WORK-OUT

I have been pretty skeptical on working out just because small things like pushing push pins into the wall make my upper left abdomen hurt.  I've been told I'm still healing from this surgery, so I'm trying to take it slow even though I feel REALLY good!  I had decided I would attempt a low-key work out video today just to see how it would go.  INSTEAD, I ended up helping rake and clean up the yard.  THANK GOODNESS my mother-in-law kept Paige busy, Sean raked the majority of it, and my father-in-law and I made a KILLER team scooping up the leaves into bags, pulling weeds, and carrying the bags to the front of the house.  This yard work was WAY more than I thought about doing today, but I'm not paying for it...and am STILL feeling really good.  I'm thinking the low-key workout video may go a little better than I expected...maybe will have to try that in a few days!  Each day I heal a little more and can push myself a little harder.  I NEVER expected 2.5 months out from surgery that I'd be helping with this much yard work....in fact, I kinda figured there would be a chance that I could still be laid up quite a bit.  I am SO thankful for how well things are going and couldn't be happier!!!!!!

OH THE QUESTIONS OF A 4-YEAR-OLD

Miss Paige was just full of questions yesterday...here's how our conversation went...

"Mom, you sure do poop a lot now." lol (gee thanks Paige...lol)

 "I know...it's because I don't have a stomach." (I have gone over this with her with my plush stomach so she knows more so that it's an organ and not just the middle region of my body)

 "Why did the doctors take your stomach out and where did they put it? In the garbage?" haha! (let's hope it didn't just go into the garbage...but really WHERE does it go?? lol)

 "They took my stomach out so it wouldn't make me very sick. This way I can live for a long time. Grandma Darla's stomach made her very sick and that's why she's in heaven, but the doctors took mine out so I can be around for a very long time....like until I'm a really old grandma! And I'm not sure where they put my stomach, but probably not just in the garbage."

 She was good with this answer...at least for now!!!  

THOUGHTS, PRAYERS, GOOD JU-JU

Well, friends, I have a little request....if you could please send a few thoughts, prayers, good ju-ju, or whatever you got I would greatly appreciate it.  Not for me this time, but for a fellow CDH-1 mutation carrier and friend who is having her big surgery (complete gastrectomy) tomorrow!

She has had a lot of questions and I think she is truly prepared for this big ol' surgery and will do GREAT tomorrow, but a few extra thoughts, prayers, etc. never hurt anyone.  I look forward to hearing how well she is doing after surgery and hope for NOTHING that will set her back.  She's TOTALLY got this!!! :)

FIRST B-12 SHOT GIVEN BY ME!

I got to give myself my first B-12 shot on Friday!! Pretty easy, but I'm still a little uneasy on all the little steps that go into it since it's only once per month. I'm going to do it myself the next two months in my doctors office....once in November to make sure I got it and, again, in December because Paige is due for her shots before kindergarten and I'm hoping by me getting mine first and seeing how it's no big deal, that she will be less nervous for hers!!

FAT MALABSORPTION?

I am currently on a low fat diet for a week due to my bowel movements being a bit "different." Different being full of grease.  Literally POOLS of it when I do go....sometimes no stools and JUST grease.  So weird! My doctors are worried about fat malabsorption.  If this low-fat diet doesn't do the trick, I'll be doing a 72 hour stool sample and may need to take a digestive enzyme or some other med. I'm currently trying to just figure my new life out with little to no extra meds or things to do. I guess we will see.....

STOMACH CANCER GUIDE

I feel blessed to be an advocate for No Stomach forCancer.  You all know exactly how I feel about losing my stomach….it was a no brainer for me! 

The No Stomach for Cancer organization has been my go to for a LOT of information.  Their website helped answer a ton of questions I had and I was able to follow so many blogs posted on their site so I would know just what to expect before, during, and after surgery.  Besides their website, I have talked to several people from this organization who have been beyond helpful while on this journey.

No Stomach for Cancer partnered with the NationalComprehensive Cancer Network to come up with a first ever Patient Guide for Stomach Cancer.  I was asked by Jon Florin, the Executive Director for No Stomach for Cancer, if I could submit a patient quote to be published in this guide.  Feel free to visit the link attached and make sure you view page 70 for my quote! J  I couldn’t be more proud for all that NoStomach for Cancer has done for myself and others!

https://www.nccn.org/patients/guidelines/stomach/index.html#72

POSITIVE ATTITUDE

THEY SAY

Don't have more than 20g of sugar per meal they said....it will make you sick they said....
So, I tried it...and they are right :( BUT..that peanut butter cup ice cream bar was worth it!

Also, Friday night Sean and I had a date night. We went to Sickie's Garage. I decided to have a pulled pork sandwich with BBQ sauce and tater-tots. It was SO good, but the problem I have is that I don't know when I'm full. I think I need to portion out my food when I'm out to eat a little better and box what I KNOW I won't be able to finish right away because heaven forbid I stop when I'm supposed to as it's in sight and tastes so good! Sorry to Century High School as I used your parking lot to puke up what was too much. AND...TMI, throw-up is nothing like it used to be. Lots of white foam....SO weird!   I'm still in the learning phase and need to take note of these things going forward...especially with how miserable I was!

Besides those two instances, everything else seems to be going very well.  It seems as if I might have a slight case of dumping syndrome, but I absolutely know before I eat something if that's going to occur with how greasy or unhealthy it seems to be. 

Tuna and chicken go down REALLY well.  Bread not so much unless toasted as it gets stuck.  I'm really into Life Water as it has some flavor and water tastes dirty now and there's NO sugar and NO aspartame.  I was doing a lot of sugar-free lemonade, but then on days I didn't have it, I would have a headache and figured maybe that was coming from the aspartame.  Headaches have gone away and I'm glad I can get the Life Water in bulk at Sam's Club.  My energy seems to be back quite a bit, but simple little things like pushing a thumb tack into a wall causes abdominal pain with the muscles....the first 3 tacks went ok, but come the 4th I was aching.  I keep pushing it, but have to remember I'm not even 2 months out from surgery and that's probably a normal thing to feel!  Again, everyday is a learning lesson and probably will be for quite some time!