Knee Surgery: 1.5 Week Update (More Photos)

I am mainly blogging about my knee for myself. I remember having my wisdom teeth out and the bruises were AMAZING. And of course no one got photos so all I have are memories. 


I love the colors of bruises. When my hubby & I were at the retirement community, we saw shocking bruises in four years. All shapes, sizes and colors. I remember one in particular that took up the entire arm - shoulder to the wrist. It was gorgeous - shades of browns, purples, greens, yellows and blues. 

Mine isn't that great, but the bruises are extending from my lower thigh into my calf. They are fading though and I am walking with (hopefully) a bit less of a limp. My stitches come out this Wednesday. 


I am still quite swollen but someone told me today at church that the swelling will decrease when the stitches come out.


And so...I am posting more gross knee photos. If you missed the original post, HERE it is.

Isagenix: Day 3

Today is day 3 of my Isagenix 30-day cleanse. And surprisingly, I do not have a headache today. 


The last two days have been hard. I have felt terrible - headaches, body aches, dizziness, numbness in my hands for a few seconds on and off and just generally exhaustion. My body does not like the transition from pizza, ramen noodles & chicken nuggets (yes...that is really what I was eating) to salads and yogurt. 


Each day I can have 400-600 calories in addition to the two shakes.


For my mid-morning snack, I eat strawberries and a yogurt. Or a banana and a yogurt. It is between 120-160 calories. 


For my lunch, I eat a spinach salad with grilled chicken, blackberries (or strawberries) and carrot slivers. I put about 20 sprays of dressing on it and it is 260-300 calories. Here is a photo of my lunch. The lunch is filling and looks pretty :)

For my mid-afternoon snack, I eat a Fiber One granola bar. It is 140 calories.  

I am drinking between 8-10 glasses of water. Believe it or not, a simple straw is helping me drink. I think I may be too lazy to actually put the glass to my lips. Whatever works. 

 My official first weight in for Isagenix isn't until Day 8 but tomorrow I am going to post my weight. We'll see if I lost anything in three days.

Day 2: Isagenix Update

I survived yesterday, which was my first day of Isagenix! I had a headache around mid-day. I took a few Advil and thankfully had the time for a quick nap. 


I am continuing the full 30 days and expect the next few days to be hard. I don't do well when I am hungry. My head gets a bit lightheaded. But, everyone says the first few days are the worst and then you feel great. I am looking forward to the "feeling great" part.


This morning I did the powdered drink again and then had the shake. I ordered chocolate (there is also the choice of vanilla) It isn't as good as a McDonald's chocolate shake but it is drink-able. Yesterday I blended in some banana and it was better than the plain chocolate. You can add in any fruits or vegetables.


This morning I put the shake mix in cold water (instead of with ice in the blender) and added a bit of peppermint extract. I think this is my favorite combo so far! It has a mint chocolate chip taste to it. I also added a pack of a no calorie sweetener.


Here is the photo of what the shake looks like: 

And so you can see the consistency

I will continue to post updates throughout the 30 days.

Recent Ebay Sales

Things have been slow these past few days but here are a few of my recent sales:


1. Bebe skirt. I loved the look of this skirt but it was a size XS. It sold for $65.

2. Talbots suit. Sold for $33.

3. Lot of CVS wipes. I found a hole-in-the-wall thrift that offers CVS "left overs" for super cheap prices. Each of these was just 50 cents. I kept some for me, sent some to my mom and then sold the rest. Sold for $13. 

4. I wore these shoes at the retirement community. Since then they just sat in my closet. I paid $10 a pair with the shipping from Lands' End, wore them for about a year and sold the lot for $15. Not bad :)

5. Talbots shorts, sold for $17. 

6. The same person who purchased the shorts also purchased this Talbots blazer. Sold for $17. 

 

7. And while I was making this list, I sold this Harve Benard dress for $10. By the way, Harve Benard has almost NO following on ebay so I usually don't touch this brand. But this one was pretty, had tags and was at a bag sale. 

I went shopping yesterday & today and found BUNCHES of stuff. Mostly Ann Taylor, Gap & Talbots but a few Ralph Lauren Collections, a black label Ralph Lauren, a Valentino and a Prada skirt. I'm excited to list this weekend!

First Day of Isagenix

Today I did my official weigh in and started my new cleanse. I am using the 30 day cleanse by Isagenix. I have had friends lose weight and gain energy with the cleanse. I like that you can still eat real food. I need real food! 

Isagenix is a natural program that includes a ton of vitamins. For example, the shake alone has 200% of your B12. I struggle with my B12 levels so that is great for me.


Here are all the products I ordered on the 30 day cleanse. The cost is around $10/day (about $324 a month with the shipping & tax).

My weight is 152lbs at the beginning of the cleanse. That is most likely due to my eating Taco Bell yesterday. I wanted one more "fun" meal before I started. 


I did my measurements and wrote them down. I will check them again at Day 8 (next Friday) at again at Day 30. 


This morning I was hoping to sleep in a bit since that would mean I could eat breakfast at a normal hour instead of too early. I didn't. I'm trying to cut down on my sleeping pills but it is hard since I am usually a stomach sleeper and my knee hurts at night. 


So I was up at 6am. It is now almost 7am and I am starting the program. The first thing is to mix a scoop of powder (called Ionix Supreme) into room temperature water so it dissolves. I then added ice so I could actually drink it. I cannot drink luke warm water. Yuck! 


The drink was actually tasty. It smells like a fruity mix and tastes like a watered down version of a Jolly Rancher.

The cleanse wants to you drink 8 glasses of water. I don't think this will be an issue with me since I usually drink A LOT during the day. Of course it is usually diet sodas, so I am planning on headaches for the first couple of days until I get over caffeine withdrawals.

For breakfast later this morning I will use the IsaLean Shake (they are the boxes in the back) to make a drink. 

I can then have a mid morning snack and then lunch. Since I am planning on thrifting again, I will have to take these with me. My sister got me the cutest lunch "purse" and I will pack fresh fruits for my snack. 

For lunch I plan on having a large spinach salad with grilled chicken strips, a few almonds, strawberries and blackberries. Yum! I can have 400-600 calories and I plan to use them! :) 

I can have another snack mid-afternoon. 

For dinner I get another shake and then do take the IsaFlush capsules in the evening. 

I plan on being hungry for the first few days until my body adjusts. Everyone says the first few days are the hardest but it gets better after that. 

I am going to try to eat healthy. Sure, I could use my calories for McDonald's chicken nuggets (one of my favorite foods), but I want to try to eat fresh fruits, veggies and proteins. The plan does include whole grains but I don't eat too many of these on a daily basis and this may also be hard. 

I am going to keep posting throughout the 30 days. Want to join me? Here is the post on how to order: LINK

Recent Ebay Sales

Here are some of my recent ebay sales. Remember to enter my giveaway by clicking HERE.

1. Talbots skirt, sold for $14: 

  

2. Another Talbots skirt, sold for $15: 

3. Banana Republic suit, sold for $33: 

4. Easy Spirit's "Anti Gravity" shoes. These sold within hours for $23: 

5. Chico's top. This one had an "Additions by Chico's" label and was new with tags. Sold for $33.

6. Eileen Fisher sweater, in a size 1X. Sold for $50. 

I'm going out thrifting today even though I'm sure my knee will give me problems. I'm packing ice in a cooler to ice it between thrifts. Wish me luck! 

My Gross Knee...With Photos

Six days ago I had arthroscopic knee surgery. I had believed that I would be "up and moving around" (which were the exact words of my doctor) the next day. Well...I was moving. If you call moving around LIMPING badly. 


I went into the doctor today so that I could be reassured that the bruising and swelling was normal. It is. 


I am calling it my gross knee. It looks like someone took a hammer to it.


I will continue to thrift but I will be bringing ice with me in a cooler so when I am between thrifts, I can ice it. That was my hubby's great idea. 


So...here are some photos of my gross knee. Even my thigh is swollen.




The side view...

 The top view...

 Compared to my other knee...

See? It is pretty gross!

Isagenix: Before Photos

When I asked my friend Danae what type clothing of clothing to wear for my "before" photos, she said anything tight. 


It turns out I don't really wear tight clothing. Ha! If something is too tight, I sell it on ebay or donate it and buy something that fits. I don't keep clothing in my closet that I cannot wear.


I found these work out pants and a sequin tank that my wonderful mom bought me for Christmas. Since I wear the tank under something else, it is okay that it is tight. 


I blow dried my hair, put on some make up, shaved my legs (anything to feel better about myself!) and wore my "tight" clothing. For my personal records, I took photos with just wearing panties & a bra. Wow- those are really scary. Thankfully I don't have to post those here! 


My Isagenix comes in today's mail and I am going to start on Friday. I am going to weigh in tomorrow. My weight should be around 150 but I will post again tomorrow with the "official" weight. 


And now...for the before photos! 

And a side shot...

Julep Nail Polish for 1 cent

Someone recently told me about Julep nail polish and how wonderful it was. I went onto their website: 


LINK


and using the coupon code "PENNY" gets you free stuff. I took the quiz and it determined I was a classic style with a twist. Unfortunately I didn't like the colors and so I took the quiz again. This time I got three nail polishes that I love and so I ordered them. The three nail polishes cost me....1 penny! It included free shipping. 


You have to cancel the auto delivery (which is easy, peasy) after the order but for three nail polishes, I am willing to do that. 


Again, take the quiz and get stuff for one penny. LINK


Also...remember to sign up for my giveaway. No one has entered (boo-hoo!). It is open to everyone and will go through May 14. 

LINK FOR GIVEAWAY

Recent Ebay Sales

Here are some things that sold over the last two days. I wish I could make $100 profit on each item but I am okay selling a lot of things for a $10-$15 profit. I sell about 300 items a month and ship out just as many. I try to ship within one day which is easy thanks to my mailman picking up the packages at my home.

1. Coldwater Creek skirt, sold for $17. 

 

2. Gap white & blue skirt, sold for $15. I almost kept this one (a need another skirt like a hole in the head!). 

3. Vera Bradley mirrored cosmetic case. I got this for free (along with a shoulder bag) last time I purchased from the Vera website. Sold for $17. 

4. Valentino's "Miss V" vintage jacket. Sold for $39. 

5. Coach purse. I picked up this little purse at the thrift. I reached it on my phone to see if it was even worth buying (they wanted $6.99 for it). I didn't make a killing but it went for $20.50.

6. Coach slide on shoes. These fit me and again...I almost kept them. Wow- I'm glad I didn't! They sold for $70! And yes, I purchased these at the thrift. You just have to keep your eyes open :) 

7. Coldwater Creek skirt. I love these skirts - they are so romantic and swingy. I try to show how "flowy" it is but using a piece of tape or a small pin to pin it to my wall. Sold for $15.

8. Betsey Johnson is going bankrupt. I have always purchased their dresses but I think they will get more collectable in the future. This one sold for $27. 

9. Eileen Fisher is one of my favorite brands to sell. The thrifts don't really know this brand (yet) and so I can get it at the regular thrift prices. This set sold for $33. 

10. White House Black Market skirt. Sold for $20. 

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Now for a knee update. As some of you know, I had arthroscopic surgery this past Thursday. The doctor told me I would be up and moving around the next day. Ummm...not so much. I took that to mean I would be 100% the next day. I would say that at day 6, I am about 40%. My knee is very swollen and bruised and I still cannot move it too much or little shooting pains go up to my spine. 

Of course I may have over done it when I went thrift shopping for two hours yesterday (I had crutches and the support of the shopping cart). My next doctor's appointment is next week and I will get the stitches out then. I have taken photos of my knee but honestly they are pretty gross and so I will restrain from putting them on here. 

Today I am going to lay low and just list on ebay. I am still taking pain pills (I only had three yesterday!) and I still need sleep meds at night. I am a stomach sleeper and since I have stitches in my knee and cannot straighten it the entire way, sleeping is fairly painful. 

______________________

And an update on my weight loss. I get my "before" photos done later today and my Isogenix is going to be here tomorrow afternoon. I would like my cleanse day to fall on a Thursday and so I think I can start on Friday. I will post more about this when I receive the package tomorrow. And of course my "before" weight will be posted tomorrow as well. Scary!