NINE MILES

I remember so well that day in early April when I was taking an urban hike in Bloomington, Illinois and how much pain and discomfort I felt.  The last two miles of that hike were painful and proved to me finally that something was wrong with me. I spent two hours keeping ice on my abdomen thinking that would help.  Ice is not the cure for a hernia. Rest is not the cure for a hernia. Only surgery is the cure for a hernia.  It was less than one week ago when I had my surgery.  I have followed the advice of my doctor and I have not lifted anything weighing more than 15 pounds.  I have also followed the advice that I could walk as much as I pleased as long as I felt no pain or discomfort.  Yesterday, I 'walked' nine miles on the treadmill. It was a bonafide workout. My speed was set to 4.2 miles per hour - which is very close to my top speed of 4.5 mph. After two sessions of 65 minutes each - I had accumulated 9 miles. It felt so good to be breaking a sweat. 

Your Food Diary For:

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
3 Egg Omelette - Ham and Cheese, 1 Omelette	400	1	30	40	1,225	0
Kirkland - Pre-Cooked Bacon	240	0	18	18	1,050	0
	640	1	48	58	2,275	0
L U N C H
Pepperidge Farm - Sourdough Bread, 4 slice	480	88	6	16	880	8
Sensational Seafood Salad	380	18	28	18	960	6
	860	106	34	34	1,840	14
D I N N E R
Homemade - Chicken Breast	360	0	0	0	0	0
Spaghetti With Meat Sauce	480	126	3	21	0	0
	840	126	3	21	0	0
S N A C K S
Nature Valley - Oats 'n Honey Crunchy Granola Bar, 2 bars	190	29	6	4	160	12
Apples, 1 medium apple	80	22	0	0	0	16
	270	51	6	4	160	28
Totals	2,610	284	91	117	4,275	42
Your Daily Goal	2,867	358	95	144	2,300	107
Remaining	257	74	4	27	-1,975	65
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 937 extra calories from exercise today

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Your Exercise Diary for:

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
MATRIX TREADMILL	65	596
MATRIX TREADMILL	65	608
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	-267
Daily Total / Goal	131 / 30	937 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	316 / 210	1,663 / 4,130

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THE FIRST 48 HOURS AFTER SURGERY

It is hard for me to know precisely where my discomfort is coming from now. I have had the hernia surgery and a mesh has been placed over the torn muscles so that my no part of my intestines are poking about where they should not be. I either am no longer feeling pain in my abdomen or imagining that I no longer feel pain in my abdomen. I believe most of my discomfort is localized in my belly button area where the surgeon made one of his incisions. It is still difficult to sit up, sit down, sneeze or cough. When I am actually walking, moving about, I don't feel so bad. I have stopped taking the pain medication because I guess I don't feel enough pain. I think that the physical discomfort that I do feel should be utilized to more accurately assist me in assessing my rate of healing. I feel that it will not be a good idea to further mask the discomfort. I have not lifted anything heavier than a gallon of milk, and that it going to be the biggest challenge going forward. Not attempting to over-exert myself based on doctors orders. I certainly do not want to risk causing the surgery repair to fail.

Your Food Diary For:

Saturday, April 30, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Special K - Original	480	92	2	24	880	16
Sage - Red Delicious Apple, 1 medium apple	95	25	0	1	2	19
	575	117	2	25	882	35
L U N C H
Omelette With Ham, Spinach and Swiss Cheese	600	9	33	64	696	2
	600	9	33	64	696	2
D I N N E R
Roundy's Organics - Cheese Pizza	560	74	16	32	1480	2
	560	74	16	32	1480	2
Totals	1,735	163	44	105	2,317	38
Your Daily Goal	1,930	241	64	97	2,300	72
Remaining	195	78	20	-7	-17	33
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar

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SURGERY SURVIVOR

Well it appears that I will have to pay for my surgery.  I survived.  Would it not be an improvement in the field of medicine if in the rare cases when the patient dies on the operating table, that at least one would not have to pay for the surgery? I think that Dr. Nick Riviera from the Simpsons has the right attitude regarding this.  Anyway, as I mentioned I did survive. So...I am grateful that I will have to pay for the surgical repair done early this morning.

A revolutionary idea in the field of medicine proposed by the writers of The Simpsons.

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My wife, Jennifer, drove us to the clinic and we left promptly at 5:30AM.  We arrived at the clinic just a few minutes before 6:00AM. It was a re-assuring feeling that the people at the clinic were expecting me.  I do usually get annoyed when I try to check into a hotel and they can't find my reservation - that was not the issue yesterday.  I was almost immediately prepped for surgery.  My surgeon arrived precisely on time at 6:55AM.  I was wheeled into the operating room at 7:04AM.  Including my surgeon there were five people in the room aside from me. Everyone was busy doing something. The last thing I remember was being given oxygen which either had a sweet smell (or I imagined it).  The next thing I remember, I was awake back in first room and my wife was there asking how I was feeling. I was given some juice and cookies. (animal crackers).  My last function before I was released was that I had to prove that I could successfully urinate. By 930AM we were on on our way back home. Once I returned home, I think I was half sleeping and half awake for about 4 hours. One thing that I can report, is that although no pain has yet to establish itself - I am not finding it easy to move. My hope is that the recovery curve will look something like the global warming hockey sticks graph that Al Gore is so fond of when he is irrationally screaming that planet earth is doomed due to radical increases of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere in a short period of time. In my case, I am hopeful that my abilities to move about will increase at very fast levels as a function of time. I guess I am about to find out.

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Your Food Diary For:

Thursday, April 28, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
3 Egg Omelette - Ham and Cheese, 1 Omelette	400	1	30	40	1,225	0
Kirkland - Bacon	240	0	18	18	1,050	0
	640	1	48	58	2,275	0
L U N C H
Quaker - Chewy Granola Bar	200	38	4	2	150	16
Weight Watcher's - Cabbage Soup	100	10	0	2	79	6
Homemade - Crockpot Pot Roast	300	0	5	15	273	0
	600	48	10	19	502	22
D I N N E R
Orecchiette Pasta, 0.75 cup	300	62	2	11	0	3
Beet Gemelli Salad	150	31	1	5	0	2
Teriyaki Salmon Steaks	540	6	16	93	730	10
	990	98	18	109	730	15
S N A C K S
Entenmann's little bites - Little Bites	190	27	9	2	135	17
	190	27	9	2	135	17
Totals	2,420	175	85	188	3,642	53
Your Daily Goal	2,413	301	80	121	2,300	90
Remaining	-7	126	-4	-66	-1,341	36
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 483 extra calories from exercise today

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AMAZINGLY USELESS FACT:
Today the  MARC JACOBS WEIGHT LOSS JOURNAL is publishing its 500th post. I am certain that at least a dozen of them have been interesting.  Perhaps if I was being charitable to myself, perhaps even two dozen. I try to be at least a little bit interesting every day. At least I try to try.

My last session on the treadmill prior to surgery on Friday morning