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Kimpossible318

Chicken Broth for the Soul

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Y'all, my mom ought to bottle up her chicken broth and sell it to bariatric patients across the world. Yes, it's that good and I really don't think it's because I'm food deprived, lol.

She actually made me chicken soup so I could drink the broth now and then blend the soup once I'm on pureed!

Anyway, I was struggling a bit yesterday...just feeling really blah...because I have had a hard time sleeping. This is nothing new...I've had a hard time sleeping off and on over the last few years in part because my head gets in the way and in other part because when I do wake up in the middle of the night whether to go to the bathroom or just to turn over, I have a tendency to check email or FB or play a game. In other words, I take my sleepy self and stimulate it. Boo on me. So anyway, Wednesday night I went to bed at 11:30pm and then woke up at 1:30am. I then proceeded to get out of bed, go lay down on the recliner in the family room and doze in and out until 6am when I was up for good. It's hard to heal when you aren't sleeping.

I took a different approach last night and did the whole melatonin thing before I went to bed. I woke up sometime to go to the bathroom, but then slept the night away for a total of 8 hours. I feel soooo much better.

Observations being 4 days post Op....chicken broth is my favorite thing to drink. It goes down the easiest/smoothest. I have difficulty with water no matter what temperature or if it's decaf tea or added flavoring. I started experiencing hunger yesterday - real hunger, not head hunger - I know this because I saw countless commercials for food and all I could think of is that I can't wait to have some damn cream of wheat once I'm on that stage, lol.

I have become very aware of my "empty" abdominal cavity - I envision my spleen, gall bladder, liver, and kidneys having a party because they have so much room to spread out in. I'm ready for them to settle down and take up their new residency, comfortably, so it doesn't seem to oddly empty in there for me.

I haven't weighed at all because my scale is at my house (still at my parent's house) and I don't want to confuse myself by using all kinds of difference scales. I will wait for my first weigh-in to be when I go to my first post-op doctor appointment on Wed 9/25.

In other news, the period I was supposed to start on 9/10 (6 days pre-op) finally decided to show up last night. Yay me. =/

I pooped for the first time this morning. I was very proud of myself. Sad, I know. lol.

Well, that's about it for now. =)

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Comments

  1. RoxFC's Avatar
    You're doing very well! No gas complaints..that's awesome!That was the worst part for me. And, yes, sleeping was difficult in the beginning and it is crucial to your recovery. Around the second week post op, I had to wake up and drink about 4oz of my protein drink because if I didn't I became nauseated. And, yes, I felt hunger! I told everyone on this site how I ate a saltine cracker on day 3 because I just couldn't take it anymore. Also, I would chew some things and then spit them out. I'm not recommending you do any of this, by the way! You will be at the pureed stage soon enough and that will take care of the head and physical hunger. The first few weeks I had a lot of head hunger. As I was able to try new things in my diet, that has gone away. Now I just want to eat nutritious food that will satisfy me and fuel my body. It gets so much easier to do the right thing. I wish you much continued success...Oh, if you are having problem with water, have you tried a little lemon in your water? When I feel like I can't take one more sip of water to get my daily 64oz, if I squeeze just a little lemon, it goes down so much easier! I asked my doctor if I could use the lemon the first week and she said it was ok. I thought the lemon would hurt my belly but she said that lemon actually alkylizes once it's in our body. I also couldn't stand all the crystal light flavors and the gatorades and powerades...ugh!
  2. Breen's Avatar
    Yay poop! Yay on waiting to weigh! I couldn't wait, I'm a scale junkie! Glad your doing well and the melatonin worked for you. Take care!
  3. mhowell's Avatar
    Please share your mother's chicken broth recipe
  4. Trophywife's Avatar
    Can I come and recover at your moms house?
  5. ThisIs4Me's Avatar
    Ur mom can write a book: Chicken soup/broth for the bariatric soul! Lol, sry Glad u r feeling better and no gas! YAY! (its the little things in life lol) Keep up the good work
  6. enh0177's Avatar
    You are doing well and I'm glad you realize you need to get more sleep. I have a problem sleeping now as well and I know I need to change that when I have surgery. Take care of yourself and happy losing.
  7. Kimpossible318's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by mhowell
    Please share your mother's chicken broth recipe
    My mom boils a whole chicken in water and then adds some bullion for good measure. She also adds celery, onion, garlic (sliced, not minced so it could be strained out), carrots, and parsley and let's it cook until the veggies are tender and the chicken is cooked. She then takes out the chicken and dices only the white meat to add back in. She figured it would give me lots more nutrients than plain old chicken broth from the grocery store. Seriously...it tasted delicious! =)
  8. Kimpossible318's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by ThisIs4Me
    Ur mom can write a book: Chicken soup/broth for the bariatric soul! Lol, sry Glad u r feeling better and no gas! YAY! (its the little things in life lol) Keep up the good work

    LOL, love it! I'll have to tell her you said this...she will get a big kick out of it! =)
  9. ThisIs4Me's Avatar
    Lol cool and ty for her recipe, im gonna have to try it, it sounds wonderful!
  10. mhowell's Avatar
    Yum! I will have to try!
    Thank you for posting!
  11. jrenee63's Avatar
    Your post totally made my day. I smiled, giggled, and even had a tummy laugh. So glad things are going well. Yesterday was my 3 week post-op and let me tell you....the difference in how i felt those 1st three weeks and just today is like nite and day. I woke up feeling so refreshed...haven't felt tired or lethargic all day-ti's 2p. Had a healthy lunch at home and didn't need a nap-I have napped everyday since surgery, sometimes 4 x a day. I am so alert and feel totally different...it's amazing. Don't know if or how long it will last, but I'm enjoying the hell out of it. And to treat myself since I've been stuck at home until I came back to work Monday-I ordered myself a movie ticket today for a 5:15 show and am taking myself to the movies. I'm so excited I could dance around my office.
    You are doing excellent as far as I can tell, and girl I believe them when they say it only gets better.
  12. Kimpossible318's Avatar
    Glad to hear you are having a great day and thanks for repeating that it gets better. Even though I know it will, it is still nice to hear

    How can you leave us hanging by not mentioning which movie you are seeing? .
  13. lundbergmn's Avatar
    Kim I am so happy you're recovering we'll!!! Your moms chicken soup sounds delicious! Maybe I can get my chef hubby to make me some while I'm recovering. Keep up the good work!
  14. Lisa L's Avatar
    Glad to hear your doing great. I'm gonna remember to make homemade chicken broth for my self when i have my surgery. take care
  15. Juliebythec's Avatar
    SO happy for you Kim, I am feeling pretty good. I walked about 2 miles yesterday and I was exhausted but so far the gas has not been too bad. Can you get something to help you sleep? I have Ambien and it is a miracle. Pop one of those babys and boom you are asleep in 15 minutes for 6 solid hours. You need sleep to get better.ALl in all, not as bad as I thought it would be, how about you. Better or worse than you thought?
    And I agree about chicken broth, couldn't get any at this hotel so went to an Italian and ordered Italian Wedding Soup just drank the broth, heavenly!
    HOME today so happy. Husband wend shopping for the essentials and I made sure sugar free popsicles were eon the list!
    Kim, Thanks so much for you support, we are all so grateful to you!
  16. bucbratt's Avatar
    I have been sleeping on and off nonstop. I'll sleep for about 1.5 hours, then awake for 1. Tonight is the longest I've been awake and I'm about to sleep again.

    Would you believe this surgery threw me into having my period! BOO!!! I've had the worst of times trying to get sanitary items, but it's all good now.

    Just weighed myself on the hotel scale and it's higher than my pre-op weight, but I expected it. I'm still amazed at all the folks walking for miles...guess I need to just try it tomorrow. Not too sure about setting out on a trek by myself, though. Might be what's holding me back!

    I go back home on Monday and I'm ready. Miss my boys and my new house. I'm going to sleep as much as I can til then, though! Night, girlie!
  17. Kimpossible318's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by bucbratt
    I have been sleeping on and off nonstop. I'll sleep for about 1.5 hours, then awake for 1. Tonight is the longest I've been awake and I'm about to sleep again.

    Would you believe this surgery threw me into having my period! BOO!!! I've had the worst of times trying to get sanitary items, but it's all good now.

    Just weighed myself on the hotel scale and it's higher than my pre-op weight, but I expected it. I'm still amazed at all the folks walking for miles...guess I need to just try it tomorrow. Not too sure about setting out on a trek by myself, though. Might be what's holding me back!

    I go back home on Monday and I'm ready. Miss my boys and my new house. I'm going to sleep as much as I can til then, though! Night, girlie!
    So exciting to have a new house to go back to! I feel like mine will be new when completed, lol (it's really 13 years old). I just checked on the progress yesterday and was happy to see my contractor was unexpectedly working on Sat.

    I'm a wee bit embarrassed to admit I have not really been walking. I mean I have done so around the house and I did in the hospital, but I haven't done any real mileage. I guess I will make that my goal today - maybe get on my parent's elliptical and hit it REALLY slow for a mile or two. Might as well take advantage of the fact they have a gym in their house.

    I have actually not weighed in. I'm shocked. I thought I would be a chronic weigher, but I decided for this first round to wait until my post-op appt at my doc's office (Wed). I feel like I have lost, but who knows?!

    I bet your boys miss you soooo much!!!
  18. Kimpossible318's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Juliebythec
    SO happy for you Kim, I am feeling pretty good. I walked about 2 miles yesterday and I was exhausted but so far the gas has not been too bad. Can you get something to help you sleep? I have Ambien and it is a miracle. Pop one of those babys and boom you are asleep in 15 minutes for 6 solid hours. You need sleep to get better.ALl in all, not as bad as I thought it would be, how about you. Better or worse than you thought?
    And I agree about chicken broth, couldn't get any at this hotel so went to an Italian and ordered Italian Wedding Soup just drank the broth, heavenly!
    HOME today so happy. Husband wend shopping for the essentials and I made sure sugar free popsicles were eon the list!
    Kim, Thanks so much for you support, we are all so grateful to you!

    Hey Julie - I actually went for the melatonin to help me and it has done wonders. I think I'm going to agree with you in that I haven't thought recovery was as bad as I had imagined. I suppose that's probably from creating the worst case scenario in my head, lol. That was a good idea to order the Italian Wedding Soup and just drink the broth. That's one of my fave soups, by the way. I had Campbell's tomato soup on Friday and that has replaced the chicken broth as my new fave, lol. I feel so fickle and unloyal - I can change my fave in the flick of a hat lol!!!! Glad to hear you are doing so well and that you are home!!! I bet there is nothing like sleeping in your own bed (still at my parent's house because my house is being painted lol).