You Too Can be Satisfied with 2 oz per Meal

I read up on all of this stuff before the surgery – before even committing to the surgery.  And I sort of wondered at the time how it would actually work to be on clear liquids for two weeks.  Well, clear liquids plus 8 oz of Ensure or Boost, delivered as four 2-oz portions.  Sounded kind of silly but it was an improvement over the 1-oz serving they gave me at the hospital after I had the barium test and had proven I could actually swallow.

But the reality is different.  I drink  64 oz of water and Crystal Light a day, plus my single can of Ensure spread out into 4 meals.  And I’m really full.   I forgot that I could also have sugar free popsicles until today, but just nibbled on an Hawaiian pineapple pop and it was soooo tasty.  I don’t know when I move from one stage to another, but as long as I’m in the clear liquids stage, there’s no point in being whiny about it.   Changes will come when it’s time.

I should be out walking more and I promise that tomorrow I will take 3 walks outside instead of the one outside and one inside.   My concern is that as the pain meds become a thing of the past (yes, that quickly – go figure), my knee and back pains are coming back.  In the hospital, they didn’t hurt at all.  But now, yeah.   So it’s a line to walk between getting the exercise in, and I know I need it, and taking care of the other pains.  It’s also colder out so the arthritis is kicking in.

But excuses are not acceptable.  One thing that’s to my advantage while I’m staying home for this recovery period is that I have a crack at the fitness center here in the complex.  Mostly I avoid it like the plague because 1) it’s small, 2) equipment doesn’t always work, and 3) the student residents seem to have claimed it.  Hopefully during the day it might be easier to get in and use a treadmill or maybe the elliptical.

So the plan for tomorrow is to actually walk up to the main building and ENTER the fitness center to check it out.  The walk alone is more than I’ve done in quite a while (and it’s not even that far, I’m just lazy) and it will be a good goal.  If I’m tired, I’ll just rest up there for a bit before heading back, which is downhill anyway.  And I will come back knowing what, if any, the options are for me up there to use while I’m home and unable to drive.

I feel pretty good, just a little tired and sore around the middle when I move weird.  So far, so good!