Prepping

 

Tomorrow is laparoscopic surgery to implant the above device (LINX) as well as do some repair on my hiatal hernia. The circle of magnetic beads covered by titanium is about the size of a quarter. The beads are on wires so they will stretch when food reaches them so the food can get into the stomach. The magnetic attraction then draws the beads back together so stomach acid does not enter the esophagus.

I have been stocking up on the kinds of things I can eat and will need to eat once an hour while awake. The yogurt and pudding and more applesauce are in the refrigerator.

For my "last meal" we dined at the Boathouse in Winona Lake tonight. The grilled chicken breast over linguini with cream sauce and mushrooms was delicious. The major problem is that the serving is always more than I can eat. The leftovers will have to be eaten by my husband. Linguini is soft, but apparently noodles do not travel down the esophagus too well at the beginning of the recovery.

The Miller Pavilion across from the restaurant was all lit up. According to InkfreeNews, Wednesday night is Skates and a Stick night. We saw some guys hitting a hockey puck around. I had not realized until I read the news article that the ice rink is open for public use several weekday nights, though the hockey stuff is only one night (Wednesday).

My wristwatch has a second hand so I thought I could use it to mark the time between bites. The battery died a week ago. Usually, I can get the battery replaced at Walmart for a reasonable price. Alas, today the clerk told me that as of 2 weeks ago they are no longer doing that because somebody accused them of damaging their watch. They will sell you the battery if you know the size, but no handling of the watch. She looked at the back of my watch to see if it had a battery size. No such luck. My husband has been changing out batteries for Grace Village residents as a "service". He has the equipment to remove the watch back; but it turns out he has no battery the right size. Maybe in a few weeks he can take the battery to Walmart and buy a replacement.

I went to plan B. I bought a little clock with a second hand for around $5 at Walmart. I will keep it at the table where I eat.

I will keep an eye on the clock so I can space the bites out at least 30 seconds apart. 

They had a cancellation in the surgery schedule, so instead of noon surgery I will have it at 10 a.m. I need to go watch Jeopardy and eat my last See's Toffee-ettes as nuts are a no-no beginning tomorrow. In a few months, I can start returning to my normal diet.