Day one … 

Doctor Wasser described my surgery as 'uneventful' … a good word if you ask me! 

Mom and I arrived to the hospital at 7am and Dad met us there a few minutes later.  It was very comforting to have them both there with me.  Mom came back to see me in pre-op first, but left in tears … I knew she was nervous, yet proud of me.  Dad came back next (they had a 1 person at  time rule) and was there to see me off as they wheeled me to the OR.  We had some laughs, but I could see he was nervous, too … I hated putting my parents through this, but they both know it will be good for me.  

As they opened the doors to OR #5 I could hear the Jackson Five grooving in the background and everyone was buzzing around in good spirits.  I remember moving myself onto the OR table and making some small talk with the doctors and nurses.  Everyone was nice and acted as if it were just another day at the office for them … they put me at ease and the music was a nice touch!  

I remember them placing a mask over my face and telling me it was O2 … the next thing I knew I was in recovery.  Uneventfully. 

I was told in pre-op that I was anemic and had to sign a waiver allowing them to give me blood if needed.  Dr. Wasser said my count was at a 9, but should be at least 12.  There is no doubt in my mind what caused this.

On October 27th I had gotten my period.  For me this is a rare occasion, but I didn't think too much about it at the time. As the days turned into weeks and those weeks grew to be over a month I grew worried.  I saw Dr. Chao and she put me on hormone treatments to stop the bleeding and 'reset' my system. We had to adjust the dose 3x before it worked … the bleeding was heavy and nearly debilitating. Finally, ten days ago, the bleeding stopped!  Whew!  I needed to be off the hormones prior to surgery and feared another D/C if round three of the meds had not worked. 

In any case, I guess 10 days is not enough time to rebuild my blood levels. One would think that the insane amount of protein I have had would help, but without eating 'normal' it wasn't enough.  They ran a quick CBC and the levels were still at 9 … but in post-op they never said I needed anything so I can safely assume there was minimal bleeding.  

What I did learn in post-op is that I had a Hiatal Hernia.  

"A hiatal hernia occurs when part of your stomach pushes upward through your diaphragm. Your diaphragm normally has a small opening (hiatus) through which your food tube (esophagus) passes on its way to connect to your stomach. The stomach can push up through this opening and cause a hiatal hernia.


In most cases, a small hiatal hernia doesn't cause problems, and you may never know you have a hiatal hernia unless your doctor discovers it when checking for another condition. But a large hiatal hernia can allow food and acid to back up into your esophagus, leading to heartburn. Self-care measures or medications can usually relieve these symptoms, although a very large hiatal hernia sometimes requires surgery." - Mayo Clinic

I can't think back to having any symptoms, so i guess it was a small hernia.  In any case, it is now fixed.

Around 2pm I was moved into a post-op holding area and my parents were allowed to come back and hang out with me.  I was in and out of consciousness, but I could see that the nurses were pleased with my recovery thus far.  About 3:00 my mom left and Angie came up.  It was so awesome being surround by such love and support.

----- meds are taking over now ----- will continue this post after a few more Zzzzzz!

First … I survived day one of my full liquid diet and protein for pre-op!!!  Yeah!

Second … when I re-read the diet guidelines from Dr. Wasser I noticed that cream and broth based soups are a-ok!!  The only day I need 100% clear liquid is the day before surgery!

Lastly … I am now going to turn my focus onto homemade creamy soups, discovering the BEST canned soups out there, AND exploring some soupy shortcuts for those 'one the run' days.

Case and point …

I made myself a cup of broth yesterday … gross!  Too salty! TJ figured he would try his hand at heating up some for me, too … he worked his own spice-adding magic, but again … total fail.  A few moments later my mom surprised us with a visit.  She offered to get me some wonton-free wonton soup … broth only!  It felt like a bad episode of Goldilocks and the 3 bears!

Needless to say, the wonton broth was a total success. My first soupy shortcut has been found! An hour later is when I realized I could have had a creamy soup.  This opens up a whole new world.

Today for brunch I am sipping on a cup of creamy, butternut squash soup.  I sprinkled a touch of nutmeg into the soup while heating it on the stove … yum!!  For an early breakfast I had a protein shake and I will take one with me to work in an hour … I took the morning off to see Dr. Chao.  That's another story, for another time.

I don't know about dinner yet, but I am feeling some creative culinary moments coming on … avocado soup … cream carrot … sweet potato …. etc..!

Thank goodness for the new blender/food processor … I have a feeling we're going to become very close in the days and weeks ahead.

So it seems I have swapped that full, glutinous, swollen feeling for a migraine and absolutely no freakin' energy.  Grr.

TJ gave me some Ibuprofen about ten minutes ago and a steamy mug of lemon tea.

He's the best.

Admittedly, I have thought about Robin's Nest two times … now three …and then I laugh at myself with utmost disappointment.

Am I really pouting about food?

Yes.

Ok, I know Robin's Nest isn't just about the 'food' … after all, it is the restaurant that people swoon over when you mention going there … it's the ambiance, the victorian charm, eclectic decor … and then the deliciously, creative, and eruptive culinary experience.

Plus, the gift card has no expiration date.  Perhaps this will be a nice way to celebrate a date night once I reach week 6 post-op.

No, I'm not 'doing it again' by rewarding myself with food … I don't know if I ever really did that. Realistically speaking, my husband and I enjoy fine dining … my old 'normal' may be gone, but that is what this is all about … out with the old, in with the new … a new normal.

Protein first, followed by veggies, then the grains.

Nothing to drink while I enjoy my meal.

See … I'm getting the hang of this … perhaps tonight I should make that chart.  My very own play by play, week by week, summary of what I can and cannot do or have.


The 'planner' in me is itching to do something productive!

Stay tuned!

Two days post-Turkey Day … leftovers calling my name … little did I know it would be my 'last supper'.

TJ and I piled our plates high with green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, turkey, sweet potatoes, stuffing, and corn at about 9:30 last night.  Within 20 minutes I felt like a stuffed tick.

    Disgusting.

         Painful.

              Swollen.

                   Guilty.

"That's it", I told him.

For whatever reason, in that moment I decided I was done.  No more waiting until Monday. No more procrastination and rationalizations.

This morning I held to my word, and as I sit here now I am accompanied by a protein drink, a cup of broth, and a large glass of water.

Brief battles ensue within my thoughts …

"Today was your last day of eating whatever you want … don't you want those pancakes!?!"

"You don't have to start this today … you said Monday … don't make this harder on yourself!"

"Dr. Wasser said to start this on 12/4 … that's more than a week from now!"

"You and TJ had plans of going to Robin's Nest tonight for dinner … you're going to break your date night for this!?!"

Faaahhhhhhh!!!!

Will-power prevails … I've put this off long enough.

Anything else I do right now would be hypocritical.

Besides … I know I have a couple days coming up that will not be following pre-op guidelines 100% … 2 days in AC for a conference and the night of the 11th when I have a dinner to attend.  I won't be going overboard, but I will be realistic. Keeping with non-chunky soups and high protein/low-fat options like fish … chewing them into mush.  I'll bring some protein shakes with me to the hotel in AC, too … that will take some of the guess work out, but for the most part TJ and I have a good handle on what to do and where to go for dinner.

Sounds great in theory … this time next week we'll see how well I pass the first test.