Update April 22nd, 2024

Tags

gastric bypass, Surgery, update, Weightloss

My gastric bypass surgery is this Wednesday, April 24th. It was originally scheduled for last Wednesday but COVID hit. I am having waves of emotion. One minute I’m excited the next, I’m nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs. But, all the benefits outweigh the negatives. I think my wife is more nervous than I am. Granted, I know this will be a life-changing experience with a new diet and a new way of looking at my life. An extended life I might add.

Stay tuned for more updates.

Update: April 2nd

Tags

bariatric-surgery, cast, Doctor, foot, gastric bypass, health, liquid diet, liver shrink, Surgery, Weight loss

It’s been a while I know.  A lot has been going on so hold on to your hat.

Monday, April 1^st marks the 10^th week that I’ve either been in a splint or a cast.  This is my third hard cast since I was put in one.  I have a problem with either the cast getting wet, broke or both.  I’ve had several x-rays and I’ve been told each time that my foot is healing but has a long way to go.  My foot is still swollen a little and it looks like a lizard with all that dead skin just hanging there.  I did speak to the doctor and if everything continues as it has, I should be able to be put in a Crow Boot in about two months.  At least with a Crow Boot I should be able to walk on it some.

It’s like I’m a prisoner in my own home.  I live in a split foyer home.  When you walk in the front door you must either go up or go downstairs.  Seven of them to be exact. Going downstairs is not a problem.  I simply grab ahold of the banister and the handrail and hop down the stairs.  Going up is another issue. Right now, the solution is to use a walker with the front legs adjusted to the step above and hop up the stairs.  I’m exhausted by the time I make it up the stairs.  This is the reason I don’t go anywhere other than for doctor appointments. 

My gastric bypass surgery has been approved and my surgery is scheduled for the 17^th of April.  I have to start my liver shrink diet on the 10^th and my 2-day liquid diet starts on the 15^th. If I told you th.at I wasn’t worried I’d be lying.  There’s a lot to consider even after the surgery. Just my doctors and my immediate family know about it.  None of my friends or even my parents don’t know about it. The reason?  I have a couple of family members that have had this surgery and they are bigger now than before they had the surgery.  Simply put, they gave up on themselves.  I have a point to make.  I’ll eventually tell them after I lose about 100 lbs.

Another reason I’m doing the surgery is my health.  If everything goes well, I will no longer be a diabetic and I will no longer have to use a Bipap machine to sleep.  The money I’ll save no longer using insulin will more than pay for the vitamins that I’ll have to take.

Stay tuned for updates after the surgery.

February 16th Update

Tags

diet, broken foot

Sporting a new cast, but the latest x-rays reveal my foot is in bad shape. The bones have become brittle and deteriorated, with multiple fractures and breaks. However, the good news is that they can save my foot, though it will take up to 18 months and require special shoes afterwards. I have to be really careful as to not damage my left foot as the bones have become brittle as well.

January 28th A Huge Setback

Tags

Doctor, health, CAT Scan, gout, broken foot, MRI, ER, Charcot Midfoot, osteomyelitis, amputate, splint, fitness, healthcare

I’ve had neuropathy in both of my feet for several years. I can stump my toe and never know it.  It is a blessing and a curse.  I’ve had blisters on my toes and feet so bad that it would take months to heal. The bad part is that I never knew I had these blisters until it was too late.  I have tried to check my feet several times a day since then.  I wasn’t too surprised when they told me that I had broken a bone in my foot as well as having several fractures on the top of my foot.  The scary part is that I don’t know how I did it.

Two weeks ago, I woke up to get ready to go to church and noticed my right foot had swelled badly. I first thought of gout.  I treated my foot for gout for a couple of days and when it didn’t get any better, I made an appointment to see a doctor.

The doctor took X-rays and took bloodwork. The doctor told me that I had osteomyelitis, an infection in the bones of my foot, and that I needed to go straight to the ER.  Fortunately, I live on the way to my hospital, so I stopped and packed a bag grabbed my wife, and went to the ER. Nine hours later I was finally seen by a doctor. A CAT scan and more bloodwork were performed.  I was seen by no less than five different doctors, and all speculated the same thing. It all depended on a scheduled MRI that didn’t happen for another two days.  Yes, I was finally admitted and had to wait until an MRI was performed.

I had an orthopedic surgeon come see me and he was the only one who offered another scenario.  All the other doctors were saying the only way to stop the infection was to amputate my leg. The orthopedic surgeon suggested that I had Charcot Midfoot, a rare occurrence that diabetics with severe neuropathy can get.  Basically, it makes your bones brittle and if not treated can cause amputation of a limb or two. If the MRI showed infection that would mean several months of heavy antibiotics with the possibility of amputation of my foot to start off with.  If the MRI showed no infection, my foot would be put in a splint and I could go home and schedule an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon for follow-up appointments.

At approximately 11 am I was wheeled off for my MRI.  At approximately 2 pm I was told that there was no infection, and I was cleared to go home once my foot was put in a brace. At that time I was told that transport had been called and should be there within the hour. At 8:15 pm the transport finally arrived but not after my daughter called the hospital and complained.

Once home there had to be several changes.  A knee scooter, a shower stool, and a toilet rail had to be ordered to make my life a little easier.  I’ll be laid up for at least six weeks, maybe longer.  I’ve called and left a message with one of the doctors.  Hopefully, they’ll call me tomorrow to set up a follow-up appointment.  I’ve also got several other doctors to call tomorrow to reschedule appointments.  Oh, one other thing.  I live in a house with stairs leading to my living area.  I’ll have to call the fire department to get me in and out of my house.  This should be fun.

January 10th, 2024

Tags

diet, Weighloss, bariatric-surgery

My wife and I attended the Bariatric Diatairy and Fitness class yesterday. Wow! Words can’t describe all the emotions that we went through. This surgery is more than I had anticipated. We were there for a total of 4.5 hours and they just touched the tip of the iceberg. I had no idea that this would be so entailed. If you were not scared before, you should be now!! I thought I had done some research but none of the research that I did prepared me for what I am to expect after surgery.

I know that they are not going to throw me to the wolves after surgery. There will be follow-ups. There will be more classes to attend. There are several social media outlets to help you through the tough times as well as other support groups available. I’m just in a state of shock right now. What’s going to be the toughest part is going in the hospital able to eat anything you want and coming out only to be able to drink your food for two weeks. It will be at least eight weeks before I’ll be able to even think about eating solid foods again.

Something else the teacher said. Some of the things that I love to eat before surgery I will not be able to tolerate afterwards. Then again, there will be some foods that I hate now, I will be able to fall in love with. My mindset about food will change she said. 

One thing I just don’t get and maybe once I have the surgery I’ll understand but why do people go through all that they have to go through just to ignore what the doctor says and go back to eating again and gaining everything that they had lost?

Today’s weigh-in: 279.2

Total loss: 1.6

This months goal 275

January 8th, 2024

Tags

bariatric-surgery, colonoscopy, fitness class, Weight loss

I had a colonoscopy last Friday. I’ve had one previously done about five years ago. This one was different. I woke up during the procedure. That’s something I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. I was too droggy to say anything but by the way I was groaning, I think the doctor knew I was away. Nothing was said or done, he just kept going until the procedure was done. Tomorrow, my wife and I have a dietary/fitness class which is required by my Bariatric surgeon. It’s a four-hour class starting at 11:30 am and should end around 3:30 pm.

‘The diet is going good but the weight is fluctuating like a rollercoaster. I have never understood how I can eat like a bird and still gain weight the next day. Go figure.’The diet is going good but the weight is fluctuating like a rollercoaster. I have never understood how I can eat like a bird and still gain weight the next day. Go figure.

Today’s weight: 278.4 lbs

Total Loss: 2.4 lbs

This month’s goal: 275 lbs

January 2nd.

Tags

Doctor Appointment, weight gain, Weight loss, weight loss surgery

No, I’m not going to post every day. It’s just this week is full of doctor appointments.

Today I saw my nephrologist. My numbers were up a little since my last visit four months ago. Not to worry she says because we had to deal with two holidays with food involved but I’m really going to have to buckle down before my next appointment. Tomorrow is another doctor visit. This one will be with my primary care doctor and the first of three visits required by Medicare for my weight loss surgery. On Friday will be my colonoscopy What fun.

Today’s weight 281.6 Gained 1.2 lbs

January 1st. Happy New Year!

Tags

bariatric-surgery, goals, Happy New Year, Weight loss

New year, new beginnings. I’ve said this before in the previous New Year, but it will be different this year. Why? Because this year I’m in the process of getting approved for weight loss surgery. Why now? That’s the same thing my wife asked. It’s because I’m tired of being fat. I’m tired of this rollercoaster I’m on and want off. I turned sixty years old this past year and don’t want to live the rest of my life out of shape. I have a colonoscopy planned on Friday so this should give me a boost to my weight loss journy.

Morning weight: 280.4

Goal weight: 275

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”. Today, I took my first step.

New Year equals New Beginnings

Tags

Doctor, lifestyle, Weight loss

I had to wait until I got paid this month before I was able to but I signed my wife and myself up to the required class for the bariatric surgery. I also called my primary doctor and I’ve set up the first of three appointments that are also a requirement for the surgery. These appointments are to monitor how well I’m doing to adjust to my new lifestyle. The doctor will have to fill out paperwork to be turned in to the surgen after the three months. I still have no clue as to what my cost will be.

I had a visit with my phuminologist the other day and the nurse that did my trioge mentioned to me that she had the surgery about a year ago and she had lost over sixty pounds. I would be extremely happy with sixty pounds. As just so happens, my daughter worked at the same school that she did so they know each other. My daughter told me she looked huge. She still has some weight to lose but she doesn’t look nothing like she did sixty pounds ago.

I suspect April or May if I’m approved. That’s my goal.

Step Two Complete

Tags

astrology, balance, Doctor, healthandwellness, Moon, shrink, universal-energy, weight loss surgery

The above moon shot is this month’s Beaver Moon.

Today’s appointment was with a Shrink. Supposedly, after all the weight loss, there might some be behavioral issues and they wanted to find out if I already had some issues that might need to be addressed. I had seen a shrink a couple of years ago when I was trying to get on dissability so I sort of knew what to expect. She said I passed. I had 26 out of 30 possible points. My next step is to get a chest x-ray sometime next week. I’m going to have to schedule a special class sometime in Januairy, Then it’s on to three months with my primary doctor. I have to proove to him that I can stay on some sort of program for three months before they invest in their time,