One Year Post Surgery

A year past and -128 lbs later. Feeling good. Have gained a couple of pounds over last few weeks due to less activity during coooold weather. Took Mya and Payton to forest preserve this a.m. for the first time in about ten weeks otherwise have been walking them around the area when weather permitted. Mya ran like the wind! Payton eat poop and rolled in snow. 

Visit with great, great Grandparents

Kristina, Cody, Tonne, Echo and I went to visit with Tonne’s great, great grandparents Molly and John. 

We also had a chance to see and visit with Aunt Jenny. 

Six months later

It has been seven days shy of six months since my sleeve surgery and I am happy to report that I have reached a goal weight of 250 pounds.

My next goal weight will be too lose an additional ten lbs. In the past, this time of the year has been quite challenging for me. With the holidays and winter weather I tend to pack on a few pounds. Hopefully the portions and choice of food will continue too be good choice's!

Feeling good having lost 118 lbs!

Thanks to all for your continued support and love.

Another goal reached!

I recently stepped onto the bathroom scale wearing nothing but a smile (my apology for painting that colorful picture) and are pleased to report that I have lost a total of 102 lbs! Weighing in at 265 lbs. While the weight is still coming off it seams to be slowing down a bit. Not unexpectedly. I try to get Mya and Payton out at least 5 days a week for a 2 + mile walk. Next goal weight is 250 lbs. I would expect to reach this goal in 5 - 6 weeks.

Thanks to all for your continued support.

Pic of the day..

Sister Mary was sweet enough to take this picture of mother and me on my last visit.

Casting a stealthier shadow

Yesterday morning while walking Mya and Payton, we all enjoyed the smells, sounds and sights and Payton ate what only he could believe was tasty.

With the sun rising in the East we followed the gravel path around the forest preserve. The last few early morning walks have been very nice with a gentle breeze from the North East making for a very present time.

As the path winds around, the early morning sun ends up directly behind us. I was a bit startled when I saw in front of me what I thought was the shadow of someone right behind me. For a moment I thought of turning around to see who was making this unfamiliar looking shadow when I realized it to be the thinner me.

I’m experiencing a number of good things with the loss of 79 lbs. Having checked in with Dr. Wallace today I weighed in at 288 lbs today. 

The stealthier shadow did bring a smile to my face. I see my face in the mirror each day so the change in weight loss does not jump out at me. My thinner shadow did just that. It jumped out at me.

Pants that are falling off of me are being collected for Good Will. Belts have been modified with extra holes to help prevent pants from falling. Shirts, lots of shirts are going along with the pants. All is good.  

Took this picture the other morning when Tiffani joined us on our walk.

MyFitnessPal

As my follower(s) can see, the “badge” from MyFitnessPal (MFP) that was tracking my weight loss had not been updating my weight loss as I kept track of it on MFP's web site. For some reason the “badge” works on some web sites but not on all of them. For that reason I have removed it from my blog.

The good news is that I have broken the 300 pound barrier, weighing in at 292 lbs, having lost 75 lbs to date.

Every week that goes by I’m gaining more strength back.

Thanks to all for your continued love and support!

Memorial Day Remembered

Spent the morning at Lake Street Cemetery with Kristina, Tiffani, Echo and Kayla. Thought I could drive right up to Dodie and Glenn's grave sites but it took Kris to find them. I was looking under the wrong Maple tree. Girls liked the trip / family history very much.

Measuring success

Having given the process of weight loss surgery my full consideration, I decided to enter the Kane program with a number of goals. During a required Psychiatrist visit I was asked what my goals in weight loss were. Looking back now see it as a loaded question. I heard “goal” yet the question was “goals” combined with the words “weight loss” the most often answer the Psychiatrist hears is a number. I gave him 220 -230 lbs as a goal. At this point, anything under 300 is a win. He is in fact looking for other goals that are relevant to a sustained weight loss. I have not been on a scale for a week or so but estimate my weight at 335 lbs. Started at 368. 

  

I did go on to say that other goals were to fit in cloths better, less pills, more energy, live longer,  fit into chairs better, thought no matter how much weight I loose, I refuse to sit into the pre-fab plastic, one size fits all booths. They should be outlawed.

I’m fitting into my 4 XL shirts with room too spare and my sweatpants need hiking up several times during my daily walks. Ah progress.

Reducing my pill intake will take a bit longer but having met an endocrinologist in the hospital I have a better felling that this part of my recovery is on a much better track. A number of medications I was/are on state that weight gain is a side effect. I was given clear directions on which medication to stop taking and as I started to eat which medication to start if blood sugars started to climb above 130. I’m happy to report that I’m on track having stopped taking Actos which is having serious side effect implications. I have also cut in half another med for diabetes.

More as more comes off. 

Testing the ankles load limit.

I have been wearing a “boot” on my left foot for three weeks and with Wendy’s conditional permission (list is to long to note here) we took Mya and Payton for a walk, err more like a stroll . I opted to wear my hiking boots, laced up tight and managed to get around OK.  I see no problem in getting up and about after surgery.

During our stroll we were treated to the migration (it is that time of the year) of Red-winged Black bird, Robins, Sandhill Cranes and two, male, Eastern Blue Birds! Click on bird name for more info. I suspect had we been able to get further back into the woods we would have seen even more birds. I have been hearing strange bird calls in the back yard that I do not recall hearing but keep a sharp eye pealed for them. Where on earth did that saying…a sharp eye pealed, come from? Oh well, I be looking.

Don’t hear from Cody these days. I understand he is working at a grocery store and taking care of Tony in his spare time. Will see if he has an updated pic of Tony he would want to share with us.

Here is a pic of Echo with her school friends, dressed in Elgin High school’s softball jersey. GO ELGIN! 

I / we, are well into the fifth day.

Settling in to a routine of protein drinks, “four or five” times a day, started out a bit challenging but with Wendy’s demanding encouragement to follow the Kane Center pre-surgery dietary “guidelines”,  that must be “absolutely followed”. 

We have found some acceptable and tasty additives to the drinks which make them more manageable.

The words absolute, and guidelines, which are used in the Kane Centers pre-sugary hand out, has Wendy very much concerned that she / I will screw things up to the point that the Dr. will be into the surgery and stop because he see's that I drank apple juice which naturally has sugar and is a clear liquid yet pre-surgery “guidelines” state several times to not have sugar. Honey on the other hand is acceptable as a flavor additive to a drink.

 Contradicting pre-surgery “guidelines” are making for much hand ringing.  I’m fine!  Blood sugars have been bouncing around a bit but we are getting a handle on them.

So far, this life style change has been much harder on Wendy then me. Support for Wendy should be sent to her email address.

HERE I GO

After visiting with Scott and Marc in Rhinelander and while driving home on Friday, I received a call from the Kane Center wanting to schedule the surgery day that I have been working towards for the last 5 weeks.

Having received clearances from several doctors, more appointments were set to get pre-surgery testing completed at Alexian Brothers in Hoffman Estates, Dr. Wallace, the surgeon preforming the “Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy” and one last check of pre-surgery test results by my doctor and I will be good to go. 

The date has been set for Friday, March 22.

Today I started the pre-surgery diet that calls for, four, high protein “meal replacement” drinks a day. Think liquid drywall, with a hint of vanilla. Yummy.

Thanks to all for your support, encouragement and love!  Any, all questions are welcome. Updated posts too come.

March 9, 2013.   368 Lbs. give or take.

P.S.  Ankle on the mend. Able to bare weight with walking boot and each day using the crunches less and less. I know two dogs who will be very happy to get back into the woods. The sooner the better!

Fall pic

This was the site that greeted Mya, Payton and me on our morning walk / romp in the woods last week.

Farther along the path.....
As seen through Blue Blocker lens.

update on Elmgrove Dr.

 As I watch the progress on the McLean / Bypass 20 interchange, I can't believe how small the lot was or should I say, is getting, where 568 once stood. I stopped by the lot yesterday to see if I could score some Red Maple for Scott. Unfortunately the Maple has been replaced with a very large utility pole which will hold relocated power lines. I met George, owner of the house next to 568. We talked about the construction and how hard the workers were working. George said that "he was surprised as to how much noise that came from bypass 20". Apparently the old house and shrubs along the fence line gave him some buffer to the noise. Not so much now. In the near future highway lighting will be added bringing daylight to the area 24 hours a day 365 days a year.

As I add this picture (which was taken about two weeks ago), to my blog, I now realize that I likely had taken the picture very shortly after the Maple was taken down and chipped up. The trimmed tree just behind the truck on the right, is a tree that was just to the left of the driveway as one would drive in. I do not remember it being there growing up. The new utility pole I wright about above,  has yet to be installed .

Pics from yesterdays walk.

Transport for June-Bug.

A little frightened, June-Bug 

Yesterday, Tiffani and I took a short road trip to Rockford airport to meet a rescue flight transporting several dogs that have been brought into Springfield Illinois by means of transport volunteers from across several states. Many other dogs were driven by volunteer transporters to rescue foster homes in Illinois and Wisconsin.

June-Bug is safe and sound after what she can only describe (by her body language) was one scary flight! Her other four legged traveling companions did not seam to mind as much.

If I have her story correct, June-Bug, a five month old part Golden Retriever, was rescued from a shelter in Montana and found her way to As Good As Gold Rescue of Northern Illinois where my transport services were requested. 

Wendy usually comes along to assist in showering the dogs I transport with a Tsunami of love and affection but do to prior commitments (swimming at Holly's with her sisters and cousins) she was unable to go with. Stepping in to take her place was Tiffani, who did and outstanding job also providing delightful conversation and company during the entire trip. As I dropped Tiff off at home she gleefully requested that in the future event Grandma Wendy is unable to go on any transports that she would really like to go along!  

    

Update. Finally

It is not like I have been doing nothing since coming home from Florida. Recently, I was Aramis's chew toy while Scott and Ann went to the East cost. Aramis really is a sweetheart.... when it is not 4am and that damn  turtle is not in his yard! OMG




Here is the Aramis, wanting, for his mommy and daddy. 

I kept myself busy doing little jobs here and there around the house, mostly enjoying the view of the marsh from their deck. I built wood benches, not to Scott's specifications, but built to Kurt's miss guided remembrance of how Scott wanted them built. I placed two of the behemoth benches in the woods before Scott and Ann came home. Scott may have to hire a moving company to get the other two were Ann and he want them. The way I figure it, four adults, Scott, Marc, Kurt and Ann (ok, three Jamokes and one adult, Ann) or eight Aramiss can sit on any one bench comfortably. I'am so looking forward to next visit when construction of a woodshed and re-standing another shed is being planed. I think Marc would make a good gofer.


From Rhinelander I headed to Minnesota where Marc, Paul and Brent had, the day before, started the demo phase of the new kitchen which is being built around the existing house. A few days ripping and tearing and the demo was at a point that the contractor and Marc were happy. Before leaving Scott's, he suggested taking in a Cubs game while I was in town (Twins hosted the Cubs). As it turned out, Kay, Marc and I meet Scott at the park and had much fun watching the Cubs bet the Twins. On the way out of the park Scott asked several people if they knew where he had parked his car? "I know I parked it by a brown brick building".

Home again, Mya and Payton happy to see their daily runs start back up. Wendy did take them on several walks but she keeps them on the leash do to a past run-in with the po po. :-)

Settled In.... finally

  Yes we are finally settled back into Erie Street after our trip to St George Island.

 Wendy and I both are very happy to have had some family members join us in the cerebration's of our 40th anniversary and 60th birthdays. Some pics that help us to remember how much the trip meant to us follow.

Holly's pool is open for the summer and proof that things have "settled in"  with  the girls being in full swim mode with the exception of a Granddaughter's softball game, swimming takes priority!

Dinner on SGI with family.

Thursday evening dinner at the Oyster Bay restaurant  caped off a very nice week with the family. The weather has been just great most every day since we arrived on February 1st. Jeff caught a Pompano that was grilled for lunch today and the fish was as good as everyone said it would be. 

The girls like to go out onto the beach at night to see all the crabs along with what might have washed up onto shore. Matt & Sandy head back tomorrow and Kris and the rest of the crew, as Wendy and I, leave Saturday morning. Will pick up the blog postings once we are settled back in on Erie Street. 

The sting of a Sting Ray...

Today, Holly and David left SGI for parts farther south after visiting us for three days. This morning was an exceptional one for dolphin sightings / watching. As many as 20 were feasting on small fish. Dolphin were jumping completely out of the water, using their tails to swat the water and stun their prey. Lot of fun to watch. Sorry no pic's.

While waiting for the next group (Kristina, Jeff, Becca, Tiffani, Echo, Matt & Sandy) I decided to do a little fishing. (All arrived safe and sound.) After about an hour Jeff arrived and joined me on the beach. I had bagged a couple small sharks and a King fish also known as a Whiting. With in the minutes Jeff had a 2 foot Black Tip Shark and a small Sting Ray. We both said at the same time, "stay away from it's tail"! I put on a glove in an attempt to protect myself from it's tail to no avail. It got me in the meaty part of my palm and I can say, unequivocally it has a mean punch to its tail. 

Wendy, not needing something else to worry about, (Matt & Sandy had not arrived by this time) ran up to Google, "Sting Ray first aid".

I did have a lot of people offering to pee on Grandpa's hand but being the true grit kind of guy I'am passed and fished on.

After a couple hours the throbbing went away. Wendy continues to check on my vital signs hourly. Sorry no pic's of Sting Ray.