Home Again

Dec. 9, 2008 -- Our trip to Texas was nice. Good weather all the way, lower gasoline prices and loving family to visit. My Mom, who is pushing 94, is doing well. She gets tired very easily but she is still very alert and very much the sports fan.

Everyone marveled at my new look and praised my decision to go ahead with the surgery They were very pleased at the way the diabetes and blood pressure have reacted. I had no eating problems during the trip. I was very careful about what I ate but I was able to at least sample most of my favorite Texas "soul food" treats such as enchiladas, seafood, barbecue and chili. I had to say "no" a lot but it was worth it. I continue to feel very good and found this morning I had lost five more pounds on the trip.

Eating on the Go

Nov. 26, 2008 -- This eating solid food is still great. I am now on Phase II of solids, which means I can eat just about what I want as long as it is chewed very well. Still no sugar and very little fat. I am limited to four ounces of food five times a day -- two ounces of protein and two ounces of either fruit, starches or vegetables. Four ounces may not seem like much but it fills me up.

We are getting ready for a trip to Texas after Thanksgiving so this is a good time to go over what I am trying to make into a habit every time I leave home. No matter how long the trip, even to the grocery store, I must take along something to eat. For a long road trip like this I have to plan ahead to avoid temptations from fast food, the snack counters at filling stations, and most of the stuff on the breakfast buffet at the hotel. Fortunately there is a lot of stuff to choose from.

I now have to have 30-40 grams of supplemental protein a day, so I can get some of that with meal-replacement bars that are high in protein and below 220 calories. They are tasty and convenient. There are several drink options that provide protein and work as meal substitutes, too.

My travel list includes a small measuring cup, bottled water, meal replacement bars, canned protein drinks, whey (which can be mixed with low fat milk or with water), vitamins and things I can toss in the cooler such as low fat cottage cheese, little containers of sugar-free Jello or pudding, or low fat cheese sticks.

On a road trip I can eat in restaurants -- even most pubs or hamburger joints -- by careful menu selection. Most places have a soup on the menu and sometimes it is a kind I can eat. So I order a cup of soup and eat about half of it. I carry a card that advises the server I had stomach surgery and need a very small special meal or need to share my wife's meal. She can order a steak and my two ounces is not missed. That, along with a couple of ounces of her baked potato or veggies, is a meal.

My health continues to improve although I had a bit of a weight setback. I actually gained six pounds over two weeks. The folks at Bariatric Solutions in Greenville, SC think it was because of too much protein and because I had stopped ALL of my blood pressure medication, including the diuretic. So I have cut down the daily protein supplement intake and gone back on one-half of the water pill every other day. My blood pressure stays around 118/72 and my blood sugar levels are now in the 80-90 range. I have cleaned up my bicycle and started trying to ride it again after 20 years. I say trying, because these mountains are hard!

Munch, Munch....

Nov. 18, 2008 -- A week has passed since I moved up to real people food with the green light for solid food. This is only the first stage of the move back to solids so I still have to be very careful, making sure I chew very, very well. But it is bliss!

My first "solid" food? Part of one scrambled egg and an ounce of refried beans. Next meal was four small shrimp (grilled) and two ounces of green beans. I can eat a total of four ounces at each meal five times a day. Lots of water drinking in between. All of this is supervised by regular visits with the dietitians at Bariatric Solutions in Greenville, SC.

My one-month followup with the surgeon, Dr. Eric Bour, on Nov.6 was good. All the signs were positive and right on target. So check out today's photo to see how I am progressing.

I still feel great, more active every day. I am now off my blood pressure medication completely. This morning the pressure was 117 over 75. Blood sugar readings remain in the 92-110 range. My weight continues to decline, although not as fast as the first two or three weeks. I started a full range of workout exercises at the gym, supervised by a trainer who knows about the surgery and who worked with me some before the surgery. His help is part of a wellness program in the Mill Spring Volunteer Fire Department paid for by a FEMA grant to get volunteer firefighters in top physical condition. I continue to attend post-op support group meetings in Greenville every Tuesday even though it is a 104 mile round trip. The lower gasoline prices help that. It was down to $1.75 a gallon yesterday in Greenville.

I was trolling the Internet and came across this photo of Fidel Castro, the first in months. He is leaning on the arm of the Russian Orthodox Church's top foreign relations official, Bishop Metropolitan Kirill, last month in Havana. Fidel is showing his 82 years. He is certainly not the robust firebrand who had me in one of his jails briefly in 1969.

The Washington Post also had an interesting story about how the news media have gone bananas over Barak Obama. This story is by the Post's media critic, Howard Kurtz.

Tim Reiterman of The Associated Press wrote a recollection of the Jonestown massacre for the Nov. 18 anniversary of that tragedy. Reiterman was wounded in the attack at the Jonestown airstrip that killed Congressman Leo Ryan 30 years ago.

Squish My Food

Nov 2, 2008 -- I have graduated to pureed food and have been putting my meals through the blender for five days. I can eat most foods (no sugar, no fat) just by squishing it into an unrecognizable gel. Or I can eat baby food, which is the easiest way to go. But some of that stuff -- ugh. Feeding it to a baby is child abuse!

I had some baby food turkey and it's not so bad. Bananas and pears taste like turpentine smells. And you haven't seen anything until you have seen a pureed scrambled egg. I am limited to a couple of ounces of protein and an ounce or so of fruit or vegetable at each meal. But I eat six times a day. So cream soups have become a great favorite. So have oatmeal, grits, refried beans, mashed potatoes and pudding. I have eaten a lot of pureed chicken breast. Well, not a lot in weight. But I have eaten it many times, at two ounces a whack.

I feel well. Some days are not as good as others but the off days are becoming fewer and fewer and usually they are my fault. I was very nauseous this morning after my first "feeding" but I think I ate too fast. I have been trying to get more fiber into my diet but that does not seem to be helping with irregularity. During one of the "show and tell" presentations during the pre-surgery support groups a guy who was about a year out from surgery said that stool softeners would become our good friends. I now know what he meant.

My weight continues to drop, although not as fast as I thought it would. The folks at Bariatric Solutions say I am right on target toward losing 30 pounds in the first month after surgery. I think I have lost about 28 pounds since the surgery Oct. 6 and 42 pounds since Sept. 1. My waist size has gone from a 52 to a snug 48. Sylvia hugs me every morning to see how much longer her arms are. I have the doctor's clearance to get back on the motorcycle, just so long as I don't lift it.

I have my four week follow-up with Dr. Eric Bour on Thursday, Nov. 6 and on on Tuesday, Nov. 11 I end the pureed odyssey and start on soft solids. I am keeping up with the post-surgery support group. meeting once a week for 45 minutes or so even though it is a 104 mile round-trip. I exercise every day by walking. I hope I get clearance Thursday for some other type of exercise. I would like to get back into the swimming pool.

The Election

Only the rest of Sunday and all day Monday to go before the election. I cannot recall being so tired of a political campaign. Then I realize that this has actually been going on for two years! Sylvia and I pray daily that God's will, not man's, be done.

As an old school reporter I am appalled at the press coverage of the campaign. I thought this kind of press partisanship went out with the 1920s. The cable news channels are especially bad. MSNBC and Fox News provide completely different takes on the same event. Even the New York Times has noticed. You don't see many Obama signs on the yards and byways of Polk County. McCain won the hearts and minds of my neighbors when he selected Sarah Palin as his running mate. She is very popular around these parts.

Free At Last

Oct. 27, 2008 -- I am free at last of the rubber drain hanging out of my side. It was removed last Thursday when the doctor's assistant simply pulled it out. No pain involved. But the following day I felt as if I had the flu -- headache, sore muscles, lethargy. That only lasted about 24 hours.

I am now off the Diovan blood pressure medication, off the metformin diabetes medication, and sleeping without the CPAP (and showing no signs of sleep apnea or excessive snoring). I have lost about 20 pounds since the surgery three weeks ago. The goal is 30 pounds in the first month.

On Sunday I reached the 300 pound mark on my home scale which showed I weighed 341 pounds when I was at my heaviest. This picture of me during a firefighter training session shows what the guy looked like in August.

I am exercising more every day. Some days it is just a short walk but other days I walk a lot more. We take the dogs to Harmon Field and walk them (and me) there. That is usually a stroll of from one to two miles. On Tuesday and Thursday nights we join others from the fire department for physical training at a local gym. So far I am cleared only for light exercise so I use the treadmill and the recumbent elliptical trainer.

My diet is still very bland. I eat six meals a day, each one two to three ounces of cottage cheese, yogurt, cream soup or pudding. All fat-free and sugar-free, of course. This is supplemented by drinking about 80 grams of protein a day and a total of at least 62 ounces of water. But on Tuesday I get to step it up a notch, going to pureed foods. Stuff the consistency of baby food.

I am staying full and feel better every day. My back no longer aches with every step, my knees feel better and I think I am sleeping better, too. Best of all is the reduction in medication!

So far -- All is Great.

On the Way to health

Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008 -- My surgery last Monday (Oct. 6) went off without any serious hitches. I actually was up and walking that afternoon. I got to go home Wednesday afternoon and spent the rest of the week taking short walks, long naps and drinking protein supplements. But here is the best news of all:
My blood glucose readings are way, way low. Dr. Bour sent me home without one of the diabetes drugs (metformin) because my readings had been so good in the hospital. Since coming home they have ranged from 89 to 113. Before, while taking 1,500 MG of metformin a day, it was a great day when I had a reading as low as 113. The average for all samples I took before surgery was 118 with medication. My fasting readings were always above 110. So it appears to me the main reason for the surgery -- diabetes -- will be met. I will continue to monitor the glucose readings closely and remain on Actos until advised otherwise by Dr. Bour. I am still on blood pressure medication with readings around 115/60 but as the weight drops the need for blood pressure medication may drop as well.
Speaking of weight: the scale tells me this morning I have lost 17 pounds since the day before I went into the hospital. That is 17 pounds in the first week. Of course, I have had very little to eat other than protein supplements but this is a good start. My only complication is one I experienced after throat surgery in 2006 -- urine retention. I left the hospital with a catheter and will see my urologist tomorrow. It took a couple of weeks for my bladder to wake up and work on its own last time. I pray this one will be shorter. No pain, just an inconvenience.
The hardest part of that first day was probably the dry mouth. Nothing to drink -- not even ice chips -- until the following morning to make sure there was no stomach acid churned up that might cause damage. About 9 Tuesday morning I was rolled down to X-ray for a gulp of a barium solution so Dr. Bour could be sure there were no leaks. Thankfully, there were none. Back in the room I got my first ice chips, soaked in blue food coloring so that if any leaks out the drain they put in my left side it will show up clearly. No leaks there, either.
I am very impressed with the staff at Hillcrest Memorial Hospital. They went out of their way to make certain I was as comfortable as possible and that my wife and daughter had all the support they needed. I had at least one, and sometimes two, RNs taking care of me. They treated me like the only patient in the hospital.
I spent Tuesday walking the corridors of the hospital and punching my pain medication pump. It flowed enough to keep me happy. Since returning home I have been walking regularly. First, it was just the length of the driveway, about 150 feet. Now it is down the driveway and halfway up the hill. Next: the top of the hill. Tueday I go back to Greenville for my first post-op support group meeting and Thursday meet with the nutritionist and the doctor.
This would have been impossible without great support from my family. My daughter Cathy flew in for the surgery and early post-op. Son Tim relieved her when I got home so he could spell Sylvia of some of the chores. I had daily calls and messages from my other two sons, our grandkids and friends.
Wednesday brought a huge surprise. My friend Kevin Hall drove up from Miami to visit me in the hospital and then spent a several hours watching me doze off in my favorite chair at home. What a thoughtful thing to do.
Art Heise, another old friend, brought Kevin to the hospital and gave great support to Sylvia. Art and I have a regular appointment for lunch every Wednesday at a spot in Hendersonville that has Harp beer on sale on that day. Art and Kevin drank a pint or two in my honor Wednesday and Jessica, who manages the place, sent them off with a gift for me: A shot glass labeled "Harp", a child's menu and a T-shirt.

The Time is Near

Oct. 5, 2008 -- My surgery is still on schedule for Monday Oct. 6 at 8 a.m. We have to show up at Hillcrest Memorial Hospital t 6:30 a.m. so we will spend the night in a hotel near the hospital. My wife and daughter will stay there until I can go home Wednesday in order to avoid the 110 mile roundtrip from the house to the hospital.

I am not nervous but I do look forward to getting it over with. The folks at Bariatric Solutions in Greenville, SC have prepared me well. I know what to expect and what will be expected of me.

So this is my last post until I get back home from the hospital.

I have spent the day on a diet of clear liquids. No problems with that. I can have beef or chicken broth, sugar-free jello and such. Everything is cut off at midnight. No even water, except for a sip to take required medication. They say I won't get a drink again until the second day after surgery. Makes my mouth dry just thinking about that.

On The Road...

Oct. 1, 2008 -- Finally, I know what time the surgery is to start! We drove down to Hillcrest Memorial Hospital in Simpsonville, SC early this morning for the pre-surgical assessment and meeting with the anesthesiologist. Again we both were impressed with the thoroughness and attention to detail of all those involved in this process. The whole deal, from start with the business office to final details took about 1 1/2 hours -- most of it answering health questions.

The biggest thing of the morning: Surgery is set for 8 a.m. Monday, Oct. 6. I have to be in the lobby of the hospital at 6:30 a.m. Surgery will take about two hours, then I go to the recovery room for an hour or so before moving into my room for my two night stay. Nothing to eat or drink -- not even water or ice chips -- the first day.

Hillcrest is small teaching hospital south of Greenville. It is part of the Greenville Hospital System and the center for bariatric surgery. Everyone we met with is part of the regular crew that specializes in gastric bypass surgery.

I feel very confident and reassured. The support group sessions, special diet classes and all the other preparation has been fantastic.

When Dr. Bour did the EGD he took a biopsy looking for a particular kind of bacteria, which he found. So his assistant called this afternoon with a prescription for antibiotics I have to start tonight.

Sept. 30, 2008 -- Met with the pre-surgery diet group for the last time today. I made my weight goal, or rather came very close to it, by losing 10 pounds over these past three weeks. I should be a few pounds under the goal by Oct 5, the day before surgery, when I go on a clear liquid diet. Nothing at all after midnight the night before surgery.

Sept. 25, 2008 -- Gadzooks! An 8 a.m. meeting in Greenville, an hour's drive away meant an early morning for us. But it was worth it. All of those scheduled for surgery around my Oct. 5 surgery date met with Dr. Eric Bour, the bariatric surgeon, and his assistant Katie M. Meyer. They went over a lot of ground we had covered in the various support group and diet group meetings but this was a very intense review. We went over all the things that can go wrong, what to expect in the recovery room and so forth. Once again we both left convinced I came to the right place for this surgery.

Sept.23, 2008 -- My third diet class this morning. I feel fine and have lost six pounds. The Optifast 800 is not as bad as I expected. In fact, it tastes pretty good and it certainly takes away the hunger. Or most of the hunger. The real meal I eat once a day is very welcome. We weigh everything. No more than four ounces of protein. But dill pickles are "free" and I have already gone through a whole jar.

Sept. 17, 2008 -- This is the second week of the crash diet before gastric bypass surgery. It is still going well.
On Monday I had the EGD procedure and Dr. Eric Bour said my innerds look fine except for a small lesion. He took a biopsy but said he sees a lot like that. I don't remember any of this, of course, so it is second hand from Sylvia.

On the Bariatric Road

Sept. 11, 2008 -- The seventh anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. How life has changed for us since then!
This is Day Three and all is going well. I feel very good today and I am sure I will make my goal of six fewer pounds by Sept. 16. On Monday, Sept. 15, I am scheduled for the EGD.
I had the five Optifast shakes yesterday and a real meal.

Solid Food

Felt good to chew something. Sylvia fixed four ounces of steak, fresh green beans with a cucumber and tomato salad. A juicy peach served as dessert. I awoke this morning feeling refreshed and energized.

Hurricane Awareness

Our prayers today are for those in the path of Hurricane Ike. My sister and my mother live just south of Houston. Mom, who is 94, lives in League City, Texas, while my sister and her husband live a bit further south in La Marque. They will be evacuating although I don't know yet where they will go.

Similar Storms

Ike is very similar to Hurricane Carla, which hit South Texas on Sept. 11, 1961. Both Dan Rather of CBS-TV fame and I got our big breaks during that storm. Rather was assigned to the Galveston weather bureau by his TV station in Houston and made dramatic, live reports as the water rose around him. He was in the weather bureau because he could show radar images of the storm -- a novelty then -- and because the bureau had back-up electrical power. I was on the night desk in the AP bureau in Houston and got the first eye-witness views of the flooding and devastation by renting a plane and flying over the area at first light. The plane had to be towed from the hangar into take-off position because the wind was strong enough to turn it over if the pilot tried to taxi. We took off into the wind in what seemed like about 100 feet. That little plane was tossed around like a leaf. Fortunately we had put a waste basket aboard because even the pilot got air sick. After landing and filing my story I drove as far into the damage as I could get for more first-hand reporting.
We both got promotions. So I guess we are responsible for the silly way TV reporters stand outside in hurricanes now.
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Day Two on the Bariatric Road

Sept. 10, 2008 -- The meeting of the pre-surgery diet group yesterday was a good orientation. I must lose six pounds by next Tuesday, Sept. 16. That should be a piece of cake. Except I can't eat cake.
I am starting out with the Optifast diet. This means drinking five of the Optifast shakes a day and eating one small meal -- a diet of about 1,500 calories a day. I may switch to drinking Muscle Milk Light because it is a little cheaper at $1.25 a serving while Optifast costs $3.50 a serving if I buy it already mixed. Mixing it myself reduces the cost a little. I think these kind of diets are not very successful over the long run because I have always gained back most of what I lost when I stopped the diet. But I will only be on it for four weeks and then -- on to the surgery.
I start the day with a drink, followed by another every three hours until dinner time around 6 p.m. or so when I can have four ounces of protein and some veggies. I finish the day with a final drink about 9 p.m. I must drink lots of water, which is easy because the Optifast seems to make me thirsty.

An Assist from the Wife

Sylvia is helping me in the diet phase. She joined Bariatic Solutions' non-surgical weight loss program. That is true togetherness!
This will work better for me if I don't look ahead toward how much total weight I have to lose in these four weeks but rather focus on how much I should weigh at my next diet class. That makes the "bites" smaller and easier to digest if I look forward to next Tuesday rather than to Oct. 4.
So far I notice little change in how I feel. Except I seem hungry a lot. Water helps ease that. I find I look at my watch a lot, trying to speed up the clock to the next drink.

A New Me

My daughter said she didn't like the picture I posted on Monday. I picked it to show how bad I look but here is another one. The dog is Grace, our new Corgi mix, who pals around with Buddy, another Corgi mix. Both are rescue dogs.
Lacey at Bariatric Solutions asked if they can put a link to this blog on their web page, so welcome to anyone who wandered in from over there.

Weird News

Back in the days when I slogged around the world as a foreign correspondent I was always on the outlook for the foibles and humor in life. Now I use the Internet instead. Here is a story from Britain about a young lady who found a bat in the bra she was wearing. And my contribution to political commentary can be summed up by "all things Sarah" by the BBC.

Ready for the Next Phase

The date has been set and I am ready. My Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery is scheduled for Oct. 6 after a long and interesting wait. I will try to log the coming days here, mainly so family members can keep up with what is going on -- if they are interested. Nothing makes a person's eyes glaze faster than listening to someone talk about their surgery. So this way those who want to know can keep up while others won't be bored.
September is going to be full of appointments, starting Tuesday Sept. 9 and at least one a week after that until Oct. 6. I start a closely supervised diet Tuesday to lose 10 percent of my excess body weight or about 15 pounds before surgery. I weighed 341 this morning.

Two Goals

This diet has a dual purpose -- to show that I am serious about this and to reduce the fat around the intestines while reducing the size of the liver to make the surgery easier.
I decided to start this journey in January 2008 and the following month enrolled in the pre-surgery program at Bariatric Solutions in Greenville, SC. This is a part of the University Medical Group in Greenville and a Center of Excellence whose methods are in compliance with the standards set by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.
My reason for the surgery is not cosmetic -- although a slimmer me will be a great side benefit -- but rather to alleviate some of the medical problems I have. I expect the surgery to help my fight with Type 2 Diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep apnea. All three usually improve with weight loss and one study shows diabetes often disappears immediately with gastric bypass surgery.
Dr. Eric Bour is the surgeon at Bariatric Solutions. He does four to five gastric bypass surgeries a week and is booked several months in advance. I had to wait eight months. If I kiss off the diet or miss any of my upcoming appointments my surgery date will be canceled and I will be back on the waiting list again.

Here are my appointments:

1. Sept. 9, 16, 23, and 30 -- Pre-surgical Diet classes
2. Sept. 15 -- Upper GI Endoscopy so Dr. Bour can take a look at things
2. Sept. 25 -- Pre-surgery group (those four scheduled for surgery on Oct. 6)
3. Oct. 1 -- Anesthesia pre-assessment and advising surgery day arrival time
4. Oct. 5 -- Start fasting
5. Oct. 6 -- Surgery
6. Oct. 16 -- First post-op appointment followed by 15 other follow-up appointments into 2009. Dates and times for these are already set, including the dates for lab work.
So far I have attended 23 pre-surgery support group meetings and will have a support group meeting after each of the diet classes. Post-surgery support group meetings start the first week after surgery. Along the way I have met with and been cleared by the staff psychologist, the surgeon, his scheduling assistant and the two staff dietitians. I have talked with at least a dozen people who had this surgery or the lap band surgery at this center so I think I have a pretty clear idea of what to expect.
The surgery itself will be at the Hillcrest Hospital, part of the Greenville Hospital System.
If you want to see a video of bypass surgery you can click here but be prepared -- it is kinda gross.

My Future Expectations

Based on God’s Promises

1. Isaiah 54:17 –I expect no weapon formed against me shall prosper.
2. Isaiah 54:14—I expect to be far from oppression and terror shall not come near me.
3. 2 Corinthians 2:14—I expect to triumph in all things in Christ Jesus
4. Philippians 4:15-19— I expect all my needs to be met according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
5. Proverbs 11:25- I expect my finances to increase, my bank account to be made fat, and my soul to be anointed.
6. Galatians 6: 6-10—I expect to reap financial blessings regardless of the world’s economy.
7. Malachi 3:10-12—I expect to be blessed and the windows of heaven to be opened and the devourer to be rebuked.
8. Luke 6:38—I expect to be given to.
9. 3 John 1:3—I expect to prosper and be in good health and I expect my soul to prosper.
10. Ephesians 2:18—I expect to regularly stand in the presence of God.
11. Psalms 16:11—I expect my house to be filled with joy.
12. Acts 16:31—I expect all my family to be saved, set apart, healed and made whole.
13. Hebrews 7:9-10—I expect my children to be blessed and to live a blessed life.
14. Psalm 23:6: I expect to dwell in the House of the Lord forever.

Welcome Rain

Our drought appears to be over, or at least slackened. We had almost two inches of rain on Tuesday and another good soaker Friday so things look better. The lake is up and the daffodils are in bloom!
Here is a good game to test your geography skills. The contest appears to be over but you can still try to land in the right spot. Click on "Beat My Score" and then on "Play the Game."

I have been busy writing grants for the volunteer fire department so this was a welcome diversion.

Snow! Ice! Sleet!

We had our first storm of the winter last night and early today. We got about 4 inches of snow here, plus a little bit of freezing rain and some tiny amount of sleet. It was nowhere near as bad as the weather readers on TV would have you believe.
Here is a video about it.