They tell me it's Spring.....maybe "somewhere", but temperature-wise, it's certainly not here. The trees are budding and there are a few birds showing up, but in general, it's just NOT "Spring-ee"....know what I mean? It's bloody cold out there. Dogs dashed out, pottied, and dashed back into the warm bed. Even the Dobermans.
Healthwise, things are ohhhhh so much better. The Endoscopy last month showed four monster inflamed ulcers and I'm here to tell you, I wouldn't wish that kind of pain on my worst enemy. Yikes. Doc put me on some major "ulcer-healing" meds, and within 24 hours....no more pain.
Well, also a good share of that lack of pain is the seriously restricted diet that goes with it all. No red meat (beef, pork, etc), no yellow vegies, no sugar, nearly zero fat intake, high protein, turkey and chicken (broiled skinless and fatless) is ok, and lots of green vegies. A small portion of fruit once a day before noon. OH, and no sugar. That's not so bad, since I don't think we have any in the house anyway.....I really like Stevia. Me and Asparagus have become tight, trust me. Result is.....no pain in the stomach, no acid reflux, and major weight loss. All that is good, but eating sure has become boring.
ALSO....Finding something to wear that doesn't look like a potato sack is a chore everyday, and I finally gave it up and trotted off to Goodwill to see if they might have something (anything) that I could wear for a month or so. As of this morning, I've dropped 32 pounds (in 6 weeks), so needless to say, the dog show clothes that fit "pre ulcer diagnosis" just don't get it done. Finally found a couple very inexpensive (but really nice) blazers and still can wear my skirts (with safety pins in the back of the waist <lol> ), so all is good for right now.
Also, per Doc's suggestion (as well as a good friend in Texas who originally mentioned them), Whey Protein Isolate shake 2x a day in between breakfast and lunch, and then again in between lunch and dinner, really helps. They're pretty tasty when done up in a little blender with ONE strawberry to boost up the chocolate flavor. They also seem to be curbing my appetite for carbs and fatty stuff. That certainly helps.
Stupid story......the week after my Endoscopy on the 22nd of March, my husband was having a Papa Murphy's Garlic Chicken Pizza. (My very best favorite pizza on the planet, by the way). Me? I was looking at a broiled chicken breast and asparagus....(What's wrong with this picture?) Well, we discussed it and decided "maybe" just one little slice of pizza was not a big deal and wouldn't kill me. WOW.....did that ever taste good!! MMMMmmmmm......
After I ate it and REALLY wanted another slice (which I did NOT take), I w-a-i-t-e-d.....for the stomach pain that I dreaded. That God-awful, Please Let Me Die Fast pain that makes me remember that labor pains were just not so bad at all. No pain came. Nothing. At 10pm (four hours after the pizza), I decided I was going to skate through my descretion. Went to bed and planned on happy, skinny dreams.
3AM.....Oh My God.....pain was back.....in spades. Agony that I cannot begin to put into words. Lasted till 6am when I got up and began walking up and down the hallway moaning.....since there was just NO position to lie in bed without tears. I had 2 or 3 Toy Fox Terriers for walking partners, so that actually helped. The pain finally let up around 8am......and I looked at the few remaining slices of pizza on the tray in the kitchen with renewed determination NOT to EVER let my tastebuds overule my good sense again.
So far, I've not backslid .... not even one time. Isn't it amazing what a motivator pain can be? I'm told it can take up to a year to get these nasty ulcers healed up, and even then I will always have to watch my diet. So maybe I can get thin....stay that way....eat healthy....and feel good about myself. It's been a long time.
With that, I'm outa here......off to load the van and get ready to leave for Moses Lake, Washington, and a couple days of dogs shows. Just me and Jaz in a motel room. He's such a joyous little guy and loves to travel. I've got my laptop, my tablet and my cell phone,......and a whole stack of DVD movies we can watch in between showing and listening to audio books. Jaz and I will get lots of exercise outside trucking around the area. Wish us luck!!
Later.......
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