Sherron S.

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Oct 19 2012
I have been unwell since my surgery March 2009. I originally lost over 120 pounds. I have gained back 40. My lowest was 233. I am at 273 today. I cannot do much in the house as I am sick all the time with allergies, pain from arthritis, bursitis , degenerative disk disease, fibromyalgia and stress. Thankfully my daughter is my caregiver as I am legally blind. She helps to prepare me very nutritious meals.  I take a lot of meds still for pain, cholesterol, blood pressure, asthma and allergies. I use a CPAP machine every time I lay down. I use a Nebulizer a lot. 
We are setting up the Wii soon and hopefully that will give me some movement. I have to use the walker still as I am unsteady on my feet and have pain walking. 
I am depressed that I cannot loose weight. We are going to see if we can go to the gym that has a pool. It will cost us 35 dollars each time we go. Its a half hour away and with the California gas prices, it gets spendy. I will check into seeing about a Senior pass. I am not sure if my age, 62 is a Senior in their books... LOL!!!
We made spinach dip using tofu instead of mayo and sour cream. We used 1 pound of tofu and 1/2 cup of greek yogurt, the Knoor veggie mix, water chestnuts and green onions cut up. I am going to add more green onions, some garlic and dry parsly as it was bland but tasted good over night. I used crackers such as Wasa lite rye and multigrain.
We are doing a lot of vegitarian foods and lentil chili. We will make hummus from scratch cooking our own chick peas or garbanzo beans. That we love with garlic and spices. 
I am praying a lot for pain relief and funds to pay for the pool for exercise. Need to fix the bathing suit to fit my body. I have to make the upper larger to fit my boobs, and the tummy. I have a lot of extra skin to cover. 
Wish me luck and pray for me.
Thank you! ☺

I weighted 265 at the exercise program a month ago. I started an exercise program through my local clinic called Live Well - functional. As soon as the finances are right and we have a car that has better gas mileage I will go to the pool. It's 15 miles away, so too hard to get to right now. I LOVE the pool and do really well with that kind of exercise.
Being partially blind there are some things that are very difficult for me to do for exercise. Also having a lot of pain from degenerative disk disease, arthritis and bursitis makes it difficult for some kinds of exercise as well. Mostly walking very far is taxing because my lungs were damaged. So I have shortness of breath. I have done pulmonary rehab and that helped. Then I moved from Washington to California a year ago. My power wheelchair died and they will not get me a new one, so I do not feel comfortable going on the regular bus. I can go around town on the Para transit bus. But I do not feel comfortable waiting at a bus stop by myself. I am in a very rural area where the bus stops do not have a bench to sit down. I am trying to get a walker with a seat to help. Since medicare paid for me to have a standard walker when I got out of the hospital they will not buy me a new one for 5 years. So I am either going to have to pay for one myself, or find a donated one. I am working on the donated one.
I am getting a hospital bed as soon as they can deliver it. Its second hand from a woman who passed on last month. I am trying to do as much as I can in the house, but that is very limited. I cannot do housework. I can do some simple food prep and try to do that. I still cut myself accidentally and burn myself accidentally, so my daughter does most of the cooking. I have about 50 percent vision in one eye only.
So if anyone is reading this, please pray for me! I want to get down to at least 199. That;s my goal for this year. I do not have to take insulin any more nor Metforman. My A1C has been great below 6.0. My new meter says I am 20 above what my last meter was saying. Such as 79 to 89, now 92 to 120. So I am confused. Also I have been sick with one cold or illness after the other for the last 3 years since my surgery. I am still feeling weak and tired. 
Thankfully food will become a bit cheaper for the salads and I try to have one salad a day. I make my own dressing with vinegar, some Greek yogurt, spices, and a couple of spoon-fulls of ranch or blue cheese dressing for flavor, maybe a couple of spoons of olive oil and mix that and it makes 2 cups of dressing.
I mostly eat chicken or ground beef or turkey once a day. I have unflavored Greek yogurt with fruit I cut up into it with stevia. I like vegetarian chili I make. My daughter cooks pinto beans and mashes them with spices. I put some on a flour tortilla and add some cheese and Saracha to that and nuke it. I make oatmeal and put raisins, sunflower seeds, cinnamon and stevia. I use some Almond milk. I make a soup with mashed potato flakes and add dry onions, parsley and spices. I drink a lot of herb tea with stevia. Once in a while I will have a piece of cake or some ice cream.
I like whole wheat bread with some peanut butter. I get the kind that only has nuts and some salt. I like the almond butter the best.
So I will try to keep up the exercise program they are setting up for me. I cannot do the machines except the recumbent cross trainer. I cant do the bike because of my hips. I tried the tread mill but  that hurts my hips too.
One day at a time, right??? Well at least I am down 110 pounds from my top of 371. I was 236 a year after surgery. I was still throwing up every other meal then. So I am 261 So 62 pounds down this year is my goal.
Wish me luck!
A very complicated case...

I moved to California in March 2011. It has been very busy with many things happening. I wend down from 267 in March  to 258 today. I was 251 a couple of weeks ago. I am having trouble with my breathing still. I am in the altitude of 1300 feet. It seems to cause my breathing problems more, I have trouble walking much. I get dizzy and my tummy hurts when I do too much walking. I have a new doctor here in California. I will be having another Pulmonary function test on the 26th of July. I do not know what can help me.
I was able to eat chunks of chicken breast with a chicken broth. I have had some rice, but only 2 tbs at a time with sauce. I have had some pizza, garlic chicken with white sauce, on the very thin crust. I am going to try to make a pizza with whole wheat pita bread and some pizza sauce, cheese and garlic. I get the whole wheat crackers. I use the Balance Bars for extra protein either for a breakfast or late meal if I did not get any other protein late in the day. I eat mixed greens or spinach. I make a dressing for hard boiled eggs with plain yogurt, olive oil, vinegar, garlic and spices. I use salt very sparingly. I have had some ground beef, but mostly use ground turkey, the Jennie-o brand, for my soup. I like the tomato base soup with lots of veggies. I make it myself, or rather my daughter makes it for me now, and I do not add any salt. I try to get frozen or fresh veggies to avoid the salt. I try to get the salt free tomatoes. 
I am too far away from the pool, and they gym pool is too much money. So I walk when I can at the store.
My daughter wants me to see if I can do the Curves exercise program. so I will try that with help getting on and off machines. But I will have to go very slow. I just cannot breathe when I go too much. I had that lung damage from ARDS when I aspirated. so that is why I have trouble breathing.
I hope to do better soon!

I cannot believe it has been a whole year since I have blogged here. I guess I gave up because of all the complications I had after surgery. Well it is now a new year and I am going to get back to the program! Yay!
This last year I got back on sugar! Bad. way bad, I know. I gained back 20 pounds or more!  
()*&^%!@#$%^()*&^%$!@$#%^&*!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It says I went from 233 to 255 by January 2010. So that was 22 pounds then. Now I am at 267 the highest. So 255 to 267 is 12 more pounds.  So I definitely need to get back on track!
That is a total gain back of 34 pounds. That is a lot for a "normal" person who does not usually gain large amounts of weight often nor has to loose 200 pounds. so it is typical for me prior to surgery. I have noted some other people gain back about 20 pounds after they loose the most they are going to loose after starting to gain back again.
~~So first thing: Cut the sugar!
Second thing: walk more!
Adjust diet again.
I have been able to eat ground chicken, ground turkey, occasionally pulled pork rinsed well of oil in hot water or boil out. Then I add it to my recipe.  If I am out visiting or something I can have a dash of beef as long as it is in a soup form. I mostly have the meat in soup form anyway.

``I eat eggs with only one egg yolk and 2 egg whites with chopped onions and cheese and salsa. The problem there was I was using margarine. So now its saute onions in Pam spray and same with the eggs. Then it will not be a problem. With whole eggs every day my cholesterol was 128, so that is no problem and I am taking a med for that.
The carbs:
I make a fruit bread with white flour and will wean off that and use my whole wheat grinder and use whole grain flour. I will use unsweetened fruit. I will not use oil. I have done all this before so I know it works.
Instead of sugar I have already been experimenting with Stevia. I cannot use any other diet or no cal sugar products, I have a brain issue with those chemicals!
I used 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon of stevia to 4 cups of flour. That is sweet enough with the fruit. I already made a carrot cake/bread and it was fine.
So it I cut out those sugars it should be fine. I have to figure the carbs in that bread. Other carbs is the bread from the store. I get Dave's Killer bread and will have 2 slices of that. Not bad on the carbs. The bad part was I was using a tablespoon of real butter on each piece... So no more butter when that is gone!
My exercise aerobic is the big problem!
I found out that I have lung damage from the ARDS I got when my bowel was poked when I had the original surgery March of 2009. They had to fix that and I got ARDS, my kidneys shut down and my lungs shut down. I aspirated on vomit and that caused the ARDS. So my air is only getting 60% in my lungs via the blood. There is some COPD prior. So therefore I cannot breathe good when I get moving!
Another issue is my bursitis, arthritis, degenerative disk disease, and degenerative joint disease, and congestive heart failure upon exertion.
This winter is really painful for me.
I walk down to the mailbox inside the building.So I am walking around there and in the apartment. My caregiver drives me to the store and I walk around the stores. I work once a week at a volunteer job with walking back and forth between 3 rooms. So I am not totally sedentary! LOL!!!
I do some stretching in bed and that sort of moving around with cooking and the like. The rest of the house work my caregiver does and I do some surface cleaning waist high or dishes. bending over or reaching high is hard to do, pain and I cannot breathe when I bend over.
So I do the best I can.
My prayers are for all of you to have success and maintain this year!
My prayer for me is the same thing.
Wish me luck!
May you prosper in 2011!
~Sherron

Yeah, I know it has been months! Well I got a Rx for Trazodone thinking it would help me sleep. well it worked for 2 days and I went from 238 to 255! Stars!!!!! So after 2 weeks I went off the Rx and started to use generic Benadryl. That seems to help. Well I was able to get off the weight I gained back, so today I am down to 236. I ws 233 a few days ago. I have been doig Pulmonairy Rehab because of my lungs being compromised as I got vomit in my lungs a week after surgery and the lungs shut down. I was on a respirator for about 6 weeks. So I started the rehab about 7 weeks ago. I do the treadmill, seated cross trainer machine, Arm machine, lift 2 pound weights and some stretchy bands and some Yoga 2 times a week. I still have trouble with walking around outside, so I just walk in the stores, and not use the wheelchair anymore!!!!!!!!! Yay!
I am going to get my own apartment now so I am just waiting for the call!!!
I figured my food when it was too hot caused me to get the foam and burping Queen attacks. I still have lots of dreams, trouble sleeping, odd awake sleep patterns, etc. Wrecks havoc with day appointments! I am going to try more fruit and more raw veggies this week. So far I can eat lettuce and peaches.

I made some soup and it was good! It had mostly veggies: carrote, frozen spinach, red onion, celery, napa cabbage, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic powder, old bay seasoning, salt, pepper, and lean beef which I chopped up small pieces. oh, also the orzo "rice' pasta. so that was  good and i froze it in 1 cup containers. some for the fridge. i am doing 2 hours volunteer work a week and will soon be able to get back to cardio rehab maintaince exercise classes for pulmonairy patients.

I weigh 238 this week. I am still trying to eat more protien. I tried pork shoulder roast cooked all day in a slow cooker. It was good with some bbq sauce and ketchup to cut down the bbq sauce. Today I had Marie Calandar's turkey pot pie. It was hard on my tummy and caused the foam/spit up/burping. Then an hour later I threw it all up. Dang!  I seem to have this problem with some meats as I have tried Hebrew National hot dogs, turkey and chicken, even veggie burgers. bummer. I seem to be able to eat cheese ok. Pasta was a problem until I cooked it myself when I got home and cooked it softer than most people cook pasta. I was able to eat Kraft mac n cheese ok. I am waiting for my turn, there is a waiting list for a pulmonairy exercise class in town here. they have a cardio cross trainer and other machines and exercises to do. then when i can walk up stairs I will go to the pool again. it is hard to go up stairs, i still have to pull my self up by holding onto the one railing. photo when i can!

A few days after surgery I went to the ER. They sent me to U of W and another surgery was done as my bowel was perforated. I was on paralympics and a respirator for a long time in critical condition in the ICU. My lungs shut down, my kidneys shut down and I had to have a third operation of a trach. They did not give me much of a percent to live. After the ICU I got an abscess in the feeding tube in my upper left abdomen, so a fourth surgery in May. Finally went to rehab hospital in my hometown for 10 weeks and came "home" last Thursday, August 20th. I am living with a friend who is helping me plus another friend comes in to help as well. I have lost a total of 91 pounds. My open wound for the fourth surgery finally closed and I had a lot of rehab and physical therapy. I am able to walk now with and with out the walker. I fell so they want me to use the walker most of the time. I feel happy and grateful I am alive and doing better. It's been a very long road with all the general throw up days and spit up days, but still having trouble finding proteins that go down well. Thank you Lord God and all who prayed for me!

It appears that every time I do more than nothing but sit at the computer or lay in bed, I feel hungry. I try to do as little as possible so I won't feel hungry. Every three days I have had 1300 calories. Nonetheless, I have lost 17 pounds so far. I have 10 days to go on the 1000 calorie diet and can feel my breastbone now. I can feel the upper abdomen feeling flatter and that is what they want, so I guess I am doing good in that area.
Ran out of fresh veggies, made 'onion soup' with dry onions and spices and hot water to fill up on and have fluids. Between the Lacex and the 64 oz of herb tea, and the 'coup' I am making a dozen or mare trips to the bathroom! LOL!
Well I feel good anyway and that is most important!

I started the 1000 calorie diet on February 17th. So far I am down to where I was last July in weight, 330 with clothes and shoes. So that's 12 pounds that I lost since Feb 17th. I was 327 at the Hospital with the LABS 2nd day.
The LABS were ok. It was not too hard on me. I was stiff and sore because I live so far from the UW, I had to get up at 3:30 am to take the ferry so I could be there by 7:00 am. That was hard not to have pain pills until 1:00 PM after the first day of blood testing.
The food at the hospital LABS was good. The nurses and LABS persons were very nice. I look forward to seeing them in 6 months.
I bought Safeway Eating Right brand frozen meals for my food for the 1000 calorie diet. The Sweet and Sour and Lemon Grass Chicken are the best. The others need some pepper or other spices to liven them up. I made my own vegetable soups.
It was really hard the 3rd and 4th days because of stress to stay on the diet. I ate too much the day I came home from the LABS, about 2000 caloies worth as we had to drive around and not take the ferry as we did not have $ to pay for the ferry. So we had to stop to get food. Then I got stressed as I had to wait 2 hours at Swedish Med. Ctr for my driver to see his Dr. Uggh.
So I am back opn track today and yesterday.
I am getting a hospital bed for my bedroom so I can get up easier after surgery. I am getting a comode for ease as well.
The hard part will be keeping my cat, Mr Caz from jumping on me. I have 2 cargivers and hopefully my one daughter can come stay a few days with me. My other daughter is coming up for 10 days but not until 10 days after my surgery. So I am grateful to have all the help.
Hope all of you are well and happy!
The snow was a surpirze today!