Archive for the ‘Bariatric surgery’ Category

Things we do for the family

Posted: May 31, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, Exercise, family, Footwear & socks, Little Victories, Physical activity, Supportive Partner Woman, Walking, Yard sale
0

Greetings from cow country!

As I drove to the gym this morning, I was stuck behind a slow-moving tractor pulling a manure wagon. It made me think that there aren’t many places left where this is a common occurence. However, smell aside, I like living where we live. On a quiet night, we can here the cattle lowing at the farm down the road. It’s peaceful. It’s bucolic. It can stink to high heaven. But it’s our home now.

I took a half day vacation to handle a few projects for my mom (and to get a blessed haircut), so after my gym session with the boys (totally killed it, too… had the treadmill up to an 11° angle and up to 3.7 mph for a stretch) I headed to the bustling metropolis of Reading, PA.

Now Reading is somewhat infamous for being among the most dangerous towns in Pennsylvania (per capita). It’s a city of around 75,000, lots of city issues, i.e. unemployment, drugs, gangs, prostitution, political corruption. It’s a regular ray of sunshine. My travels did not take me downtown today. I spent part of the time in the suburb where I grew up, and I gotta say, it’s a lot scarier than I remember. Old mom and pop places that I remember have been replaced by tattoo parlors, check cashing places, Walmart, etc. Farm fields plowed under for housing, all the typical stuff you see these days.

It made me sad… I’ve only been out of high school 24 years and the mall I worked in is now I place I will not willingly set foot in.

But, I still have family in the Reading area, as does Supportive Partner Woman (Photographer of great skill!), so it’s a necessary evil that we visit there from time to time, and no, the evil is not seeing our familes, but seeing what has happened to our home town.

One of my daily routines is to visit the Reading Eagle website on a daily basis just to see if I know anyone who got shot, stabbed, or otherwise. I do this every day. There’s just something wrong with that, ya know?

So, I got to my mom’s, moved a big flowerpot for her (and didn’t throw out my back FTW!), and put in her window screens. I don’t see mom as often as I should, but she was really surprised with the changes in me since my operation. She even liked my Beasts. I was very proud of her as she didn’t try to push food on me, as she used to. She understands that my capacity is limited and I appreciate that.

After that, off to work. Now, as for the weekend, SPW will be working (and I might have to work Saturday… the jury is still out on that), but she will be taking time on Sunday to shoot pictures of her parents’ class reunion. As for me, I have to take my mother to a viewing. In a surprise move, she’s not really thrilled at the thought of having to drive into the hood by herself, but since the deceased was the mother of a close family friend, I’ll do it. Dolly was a sweet lady and will be missed.

Next weekend, though, is the Dreaded Yard Sale. This year, all proceeds from the sale are going to Team AllEars and from there to the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. Should make for interesting writing at the very least. Maybe the fact that the proceeds are going to a good cause will stop some of the cheap bastards from trying to haggle over a nickel.

I doubt it.

Song of the Day: You Just May Be the One – John Flywheel

P.S. As I was at the gym this morning, the “music” channel was playing something from Justin Bieber, prompting me to say, “Is there a volume setting lower than “mute”?

Back on the treadmill

Posted: May 29, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, Footwear & socks, Goals, The Rec, Walking
0

So, I hit the treadmill pretty serious this morning. Especially considering I haven’t been on it since my surgery and I haven’t done any heavy treadmill use since two weeks before my surgery.

It felt good. Very good. I did 25 minutes at 3.1 mph and a 6° incline. It wasn’t particularly taxing, but it felt good, and more importantly, the shoes felt good. One additional purchase I did make with my shoes was a pair of Balega socks. I was a little leery of merino wool socks, but Mark at Inside Track recommended them. These things are awesome. Not only do they give me some cushion, they also keep my feet nice and dry. I dare say they are even more comfortable than my other moisture wicking socks.

So, with the results of today still fresh in my head, I’m going to go back to the Rec tomorrow. I haven’t been there too much recently and I’m sure it will feel great to go back.

Song of the Day: Pop Muzik – M

Make Your Own Sub Party vs. Joe the Pouch

Posted: May 10, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, Digestive issues, Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, Foot issues, Travel
1

Good morning!

I write this after a long night. No, that does not mean that I’ve been up all night. It just means that it was a learning experience.

See, my office recently celebrated a milestone. Some two million work hours without a day-away case. Basically, that means we are working safely. That’s saying something… we’re a printing company and there are presses, tow motors, basically all sorts of heavy stuff that can do serious bodily harm if not respected. To go two million hours without anyone being maimed or killed or worse is pretty good. As such, they decided to throw a “make your own sub” party to celebrate.

Now, given more former girth, I don’t have to say that I was always a big fan. Think about it… piles upon piles of unhealthy meats and carbs, not to mention that you could thrown some lettuce and tomato on top and kid yourself you were making it healthy. Don’t get no better than that.

Of course, just because I’m embracing a healthier lifestyle doesn’t mean I don’t like lunch meats and I wanted to participate, because, well, it’s like a bonus. So, as I trudged down to the party site (step… thump, step… thump) I concocted a strategy for making the most out of my sub experience. I obviously couldn’t have the roll… a little too much bread, but I thought why couldn’t I have some meat and cheese? After all, it’s protein and protein is important.

This wasn't how I planned it, but it was my reality

This wasn’t how I planned it, but it was my reality

So, I picked up a slice of provolone, a slice of American, and one slice each of bologna, salami, ham and turkey. The cheese and turkey went down fine. One bite of the salami was enough to make me pitch it… nasty. The ham, though, was very fatty. VERY fatty. And, well, it didn’t stay down long. So, lesson learned. Stay away from fatty meat. In this case, advantage: Joe.

In other news, the toe that just won’t heal has caused me six weeks of issues. After multiple visits to the podiatrist, I’m not feeling confidence that it’s helping. I understand that he thinks Betadyne will dry the wound, but it doesn’t seem to be healing. I dug into my bag of tricks and discovered some prescription stuff that the wound care doctors had given me for a prior toe issue and have opted to go that route. So far, it seems to be working pretty well… if I don’t show marked improvement by my next appointment, I’m ditching Mr. Foot Guy and going back to the wound care doc, who is named Paul Rogers. And no, he doesn’t periodically tour with Queen. Different spelling. Either way, I have to do something, because this is killing me to be so inactive. Plus, sleeping with one foot hanging out is kind of a pain in the ass.

It’s funny, though… even the boys have noticed my frustration level. I was at the fitness center yesterday and although they keep telling me to not get down about it, it’s so hard not to. The wearing of the boot, coupled with the uncertainty of when I’ll get it off just really wreaks havoc in your mind. If I knew that I had “x” number of days to go, well, it would really do wonders in making life a little better. Or, at least, give me an idea of how long my sentence will be. I know I shouldn’t let it get to me, but that little voice is there in the back of your head saying, “Remember, Brian, thou art mortal.”

So, this upcoming weekend is National Train Day. I’m planning on meeting up with a friend at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia and touring the equipment they will have on display. It’s always nice to ride the rails and since I’m an equipment geek, I like to walk through the various trains and private rail cars they have on display. We had discussed going to Washington, since they are offering excursions on an Acela trainset, however, given my new eating reality, we thought it best to just make it a day trip. Should still be fun.

At any rate, hope that everyone has a fun weekend and that you can kick back and enjoy some weather that will supposedly be very nice. Talk to you more after Train Day.

Song of the Day: She Sells Sanctuary – The Cult

75

Posted: May 7, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, Digestive issues, Foot issues, Physical activity, Supportive Partner Woman, Weight loss
0

So, 305.1 pounds this morning. That means I’m down 75 pounds since I started the program. It’s been ups and downs, and depending on the day, I’m still not sure if I made the right decision. When I step on the scale, I feel I did, however, when I drive past a pizza joint, not so much.

I’m finally off of third shift and settling into a routine on second… my home for the next two months. It is nice to sleep at night and I’ve been having solid nights of sleep, not to mention real, actual dreams. It’s kind of nice, actually. I even see Supportive Partner Woman on a more regular basis.

In other news, I’m still dealing with the Toe. That. Will. Not Heal. It really sucks… I pretty much want nothing more than to be active and this little annoying appendage makes me be sedentary. It’s kind of ironic… I spent all those years being sedentary, and now that I kind of have to be, I just don’t want to. Does that qualify as the whole “other side of the fence” truism?

Deep thoughts for a Tuesday evening.

In other news, I managed to eat part of a wrap. Ham and cheese with a little lettuce and mayo. All on a high-fiber multi-grain wrap. It went down and stayed down. I couldn’t eat all of the wrap itself, but the innards were good and loaded with protein. I also managed to have some chicken pot pie that stayed down. Bacon, though, is another story. Of course, if I can never have bacon again, there might be fighting words, because, well, bacon is awesome!

On that note, I’m going to call it a post. To sum up… weight down, bacon not down.

I’ll catch up with you soon.

Song of the Day: Assault and Battery – Howard Jones

It’s done

Posted: May 5, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, Digestive issues, family, Weight loss
0

Yes, third shift is done for the foreseeable future. This makes me happy. I’m looking forward to not being as tired or feeling as sick.

Things are moving along in the expanding the food department. Managed to handle a banana and deviled eggs. The eggs went down so well, I’m going to make a batch of hard boiled eggs just to have them around. As for the banana, it really has helped that nagging sensation of nausea that’s just under the surface. Maybe I just needed some fruit-based carbs. I know I can’t have oranges yet, or anything with skin, but that’s coming in the next couple of weeks.

The weight loss has been coming along. I weighed in yesterday at 308.8, which is a tick over 71 pounds lost. Compare a photo of of me in December with one that SPW took yesterday and you’ll see what I mean. I think it turns out being pretty noticeable. I’m looking forward to the next week or two, when that first digit will be a 2 for the first time in years.

April 2013

April 2013

December 2012

December 2012

So, yesterday involved a first holy Communion for our quasi-niece, Jillian. It was actually a pretty nice affair, despite being seriously long. At one point, I looked at SPW and whispered, “Did we make a wrong turn and end up at Easter Vigil mass instead?” It was still nice to see and brought back memories of my own Communion so many years ago. There’s a sad story that goes along with my Communion… I realize it was 1978, but my parents put me in a leisure suit for it. With giant lapels. About all I can say is that it wasn’t lime green or anything, but a leisure suit is still a leisure suit. Again, one of the highlights of any event such of this is the people watching. There was one communicant’s mother who was dressed in a tight, red, backless cocktail dress complete with hooker heels. No, maybe I’m just getting old, but there are some items that are best not worn to church.

The driving range went pretty well. It’s been such a relief to swing the clubs with less of a belly in the way. It’s also nice to go out and get some fresh air. I’m noticing that the balls are staying straighter, which I’m attributing to getting some practice. And no, not Allen Iverson practice. Just going out and trying to develop some muscle memory. I’m planning on actually getting on a real golf course for the first time in 25 years this summer, so I gotta see if I got game, or at least might not completely suck.

There have still been issues… I get the random bouts of nausea, at odd times. Whether I’ve eaten or not. I still have that scent at the edge of my consciousness that I can’t explain. These things are getting to be less, though, which is a good thing. My gut still rebels at the simple thought of a protein shake, but I’m going to conquer that as well. I’m still cold all the time, which is totally alien to me. I’m hoping that it will improve my adjustments to hotter weather… nothing stinks more than going to Disney World and feeling like a limp dishrag. I am looking forward to getting the same picture taken as last December’s, just to really illustrate what a difference the operation has been.

At any rate, that’s about it for today. I’ve got to roust SPW as we’re going to play a round of miniature golf before she has to work. We’re going to try a course that we’ve not played before. Hope it’s fun!

Song of the Day: Run to the Hills – Iron Maiden

Untitled, mainly because I’m too tired to think of one.

Posted: April 30, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, Cooking, Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, Foot issues
0

The title pretty much describes how I feel. I left out frustrated, though.

I think the combination of the post operative blues, third shift and the Toe That Will Not. Freakin. Heal. has really been weighing on me. I’m kind of fed up, to the point that weight loss or not, I have times where I regret the surgery. I know, it’s not like I can return it, but I just really want to feel good and instead I feel meh.

That’s not to say I don’t appreciate the fact that I fit in my clothes that much easier and I can bend over and tie my shoes. Hell, I can actually SEE my feet for a change. Better than having to just catch a glimpse over the Buddha. It’s just that while I don’t miss the general lethargy of being a fat tie, I miss the days when I just felt good in general. I haven’t had one of those days since before the operation.

The thing that really bothers me is that I have this scent in my mind. It’s at the edge of my consciousness, I can’t even tell you what it is, but I smell it everywhere. It’s a sickly sweet odor and it can have me on the verge of nausea. I’m not sure why it’s happening, but I think it’s related to surgery. It goes well with my phantom pain from my toe. I’m normal, though… I’ve seen a lot of people post about the phantom scents and that it will usually go away in about two months.

In the good news, the toe has actually started to show some healing. Dr. Miller also fashioned a spacer that I can use to keep the toe off the shoe and I can probably go back to a regular shoe rather than the Boot of Shame. Once it heals up, he wants to do a tendon release, which is a minor surgical procedure that will take about a week to heal. Otherwise, I will be at a higher risk of similar problems in the future. I’m just glad that I might finally be out of the boot. The latex appliance is still curing, but if it gives me a chance to be out of the dreaded boot and getting back to living, well, I’m all for it.

Did some kitchen stuff yesterday. I mixed up a batch of tuna salad and also made my first-ever oven roasted chicken. I rubbed the bird down with olive oil, rubbed spices up under the skin, stuffed the cavity full of onions and celery and garlic. It turned out pretty good and yes, I did manage to eat a small piece of it. It was very juicy and flavorful, which is what you hope for.

At any rate, I think I’m going to head to bed. Just a few more days of dreaded third shift to go.Then, maybe back to living like a normal person?

Who knows.

Sixty

Posted: April 22, 2013 in 5K, Bariatric surgery, Exercise, Foot issues, Goals, Physical activity, Supportive Partner Woman, Team AllEars, Weight loss
Tags: ,
0

Well, 59.8 pounds, but I think I can round it to sixty.

That’s a pretty big chunk of weight. It also represents about 37.5% of what my weight loss goal is. When I first met with Dr. McPhee, we thought 160 pounds was doable. I’m hoping it still is, especially when I can get back to the gym on a more regular basis. It was a good session with the boys this morning, foot or no foot. I did the X-Ride, 30 minutes of 30:30’s. They are insidious, but they really get the heart pumping. You don’t burn near as many calories, but the cardio is worth it. Also spent 30 minutes lifting weights. I’m noticing the loss of muscle mass since my operation, and the forced inactivity during my recuperation.

Speaking of the toe, I made a small modification to the Boot of Shame that I hope will hasten the healing. My logic is that since the hammer toe rubs on everything, add something that lifts the toe off the surface of the boot. I took heel pads, turned them upside down and put them under the ball of my foot. It seems to give just enough clearance to keep the toe out of harm’s way. I’m nothing if not creative, ya know?

So, I’m ready to head back to work tonight. It’ll feel strange, not having been there for four weeks. I’m actually looking forward to it, though. It will be nice to have something to do. Granted, I’ll probably be ready to be off another four weeks after a couple of hours. It’s how the cookie crumbles, I suppose. It will be nice to see some of my coworkers again after all this time.

In other news, I’ve had plenty of time to think and I’m probably going to start the 5K training (when the foot is healed) with a Couch to 5K program. I realize running the entire race is probably out of the question, but I’d like to run/walk. Maybe I should say “lumber” instead of “run”? Important thing is that I still am looking forward to doing it, especially with my teammates. And Supportive Partner Woman, of course. It’s gonna be epic!

At any rate, that’s what I have for the day. Hope I have more exciting stuff after a night at the office.

Song of the Day: Comfortably Numb – Pink Floyd

A wide range

Posted: April 21, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, Boston, Cooking, Digestive issues, Exercise, Foot issues, Formula 1, home improvement, Neil Diamond
0

Good afternoon!

Neil at Fenway

Neil at Fenway

It’s been a few days since I’ve written. A lot has gone down. First of all, they took care of those two jokers in Boston. That’s a good thing. Granted, it’s not much solace to the folks who lost their lives or were permanently maimed, but it means they won’t be hurting anyone else. Secondly, Neil Diamond showed at Fenway Park to lead the crowd in Sweet Caroline. Granted, he was singing along with himself, which has to be a little awkward, unless you’re Bieber or any other of those modern-day hacks who can’t perform live to save their souls. At least he wasn’t lip-syncing.

We had Marvin the glass man in yesterday to replace the first two of four windows. He did a really nice job. It’s so nice to be able to look at the window and see more than just moisture between the panes. There’s one tiny hole where the gasket doesn’t fit the frame perfectly, so I went downstairs to find some caulk. What I found instead was a big puddle under the water heater. The water heater is not fast, though, however, the feed pipe has a pinhole in it. So, I’m waiting for Rob the handyman to show up and fix it. I always say that it’s important to have a stable of people who can do this sort of stuff, so you can get it fixed promptly by people you trust.

Other than that, the food intake has been improving, even if the toe isn’t improving that much. I’m still pretty bummed about that, but what can I do? No matter what I do, the tip of the tow rubs against the sock, the floor, or the Boot of Shame. I think I might have to have the podiatrist release the tendon that’s causing the toe to curl. Better than losing another toe. Back onto food, I managed to eat more scallops yesterday. They go down well and, more importantly, stay down. This is good. I’ve not had anything come up for two days, and I’ve had scallops and pulled turkey BBQ. Pretty yummy stuff. I can’t consume a lot of it, but that’s a good thing.

Weight has continued to decrease. Am down to 321.0 this morning. That makes 59 pounds lost, which is a good thing. I can’t help but think how much I’d be losing if I could actually work out. I know… nothing I can do about it, but I really REALLY want to get back to it.

Speaking of going back, I go back to work tomorrow night. I’m looking forward to it and dreading it at the same time. I’ll be glad for the work and the paycheck, but it’s the busiest two weeks of the year, so it will be a little crazy. Plus, I have to hope that my food continues to stay down. That would be awfully embarrassing. I’ll keep you posted.

I did manage to get up this morning to watch the Bahrain Grand Prix. Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel ran away with the race, but the two other podium spots belonged to Lotus, which made me happy, especially since Kimi Raikkonen finished second. He’s become my favorite driver, mainly because he spends more time drinking the giant magnum of champagne rather than spraying it. Gotta love it.

Have a great Sunday!

Song of the Day: Sweet Caroline – Neil Diamond (It really couldn’t be anything else)

New project

Posted: April 13, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, Cooking, diabetes, Foot issues, home improvement, previous occupant, Weight loss
0

Since I need something to keep me busy, I thought I’d share the saga of the living room windows.

I might have previously mentioned that our development is the reason they instituted building codes in our township. To say that the contractors took some liberties would be putting it mildly. They used a lot of cheap materials (mainly the roof) and apparently the windows. Don’t get me wrong… the specs are fine. They are double-paned, low-e glass. That’s about where the good points stop. See, they have an alarming tendency to break the seals between the panes causing condensation. This has been the case with our living room windows since we moved in.

It’s not always been super high on our priority list. The truth is, we have sheer curtains that block the view of the window panes and, well, out of sight, out of mind.

This changed in the previous weeks… out of nowhere, one of the panes cracked. The inside pane. Just a big crack, nasty as you please. This has required us to engage the services of Marvin the Glass Man. Marvin came out, took measurements and will be installing new glass next week. I mentioned to SPW that it would certainly be nice to be able to open the windows. She concurred, then we realized that the skeevy previous occupant’s giant dogs did a number on the screens for those windows. I decided to give rescreening a try.

Now, know that I have never done this. I did not have tools or even know what was involved. I talked to me neighbor, who said it wasn’t too difficult. So, I went to Lowe’s, bought the materials and came home to give it a try.

The first attempt was not good. In an attempt to stretch the screen to make it nice and taut, I managed to rip it. Just tore like nobody’s business. I was not particularly happy about this… after all, that was good money I just wasted. So, I said, “I’ll try it again later.”

The second time was the charm.

So, I have one screen mostly done, and three more to go. As for Marvin, he’s coming next week.

In other news, I weighed in at 330.8 yesterday. That means I’m down 49.2 pounds since I started the program. I’m pretty pleased about that. I also ate my first real food. I had a scallop that tasted awesome. Paired with a scrambled egg, because, well, at this point, the variation in my menu is really limited. It was nice to actually chew something with substance, and it went down well. It stayed down, too, which is always a huge help. I’m actually really glad that fish and seafood are considered to be soft foods… some of my favorite foods are in that category.

So, I’m up early today because I need to go to a funeral. My dad’s cousin passed away a few days ago and I need to go to pay respects to the family. We kind of lost touch over the years, as often happens, but it’s what needs to be done. I also have to stop and pick up my mother, because the funeral home is located in Reading, and she’s scared to drive in the city. I tried to tell her that most of the drug dealers and gangbangers are not awake at 10 AM on a Saturday morning, but she wasn’t having any of that. I’m not disputing that Reading is pretty much a shithole , but I’m pretty sure I’m not going to get jacked just going to a funeral. The plus side is that I actually have clothes to wear that fit. I’m not going for a suit, mainly because my dress shoes no longer fit me (foot pronation has made them impossible to wear), but I’m sure my suit would actually fit again. Instead, khakis, dress shirt, necktie and a tweed jacket. Not exactly cutting edge, but presentable enough. It was funny, though… the last time I wore a dress shirt was for our niece’s college graduation and I was stuffed into it like a sausage. This time, it feels like a tent. I guess that’s better.

At any rate, hope you all have a great day!

Song of the Day: King of Anything – Sara Bareilles

At last… I got to break a sweat!

Posted: April 11, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, Digestive issues, Exercise, Foot issues, Physical activity, Weight loss
1

I did! I did!

See, I had my follow up with the surgeon yesterday and I was cleared to move on to more real foods and also to go back to working out. So, even with the Boot of Shame, I still managed to get some decent cardio in and also lift weights for the first time in three weeks.

It. Was. Awesome.

I had an appointment with the boys this afternoon, so when they heard about the Boot, they sat me down on the X Ride and had me do 30:30’s. That’s 30 seconds flat out, 30 seconds slow, repeat 5 times, rest for three minutes and do it again. I couldn’t do my usual level (12) but did manage to do Level 10. It’s a start. After that, weights. Not lifting for weeks will certainly make you hurt a bit… and I’m paying for it. I know I’ve said it before, but once you get started with exercise and develop the habit, well, it kind of sucks when you can’t do it. I guess I will go to the Rec tomorrow and see what I can do other than the bike. I hate the bike. If it wasn’t because of the toe, I would take the chance to hop in the pool. I know that kind of all over workout with low impact will do wonders for me.

The weight… came in at 332 this afternoon. I’m anxious to see what regular workouts do for it.

Speaking of changes, I tried an egg again today. This time it stayed down. Maybe the egg white was just too much protein or something, but a regular egg, scrambled went quite well for breakfast.

The foot issue has me taking oral antibiotics. That’s all fine, except that they come in capsule form and capsules don’t work to well with Joe (the pouch). So, I have to open the capsule, sprinkle the contents in some applesauce and choke it down that way. It’s really gross and now I understand why they don’t market chewable Keflex. Just 500 mg of this stuff can turn a sweet applesauce into the taste equivalent of wallpaper glue. I don’t recommend that.

At any rate, I’m going to call it a night. Tomorrow I think I might take on the boredom that accompanies recuperation.

Talk to you soon!

Song of the Day: Cult of Personality – Living Colour

Older Entries
Newer Entries