...7...

ONE WEEK!!!!!! Oh wow, just one more week from today and I will be switched! This crap-band will be out of me and I will be on my way to a new and healthy life! I am so excited!

I've started up my full liquid diet again. So far it's not awful. I'm kind of combining a bunch of different diets from different surgeons since my center doesn't have a DS specific one. Right now I'm following Dr. K's pre-op liquid diet since it seems to be pretty open. I can pretty much have anything as long as I don't have to chew it. I haven't had a protein shake yet today, but when I do I'll review it on here :)

7 little days is all that's left! I've gotten more accomplished so I'm starting to feel better. I still feel like I have a lot to do, but the list is dwindling.

Today was a bit of a shock though- my surgeon's office gave me a prescription for a bowel prep prescription. She said I could take that or drink a bottle of magnesium citrate, but I figured pills might be better than that nasty liquid stuff. Ha- my prescription cost me $40!!!! A bottle of magnesium citrate is only like $3! FRICK! And I have to take them every 15 minutes! There are 32 of them! I am going to be living in the bathroom the day before surgery I swear! Should help me drop a few lbs pre-op though :)

Ok so what is left to do?

*Get a cheap used recliner off Craigslist

*Order SpongeBob pillow to help recover faster (it will!)

*Finish all laundry

*Call office to ask about bowel prep pills and how many/often to take

*Call hospital to get copy of blood labs

*Pay surgeon's fees

*Pay hospital's fees

*Finish making ICE folder

*Pack hospital bag

I think that's it! I can do this :) No sweat Ace!

...8...

Ok I'm caught up :) That was fast! My schedule is all honked up since I've got SO much going on. I almost forgot I had to work today, lol. We got new schedules and it's completely crazy and makes it sort of hard to pre-plan anything. The good news is that I had a 3 day weekend this last weekend and thanks to the new schedule at work I'll have 3 day weekend this upcoming weekend, and then the next day I'll be off for surgery for a couple weeks! Yay :) So I should have a pretty chill week if I can force myself to calm the eff down. Gooosfraba!!

I made taco muffins for dinner last night and was going to post a picture for you all but they were gobbled up so fast I didn't even get a chance! They were super yummy and so much fun!! :)

One week from today I will be sitting on the toilet all day "prepping" for surgery the next day! OMG! I can't believe it's almost here! AHH!

...9...

Well I fail at math. Monday is 9 days, not Sunday. Oh well :) And I was super busy so I missed a couple days of posting. Everything is going good though- just dotting "i's" and crossing "t's." I decided to draw up a living will and appoint a power of attorney. It just makes me feel better knowing that everything is taken care of should the worst happen.

I am going to keep this one short, I have catching up to do!

...10...

I think the stress of upcoming surgery is starting to really take it's tole on me. I've noticed I'm very touchy and sensitive lately. Everything is bothering me, even things that usually don't. I feel like crying at the drop of a hat. In fact, if I did drop my hat, I can pretty much say for certain that I'd start crying over it. I'm feeling ignored by everyone in my family and most of my friends, even though I know they're not. My baby lizard is being skittish around me and I'm taking it completely personally.

I'm about 99.9% sure that 85% of these moods are due to my having to stop taking birth control to prepare for surgery, and I was in the middle of the pack, so now my hormones are probably all messed up. And with my PCOS, they were already messed up with to begin with. And then like I said earlier- stress from surgery related stuff.

*le sigh*

I'm excited that it's only 10 more days, but I really hope I can snap out of these mood swings. I'm tired of being so irritable, it's not like me at all. :(

...11...

I'm posting this a little early to try to keep myself from grabbing my keys and hitting up Jack in the Box since I'm SUPPOSED to be on my pre-op liquid diet right now.

For you long time followers you'll recognize my word "hangry" a LOT in the next 11 posts. For those of you who are new to my blog, "Hangry" is when I am so hungry that it has made me angry. I am one of those people that if I'm really hungry for long I get seriously grouchy. And right now I am HANGRY!!! I hate liquid diets so much! At least I got through the day though. I swear I'm already hallucinating. I swear I smell something yummy, I can't quite put my finger on it but I think it kind of smells toasted. Like garlic bread or something....mmmmm....omg yumm.

I do understand the necessity of a liquid diet but that doesn't mean I have to enjoy it. At least my nutritionist at my surgeon's office said I could have some ice cream, just not too much :) That helps taste wise, but still doesn't fill me up.

I can't believe I'm 11 days away from surgery! It feels like no time at all and forever at the same time. I'm anxious because I want all of this done once and for all. I can't take the daily stresses that keep managing to find their way to me. I can't take the anticipation. And I've learned to completely loathe the phrase "after my surgery." It seems like my entire life is revolving around "after my surgery." Well let's get that part done so that my life can start, can we please?

But I'm also starting to feel the "I'm not ready!" stresses. I feel like I still have so much to do. I'm still 11 days away and I'm bothered by the fact that my hospital bag isn't packed and that I don't have my home made soups frozen yet. I know I'm over thinking all of this, it's an OCD thing. I just can't help it though. Tomorrow will feel productive though because I'll have all my money issues taken care of, my short term disability requests will be filled out and submitted, and maybe I'll get going on that soup.

I want to feel 110% ready to go the night before my surgery. I would rather feel that I've done way too much and over planned for everything than to feel like I'm forgetting something or that I need more time. I also have decided that I am going to go to the spa college near by for some relaxation and pampering the day before my surgery. I have some coupons for half off their services and I think it'll help me feel better the next day to not be so tense and wound up. A facial and a nice massage sound like just the ticket :)

...12...

Ok folks...today is the day. I am officially starting my attempts at a liquid diet. This posting will serve a double purpose as it is a countdown post as well as my very first protein shake sample review!

I'll be honest, I'm scared. The last 4 times I've had protein shakes I've gagged, so I'm afraid of trying one and not liking it and then trying all of them and not liking any of them and then having to struggle constantly to get enough protein in post-op.

First up in the long line of protein shake tests is

OhYeah! Chocolate Milkshake!

Calories: 220
Total Fat: 9 grams
Sat Fat: 1.5
Cholesterol: 20mg
Sodium: 350mg
Potassium: 560 mg
Total Carbs: 6 g
Fiber: 3 g
Sugars: 3g
Protein: 32g

Overall it was not bad, I was able to drink the whole thing and only made one face. It's a texture thing, I don't like my milk drinks that thick unless they're frozen. Which is precisely why I am confident that I'll be fine with protein ice cream and blended protein drinks :) ala EggFace. It didn't have that super strong protein taste, which is good.

Conjecture: Not bad since it comes pre-bottled and mixed, would do in a pinch while traveling or away from a blender. I would be able to drink this again.

...13...

TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY I WILL BE HAVING MY SURGERY!!!!!!!!!!!! :D :D :D :D TWO WEEKS!!

I'm supposed to be starting my liquid diet today, but I don't do well just switching cold turkey, so I'll start adding more liquids, less food for a few days. I'm horrible at liquid diets, I always cheat. :/ I'm not saying I'm proud of that, just being honest.

I've been so stressed and tense about getting ready and getting my payment deal so it's kind of hard to focus on trying out protein shakes and trying out different powders and stuff. I will get my stuff together and be on my full liquid diet soon.

14 days! It's coming up fast!

PS-

Marissa my love- if you're reading this I PROMISE to call or email you soon, just super stressed with work and surgery and money...I'll get it together, I swear <3