BARUCH HASHEM - THANK GOD!

BARUCH HASHEM! 

I don't normally trot out Hebrew expressions.  The reason for this is although I am Jewish - I don't know that many Hebrew expressions.  Today, I will proudly proclaim: BARUCH HASHEM!  (This can be translated at Blessed be God, or Thank God!)

My four month relationship with my gastroenterologist is coming to an end.  I was referred to a gastroenterologist in May when my doctor discovered anemia in an otherwise unremarkable blood test.  Although I was asymptomatic - protocol apparently 'demanded' that the source be found. The source was in fact not found.

I was subjected to a colonoscopy.   No source of blood loss located.

I was subjected to an endoscopy.    No source of blood loss located.

I was subjected to a capsule endoscopy.  No source of blood loss located.

I was subjected to a full body cat scan.  No source of blood loss located.

My stool sample was subjected to a full investigation.  No source of blood loss located.

During the four months that this was going on my iron levels have returned to normal - although even now - by blood count - hemoglobin is a little low.  My current official diagnosis normocytic anemia. And it seems possible that my hemoglobin count will also return to normal as that seems to be the current trend.

The real verdict from the gastroenterologist after all of this.  I am fine.

Now listen, I don't want to complain.   Four months ago, when I got the phone call from my doctor urging me to quickly see a gastroenterologist - I was convinced that my death was imminent from some horrible disease or body malfunction.

I am fine.

Baruch Hashem (Hebrew)

BARUCH HASHEM!  THANK GOD!

(...in a side note to the Almighty: Might there have been another way of me finding out that my health was good without spending thousands of dollars before my insurance deductible was activated, or am I being an ungrateful malcontent by asking the question?)

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226.3 lbs

I weigh 226.3 lbs.

I gained 0.5 lbs this week

I have lost 82.7 lbs in 234 days. Today begins Day 235.

I will always be at the beginning of a journey that never ends.

I weigh 226.3 lbs. (234 days ago I weighed 309 lbs)

I have lost 26.8% of my weight since Dec 24.

I have a BMI, body mass index of 30.27 

I had a 42.0 BMI on Dec 24 just 234 days ago (Class III obesity)

I have two words of advice for myself today: REVERSE COURSE

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 FRIDAY MENU

breakfast    oatmeal, center cut bacon, corn thins                                   669 calories
lunch          spinach salad, crisp bread, dried papaya, pink lady apple 1034 calories 
dinner         pink lady apples, wasabi peas, corn, kahuna crunch           765 calories
SNACK     ginger chews                                                                         160 calories

total calories consumed 2628 calories

calories burned

6AM HOME ELLIPTICAL 92 MINUTES, MANUAL SETTING, LEVEL '20'  2071 CALORIES
since I was not sure I would have time for a workout on Saturday - I worked out twice on Friday
9PM  HOME ELLIPTICAL 92 MINUTES, MANUAL SETTING, LEVEL '20' 2125 CALORIES

TOTAL CALORIES BURNED 4196 CALORIES

Friday net calories NEGATIVE 1568 calories

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CAPSULE ENDOSCOPY

Yesterday,  I followed my instructions and had only clear liquids after 12:00PM Noon.   After midnight, I started my complete fast.  Today, Wednesday, I head to the GI Lab (Gastro Intenstinal Lab) at the hospital for a some quick out-patient pill swallowing and to be fitted for the electronic 'belt' that I will be wearing for 8 hours.

I have used an Olympus camera for more than 10 years - although it never occurred to me to ingest it.

Through everything I have been through, I have remained completely vigilant about my daily visits to the fitness room.  I have tried insure that in every 24 hour day, I will have exercised.  Since yesterday, was another half-fasting day.  I was able to squeeze my Tuesday workout in at 12:30AM early, early yesterday morning.

This means that my next workout scheduled for Thursday can take place after a good nights sleep and after I have returned to normal eating.

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 TUESDAY MENU
breakfast    two eggs w/bacon, oatmeal w/prune, oat/honey granola   555 calories
lunch          Huge Spinach Salad, two apples, Whole Foods Granola  1209 calories
dinner        YELLOW JELLO                                                                 40 calories

total calories  1804 calories  


calories burned
12:30AM STAIR CLIMBING (ground floor to 25th floor) 65 calories(4 min, 3.45 sec)
12:40AM ELLIPTICAL 32 MINUTES (level 16, manual setting)  585 calories
01:20AM STAIR DESCENDING (25th floor to ground floor) 15 calories (2 min, 40.0 sec)

TOTAL CALORIES BURNED  665 CALORIES

MONDAY NET CALORIES 1139 CALORIES

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IRONIC IRONY

I wish I could say that I am being treated for anemia (iron deficiency) but I am not.  My gastroenterologist is still searching for the source of the anemia - still trying to discover how and where I am managing to lose iron (blood) within my body.  That's not really treatment. Thankfully, my colonoscopy and endoscopy resulted in completely normal findings and nothing regarding the source of my anemia was discovered during these rather invasive procedures.  Yesterday, was my follow-up appointment with my doctor and (naturally) more tests were ordered.   I was sent for yet another blood test to determine if my anemia has stabilized or accelerated.  In addition, I need to return to the hospital for a CAPSULE ENDOSCOPY.  This means another day of having nothing but clear liquids on the day prior to this examination. As I understand it, I will be essentially swallowing a camera early in the morning - as well as required to wear some kind of belt all day long which will presumably record what the camera is 'seeing.'  I return to the hospital later that same day to return the belt.  (Apparently, I get to keep the camera!)

During my visit yesterday I was again asked if I am experiencing any symptoms of anemia.  Sluggishness, tiredness, unexplained weight loss?   (Of course I have reminded my doctors that I have lost 90 pounds since December - but that this was purposeful!)  For nearly a decade prior to this year - I was very sluggish.  For nearly a decade prior to this year, I have been tired.  For nearly a decade, I have been very physically unfit. It sure is IRONIC to be examined for anemia when I feel better and more healthy that I ever have.  It sure is IRONIC to be examined for anemia when I have more energy that I ever have had. And it sure is IRONIC to be examined for anemia when I have never been more physically fit than I am right now.

I am being examined for ANEMIA.  (IRON DEFICIENCY)
I have never been more ENERGETIC.
This is what is known as an IRONIC IRONY.

I cannot think of the word, irony, without recalling a specific scene from 'Seinfeld' which took place between Elaine and another woman on a New York City subway on an episode that first aired on January 8, 1992.

'The Subway' (Seinfeld)

The woman from 'The Subway' episode of Seinfeld who couldn't quite understand irony

Woman: I started riding these trains in the '40s. Those days a man would give up their seat for a woman. Now we're liberated and we have to stand.
Elaine: It's ironic.
Woman: What's ironic?
Elaine: This -- that we've come all this way, we've made all this progress, but, you know, we've lost the little things, the niceties.
Woman: No, I mean what does "ironic" mean?

- Elaine and woman on subway, in "The Subway"

 

THURSDAY MENU

breakfast    two salmon burgers, two apples, KIND fruit & nut bar                                 600 calories
lunch          SUBWAY double chicken salad, apple, KIND peanut butter bar                  500 calories
dinner         JIMMY JOHN'S UNWICH #14, two apples                                                 390 calories

CALORIES CONSUMED 1490 CALORIES

CALORIES BURNED

STAIR CLIMBING       (ground floor to 25th floor)        65 calories
STAIR DESCENDING (25th floor to ground floor)        15 calories
ELLIPTICAL MACHINE (NEW SETTING - MANUAL - LEVEL '16')    662 CALORIES

TOTAL CALORIES BURNED 742 CALORIES

THURSDAY NET CALORIES     748 CALORIES

I did something different on the elliptical machine tonight for the first time.   I have almost always set the machine to 'calorie burn' with a high water mark of 'level 18' resistance.   During the course of a 30 minute workout on this setting - the resistance goes up and down three times, only reaching level 18 for just three minutes in the middle of the 30 minute session.

Tonight I set the machine to 'manual' and set the 'resistance' to 16.  The resistance was unchanged for the entire 30 minutes (there are two minutes of 'cool down' tacked onto the end of the session) and the  workout was much more challenging.   And the 'rewards' were likewise greater.  The machine recorded that I 'burned' 662 calories during this session.  Since I initiated this workout by climbing up and down 25 flights of stairs first - it was an extremely productive workout.

DOES THIS REALLY SOUND LIKE A GUY SUFFERING FROM ANEMIA?

NOW YOU KNOW WHY I CALL THIS AN IRONIC IRONY.

Nothing is written in Stone?  Really?   TELL THAT TO MOSES!

This sign has to be purposefully funny, right?

This one took me a moment to figure out....That's not just a shoe - It's a 'CROC'!

I have tried, really tried to keep POLITICS far away from  the MARC JACOBS WEIGHT LOSS JOURNAL.
APPARENTLY, TODAY I FAILED TO DO THAT.

By now you have figured it out - I am not a supporter of our President. (or Democrats)
...and believe me....Republicans ain't so great either!

And finally, the lyrics from the Alanis Morissette song, IRONIC

An old man turned ninety-eight
He won the lottery and died the next day
It's a black fly in your Chardonnay
It's a death row pardon two minutes too late
And isn't it ironic... don't you think

It's like rain on your wedding day
It's a free ride when you've already paid
It's the good advice that you just didn't take
Who would've thought... it figures

Mr. Play It Safe was afraid to fly
He packed his suitcase and kissed his kids goodbye
He waited his whole damn life to take that flight
And as the plane crashed down he thought
"Well isn't this nice..."
And isn't it ironic... don't you think

It's like rain on your wedding day
It's a free ride when you've already paid
It's the good advice that you just didn't take
Who would've thought... it figures

Well life has a funny way of sneaking up on you
When you think everything's okay and everything's going right
And life has a funny way of helping you out when
You think everything's gone wrong and everything blows up
In your face

A traffic jam when you're already late
A no-smoking sign on your cigarette break
It's like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife
It's meeting the man of my dreams
And then meeting his beautiful wife
And isn't it ironic...don't you think
A little too ironic...and, yeah, I really do think...

It's like rain on your wedding day
It's a free ride when you've already paid
It's the good advice that you just didn't take
Who would've thought... it figures

Life has a funny way of sneaking up on you
Life has a funny, funny way of helping you out
Helping you out

COLONOSCOPY

Hi, it's me...I'm back.  The endoscopy and colonoscopy procedures were scheduled for 8AM and I was instructed to arrive one hour early. As I was anesthetized I have no memory of the procedure.  I do know that I started getting hungry last evening, and I was hungry when I woke up this morning. So, I headed to Mariano's Market for a BIG DELICIOUS SPINACH SALAD with a myriad of toppings after my release from the hospital at 10:00AM.

I was not looking forward to this procedure, but I didn't go 'kicking and screaming'

INITIAL COLONOSCOPY RESULTS:

Although I left the hospital with two sheets of paper regarding the colonoscopy and endoscopy results, they don't mean much too me.  A 5mm polyp was found which I am led to understand is in itself not a gigantic issue. Some diverticula was found, and this too, is not a major issue as best I understand at this time.  And finally, the report indicated that my terminal ileum appeared normal (and I am writing this sentence having no idea what that is - I will look it up later.)

The initial endoscopy report noted a small hernia.  (Again, until I speak with my doctor, I don't know what to make of this)  The doctor found evidence that I might have 'Barrett's esophagus.' The report also noted that my stomach and duodenum were normal.  Obviously I need to speak with my doctor to find out what any of this really means.



 THURSDAY MENU
breakfast  4 cups chicken broth, 1 package Jello-o Gelatin                                    60 calories
lunch        8 cups chicken broth, 2 packages Jell-o Gelatin                                  120 calories
dinner       4 cups chicken broth, 1 package Jell-o Gelatin                                     60 calories

total calories consumed 240 calories

CALORIES BURNED
12 Midnight (long before the Colonoscopy Preparations began)  32 minutes elliptical 532 calories

Thursday net calories 292 calories

Following the protocols for preparing for a colonoscopy certainly agree with someone who is trying to lose weight.  Nevertheless, I do not recommend it.