Dear Darla Diaries

another runonsentence

Also thought of as 'what haven't I been doing the past week.'

Around these parts it's either feast or famine. Husband and I are known for operating at one pace for constant lenghts of time: busy. I tend to try to dial it back on Tuesdays and just about Tuesday only if I'm lucky. He on the other hand can operate like a snake eating it's tail. But in a good, non cannibalistic way, for those who were worried.

I had my first ingrown toenail removed, or rather a sliver of the full nail. Kind of gross and unpleasant but it went about as expected. I was suffering a stomach flu the same day so it was one of those 'smash-my-hand-to-distract-me-from-my-missing-toe' kind of situations except imagine to ghost hands wrapped around my intestines and crocheting them into a doily against my will. So. Much. Fun.

Speaking of doilies the MIL is still twisted up. We hope to discover the severity of her current intestinal stricture after a procedure on Wednesday. Lucky for us she's used to functioning through pain but she's shedding weight like a snake's summer skin with her current liquid diet. Soup, broth, liquid supplement and repeat.

Between her and I, from mid-April through mid-June, we have 13 consecutive weeks of doctor appointments and procedures scheduled around work. That leaves very little free time, far too much time spent at the hospital I work and play at, and a few minutes left for the cat.

I have snuck back onto the WoWtrain a bit. I went between 6 and 8 months with very little gaming and this past week have squeezed in my evenings farming, killing and grinding. If you play you get it. Essentially the same thing all you Farmville, FBing, Twitterstalking, Piinterestedaddicted, solitaire playing fools do. Distracting myself with a little digital distraction.

The diet is also going well, if I can randomly change topics. I could wax on about a bridge between the last paragrah and this, but I won't. After 3 weeks of morning workouts, cutting out the processed crap, fresh and green foods and even the occasional restaurant I'm down 10 lbs and quite a few inches. My goal is another 30 in the same slow steady consistent pace. I wouldn't mind fast, but it won't stay off. I've recently been busting my own chops about my history with weight loss/gain since I hit Germany and it's not doing me any good. (185 upon arrival, dropped to 168 for the first time in years on a strict no sodium/lowest fat diet, gained 22 lbs back in the 23 days we went stateside, gained another 15 lbs between than and husbands returned from deployment and capped at 207 - thank you doctor's scale.) I'm highly aware than 10 pounds in 3 weeks is good weight loss, I just have a goal of 155-165 in mind and want to be healthy and not obsess about it.

Damn the flying monkeys for hiding the vodka. Mommy just wants a sip! I'm sure it's calorie free ... 

 

P.S. I've more food tips that I've discovered in the building of flavor profiles and decreasing the calories, carbs, fat and sodium to post! Sadly, not today. I just like to tease.

surgery you say?

What can I say I'm a sucker for happy titles, ruining suprises, letting the cat out of the bag, predictable physicians and my favorite: therapy.

I went to the doctor because I have a small tailor's buinion that has been flaring and sending shooting pains across the top of my happy yarn tattoo and down the left side of my foot. Exercise is good, not being able to walk on it after, not so much.

What I took to need minor surgery has turned into a major multi-purpose event that will leave me on crutches for a good 6-8 weeks. Period. Along with swelling, aches, scars and possibly ruining the entire piece of ink I have been very recently proud of. Now don't get me wrong, I'm all about fixing it, but it does make me a tad melancholy about the ink.

 

A little something soon to be like this!  Sort of, not exactly.

image source

 

Let me clarify a few things. At the ripe age of 16, exactly 17 years ago to be precise, Twin and I both had bilateral bunionectomy's  (i.e. both feet.) This is when they readjust that huge nobby prominence next to the edge of the big toe that gives some of us an awesome hobbit foot look. It was fairly minor and we were up and about after the weekend and I was back on the basketball court within 3 months of both surgeries. We were young and it healed and all seemed fine.

Things can change with time.

After reviewing my xrays for the protuberance on the opposite side of the foot from the original surgery site it was confirmed that I do have a Tailor's Bunion (shocking) and that surgery could be an appropriate route. A few other things were also brought into the light.

First off, a second bunionectomy. The original surgery needs redone. The old procedure was to fix the bump of the foot to make it 'prettier' if you will. The current technique, and second procedure,  is to repair it at the root of the problem to correct the duck like splay of the toes and adjust for overall posture. (Sadly my former podiastrist died in a horrific accident within days of the original surgeries and cannot be consulted.) This is called a Lapidus Bunionectomy.

The third and fourth procedures are a like Hammertoe Correction to adjust the misalignment of the baby toe from the Tailor's Bunion and a Tailor's Bunionectomy.

All in all a one day procedure with a much longer recovery time and far more swelling. The physician was so super efficient that she not only took xrays on site, and reviewed them in a my first and only visit to see her but she tentatively scheduled the surgery for July 20th.

 

Like hell you say?!

Image source

Of course it is never as easy as just a surgery.

Starting with work, summers at the hospital can be hectic. Our patient load is completely unexpected, since we are dealing with the wounded from a war and it's not a very polite one at that. As the sun comes out the injuries usually double. As the cold creeps in the terrorists hide a little deeper out of site.

Our house is also bit inconvenient. It is a 4 story monstrosity with our bedroom being on the 3rd floor, full baths on the 3rd and 2nd floors and couch and kitchen on the main floor. We will have to look at setting up a spare bed in the living room or moving some food into the MILs room so we can have a sleepover.

The poor MIL is also in a bit of a bind. Her Crohn's is having small complications and between that and a surge of heart, pulmonary, internal medicine and GI clinic appointments she is also having to be carted to and fro at the drop of a hat. If the cards keep falling where they may we both may be recupping from surgery at the same time.

Have I mentioned my husband is an active duty military member? They don't usually grant 3 month respite leave for him to care for his mother-dependent and wife-dependent. Normally we take care of each other.

And the cherry to this little cupcake is that I get a HUGE blessing in October. (No, I'm not pregnant.) My parents get to come for a two week visit! One of the reasons why I'm not balking about the summer surgery or trying to reschedule is that I will have ample recovery time to be in the rehab stage post first foot surgery. I should be able to walk and tourist and play with them versus having to be coddled in a wheelchair and housebound.

So there you have it. I have to be even more dedicated to do double workouts for the next 7 weeks and not sway from the diet plan because surgery and recovery is not the time to want to gain excessive weight due to sheer laziness and availability.

That's right! (image source)

chew on this

We have a new Category and topic to chew on around these parts. Cue applause. Chew On This and Healthy Eating! Yes as I stumble blindly down this journey shoulders down, blinders on and in search of healthy yummy  delicious food I am going to share! I am going to start with bits and pieces of brilliant finds and nonyucky food replacements that I discover both in my local grocery stores and around the intraweb. I will call fails FAILS and successes accordingly.

image: Source

 

he thinks my barbells are possessed

Fat boy kitteh isn't sure what to make of this new 7a work out routine. He's convinced that chest flies are attacking him and stretching is a participation sport.

a diet by any other name

my new BFF the WaitWatchurz*PointsPlus tracker is a very mouthy wench:

• step away from the 13th brownie ... very s-l-o-w-l-y
• i refuse to give you the PointsPlus total for the day on grounds that it might incriminate me
• what account did you say this was again?
• no, sadly, 2.6oz rice krispie treat bars do not count as meal supplement bars
• no. they are also not a 'free point' food
• yes, dr pepper is a liquid. no, you may not substitute it for water.
• of course i'm here to help you.
• crying is not a justification to eat an entire pizza slathered in bbq sauce and cheese by yourself and hope it is less than your daily 29 points
• im not sure what that finger stands for but you better point it somewhere else lady!
• im sorry there isnt a precalculated recipe for whatever that bready schnitzel product is smothered in gravy. you better sharpen your german skills to get it correct.
• i do believe walking is exercising. walking from the couch to the fridge doesnt count. chasing me on the other hand ...
• avon is calling i can't hear you

 

*names have been changed to protect the innocent

the best laid plans of mice and me

 It's time to focus on being healthier again. I'm very tentatively starting down the path of the WeightWatchersOnline eating habits. I'm also procuring a treadmill for the living room. I hope to feel a little better again, it won't be the CrossFit adventures of Shan and I in Fairchild, but it'll be sweaty nonetheless and a bit stress relieving. I'm highly curious to see what results can be seen before the boy gets back from deployment. It's like a New Years resolution or what most of us deployment widows call 'Deployment Resolutions.'

We're also starting the paperwork down the adoption path with AmericanAdoptions.com. This will be a joint effort from both countries. We don't quite have the financials lined up but faith is fickle like that. We start down the God vision and let the gaps fill themselves in as they go.

 

P.S. I highly recommend the following link for excellent healthy cooking bites, that even comes with WW points! (Although a huge fan of butter, TastyKitchen and PioneerWoman it does take a little more in the healthy choice area to keep the fat off my ample belly. One doesn't like to appear pregnant when one can't physically be.)