So Very Tired...

Bad dreams last night kept me awake. Most of them were catheter dreams. I can't wait for this crap to be over. I'm so. very. tired.

-sd

The Ramp-up to Surgery, Part 1

Next week Tuesday is the surgery, and ramp-up has begun. I've been doing pretty well with the liver-shrinking diet (my shirts are significantly looser, if that is any measure). I'm getting my support staff put together, and need to start booking hotels and stuff for them. I also have to clear my plate of things that will just annoy me, so there's that.

But I'm getting excites, scared, nervous. Can't wait - for it to be finished!

Thanks to my new friends at BariatricPal for their support.

[ddg]

Time Out!

I'm heading out for a few days, so I'm off the blog until next Monday. See ya later!

-sd

And so it begins

Today starts the liver shrinking diet. Started with my only cuppa and 8 oz. of Muscle Milk Light.

Yay.

<sigh>

-sd

The Last Day

Despite the above image, I'm ready. I'm ready to take on this challenge - even though everything is lining up to be really difficult. Travel, a large party, a hard stretch of work, but I'm going to succeed.

Tomorrow is Liver Cleansing Diet Start-Day! Let's Rock!

-sd

A little more backup...

Luckily for me, my best friend at work is going to be joining me in Colorado for a week post-surgery. This is going to be a great help, since we'll be able to have some meetings (both with each other, and with third parties) and do some focused combo-work with very little distraction.

He'll also be able to help me if I get too exhausted. Driving is what I'm most scared of, and he'll be able to haul me around if necessary. So that's a huge relief, and I'm actually looking forward to spending the time with him.

-sd

Preparing for the Liver Shrinking Diet

Given that my surgery is a little over 2 weeks away, it is time to start preparing for my Liver Shrinking Diet. As it was explained to us, the surgeon has to build a 'shelf' to hold the liver away from the stomach while doing the surgery, and this is made much easier if you are one a restrictive diet that shrinks the liver extensively.

This diet is, basically, a Boost in the morning, a Boost for lunch and a slab of chicken and some broccoli for dinner. Yippee! Of course, this is going on during a trip to San Francisco, my sister's 50th birthday celebration and a bunch of other fun stuff. So I'm going to be buying into the 'sadly watching food from the sideline' situation for the first time.

<sigh>

-sd

A Place to Stay

So my parents are going to help out during the post-surgery period; this is a great help, since my wife (the teacher) is going to be pulling some long nights - for no real pay - doing parent teacher conferences and the like. Unreal, but there you go.

So they asked if I could set them up with a place to sleep. What do I do? Our house is barely big enough for the five family members and two pets. Get a foldout bed? Ugh.

Maybe the nearby hotel is the solution. Reasonable cost for a high level of assistance.

Sold.

-sd

Family really does matter!

I got a call from my Dad on Sunday; we've been out of contact because of, well, reasons. But he's concerned about how I'm going to do post-surgery and offered to come and help for that week. After talking to my wife (the teacher), it turns out that week is filled with parent-teacher conferences, early and late meetings, and other tripe. Hence, I would be on an iceberg without Dad's help.

Family really does matter, and I've got to keep remembering that.

-sd

Beauty

This made me cry. But it is too real - the capitalist society is built to profit off our self-hatred, and I can't help but respect someone willing to go a different way...

-sd

Checkmarks...

In the "Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies" book, the recommend that you only select a surgeon that has a certification from a Center of Excellence - whatever that might mean. First thing I saw when I walked in the door of the Doctor's office? Yup, a COE certificate.

Check.

-sd

The Doctor Is In!

Went to visit the surgeon today. Couldn't have been a more pleasant person. And he answered some important questions, like "What is going to be my primary problem after surgery?" and "How soon can I do my (phone/computer) work? My driving work? My teaching work?". Very useful and interesting.

Then I met with the "money person", who dropped a bomb on me: they'll collect $1750 from me on the 30th, and I'll get bills from all sorts of people. Whee! Money stress on top of pending-surgery stress is not a great option. Man...

Talk with my spouse this evening and got the "Still all good - we'll make it work" word. I don't know how I deserve her, but there you go.

-sd

One Goal Set...

One thing that I realized over the weekend was that I had goals for my WLS - lose 100+ lbs, do X amount of exercise per day - but none of them were rewards. By reward, I mean having a goal that seems like a payoff. Losing weight and doing more exercise is a payoff of sorts, but it is kind of abstract.

This weekend was my 24th wedding anniversary, and my wife and I were talking about what we would do for our 25th. We discussed where I'll be at physically, and what I might be able to do. That's when I realized that we could do something I'd only dreamt of: riding the Glacial Drumlin State Trail non-stop for its entirety.

When we lived in Wisconsin, my wife and some of her family would do this as an annual - and exhausting - trip. I was supportive, smiley and even did some transport, but I never did the ride. Too long, too hard and "not for me". But I always secretly wanted to do it.

So this is the goal/reward for next year: to lose weight, get in cycling shape, and hit the Glacial Drumlin for its length on the weekend of September 7, 2016!

-sd

Muscle Milk in the House!

Somehow, Muscle Milk Light hasn't been easy to find. You can find Muscle Milk everywhere, but the Light variation has just been completely unavailable.

Until yesterday: I was in Costco looking for a display table and I decided to check out the pharmacy area. Sure as shootin', there were flats of Muscle Milk Light, 24 ct. for $29.95. Excellent deal, and the numbers on the MM-Light are fantastic.

Let's try one right now...

It's fine. The chocolate taste is about the same as the Boost I've been drinking, but the protein level is much higher, and the calories are about the same. This looks like a winner, and will probably move to the head of the list.

-sd

Taking a Brief Respite

I need to take a business trip out to Los Angeles, and upon my return I'm going to be meeting with my surgeon. So I'm going to take a brief respite from my blogging to see to these things, then I'll report back.

Sounds good? Good.

-sd