Archive for the ‘Doctors and Dentists and Nurses… oh my!’ Category

It feels good to be working out again

Posted: March 14, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, diabetes, Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, Exercise, Physical activity, Walking, Weight loss
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It does feel good to be working out again. Funny how I’ve become such a fan of the gym that I hardly went to the first five years I was a member. I never actually tried to quit the gym, unless I was moving to another gym. I’m always reminded of the clip from Friends when Chandler was quitting the gym. Classic stuff.

I had the pre-op nutrition class today. Filled with a lot of interesting information, primarily what can be expected before during and after my operation. The before is the fun part. I get a week of full liquids. That means, starting next Tuesday, no real food for me for three weeks.

Let’s recap…

Brian with no soda, caffeine, or real food = grumpier than usual Brian. Be warned.

There’s a whole bunch of paperwork to be done, not to mention the pre-op bathing ritual. Apparently, I need to shower the night before and morning of using a special soap called Hibicleans. This is part of an infection-reduction initiative. I also can’t shave that morning, and no manscaping four days prior to the surgery. Apparently, they no longer shave whatever area is being operated on. Good and bad… the good is that it won’t itch nearly as much as it grows back, but the bad part is that it will be a cast-iron bitch to remove the heart monitor leads.

Speaking of hearts, I have to go get a pre-op EKG. It won’t be the first one I’ve ever had, but they really aren’t that much fun. Primarily due to the leads getting stuck on your hairs. Last time I was in, I yanked one off and it looked like it was wearing a toupee. Not a lot of fun. I also have to get the requisite blood work done. I guess I know what I’ll be doing Monday morning.

Immediately before surgery, you get to put on a lovely gown, meet the anesthesiologist, and your surgeon comes and autographs where he’s going to do the deed. They give you an IV and it’s off to the cold table. I will also apparently leave the hospital weighing more than what I started at They give you an IV and it’s off to the cold table. I will also apparently leave the hospital weighing more than what I started at, due to the fluids they pump in to keep things clean. They also inflate the abdominal cavity with CO2 to make sure there’s room to work. That gas apparently works its way out of the body eventually. I’m hoping it doesn’t exit through the normal route, because I don’t need to be sitting in the room cheesing like a defective rocket.

The rooms are apparently nice. They are singles on the seventh floor and there is room for a family member or loved one to stay the night. I will be in for two nights, if all goes according to plan.

The surgery itself is pretty involved. One of these days I’ll have to post a diagram. Basically, they create a stomach pouch, take part of the small intestine, and create a “Y” which allows for most of the food taken in to bypass the biggest piece of the stomach. The malabsorption creates a bypass and you lose weight. There’s a lot more to it, but that’s the short of it.

28998_10200855151807645_1127838705_nSo, had a good run at the gym. While I forgot to take an actual picture of yesterday’s results, when I uploaded it to the website, I did manage to capture a screenshot. Improvements are good.

Tomorrow will be busy. Preop physical with Dr. McPhee, EKG and a workout session. That’s all before bedtime. Yikes! My last session with Ryan and Cory will probably be on Monday, since liquids start on Tuesday. They don’t let you work out if you’re on liquids, although you can do some relaxed walking. No strenuous cardio, which I guess I understand. Not a lot of calories going in the tank. I’ll let you know how things go tomorrow.

Have a great day!

Free at last, free at last

Posted: March 11, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, Exercise, Physical activity, Stubby the Wonder Toe, Supportive Partner Woman, Wayne, Weight loss
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Had a foot doctor appointment this morning to see how Wayne is doing. In a word, he’s pleased.

About time that phalangeal bastard behaves himself. Just sayin’

Prescribed care is to continue with the betadyne for a few more days, then I’m good to go. Most importantly for me, this means I can get back to a somewhat normal workout.

See, I’m released from the Boot of Shame. Woohoo!

In other news, we had the family combined birthday thing yesterday. My mom, sister, aunt and uncle all went to the Lobster of Redness. Sadly, Supportive Partner Woman (possessor of a norovirus!) was unable to attend due to illness. My aunt and uncle extended their invitation for Easter dinner and I had to tell them that I wasn’t sure I’d be able to travel too much, being all of 5 days post surgery at that point. My mother seemingly forgot I told her I had a date set. That didn’t go over particularly well, but what can you do? We did manage to talk about it afterward and while her and my sister might not agree with my choice, they’ve both pledged their support, which really means a lot. Granted, if my mother decides to come and stay with me while I’m recouping, it will be like the genesis of Stubby, Part Deux. We’ll just burn that bridge when we get there.

The bad part is that the week away from regular workouts has probably not helped my weight loss efforts. I’m thinking of trying a pre-liquid sort of liquid diet. Two meals including fruit, yogurt and/or protein shakes, and a sensible dinner. I’m also going to hope I don’t get hit with what SPW got hit with.

I’ll continue to keep you posted as I transition to third shift. I’m also assuming that you can expect some rather doped up posts while I’m in the hospital. They supposedly have wifi, so that’s a plus. I have the iPad ready to go.

200 posts, really?

Posted: March 8, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, Cooking, Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, Exercise, Goals, Physical activity, Supportive Partner Woman, Weight loss
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Wow… 200.

That’s a lot of posts. I started the blog in 2010, so we’re approaching the 3rd anniversary. Granted, I did take almost a year away from writing, otherwise we might be talking about 300 posts. So, if you counted the actual time period when I did something with the blog, I’m averaging a post every 3-4 days. Some months there are more, some months, there are less.

It’s the nature of the beast, I suppose. If I have something to write about, I write. I hate when I say I’m going to write every day for a month and I find myself struggling to write something because I can’t think of anything to say.

At least on the chosen topic.

I could always go off on a tangent about the infield fly rule, or the designated hitter, or any hot button issue. I could wax rhapsodically on pretty much anything ranging from music to movies to television.

That’s not why you come here, and while I’d like to believe I’d write whether y’all read my scribbling or not, you’re the reason I keep doing it. I appreciate everyone reading this, from friends and family, co-workers, Nigerian princes, and any other subgroup you can name.

So, onto the actual meat of the topic… support group.

We had a session last night and the guest speaker was a psychologist who works with the clinic. She had an interesting graphic showing the circles of support ranging from the center (you) to immediate family, extended family, friends and coworkers, the clinic staff and finally social media and online groups. To sum up, she stated that if you have two or three of these support levels, you’ll succeed. It was also noted that the clinic as a whole has an 85% success rate for people who get the surgery and stick with the program. It was really inspiring and it’s nice to hear that there are so many successes just in one practice.

They also announced that they are looking to pair up post-op patients who have succeeded with pre-op patients who are struggling. That’s a great idea, in my opinion, because these are people who have gone through the same process, have been fat and beaten the odds.

Supportive Partner Woman (Awesomest spouse EVER!) also managed to attend the group session with me, which really meant a lot. She got to see what goes on at a meeting and to meet some of the folks she’s only heard me talk about. She passed on sampling some of Dr. McPhee’s minestrone which was quite tasty, despite the fact that he left the pasta sitting on the counter next to the stove at home. This did make me hope that on my surgery date, he doesn’t forget to reattach anything important. His food is actually quite good, though, and sampling some of the recipes is a highlight of group.

In other news, Bariatric Physician Specialists was just recognized as a Center of Excellence in bariatric surgery, which is a pretty big deal. As comfortable as I was with the procedure, it still makes me feel better knowing they have a national accreditation. I also had the opportunity to speak with Dr. McPhee for a few minutes and he’s pretty excited for me.

In short, it’s been a pretty long road, to get to this point. It’s going to be longer after the operation. This is a change for the rest of my life. I plan to continue blogging about the journey and it won’t always be rosy, I’m sure. There will always be those who don’t agree with me taking that step. To them I say, “It’s OK if you don’t agree with this choice. I just ask that you respect my choice and we’ll be fine.”

After all, it’s my life and if I could do it another way, I would.

My journey is just beginning.

Thank you for reading.

Song of the Day: Candy-O – The Cars

If you really want to be depressed, weigh yourself in grams – Jason Love

Wayne, Part Deux

Posted: March 5, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, diabetes, Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, Exercise, Foot issues, Physical activity, snow, The Beetus, Walking, Wayne, Weight loss
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As many of you know, Evil Wayne (not to be confused with Vegan Wayne) has caused me some problems of late. Namely a giant blister that left me short a toenail and a good part of toe.

I’m pleased to report that as of 6:00 tonight, Wayne is actually looking pretty good, all things considered. Looks like the wound is scabbing over nicely. This is a good thing that I’m attributing to my much better controlled glucose levels.

It took me a lot to understand what was involved in getting the sugar under control. See, I’m a huge carb junkie. I love carbs and would scarf unbelievable amounts of pasta and bread, not to mention snack foods. That’s a big no-no if you’re battling The Beetus. I didn’t understand that at first, figuring I was OK because something didn’t have much actual sugar in it. Well, maybe not, but the 40g of carbs are an issue. It makes a huge difference. Have I eliminated carbs? No, but I’m eating a lot less of them.

It really came to my mind again today when I was told by a friend that she had been diagnosed with Type-2 (that’s the type I have). I hope that she will use me as a resource, since I’m a pretty good example of what not to do when you’re diabetic. Or, I was. I’m just so excited that the toe is getting better pretty quickly so I can get back to the gym at full speed. I’m just going to make sure that I protect the toe with a moleskin wrap. Blisters just slow me down. Plus, the surgery date is three weeks away. How’d that happen?

I’m still really excited and freaked out at the same time. I think it’s fear of the unknown that get’s me freaked out. I actually don’t mind the anesthesia… it puts me out pretty good and I usually don’t have much memory of what’s going on. This will mark my third time going under general anesthesia, so I’m getting kind of used to it. The part that’s really freaking me out is the possibility of a catheter. I’m just not thrilled with the idea of getting some tube run up through my junk. Of course, talking to some post-op patients at the clinic, not all of them had a cath done. I’m hoping I’m one of the lucky ones. I guess we’ll know in a few short weeks.

So, we’re supposed to get a boatload of snow here in the northeast. If you’re in the area, please be careful when driving and especially while shoveling.

The next post will be #200. Guess I need to come up with something awesome. Wish me luck!

 

Song of the Day: Bright Lights, Bigger City – Cee-Lo Green

The Ballad of Wayne

Posted: March 4, 2013 in cold weather, diabetes, Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, Exercise, Physical activity, snow, Walking, Wayne, Weight loss
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I was so going to parody the Ballad of Jed Clampett, but the only words I could think of to rhyme with blister were Twister and mister, and, well, trust me when I say that nothing good would come of that.

So, I did manage to get to the podiatrist’s office this afternoon. He took one look at Wayne, pulled out the cutters and went to work. Several giant pieces of toenail and whatnot later, I’m down to eight toenails and  a lot of angry looking toe. The good news is that there’s no sign of infection and he thinks it should dry up pretty quickly. Once it’s scabbed over, then I can get out of the Boot of Shame. Out of sensitivity to the readers, I did not take pictures.

Also in the good news department, the wonderful exercise physiologists managed to switch up my workout this morning to include non-weight-bearing cardio and a lot of weight training. So it’s not a total loss. I can do the bike, the rowing machine and the hand cycle, as well as lift weights. Woohoo! Again, I just have to be careful to protect the area. On that note, I ordered the multipack of giant rolls of moleskin. I should probably take to just applying that every time I go to the gym, even after I’m healed. The best part is that you can get it from Amazon really inexpensively and it’s delivered right to the door.

Now, my biggest worry is what’s coming in terms of the winter storm. I’m not sure how the Boot of Shame will handle inclement weather. Maybe I just need to wrap my loot in a trash bag to get through the snow?

At any rate, I think I’ll call it quits for now. Hope you all have a great night!

“March”-ing toward health

Posted: March 2, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, diabetes, Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, Exercise, Foot issues, Goals, Physical activity, Stubby the Wonder Toe, Supportive Partner Woman, Walking, Weight loss
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Did you like that?

See what I did with the quotation marks?

Anyone?

(crickets)

Leaving the lame puns behind, it is, in fact, March. Going to start the surgical countdown. That would make today T-24 days.

24 days until my life changes forever. 24 days until I start leaving the fat armor behind.

Wow.

Today's results

Today’s results

So, all that being said, I’m really focusing on trying to keep the workout intensity levels up. Today was a good example. I managed to burn over 730 calories and cover over 3 miles. For someone who had trouble walking a mile without being out of breath and succumbing to blisters, I’ve made some progress. I almost feel like once the weight is reduced, I’ll be able to do anything. Granted, a marathon is probably out of the question, but I think that 5K is firmly within my wheelhouse. It probably won’t be pretty, and it probably won’t be fast, but I just know that the feeling of accomplishment will make up for the pain.

Pain. That’s an interesting subject. When Stubby reared his ugly head back in 2010, most of the problem was that my diabetic neuropathy prevented me from feeling what should’ve been excruciating pain. As a result, I lost part of a toe. It seems that the more my glucose has been under control, there’s actually been a return of some sensation to my feet. It’s good and bad… good in that I have a little more feedback as to how I’m doing in the blister department, and bad that I know when my feet hurt.

My primary issues with the workout time have been achy ankles and other assorted joints. My ticker feels better than it has in a long time, as does my general health. My hope is that the less weight I’m carrying on my joints, the less pain they will have to endure and the less general abuse they will take. My hope is that it will lead to less likelihood of joint replacement in the future.

In other good news, I’m wearing a shirt from the depths of my closet. It’s one of my favorite Disney polo shirts (anyone who knows me knows that I pretty much live in polo shirts (and I don’t pop the collar) so it’s nice to pull one out of the closet that doesn’t have holes or is so threadbare from constant wear. See, I set a goal for myself when I embarked on this journey to not buy any new clothes unless absolutely necessary. There are a couple of shirts with holes that Supportive Partner Woman (Pyromaniac?) has pledged to burn as soon as I no longer need them.

That does bring to mind something I need to think of. With the speed in which weight can come off post surgery, refreshing the wardrobe can be a tad expensive. Guess I will have to haunt thrift stores and secondhand shops. I’m usually not opposed to wearing loose-fitting clothes, so that’s a plus. I’d hate that some of my favorite t-shirts wouldn’t be worn. I should be able to fit in the baseball jersey collection sometime during the season. That’s a good thing… and maybe even actually close the jersey? That would be awesome.

At any rate, that’s what I have for today. I will continue to keep stuff posted as the date comes closer.

Song of the Day: Talk Dirty to Me – Poison

Currently reading: The Path of the Assassin – Brad Thor

Never, never, never quit. – Winston Churchill

Moving right along…

Posted: February 27, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, diabetes, Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, Exercise, Physical activity, Walking
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Remember yesterday, when I posted how I was poised to take the next step? And that the coordinator would call one day this week?

Turns out that day was yesterday.

So, after many months, after triumphs and setbacks, hours in the gym and in classes and in support group. After hours of research and discussion and waffling. After many nights wondering if I was making the right choice, I have a tentative surgery date.

You read that right.

March 26 will be the day, assuming all goes well with the preop physical and I continue a downward trend in weight. I have to admit, though… as excited as I am, I’m also scared.

I think it’s natural to second guess yourself when making a momentous decision. Whether it’s buying a house, a car, opting for a double cheeseburger instead of a healthier alternative, or anything, we, as humans, tend to suffer from buyer’s remorse. It is important to note that while I’ve received tons of support from the staff at the doctor’s office, never once did I feel pressured to choose surgery. They were very clear from the beginning that it’s not for everyone and they don’t operate on everyone.

That being said, weight loss is not the prime reason for me to do this. It’s a nice secondary reason, but it’s more about eradicating The Beetus. I think that’s what folks don’t understand about my reasoning. I HATE NEEDLES. I hate that the constant testing has left my fingertips in a constant state of little tiny holes. To put it bluntly, diabetes is not fun and I wouldn’t wish this on anyone. The procedure offers me betting odds of being off insulin within two days after surgery. I’ll take that.

I immediately felt comfortable with my surgeon, and I just love the exercise physiologists. I’m quick to give them the credit for getting me to the gym as much as I go. Not only that, they taught me the right way to work out. I’m not just going to the gym to throw weights around willy-nilly. There’s a right way and a wrong way, and Ryan and Cory have really taught me a lot.

That’s one part I’m not looking forward to… the enforced layoff after surgery. I’m sure I’ll be able to walk, and I will, but between the need to recover and heal, and also the liquid diet, workouts will be seriously curtailed. It is what it is and I’ll just have to work back up to where I am and beyond. My joints will certainly thank me, as will my heart and all the other assorted bodily organs affected by the disease.

My advice to you, dear readers, is to take care of yourself. Eat smart, get some exercise, cook your own food and get yourself checked out regularly. Also, if the doctor says you’re at risk for diabetes, take him/her seriously. This is not something you want. Not even close.

I’ll go into more details over the next few weeks as the journey continues.

In other news, I did something stupid on Monday. When making that yummy buffalo sirloin I managed to broil part of my arm on the oven door. I have a rather half-assed bandage on it, due to size and shape, but it got a little crispy. I haven’t burned myself on an oven since 7th grade home-ec, so that’s 30 years. I’ll post a pic of my wonderfully improvised bandage.

Be careful in the kitchen, folks!

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Archnemesis Scale

Posted: February 26, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, Cooking, Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, Exercise, Supportive Partner Woman, Weight loss
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Have I mentioned how much I loathe the scale?

It sits there, silently taunting me. Daring me to step on and try my luck.

“C’mon, big boy… you know you want to see how awesome you did.”

Then, without warning, the scale kicks you in the cojones. It’s like Charlie Brown and the football. Good grief.

So, as you can probably tell, I had a weigh-in today. There was good and bad news. The good news is I lost around 3 pounds. The bad news is that I thought I lost a lot more than that. I certainly feel like I did.

All that being said, things are finally progressing to the next step. I’ll need to get a pre-op physical and attend pre-op class. In the meantime, I need to keep a downward weight trend going on. I planned on that, regardless.

They told me I can expect a call from the coordinator sometime this week to get things rolling.

Shit just got real.

In other news, Supportive Partner Woman (fine cook in her own right!) collaborated on a yummy low-carb dinner last night. I made roasted buffalo sirloin and she made portobello mushroom caps stuffed with crab imperial. Topped off with some tasty veg. The nutrition facts on buffalo are crazy. One sirloin has 40 grams of protein! Coupled with low fat and plenty of taste, well, you can’t go wrong. I added a photo of the label. It’s a smidge cut off, but you can see it.

I’ll keep you posted on dates and whatnot.

Have a great day!

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Don’t Panic!

Posted: February 25, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, Uncategorized, Weight loss
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Those two words are familiar to anyone who’s ever read The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, a five-part trilogy by Douglas Adams.

Yes, I know…

See, I turned 42 today. According to Adams, the number 42 is very significant. It’s supposedly the answer to life, the universe and everything. Funny, I don’t feel very enlightened.

Here’s what I do know. I know that I don’t know half of what I thought I did know when I was 22.

Did I get stupid? Well, that depends on who you ask.

Did I maybe get a little wiser? I think so.

So, getting back to the title, it applies to today and tomorrow. I am panicked, mostly about the impending showdown with the Scale of Evilness. I’m afraid that I’m not going to make my target weight and I don’t have any idea of how I’m doing. They tell you not to obsess over the weight, but it would be nice to know where I stand. This being too fat for a regular home scale sucks, Imma tell you what.

So. I’d also like to take a minute to thank everyone who left me some birthday wishes on Facebook or Twitter or via text. Really made me feel special.

I promise to let you know how it goes tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed and keep good thoughts for me. Lord knows I need it.

What’s in a number?

Posted: February 11, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, Exercise, Goals, Physical activity, Walking, Weight loss
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I got a number today.

No, not a phone number.

Not a cash balance.

Not a tax rate.

I got the number six.

Six… it’s one more than five. One less than seven. It’s 2+4. Or 3+3, or even 2×3. It could be the square root of 36.

For me, it represented a minor victory over the scale.

See, I lost six pounds.

Now, I realize six pounds isn’t a lot to most people. It’s a bit more than a bag of flour. Or maybe it’s about three quarts of water. For me it was finally the scale moving in the right direction. All the time I’ve spent in the gym, on the treadmill, even walking the parking lot at the office.

I know I don’t have anyone to blame but myself for the slow progress. I usually manage to shoot myself in the foot when i attempt to lose weight. It’s the whole comfort factor of food. I’m not sure why it comforts me… it’s the cause of a lot of my issues and hangups. My other curse is that I’m a grazer. If there’s food, I’ll eventually find it and start munching. Next thing you know, I’m laying in a heap wearing an empty fried chicken bucket as a hat. It’s not pretty.

I was bound and determined to lose something for today’s appointment. I hit the gym extra hard, was careful with what I ate, and it actually showed on the scale for the first time since I started this whole process. It’s hard to describe how it made me feel, knowing that I finally succeeded. The journey isn’t over… I have to lose six more in two weeks. There will be a lot of gym time, a lot of salad, and very few pretzels and snack foods. It will be tough, but it will be worth it.

There were a couple things that lit a fire under my tubby butt, but the real clincher was going to support group last Thursday and hearing what the Patient of the Month had to say. First of all, in his before picture, he was at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Points in his favor, ya know? He was selected to make an appearance at the American Idol Experience, but he bailed because he was embarrassed by his size. I totally get that. I get the having to wedge myself in a ride vehicle where it actually hurts. I get the not going somewhere because I’m so self conscious of my size. It was nice to hear someone’s story that really parallels my own. It was like it finally hit home after months that I’m not the only one who feels like that.

Wow.

So, with that, I’m going to sign off for tonight. I have to be at the gym bright and early.

Thanks for all your support.

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