I know I said I didn't want to turn this into a blog detailing my health issues but I thought I would share this because I still continue to go "woah!" everytime I think about it. It isn't bad low - so don't be scared - I just found it fascinating and frustrating all in one.
Since I didn't realize I had CHF at the time I simply thought I had edema and was retaining a ton of water. But the more I retained and the more it spread through my body the more scared I became. At one point I was so swollen I could not get up and down TWO stair steps to go to the powder room. I was literally bent over and crying trying to get to the bathroom.
Pooldad and I made the decision to get me up the stairs, to the MBR, where I could walk a straight, flat route [no stairs] to the potty and the family would take care of me while I was in bed and hopefully bed rest and diet would take some of the painful swelling away, BUT I made Pooldad promise he would carry me up the 17 stairs to the bedroom.
My husband is 6'3, 200 lbs and I am [usually] 5'7, 130s. Easy peasy, right? Big man carries little woman. Ha. Uh-huh - he couldn't do it. He could not lift me - the whole time I was yelling at him [the pain was talking believe me] and he was so sad because he knew I hurt and it took us almost an hour to get up the stairs into bed.
We found out why when they admitted me to the hospital a month later. They weighed me. Remember I said I usually weigh in the 130s? Well on that night I weighed 174 pounds. ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY FOUR POUNDS. No wonder the man couldn't lift me. To say we were shocked would be an understatement [I know, I know I say this a lot, but a lot of things shock me :D] - but the doctors seemed to think it went with the territory and no one mentioned it or weighed me again while I was in the hospital for the next 10 days.
With CHF, upon discharge, I have to weigh myself everyday - we don't even own a scale- so we went and bought a nifty Weight Watchers scale [find one on sale, we did - so cool!] and on my first day home I weighed myself like a good little patient - well hodey doe! I weighed 137 lbs !! I was back to being [almost] me - but I had lost 37 lbs in 10 days? That is good, right? - I was less swollen [duh!] and the pain was subsiding - halleluiegh! I could walk, sleep and basically just FEEL better. To be honest I never felt overweight I just felt puffy.
That was Saturday - and while I continue to weigh myself, as I should, I shocked myself again today because when I stepped on the scale I have lost an additional 8 pounds in 3 days.
My new low? 129 pounds - That's nice, right? I guess if you want to be an anorexic 43 year old but really I am still trying to get rid of water [my tummy and legs are still swollen and it hurts] and at this rate in two days I will weigh less than my 17 year old and by Friday I could feasibly be lighter than Wallene.
And I am pedalling faster than you know in the food department - I am eating all the time - and it is awesome, but I am getting worn out trying to remember to eat [3 meals, 3 snacks per day] but I am doing my damndest.
Here is what I ate yesterday - I do try to keep my liquid intake under 40 oz, but I love to sip on stuff all day...
Breakfast - 8 oz brewed tea, 1 cup oatmeal with sugar/milk, 4 oz grapefruit juice, 1 slice of wheat bread with 1 tbsp peanut butter and 3/4 cup pineapple
Snack - 7 Ritz crackers, 4 oz of cheddar cheese and 4 oz of brewed tea
Lunch - 1 tuna salad sandwich [white tuna, low fat/sodium mayo, onion, celery & pepper]1 cup of peaches, 16 oz of mixed white/chocolate milk
Snack - pear slices and more cheese [damn good aged cheddar from Honey baked ham]
Dinner - 4 oz of brewed tea, 1 chili/onion hotdog slider, oyster crackers and 1 cup of Maryland crab soup [I had actually ordered a bowl - about 2 cups worth but Wallene TOOK IT - LOL it was very funny] This was a GOOD lunch - oh and we had these amazing OREO ice cream sandwiches dipped in chocolate sauce. To.die.for.
Snack - 6 graham crackers and 16 oz of ginger ale [I am so addicted to this snack it isn't even funny - try it - good for you and so yummy - I kind of overdid the graham crackers last night. HEE.}
Now that is a serious amount of food but I am still not active because it hurts a bit to walk, especially up the stairs - but I am still losing.
I guess time will tell - and I didn't write this for sympathy or to point out how thin I am - it is just surprising to me that water weighs so much and eventhough I am eating [very well!] when is the weight loss going to stop?
Hope everyone's day is going well - I did write another post about "Goodwill" today - it is a funner read if you want something a little less medical. Love ya!
7 comments:
My computer crashed last week so I have been without internet. I am at my mom's right now and wanted to check on you. I am SO GLAD you are feeling better.
Prayers do work!
love ya - hopefully I will be back up soon.
You've lost 20 liters of fluid, or ten giant ginger ale bottles worth (2 Liter bottles). Each liter weighs one kilogram (or 2.2 pounds). I take it you're likely on a diuretic and this would explain your continued fluid weight loss.
Once it's all off, you will be able to get around better, but you've lost muscle mass from being bedbound for so long. You'll get it back, a little bit at a time.
Go, Skippy, go!
You know, what made me wanna cry was when I saw your hand with a watch on. My wrists are skinny too. But your hands are just too tiny...Im so glad you are home and eating normally. I have seen what edema can do, and it defies belief. Im the same height as you, and I weigh 134lb, which I believe is healthy. Love you girl!
Thank you for stopping by my blog skippymom :)
I have checked on yours through out the last months, but it looks like I have some catching up to do! Alot has been going on huh?
I'm just glad you are home now.
And you're new bed set? It could have been worse, I'm sure of it! lol.
Yup, like Rudee said, a gallon of water weighs 8 pounds when it's in a container, which is why we don't fill our fresh water tank to travel. I sure hope you find that fine balance between keeping the swelling down and keeping your weight at a healthy level. It looks like that's going to be hard for you.
And graham crackers and ginger ale. Blech! Heh.
Water is one of the few liquids that weighs the same as its fluid oz. - so 16 fluid oz weighs one pound. You drink (or retain) that much fluid and that's how much weight you're carrying.
Ron has CHF as well. If his weight goes up more than 3# overnight, or 5# in a week, we're to call the doctor immediately. If they didn't tell you that little piece of news, you can file it away for future reference. Ron has lost as much as 20 pounds in two days at the hospital. It's amazing. I would like to lose 20 pounds but not in that manner!
Hang tight - you've got lots of people cheering you on and praying for you!
I am very happy you are feel better but am uber jealous of what you get to eat *sigh*
My carb intake these days is seriously decreased...
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