Category: weight loss surgery

The Next Appointment

Are you folks up for another somewhat obnoxious post about doctors appointments and irrational fear?

Good, cause here it comes.

This afternoon I have a pre-screening for the surgery, which is two weeks from today. I guess that means I am going to meet with the anesthesiologist and he/she’s going to calculate how much knock out juice it’s going to take to put my gigantic king-kong sized ass out for 90 minutes or so. I’m guessing whatever it is they’ll use, it’s going to take a lot.

The timing is going to be funky. The hospital is 24 minutes away and they had to reschedule the appointment for 30 minutes after I get out of work. I’m going to have to split the second after my sick time kicks off. We’re going to be cutting it close.

After that I think I need to get my haircut because if I don’t I’m going to look like Cousin It come surgery day.

On the cellar front, fingers crossed the floor is wrapped up today. We have some furniture being delivered over the weekend. We don’t need everything to be finished by then, but it would make things easier. If everything works out, I may have an office to work from down there by next week. Just in time to go away for a month.

Am I freaking out? Maybe a little. I would say on a scale from 1-100 my freak out level is about a 33 and slowly but steadily increasing.

Duck and cover, kids.

Woops

I got up early this morning to put the trash out on the street. When I came back inside Jen reminded me that yesterday was a state holiday, Patriots Day, and trash pick up will be tomorrow.

Sonofa…

Did you see those pictures of the cellar floor last night? We’re coming to the end, aren’t we. A few more days to finish the floor and all the baseboards and finishing touches. We have a couple of pieces of furniture coming this weekend. Soon enough we’re going to have us a nice little living room down there.

What else is going on? I have another doctors appointment tomorrow. A pre-screening at the hospital. I don’t know what that means, but it has something to do with anesthesia. Prep work.

Two weeks and one day until surgery. Two weeks after that Harry comes home for the summer. The month of May is going to be a busy one, right?

Stressing

Surgery is in 16 days and I am stressing a little. Not about the surgery itself, but about some things that go along with it.

I need to book a Covid-19 test three days before the surgery. They gave me a few clinics I can go to. I spent a lot of time on the phone with two of them today, trying to schedule a test, and never spoke to a human. Jen reminded me that today is a state holiday in Massachusetts, so that might be why. Still… if you’re not home today, add that to your voice message.

I haven’t had caffeine since February 3rd (I think). I haven’t missed it. Even last Wednesday when I did my 38 hour sleep-free stretch, I was never wishing I could have some caffeine. I am today though. I am jonzing go-juice in a big way. I’m exhausted and I could really use a little help staying focused. I can’t though. I can never have caffeine again.

I do have one little piece of good news, surgically speaking. I checked the documentation they gave me to see what restrictions there are on lifting things immediately post-op. It says not to lift anything over 25 pounds for six weeks after the surgery. Why is that important to me? The average weight of a Gibson Les Paul is around 10 pounds. That’s a ton in the guitar world, but it’s far below my limit. Sigh of musical relief.

Happy Lunch Hour

It’s the tail end of my lunch break and I have nothing to share. Hard to believe, I know.

The contractor is supposed to be getting here within the next 10 minutes or so. I would be stunned if he was able to prime the whole cellar (the cellar is kinda huge), but I am really looking forward to going downstairs after he leaves and seeing how far he gets. Color on the walls? It’s hard to picture it in my head.

I have a group meeting today at 2:30. I am planning on letting my staff know that I am going to be out for a while for the surgery. My boss has all the details, and so does his boss and likely his boss’ boss. The people who report directly to me have not been given even the smallest hint. I don’t know what I am going to say. I might just say I am going on medical leave and leave it at that. Fessing up to weight loss surgery is embarrassing. Well… at least fessing up to actual people rather than posting about it on the anonymous internet is embarrassing.

We’ll see how it goes.

Hoping for a Quiet Day

Yesterday’s doctor’s appointment was a touch on the anti-climactic side. We just went over the surgery again, including all of the horrible complications that will not happen but could. After that I just signed a consent form and said see ya on the fourth.

By the time I got home the dry wall was done. The plan for today is to prep for the painting stage and start priming. The contractor is hoping to finish the painting and start the floor on Friday. Oh how lovely that would be.

The Marvel rewatch is continuing. I’m hoping to finish Guardians one before work today. I should have about 15 minutes to spare. Sweet.

As for Tuesday April 12, here’s hoping for a nice quiet day at work. I’m not holding my breath though.

Doctor’s Appointment Day

When I met with the psychologist he told me that I would know I’m coming to the end of things when they book a second meeting with the surgeon. This afternoon I have my second meeting with the surgeon. I thought I would book a surgery date after this, but I already have a date so there’s no mystery left.

Well… I don’t exactly know what we’re going to discuss today. I can speculate, but why bother. I know I am still not at my pre-surgery goal weight, but I still have a couple of weeks to go.

The main difference between today and all of the other appointments is that I am not even a little bit nervous. Likely that will change as the time gets closer. We’ll have to see.

I’ll let you all (and by you all I mostly mean my future self as I look through all of this stuff years from now) know how it goes.

Surgery Prep Milestone

When I had my first check in with the dietician they asked me to start having protein shakes in place of one meal each day. I bought a huge two pound tub of powder. I figured it would last 10 years. It lasted a month. I just finished it this morning and I opened up a second gigantic tub.

One tub down. A lifetime’s worth to go. Protein, babie. I pick things up and put them down.