michele_b

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PROTEIN BALLS I
1 cup Peanut Butter
1 cup rolled oatmeal -- not the instant stuff
1 cup protein powder
5 packets Sugar substitute

Warm the peanut butter in microwave about 30-40 seconds -- it melts it and makes mixing in the other ingredients much easier. Add the oatmeal, protein powder, and Sugar substitute and mix well. (If needed, you can add a little bit of water to make it easier to mix) Roll into walnut sized balls, refrigerate. Store in fridge in zip-lock baggies. This recipe makes 20-24 balls.

PROTEIN BALLS II
1 cup of protein powder (chocolate or vanilla)
1 cup of non-fat dry milk
1 cup of rice crispy cereal
1 cup of peanut butter
Sugar substitute to taste
Cocoa powder mixed with Sugar substitute

Add the Protein Powder, Dry Milk, Cereal and Peanut Butter in a mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly making sure that all the dry milk is in the mix and not really visible. If you like it really sweet, add some more Sugar substitute to fit your taste. Form the mixture into small balls (about 1.5 inches in diameter) Roll in the cocoa/Sugar substitute mix. Refrigerate.

PROTEIN BALLS III
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar free honey
1 cup unflavored protein powder
1/2 cup grape nut cereal
sprinkle of cinnamon
sprinkle of Sugar substitute

Mix peanut butter, honey and protein powder together till well blended. Form into balls. In another bowl mix grape nuts, Sugar substitute and cinnamon together. Wet peanut butter balls with water and roll into grape nut mixture. Place in frig and grab when you need a yummy snack!

PROTEIN BALLS IV
1 cup peanut butter
2 scoops of chocolate protein powder
1/2 cup low carb special K cereal
3 tablespoon of sugar free maple syrup
1/4 cup chopped nuts
oatmeal (not instant)
3 packets of sugar substitute

I mixed everything up in a bowl and then rolled them in oatmeal.

PROTEIN BALLS V
1 cup protein powder
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar free maple syrup or honey

Mix together well and roll into balls - about the size of a ping pong ball. Store in a Tupperware or Ziploc bag in the refrigerator..

PROTEIN BALLS VI
1 cup protein powder (chocolate or vanilla)
1 cup non-fat dry milk
1 cup rice crispy cereal
1 cup peanut butter
Sugar substitute to taste
cocoa powder mixed with Sugar substitute

Add the protein powder, dry milk, cereal and peanut butter in a mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly making sure that all the dry milk is in the mix and not visible. If you like it real sweet, add some more Sugar substitute to fit your taste. Form the mixture into small balls (about 1.5 inches in diameter) Roll in the cocoa/Sugar substitute mix. Refrigerate. Each ball has about 10 grams of protein


Cheese Chips

Try different spices and different ingredients in your "chips"!

Cheese Chips
-cheddar, swiss, mozza or parm cheese for "chips"
-pumpkin, sesame or sunflower seeds (optional)
-½ tsp. onion powder
-½ tsp. garlic powder
-½ tsp. of your favorite hot spice (optional)

-Toss ingredients together. 
-Place little clumps on non-stick cookie sheet & bake at 400º for approximately 6 minutes until flat, hard, & crisp - not burned! 
-Remove with spatula & place on rack to cool.

Well,  nothing really exciting.  I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express and relaxed while my sister and friend went shopping and dropping in and out of my room. 

 

We drove back to Ottawa on July 1.  It is highly recommended that you lie back in the passenger seat and not sit up.  Much more comfortable. 

 

Good to be back home.  Watch the Canada Day Fireworks and had a good night sleep.

 

On full fluids - eating mostly cream soup, cottage cheese, ff sf yogurt and of course water water water.   

Ok - it's Friday and Dr. Huynh says I can go if I want to ... hmmm ... well my sister can't be here before tonite so I guess I need to wait for her.   In the meantime, not passing too much gas, no BM, still very weak but OK if he says it's time to go, then he must know. Did manage to go for 3 walks during the day around the corrider and had a shower ... oh that felt so good.

Checked into the HOliday Inn Express next to HRRH.  It was so much nicer than the Travellodge. Just went to sleep. Sister is with me.  Things are on the repair.  Stayed at Holiday Inn until Tuesday.  during this stay, mostly stayed in the room and took little walks with my sister. she is a very good caregiver.  ~m

Well, I was up through out the nite.  Going for a pee.  Of course, I had to call the Nurse to help me.  There was no real pain I don't think.  I can't remember.  I was pretty high.  Still very weak.  Woke up at 6 am, and went in and out of sleep all day.  Took a little walk about with my IV rack to lean on.  Still very weak.   Dr. Glazer comes in to check on me (my doctor Zupnick is  away).

Dr. Huynh comes in and tells me that I also had a hiatus hernia and lots of scar tissue and he asks if I have had other surgeries?  What ... No, the only surgery I have had was an appendectomy in 1980.  Maybe it was a botched job I don't know.  Anyway, he tells me everything went fine.  He is so nice.  I really like him. 

Blood test time.  Nurses always coming in and checking on you.  One man came in to teach me how to do deep breathing.  I knew I needed some help with that because I was just shallow breathing.  Thank you. he gave me this little breathing machine to help me with it and encouraged me to cough afterwards and spit out any mucas.  And of course, he recommends that I increase my walking on a daily basis.  But I am still very weak.  Breakfast ... yuck.  I have no appetite whatsoever.   Nurses come in and out all day checking up on me and helping me to the can.  Lunch ... another yuck but added some kind of med because I have low potassium ... yucky stuff ... gag.  Still no appetite whatsoever but I try and put it in my mouth.  Well, day two and things are going OK. 

Surprise, surprize.  I get a visit from my darling angel MDWife Sharon.  She is such a lovely lady and it was so nice of her to drop by.  She brought me some lovely purple (my fav colour) and yellow flowers.  We talk and she tells me about her experience.  She encourages me to walk too and she brings me for a walk around the corridor.  She also has a doctor's appointment and off she goes. 

The lady in the bed opposite me  had knee surgery.  Ouch.  She had alot of visitors.      

My sister and I woke up and off we went to the empty Vaughn Mills Shopping Mall.  I knew I had to be at the hospital for noon so we just piddled about.  About 11:30 we both arrived at Humber River Regional Hospital.  They asked - are you Michele_b?  We have been waiting for you for two hours.  What????  They are calling you into the OR?   What????  Obviously  I didn't get the correct information. Needless to say I was upset because the last thing I want to do is make the surgeon angry with me. Anyway, they shuffle me off to the OR.  The OR attendant is talking about it, the anesthisialogist is taking about it .   And Dr. Huynh comes over and says "there you are - we called your home - we're ready for you"   Oh no.  I apologize for the misunderstanding and he reassures me all is ready for me. Just before I go under the anesthisiologist remarks about me being late and had I not read the information, dah of course I read it, and it says everywhere, arrive 15 minutes  before your appoinmtnet.  Also, he comments on this song playing on the radio - the fifth dimension ... Jeeeze ... I thought, great.  He has alot of power at this time I sure hope he doesn't hold it against me ... but we proceed ... I start praying before  the lights out. 

Next thing I know I am moaning and trying to say "water" or something to that effect.  I don't really know where I am but I am either in my room or in the recovery room.  But I am thirsty as heck and dry like being in a desert.  They give me some ice chips to suck on.  My sister was there and I asked her if she saw my surgeon and she said yes and he said - everything went fine - no leaks.  Thank Goodness.  Thank you dr. Huynh

I had a hard time with the anesthetic - wanted to barf and felt nausous and very weak.  They gave me something in my IV and that's what I remember of that evening other than the nurses coming in to check BP, change IV, take temp. (regular stuff).  I was a little scared because I had just read one of Ed's posts about a lady that had died.  Your darn right it spooked me but I tried to put it out of my mind.    

Well July 24 was a long day ... had a great BM after taking some MOM the nite before. There was a lot of traffic and construction. 

Picked up my sister Lisa in Peterborough and off we went.  Stayed at the Travel Lodge - only because there was no room at Holiday Inn Express . 

Would recommend Holiday Inn Express about 10 times over. 

Went to bed around 11ish.  Looked over my papers again. 

Noon tomorrow.  OK  I'm ready.  Feeling great. 

~m

Well, here I am two days before surgery and I'm constipated.  Optifast can do that to you.  So I called my surgeon's office this morning and asked if I might be able to take something to help because I don't want to be constipated on my big day.  Thank goodness they said yes, Milk of Magnesia.  I would hate to be waking up after surgery, and trying to pass gas and have it hurt like hell because of constipation.  I know it sounds weird but at least I feel better now knowing I can take something.  I am also going to up my water intake because I want to ensure I won't be dyhrated for my big day.  ONly two more sleeps.    ~m

Well today i went to Rideau Hall, the Governor General's residence for National Aboriginal Day and I wore heals - big mistake.  My feet are killing me.  I wonder if I will be able to wear heals when I lose all my extra poundage. I wonder what else I will be able to do... Can you imagine, 4 more sleeps to go before the rest of my life begins.  Geee, my feet ... I'm going to bed early tonight so I can get up early tomorrow.  Going to the Ottawa Support Group meeting.  I really like this group.  Everyone is very friendly.  How do some people do this without support?  hmmm ~m 

http://www.naturopathyworks.com/pages/cravings.php 

This is an amazing website - it will help me in the future ... so it's going on my profile.  ~m

Wednesday is my big day ... every day it seems that I am getting more ready.  I am going to pack everything this weekend so I have everything I need for my surgery.  ~m

Here's the Hummus recipe Karen sent me. A few people asked me to share when I got it so I figured I'd post it.
1 can 19 oz of Chick peas

2 Heaping Table spoons Tahini, Sesame seed paste

2 small lemons, or 1 ½ small lemons, not lemon juice

4 or 5 bulbs of garlic to taste

½ teaspoon of sea salt

Water for Blending

Drain, soak, rinse chickpeas to remove brine.

 

In the bowl of the food processor combine garlic, chickpeas, salt, lemon juice, blend until a paste forms.

Add the Tahini, this is the sesame taste you can add more to your taste as blending and sampling.

You now have a paste, add water a few drops at a time until you have a consistency of thick sour cream, the Humus will thicken in the fridge.

To serve add a small amount of olive oil for richer taste.

Tahini is available at the supermarket in a jar and will keep for months in the fridge.