Staying the Course -- 10-26-2015

[Superbob]

Oops, it's Monday, dinnertime, and I haven't started a new Staying the Course week yet.

Well, I have an excuse: I have been trying to decide whether to have a dish of Jell-O or a big ol' popsicle (but not a red or purple one) for supper.

Yes, I am enrolled in Colonoscopy Prep and I am whining. Today is the final day before the procedure (which I am advised to have every 5 years) and so it is all-clear-liquids diet day. Now when you are type 2 and have to keep your blood sugar under control, this is quite a challenge -- doing it without substantive snacks. So far white grape juice seems to be the best recourse available, but I have to drink 4 liters of prep solution tonight and early tomorrow morning and so I don't know how that will go (except that I will go and go and go)...guess will just have to keep checking blood sugar and if drops too low, call the butt doctor and tell him hell with it I'm going to go get a bacon cheeseburger.

Okay, so I am in a weird and kinda surly mood....hope the week is starting better for you all. As I said in last week's thread, I am saddened to hear about the accident that took the life of one of honeybunny's beloved dogs. Sending my best thoughts.

Will write more after I get off sedation tomorrow and have a cheeseburger in hand. Or actually it might be more entertaining if I wrote while still under the influence.

I see Supergirl premier is tonight. Maybe ol' Superbob should check that out while sipping some nice clear broth.

Cheerio!

SUPERBOB

 

[harrietW]

Shoot. . I just posted on last week's thread S BOB
With an update All the best with your testing and then yes enjoy that chesse burger l on the other hand have definitely had my fill of those in the past week

 

[Superbob]

Thanks for your posts in both this week's and last week's forums, Harriet. Don't beat yourself up over some detours from the nutrition/fitness paths we set out for ourselves. We all take those detours. Concentrate on the positive -- you're heading into Cardiac Rehab -- that's great!

As for me, I am writing this in between self-waterboarding myself as my final act of Colonoscopy Prep -- swigging this vile stuff between 3 and 5 a,m -- wow, who ever thought up this torture? Should be banned under the Geneva Convention.

I was halfway joking about the cheeseburger but it will be good just to eat some kind of solid food again. I'll settle for gris at this point -- anything with some substance. But I digress again with my whining. lol

 

[Superbob]

Well, I'm baaaaaaaaaack! Am under instructions not to drive or do anything else that might require me to think rationally -- so thought I would inflict my" thoughts" (feelings?) on you all. lol Just don't hold me responsible for anything I say. hahaha. Okay, I had my colonoscopy today -- have no complaints, the entire staff was helpful, friendly, professional, thorough. Best of all, the doc said I had become a "graduate" -- will never need to have another one of these done (barring the unforeseen, of course) because everything was perfect -- no more growths or polyps. That was good news.

I am presumed (probably justifiably) to be in a daffy state because they put me under for 20 minutes to do the procedure. A nurse explained beforehand that they would be using Propofol -- which made me almost ask, "say, wasn't that the drug that did in Michael Jackson" -- didn't ask; however, now confirm from Google (my ultimate source of knowledge of all things) that it was -- but apparently the doc improperly gave it to Michael for sleep, then left him unattended. I was fully watched the whole time, I'm told. Wow, is that some powerful stuff, though. The anesthesiologist was telling me "this may hurt a little when I put it in," but I never felt anything because -- wham! -- I was out, and then -- wham! -- I was immediately wide awake when they turned it off as the procedure ended. Profopol works like that evidently -- like a switch; turns you on and off from sleep as though a light switch was doing it. I guess that's a good thing for out-patient procedures, but a little scary. I even read in the Harvard Medical Letter that some patients come out of it in an amorous mood -- can't say that was me (will have to survey the nurses); I was just happy to be liberated from Colonoscopy Prep.

Okay, guess I have rambled incoherently enough -- but -- warning! -- I will be in a chemically induced, irrational state for another 12 hours and could reappear here at any time.

 

[honeybunny]

LOL SB! Now you can have that cheeseburger.

I had an echo and x-Ray today which confirmed the pleural effusion my cardio suspected at last weeks checkup. I expected to g t a call from him this afternoon but nothing yet. Not being able to breath properly has affected my recovery. I can't walk far without getting breathless. I'm on week four so I'm hoping the fluid can be drained ASAP, allowing me to regain some strength in short order.

Thank you so much for the condolences on the loss of our dog. I am so po-ed that Lowes didn't get the new gate installed weeks ago. And when I called today I was told it would be next Monday. It's not a big job so I keep getting bumped.

 

[dornole]

Just popping in to say hi, hope all's well. Honeybunny I sure hope they can get you sorted.

I had a good week weightwise, lost 5 lbs and very good tracking and getting my steps in. 7 day streak and my competitive little sister is now my fitbit friend too. That should help keep me going. She took 50,000 steps over the weekend to beat me for the week!!!

 

[honeybunny]

dornole, I'm looking forward to "competing" with you again in a few weeks.

Just heard from the cardio. We will be draining the fluid as an outpatient. I'll get a call from the surgeons office tomorrow to make arrangements. Cardio said I'll lose about 2-3 lbs. that's a lot of fluid. No wonder I can't breath! The right lung is fine and both my heart and valve are doing great, so it's just the left lung that's a problem. I'm eager to do this and speed up my recovery.

 

[Duffey]

Lots of stuff going on with the stay the course gang! Glad to hear that you got the "all clear", Superbob. I agree, the prep is awful so your not having to do one again is indeed good news. Honeybunny, so sorry to hear of the loss of your little dog and wish you didn't have to deal with the pleural effusion. Dornole, a five pound loss is terrific! I walked 13,000 steps on Sunday and thought that was a lot until I read your sister's numbers. Wow!

 

[Superbob]

Lots of stuff going on with the stay the course gang! Glad to hear that you got the "all clear", Superbob. I agree, the prep is awful so your not having to do one again is indeed good news. Honeybunny, so sorry to hear of the loss of your little dog and wish you didn't have to deal with the pleural effusion. Dornole, a five pound loss is terrific! I walked 13,000 steps on Sunday and thought that was a lot until I read your sister's numbers. Wow!

Superbob echoes Duffey in all this. Dornole, good to see your progress report.

Re my not having to have another colonoscopy -- the results were indeed good and the news most welcome. But one extra reason, beyond the good results, is that medical world is deciding that routine colonoscopies for the elderly may not be such a good idea after a certain point. (My doc didn't go into that but I've find the reports online.) Such a test for someone in their 80s (which I would be, or close to it, when time for my next one came around) could do more harm than good. I did find prep for this one harder to take than I did the prep for my two previous ones.

 

[dornole]

It's my weigh day lost another 3 lbs via Fitbit "green screen" approach meaning I track, hit my 500 cal deficit target, 10000 steps, thirty minutes active, sleep 7 hours and drink water.

One thing that's driving up my steps is doing all my online daily maintenance tasks like easy emails, forums, organizing calendar and to dos while walking in circles through my kitchen and living room. I can't even believe how that adds up. I try to get 1000 steps an hour.

Stay the course everyone, what can you do this week for your physical and mental health?