Gettin Back On The Horse

When I canceled my surgery last month, I canceled a lot of things. One being my vigilance. I was doing really well with my eating and then I just let it all go because I was not having the surgery when planned. It was a conscious decision. One that I am not proud of. Looking back it was a form of temper tantrum over things that did not go as planned. I need to grow up. Anyway, I am back to my plan as of today. I really want to be successful and to do that I cannot allow life alterations interfere with my goal. I was reading the OH message board today and there was a re-post that really said it all to me. I have it saved under "online bookmarks". It talks about being militant to be successful. I plan to have more of that. I have my appointment with my endocrinologist coming up later this week. I am keeping my fingers crossed that my thyroid levels will be acceptable and we can schedule this thing.

Oh...the IVC filter...I have to have one, but now I understand why and it makes sense to me now.

Where Things Are For Now

It has been a while since I updated.  My liver biopsy showed no autoimmune disease, but Fatty Liver Disease.  The treatment for this is losing weight and exercise, so I am on my way with that.  My surgery scheduled for December 21st has been now postponed because I was taking too much thyroid medicine.  We switched from Tirosint back to Synthroid.  The dosage is off and Dr. C said surgery would be unsafe at the level it was.  He backed me down a bit and I will do blood work once the sun comes up.  I started on the the two week liquid diet prior to surgery and honestly the 4 days I did it, it was not that bad.  It helps that I like my protein powder.  I started stressing how I was going to work the Coumadin/Lovenox shots, getting IVF filter, and then possibly not having the surgery if my thyroid level is still off.  I don't like to mess with my Coumadin unless necessary and the stop/start for the Lovenox with the question of whether the surgery would be on 2 days before was too much for me.  I decided to postpone until the first of the year when my thyroid levels are where they need to be.  Hopefully they are back on track and I can schedule this puppy.  I am ready to go.  It kinda feels like I am walking around in a maze and someone keeps sticking their leg out and tripping me.  In the morning I have an appointment to see about the IVC filter.  I really do not want one of these and my PCP agrees with me.  I want a good explanation of why I need this.  So far I have not gotten one.

I Never Liked Liver

I remember as a child, Mom would occasionally make liver and onions.  I abhorred that stuff,  Total yuck.  My negative issues with liver continue.  Unfortunately it concerns my own liver.  It is uncooperative or maybe   it is not my liver, but my immune system.  My liver enzymes have come back elevated on the pre-op lab work.  Not once, but three times (and now four).  I was referred to a Hepatologist and saw his PA on Friday.  They took 9 more vials of blood and told me that I would possibly need a liver biopsy.  I just got the phone call that two of my tests came back positive for autoimmune and they suspect autoimmune hepatitis.  Oh joy.  What now?  This is a chronic condition that cannot be cured, but usually can be managed with steroids and another drug called Imuran.  My latest blood work showed that the liver enzymes are higher than the last.  I will need a liver biopsy for confirmation and then start on the drugs.  I still feel fine, so I am hoping that this has been caught early and no significant damage to my liver has occurred.  Surgery will likely be pushed back to get this all straightened out.  I am trying real hard not to go and eat the house and will try not to stress too much about this.

Produce Review- Great Value Drink Enhancer (Grape)

I have been reading on the boards about people putting Mio and other flavor enhancers in their water to change it up a bit.  I thought to give it a try.  I found out that Mio was sold at WalMart and headed over there to see what the deal was.  I saw that WalMart made a similar produce so I bought 2 of those and one of the Mio.  Today I tried the WalMart brand in grape.  It was ok.  Not good not bad.  It is basically flavors the water so that is faintly sweet and grape.  There is a bit of sucralose.  I like regular water just fine and I like some flavors of Crystal Light.  This would be something for the middle.  Not plain, not sweet/tangy/sour.  I guess it does what it is supposed to do and if you didn't like the taste of plain water, I might help you drink more.  I like plain water, so I will probably use this up and move on.  The other two flavors have caffeine in them.  No I didn't read the ingredients and since both are labeled as "energy", I guess we know where the energy comes from.   I will give those a try earlier in the day sometime soon.

Judgement- ok for what it is...

P.S.  I was back on track today with my eating :)

An Interesting Day and Welcome to Carb Central

Today was a humdinger as my Dad used to say.  It started off with an EKG at 7:45 and followed with blood work, a bone density scan, chest xray, and a stress test with ultrasound (stress induced by medicine in an IV not on a treadmill).  The medicine they gave in the IV had a side effect of causing a dry mouth.  Boy was that true.  I thought I "deserved" Cane's for all of that testing (I need to work on this line of thinking), so I swung by and got the Box Combo (no cole slaw, extra fries).  A carb dream.  I choked down the toast first as I usually do.  It was hard to swallow because my mouth was so dry.  I had to drink to swallow   Same with the fries that came next.  Did that stop me.  Oh no.  Then one chicken strip.  I had to stop.  It was gagging me not to be able to swallow.  It was weird and sad at the same time.  I was not enjoying it, but I still eat all that I did.  I kept the 3 remaining strips for Cara and was done.  On a positive note I lost a couple more pounds and am at 21 down.

I sent an email to the PA to see if we could schedule my surgery.  She emailed back that my liver enzymes came back very high even compared to previous lab work   Crap.  She had a call in to my PCP (her brother) to see what he thought.  She called me after talking to him and they think it could be viral.  She asked if I had been sick.  No, but Cara and Phillip had colds this week and I did all that I could to dodge that.  She asked me if I had eaten any raw seafood.  Me?  Nope.  Never.  My white blood cell count was slightly elevated too which led them to think it was viral.  She asked if I was nauseous or throwing up.  No.  I feel pretty much as usual.  I have had a headache since the stress test, but not related since  the blood work was prior to the stress test.  They want me to do repeat blood work on Tuesday and have a liver ultrasound to see if that picks up anything.  The blood work will be a hepatitis panel because it breaks down into the different types of enzymes.  Of course, while I was waiting for her to call me, I went online to see what elevated liver enzymes could mean. One possibility...cancer.  That friggin breast cancer had better not be coming back.  So now I am all worked up.  I keep telling myself that there many other causes for elevated levels, but I can't stop worrying about it.  I hate cancer.  It effs you up for live.  It is always there in your mind.  Hopefully the tests on Tuesday will show nothing amiss and the levels returning to normal.  She told me that if I feel bad over the weekend to go to the ER.  Was it really that high?  She said she would send me a copy of the report but I could not find it on My Ochsner.  Crud, but maybe I don't need to see those numbers right now.  For now the surgery is on hold until they can see what is up.

So by dinner time I was able to eat again.  We went to Cracker Barrel, where I do not make any attempt at all to eat mindfully and order the usual.  Country Fried Steak with cream gravy, mashed potatoes with cream gravy, hashbrown casserole, and macaroni and cheese.  Add in 2 biscuits with butter.  I ate 3/4 of it all.  In my head I was saying "stop eating", but the louder voice said "this day was a bitch and go ahead".  This canceled out any weight loss I had seen earlier in the day I know.

Once I get home, the Hershey's Nuggets with Almonds are calling my name.  Those buggers!  I refuse to listen.  They will not stop calling.  I decide to address this by making a Syntrax Chocolate Truffle protein drink with extra chocolate SF flavoring and some PB2 to make it like a Reeses Cup.  Score.  A serving of the nuggets is 4 at 200 calories and the drink was 258.  I still consider it a better choice because could I really have stopped at 4 nuggets?  I never have.  A handfull is a serving to me and a slippery slope cause they will be there tomorrow seeking me out because I opened that door.  Nope not gonna do that.  They are going out with the Halloween candy.  Those and Reeses Cups are my Kryptonite.  The drink filled the chocolate square and Reeses square and gave me 28 grams of protein.  Nuggets 4 grams of protein.  I need to rethink the almond milk because it had way more carbs that I thought. Tomorrow I will get back on that horse and head back toward the right direction.

Carb count for today- 173 g.  Holy Moly.

Product Review- ProtiZyme Protein (Strawberry Creme)

This is yummy.  I put it in about 16 oz. of vanilla almond milk.  Perfect.  No nothing needs to be added to get the full strawberry yumminess.  I have liked the ProtiZyme proteins.  This is a winner too.

Judgement- A

Product Review- Rosina Italian Style Turkey Meatballs

I loved these.  I had the meatballs with a tiny bit of sauce (what sticks to the meatball) and an ounce of shredded part skim mozzarella.  It was yum and I was satisfied.  These are going into the rotation.  I found these at WalMart.  Winn-Dixie near me doesn't carry it.

Decision- A