Reminder

As of tomorrow the place to go for updates will be http://nobodyherebutusadiposecells.blogspot.com/ ****Weight Loss Surgery Update has been posted****

M.O.M comes to town

Now I know how my patients feel on MOM day. Wow! Explains a lot.

Midterm results Part 2

So I passed the Patho midterm... of course I did just as bad as I thought I would since I really have not been concentrating on this class r/t the other major issue in my life. Although on a brighter note. I DO know now how the final will be. So that is a very good thing. I really need to concentrate on (memorizing the pretest and unit test questions) 90% were the same it seems)

I have also decided that I do not think I will do anymore science classes online... ok I don't think I have any more, but the problem is this, when the class is online the publisher of the book seems to set the tests. Meaning, that EVERYTHING is fair game for the test. Usually when you take it in person you get an area to concentrate on instead of every minute detail of every page. Powerpoints are awesome for this as are lecture notes. When the entire course is related to reading the chapters only... well it just sucks! There are just some classes where you really need to interact in person.

What my son does on his weekends

New Blog Site... for everything weight loss

Since this is particularly a site dedicated to my Nursing School Journey. I have decided to start a blog targeted to my weight loss journey as well http://nobodyherebutusadiposecells.blogspot.com/ So join me here to get regular progress and tips and things I have learned along the way.

I will be adding a few updates to this page as well... but not as detailed.

So head on over... I look forward to seeing you there!

Welcome to Liquid Hell

Yup its official. I am starving... I think it's just head hunger as I had to cook dinner for the family. Except my stomach is actually growling too as I sit and sip on this protein shake.

However, I am allowed caffeine to avoid migraine, so this protein shake is actually made with brewed Starbucks ice coffee so it tastes like a Frappuccino!

Hummm... what makes this harder.. studying for a midterm which I have to take tomorrow in a class I have not actually been studying for! Yup I really want chips!

I think I will go for a walk!

Tired Shopping...

Apparently when I am tired I shop. I meant to place something on my wish list and actually hit 1-click shopping.. so I am the proud new owner of this machine

-----> I like juice, this makes juice. Best of all it makes all kinds of crazy juices with whatever I want!

The first week.. WLS

Is pretty much going to be similar to any Slimfast type of regime, minus the extra snacking. I am supposed to have at least 2 protein shakes a day, zero snacks, and a lean protein yet mostly veggie small portion dinner or a third protein shake. No processed food, no sugar, nothing with saturated fat. Pretty much nothing. I can add yogurt to smoothies as well as some fruits.

So here goes... Day 1 Liquids. Today is also pre-op blood work too. It also starts the day I can not take any Advil, which is probably bad since I have a headache already.

A lot on my plate...to enjoy!

I am thinking I have achieved a full spectrum of activities on my plate currently and I rather like the idea of having things to do.

First off of course is the wonderful family. Love my kids, the boy is 17 and in the final semesters of JR year. He has decided to head back to "regular" school for his senior year in the fall... and that is totally do to a new girl"friend" in the picture.

The girl is 18 and rocking her freshman year in college as well as her first job. Pretty impressive to get an assistant teaching position at a Montessori school as a first job.

Hubby and I are actually in a bit of a rough patch again currently. It's not close to the same as it was before, but there does always seem to be a distance when the intimacy is just not there. I am hoping the changes in my body with the WLS, will help me feel more secure about myself and more interested in being "sexy" again.

Work is going well and still 40 + hours a week. Nights are hard, sometimes it's harder to stay awake than others, especially when the dogs have been less than cooperative about letting me sleep during the day.

School is plugging along in pre/co-req world. General eds pretty much suck. I should hear something in the next few months about RN placement, but it seems that there alot of people applying this semester into a small number of spots. I may have to go with an alternate plan, but then again, there is nothing wrong with waiting either. After all I do already have a great job, and am still working on classes for my BSN anyway. I just hope it will be sooner rather than later.

Then there is weight loss surgery. The Lapband to be more precise. Sometimes I think this will be like having another job. Keeping track of phases of foods, working in exercise, maintaining control over protein intake and hunger controls, fills and doctor's visits. But I am very excited about the opportunity to get a hold on one of the major things in my life that is causing me the greatest amount of depression.

Along with the weight loss surgery comes the new exercise goals. Or rather the new active lifestyle. Gardening/yard work, kayaking, bicycling, swimming, hiking, walking the dogs, it will be so nice to be able to do those things without back pain or foot pain. I really want to achieve the mini-modified triathlon.

Of course there are also the new hobbies that I have also started to undertake in my leisure time. What leisure time you ask? Well in all reality I think I spend way too much time on the couch before work and on my days off. So thus the veggie garden and chicks. Now these two items are geared specifically toward trying something new, being active, and of course growing my own food. Staples of my new lifestyle, eggs and vegetables.

Hummm...and of course blogging.

I GOT A DATE!!! WLS

OMG, they just called me and my date has been set. 3/30/12!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I am freaking out here. Apparently I start liquids on FRIDAY!! Holy Shit!

Blood work this Friday, then appointment with surgeon on the 27th then ...

Midterm Results Part 1

Clinical Healthcare Ethics... Midterm 100% Woot!

Pathophysiology midterm studying in progress... or something kinda like it. This I am sure I will probably bomb. I do not like this format at all.

To be continued.

The girls have arrived... aka the Suburban Rainbow Chicks

We also are going to have our very own blog. Follow us here to watch us grow.

Next Project

This is just a sample of the one my friend is building for us. It will be all kinds of pimped out by the time I am finished with it. :-)


The first step of course is the brooding pen and getting the chicks. Which will come tomorrow. I bought this to modify. The center of the lid will be cut out and replaced with chicken wire. The heat lamp will sit over that. The sides lock so nosy dogs and cats can not disturb the babies.

Gardening

Before





After

Cushy But...

So I have been here a year now... at this job. It's pretty cushy and I really love the people I work with, but I feel like at times I really need more. Of course the grass is always greener right? Right now I think I just need to find out about the RN program. That will solve some issues.

These classes I am in now suck! So I guess they are just dragging me down. I think I should have taken them in person, maybe then at least there would have been a bit more interaction. Blah... apparently being in pain makes me whiny... :P

Back to reality

Time to go back to work. I have limited ROM still but am able to function again with just Ibuprofen and Tylenol cocktails. I need help brushing and styling my hair of course, and getting into a shirt is pretty hard work, I also can not lift anything over boob level, but at least I am not in tears with every movement like I was Sunday night, Monday and Tuesday! Prednisone does wonders! I am glad when doctors take my opinion and my suggestions into account for my care. I do know what works.

According to Doc 1 I probably have a rotator cuff injury, Doc 2 probably just a sprain because I am able to move my arm backwards without pain. Doc 3 has no clue yet, thinks there could be a number of things wrong but with the tenderness, the limited ROM and the inflammation agrees that a nice course of prednisone would do wonders, as it has in the past with this same shoulder. Once that is completed we can determine if it has resolved, or if an MRI is warranted.

Here's hoping for complete resolution!

Protein Success

Finally found a protein powder that I actually like.

Mixed in with a Carbmaster vanilla yogurt half a banana, 3 strawberries, water, @ 1/8 cup vanilla half and half, blended with ice, and you have around 300 calories of goodness with over 23 grams of protein.

Urgent care part deux

Had to go back to urgent care today, the pain was just so bad that I could not stay on top of it with Ibuprofen 1000mg for longer than 3-4 hours, and then only if it stays glued to my side and I don't move it.

Of course I have had reactions to narcotic pain medications in the past, but at this stage, what is a little itching among friends? As long as I have zero respiratory distress then I figured a Benadryl chaser would work just fine. The Physician agreed.

Orthopedic surgeon sometime next week after the swelling goes down, and no I am not even going near worker's comp, heck sling and all I am able to still go into work, mainly because my case involved zero lifting anyway.


**********
In other news WICKED was amazing, my Mom loved it and we had a very nice time in georgeous downtown Tempe/ASU campus! MMMMMM... PF Chang's lettuce wraps.

Torn Rotator Cuff...you have got to be kidding me.

So apparently according to s/s and doctor's opinion, MRI sched for next week, I have managed to tear my rotator cuff from playing "Just dance" on the Wii with the kid at work. I try and be a bit active and I get an injury? This blows.

It's my right arm and boy does it make things difficult. I thought maybe I had a strain, or just muscle soreness from using an out of shape muscle, but when I was getting worse every day since doing it, instead of better, and when reaching, carrying things, or sleeping became unbearable I really had to go and see what was up.

Yeah not really the news I wanted. Now to see exactly bad it is... surgery or injections and therapy? Hummm... stay tuned.

Oh and I wonder if the need comes if worker's comp will cover wii? Is that part of my job description? LOL

VIP Baby!

Our tickets to Saturday's WICKED fell through, apparently they oversold them or something. So anyway, we were offered alternate seating for the same price as the balcony where were sitting on Saturday for the final performance on Sunday in the ORCHESTRA section Row 13! CENTER!!

Now I am really excited!

So as planned I am taking my mother as a birthday present. She is a HUGE fan of The Wizard of OZ, I think she will love it. Well I am hoping so at least!

Wicked Saturday

Can't wait... after going back and forth and back and forth I did it... I got the tickets for WICKED!

Midterms in Progress

Just finished up my Ethical midterm paper. Now to study for my Patho midterm which I have until the 23rd to take. I have one more discussion board essay to write for Patho to "catch" up in preparation for spring break, which I think is next week. Not that it really matters much with online classes or anything, but hey at least these two are almost finished.

One of my nursing school friends just gave me her BSN text books for the core nursing classes, so now I just need them for the RN portion and that will at least me done. I still have a few co-reqs to take though.

But things are moving along. Hopefully I will hear something about Block 3 soon, but I don't expect it to be anytime before May.

WTF is wrong with people... Texas Nurse

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/murder-trial-begins-for-texas-nurse-accused-of-injecting-dialysis-tubes-with-bleach-killing-5/2012/03/05/gIQAR8YjsR_story.html

An LVN for only 8 months... I wonder if this chick was a crazy serial killer or an untrained negligent nurse?

I think those word confirmation things are weird

straptio uirun = the last one I got when I posted to someone comments. (Oh if you have this still activated please turn it off) Anyway... what I read was...

Strap to u i run! LMAO

A wealth of diet friendly sites

Wish I would have found these sooner. Although I wonder if these are actually any good and can easily pass and not get stuck in a "band". Of course I am going to give them a test pre-op so make sure hubby will eat them too.

They are called miracle noodles and contain zero net carbs and zero calories and a ton of fiber. Actually they are pretty much just fiber. So who knows if they are band friendly, but I want to try and lose some weight pre-op and do not want to do it with a fad, can't have type of diet. I already know those do not work for me.

As of Saturday I have lost those 6 pounds I had gained back, so I am hoping to surprise myself and get 10 off this month, with regular eating, just in a slightly modified version.

Maslow's Pyramid for Emotional Eating.

I always wondered if there was something missing in my life that I filled with food. I pretty much know that it is true, except I have no idea exactly what it is I want or what actually is the missing link. I have quite a few ideas though and the bulk of my weight gain started at the exact same time this event took place.

It's kind of like when I feel hungry, so I eat. But a few bites in I set it aside and go looking for something else. I have a specific craving for something but am not sure what it is that will solve the "feeling", so I am in this perpetual state of "hunger".

I have come to the conclusion that this is actually the definition of emotional eating for me. Always searching for something. not sure what it is and never satisfied. It must be because it isn't food related at all.

Hummm... self actualization is a slow process.

Introducing the Modified Mini-Triathlon.

450 yard swim in Pool. 4 Mile Stationary Bike (difficultly level 6), indoor track or treadmill for a 2 mile run.

Who knows maybe I can work my way up to a real (sorta) one.

As fitness goals go it's a start. Then on to achieving a more outdoor active lifestyle again. After all I live in the valley of the sun, where more than 9 months out of the year you can be outside!

Fitness for me equals fun activities not just being a gym rat. What I want is to be able to hike all these mountains, kayak with the hubby (we did this in the ocean once and it was awesome!), maybe even white water raft the Colorado River at the Grand Canyon. I also think it would be cool to join a co-ed softball team with him.

I shall be fabulous and fit by the time I hit forty!

partners in crime...the reunion

There is just something about the bonds you make that first year in nursing school. It's like no matter where you all go, if you meet others along the journey, those in that first clinical group are the ones that can still make you laugh and know just where you were to get to where you are today.

I hope all of you Nursing Students, past, present and future, all have a group of "girls" you can just fall back into sync with, even though you haven't seen them in 2 years. I guess I finally understand the draw of a reunion.