Liquid Diet and Gastroscopy

So, I've been on this liquid diet now since May 23. People I see regularly kept asking me how much I've lost on the liquid diet, but I didn't know, because me and scales... we just aren't really good friends. But, for my friends, I got on the scale last Thursday morning. I'd lost 16 pounds since I last saw my doctor on May 17 -- from 248 to 232. Amazing. And, the liquid diet isn't all that difficult to do. I thought I'd be in misery, with food all around me. And worst of all, I thought I wouldn't want to cook anymore -- which I love to do. Well, guess what? Doesn't bother me. I went out with Kerry Friday night to a dinner dance. We bought two tickets, so I had to get up and get a plate of food. Dinner consisted of a half a roasted chicken, broccoli and cheese casserole, half a baked potato, stuffing and gravy. It looked absolutely scrumptious, but, while the others were eating their meals and enjoying their wine, I had my fat-free yogurt with Crystal Light to drink. Did you know that raspberry lemon Crystal Light looks just like white zin?  ;)  We put my plate of food away to take home. Kerry ate it Saturday night for dinner. I enjoyed the company and the music and dancing!  :) 

Well, then comes Memorial Day weekend. I always have a cookout on Memorial Day weekend. I always do the cooking on Memorial Day weekend. I always make too much food on Memorial Day weekend. I wasn't sure I would be doing Memorial Day weekend this year... and that was okay. But, when Kerry and I were on our way home from somewhere, we stopped at the supermarket so I could get some Simply Smart milk... it's recommended by my nutritional team because it has more protein than other fat-free milk. So, while I'm in there, I decided I would be doing Memorial Day weekend. I cut back a bit and bought just a few steak tips, just one cut-up chicken, ingredients for just one pasta salad and that's it. This year, I would ask my sister-in-law to bring a tossed salad and, along with the stuff I got, that would be it... steak tips, chicken, pasta salad and tossed salad. Well, I had a fruit salad, too.  I can eat a half-cup of that.  :)  My brother and sister-in-law came over, Scott and Kirsten along with their two kids came over, and Steve was here. He had his kids that weekend, but brought them home before we started the barbecue. Mama wanted them early. I made sangria for the adults (none for me) and we all had a great time.  :) 

So.... I CAN still cook and be around food and it doesn't bother me. But, while making the pasta salad and separating pepperoni slices to put in it, didn't I pop a slice of pepperoni in my mouth?!!!  Yup! It was in there before I even knew I did it! The greasiest, spiciest thing I could've eaten! It's a wonder my stomach didn't revolt! So, yeah... I cheated. I cheated the day before, too, when I made chili and had a taste of it to see if it needed any more cumin or chili powder.  Yup... same thing... popped it right in the mouth before I remembered it's not on my liquid diet list!  LOL

So... after those two cheats, do you KNOW what happened??  I gained a pound! It HAD to be that greasy piece of pepperoni! Or my scale's screwed up. So, I'm now down 15 pounds. Still pretty good, but I don't think I'll be losing much more before surgery, if anything. I think it was mostly water weight.

Today I had a gastroscopy. I was somewhat nervous about it. I'd never had one and couldn't imagine HOW they were going to get this scope down my throat without me gagging and coughing and more-or-less acting like a freak. It was an interesting procedure. I had to disrobe from the waist up, bra and all. Got into my johnny and waited in my rolling bed, in my cubicle, for the next step. Next, in comes a nurse who asked me every question I had spent 2 hours answering online, on their online registration form. I asked why she didn't have a copy of it. She said it was only for the anesthesiologist (sp?) and they didn't have access to it. Isn't that dumb?! She put that little clamp thing on my finger that measures my oxygen and pulse and took my blood pressure. All was good. Then she gets out all kinds of tubing, gloves, a tournequet and hangs a plastic bag of something (saline?) on a rack. I know this next step will not be fun. I have no veins. I truly do not have any visible veins. She looked for some, but couldn't find any (told ya). She called over the resident vein expert to have a look. After some time, she found something on the top of my hand to poke a needle into and did so, then taped it up very secure so it wouldn't move. Good!! That was over. Then comes this cute little blonde nurse named Judy! Nice name.  :)  She told me she would be my nurse during the procedure and she would take very good care of me and make sure the procedure went smoothly. She said my doctor was delayed in surgery, so I'd have to sit tight for about a half hour. She stayed right there with me, trying to make small talk to pass the time. I asked her if this procedure was at all uncomfortable. She said it really wasn't. The only thing she's heard people say is that it feels weird to feel something going down the back of your throat. Okay... that works for me. Before long, we're on our way to the room where this will be done. She told me she'd put a sedative in my intravenous and it would make me very sleep and very comfortable. But, before she did that, I had to gargle with lidocaine or some kind of caine... basically, a numbing liquid that doesn't taste very good, but I did that and that wasn't bad. And, honestly, I can't remember too much after that. I know she put a mouthpiece in my mouth to keep my mouth open and that's about all I remember. I think I went to sleep. I was there... I remember being there. But I don't remember seeing or feeling that scope. All in all, it took about 5 minutes. I was taken to the recovery room to "recover".  LOL  I felt fine, other than I was a little sleepy. I just lay there for awhile, then wondered where my glasses were, so I sat myself up to look for them. I found them and put them on, but when I did, I moved one of the oxygen tubes that was around my ear. Then the whole thing just sort of fell off and, as it did, and as I was fidgeting with it, wondering whether I should try to put it back in place or not, I caught the eye of one of the nurses behind the nurse's station and she was sort of snickering, watching me. So I just sort of took it off and she just sort of nodded that that would be okay.  :)  One of the nurses came over and got the tubing off, deciding that if I was with it enough to sit up and get my glasses, I must not need the oxygen any longer. She brought me some apple juice and a few minutes later, I was getting dressed and on my way back to where Kerry was waiting. All in all, not a bad procedure. If you ever need to have one, don't sweat it.  :)  Four more days to surgery! Yikes!!