April Fool's Day

Today is Wednesday and I've been on the totally liquid diet now for 6 days. The first two were a struggle, but after that...not too bad actually. After a couple of days of Atkins shakes, Carnation instant breakfast (yuck), and cream of chicken soup, I started to "doctor" up my Atkins shakes with a little chocolate Unjury protein powder (it truly is the best tasting - www.unjury.com) and a small amount of 1% milk in a shaker. Yum! 280 calories, but very satisfying and approx. 37-38 grams of protein. Two of these babies and I've got my protein in the for day!

My husband (the foodie, supporter, nurturer, and #1 fan) took it upon himself to make me a homemade beef broth over a 2 day period. It was finally ready to his satisfaction for dinner last night and I must admit it's quite a hit. Kind of like a more liquid beef stroganoff gravy with a bit a heat. He joked that he probably wouldn't be able to duplicate it, but I have to admit it is really good. Not that he ever makes anything the same way twice! He is the "cook" in our family and a very good one at that.

My sister had her band surgery yesterday and she called my last night. Said she had no pain, and really felt good about the surgery. I little hiccup due to scar tissue from previous laparoscopies but not really a big deal. March 31st will be more than just our mom's birthday, it will be the beginning of the rest of her life. It is so wonderful to be doing this together.

My doc wants me to keep my caloric intake around 800 calories prior to the surgery in order to lose weight before surgery. So far, I've lost around 10 lbs. Not too bad!

I received a call from my cousin yesterday that I've been trying to visit, and we had a great chat. She is 47, and only just recently found out that she has colon cancer and a heart defect along with cardiomyopathy. She lives about 2 1/2 hours from me, and we don't see each other that often, but she really has been my closest cousin. She has the best attitude, a very strong faith, and is someone who will make anyone who comes in contact with her happy to just be around her. You can't help but love this girl! I really hope everything works out for her. Their family is in quite a turmoil right now with her cancer and her father's colon cancer also. None of her family live close to each other, so the logistics are difficult. She must undergo chemo for 6 months and eventually sounds like she will need a bypass. Being only 3 years older than me, that really hits home.

Sunday was a bit of a test this past weekend when we went to a 1 year old's birthday party. Complete with pizza, cupcakes, etc. Not a place you want to be for hours on end. I just keep thinking the results are going to be worth it!