And Now a Word about Exercise

During the 6 weeks since surgery, I've probably worked harder physically than ever.  Three times per week every week, I saw a therapist who showed me what to do, how to do it and continually pushed for improvement.  That was just a small part of what I did.

I had daily exercises assigned by the therapist as well.  Initially, however, just getting out of the bed to go to the bathroom was a major work out.  Over time, that has diminished.  As it has, the intensity of the formal therapy increased.

Now the formal therapy is over.  I have 6 exercises to do at home every day.  I took a couple of workout DVD's to my therapist to see which ones to use going forward.  For now, neither.  She suggested that I watch any workout DVD with fresh eyes, looking for movements that might move my hip in a way I shouldn't just yet.  (Bellydance is out until all the hip precautions are removed, which could be 6 months.)

It is going to be harder now to stay motivated.  I want my hip to get well and be fully functional.  Still, I know in time as my hip feels more and more normal the motivation will wane to do those exercises.  My hope is, I'll be eager to move on to one of the DVDs.  Time will tell.

Just to update - I have driven the car in the parking lot enough to give 65MD comfort that I haven't forgotten how.  Today, I drive solo.  Slowly, slowly I am getting back to my former routines.  I still have discomfort in my hip and thigh.  And, my gait is not right, but then again, I don't think it was 'right' before surgery.

Not Much to Say

I've been drinking water and keeping a food log.  I've also been weighing but not recording it.  My weight will fluctuate as much as 2 pounds from one day to the next so I don't get freaked out about it.

It is too early to draw any real conclusions to the food log experiment, but I've got some theories already.  

• I'm not sure that I am eating enough, particularly vegetables
• I have skipped eating some 'bad' stuff because I don't want to write it down

If those things prove to be true in the long run.  I'll know what modifications to make.

Another CAN Do Item

I'm doing much better with the water since I got a lot of helpful tips from my readers.  The best thing about drinking water is not tracking it!  If something happens, and I don't get with it first thing in the morning, I don't feel like I've blown it and give up.  I simply go get some water and drink it.

I haven't been nearly as well with the low carb eating.  Committing to eat low carb was a knee jerk reaction from seeing my behind accidentally.  I thought I was doing well by making that declaration rather than saying I was never going to eat again, or eat only on Tuesdays or some other irrational, unsustainable plan.

Even with my more moderate stance, I knew I really needed to get my head in the game.  I just haven't.  The home delivered meals have stopped, but we still have tons of leftovers.  It is all good food.  It isn't like people have been bringing over boxes of donuts or ice cream. Most people have brought one dish meals like lasagna or meat & veggie meals, or soup/chili.  One person even brought us salad!  A couple of people brought brownies and one person brought a chocolate pie.

To me, that is all reasonable food.  It is the sort of food that people without weight issues eat and move on.  I perceive that is what I am doing too.  But, when I made a declaration to eat low carb, it eliminated most of the food in my house right now!

Rather than try and force myself in to a plan that isn't going to work right now, I decided to figure out what I CAN do.  I don't want to feel bad about myself and the choices I make (or screw ups) and let that dictate how I feel about myself and my body.  I'm not mentally tough enough right now.

What I CAN do, is write down what I eat.  I am simply making a list of it.  I am not weighing, measuring, counting calories, fat grams or carbs.  I am writing it down.  That is all.  (I'm also writing down the time I eat.)  I'm thinking in time, I'll have a better idea of my eating patterns and where to make changes.  Small changes in the right direction.  No more wholesale, none of this or all of that.

My mother lists her food.  She insists that it helps keep her in check because sometimes she doesn't want to write down that she ate this or that so she doesn't eat it!  I should be so lucky.

Today, there are two things I CAN do to move along the road to better health:

1.  Drink water

2.  List my food

That is what I WILL do.

For the record, this is the last week of physical therapy.  I hope to be driving by the end of the week. :)  

Why I Blog

I blog because my readers are much smarter than me and have great ideas.  Not to mention the encouragement I get when I confess a screw up.

In a previous post I confessed that I hadn't been on the water bandwagon as I had hoped because it was cold.  Deniz suggested warm water with lemon, or even tart cherry juice with warm water.  That triggered a memory for me.  My mother used to drink 8 oz of warm water with lemon every morning.  I don't remember the health benefit, but that doesn't matter.  I knew it wouldn't hurt.

So, this morning I diluted 1 ounce of tart cherry juice in 7 ounces of water and then added another 1/2 ounce of lemon juice.  I heated that and had a sip.  I fully expected to have to sweeten it some way because the cherry juice is indeed tart and the extra lemon just might pucker my cheeks for life.  

I had a sip first because I wanted to have it as pure as possible.  I didn't want to add honey because that would add another layer of flavor and I wasn't sure what other sweeteners were in the house besides sugar.  I forged ahead with a sip.

Much to my surprise it was not too sour at all.  (Of course I am a person that eats dill pickles and mustard!)  In fact, it was quite enjoyable.  I liked the warmth of it as well.  It heated me from the inside.  This is something that I definitely want to keep.  It would be nice if a health benefit pops up, but just getting an extra 8 ounces of water down, is a good thing.

An Accidental Glimpse

I've done it more times that I can count; walk by a mirror or window and see my reflection unintentionally.  It can be sort of fun, when the weight is slipping off and the reflection is better than anticipated.  It can be alarming and frustrating when what is seen is worse. The second happened to me this morning.

I am wearing what I call "Old Lady Pants."  They are stretchy elastic waist pants that probably are not flattering on any body type.  The OLP's are a step up from 5 weeks ago when I refused to wear anything below the waist.  Then I upgraded to a giant pair of gym shorts that 65MD owned.  The goal being, nothing, and I mean nothing touch that incision. Yesterday, I graduated to OLP's.  This morning, I even managed to find a top that matched.

The incision has healed nicely and thanks to vitamin E the scar is diminishing.  I had walking in to the bathroom to toss the vitamin E 'shells' into the trash, when I got a glimpse of my behind.  I think I actually gasped audibly.  That thing is HUGE!!

It is time for action.  No more, "Poor, pitiful me, I just had major surgery!"  That time is gone.  Today has got to be the day I draw the line in the sand and actually do something.  It will have to be low carb because, I don't have what I need for Trim Healthy Mama.  It is OK, it is an easy transition from low carb to THM should I decide to do it.

I got a harsh return to reality.  I needed it.  If I can keep that image burned into my memory, I'll never overeat again! 

Bits & Pieces

I don't have enough to say on one topic to actually make a blog post, but I do have a several tidbits that might be of interest.

1.  I blew it with the water this weekend.  It turned COLD here and I just can't drink cold water when I am cold.  Plus, I had the busiest weekend since surgery.  The level of busy is not nearly up to normal people busy.  Still, it was a lot for me.  And I know this is TMI, but I need a toilet raiser still and so I avoided drinking anything before going some place so that I would not have to figure out how to pee while I was in public!  Folks, that is just a reality of life that is not often discussed but still true.

2.  I am not eating according to any set plan just yet.  Friends and family are still bringing food and it is still quite welcome.  I'm much stronger but still need lots of rest.  Plus I am still going to therapy three days per week, and taking pain meds.  BTW, therapy will end next week, and I've weaned back to one pain pill at night to help me rest.

3.  I have started weighing most days.  Since I'm not actually following a plan, I am not recording it.  It fluctuates as much as two pounds from one day to the next.  It is the same pounds up and down so I think that it is just the natural rhythm of my body and it's fluids.  I'd still like to break through and move on down the scales.  I'll gladly take staying flat for now.  I haven't decided yet if I will record it monthly, weekly or some other interval, if at all.

4.  Anyone have any experience with tart cherry juice?  I've heard how it will cure whatever ails a body, including healing ligaments & muscles after joint replacement surgery.  A friend IRL said a friend of his had hip replacement, drank an ounce each day and two weeks later was healed.  I am wondering if anyone else out there has had a similar experience.  I started on it Sunday and so far haven't felt any thing extra special.  At this point, it would be hard to know if the juice aided or if I'd be feeling this good without it.  I am considering keeping it in my diet long term.  I prefer my friend both blog and IRL share stories rather than finding random postings on the Internet.  Who knows if those are legit?

5.  I am considering what plan to follow when I do feel strong enough to tackle something.  It is down to Trim Healthy Mama through the end of the year or just low carb.  I have some hcg.  It requires at least three weeks of strict adherence which won't be doable until the first of the year.  I'm hoping that I'll be successful enough with THM or whatever I choose to stay with it and save the hcg to get those last few stubborn pounds off.  Right now, we have a beach trip planned for late April.  I'd like to feel strong and healthy enough to walk along the beach in a new swimsuit.  (65MD has decided I need a new one!)

6.  I keep getting advice on what to expect along this healing journey.  I love it.  I love knowing that I am not alone, even if my benchmarks are a little different.  A friend told me yesterday that her mother felt like it took her a full 6 months to feel normal again.  That took such a burden off of my shoulders that I actually cried tears of joy.  Six months is a long time to feel bad, but I've already got 5 weeks under my belt.  That just leaves 4 and 3/4 more months.  I should be feeling great by our beach trip.

I know this is just a bunch of disjointed thoughts.  I wanted to keep in touch especially since blogger has been doing something wonky and my reading list only comes up when it feels like it, so I haven't been able to comment like I want to.  I'm still here.  No worries!

What I CAN Do

One month ago today, I got new hardware implanted in my right hip and embarked upon the hardest chapter in my life physically.  Even though I thought I had educated myself on what to expect, I was quite far off the mark.  I don't know how people do this a second time for the other hip and hip is the 'easy' one compared to knees.  I shudder just thinking about it.  

I came home from the hospital with a list of "Don'ts" like don't drive, don't bend past 90 degrees, don't cross the newly replaced hip leg over the mid-line of your body, don't turn toes inward, don't take a bath, don't lay on the surgical side, don't, don't don't.  At that time, I didn't care.  Why did I need to drive?  I was worried about walking to the bathroom.  Forget about driving!!

As I have healed, I have shed a restriction or two.  But all of those listed about remain.  Most will remain for 6 months!  (Except the driving, and that is the one I'm most happy NOT to do.  I hate driving!)  I know it is going to be harder and harder as I feel better and better not to forget and bend past 90 degrees or roll onto my right side in my sleep.  I could let these "Don'ts" consume me.  Instead, I am trying to think of what I can DO.

I can still work several hours per day since I work from home.  I can walk anywhere I want to in the house, and I'm getting better at stairs.  I can dress myself all but tying my shoes. Most importantly, I am learning to pace myself and live without scheduling every moment of my life.  Still, I want to move forward in the weight loss arena too.

When I first came home I was suffering horrible digestive issues which were a very common side effect to the pain meds.  My appetite was incredibly small.  And I wanted blueberries and orange juice.  I felt like I couldn't get enough but there is still at least 1/2 gallon of OJ in the refrigerator now, so I only drank less than 1/2 gallon since 65MD had some as well.  I felt like those were good choices.  I felt like there must be something in blueberries that my body needed to heal.  I went with it.

In addition to the diminished capacity & appetite, friends and family were bringing over food regularly.  It was great, especially for 65MD since it was one last thing he had to think about.  That took away my choices as to fat/carbs/calories but I didn't care, especially since I was eating so little.  Now the food is mostly gone.  I think there is about one bowl of soup left.  It is time to figure out what I can DO to get back on the weight loss train.

I don't want to look back at this time and feel like I wasted an opportunity to lose weight. ( I'll confess here, that I had hoped that the weight would just fall off while I was so sick but it didn't!)  I don't have the mental toughness now to fully engage in a weight loss plan.  Physically, I can only do therapy.  (Which I'd also hoped would help with the pounds!)  So, with inspiration from Holly at 300 pounds down I realized that I don't have to embark on an all out attack.  I can do one thing and it can be a very small thing.  All that matters is I do it, and I do it consistently.

I picked drinking water.  On Tuesday, I had this epiphany. I started drinking water.  I'm not counting ounces or glasses, I'm just opting for water during the day as my drink of choice.  It feels good.  It feels like I am taking control of my body again!

I weighed this morning.  I've lost 2.2 pounds since surgery.  I haven't decided what I am going to do about weighing or goal setting, other than giving myself a great big break.  If, when I weigh, whenever that is, the scales are down, that is all I want.  If between now and November 30, I lose another 2.2 pounds, I'll be thrilled.  Right now, I'm just drinking water.  That is all, drinking water.