different incision sites.  It actually kind of hurt.  I have the feeling of little needle pokes all the time, but they don't really hurt.  Last night they did.  But that seems to have passed, thank goodness.

3.  I dropped another 4 tenths of a pound yesterday, so that's good.  Certainly the right direction.  I'm really looking forward to starting Paleo.  I don't know why I can't tell myself just to eat better, but that just doesn't seem to work, at least for any length of time.

4.  I'm excited to take a shower and wash my hair tonight.  Plus, I get to watch the Rangers!  They were off Monday and I couldn't watch them last night so I'm having a bit of withdrawal this week.  I'm new to liking baseball.  I had really avoided becoming a fan because I know what kind of fan I am and there are a ton of baseball games.  Two trips to the World Series and a team of adorable characters put me over the edge.  I'm hooked.

5.  Does anyone use their iPhone internationally?  Do you have any issues with iMessage to other countries?  I'm hoping to use mine to communicate with my friends at home while I'm on my trip, but I don't want to get stuck with extra charges.  My understanding is if you use iMessage (particularly through WiFi) it is free.  Thoughts?

6.  I'm tired of ginormo surgical bra.  It is comfortable, so I'm sticking with it until I heal, but so many of my shirts are cut in a way you can see it, so it gets hard to dress.  Plus a lot of my clothes are too tight right now.

7.  I have a frozen dinner for lunch today that I don't want to eat.  But since I'm going to try and give up processed food with Paleo (or at least limit it), I keep telling myself it is the last one, so just do it.  Plus we are having our company June birthday celebration and there will be cakeballs.  I know I will eat one of those suckers, so frozen dinner it needs to be!

8.  I'm going to the horse races with some friends tomorrow night.  That will be fun!  We did it a couple of years ago and had such a great time.  I'm really looking forward to doing it again.

9.  Is anyone watching The Catalina?  That show is an absolute train wreck, yet I watch.  Ugh.

10.  43 Days!!

Hugs!

I love my bed.

Happy Hump Day!!  Very soon we will be on the down side of the week which is a very, very good thing. 

Let's talk a little bit about the scale.  I saw my lowest weight back in December and again in January, but it didn't really stick and Feb-Apr, I pretty much hovered 5 pounds above that which I will call my CN weight (Current Normal).  With the stress of surgery and blah, blah, blah, I gained 5 pounds.  Okay, it happens, no biggie.

Then I had surgery and with that, I gained 10 pounds!  Okay, so now I was 15 pounds above my CN weight and 20 pounds above my lowest.  Especially since working out is out of the question, it was a little stressful.  I have been trying hard this week and am eating relatively well for me.  I can see the scale moving in the right direction and it feels really good.  There is no question that a large chunk of the surgery weight is from bloating and water retention, so that should fade soon.  I feel beyond confident that I will be within spitting distance of my CN weight for my trip. 

On Monday, I'm starting a Paleo diet.  Basically, I'm eliminating most refined sugar, pasta, rice & potatoes.  This is the diet that many of my CrossFit friends swear by.  I'm going to give it a shot, at least until the Olympics. 

I have developed a meal plan for next week.  Breakfast each day will consist of mini-quiches or egg cups, whatever you want to call them.  Individual little fritattas made with bacon, mushrooms and tomatoes.  On the weekend, I'm making Paleo Spaghetti (which is basically spaghetti squash with a bolognese sauce) and chicken for tacos (chicken meat, black beans, & rotel in the crockpot to wrap in lettuce with cheese and salsa).

Also, I found a place called My Fit Foods and I ordered a few freshly prepared meals for me to have during the week.  My snacks will be nuts, fruits and veggies.

I honestly have no idea if I can do this long term, but I'm eager to give it a shot.  If it isn't for me, I will get a fill post-Olympics and start working the basics.  I don't care WHAT the right answer is for me, I just want to find a way to lose more and maintain my weight healthily over time.  It will be a lifelong process!

On a completely different note, I took a shower and washed my own hair last night which was delightful.  Also, I slept in my bed!  I had to sleep on my back which is really hard for me because I have a tough time falling asleep that way.  But it was still better than the chair.  There were many dried blood stains on the sheets when I woke up but I think they were from me trying to test out sleeping on my side at the beginning.  It hurt so I felt like it was a bad choice.  :-)  I think it will be back sleeping for at least a week.

I haven't taken any pain medication (even Tylenol) for over a week now.  I have some dull pain with the incisions, but overall it isn't too bad.  The tape is starting to come off the arm incisions and even though it looks pretty grody now (I will try and remember to take a picture when I rewrap them Thursday night), both BFF & I agree that they are going to be fine when the scars fade.  It will be so fun to start building muscle again!!!

I'm going to see Jersey Boys tonight, so that's awesome!  Hope you all have a wonderful day.

Hugs!

Post-op Update

I went to the surgeon this morning for my 2 week post op appointment (13 days to be precise).  I found out the following news:

• Bed - I can leave that darn chair and sleep in my bed.  This was the #1 news of the day.  I'm a little concerned about how I'm going to comfortably transition to sleeping in bed, but I bet it can't be any worse than the chair. 
• Mobility - I have full mobility of my arms now.  In fact, he asked that I put my arms straight up in the air for 5 minutes 3x per day.  The best part of the news is that I will be able to wash my own hair. 
• Exercise - this is still a no go.  Maybe next week?
• Allergy shots - he cleared me for shots today which is really good because I was going on over a month and I usually get them every two weeks.  I definitely don't want to get sick!  I went straight to my allergist and got them, so now I'm back on track there.
• Wraps & Staples - he said that he wants to keep the staples in and the wraps on for another week.  He said that I need to move my arms around a lot to help with my breasts, but that the staples will keep the incisions from pulling.  I'm okay with that.  I don't love the pain from the staples, but I was more worried that it was doing harm.  Now that I know it is okay, I can handle another week.  He said that next week he will add a bandeau over the bra.
• Bra - I have purchased 3 bras in the last week or so to try to switch out when I'm washing the surgical bra, but they just aren't comfortable.  They sold me another surgical bra and I totally wish I would have done that up front.  The difference is night and day!

I think that is everything.  Basically I'm just waiting to be able to lose the wraps and start working out!!

After my appointment I went to the parking garage and as I got closer to my car, it sounded like it was running.  When I got up to it...it WAS running!!  Poor Skittle.  I have push button start and rarely take my keys out of my purse.  I guess in my excitement to get to my appointment I locked the car, but I didn't turn it off!  I had the keys in my purse so I'm surprised it ran without them.  I think if someone would have tried to drive it, it wouldn't have gone anywhere.  I'm glad that the appointment wasn't long and that it doesn't burn much gas!  Oopsie!

On Olympic news, the ticket distributor has suspended event sales in order to assign the tickets already purchased.  Tomorrow they will release the remaining tickets.  I don't have a lot of anticipation that I will get anything more, but I'm going to check for Swimming Finals & Cycling tickets for me & SIL and single tickets for me for athletics, diving and sync swimming.  If I get something, great!  If not, no big deal.

I really controlled my calories and food intake yesterday so I'm feeling better and not quite so bloated today.  I was 1.4 pounds less this morning, so that's positive.  I would really like to lose another 5 pounds over the next week, but I'm not sure if I can do that or not.  One day at a time. 

We are going out for our monthly girls dinner tonight and I've already picked out a healthy plate.  One day at a time.  :-)

Hugs!

Getting there!

Hi everybody!   I'm starting to feel like me again.  :-)

It has been 12 days from surgery and I feel like starting to be productive again.  I'm looking forward to tomorrow morning to see what I will be released to do:

1. Sleep - I am still sleeping in the recliner, but I should be released to sleep in my bed tomorrow night.  This is a really big deal because my back, shoulders and neck is really sore from the recliner.  This alone will make a huge improvement in my mood.
2. Mobility - Right now I'm not allowed to raise my arms above my shoulders.  It actually hurts if I do it because the staples pull.  I'm hoping that he takes some of the staples out which will take some of that stinging away.  It would be great if he told me I could have full mobility with my arms because I REALLY want to be able to wash my hair by myself.  I just made an appointment to go get it washed at lunch.  It is starting to add up and frankly, it just gets annoying.  I did buy some dry shampoo because I figure that even if I can wash it myself, I'm not going to be eager to do it everyday for a while. 
3. Wraps - I believe that I will have to wear the arm wraps for another week.  These aren't really a problem.  I don't love them, but they aren't my biggest issue.  However, since I live alone, I can't really shower just any old time, because I can't re-wrap my arms myself.  BFF has been super great about helping me, but it will be nice when I don't have to bug her anymore.
4. Exercise - I've been able to manage my anxiety with the idea that this is only temporary and I will be able to work out again soon.  I just had NO idea how much exercise leveled my mood and kept my anxiety at bay.  It is good to know!  I'm guessing that he will release me to walk this week and then release me for Jazzercise next week.  Here's hoping!
5. Incision/Scar - the incision is obviously still healing, so it will be a while yet before I can start using the scar reducer.

Friday night BFF & I were supposed to go to the Truck races at TMS but we were both tired so we decided to just go to dinner instead.  I got a little tipsy and realized alcohol is way better than Tylenol!!  :-)  Saturday I went to my friend the massage therapist and she worked on my neck and shoulders for 30 minutes while I sat in a regular chair.  I felt SO much better after that.  Then just because she is super nice, she washed and blow dried my hair!

Saturday night we did go to the the Indy race out at the speedway and it was fun, but I was pretty miserable for the 2nd half of the race.  When we got home, BFF put Biofreeze on my back before I went home and went to bed chair.  It really helped!

Yesterday, I didn't quite make it up and at 'em for church, but I did get a lot of errands run.  By a lot, I mean 3, but that's good.  Last night, BFF, ShareBear, Lizard, Debi, PattyCake & I went to The Melting Pot for some fondue.


Lizard, me & Debi

 It was a fun time and I'm so happy and blessed to have such great friends!  Plus, fondue is yumtastic!!

And now for the dun, dun, duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun....

I got on the scale this morning for the first time since May 17th.  What happens when you go from working out 5-7 hours per week to ZERO hours per week without changing your eating habits?  You gain ten pounds.  Bleh.  Now don't get me wrong, I'm sure some of that is bloat and blahda blahda, but I"m done with this BS.  I can't workout, but I can control my eating now that I'm feeling human.

It feels a little strange to gain weight and then go to the LB doc and ask for an unfill which is exactly what I'm planning to do in 9 days.  I have a very sound plan, but I would like to be able to tell him that I'm on the losing track even though it might not look that way to him since there is no way I can lose that all in 9 days with no fitness component. 

So, the plan is to just eat well this week.  I've got the MFP fired up and I plan to eat as few calories as possible.  Next week, I start eating Paleo.  That gives me roughly six weeks before I go to London.  I don't know how well I will do, but I know that I absolutely want to give this a try.

Have any of you followed a Paleo plan?  If so, how has it gone?  What were your biggest challenges?  I'm not concerned with giving up bread, since I don't eat much of that anyway.  But I know it will be tougher to give up pasta, rice and potatoes.  I incorporate a lot of starch in my diet even though I know I shouldn't.  It will be tough to make that mental change. 

But the hardest part with be the sugar. I don't even think I realize how much sugar (real and artificial) I consume.  For instance, morning coffee...  I typically drink one cup with two creams and one packet of Splenda.  Since cutting down on the sugar/sweetener is one of my focuses, I want to find a change for that.  For today, I tried half of everything and that was doable.  I will keep cutting back on it and see how it goes.  Maybe I can get to like black coffee after all.  :)

Anyway, lots to think about.  Hope you all had a great weekend!

Hugs!

A Little Better Yet!

Good morning and happy Friday!!  I feel so much better today but I am still glad to see the week come to an end. 

Physically, I'm definitely better.  I took Tylenol around 8pm last night and it is mid-morning and I haven't taken any since then.  Last night when I got home and unwrapped my arms for a shower, I noticed that my right arm had bled some.  I had used sticky bandages and I think they pulled my skin to much.  It look like everything was dried so I didn't do any lasting damage.  BFF came over and rewrapped my arms in the soft bandages.

Right now the incisions on my arms hurt, but it is a very dull pain.  My breast incisions hurt as well.  The pec pain has lessened immensely.  My back hurts from the constant slouching which I'm trying to fix and my back/neck hurts from sleeping in the recliner.  So overall, I'm sore, but it is bearable and again, better than yesterday. 

Emotionally, I'm battling low levels of consistent anxiety.  I just didn't realize how much exercise balanced my emotions.  It isn't intense, just constant.  I'm anxious from the time I get up until I go to bed.  But I just keep in mind that I have a plan and I KNOW that once I get back to Jazzercise in a few weeks, it will go away.  I just need some fitness endorphins for balance!

Funny Story...yesterday, my chest just started aching a bit.  So I went into a bathroom stall at work, sat on the toilet and undid my shirt and bra.  I think they just needed to breathe.  Anyway, I cupped my breasts in order to get some air to the incision and I was startled.  DUDE, MY BOOBS ARE ENORMOUS!!!  Now, that isn't true at all, but that was what came to my mind. 

I have always worn padded bras and I had a lot of excess skin.  So basically I would stuff all that excess skin and tissue into a padded bra and on the outside look remotely normal.  But unclothed, I didn't really look like I had proper boobs.  I guess since they look similar clothed, I didn't expect them to feel so different!  Yesterday was the first time I actually touched them.  TMI probably, but it cracked me up.  It is nice to have a little normal.

I had a wonderful birthday even though I didn't really celebrate big yesterday.  A group of us went out to lunch and I had a super yummy salad.  After lunch, Lizard bought me a birthday Starbucks.  YUM!  While at Starbucks I ran into one of my CrossFit buddies, the one I called Legs from my Fundamentals class.  I love that girl and it was a great birthday treat.

I have gotten some amazing gifts which at 38, I don't really expect to get gifts at all!  My two faves:  first, a couple of my dearest friends sent me ecards for Victoria Secret.  How perfect is that??  These new ta-ta's need some fabulousness!!

Then, BFF/Lizard/ShareBear came over to give me a gift from them.  They had done some research!  They knew that there was a special restaurant that I wanted to go to when I was in London but it is really expensive.  They contacted a former coworker of mine who had suggested and then contacted the restaurant to see if I had made reservations!  When I hadn't, they almost made reservations for me, but were worried that it wouldn't fit in my jam-packed itinerary.  So, they gave me a gift card exclusively to be used to offset costs at this restaurant.  I almost cried I was so thrilled!

My mom had asked me yesterday morning what she should get me for my birthday and I didn't know.  We decided that the perfect gift would be for she and dad to pay for the rest of the meal.  So I just confirmed reservations at this fancy schmancy restaurant in the Mayfair district of London.  I told SIL to bring a dress because we will have one amazing fancy night out!!

I will leave you with a picture of my hand.  I can't believe the bruise is still this prominent over a week later!  I guess that's what happens when you pass out on someone trying to put in an IV.  :-)

Hugs!

Birthdays are great distractions!

Today is so much better than yesterday.  I suspect that will be the case for the next several days.  I was able to find pillows and blankets to help make my recliner a little more comfortable last night.  My back is so done with that chair. 

I haven't been able to kick the extra anxiety I have.  I know about 95% of it is because I can't work out.  Over the past year or two, if I started to feel out of control in any way, I would up the exercise and immediately feel better.  Exercise releases endorphins in me that help smooth out my emotions.  Right now, I can't do that.  And it sucks.

Upcoming things to look forward to:

• Today - Birthday lunch!
• June 9 - Indy Race
• June 10 - Birthday dinner
• June 12 - My monthly dinner with the girls & the first night I can sleep in my bed!!  And hopefully I will be able to wash my own hair.  :)
• June 13 - Jersey Boys
• June 15 - Going to the horse races with my Jazzercise Divas.
• June 19 - Potentially get my arm wraps off.
• June 20 - Start Paleo Diet
• June 29-July 1 - Team USA Volleyball Games
• July 4-8 - Roadtrip with BFF to Louisiana
• July 9 - JAZZERCISE!!!!!!!

That is a whole lot of fun things to look forward to!!  I feel out of control and so out of my routine.  Right now there is no way to change that, so I'm just taking things one day at a time. 

To answer some questions I got yesterday:

1. We never discussed my weight at the surgeon's.  He looked at the body parts I wanted to fix and decided that he could help me.  He asked if I had plateaued, which let's face it, I have.  He didn't indicate it would be horrible if I lost more weight post surgery.  He didn't bring up BMI or anything like that.
2. I didn't get an unfill prior to surgery.  However, I'm not super tight at the moment.  I had planned to get a large unfill for my Olympic trip which I have now decided to do earlier on June 20.  That gives me a month to try the Paleo diet prior to my trip and I can decide how to proceed with fills when I get back.  Right now I can't eat much beef or shellfish and can even have an issue with fibrous vegetables.  I may be to hungry to do Paleo long term (or just not have enough will power to follow the plan) but I want to give it a shot and since I was going to do an unfill anyway...two birds, one stone.
3. The first week at home I wore button down pj's.  For my doctor's appointment on the day after surgery, I wore my pj top with some sweat pants.  I looked hot.  For my Saturday outing a few days after surgery, I still had my drains and I found it was easier to shimmy into a loose fitting dress.  I wore a dress yesterday to work as well.  Today I'm in jeans and a button up short-sleeved shirt.  You can see my bandages, but I don't really give a crap.  :-)  That's how I roll.

 My CrossFit box posted this on their website this morning in honor of my birthday.  I'm SO ready to go back!!  I won't go back to CF until after my trip, but all of that will be here before I know it.  50 Days to London!!

HUGALICIOUS!

I have a blog? Wha?

Okay, folks.  No excuses, just apologies.  If any of you out there are even still keeping up with me, to you I apologize greatly. 

I got overwhelmed and just shut down.  With the never ending weightloss journey, the surgery, work issues, & my upcoming TOAL (trip of a lifetime), I just stopped being able to put things into words.  I needed to get past a few things.  I addressed some work issues and good, bad or otherwise, I did what I thought was right. 

Then last Wednesday, I had my surgery.  For those of you that might have forgotten since it has been a bajillion years, I had a breast lift & augmentation and an arm lift.  If you are interested in my experience I have logged it below.  Otherwise, I commit to checking in more regularly and not letting myself get to an overwhelmed point...at least for the foreseeable future! 

Wednesday

BFF picked me up bright and early and we were at the surgery center at 7:15am.  After checking in, the super nice nurse took me back to prep.  I could feel that I was very anxious and I tried to breathe through it.  I was sitting in a recliner chair when she tried to put in my IV.  It had to be done on my hand since part of the surgery was on my arms. 

For some reason, it didn't work out and she had to try again.  I asked her if we could use the other hand.  I felt myself getting woozy.  Next thing I knew I was looking into the face of some man I didn't know and had no idea where I was.  He was saying that I was having surgery and naming my doctor and telling me I had passed out. Oopsie!  (As a side note, I still have the most enormous bruise on my hand.  I guess from pulling the IV out when I passed out.  It has been one of the things that hurt most...crazy!!)

The nurse said that I was just talking then all of a sudden, I was out.  They decided not to risk doing it again at that time.  As I came to, they asked if I wanted BFF to come back and I said no because she would be freaked out from having me pass out.  But then I decided that I wanted her there.  I was sweating like I had never sweat before. 

The surgeon came in to mark me up and he went through FIVE Sharpies because I was so wet.  Finally he gave up and decided to do the rest when I was on the table.  I had to sit down three different times while he was doing it.  In fact, one time I said I didn't need to and he said that I was shaking and I needed to sit down.  I know the anxiety was just a culmination of my overwhelmedness...yeah, that's a word.

Anyway, it was time.  BFF went up front and I went back to the OR and crawled onto the operating table.  That was kind of funny, but why transfer me when I'm awake, right?  They gave me a mask of laughing gas and one breath made me relax.  I remember saying, "I'm drunk" then the anesthesiologist (which happened to be the strange man in front of me as I came to) said, "Yeah, you are."  Ha!  That's the last thing I remember.

When I woke up, I was beat up but okay.  The surgery took about 3 hours and it took about 45 minutes for me in recovery.  BFF got all the instructions and took me home.  Can I just tell you what an amazing friend I have?  She truly went above and beyond.

I don't remember much about that first day.  Mostly I just laid in my recliner and we watched TV.  That night BFF slept in my spare room while I slept in the recliner.  Every 4 hours, she would get up and give me pain meds.  The thing I realized is that I couldn't make the recliner foot stool go up and down on my own.  So she had to get up, push my feet down, then I would go to the bathroom, then she would give me meds, pull the lever to prop up my feet, then go back to bed.  The super crazy thing is that she went to work the next day!

Thursday

BFF took the morning off and took me to the doctor.  I looked pretty styling in my my PJ top, but I did put on sweatpants instead of the PJ bottoms!  The doc & nurse said that everything was good and to come back on Tuesday. 

BFF took me home, hooked me up with some lunch and went to work.  She propped my feet up on a chair because I still couldn't use the recliner.  It all worked out.  I spent the day drugged up.

That night Lizard came over after work and brought me dinner.  We watched a couple of episodes of American Ninja Warrior before BFF came over after.  Yes, BFF came over to take care of my drains.  If you all don't know about drains...  I had tubes literally sticking out of my skin from the backside of my underarm.  They were taped in place and led to small bottles that I could clip to my shirt or bra in the front that had to be drained each day.  These things are the worst.  They are uncomfortable.  Grody stuff goes into them.  They really can't be hidden.  Bleh. 

If you are planning to have surgery, I would suggest that you plan to not go to work until one day after getting the drains out.  Apparently people go to work with them still in, but you can't shower and again, they are very bulky and uncomfortable.  In retrospect, I would have not even considered going in on Monday or Tuesday.

Lizard stayed through the night and followed the same pattern BFF set with helping me up and feeding me meds.  That superwomen got up and left at 5:30am so she could go run and get ready and go to work.  Awesome!

Friday

Friday morning, I discovered that I could maneuver the recliner myself which made for a very big deal.  I was much more mobile!  I still pretty much just hung out in the recliner and watched TV.  I tried to read, but I found that I couldn't concentrate. 

Friday evening Debi came over and kept me company.  I wasn't the best companion, but it was so wonderful to have her there.  We just hung out and continued to watch TV.  Thank you BBF!!

Saturday

After Debi left Saturday morning, it took me a bit to try and clean myself a little bit and put on "regular" clothes.  The drains were totally noticeable (I called them my alien babies) and I walked like an elderly person.  BFF picked me up and helped me put on a sweater to cover the arm wraps.  We met our friend Armstrong for lunch at Chipotle.  Delish!

After lunch, we went to a Sports Cuts to get my hair washed.  The girl didn't speak English so she wasn't sure what was going on, but we got it done.  I felt so much better!!  After that BFF & I went for a pedicure.  By the time that was over, I was exhausted.

After getting home, I slept 14 of the next 18 hours!!

Sunday

Sunday was the worst.  The doctors had warned me that there would be some emotional issues and even regret after surgery.  BFF came over after church and without meaning to I just started crying.  I was crying and trying to explain to her that it was normal that it was in the literature.  Heh. 

Mostly, I just tried to get through Sunday. 

Monday

I had decided not to go to work until I got the drains out on Tuesday.  Monday was another day to just get through.  It wasn't as bad as Sunday, but I was still kind of miserable.  I went and got my hair washed and blowdryed in anticipation of going to work the next day.  I also got some lunch.  I started to get very sore from sitting in the recliner all the time.

Monday night I went to bed early just wanting those drains TO GO!

Tuesday

I went to the doctor and was so happy to get the drains taken out!  The bad part was that I had to give the holes a day to close before I could shower.  I told my boss that I thought I should wait until I could shower before coming back to work and he agreed wholeheartedly!

Doctors orders:  1.  Sleep in the recliner for another week.  2.  Keep wraps on arms for two more weeks.  3.  Don't lift arms above shoulders.  4.  Don't lift more than the equivalent of a half gallon of milk.

I went to the store and bought a couple of bras like the surgical one I had so I could wash them.  I also bought some new Ace bandages because the ones on my arms were starting to reek!!

It was frustrating because I wanted to get groceries, but with the weight limitations, I really couldn't!

Wednesday

I didn't take any medication last night except for Tylenol, so I didn't sleep but maybe 3 or 4 hours.  But at least I don't have any medicine head.  My body hurts from sitting in that chair.  I hope that by being at work today it will work itself out some.

I got up and showered.  BFF came over to reapply my arm bandages.  Did I mention how awesome she is??  I have some pain at the incisions but it is bearable.  I also have a lot of pec pain, but again, it is bearable.  I will take some more Tylenol at lunch.

The worst part is how much my back hurts from sitting in that recliner for a week!

I hope to work until 4pm and then go get my hair washed.  But I promised myself that I would stop before I get too tired because I really need to get my hair washed tonight.  Plus, I need to get home safely.  :)

I promise to get back into reading/writing mode and see what is going on with all of you!  If you are considering sugery (or even if you are just curious) please leave any questions you have in the comments and I will try to get them addressed in upcoming posts.

Big "catch up" hugs!!