I know, this is the post you’ve been dying to hear. How on earth a Fitbit (or any fitness tracker) could be helpful motivation for someone recovering from major surgery doing minimal walking.
One can set the hours, and the thing will nudge you if you haven’t gone at least 250 steps every hour. It buzzes at me at 50 minutes after the hour if I'm under 250 steps. During work hours, this is a huge annoyance when I would normally love to be active but I’m stuck in meetings or don’t even feel like I can take a break. Not having that tied-to-a-desk structure, I can actually set a broader range to be at least a little bit active. 250 is not a lot, but I think the idea is to at least get up once in a while. Who knows what information out there is accurate or not, but I saw an article claiming it wasn’t the total number of hours one sits, that is dangerous, but how long in a row one sits in a row. If that’s correct, some of these trackers have the right idea to nudge you every hour.
The other thing that’s nice is having an impartial judge of how much activity I’m doing. I’m not aiming for strenuous exercise (that’s a no-no right now) but it does tell me if my pulse is up, and for how long, for even moderate activity. Sure, why not get credit for that? The idea for my recovery is to walk often and for longer stretches. However I get my steps in, some here or there, or walking in pace during commercial breaks watching a show, at least it tracks them for me and gives me a decent count. Unlike those days where they used to tell you to guess how much or how active you were by how hard it felt. That’s a joke. If you’re tired, the same amount of exercise (or steps) is going to feel harder than when you’re full of energy. Ask anyone with a less than perfect job. The walk in to the office Monday morning is a lot different than the walk out on Friday afternoon. Sure, one could argue which model is 99% accurate vs. 98%, and if it auto-detects this kind of activity or that, has gps, blah, blah, blah. This is perfect for what I need right now. I could see I did 1200 steps the day of surgery, and how I've increased a little bit ever since. My highest was only 6700 so far, but it'll get there. I was barely getting 8k steps before surgery.
Granted, walking indoors vs. outdoors does feel very different muscle-wise, and that's another story. My surgeon said don't worry about it for now; all activity is good activity, whether marching in place or covering distance. They say walking is the perfect weight-loss activity. Let's try to prove them right. Let's try not to focus on all the muscle I may be slowly losing while I'm not allowed to do any strength excercises or lifting.
At least one week out I'm doing ok if I try to ignore the bruises still on my hands (from the IVs) and itchy skin from the surgial glue (protects the wounds and stitches). Week two I should be working up to 10 minute walks, and this morning I did 11 minutes. That's something.
Friday, May 10, 2024
Thursday, May 9, 2024
1 Week Past Surgery
Had my one week surgery follow-up and all appears well and on track. I can do as much walking as I’d like, but absolutely no weights or band exercises. Can't even use tiny one-pound weights – I asked. Surgeon said It’s better not to risk it and wait it out until the six-week milestone. I could look up walking workouts, but any strenuous activity is discouraged. Way back in the day I did Leslie Sansone and Walk Away the Pounds (WATP) but I wouldn't necessarily be able to do all of those moves either - anything that engages the core. Which puts it back at hey, maybe walk in place and put some music on in general. Gah. Whatever.
In the meantime my spouse is organizing the front room in an effort to make things look more tidy for the next apartment inspection. I still fail to see the point why they care how many dusty books we have if they are sitting on a bookcases that is our own property, and it is not damaging our dirtying the actual walls, floors, etc. At any rate, getting rid of some things we don't need or want anymore. There's a thrift store down the way that takes donations, so that's nice to let them salvage anything they can, instead of everything going in a landfill. We don't have time or means to do the Kondo method, but willingness to let go of things is a step in the right direction. I read and semi-tried Kondo years ago. There are some valid points, like you shouldn't keep crap that doesn't "spark joy" (unless it's practical). But there's no way I will ever fold everything the way she does.
Speaking of which, should probably do some reading while I have time off. Could even attempt a new hobby, but Idk if I'm that determined. Could designate my own NaNoWriMo.
NaNoWriMo deserves a better sales pitch than I feel like presenting, but suffice it to say it developed when some people said hey, wouldn’t it be cool to sit down and write a Novel in a Month? National Novel Writing Month ensued and is observed every November, and Camp NanoWrimo also occurs in April and July with loser customizable goals.
In looking through all our stuff, an interesting conundrum: to keep or chuck WW (Weight Watchers) material. Even if the plans are outdated, in theory, there could be usable recipes or ideas in there. I mean, I whole-heartedly believed in the plan I started out on for years, despite them revising and rebranding every now and then. And like anything else, sometimes you can read the suggestions and take out of it whatever you agree with, or whatever or works for you. Like the Kondo thing, or anything else. I had a falling out with WW years ago when they made it clear how much more they value money than people. But that’s another saga for another day. The point is, even if I don’t agree with them, it doesn’t mean I need to chuck all the materials I paid for based solely on principle. But how likely am I to ever re-read and use this stuff? Ugh.
In the meantime my spouse is organizing the front room in an effort to make things look more tidy for the next apartment inspection. I still fail to see the point why they care how many dusty books we have if they are sitting on a bookcases that is our own property, and it is not damaging our dirtying the actual walls, floors, etc. At any rate, getting rid of some things we don't need or want anymore. There's a thrift store down the way that takes donations, so that's nice to let them salvage anything they can, instead of everything going in a landfill. We don't have time or means to do the Kondo method, but willingness to let go of things is a step in the right direction. I read and semi-tried Kondo years ago. There are some valid points, like you shouldn't keep crap that doesn't "spark joy" (unless it's practical). But there's no way I will ever fold everything the way she does.
Speaking of which, should probably do some reading while I have time off. Could even attempt a new hobby, but Idk if I'm that determined. Could designate my own NaNoWriMo.
NaNoWriMo deserves a better sales pitch than I feel like presenting, but suffice it to say it developed when some people said hey, wouldn’t it be cool to sit down and write a Novel in a Month? National Novel Writing Month ensued and is observed every November, and Camp NanoWrimo also occurs in April and July with loser customizable goals.
In looking through all our stuff, an interesting conundrum: to keep or chuck WW (Weight Watchers) material. Even if the plans are outdated, in theory, there could be usable recipes or ideas in there. I mean, I whole-heartedly believed in the plan I started out on for years, despite them revising and rebranding every now and then. And like anything else, sometimes you can read the suggestions and take out of it whatever you agree with, or whatever or works for you. Like the Kondo thing, or anything else. I had a falling out with WW years ago when they made it clear how much more they value money than people. But that’s another saga for another day. The point is, even if I don’t agree with them, it doesn’t mean I need to chuck all the materials I paid for based solely on principle. But how likely am I to ever re-read and use this stuff? Ugh.
Sunday, May 5, 2024
Bored
I might end up posting more than anticipated out of boredom, if nothing else. I’m approved for 6 weeks off work from this major surgery. I’ve been out two days and am already going stir-crazy. I slept most of surgery day afterwards, and a bit of the next day (does that count as day 1 or day 2?). I stopped taking prescription pain pills yesterday on day three, and am only taking otcs, but very religiously, to stay ahead of pain. Still hurts occasionally, especially if I cough or such, but overall, I’m surprised how well I’m feeling. Walking is supposed to be great. I can’t cover much ground indoors, and unfortunately outdoors involves getting dressed, stairs and weather. Had my first outing yesterday and I did notice how my stride is different with an actual destination vs. shuffling around indoors. We’ll see what I can do. It’s only one flight of stairs, but my knee doesn’t appreciate them (and my silly Fitbit refuses to acknowledge them, which defiance is irritating). So far the weather is cooler than normal – ideal for me, because I hate the heat.
The sad part is when you gain 6 pounds overnight because you’ve formed the habit of getting on the scale every morning no matter what. And you eat nothing but saltine crackers and pills the first couple of days and keep gaining. When you think “yay” that your appetite has not returned yet, even though you should probably still eat a little bit of healthy food to promote digestion and healing. I used to be able to pour a 2 cup bowl of blueberries and munch on it all morning. The other day I poured a cup in a bowl and it took 4 separate visits to finish it.
I’m very grateful the pain is bearable and hopefully the worst is over. Sounds like day two is the worst. Bruises are surfacing and incisions itch, but otherwise surviving remarkably well.
The sad part is when you gain 6 pounds overnight because you’ve formed the habit of getting on the scale every morning no matter what. And you eat nothing but saltine crackers and pills the first couple of days and keep gaining. When you think “yay” that your appetite has not returned yet, even though you should probably still eat a little bit of healthy food to promote digestion and healing. I used to be able to pour a 2 cup bowl of blueberries and munch on it all morning. The other day I poured a cup in a bowl and it took 4 separate visits to finish it.
I’m very grateful the pain is bearable and hopefully the worst is over. Sounds like day two is the worst. Bruises are surfacing and incisions itch, but otherwise surviving remarkably well.
Friday, May 3, 2024
Still Alive
Still breathing. Napping, walking, trying to get fluids down; incredibly thirsty. No appetite, so only having saltines with the pills that should be taken with food. Surgeon ordered a bunch of blood labs, and I hope my insurance pays for them. Didn't know what all she ordered besides blood type, until I got the lab results via e-mail.
No idea if we passed the apt inspection or not, or when we would find out.
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
Of all the crappy timing . . .
Of all the blasted timing, got an apartment inspection notice this afternoon for tomorrow. My spouse is telling me to try to relax; he will take care of the deep cleaning as I go over my pre and post-op instructions and try not to stress.
Yes you can say we’re stupid for renting, but one has to have enough money in order to buy as well, and the cost of living goes up way faster than our paychecks. No, they don’t reschedule the apt thing – they aren’t even available to take calls for emergencies, let alone questions. They charge for regular wear and tear and threaten to charge if a repeat visit is needed for repairs (even though we’ve been there so long, things wear out, like caulking, non-water-resistant-paint on the shower walls . . .
Since they can show up whenever they please, no idea if they will arrive while we’re at the hospital or after we come home. My spouse is prepared to give them a lecture about disturbing me if it’s after surgery, since they feel they need to inspect every cranny, whether I'm recooping or not. I'd even like to put a note on the door something to the effect that “Please note when you enter, the person living here has had major surgery in the last 24 hours and you are stressing them out.” Technically said statement is true whether or not I would be home. Yes, I have watched a lot of television shows with con-men.
I drank my assigned 3 liters of water plus some, so yay. Still have to wonder how high my blood pressure will be when I check in, given all of this. My fitbit says my BP is much higher in the morning. Wonder if that’s a trend for some people, whether due to age, fitness level, weight . . . Interesting is all, since I have to get there at 5:30 am. I’m usually borderline barely acceptable on a good day, but throw in “white coat syndrome” of being at the hospital, getting what the internet acclaims is on the top 10 most painful surgeries, and stressing about the perceived violation of strangers photographing my home and belongings, hoping they don’t break things and wondering why they need evidence of what I have in my closet in the first place (suspecting drugs?) this is gonna be fun.
I suspect only one person reads this blog anyway, but if anyone by chance is reading this, I welcome any and all positive vibes you can spare (even if you read this later). I really don’t need the threat of eviction on top of everything else because they don’t like our interior decorating (they have complained about dust in the past, good grief people). Happy grateful wishes to anyone reading this at any time who doesn’t judge and scold me for putting myself out there in the first place.
Yes you can say we’re stupid for renting, but one has to have enough money in order to buy as well, and the cost of living goes up way faster than our paychecks. No, they don’t reschedule the apt thing – they aren’t even available to take calls for emergencies, let alone questions. They charge for regular wear and tear and threaten to charge if a repeat visit is needed for repairs (even though we’ve been there so long, things wear out, like caulking, non-water-resistant-paint on the shower walls . . .
Since they can show up whenever they please, no idea if they will arrive while we’re at the hospital or after we come home. My spouse is prepared to give them a lecture about disturbing me if it’s after surgery, since they feel they need to inspect every cranny, whether I'm recooping or not. I'd even like to put a note on the door something to the effect that “Please note when you enter, the person living here has had major surgery in the last 24 hours and you are stressing them out.” Technically said statement is true whether or not I would be home. Yes, I have watched a lot of television shows with con-men.
I drank my assigned 3 liters of water plus some, so yay. Still have to wonder how high my blood pressure will be when I check in, given all of this. My fitbit says my BP is much higher in the morning. Wonder if that’s a trend for some people, whether due to age, fitness level, weight . . . Interesting is all, since I have to get there at 5:30 am. I’m usually borderline barely acceptable on a good day, but throw in “white coat syndrome” of being at the hospital, getting what the internet acclaims is on the top 10 most painful surgeries, and stressing about the perceived violation of strangers photographing my home and belongings, hoping they don’t break things and wondering why they need evidence of what I have in my closet in the first place (suspecting drugs?) this is gonna be fun.
I suspect only one person reads this blog anyway, but if anyone by chance is reading this, I welcome any and all positive vibes you can spare (even if you read this later). I really don’t need the threat of eviction on top of everything else because they don’t like our interior decorating (they have complained about dust in the past, good grief people). Happy grateful wishes to anyone reading this at any time who doesn’t judge and scold me for putting myself out there in the first place.
Tuesday, April 30, 2024
Tired
Tired. Lot of tension and pain in my neck. Found this helpful youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIfTXp5L1kE Yay.
I probably should have done a lot more work preparing, watching videos, reading recommendations on surgery recovery, but at this point, I’m too tired. If I do any more, it’s probably going to be counterproductive and stress me out more. I did watch one short video how to get in and out of bed with less pain, and that’s great. I should have spent much more time finding things like that. I’m going to have to defer to my wonderful spouse and afterwards and whine to him, to find additional videos as needed (when I’m too tired and cranky to want to).
I think all the over-the-counter pain meds have finally purged from my system, because today everything hurts. That, and the super strong anti-inflammatory I was on for my knee. It’s like every single joint in my body hurts, whether I’m using it or not. I didn’t do any excessive typing or writing, and little crevices in my hands hurt without reason. Maybe this is what I’m supposed to naturally feel like, getting old. No vitamins or anti-inflammatory supplements either, of course.
Life in Croc-land is going well so far. Nice to not trip over laces or take as long putting my shoes on when I've been in bed. Still builging up to wearing them more here and there, but so far so good.
One and a half days until surgery. I may not post for while during recovery. Most of these recent posts have been burning off nervous energy. We'll see.
I probably should have done a lot more work preparing, watching videos, reading recommendations on surgery recovery, but at this point, I’m too tired. If I do any more, it’s probably going to be counterproductive and stress me out more. I did watch one short video how to get in and out of bed with less pain, and that’s great. I should have spent much more time finding things like that. I’m going to have to defer to my wonderful spouse and afterwards and whine to him, to find additional videos as needed (when I’m too tired and cranky to want to).
I think all the over-the-counter pain meds have finally purged from my system, because today everything hurts. That, and the super strong anti-inflammatory I was on for my knee. It’s like every single joint in my body hurts, whether I’m using it or not. I didn’t do any excessive typing or writing, and little crevices in my hands hurt without reason. Maybe this is what I’m supposed to naturally feel like, getting old. No vitamins or anti-inflammatory supplements either, of course.
Life in Croc-land is going well so far. Nice to not trip over laces or take as long putting my shoes on when I've been in bed. Still builging up to wearing them more here and there, but so far so good.
One and a half days until surgery. I may not post for while during recovery. Most of these recent posts have been burning off nervous energy. We'll see.
Monday, April 29, 2024
Asserting the Alter-Ego
At work they pretend to be nice by collecting a list of your favorite items. I say pretend because this would be the perfect occasion for them to be nice, like give me a little care pkg for my ordeal, but I know I won't get so much as a get well card. But I filled it out anyway.
I chose to try to fill it out as if asserting my slightly healthier self. I didn’t just put things I’m supposed to like, that are completely unrealistic. But I thought about what would I eat first at a potluck if I was given free reign and first pick. Honestly, I would go after the fruit. It tastes good, it’s filling, and if someone else spent the money on it, I’ll never pass up things like fresh pineapple or raspberries. (pretty much any berries except maybe gooseberries? Not sure about those; haven’t tried them). For cookies, I put gingersnaps (previously had been Oreos). For dessert I put fruits. I still included a couple guilty pleasures like salty stuff. If that’s the worst thing on my list, that’s still a vast improvement. Did I fully buy into my list? Mostly. It’s not as if anyone is going to run out and get me any of this stuff. But if they did, I could be perfectly happy with gingersnaps.
There’s a story that a WW member used to always walk out of the grocery store with a candy bar in hand, eating it on the way out the door. Then one day the person looks down and realizes that they tore open a banana and didn’t even realize or miss the candy bar. That transition sometimes takes longer than we'd like. It’s always good to dream, right?
Two and a half days until surgery.
I chose to try to fill it out as if asserting my slightly healthier self. I didn’t just put things I’m supposed to like, that are completely unrealistic. But I thought about what would I eat first at a potluck if I was given free reign and first pick. Honestly, I would go after the fruit. It tastes good, it’s filling, and if someone else spent the money on it, I’ll never pass up things like fresh pineapple or raspberries. (pretty much any berries except maybe gooseberries? Not sure about those; haven’t tried them). For cookies, I put gingersnaps (previously had been Oreos). For dessert I put fruits. I still included a couple guilty pleasures like salty stuff. If that’s the worst thing on my list, that’s still a vast improvement. Did I fully buy into my list? Mostly. It’s not as if anyone is going to run out and get me any of this stuff. But if they did, I could be perfectly happy with gingersnaps.
There’s a story that a WW member used to always walk out of the grocery store with a candy bar in hand, eating it on the way out the door. Then one day the person looks down and realizes that they tore open a banana and didn’t even realize or miss the candy bar. That transition sometimes takes longer than we'd like. It’s always good to dream, right?
Two and a half days until surgery.
Saturday, April 27, 2024
OTC Addiction
Addiction. It’s not a pretty word. Yet I think most of us have little vices, whether we care to admit to them or not. I read an article a while ago about how flight attendants dislike people who request Diet Coke and believe those who do are usually addicts. I shrugged and thought yeah, I’m probably a Diet Coke addict. I’ve mentioned how hard-wired I am to to my salt flavorings (not straight table salt, fun fancy sea salt—there is a difference).
The hospital called and gave me instructions including to stop taking any Over The Counter products. I’m happy for anyone to whom it is business as usual. Unfortunately for me this is no small feat. It’s allergy season and I’ve been taking an otc preventive pill every night for years. I also have been advised to take generic Flonase for when the otc decongestants can’t kick my sinus pain. After the congestion is cleared, who wouldn’t want to dull any remaining sinus pain with a mild otc pain pill? So ugh. I already have a good sinus headache going. Can I put something like Vicks Vaporub on my skin where it hurts or are topicals also forbidden? I googled that topical pain stuff is for sure.
Besides my nightly allergy pill, I also take a natural sleep aid, again, which I have been per provider recommendation, for years. They cleared all my prescription medications, so I can take them freely. Who would have guessed it would have been better to have prescription sleep and pain medication for situations like this? I didn’t ask about my eye drops, but I sincerely hope they are ok as I’m not stopping them. Occasionally I wake up and it’s difficult to move my eyelids because things are so dried out (because I don’t want to put goopy gel in at night). I could see about distilled water for eye drops. Pretty sure that’s what they use for eye-washes when foreign substances need to be washed out of one’s eye.
No vitamins or supplements. I had no idea vitamins were bad. I guess it’s been a few years since I had minor surgery, and the last ones I had were semi-emergent, so they were scheduled within a couple of days. No one told me to stop doing anything, but perhaps they were more concerned about getting me in quickly. Ignorance is bliss on their part too, right?.
The only part more fun than this is that I am not allowed lotion the day of surgery. This makes perfect sense except that I have pretty dry skin and lotion up every time I wash my hands. Doesn’t help that I live in a dry climate either. At least that’s only one morning. Still not going to be fun itching and fretting and will probably beg them to put me under. I have to get up at 4 am to take surgery specific medications, arrive at the hospital at 5:30, and supposedly the surgery starts at 9am. I really hope they dope me up with something on the earlier side.
The hospital called and gave me instructions including to stop taking any Over The Counter products. I’m happy for anyone to whom it is business as usual. Unfortunately for me this is no small feat. It’s allergy season and I’ve been taking an otc preventive pill every night for years. I also have been advised to take generic Flonase for when the otc decongestants can’t kick my sinus pain. After the congestion is cleared, who wouldn’t want to dull any remaining sinus pain with a mild otc pain pill? So ugh. I already have a good sinus headache going. Can I put something like Vicks Vaporub on my skin where it hurts or are topicals also forbidden? I googled that topical pain stuff is for sure.
Besides my nightly allergy pill, I also take a natural sleep aid, again, which I have been per provider recommendation, for years. They cleared all my prescription medications, so I can take them freely. Who would have guessed it would have been better to have prescription sleep and pain medication for situations like this? I didn’t ask about my eye drops, but I sincerely hope they are ok as I’m not stopping them. Occasionally I wake up and it’s difficult to move my eyelids because things are so dried out (because I don’t want to put goopy gel in at night). I could see about distilled water for eye drops. Pretty sure that’s what they use for eye-washes when foreign substances need to be washed out of one’s eye.
No vitamins or supplements. I had no idea vitamins were bad. I guess it’s been a few years since I had minor surgery, and the last ones I had were semi-emergent, so they were scheduled within a couple of days. No one told me to stop doing anything, but perhaps they were more concerned about getting me in quickly. Ignorance is bliss on their part too, right?.
The only part more fun than this is that I am not allowed lotion the day of surgery. This makes perfect sense except that I have pretty dry skin and lotion up every time I wash my hands. Doesn’t help that I live in a dry climate either. At least that’s only one morning. Still not going to be fun itching and fretting and will probably beg them to put me under. I have to get up at 4 am to take surgery specific medications, arrive at the hospital at 5:30, and supposedly the surgery starts at 9am. I really hope they dope me up with something on the earlier side.
Thursday, April 25, 2024
1 Week until Surgery
Officially losing sleep and stressing. My stomach is also having issues, but that could be related to the prescription they gave me for the knee/leg swelling. The good news on that front is it seems to be helping. Only taking it a few days, so fingers crossed settles things down and helps long term.
I'm dismayed at the emotional eating I committed today. Granted, the food I ate was significantly more healthy than usual, but that’s still bad behavior. Reinforcing bad old habits. Surgery is going to make me not want to be very active and also mess with my metabolism, so I shouldn’t be screwing around. For all I know the “good” news is that I lost all this weight so I won’t be so far gone when a lot of it comes back. Not a very pleasant prospect.
One should forgive themselves and move on, but I feel stuck because idk how to manage stress better. You can say one incident isn’t the end of the world, but I would refer you to the lunch I had with my mother last fall. I swear it precipitated an avalanche of poor eating that cost me 15 pounds. I blame the situation and my lack of coping skills; not my mother.
On a humorous note, I thought ok, I have to drink a ton of water the day before surgery, and have to get up at 4 am to drink more and take pre-op meds. I thought hey, maybe it won’t be that harmful if I stay up half the night because I’ll be peeing anyway and then by morning I’ll be too exhausted to worry much more. The pre-op instructions say to have a good night’s sleep. No one’s perfect. Come on, people, you can ask, but you can’t have everything.
I normally acknowledge that meditation isn’t a skill that can effectively be crammed, like studying for exams. But at this point, I don’t see the harm in seeing how many meditations I can do for the next week. Why not. I've got a couple meditation apps and might as well get good use out of them.
I'm dismayed at the emotional eating I committed today. Granted, the food I ate was significantly more healthy than usual, but that’s still bad behavior. Reinforcing bad old habits. Surgery is going to make me not want to be very active and also mess with my metabolism, so I shouldn’t be screwing around. For all I know the “good” news is that I lost all this weight so I won’t be so far gone when a lot of it comes back. Not a very pleasant prospect.
One should forgive themselves and move on, but I feel stuck because idk how to manage stress better. You can say one incident isn’t the end of the world, but I would refer you to the lunch I had with my mother last fall. I swear it precipitated an avalanche of poor eating that cost me 15 pounds. I blame the situation and my lack of coping skills; not my mother.
On a humorous note, I thought ok, I have to drink a ton of water the day before surgery, and have to get up at 4 am to drink more and take pre-op meds. I thought hey, maybe it won’t be that harmful if I stay up half the night because I’ll be peeing anyway and then by morning I’ll be too exhausted to worry much more. The pre-op instructions say to have a good night’s sleep. No one’s perfect. Come on, people, you can ask, but you can’t have everything.
I normally acknowledge that meditation isn’t a skill that can effectively be crammed, like studying for exams. But at this point, I don’t see the harm in seeing how many meditations I can do for the next week. Why not. I've got a couple meditation apps and might as well get good use out of them.
Friday, April 19, 2024
More Medical Headaches
I tried not to dwell on this, but it’s bugging me, so I thought I’d vent and try to get it out of my system.
Went in for more imaging yesterday; pro-actively checking for any miniscule indications of cancer or pre-cancerous changes. Already had an MRI, and they said xrays and ultrasound were also warranted, as they all have different strengths and could potentially pick up different details. Fine, no need to convince me. We make arrangements for both me and my spouse to get off work early (1 car), go one city over, way across on the other side. Kind of a pain, but this is important. They do the xray, then say the doctor there says the ultrasound wasn’t needed. Uhm, ok, not trying to argue with you, but can you write up something to my docs about that to explain that? They said there weren’t findings on a previous ultrasound, so there was nothing to look for. I was tired, hungry, headache, and honestly not arguing, but I did politely ask if they were writing up an analysis if the xray images, could they add a note why the ultrasound wasn’t needed so that would be clearly communicated to my docs. They said no repeatedly. I went home.
The thing is, I had to call hospital scheduling 3 times just to get this. The first two times, they also said, no, all three images seem ridiculous, you need to check with your doctor to confirm. They usually only want one. When I checked back with them, they were all, yes, we know what we asked for, and we meant it. I went home, pulled up the previous e-mail, where two different providers said yes, we absolutely want all three done. I’m not so paranoid that I think there is cancer and it’s being missed, but I really don’t want to feel like I’m getting scolded by them again saying hey, we told you to get all three. This was not a scheduler, but the MD in charge, and he repeatedly said no. Usually I’m the one who throws a fit, so I tried not to. I just said fine, please add a note to my chart so it’s passed along to the ones who requested the ultrasound. I was going to get his name, but in my stupidity, I forgot. I’m an idiot. Either way, though it should not be this much of a pain. You think my providers are idiots, fine, roll your eyes, try to talk me out of it by saying I was randomly told I’m in a high risk category with finger quotes and let me make a choice. Write a letter to the Department of Insurance and say you think my docs are nuts and ordering un-needed tests and suggest they be instigated. But don’t outright refuse services. I mean, come on. They already made me feel bad enough and implied my doctors are idiots randomly assigning me a high-risk label and I’m a sucker for believing them. But let me get what I came there for and go on my way. I should have been able to get all 3 images done at the same time, but since they refused to scheduled them all at first, I had to do 2 different trips so far. You’d think this isn’t a big deal except that with all the appointments I’ve had for this and pre-op, my foot and my opposite leg/knee, it adds up. If my doctors re-evaluate and say ooops, yeah, we didn’t really need the ultrasound, fine. But if the push back, that’s going to make me really irritated. That’s what I’m dreading at this point.
Oh well. 13 days until surgery.
Went in for more imaging yesterday; pro-actively checking for any miniscule indications of cancer or pre-cancerous changes. Already had an MRI, and they said xrays and ultrasound were also warranted, as they all have different strengths and could potentially pick up different details. Fine, no need to convince me. We make arrangements for both me and my spouse to get off work early (1 car), go one city over, way across on the other side. Kind of a pain, but this is important. They do the xray, then say the doctor there says the ultrasound wasn’t needed. Uhm, ok, not trying to argue with you, but can you write up something to my docs about that to explain that? They said there weren’t findings on a previous ultrasound, so there was nothing to look for. I was tired, hungry, headache, and honestly not arguing, but I did politely ask if they were writing up an analysis if the xray images, could they add a note why the ultrasound wasn’t needed so that would be clearly communicated to my docs. They said no repeatedly. I went home.
The thing is, I had to call hospital scheduling 3 times just to get this. The first two times, they also said, no, all three images seem ridiculous, you need to check with your doctor to confirm. They usually only want one. When I checked back with them, they were all, yes, we know what we asked for, and we meant it. I went home, pulled up the previous e-mail, where two different providers said yes, we absolutely want all three done. I’m not so paranoid that I think there is cancer and it’s being missed, but I really don’t want to feel like I’m getting scolded by them again saying hey, we told you to get all three. This was not a scheduler, but the MD in charge, and he repeatedly said no. Usually I’m the one who throws a fit, so I tried not to. I just said fine, please add a note to my chart so it’s passed along to the ones who requested the ultrasound. I was going to get his name, but in my stupidity, I forgot. I’m an idiot. Either way, though it should not be this much of a pain. You think my providers are idiots, fine, roll your eyes, try to talk me out of it by saying I was randomly told I’m in a high risk category with finger quotes and let me make a choice. Write a letter to the Department of Insurance and say you think my docs are nuts and ordering un-needed tests and suggest they be instigated. But don’t outright refuse services. I mean, come on. They already made me feel bad enough and implied my doctors are idiots randomly assigning me a high-risk label and I’m a sucker for believing them. But let me get what I came there for and go on my way. I should have been able to get all 3 images done at the same time, but since they refused to scheduled them all at first, I had to do 2 different trips so far. You’d think this isn’t a big deal except that with all the appointments I’ve had for this and pre-op, my foot and my opposite leg/knee, it adds up. If my doctors re-evaluate and say ooops, yeah, we didn’t really need the ultrasound, fine. But if the push back, that’s going to make me really irritated. That’s what I’m dreading at this point.
Oh well. 13 days until surgery.
Wednesday, April 17, 2024
Non Scale Victory (NSV)
NSV for the day/month/whatever. Need to officially retire one pair of pants. I have stretchy waists, and thought hey, get as much use out of them as I can, right? If I have my phone in the pocket, I cannot keep them up anymore - within seconds the band pulls a few inches down. Kind of embarassing, but I guess it's a good thing.
2 weeks until surgery. Or feels like it when the current day is over, and I'm scheduled o-dark-thirty the day of.
2 weeks until surgery. Or feels like it when the current day is over, and I'm scheduled o-dark-thirty the day of.
Sunday, April 14, 2024
Silly Fitness Trackers
Ah, fitness trackers. Yes, I caved and got one. I’m not promoting mine or any tracker, but will admit I got a Fitbit Inspire 3, only so anyone reading can have that information in case they think “well MY tracker doesn’t do that.” Good for you.
Fitness trackers are glorified pedometers at best. Mine does not report sleep, oxygen level, or any of the other bells and whistles it is supposed to. I didn’t get it for that, so it’s not that disappointing, only irritating. The couple of times I attempted the “meditation” options it didn’t track to give me credit for it and my pulse actually went up 10 beats per minute. Like I said, glorified pedometer.
Why did I succumb to buying one instead of a basic pedometer? That could be separate blog post or mini-series in itself. Suffice it to say pedometers that clip don’t work well for me, and I wanted a wrist version. I wanted to count up the “steps” and make progress increasing activity. Flapping my arms around like an air traffic controller is not the same as walking, but it is my current form of exercise due to my swollen leg. I wanted to count all the walking and arm flapping I did all day, even if it was in little bity chunks, and try to be motivated to make the total number grow larger. Even with the upcoming surgery, getting credit for miniscule walking or movement might be encouraging rather than thinking I’m never doing enough.
Now we get to the saga and my point. Previous to having the tracker, I would do various youtube videos and mark down on a calendar how many minutes I spent. I attempted to track several things on my calendar, including meditation, water, caffeine, fruits and vegetable servings, and so forth. I gradually increased activity minutes, so yay for that, but by March my overall enthusiasm for doing and tracking everything was waning.
Enter the tracker. I was pleasantly surprised (if not confused) that it counted moderate activity I had not considered might count, such as walking at work, like the longish trecks to get water. Yay. Plus it added it automatically, so I didn’t have to time it. it reports that I “exercised” if I get my heart rate into the moderate zone for 10 minutes or longer. It had a goal to exercise 5 days a week and I left it at that, even though I’m kind of a perfectionist and would aim to do at least something every day. Here’s where it gets complicated – do I count what I think is exercise, or try to please the silly Fitbit? Today I did some smaller exercises here and there while watching tv with my spouse, and was pleased to get 19 total “zone” minutes before attempting any official exercise. Then I sat down for my videos. I did 15 minutes of strength training, but it didn’t get my heart rate hardly up at all even though I was huffing and sweating. Oh well. That’s fine. I followed it up with a 10 minute cardio workout video. Upon completion, it only added 2 "zone" minutes, and still defiantly told me I had not exercised. Hence the question – which is more important – setting my own goals or that of my silly digital tracker? I can go back to my manual calendar. Just silly
Fitness trackers are glorified pedometers at best. Mine does not report sleep, oxygen level, or any of the other bells and whistles it is supposed to. I didn’t get it for that, so it’s not that disappointing, only irritating. The couple of times I attempted the “meditation” options it didn’t track to give me credit for it and my pulse actually went up 10 beats per minute. Like I said, glorified pedometer.
Why did I succumb to buying one instead of a basic pedometer? That could be separate blog post or mini-series in itself. Suffice it to say pedometers that clip don’t work well for me, and I wanted a wrist version. I wanted to count up the “steps” and make progress increasing activity. Flapping my arms around like an air traffic controller is not the same as walking, but it is my current form of exercise due to my swollen leg. I wanted to count all the walking and arm flapping I did all day, even if it was in little bity chunks, and try to be motivated to make the total number grow larger. Even with the upcoming surgery, getting credit for miniscule walking or movement might be encouraging rather than thinking I’m never doing enough.
Now we get to the saga and my point. Previous to having the tracker, I would do various youtube videos and mark down on a calendar how many minutes I spent. I attempted to track several things on my calendar, including meditation, water, caffeine, fruits and vegetable servings, and so forth. I gradually increased activity minutes, so yay for that, but by March my overall enthusiasm for doing and tracking everything was waning.
Enter the tracker. I was pleasantly surprised (if not confused) that it counted moderate activity I had not considered might count, such as walking at work, like the longish trecks to get water. Yay. Plus it added it automatically, so I didn’t have to time it. it reports that I “exercised” if I get my heart rate into the moderate zone for 10 minutes or longer. It had a goal to exercise 5 days a week and I left it at that, even though I’m kind of a perfectionist and would aim to do at least something every day. Here’s where it gets complicated – do I count what I think is exercise, or try to please the silly Fitbit? Today I did some smaller exercises here and there while watching tv with my spouse, and was pleased to get 19 total “zone” minutes before attempting any official exercise. Then I sat down for my videos. I did 15 minutes of strength training, but it didn’t get my heart rate hardly up at all even though I was huffing and sweating. Oh well. That’s fine. I followed it up with a 10 minute cardio workout video. Upon completion, it only added 2 "zone" minutes, and still defiantly told me I had not exercised. Hence the question – which is more important – setting my own goals or that of my silly digital tracker? I can go back to my manual calendar. Just silly
Saturday, April 13, 2024
10% and Crocs
Finally lost 10% of my total body weight since I started late December. I was happy excited for a few hours, then ho hum. Part of me is paranoid if I’m not super careful, the scale will tip back up just over that milestone. Though I’m taking my weight with shoes, and they weigh a little over a pound, so that’s a tiny buffer. Still I guess it’s something. I can’t tell anyone who knows me in real life since they wouldn’t believe it. Thus I'm posting here.
Part of me still wonders when all this regular uplifting goodness comes from being more active and eating so much better. The only salt I’m having is from occasionl processed foods, like salsa or the spoon of sauce I had on my steamed veggies the other day. My leg is still ridiculously large, so that didn’t seem to help yet, if it would at all.
in other exciting news, after 9 weeks of constantly wearing super cushy Hoka Clifton 9 shoes and arch support inserts (sold separately), the podiatrist said I could gradually start wearing Crocs a few minutes a day and build up. They’re more supportive than sandals, he claims. Need to work down before barefoot, and who knows if I can ever go barefoot again. I have no idea about any other supposed arch support imitation brands, but the doc said Crocs, so Crocs it is. With all the effort and money I’ve already spent on my foot, I’m not going to risk going generic.
19 days until surgery.
Part of me still wonders when all this regular uplifting goodness comes from being more active and eating so much better. The only salt I’m having is from occasionl processed foods, like salsa or the spoon of sauce I had on my steamed veggies the other day. My leg is still ridiculously large, so that didn’t seem to help yet, if it would at all.
in other exciting news, after 9 weeks of constantly wearing super cushy Hoka Clifton 9 shoes and arch support inserts (sold separately), the podiatrist said I could gradually start wearing Crocs a few minutes a day and build up. They’re more supportive than sandals, he claims. Need to work down before barefoot, and who knows if I can ever go barefoot again. I have no idea about any other supposed arch support imitation brands, but the doc said Crocs, so Crocs it is. With all the effort and money I’ve already spent on my foot, I’m not going to risk going generic.
19 days until surgery.
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