PAIN!!!!!

WOW!  I don't even know where to begin with this post.  Today was a horrible day!  Let's start at the beginning.

I went to work, as I have been everyday.  I've been feeling really fantastic, today I was tired, but otherwise it was no exception.  At 11am I had about 1/4th of a cup of cottage cheese.  I've been eating cottage cheese daily and having no issue at all. 

So, the day goes on and at about 2:30pm I was helping out the weather kids in the control room, the shoot was going really quite well, and all of a sudden a pain shot through my system.  It buckled me immediately so I excused myself and ran to the bathroom.  I thought that I was having gas pains, so the bathroom made the most sense.  After about 5 minutes of sitting with nothing going on, not even passing any gas, I decided it was useless sitting in the gross school bathroom and headed back to the studio.  I told my boss what was going on, went into my office, shut the door and curled up in a ball on the floor. 

Before I go any farther, I need to explain the pain.   It didn't feel like I was being stabbed or anything, I had an intense pressure, like something was sitting on top of my stomach inside me.  Almost like my stomach was in a vice....I couldn't curl up without being in pain...but I also couldn't straighten up.  All in all it was a pretty horrific feeling.

So, after I ignored one of my members knocking on my office door, I realized that being on the floor wasn't helping me any.  It was time for more drastic measures.  I got up, as best as I could, and headed for the bathroom in our office.  By now I was convinced that a piece of cottage cheese had gotten lodged into my new stomach/intestinal area.  I went into the newly cleaned "bathroom" that is in our office space.  It is never used so I know that it would still be clean.  I closed to door and wound up the courage to make myself throw up.  (I HATE throwing up.  But if something was stuck, it needed to come out).  Nothing....not even bile, which is the weirdest thing in the whole world.

After laying on the floor for what felt like an eternity.  I realized that the pain wasn't as horrible as it was.  I ran into see my boss, told him I was going home, and promised to call him when I got there. 

The pain is gone...but I have a severe ache...kind of like when you can feel a horrible migraine coming on.  The calm before the storm.  Unfortunately I still feel horrible 6 and a half hours later.  I called my Doctor and unfortunately they couldn't get a hold of him.  They told me to call in the morning if I still didn't feel well, and to go to the emergency room if the pain came back.  I'll keep you posted....

Happy Anniversary!

Potato and Leek Soup

1 Leek (Cleaned and roughly chopped)
3 Idaho Potatoes (Peeled and roughly chopped)
About 1 Pint of Chicken/Veggie Broth (Free Range if possible)
1-2 TBLS Chopped Garlic
1-2 TBLS Olive Oil
1 tsp Oregano
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large soup pot, warm the oil and add garlic, leeks, salt and pepper. Cook the leeks and garlic until tender (about 10 minutes)  Once the leeks are tender, add potatoes, stir and cover potatoes with broth.  ( You may not need the entire pint of broth for this soup.)  Cover and let cook until potatoes are tender (About 15 minutes) Once the potatoes are tender, add oregano and use an immersion blender to completely puree the soup.  (You can also use a regular blender, just add the soup in batches.)  Enjoy!

Me? Oh you want to hear about me?

Alright, so we are moving right along here. I haven't weighed myself in a few days so I have no update on that, but I was asked to report on how I'm feeling, so I thought this would be a nice time to do that.

As I've said before, I have been doing pretty well on a technical standpoint. I've actually been doing really well in every way. It's funny; I never thought I would feel ok with melting away. That's what a friend of mine calls it. She went through this surgery almost 2 years ago and told me that she watched parts of herself melt away for a couple of months and she was kind of thrown by that. I on the other hand am having no problem with this process. I'm happy to watch myself shrink and melt. At times it does feel a little interesting, but generally speaking I have had no problems with it.

Now my friends and co-workers might be having a problem with it. As I melt away, I have nothing to hold my clothing on. It makes even walking a bit dangerous. Well, dangerous in an "OMG My Pants Just Fell OFF" way. I feel like I'm constantly apologizing for pulling up my pants and accidentally showing people my underpants. That's a little bit embarrassing. But honestly, I'm happy to be embarrassed that my clothing is too big, instead of apologizing for bumping into everything or asking people to move because I can't "sneak past" without hitting people with my stomach or chest.

So as I melt away, other things are happening. The first is that I never feel hungry anymore. I'm constantly feeling here and content. There was one day that I actually forgot to "eat" anything other than my 8oz. protein shake until 10pm and Alex was asking me what I had that day. Food is just not something I'm even thinking about anymore. It's weird, after years of having food rule my life; food has nothing to do with my day to day anymore. And, I don't care. That's the best part. Now, don't get me wrong, just yesterday a pizza guy was walking into my friend's building at the same time as we were and I felt like a cartoon character who was following their nose and floating after the food. However, it's my remembrance of that food that I miss, not the food itself. If I could recreate those flavors in a soup, I would be very happy. Additionally, my stomach NEVER shuts up. It is constantly gurgling....which is embarrassing and HILARIOUS! I just take it as my new "baby" pouch just wants to say hi to the world. IT'S all good. For this girl who has said she never wanted kids, I ended up with a very vocal baby.

I guess in the end, I've had a ridiculous amount of support. My amazing girlfriend Alex doesn't eat solid food in the house, so I never have the temptation here. My friends have stopped eating dinner or anything during our Sunday night gatherings. Even my co-workers try not to eat in front of me, though the food that they are eating often smells AMAZING.

So with that, I'm going to go have some cottage cheese with peaches, because guess what? Phase 2, so far, is AMAZING!  Thank you again to everyone who has been supporting me throughout this. I am so happy to have all of you in my life.

And to answer the question I have been asked so many times; Yes, I am happy that I did this.  Yes, I am excited to see what happens to me physically; and yes, I am feeling better everyday.

New layout

Hey ya'll.  I've changed the layout of the bog because the old one was driving me crazy. I still don't LOVE this layout, but it's better than the last one.  Anyone out there a designer who wants to help me make my blog look better?  I could use all the help I can get.

Also take note that a search bar has been added as well as a way to email me directly.  Alex has been helping me and she thought that they would be nice additions.  I totally agree. 

So, comments on the newness?  Leave them for me!

P.S. I begin Phase 2 on Valentine's Day.  Blenderized soup, mashed potatos and cottage cheese, HERE I COME!  :-)