A bit of Serendipity

Definition of Serendipity: 1. An aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident. 2. good fortune; luck.

Loved the movie too!! (one of my favs!) So thats kinda how I feel about this weight loss & a few other things going on in my life. Fortunate. Blessed. I won't elaborate but I have met some pretty amazing people in the past few months. Thru my weight loss journey, my classes / drum circle, and on a personal level.

Some of you ask me questions, so I want to clarify a few that I get asked the most.

"You'll be able to eat regular food after the surgery right?"

No. For a week after surgery I will be on a liquid diet..aka :*Magic Elixir*:

Then I get to graduate to soft foods like low fat cottage cheese, no sugar apple sauce, mashed potatoes, etc. Now I have heard that some people at that stage decided to eat baby food. YUCK! Thats out of the question! Then on to pureed foods, then I can have smaller portions of regular kinds of food, minus all the sugars & preferably low fat. AND I have to add to some of my food, powdered proteins to help me get in 72g of protein per day. I will not be able to swallow a bite larger than a candy M&M. Why? You ask. Because my stomach will be about the size of an egg after surgery & if I put anything in it bigger than it can hold, guess what happens????? Yeah I don't like up chucking for sure! Or it will stay there & feel like someone has just kicked you in the stomach & you feel all crampy & miserable. Ugh. I also need to remember to 'sip' whatever it is I am drinking because the same thing will happen. What happens when you take a pitcher of water & start pouring it too fast into a funnel? Yeah..imagine that.

"You'll still be able to eat cake & ice cream, right?" (bless my kids for asking :)

No. Too much sugar!!! It would make my tummy upset & mom not feel so great. BUT..I am gathering recipes for cakes & ice creams I can make at home to eat. So maybe eventually. And this coming wkend when I am home guess what we're doing?? Having a birthday party for my oldest son!! Oh well.. I hear that the first week or two your home after surgery you don't feel like eating much of anything. I already notice the difference in my chocolate magic elixir & my vanilla magic elixir....the taste of the vanilla is pretty sweet & I have tapered off drinking that flavor because of that reason. I think thats a step in the right direction!!! :)

"You'll be laid up for quite sometime after surgery, right?"

Ummmm...nope, don't plan to be. I was up walking the day after having my last son via emergency c-section/& emergency bowel repair (which only happened because they had to get him out so quickly) with a sterile drain filter attached to my abdomen. The Dr's then were amazed that I was up & walking, well when you have a lil guy whose a miracle & your a few floors apart...as a mom you will do anything to get to be near your child!! ;) The power of positive & healing thinking!! In fact, in class the other night, the nurse stated that we will be required just after surgery walk to our bed from the OR bed we are taken into the room with. Now that could be a bit painful, but I doubt it will be. And the only thing I will be is groggy from anesthesia. So...I'm going to do my best & get moving as soon as I can!

"Are you getting nervous?"

Well anxious would be more the word. If I think about it too much. And I guess I'm just so ready to start this phase of my life & see what unfolds from there. Am I nervous that I'm embarking on this journey alone? Hmmm.. yes in some ways. I guess I feel like I'm a pretty strong person & I don't feel totally alone. I have and plan on continuing with support group. I am surrounded by supportive people both at work, friends, family etc. My two oldest children are excited for me. My lil guy well he's too little to understand in totality whats going to be taking place over this period of time.

"What do you do on your lunch at work, or what do you do when the kids are eating?"

I walk, when I'm at work. Walk. Walk. Walk.

When I'm at home with the kids I usually sit & have one of my drinks while they eat, so that I'm still there sitting with them. OR, I might be doing dishes or picking up around the house but still be conversing with them. Would I like a bite of their mac & cheese?? LOL. You try going without regular food for almost 4 wks and figure that one out for yourself!!!! ;)

And no offense to the people I work with, but I am really looking forward to being away from the office for awhile. I can focus my energies on other important things in my life!! :)