Sunday, November 21, 2010

thanksgiving and food...

This is my favorite time of year, from Halloween to New Year’s Day. I love everything about it. The décor, the music, certain holiday scents like pumpkin and gingerbread, even Christmas shopping but mostly spending time with family and friends.

All I have been able to think about lately is food and for a GP patient, that isn’t always a good thing. I was walking through the magazine aisle the other day; do you know how many magazines pertain to food during this time of year? A lot. After my past two Thanksgivings with GP, my GP is not making any progress in the right direction, each year I keep marking foods off my list. Last year I had a flare up right before Thanksgiving which left me sipping chicken broth and Gatorade while everyone else ate wonderful home cooked THANKSGIVING food. Guess what, I ate and I paid for it.

After this year’s course of GP events who knows where I’ll be next year (not trying to be a pessimist, just trying to be real), I could be right where I am now or I could be on liquids or a feeding tube. Who knows?! I ran this by my mom and ask her if she would host Thanksgiving at our house this year so she would be cooking the food. I didn’t want to offend anyone but what if this is my last Thanksgiving meal, I want it to be my mom’s cooking. Her cooking agrees with me best. She told me to get together some menu options for her and she’d make it happen. (THANK YOU MOM!) I made my list and I have to tell you, I am behaving this week. If I have to be on a liquid diet ALL WEEK to eat this meal, so be it. I’ll deal with the consequences later.

My Thanksgiving Menu

Sweet Potato Casserole (I will pay for this one)

Cranberry Sauce

Boiled Eggs

Green Beans

Crescent Rolls

Pumpkin Pie

Who knows how far I will get into the meal before my body reminds me that I’m breaking the rules and that I can’t eat all of this stuff. The fullness filling will be tough so eating small portions of everything is the trick. It’s not a good idea to be eating all of this but……………………

I did receive a call from my gastroenterologist last week about my pacemaker. They asked me if I was sure about my decision to go forward with the surgery. The pacemaker has a fifty-fifty chance of working and of course with surgery there are always risks. With cutting into the stomach, there is the possibility of making my Gastroparesis worse but there is the hope of the pacemaker working and bring some motility to my stomach and hopefully colon (I’m questioning this one). I told them that I still wanted to go forward with the surgery since this was my last option that we knew of. They said that would hand my case off to the lawyer who worked Medtronic, the manufacturer of the pacemaker. The lawyer would handle getting my pacemaker approved by my two insurance companies. I was so relieved and excited.

To add the cherry on top, I leave a week from Tuesday to go to Temple University Hospital to see Dr. Parkman. Hopefully he will have a helpful insight on how to manage my GP.

2 comments:

  1. Jennifer, Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy your day. Enjoy each bite. You know that I live on liquids, but I will nibble that day, very carefully. With all my children and grandchildren home, I will be cooking for 14 people. I cook the traditional meal, even thought I don't eat. I still enjoy seeing them enjoy the meal on holidays.
    My son will be coming home from university on Tuesday night, I so can't wait to see him!! Even though it is for only 4 days.
    Am anxious to hear what they say at Temple, have heard good things about Dr.Parkman. I'm not big about the pacer. Just haven't heard anyone that has had good luck with it. But you said you have done your research, so good luck to you. There has got to be someone that it works for or it wouldn't be out there.
    Blessings to you and your family.....Jeannie

    Love your new picture.

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  2. Hi Jeannie,

    Happy Thanksgiving to you as well.I am glad that you will get to nibble. Fourteen people, that is a lot of people in one house! I am glad that your son is going to get to come and see you for a few days. Where doe he go to med school? I think that is wonderful that he is going to be a doctor, correct? I hope you have a nice Thanksgiving!

    P.S. I like the new hair cut. It looks good on you!

    Jennifer

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