Day 22: Weekly weigh-in and back to work.

So I got up this morning, took care of the necessary and stepped on the scale to find out that my current weight is at 355 lbs. That's a full 10 pounds down since my official weigh in last Tuesday and a total of 38 pounds lost since my surgery 3 weeks ago. 38 pounds in 3 weeks. Wow.

I love Bobo! Bobo can be irritable at times, but my weight is dropping in a way I never thought possible. This is just amazing to me.

I'll be returning to work this morning, and I'm planning to go walking during my breaks and I'll workout when I get off work tonight. I think my plan of working out 6 days and resting one will work just fine. If anybody out there is reading this blog and is on the edge of deciding whether to do the surgery or not, discuss it at length with your primary doctor. This is a major life decision and it cannot be reversed. I have had a great experience so far, but my results are definitely not typical.

Joi gin!

Day 21: Sunday, a day of rest?

Sunday morning and I'm deciding what I'm going to do today. I'm due back to work tomorrow and I have laundry to do today. I've been working out every day this week and I'm considering resting a day and letting my body just recover so I'll be fully energized for work tomorrow. I do my official weigh in tomorrow morning to get my weight loss for the week. Don't know where I'll be, but I'm going to take whatever I get as a good thing.

I was looking at myself in the mirror last night before I took a long hot bath and I noticed that my "moobs" are shrinking and the flab around my ribs is starting to go away as well. Also, my workout is showing other benefits. The flab on my pecs and arms is starting to go away and the skin seems to be shrinking as well. I hugged someone goodbye the other day and they mentioned that I was fitting closer than I used to.

Time to say it: I LOVE MY SLEEVE!

I think it may be time to name my sleeve. I know I'm not the only sleever to have done this, and sometimes it acts like it has a mind of its own anyway. I have decided to name my sleeve "Bobo", short for "Boborygmi", which is the scientific name for when your stomach makes noises. I think it's suitable.

I might go for a workout today, depending on how I feel later on.

Lukim iu tumoro!

Day 20: Busy day in front of me...

I did get to the workout room yesterday/last night and did my workout. 35 minutes on the treadmill and 15 minutes strength training. Sure didn't feel like it, but I did it anyway. I did have something happen that boosted my morale, which helped me considerably.

For the record, physically I'm feeling fine. Emotionally is an up and down situation that changes day to day. Last night I made spaghetti sauce using ground turkey and my sleeve seemed to tolerate it just fine. Honestly, I can't wait for February 10th so I can get back to solid foods...

Today I have to take my daughter to something called a CRT camp at her school, then to her music lessons. She's not looking forward to either of them because her Pleurisy is acting up and she's been coughing on and off since last night and her throat is sore. If it weren't so last minute, I would cancel her music lessons, but it's too late now so she'll have to toughen through it. Kind of like me at the workout room yesterday. My plan right now is to take her to the CRT camp, then go back to the complex and workout and then go get her from school and take her to her music lessons. After the music lessons, if she's up to it, we'll go to the workout room and workout together. If not, we'll just go home and I'll let her rest.

Jaa, mata ashita aimashou!

Day 19: Friday!

Today does not feel like a workout day, but I'm going to do it anyway. I woke up at my regular time, had my Greek yogurt, fixed my daughter's breakfast and lunch and got myself ready to go. I drove her to school and then went to do some shopping, including a digital scale to keep track of my weekly weight loss.

As far as the workout is concerned, I'm not sore (probably because I've been working out every day and working the soreness out), but I just feel tired. The kind of tired where everything feels like it takes an extra effort to get things accomplished. Walking around Walmart, unloading the car, everything just feels like gravity has increased a little.

Even writing the blog today feels like I need some increased effort to get it done.

This is the kind of day when I'm going to have to go workout regardless of how I feel. If I can make myself do it when I don't feel like it at all, going when I have energy and motivation will be easy.

Parahi!

Day 18: moving on...

Busy morning yesterday, started at the lab to get blood drawn for my Primary Care Physician so he could have my levels checked for cholesterol, Vitamin D, and B12. Got my favorite phlebotomist, and He was able to hit my vein in one shot now, he didn't have to search for a change. If I haven't said it before, I'm saying it now: I LOVE MY SLEEVE!!!

Then I went to my surgeon and got my official work release so I can go back to work on Monday. Yay, work. I'm actually looking forward to going back, but I'm going to miss being able to go to the workout room at my leisure in the morning or afternoon. I'm going to use my breaks during the day to walk around the facility.

After that, I went to my Primary Care Physician for a B12 shot since he's concerned that I might not be getting enough B12 after my surgery. I signed in and they weighed me as they always do when you go in. My weight dropped another three pounds since they had weighed me on Tuesday. Three pounds in a day. Wow. I LOVE MY SLEEVE!!!

After I got done with all of that, I went home and talked to an old friend on the phone for a bit and then went to the workout room. Spent 15 minutes strength training, 35 minutes on the treadmill and the walk to and from the weight room was good for about a half mile with the loops and turnbacks in the trails I use. All told, I think I walked about 2 miles doing that yesterday.

Went back to my condo to relax and let my muscles loosen up after the workout. I had to go get my daughter from school and then we went for another walk, like we do every night when I have her. She wanted to go into the workout room so we went in and I let her use the treadmill for a while. She did about 20 minutes at 2.5 miles per hour and she did very well. Hopefully, between the walking and me making her breakfast and lunch we can get a handle on the little roll she has right now. And don't get me wrong, I know some kids have baby fat until puberty hits, but I really don't want to be one of those parent that falls back on the old "She'll outgrow the baby fat" mentality. I want her to get used to exercising so she'll do it on her own. I really don't want her to go through junior high and high school as fat. I hope that when she reaches my age, she won't ever have to consider this surgery.

So we got back to the condo and she went to do her home work while I made dinner for her. We ate dinner, then she went to practice her music, and then I let her play the Wii for about half an hour. She likes to play the Sports Resort Game, which gets her moving and sweating, so when her half hour was up, she had gotten a good workout. I sent her to take a bath while I sat to figure out how to get the soreness out of my muscles. It then occurred to me that the protein shake I use is formulated to assist with muscle recovery, so I had an 8 ounce protein shake and then I went and put her to bed for the night. After that, I was pretty tired, so I went to sleep.

Like I said, busy day.

Au revoir!

Day 17: Weighed in with my primary care physician yesterday...

As of yesterday, I have lost 29 pounds. 29 pounds in 15 days. To me that is amazing. I am really motivated to get more active and keep plugging along with what I'm doing. After I got done with my doctor, I went over to my office to find out what I need to do to get back to work on Monday. While I was there, everybody was marveling at how much different I looked with just the 29 pound weight loss. I can sort of see it in my face, and feel it in my clothes. I can't wait until I hit my goal weight now. I don't think I'll keep up these weight loss numbers, but as long as I lose, it's all good. I won't worry about stalls, I'll just keep plugging away until I get to the goal weight.

Now I have increased my walking and I have been strength training as well, so that's got to be helping. I'm not looking to build muscle so much as tone and strengthen, so I've been using low weights and high reps on all the machines. I'll do one circuit for one set of exercises, and then walk on the treadmill for about 30 minutes, then do another set of exercises. I'm a little sore in the mornings, but not so much that I can't get up and go do it again.

So the extra exercising also helps me keep my mind off her. I don't know if she's reading this blog or not, but I'm going to say that I miss her terribly and I wish she would let me back into her life. We were good together. Not a day goes by that I'm not convinced that God put us in each other's path for a reason. After our first date, we had 4 more dates in that week. 5 dates in 7 days. I went out of town on vacation the next week and I called her every day and it was while I was gone I remember telling her "I love you" on the phone as we were hanging up. I've never said it that fast to anyone before. Never. She immediately texted me back and asked "You do?" I texted back, "Yes, I do" It took her longer to say it to me, but when she did, I swear I heard flights of angels singing. I don't know if we can ever get to that place again, but my heart tells me that she still loves me. I know it's irrational and foolish, but I can't help it.

The heart wants what it wants, logic has nothing to do with it.

Genough farwel!

Day 16: Flattened yesterday, fighting to my feet today

Yesterday was a bad day for me emotionally. All I wanted to do was curl up in a dark corner and cry and wallow in my misery, but I didn't. Anytime I felt the downward pull, I made myself get up and go do something. Walk, go to the workout room, go take care of things outside the home, or if I was also feeling a blast of anger, I would practice my weapons forms. Anything to keep pushing myself and keep active.

So right now, I'm having my morning protein shake and I'm going to go for my first walk and workout this morning before my doctor's appointment. What happened yesterday cannot be allowed to distract me from what has to be more important right now. My weight loss and health. That has to have priority over anything else.

She posted a comment on her FB page yesterday about "one step forward, two steps back" and I'm way beyond curious about what that meant. But I'm not going to open a conversation to find out. She wanted me to step back, so I'm not going to try to contact her. If she wants to contact me, that's fine. But I won't open the conversation. That's on her. My heart will likely leap with joy if she does, though.

Something she said was that she's aware that by cutting me free if she falls on her face with this guy, I may not be there to come in and pick up the pieces or start over. I'm not going to just sit around waiting but if I'm not involved with anyone...well, I know me and my heart. I'll likely forgive her and start over again.

Time will tell, I suppose.

Min tian jian.

Day 15: Physically a step forward, emotionally I've just been flattened...

Wow. How do things go so wrong so quickly? I have done my protein shake, went on a walk, and spent a half hour strength training in the workout room. Physically, I'm where I should be at this point in my recovery and weight loss. Don't know my current weight yet, that's for the doctor's office tomorrow.

But before all that, my Best Friend were having a very frank discussion about sex. In particular about my sex life. I told her I had a date Saturday night that actually stretched into Sunday morning. I really didn't want to tell her that because I knew it would upset her, but she wanted the truth and I will not lie to her.

The next thing I know, she's telling me that she isn't strong enough to do this anymore and she needs me out of her life. She's says she's still too conflicted between me and him and I have to be out for them to have a chance. So quick as that, I'm out of her life.

Emotionally, I feel like I've just been beaten to within an inch of my life. I was crying during my walk, during my workout and I'm still crying now. She says it's not fair on him if she can't give herself entirely and she can't while I'm in her life.

This lyric from Rick Springfield's song "Don't Walk Away" sums it up for me:

"But I'm gonna hold on tight

I've got a feeling

You'll only happen once for me

And no one, not even you

Is gonna make you wrong for me"

But I told her if that's what she wants, then I'll step away. I guess if you really love somebody you have to set them free. So best friend, if you're reading this, you're free now. I hope you can find your happy place.

I was just hoping it would be with me.

You'll all excuse me, I need to focus myself and call up the strength to get past this and continue my journey.

A domani.

Day 14: It's a Sunday!

Not a lot to talk about from yesterday. Went on two brisk walks with plenty of stair climbing. Had a date last night which was fun. One thing I'm noticing: the protein shake I'm using in the morning has developed a strange aftertaste, almost bitter/metallic no matter how I mix it up. I usually brush immediately afterwards anyway, but it's just odd.

I wanted to post a clarification about yesterday's blog as well regarding my Best Friend: We both made mistakes in the relationship, and there is plenty of blame to go around. It's not her fault alone. I screwed up just as badly. But that's why we wanted to work on building our friendship outside of the romantic relationship. So we can see each other in a different light and work on our individual issues that would interfere with us later on. In my case, I was putting other people's needs ahead of hers. It's ok for my daughter to be put first, but no one else should have been put in front of her. Every time we had a fight, that was the underlying cause. When I sat back and really thought about it, I saw what I had done and the guilt just ran roughshod over me. When I realized I had done that, I just sat down and cried because I knew I was wrong and I had contributed to our breaking up more than I realized. My actions and decisions cost me my love. But now I can see what I need to change and what I need to work on. What does she need to work on? I know some of that, but this blog is about me and I'm not going to violate her trust by talking about what she needs to work on in a public forum. I will talk to her directly and quietly and tell her what I think.

So as of tomorrow, I am free to add different exercises to my routine other than just walking, so I'll be hitting the workout room in the complex in addition to my walks. Nothing hard or super strenuous, just enough to keep burning fat and toning muscle. That 20 pound loss has really motivated me to keep up the progress. I think that may be what the doctors refer to as "jump starting" your weight loss. Think about it, you can try to kill yourself with diet and exercise and only lose a pound or two which is really discouraging. This surgery jump starts that weight loss with a huge loss right at the get go that just keeps going and it motivates you to keep those numbers up there with exercise as soon as you are able. I'm not expecting another 20 pound week, but any loss is good as far as I'm concerned. Let's face facts, it took me 20 years to put this weight on and it's not coming off overnight. So it's Zen Spider time. Patience is the key to winning this game.

Quick update: I just discovered that my sleeve doesn't like ground beef. I don't know if I didn't puree it enough or what, but it came back up within about two minutes of eating it. I left the rest of it alone and had some protein jello to calm my stomach. I'm going to wait until I can eat solids before I try that again. I didn't have an issue with the chili, though, so I'm a little curious as to why. I probably didn't puree it enough.

Cheerio!

Day 13: The After Action Report on my night out

Ok, so traffic getting out to the place was horrendous. I sat on the same stretch of freeway for at least 15 minutes. I called my best friend to advise her to take a different route. She hates sitting in traffic more than I do. I finally got there and parked a good way away and on an upper level so I could walk to the bar and use the stairs. Good little workout there. I also walked around the shopping center for about 20 minutes to get more walking in.

Once I walked in to the bar, I had an OMG moment. The place was packed and it wasn't even 7 o'clock yet. I ordered some water and sat on a back bench while I watched for a table to open up. Finally about 720 or so, a table opened up and I jumped to get on it to hold it. About 20 minutes after that my best friend and her current boyfriend showed up.

Bit of background: My best friend was my girlfriend up until about 5 months ago. She met this guy and wanted to explore what she was feeling, but she wanted to keep me as a best friend. That wasn't easy for me, not in any way, shape or form. But I knew that if I wanted any chance to repair our relationship I had to let her have her freedom to choose and explore what she's feeling. I knew that if I tried to force a decision, I would have lost her entirely. So I agreed to break up and remain friends and work at being best friends. That part of it has actually turned out better than I had expected.

Anyway, they show up and I had promised her that I would play nice. Unfortunately, playing nice indicates that some sort of interaction will take place. This guy wouldn't even acknowledge my existence. She told me that he was insecure and felt threatened by me, but this was a first for me. I've never had anyone so pointedly ignore my presence. Probably for the best, but damn! At least have the decency to look me in the eyes. He wouldn't even do that.

So the band starts and more friends show up and I spend a good part of the night enjoying the music, drinking water and eventually got up to dance with one of the ladies at my table. I saw my Best Friend and him dancing and I wanted to do nothing more than just walk up, take her by the hand and leave with her, but that would have been violating the "play nice" promise. I think I overextended myself on the dance floor because soon after that, my strength started dropping like water in a bathtub that's had it's plug pulled. I said my goodbyes and headed out while I knew I could get home on my own. My best friend came over and asked if I was OK, and I told her what was going on. She asked me to text her so she would know I got home safely. I said I would and I left for home. I listened to a few specific tunes to match my mood (Head and the Heart, Forever, Who wants to live forever, and In the End) and got home and had some more protein and went to bed. I texted her and let her know I was OK.

As talented as I am with words and phrases, I can't seem to find the right words to show her how I really feel about her. I love her. It's as simple as that. But that phrase is never as simple as that.

Aloha!

Day 12: Running around with my best friend

I dropped my daughter off at school this morning and while I was at Walmart buying some more G2 for my protein juice, my best friend called and asked me to go with her to a mortgage adjustment meeting. I agreed and went over to her place to go with her. We were talking and I went over some of my experiences with the surgery since she's getting the surgery herself in April.

So we went to the meeting and then did a few other things. All the time we were doing this, we were laughing and joking and just having a good time. For me, that made it all worthwhile. If I get to spend time with her, it's worthwhile. I just wish I could spend more time with her than I get to now.

So I'm working on my second bottle of protein juice right now. When I finish that, my protein level will be at about 120g for the day. I've done some walking and some stair climbing and I will probably be dancing tonight when I go to see The Reflex, a local 80's cover band. They are one of mine and my best friend's favorites and we always have a good time when we go. One of these days I'll have to marry that woman.

Well, I'm going to sit back and watch Kiss of the Dragon and then take a shower and get out to the bar the band will be playing at. It's in a big shopping center, so I'm going to have a walkabout before I go in the bar to get a table.

Da boch chi!

Day 11: a little shopping and a lesson or two.

I got out today and went mall walking for a while. I had some shopping to do for me and my daughter at JCP and then I went to Casual Male to get some new clothes. I could have bought a size smaller, but my dunlap is too noticeable in the next size down, so I stayed at the 54s. I bought two pairs of jeans, some undershirts, some work slacks and a nice denim-looking button down shirt. Some of this will be worn to go see an 80s cover band tomorrow night. I love going to see this particular band and a bunch of my friends are supposed to be there, including my best friend

On to lessons offered and learned.

The offered: Someone on the Facebook Gastric Sleeve Surgery support page asked why it felt like it was taking so long to get through everything for the surgery. I offered that when I need to exercise patience, I call on my totem animal of patience: the Zen spider. Take the spider by itself and consider it's patience to spin it's web. Now take that same creature and make it a Zen Master. How much patience does that spider have? So when I need to focus my patience, I think about the Zen spider.

The learned: Most of my meals today were nothing out of the ordinary. Protein Shake for breakfast, 24 oz. of protein juice between 7am and 12pm, pureed chili for lunch and another 24 oz. of protein juice between 1pm and 5pm. Dinner is where the learned lesson comes in. I decided to have a small baked potato for dinner. 3.85 oz of potato, a touch of shedd's spread for butter flavor and salt and pepper. I mashed it all together very finely and chowed down, taking small bites. I have discovered that my sleeve in it's current condition does not like potato. No matter how big or small a bite I took, my stomach shot some pain my way. So I'm leaving potatoes off the menu for now. I'll try again when I'm fully healed. And I'm not saying that everyone will have this problem. It might be unique to me. I guess I'm saying to pay attention to the signals your body gives you once you have the sleeve. Try things out of the ordinary and see if you like it now or if your body can tolerate it.

Bihar arte!

Day 10: time to change out of the sweats and pajama pants.

So today I decided to put on my jeans. They're soft and well broken in and up until the night of the 9th, gave me a bad case of the dunlap (you know, where your belly dunlaps over your belt) so I decided to get them out and try them on. When I stand up, theres no dunlap left. I'm very excited about that. Another 20 lbs and I'll be in a size smaller than I am now.

So mom and dad left this morning. I'm sad that they left, but their job is done now and I'm able to take care of myself so I couldn't argue their decision to leave. They'e home and safe now so everybody is where they're supposed to be. I took a trip out to Frye's Electronics to pick up a few things that I was needing. Of course, that always leads to pickup a few things you don't need. I was all over the store and didn't get winded once or slow down.

I took a nice, leisurely drive home along the beltway and had a Protein shake for lunch. Set up my new wireless router which is working beautifully. The Wii has an internet connection and I can connect anywhere in the condo.

My daughter will be here tonight and after she finishes her homework and practices her music, I'm going to let her play the Wii for a while.

Dinner for her is grandma's spaghetti. I'm going with pureed chili. I'm giving consideration to getting my hobby station set up tonight so I can get some painting done. But that's for a different blog.

I hope everyone sleeps well tonight. If you have the Sleeve already, congrats. If' you're waiting on the surgery, your day will be here shortly.

Adios!

Day 9: Closer and closer to normal.

So today I woke up about 6 and got myself ready to go out to take care of some business with my mom and dad. I had my Greek yogurt with a teaspoon of protein powder and 3 teaspoons of chia seeds. They add fiber and once they encounter liquid, start to swell up. This means they will help fill your stomach. They work great. Just try to get them down before they start to swell. Once they swell, they turn into these slimy globules that look really unappetizing and you might think twice about using them.

We had to go get my new car registered and the DMV was their usual helpful selves, i.e. not. Dad had called a couple of weeks earlier and the person he had talked to said a California smog test would be acceptable. [BZZZZT] WRONG! The lady said that it would only be acceptable if the vehicle were based in California, but we would need a Nevada Smog Test. The issue I have with that is that if the vehicle is based in California, why would we register it in Nevada to begin with? Well, never mind. We went and got the smog check and came back and got the car registered and the title transferred and I am now the proud owner of a 2008 Ford Fusion.

After that, we went back to my place and mom went to sit on the balcony (my parents love my balcony) while dad and I went down to buy my new TV. I decided on the Visio 37" LCD HD TV and it looks great. I got it all set up by myself when they drove out to Indian Springs. It looks beautiful.

I had some pureed chili for lunch with some bits of cheese in it. I let the cheese melt down so it wouldn't cause any issues with my stomach. It was pretty good. One thing I've noticed is that when I eat actual food as opposed to liquids, I get some noticeable boborygmi (stomach gurgling). Not loud enough for others to notice, but I can sure feel it. Oh well.

Took a longer walk to get the mail today and my dad was taking it nice and slow for me. Well, my strength is definitely returning because I took off at full speed because I felt like I was dragging back. Dad kept up and we took off at a good pace. I was breathing hard when we finished, but I felt pretty good.

Ran through Facebook a few times and hit my boards I read regularly and then had some cream of tomato soup from my weight loss center. Took my vitamins and now I'm working on my second bottle of my protein juice. You're supposed to mix the protein shot with water, but I've found that if you use G2 or powerade zero, the taste of the whey protein is negligible. Also, the G2 or powerade zero will boost your electrolyte count with negligible calorie intake.

So my water intake is 64 oz, my protein intake is 130g and I'm feeling great. I hope everyone has my good luck with the surgery.

Vaarwel

Day 8: First Weigh In and Wound Check

So I went to the weight loss clinic today for my first weigh in and wound check. My blood pressure was 112/78, excellent changes from 135/90. Temperature was 98.7, about .6 degrees cooler then before and pulse and respiration were both excellent. I bought some more supplies from the bariatic center...

...What? The weigh in? Yeah, just a second...

Anyway, I decided to pick up the protein shots for mixing into the water online since it will cost me about 1.50 less per shot buying in bulk. Way more cost effective that way....

...What's with the weight? Hold on, you damn overachiever...

So I also sold my beast of a truck today and now I'm 4000 dollars richer for my effort. Mom and dad are going to pay for registering the new car....

...Really, interrupting my train of thought again? You need to learn some patience, young padawan...

Alright, already. I know I'm purposely dragging this out. Deal with it. My blog, information releases at my rate, ok?

So, in one week I have lost a grand total...

...of...

[The suspense is terrible]

[I hope it will last....[EVIL GRIN]]

20 pounds in one week. Let me repeat that:

20 POUNDS IN ONE WEEK!

I am somewhere between shocked and ecstatic right now. I was expecting anywhere from 9 to 12 pounds, but 20 pounds is amazing! My surgical scars are healing excellently, the PA said my healing was the best they had seen today.

I know I can't maintain that kind of weight loss consistently, so I'm going to try to calm myself down over the next couple of days and not let myself get obsessed with weight loss and working out. But until then, I'm going to bask in the glow of a successful sleeve surgery. And allow myself a girlish little giggle occasionally.

I know how it sounds, I don't care. If you just lost that much weight that quickly, you would giggle like a girl too.

Adieu!

Day 7: Sunday sunday sunday!

OMG! Went to bed at about 945 last night and slept straight through to 550 this morning. Eight hours, five minutes of sleep. I feel fantastic this morning. Still going to take it easy, but I think I might add an extra walk to my routine today.

Object lesson for my readers: I read through my meal plans last night and realized that I am at the point where I am supposed to have three meals plus a protein shake. Instead of mixing up one of the 4 oz. shakes I've been using, I decided to get one out of the basket that my best friend sent to me. I looked at it and it said to add 8oz of water for a shake or 4oz of water for a pudding. I really didn't want to wait for the pudding, so I made the 8 oz shake. Bad Idea. I didn't chug it, I drank it slow, but the protein shakes are different from the clear protein waters I've been sipping. They fill up and stick a little where the waters kind of just pass through. Had some discomfort after I finished it and went to bed with that discomfort. I will not do that again. 4oz. and done. Please learn from my mistakes, gentle readers. If I'm sharing them with you, take note and don't make my mistake.

So I woke up, took care of the necessary, and went to the kitchen to have some Greek yogurt. I added a teaspoon of Pure protein powder to it and sat down to have a leisurely breakfast.

Drank 42g of protein before lunch, so my total protein intake before lunch was 52g. Water intake is about 32oz. Lunch consisted of some tomato soup, protein intake was negligible. On the subject of tomato soup, the Pure protein powder does not mix well with it. The texture makes the soup all wrong and the color....just say no folks, all I'm saying.

Mom made her chili tonight, so we're going to puree that so I can eat with the family for a change this week. She said "Well, there's still some spaghetti left, you could puree that!" and my mind immediately rebelled at the thought of pureed spaghetti noodles. She's like, "What's the difference whether it's beans or noodles?" Never mind the thought is disgusting, I'm supposed to stay away from pasta right now. Beans provide significant protein.

It turns out the pureed food isn't bad, but the texture is a bit odd. The flavor is good and I recommend keeping it hot if you can, pop it into a microwave if it cools off. Remember that actual meals are supposed to take 20 minutes, so take your time and enjoy your food, even if it is pureed. I eat all of my meals by the half teaspoon and set down the silverware between bites.

Well, it's closing in on 6PM here, so I'm going to call this quits for the night. Be back tomorrow with the update.

さようなら (Sayōnara)

Day 6: Wow, I'm impressed.

I went to bed at 10pm last night and slept straight through till 3am. 5 solid hours of sleep was blissful. Of course, then I couldn't get back to sleep. Tried for an hour and then decided to just get up. One nice thing: NO PAIN! NONE! And I didn't use my happy pills at all yesterday! I'm thrilled with my recovery so far. I'm able to get in all the water and protein I need. I've been able to eat everything I've tried, step by step, according to my schedule and everything is staying down and my new stomach is tolerating everything nicely.

I also tried on a pair of sweats that I haven't really fit into properly in at least two years and they not only fit, they're a touch loose around the waist now.

I've also started incorporating electrolyte drinks like powerade zero and G2 to help with any possible electrolyte loss. When I finish one bottle of protein water, I mix a new batch and put it in the fridge and break out a bottle of the electrolyte juice. Again, my body is tolerating it with no problem.

If I can get through until Monday without my pain meds, I'm going to assume that I'm healed enough to not need them further and I'll put them away for a later time.

I was honestly a little worried about all of this based on the issues that cropped up when a friend had this surgery done and he had all sorts of complications and it took him 5 weeks to get back to work and his mood was ...well, scary. Scary enough to make my best friend worried about him. I went into this expecting a lot of the same thing, but I've been recovering very rapidly. Surprisingly rapidly, honestly. The pumping of protein in the first couple of days must have helped with healing.

On a different note, Dad and I returned the defective TV to Walmart this morning and they took it back without question and were very pleasant to deal with. Sony....well, check my other blog (Pernicious Critters) for my opinions on their customer service. Walmart said it would take a couple of days before the refund hit my account, and Dad suggested that I wait until the refund hits to buy the new TV. I've noticed that my Dad gets a lot smarter the older I get.

On the subject of Mom and Dad...I can't express my gratitude and the love I feel for them being here for me through this. They didn't have to do it at all, but they dedicated the two weeks I would need for recovery to making sure I was taken care of, and that time is the greatest gift anyone can give to another person, because that's time out of your life that you can't get back. I'm going to remind myself of that every day and anytime I feel like I might want to cheat on my diet.

I can't ever repay them for what they've done, but I can damn sure pay it forward when my best friend goes in for her surgery. I'll be there for the day of surgery and as much as I can be after that until she's back to full strength.

Day 5: Doing better

Ok, I woke up at 545 this morning and felt great. Only woke up every couple of hours last night which was great. I took 3 small sips of protein water each time and I woke up feeling great. I took that as a signal that I was healing but still needed to rest so I didn't push myself further than I needed to. I had some Greek Yogurt, good for 10g of protein. Mom, dad and I took my daughter to school, then stopped at Walmart to pick up another piece of furniture for her room. Found out Walmart is perfectly happy to take my malfunctioning TV back for a full refund. YAY!

We got home and I took a sitdown and my best friend Cindy showed up for a visit. This was the first time she saw my condo so I gave her the Grand Tour and then we sat down and talked for a while. Then we went outside so she could see the view from my balcony, which is beautiful. After that, she had things to do so I walked her out to her car. I went back inside and read for a bit while Mom and Dad finished putting the furniture together. I had a 4 oz protein shake for lunch that was good for 20g of protein, and my total of protein water today was good for 100g of protein. 130g of protein, 56+oz of water plus my electrolytes and I'm good to go.

We took a walk to the mailbox (just junk) which tired me out a bit, and then my dad and I went for a drive in my new car (new to me, anyway). It's a car they bought a couple of years ago and that my mom only ever used to drive to work. Less than 10000 miles on it. Might as well be new to me. I can't wait to drive it. Dad wouldn't let me, since I'm still on happy pills at night. Ah well, soon enough.

Word of warning: the next bit below is not for those weak in stomach or mind, so IF you are either, don't go further

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

Wait a minute.

You can't be serious.

HOLY MOTHER OF GOD, DON'T DO IT!!!

Ok, go ahead, but I warned you in advance...

Your choice.

One...mildly disturbing thing and I'm not going to go into the really gross details, but the whey protein causes you to make some really foul smells when you go to the bathroom. Piece of advice: give yourself a courtesy flush before you stand up or even move and flush again when you're done. Then spray air freshener liberally and turn on the fan for a few minutes. If you share the bathroom with ANYONE, put up a warning sign. Not kidding at all.

Uvidimsia!

Day 4: still recovering...

So today, not a lot of walking but I did get my 100g of protein and 48 oz. of water in. Tomorrow I'm shooting for 56 oz of water and 100+g of protein and I get to add soft foods back into the diet like protein shakes and real soups. Can't wait.

On a different subject, I discovered that my temper will short circuit how I feel right now. Had an argument with Sony in regards to getting my new TV fixed and they kept jerking me around. My temper flared and my body reacted within seconds and I had to just sit down and stop and hang up the phone. Screw them. I'm taking it back to where I bought it and getting a different brand. My heart started racing and I felt like I was going to lose it and collapse. I'm not letting the asshats at Sony fuck up my recovery. I'm done with them.

Tomorrow is another day...

Sbohem!

Day 3: Still recovering

Went to sleep at 745 last night. And again at 845, 1045, do you see the pattern forming? The pain was only at the discomfort level, but it was enough to wake me up. I would have to get up, use the bathroom, sip some water and lay back down and adjust my sleeping position. Not fun, but I did figure out how to adjust everything without using my abdominal muscles.

Mom, dad and I went for a walk around my complex this morning. Not very long, but enough to help with the gas pains. I can't wait to get my energy levels back where they belong.

Mom and dad took me to look at furniture at a few different stores today and I got worn out. After we finished looking at the furniture at Walmart, I couldn't go any further. I went up to the front of the store and just sat down and waited for them to finish their shopping. Looked something like a fool sitting there holding my "cough-buddy" moose. Basically, it's a dense pillow that you hold tightly against your abdomen when you fel the need to cough or deep breathe. It looks silly, but it does the job. So I might look silly, but I'd rather carry it and not need it rather then to need it and not have it. So after that was done, we went home and I had my 4 oz. of chicken broth and tried to take a nap. Didn't work so well. I think I was too tired to actually go to sleep properly. Then we had to go pick up my daughter from school. I'm going to just sit back and rest now. Mom is making her spaghetti for the three of them. I'll just enjoy the smell and have some protein jello and keep working on my protein drink. I don't think of it as being denied anything compared to what I'll gain with the surgery.

再见 [zài jiàn]

Day 2: Home and recovery.

Well, after 30 hours in the hospital, I'm home and on the road to recovery. I'm feeling some pain like I've been gut-kicked, but I was expecting that. Right out of surgery was the worst of the pain and nausea, but I think the nausea was mostly from the anesthetic. The pain was a combination of gas and pain from the surgery. The more you walk around, the less gas pain there will be. All I had to eat yesterday were ice chips and that's all I wanted. Today I had 2 oz of apple juice and 2 oz of Jello in the morning and 2 oz. of chicken broth and 2 oz. of Jello in the afternoon . The chicken broth was awful. Enough salt in it to preserve a mummy. I had more trouble getting it down because of the salt rather than anything else. But I did get it down and kept it down so they released me, I didn't have any pain meds today, but yesterday they were giving me plenty of Demerol. Not enough to make me loopy, just enough to dull the pain and let me sleep. So now I'm home and I'm going to hold off on any pain meds for now. Probably wait for bedtime.

Tschüs!

Day 1: Surgery!!!

Well, this is it. Today is the day of my surgery. This is where everything changes for me. This is the start of my new life. Surgery today, a few days of recovery, and then I can start working out in earnest.

I feel like this is going to be the best change I could push myself into. Surgery, new life style, new life. My gut is telling me that this will turn everything around for me.

My parents and my best friend are going to be at the hospital for me, and there just aren't words to express my gratitude to them for being there for me. Their sacrifice of their time for me will be a constant reminder that I have to work at this. Especially my best friend. She had to take time off of work to be there for me and she needs to save up her time for her own surgery. That speaks volumes to me about her feelings for me.

In my other blog, I always end with "Asta". This is a new blog and I think I need to come up with a new closing farewell. I think, given the name of this blog, something travel related would be appropriate.

Ciao!