Searching for Summer

If I had written regularly since November 8, there would be screens and screens of lots of whining.  Now I need to squash 2 months into a short explanation of where I am and what I am facing.  I had a swelling on the left side of my face, in front of my ear for several months.  I thought it was a sinus infection.  Sort of silly, since I knew there weren't sinuses in that part of my head.  About 6 weeks ago I found a painful lump under my left ear.  Because of the pain I went to my family doctor.  He sent me immediately to an ENT surgeon. 

The hope was that the lump was a stone in my parotid (salivary) gland.  It turned out to be a 2 cm tumor.  It may be benign or malignant.  I also have a small tumor on one thyroid.  When I thought the surgeon had told me more bad news than I could handle, he told me that the left side of my face could be paralyzed.  The part of the tumor under my ear is under a lot of nerves, which makes surgery difficult and delicate.  Both surgeons in the group will work together on my surgery.   There has been a ridiculous amount of tests and CT scans to give me medical clearance for surgery.  It concerns me that I am having to wait so long for surgery.

The nurse called Wednesday to give me a date, and I reminded her that I would like to have the surgery in the hospital 5 minutes from me.  She said she would have to get with both doctors and would call me back.  The doctors use our hospital, but their favorite is in Arlington.  We had to go there for my appointments.  When we left the hospital I had a nasty surprise when only 3 blocks down is the new Dallas Cowboy Stadium.  For football fans, we are nearing the Super Bowl.  I don't want to be in the hurly-burly of Super Bowl during my surgery.

After having breast cancer in 1996, this is especially frightening for me.  I pray to God a lot and cry a little.  And appreciate prayers in my behalf for healing.   

Where Have I Been All of My Life??

     My poor little blog.  I didn't intend to just stop writing.  Perhaps it was that the winds of winter started to blow through my life, and I seem to have misplaced my invincible summer.
     I cannot write this in chronological order, although I want to start back when I finished my first hCG protocol.  I have been able to maintain the 19 pounds lost and have lost a few more, even through the holidays.  It took me awhile to do maintenance right.  At first there was a gain of about 6 pounds.  I put my trusty Bodybugg back on, started journaling my food, and downloading calories burned and was quickly back to 23 pounds lost.  Someone asked why I stopped.  I could have stayed on it for 40 days, and I was losing at the same rate.  But there came a day when my body told me that she was ready to stop for that session.  I wasn't hungry, although I was ready to put some yummy oil on my skin.  I wouldn't have cared if it were Crisco!  There are times I wish I had sucked it up and gone longer, but I am a big believer in listening to my body.  And my doctor agreed with me. 
     I had a "visit" to the hospital 2 weeks ago. I mentioned to my doctor about the hCG diet when she asked if I had lost weight.  She said that a lot of the doctors and nurses are doing it with good results.
     I am back to the part of my maintaining that includes Miss Jenny's husband locking the freezer that is in the garage.  I will include pictures of one unorthodox way of refusing to gain.
     I will do another entry to bring this up-to-date, which is the real reason that I have neglected so many things in my life, including my blog.  My life has turned bleak and grim.  I wish I could go back to a time when my worst problem was losing weight.  I wish I had treasured the days better.

 

A Girl's Gotta Do, What a Girl's Gotta Do!

 

26 days of hCG

Last week after 26 days of hCG, I decided it was time to quit and start the maintenance of mostly lean meats/fish, and fruits and vegetables.  I am not very hungry, but I am well aware of how easily the weight can come back.  My plan is to maintain until December 25, 26, when I will start again.  My doctor and I are pleased that my health is much improved.  I have lost 19 pounds, which is a good start.  Even better is that my blood pressure is improved, and my digestion is better.  I'm not out of breath with the slightest exertion.  And I'm sleeping, probably more because of taking melatonin as per my new doctor. 

Now I know, for me, what the pros and cons are of the hCG protocol.  The difficult parts, but doable, for me were 1) not a drop of oil in diet or life.  No make-up except for Bare Minerals or one of the similar ones 2) no lotions...just a little baby oil.  That was interesting.  Baby oil doesn't make skin feel one bit better. 3) no manicures/pedicures or hair coloring.  None of that was a hardship for me until last week, when I was tired of it all.   I am thankful that I did it and glad that I am started on this weight loss journey.  I was still losing weight when I stopped, but my body knew when it was best to stop.  

hCG report - October 30

hCG check-in: 
October 10 - 199.98
October 18 - 189.64
October 30 - 182.82

Total Loss - 17.16
     This is the most positive that I have felt in months.  I am rather sedentary, although I intend daily to start treadmill walking.  It will happen by the time I go on maintenance on November 18.   I'm free of food cravings and am rarely hungry.  If I awaken during the night I will feel hungry, but that has been my pattern for a long time...the night bingeing.  I'm able to avoid that, and I am not asking my husband to chain and lock the garage freezer.   That is a major celebration.  I have a great picture of the chained and locked freezer, but it's on Harry Patootie Laptop.  Presently I'm limping along with poor little elderly Daisy Dell.  She has been on life-support for a year.  She is a trooper and deserves more appreciation than she receives.  I would not want to leave the impression that hCG has turned me into a sweet old lady.  My capacity for patience is being stretched.   

Update on Near-Drowning of Toddler

Reported by Miss Skinny-Minny-Sleeveless-Dress Reporter from Lox News AP
     Late on the evening of Saturday, October 23, Harry Patootie Laptop was taken to Best Buy Memorial Hospital.  He is reported to have complications from the accident suffered earlier in the week.  The mother, Miss Jenny, was incoherent, but Mr. Jenny said that the baby would remain at BB Memorial in the ICU unit until he is stabilized.  The staff at the hospital said that Harry Patootie will be air-lifted to a larger facility on Monday.  The spokesman refused to disclose the location.  It is possible that the child will require organ transplants.  If organs are not available immediately, it could be weeks before Miss Jenny is reunited with her child.  She was heard muttering that the doctors at BB looked more like geeks than real doctors. 

hCG - Day 14

I keep thinking this hCG is going to be a dream, and it won't work for me.  This morning my total loss since October 10 is 14 pounds.  I've lost the last 10 pounds that happened after June when I had the digestive problems.  Now I'm 4 pounds into the weight I gained in February when my body went into shock from going off pain meds cold turkey.  Then the 10 pounds gained after the first of the year when our things were in storage, and we were living with our daughter until we could find a house.  At 170 was when I was wanting to throw myself on the floor, kicking and screaming, over my weight.  Things can change quickly.  There seems to be a one-to-one ratio between extreme stress and my weight gain.  I don't suppose that is a brilliant deduction, but I do need to keep it in my consciousness.

Near-Drowing Accident

Reported by Miss Skinny-Minny-Sleeveless-Dress Reporter from Lox News  AP

     In the early morning hours there was a near drowning at the home of Miss Jenny. She reports that she drifted to sleep in her recliner, holding her baby, Harry Patootie Laptop. She jerked awake when her large glass of water spilled all over her jammies and Harry Patootie’s keyboard.
     Mr. Jenny complained that he was rudely awakened by Miss Jenny yelling that she had just drowned Harry Patootie. Miss Jenny is credited with fast thinking and quick CPR on little year-old toddler, H.P. Laptop. She says that she flipped him over, and water ran out of all of his orifices. She gave him up for dead when she heard terrible sizzling noises coming from his poor little body and his face turned black.  A little later, Miss Jenny found a big, fluffy bath towel and lay Harry Patootie over on her best wool rug, with his body, face down, resting on the towel.
     Miss Jenny grieved greatly, weeping into her pillow, knowing that she would have to plan a funeral. It did not relieve her spirits to know that there was a $300 life insurance policy on little Harry P. She says she googled similar drowning accidents, and the reports were grim.
     At 8:30 a.m., Monday, Miss Jenny’s son insisted on plugging little Harry Patootie’s body into his life source. There was much rejoicing when, without coughing or sputtering, the toddler awoke, singing. Miss Jenny and her family agree that a real miracle happened this morning. When the Lox reporter left the home, Miss Jenny was sitting in her recliner, tears rolling down her face, cradling little Harry Patootie Laptop.