Friday, January 17, 2014

Home and scared...

They let me go home last night. I'm still kind of a mess though... And nervous. I can't quite come to terms with the fact that I almost bled to death >.<

This whole thing is really serious, and it scares me. I just want to be well :(

The doctor said that my heart/lungs/body are in excellent shape to have let me maintain consciousness and walk around for the 3-4 days I was living with less than half my blood supply!! That was nice to hear.

They started me off yesterday with cream of wheat and milk and custard:


Then, for lunch, upgraded me to a low residue diet, which means I can't have fiber or any roughage or any foods that won't just easily slip through my stomach. No raw veggies or fruits (except ripe bananas and melon), not even cooked greens!, no nuts, etc. 

Allowed is poultry and eggs, milks, yogurts, sweet potatoes without the peels, very well cooked or canned low fiber veggies, strained soups, WHITE bread/pasta (no whole grains), cream of wheat, etc. Nothing high acidity or with caffeine.

So I have to eat the opposite of how I normally eat, basically. (I eat nuts, fruits, and veggies mostly! And no dairy or grains... I still probably will steer clear of the grains mostly.) The nurse joked that this recommended diet is the only one like it, that she normally would never recommend her patients to eat like that. It's not a "healthy" diet, per se, but it's necessary to not aggravate my wound.

They gave me a meal of turkey, cooked brand, mashed sweet potatoes, barley soup and PUMPKIN PIE:


It was doctor approved, but eating all that food (and I DID eat it all because I was starving) made me super aware of the wound in my stomach. For the first time there was pressure in my stomach from being full, and I can feel the pain now. Scary.

But I'm home. I'm very tired from my hospital stay, it wasn't restful and it was very stressful. I thought I'd be feeling a little bit better today but I'm not really.

I'm also very nervous and very stressed out. I am trying to keep an eye on how my body feels and any symptoms I might be experiencing that would indicate that the wound opened up. I can't quite tell the difference between general lethargy from my ordeal and lethargy from blood loss. And, sorry for the TMI, but my stool will really be the best indicator of if I'm bleeding again. Black or tar like stool is a dead giveaway of bleeding from the G.I. tract.

Being restful today, being careful to rest and follow the diet.

This is a health and wellness blog, it's very interesting to look at food once again as medicine, but in a very different way. Food that I've been eating for years could really hurt me right now, so I won't eat it. 

It's an interesting analogy to the past. I used to eat junk food for years and then it became clear that the food I had been eating for years would hurt me, so I stopped eating it. However, this situation is different in the sense that there is no room for cheating or slipups. It could legitimately cause me to bleed again.

Food is our medicine, it keeps us alive, and I take that more seriously than ever.

Also, to everyone who doesn't really take their health and diet and fitness very seriously, remember that I only came out of this as well as I did because I've been keeping my body strong and healthy for a number of years. This was a freak medical situation that could happen anybody. It is so worth it to be healthy now and to take care of yourself now. You never know what the future will bring.

Namaste.

14 comments:

  1. I am so sorry that you have had to/are enduring this, sweetie. And you are absolutely right; you are alive today BECAUSE you have cared about your health and your body was in optimal shape when this happened. Will you have to have colonoscopies more often now, due to this? I imagine you will. I know this sounds perverse, but look at this as a blessing in disguise. You had severe enough symptoms, that your condition was recognized and treated. If your polyp hadn't bleed so significantly, you could've carried that around for years, it could've then maybe turned in C, and then where would you be? Like with survivors of heart attacks, you were given the gift of a warning that could fix a bad situation. Many others are not so lucky. They just keel over and die, or are too far gone when diagnosed to fix the situation. Don't worry about what you have to eat, and how it's not your normal stuff; you know you gotta do, temporarily, what you gotta do. If you are feeling a little lousy, it COULD be because of the carb overload that your body is trying to reject. Kind of a carb hangover, you know?

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  2. You're right, had you not taken care of yourself, you might not have come through this.

    You are a trooper and I'm sure you'll come through everything. Feel better!!! xox

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  3. Glad to hear you are on the mend and doing better. I agree that your body's ability to handle this and recover more quickly is a tribute to your good health. You really do inspire me Jeannette. Take care.

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  4. That is scary. I am so glad they figured it out and fixed you up. Take it easy,,, do you feel awful from the sugar/carbs? Hope you adjust to that diet for as long as you need to and you heal up nicely. Take care.

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  5. Your allowed food list doesn't sound too dissimilar from when I had my WLS. And those first few items are all real foods, so no harm will come...eggs, yogurts, milk, mashed sweet potatoes.... And I would like to throw in, if you have a chinese restaurant near by with good egg drop soup, it's divine to a soar stomach ;) So glad you are back home. You have every right to be scared...this was a freakin' scary ordeal!!! And the doc is right, you pulled through because of your healthy body. Wow, that is amazing. Take care of yourself friend...lots of rest and healing, albeit smooth, foods. Prayers still heading your way!

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  6. I hope you heal fast! I'm so sorry this happened!

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  7. Jeanette, I am pleased to hear you are now at home. You must be patient in your healing. I have copied what Gwen said because I feel, as both you, and her said "And you are absolutely right; you are alive today BECAUSE you have cared about your health and your body was in optimal shape when this happened."

    Be patient take care - you will get better - we're all thinking about you and wishing you better and stronger as each day passes.

    All the best Jan

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  8. SO glad you are home! I am wondering if you can have Cream of Rice cereal instead of Wheat? It's still a grain but it's gluten free (it was a staple breakfast food for me after my
    Celiac diagnosis).

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  9. Wow, what a thing to happen! Could I ask, did you have black stools before this happened to warn you? Do what you have to right now to get better. This is very scary and yes, looking after health is our No 1 aim in life. Too many people take it for granted to their peril.

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  10. I am glad you are home and hope you heal quickly. Also, very good taste in books.

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  11. Glad you're back at home! The food you need to eat doesn't sound great, but, it's bland and easy on the stomach, and at least it can be mostly unprocessed. You've got inner strength, I think you're stronger than you realise and you will get through this. Take care.

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  12. So, so sorry Jeanette. Glad to hear you're back home tho. Please take care. I know you will do exactly what is asked of you. You are in my thoughts and prayers:)

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  13. I'm glad they found out what it is and that it's treatable! I'm sure you're happy to be home. Take care of yourself.

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  14. So glad to hear that you're OK. How scary!!! I'm so glad that you are able to come through knowing that all the hard work you have gone through has literally saved your life. What a powerful incentive!! And a very inspirational one.

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