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.
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.
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.
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,
I spoke with the Bariatric surgeon on Monday and discussed my options. We both concluded that the gastric bypass was the way to go. She was a young doctor and my wife questioned her ability. I think she was just jealous of her looks. We talked about the class that I am going to have to take and the three visits I have to have with my general practitioner. Those will all have to be scheduled. I think I’m going to wait until the first of the year to start this because of the temptations with all the Christmas foods.
My next appointment was with my Gastrologist on the same day. I found out that my stomach ulcer had healed and I can now reduce the meds that I am taking. That’s good news because that was one of the concerns I had with the Bariatric surgery. I also found out that I had a Hiatal Hernia. This can also be taken care of during the Bariatric surgery.
The doctor visits will take three months. If I start in January, that would mean that the surgery would not be until April of next year. There is no mention of any amount of weight that has to be lost but there are several things that I have to do these three months. I have to keep a record of my meals, which I already have an app for that. I have to go to the gym or somehow show that I’m at least trying to exercise every day.
This is going to be a long drawn-out process but I’m ready for it. I’m tired of looking the way I do and feeling the way I do.
I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving and spent some time with their families. I spent the majority of my day with my family. My mom and dad are in their mid-eighties and don’t get around as much as they used to. Today is one of the few days that I allow myself not to be too concerned with what and how much I eat. Christmas is another holiday that I do this. The rest of the year is spent watching how much carbs I consume. Tomorrow is a new day and I’ll get back on my diet then.
Living with a nineteen-year-old cat is like something I’ve never experienced before. Every day there’s something new with him. He’s part of the family so we feel that we have to deal with all of his issues, and I do mean issues.
Clyde has health issues. He has an enlarged heart; thyroid problems and he has high blood pressure. He’s on three different types of meds three times a day. Recently, he’s developed a weak bladder. When he goes into a deep sleep his bladder leaks wherever he’s lying. He has taken over our bed and we have to keep the bed covered with a tarp during the day to keep us from having to change the sheets. He sleeps 98% of the time. The only time he gets up is to go to the kitchen to eat. He’ll go to the bathroom and sit on the floor until someone walks in there and helps him on the counter so that he can drink from the faucet.
He is very vocal. He lets us know when his towel is wet so we can go change it. He has a routine, and he knows when it’s time for his meds because right after his meds he gets a hand-full of treats. He loves his treats. Taking the meds, not so much. In the above picture, he had just had his meds along with a hand-full of treats. He’s thinking that he didn’t have enough treats and wants more.
I’ve heard cats living up to 21 years. Knowing him, he’ll live long past that. He’s an ornery, old, grumpy cat.
I’m tired and I’m giving up. Let’s face it. Without it I’m screwed. I love to eat the wrong things and I can’t do the right exercises with my health the way it is and the situation is getting worse. Life is just too short to spend the rest of my life in a constant state of disappointment about my weight. For years now I’ve fought with the idea to have some sort of weight-loss surgery thinking that I didn’t pay someone to get this fat so I’m not going to pay someone to get rid of it. Two weeks ago, I made the phone call to hopefully get the ball rolling. I made an appointment to sit through a virtual seminar. The first thing that they asked us to do was to make sure my insurance would cover the surgery. Before the seminar, I made a few phone calls and found out that Medicare does cover the surgery IF you meet certain qualifications. I talked to a nice lady and she asked me several questions. Some of the qualifications included were obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and BMI over 30. Unfortunately, I met all the above. I”ll just have to pay 20 percent of the bill. But there is a hitch. I have a stomach ulcer. In some cases, they will not do the surgery on a patient with a stomach ulcer.
On December 4th, I have two appointments. One to see my gastrologist and then to see the weight-loss surgeon. Hopefully, the gastrologist will give me the go-ahead to have the surgery. I’ll keep everyone updated.
I’m still having the problem of fluid retention. It’s not as bad as before though. I’ve only had one Thorsontesis done in the last couple of years. Fluid mainly accumulates in parts of my body such as my feet and legs now. I can start telling by seeing a couple of extra pounds on my bathroom scales every day. When this happens, I take a couple of my booster meds, and in a couple of days, my extra weight is gone. It’s a major pain having to keep up with it. Now that I have gained control of my fluid I have started to feel a little better. I still can’t do much without getting out of breath but I’m doing what I can.
I’m not sure I’ve written anything about it but about three years ago I drove to Knoxville Tn and purchased a kayak from one of my high school friends. It’s a Tarpon 120, 12ft long kayak. I used it a lot the first year I got it but it sat under my deck for the next two years. Not this year though. I go fishing at least once a week since it got warm.
I’ve taken my wife, who doesn’t like to fish, and one of my daughters who likes to fish. It’s not riding a bicycle 20 or so miles but at least I’m not sitting on my couch 24 hours a day like I have been.
That’s my daughter’s favorite saying. When it’s been a while since she’s done something she’ll say “It’s been a minute.” Well, it’s been a minute since I’ve posted anything. I’ll try to keep it brief so as not to bore you.
Nothing has really changed except my weight. I have lost quite a few pounds, over twenty pounds since January. I woke up one morning and decided to take control of my eating habits. Actually, it was a New Year’s resolution that started it all. No more sweets, nothing white, and no fast food restaurants. Basically, a low-carb diet. Sure, I have my cheat days but I try really hard to stay on top of it. Weekends are my worst as far as trying to stay on it.
Taken in 2011 during a family Disney cruse.
Taken with my wife just after a kayak trip to the river just a few days ago.
As you can see, there’s just a little bit of difference in the weight. 340 lbs in 2011 and 265 lbs in 2023. Also, I’ve gone from a size 48 to a size 38 as of today.
That’s it for now. There’s a ton more that’s happened but I’ll save that for another day. I promise I’ll start posting more regularly.
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