Haven't posted in here in several weeks, because I've been busy with work...................................


Yep!  I said work!  As I said in my last post, I finally got released to work after 6 years of being on the disability ranks!  I called my caseworker at the disability insurance place and she bout freaked on me... she's like, wait.. what? how?  Last thing I heard there was no expectation of recovery!  So, I went thru the whole thing of how my weight loss released the pinched nerves in my back giving me back my legs!  So, an examination by my doc, some paperwork, and I was released!

Sincey my job left the state, so I had no job to go back to.  But, my sister works with Hospice care, and asked if I'd be interested in helping them out for a few weeks.  They had a gentleman who preferred a man to stay with him.  I've had 4 patients now.. I stay at their homes with them so their family can get some rest, and they can live thier last days in dignity in their own home.  Can be depressing, but it's rewarding when the family's express their emotions and relief and me being there.  It's hard tho, because I always know how the job will end.  One just ended today for me.

On the good front, I'm now down to 488, that's a total of 168 pounds gone!  I'm planning a return to my old job which was driving OTR in a van, delivering Expedited, or Emergency freight.  Companies pay good rates to have emergency loads delivered... usually it means somebody screwed up and didn't order something, and it has to be there "NOW" or an assembly line may shut down.  Also, so plants have got to what is called 'Just In Time' delivery.. they don't want to pay for warehouse space and workers, and they just pay Expediters to bring it in as needed.

It's like the difference between paying 41 cents for a stamp, and paying a courier $20.00 to hand deliver it across town, except expediters go anywhere in the US and Canada.

A lot of people are starting to really notice now.  I'm so big, it took a lot of people a lot of time to notice.  Now that I'm walking around Walmart, instead of riding the 'old man cart'.. (LOL)... they finally are noticing :).

 

Did some bouncing up and down this month.. very frustrating... weighed in at 524, week later 528 again, then 525, then 523.

Still eating the same, trying to get my water in... taking my vitamins, etc.

Doc finally got my blood work results in from Feb... lab didn't send them... my vitamin levels were all screwed up.. potassium way low, b-12 high, etc... I changed my vitamin to a different one.. a prenatal type.  Also, trying to get more potassium in.

I started a part time job.. working for the first time in 6 years is weird.. but excellent.. problem is, after working all night (mostly sitting).. I come home and go to bed... about 15 minutes later I am in screaming pain from leg cramps.  My calves and feet just go crazy.  I've looked up different things, and what I've found is low potassium levels or dehydration can make your legs cramp after sitting for a long time.

So, I'm making sure I take my vitamins, drinking more fluids, and trying to move around more.  Putting a topical pain cream on my legs when I lay down seems to help also.  

Well, I'm 4 months out from surgery now. Seems like just yesterday I was trying to get all the final stuff done to get approved.

Weighed in at 533.  That's 110 since surgery, 123 since pre-surgery high.

The walking is really making a difference I think.  That's 18 pounds just this month

Tonight I hit a new milestone! I walked for 30 minutes!  We live on a hill, and at the top is a church. It's a little over a quarter mile away. I walked up to it, sat for a few minutes to rest my leg, and then walked back down.  Last week I made it halfway and back... just a few months ago I couldn't walk even a quarter of the way.

All I can say is the doc was right.  The weight loss is releasing my pinched nerves in my back, and my legs are starting to work again!  It felt so awesome.  I walked part way, and was getting short of breath.. then all of a sudden, it just felt like I got a second wind and away I went.  It almost felt like a high!

I plan to keep walking that far, and as I said in a previous post, I want to do it every day, then increase it. 

I'm on my way back to life!

One month ago I made a decision that changed my life forever.  I weighed in today at 581 pounds which is a loss of 62 pounds since day of surgery.

Wow.  I've already said it, but this could get addictive!  I can already feel a big difference in my day to day life.  Simple things like rolling over, getting out of a chair, bathing, walking, are all getting just a little easier!  I can walk about 5 minutes at a time without my legs shaking now.  The most I've walked is 15 minutes, but that was in Walmart, leaning on a cart.. and my leg was shaking like I was trying to dance.. LOL.  I think that was a little too much this early.  My legs are coming back, but I've got to take it a little at a time.

That being said, I am so grateful for this weightloss! Thank you God!

I am on soft foods now.  It's takes a bit of getting used to, and is a learning experience.  For Christmas dinner I had about a tablespoon of cheesy potatoes, a spoon of beef and noodles, and a couple pieces of colby cheese.  It took several minutes to eat all of that.  Just a few weeks ago that would be a taste.. a torment.. LOL.. I would have had a plate of just my sister's beef and noodles.. I love em!  The hardest thing for me so far is not eating bread.  I have always ate a lot of bread.. sandwiches, buns, buttered fresh bread or rolls, etc.  I have lots of low fat sandwich ideas, but I understand white bread is a no no.  I did have a couple 'mini sandwiches' made on the hard sourdough cocktail bread.  We still toasted it to be safer.  I am fine with tortillas, but it's not the same.  I can eat about half a McDonalds chicken snackwrap, or Tacobell soft taco.

It's so cool not to be ruled by food, but I do have to watch my old cravings just a bit.. it's SO easy to pop something in your mouth.  I have to watch my drinking carefully also.  I have a habit of taking a big gulp.. sipping is a learned habit for me!

Well, here I go!  Today is the day my life changes.  In less than 3 hours I will be at Barix, getting ready for my big day!  I've got a few last minute nerves of course, but actually, I feel much calmer than I thought I would.  I just beleive this is where God wants me right now.  I read a devotion last night that really put things in perspective for me.  It said "The past is dead".. there are many things that brought me to this point in my life, but they are in the past.. now..it is time to move forward.   

http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/Devotions/Presson_PastDead.aspx


Here' I'm sharing the link to that devotion on CBN.com.  

Well, pray for me folks!  Here I go!  Thanks to everyone for all their support and love!

Dale

Well, finished all my pre-admission testing yesterday and today.  Had bloodwork done, pulmonary (breathing) tests, gall bladder ultra sound, EKG and Echo-cardiogram on my heart, etc.  Liver functions, vitamin levels, nutrition levels, sugar etc all came back fine.  They wanted the ECG just in case, but said the EKG looked fine, so they went ahead and scheduled me a surgery time before getting the results.  I'm starting on a saline nasal spray to prepare my sinus for the oxygen tube, antiseptic gargle for same reason, and a breathing exercise gizmo that will help my lung capacity.  Since I'm having open surgery, I only have to go on clear liquids the day before surgery, but I'm supposed to stop caffiene 3 days ahead. 

I go in Tuesday Morn, Nov 27 at 8:30am.  After getting moved into my room, etc.. I should be in prep within half hour or so, and surgery within 1 to 1.5 hours.  Total prep, surgery, and recovery is expected to be 3 to 5 hours, and then I'll be back in my room. Expected stay is 4 days total, going home on Friday sometime.

It's getting really real now!  Prayers appreciated!

Well, it's already Tuesday again.. in 3 weeks, my life is set to change.   This fact has really prompted a lot of introspect in the last several days.  I've been looking back over my life, where I've come from, and where I hope to be.  What will the future hold? I don't know.. but I know where I was, and I never want to go back there.  Poetry is kind of my thing, and as I re-read one of them tonight, I remembered the emotions I felt at that time in my life.  But now, I have hope. I've been seeing Jeremiah 29:11 all over the place, including on this site.. I think it gives comfort to a lot of people, but I've claimed it as well.

I know the plans I have for you declares The Lord
plans to prosper you and not to harm you,plans to give you hope and a future.

I'd like to share the poem I wrote.....why, I don't know.. perhaps it will help someone else out who's going thru a rough time.. perhaps they will understand what I was feeling, perhaps they've felt it too, and will be glad to know someone else understands that place.  If anyone likes poetry, I've posted some of my old poems on my myspace page.  http://www.myspace.com/lyricaldreamer 

The Journey

 Chains of flesh my soul enslave, drag me down unto the grave
Forgotten that which I had planned, my deepest dreams now turned to sand

Light can’t pierce this veil of pain, only bitter tears of shame

Mirror staring back at me, seems to mock what cannot be

Lonely prison I did make, those around I did forsake

Locked my door, pushed them away, hiding from the light of day.

Left to watch my soul’s slow burn, no where left for me to turn.

Resigned to death I turn my face, the end of life I do embrace.

My hand is stayed; a voice is heard, bringing back forgotten words

Childhood songs I seem to hear, bringing Love instead of fear.

Darkness parts, a light does shine, God then puts his hand o’er mine.

Lifts away my veil of strife, shows me beauty in my life.

Tears now come with sweet release; my raging heart is filled with peace

Rise to meet a brighter day, trusting God to show the way.

His plan for me I do not know, but down this path now I shall go

Holding tightly to His hand, with His help I now will stand.

Boy are the nerves setting in.  I was going to keep the news quiet for a while, but of course my wife couldn't.. LOL.  Now lot's of people know.. and while they'll all well wishing, and praying for me.. it raises the pressure.  I wasn't going to tell 'everyone' until I had the surgery, and started losing.  Now, everyone will be watching me.. which is both good, and bad.. LOL.   Now my lovely wife keeps saying.. 4 weeks til surgery!  Under 4 weeks til surgery... and at supper last night, when I cut a piece of pizza in half.. "just think, in 4 weeks, that will be your whole dinner! LOL.  She's already wanting me to start buying clothes up ahead of time..I think I'll wait.  

Bless her heart, she's full speed ahead!  She's also taking it as a challenge to lose weight along with me.. she wants to try to eat what I eat.. both as motivational.. to share it with me, and also to lose weight of course.  She says I can't be the only skinny one!  ME? Skinny? LOL.. those words have never been in the same sentence before!

Approval letter finally came today, (only took them a month.. LOL).. and it had a preliminary surgery date of November 2!

Have to call the doc tomorrow and see if that date holds up!

Thank you God!

(update.. date was not real, just a 'dummy date' to get it thru the insurance co.. but my nurse at the doc said everything looks good, and just waiting on scheduling to call me!)

Well, my supervised 6 month presurgery diet is almost over, about  3 weeks to go.  I finally got all the paperwork together from different docs.  Faxed everything to Barix today, and my rep is going to fax everything to Aetna on Tuesday, when she comes back from the Laber Day holiday.

The ball is rolling, and I'm praying everything will go smoothly.