[Wannabehealthy]

Trish, I take my fluid pill first thing in the morning. I get up early so my peeing is done before we want to go anywhere. That was when they gave it to me in the hospital. It is milder than Lasix. I think all my excess fluid is gone because I don't pee as much and I'm back to losing just tenths of a pound at a time. I hope your fluid is gone soon.

The only problem with eating the cheesecake is I don't want to start craving sweets. Eating carbs makes you want more carbs.

Sleep was ok last night, not great. I took off my Cpap during the night. DH said I forgot to turn it off and it was still running at 10am this morning. I am being careless with some things. I don't think it hurt anything.

DH vacuumed and washed towels this morning. Helpful. I was using my Food Saver to wrap the meat I bought this week and put it in the freezer.

Now I'm cooking some vegetables for lunch and will clean off my desk. Organize things.

[pattygirl63]

Carol Sue The reason I take my Lasix when we eat dinner is because that is when we eat foods with so much sodium. I'm hoping it will help me get rid of some of it. It may not help at all but I feel better doing it.

I agree that eating the cheesecake can make you want more sweets and some carbs can cause you to want more. That is where portion control works well for me. Portion control was the best thing I learned from WW and it is helping me learn how to control portions on MFP. DH said we are having all beef franks with sauerkraut today. I had a difficult time getting up to 1020 calories but I managed to do it and keep protein, carbs, fats and sodium under the limits.

I found a website on line for ovarian cancer women who are going through chemo and maintenance etc. It even talks about how to eat. Wish I had found this when I first started chemo. I think they have a support group and newsletter. They suggest a balance woe but also helps you for those days when you don't want to eat and how to get around that with smaller meals instead of 3 meals a day because it is a turn off when we see a plate full of food that makes us feel like we have to eat so much. I want to go back and get the newsletter and print out the info so I can share it with DH. I still do more of a 3 meals a day woe of which 2 are more like snacks done with IF.

It is nice you are getting organized and DH helping with things. I hope I will feel like that soon too. I talked to my DS this morning and they have been wanting to come to see me. He and DIL want to come for Thanksgiving and said they will bring the food or buy it when they get here. I had thought about having Thanksgiving here so I could see my family so will talk to Baby sister to see if she will help me get my house ready and her kids who can can come see DS and DIL while they are here.

I did a few leg exercises today and actually made myself 2 c of coffee this morning. So I'm doing better. I sure hope my last chemo treatment won't set me back on any of this.

Have a nice day everyone.

[Wannabehealthy]

Trish, having Thanksgiving at your house would be nice if others are pitching in with the work and bringing the food. I don't know if I would ever attempt it again. For me its best if step daughter has it at her house and I help her. I feel much better about the holidays since I let them go. Everyone always says "Grandma did it to her dying day" but in later years it was mostly DBIL doing the work under her supervision.

I have to say DH is very helpful to me. I can't complain. He does more than he has to do. I tell him to let me do things myself but he wants to help. One thing he did was not helpful. I put carrots on to cook and forgot them. The water boiled away and the pan burned. He just sat there and yelled "Something is burning.". He was closer to the kitchen and could have gone in faster than I could. Nobody's perfect and it WAS my responsibility!

I am still logging my food but I'm eating less than 1000 calories a day. I feel if I eat 1000+ thats more than my body is using and the excess will be stored in my fat cells. My stomach is used to less food now. I don't get hungry. I know my metabolism is slowed. What can I expect? I've been dieting since I was 21 except for when I started the compulsive over eating and gained 80 lbs. Someone somehow decided that we should not eat less than 1000 to 1200 calories per day but its the old one size fits all and I don't feel that applies to all. Thats my opinion and I know everyone does not agree. But all these years I've tried to follow " the rules" and it didn't work. This is working. The fluid ended up being around 10 lbs and now I'm losing tenths of a pound at a time. But down is down.

I'm glad you found the support group. It makes it easier when you can discuss and compare with others in the same situation.

[pattygirl63]

Carol Sue I am glad DH helps you. I know I appreciate what DH does for me. He still doesn't understand about some of the things about my woe but then some of that has changed to my having cancer and treatment. So we are both learning. Sorry about your burnt carrots.

I agree one size doesn't fit all when it comes to how we eat. I found an article by dieticians from cancer hospitals that tell how to eat and why to eat that way for ovarian cancer. (I haven't found the support group I was going to join.) I wish I had found this article in the beginning because it explains what you can and can't eat if you have a tendency toward blockages like I had and to avoid the gas and bloating that put me in the hospital. I have learned that once I get off the maintenance infusions that I will be on the pill for one year. According to this article, it is important to keep my calories and protein as well as other nutrients up so I need to eat from all 6 food groups in order to keep my immune system healthy. Hopefully if I can do that, I won't experience too many side effects from the meds. I remember my DN telling my DS that cancer patients who make and get well are those who eat.

I printed out the article and had DH read it so he will understand how and why we are eating this way. He thinks I need to continue the protein shake in the mornings so he said he will cook my breakfast of eggs for supper so I can have eggs with half an avocado. He doesn't like avocado so I will have him get me some mild picante sauce and I will use it to mix into the soft avocado to make a simi guacamole dip.

We are having pork chops and salad for dinner and I will eat some Harvard beets he made to try to get my blood count back up.

Have nice day everybody.

[Wannabehealthy]

Trish, its good to know you have information on how you should eat for your immune system as go continue thru maintenance. I know you will follow this plan and I hope it helps you.

Today I want to go to the meat store to get some ground meat for hamburgers.

[Wannabehealthy]

DH ended up going to get the ground beef without me. He doesn't like to do that but he volunteered so I stayed home doing something else. We cooked hamburgers for dinner. The buns he bought were small slider buns so I made my burger small and had it with lettuce, tomato and mayo. Thats the only hamburgers I like unless they are in a sit down restaurant and I can order it with only the toppings I like. I don't like fast food burgers at all. Their burgers don't taste like meat to me.

Yesterday I was concerned because my weight bumped up but its back down today. I did not want to be retaining fluid again. I would have to call the doctor.

All vitals are still in the good range and I'm breathing ok.

DH got a bag of apples from step sons tree and he made an apple pie. I wish I had video taped that! He used the recipe in my cookbook. I had written a note "Use less sugar" because when I followed the recipe it was too sweet. The recipe called for Granny Smith tart apples. Our apples were sweeter. But he insisted on using all the sugar. It did turn out a little too sweet but he likes sweet so its ok. I ate a small piece to taste and will try not to eat more.

____________,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ok so I ate more pie. Its so much better today after it cooled. Actually its cold since it was refrigerated overnight. I do not want my body to start craving agsin. I'm in a good place now, foodwise. I'll try to be good.

I have lots of energy today for some reason. I cleaned off my desk. Threw away and shredded stuff. Got my bills ready to pay, but there's still a few more to come. This afternoon I'm going to work on my spare room. Its starting to look like an episode of Hoarders. I won't get it done in 1 day but I have a tv in there and can watch my soaps while I'm working.

[pattygirl63]

Carol Sue I don't like takeout burgers either but DH does. He cooked some green beans with ham yesterday for us to eat today but last night he said that didn't seem like enough so he might get some hamburgers which means McDs. I don't like their burgers for the same reason I don't get Taco Bell any more... their beef doesn't taste like beef.
I find that interesting that DH made an apple pie. That is good for him.

I cooked one egg, a slice of SLMG toast and half an avocado for breakfast. It tasted pretty good. I am going to save my protein shake to drink tonight with my carrots and dip DH and I have gotten in the habit of having. Although I am eating more balanced than low carb, I am trying to keep my calories between 1000 to 1300 most days. I've started checking vitals every morning and bp and FBG is doing very well. Of course I don't know how my weight is because I don't have a place for my scales to be out right now so I just go by what the scale says when I go for infusions which is once a month.

Hope everybody has a good day.

[Wannabehealthy]

Trish, DH has baked pies in the past but not for years. He has made apple and berry. We picked the berries on the hill by his old house. The apples were always from someone giving them to us. I only make pumpkin pie and lemon or from canned pie filling. He knows how to do it, probably from watching his mother. He does not make home made crust.

I don't like Taco Bell either. I make home made tacos.

I'm glad you were able to cook your breakfast. DH still cooks mine because he is good at cooking eggs. I'm getting used to eggs without salt. If he's busy I cook my own. I defrosted pork chops for today. I will cook them on my grill pan with whatever sides DH wants.

Tomorrow I have to go for bloodwork for the TAVR procedure. Funny thing, I think its the same bloodwork I had done last week for the kidney doctor. I don't know if my insurance cares about that.

I am part way done with my spare room. It was interesting finding things in there that I forgot I had. I found a pair of shoes I can't wait to wear, but they are for winter. Lots of things I want to donate to Goodwill. I will try to work on that room a little bit every day.

I finally threw away my Weight Watchers stuff. It was from 2012 and I know I won't be following that anymore. I kept a few monthly booklets they gave me because they have recipes in them.

[pattygirl63]

Carol Sue DH says he gets tired of them taking so much of my blood so often because my blood count is low and we think it is because they take so much of it... almost always two viles. But I guess that is how they keep up with how I'm doing with the treatment.

That is neat that you found shoes you look forward to wearing. I have a new pair of sketcher tennis shoes I have not worn and some sandals that are like new that I look forward to wearing when all this fluid comes off. I'm sure whe I am able to start cleaning out that I will find a lot of things I've forgotten I had.

DH must have realized that McDs CB just doesn't go with green beans cooked with diced ham so he is getting chicken. I will take most of the breading off because of my stomach. I was reading the info I printed out about how to eat with ovarian cancer treatment and I found out the blockages I experienced that took me to the hospiral is one of those things that goes with ovarian cancer for some women. So I have to limit the roughage that I normal love to eat. I wanted to have DH get me some cold slaw but I can't eat cabbage. I do eat broccoli but they said it needs to be really cooked more than I normally would cook it. I think I'm supposed to take the skin off of apples but that is where the nutrients are. It seems to me that I will lose a lot of nutrients to keep from havig blockage. I hope that goes away when the cancer is gone.

[Wannabehealthy]

I thought my pork chops were good but DH said his was tough and hard. HOWEVER, after I took mine off the grill pan he left his on longer because he wanted them well done. So he made them tough and hard by doing that. They were thin. They only needed cooked a bit on each side.

I hope you ended up eating something that you could enjoy. We like our broccoli well done. Soft, but not to the point of being mushy. We find it to be too hard in Texas Roadhouse but we learned to ask for it double steamed.

Did you ever ask the doctor why your blood count is low? I had heard that can happen when you have cancer but they said your cancer is gone. I. have been feeling weak lately but I don't think my blood count is down. Yesterday I had lots of energy for some reason.

I will be leaving soon to get my bloodwork done. I will post more later.

I can't believe the next Steeler football game is soon.

[pattygirl63]

Carol Sue I think my blood count gets low because of the chemotherapy plus I wasn't eating enough especially protein. One thing I noticed about my team nurse is that she doesn't think food has anything to do with helping with our health which we know better. I have always thought the saying "let your food be your medicie" is true. If we knew how to eat as healhy as they say, we would be healthier, but we all eat way too much processed food and junk food. And then you have to take into consideration what we have learned over the years that "one size does not fit all". What I may need nutritionally, you may not and vice versa.

When we used to go out to eat steaks with DH#2s DB, he would ask them to cook his steak well done and then gripe because his steak was to tough. DH#2 would tell him it was his fault because he had them cook it that way.

DH got chicken and got home and his chicken wasn't. He wouldn't go back to complain so we shared mine. I don't know if it wa psychological or what but we were hungry the rest of the day. It seems to be normal that I have days I have to make myself eat and then days I could eat everything in the house. DH reminds me I need to eat to heal but I also remind him of how hard I work ed to lose weight and I don't want to gain weight. So I am between a rock and a hard place. I guess if I could cook I could change that but I'm not comfortable in the kitchen yet. I have to use my walker to set things on to cook and then I am not that stable yet so it would be easy to fall or get burned so it is just too much trouble right now. Hopefully I will eventually get more comfortable to cook with a little practice at a time.

Not sure what we are having today. DH mention some potatoes he bought with the green beans cooked with ham or tilapia with veggies and a salad. So I don't have my plan on MFP yet. Will have to do that later.

Have a good day.

[Wannabehealthy]

Trish, last night DH thought I was crazy because I got out of bed to come out here to enter my food in MFP. If I forget I will lose my days in a row. I am up to 1200 or so as I even did it in the hospital. Its silly, I know.

DH gets his steak well done at Texas Roadhouse and likes it that way. When I cook steak at home I put his on first then put mine on when I turn his over. But these pork chops were completely done the way I cooked them. He just didn't think so. His loss.

Blood draw went well. I must not look healthy because the girl asked if I was ok. There were so many people there, a steady stream. And there are 2 other labs within a mile of this one.

I took my water pill when we got home, so i'll be busy for a while.

[pattygirl63]

Carol Sue I think the hospital had me on a 1200 calorie diet and limited fluids. I didn't take my pc with me and didn't feel like using my phone or kindle although I had them with me. I'm trying to get back into the habit of tracking calories on MFP as well as bp and FBS. I haven't done it in a while so I have a tendency to forget it. Hopefully by day 15 of this last chemo, it will be a habit again.

I was wondering about uou having your blood work today for your TAVR... how close are you to having the procedure? I thought you said in September. Has that changed?

You mentioned the Steelers playing soon. Dallas plays their 1st pre-season Saturday, but I already told DH that Dallas never worries about winning pre-season games so he may not want to watch them until the season starts since he gets upset when they are losing.

We are having tilapia today.

[Wannabehealthy]

Trish, I don't have a date yet for the TAVR. I was guessing September. There are still things to be done in preparation. The bloodwork today was for the Heart Cat Scan I will have done on the 16th. This information will tell them things that will allow them to proceed. I don't really know what it tells them. What I didn't know is I have to go to the dentist and have him fill out a form stating that my teeth/gums are free of problems like infection/bacteria. They have to be very careful about this when working while th the heart valves. I believe this may cause a delay. I know I have some dental issues. I put off having them taken care of because 1) I no longer have dental insurance and 2) I am concerned with bleeding because of my blood thinners. The cardiologist is unaware of this possibility and it might cause a delay. It might actually turn out that I am not a candidate to have this done. The alternative would be to have it done with open heart surgery where they open your chest. They don't want to do that because that surgery has a much longer recovery and I've already had it once. All this is why I'm so stressed out about this. I have tried to just put it in God's hands and not stress about it but I know I must do my part. I want to fall asleep and wake up with all this behind me but we know we just have to go through things and we don't always like it. In a way, this is forcing me to face up to things I've been putting off.

The past couple nights I have suffered with terrible charley horses in both legs. I think this is due to the reduced salt diet. I don't think its good that this is happening and not good that I'm losing so much sleep because of it. I'm now using bits of salt here and there. I'm not taking the magnesium or other supplements with all that's going on.

DH usually watches the exhibition games just to see how they are playing even though they don't count. He gets a little upset but he gets over it once the game is over. I just can't believe football is here. That means winter is right behind. Winter!! Brrrr!! Snow!!!

DH always peels his apples but I don't. I love apples but they spike my blood sugar. (Sad face!)
.

[pattygirl63]

Carol Sue I wasn't aware there was that much to go through to prepare for the TAVR. I will be praying for you as you go through all of this. As DH first wife's mother used to say "and these are supposed to be the golden years". I hope you can some sleep tonight.