My Recent News....

As you all know, I don't post too often, but I do read constantly.  I try to respond when I think that what I have to say is worth saying....but I do want you all to know that I think that the information shared by you all is always quite relevant.  Well, I thought I would tell my most recent story!!!   As most of you might remember, I ended up gaining weight (got up to 174 pounds).  I wasn't happy, I was quite down..and I posted about my dispear.  I could deal with 165 lbs, I longed for 155 lbs, and I fantasized about 145lbs.   PART ONE: Well, two weeks ago, on a Monday evening I was watching Valerie Bertinelli on Oprah.  As I was watching the show (very interesting..her life, her weight, etc...).. I started feeling sick. Within the hour, I wa**** head-on with a FLU.  I had to go out, TOPS for my weekly weigh-in (170).  I got home at 6:00 and was in bed by 6:15.  Slept straight through till Tuesday.  Trudged off to work, slept during my breaks, got home at 2:00 and went to bed... Did the same on Wednesday.  Feeling awful, I decided to take Thursday off.  Slept all day, slept all night.  Went to school on Friday, and taught one class..then ended up going home sick the rest of the day.  Over the weekend, however, I started feeling better.  Granted with all the sleeping, there wasn't much chance of eating.  No appetite for anything but sleep. So, I knew I lost a few pounds (based on the home scale). PART TWO: On Friday, one of my teachers handed me the recent People Magazine and she wanted me to read an article about an actor who wieghed 300 plus, had surgery, weighs 190.  Talked about how he has problems finding acting jobs..because he is now normal...not "special".  Well, as I was laying in bed (10:30pm) I was awoken by a revelation.  I will never be as thin as I want to be.  If I were as thin (pound-wise) as I want... I would look sickly and anorexic.  I will never be handsome or attractive like Brad Pitt (granted he weighs more then I do).  I will never be 25 again...and I will never be buff (not my body type).  I am not special anymore because I am so fat... I am average (at times below average).  Instead of constantly looking at where I was, I need to look at where I am...and where I am going.  I need to be healthy...not "thin".  I need to be special..because I am special.. BAM!!!  Now to keep that in my head!!! PART THREE: Well, I got up Monday morning, dressed in my thin pants (lost enough weight to fit into them again...) and was feeling fine.  Had my bowl of oatmeal (shared with the dog)..then suddenly, threw it all up.  Didn't think much of it....  Got to school...and threw up again.  Well, from Monday morning on.... I spent most days throwing up.  Couldn't hold a cracker in my system let alone water.  Very embarrassing running out of class..to go throw up...  Well, I decided to take Thursday off (a new habit) and spend the day in bed...  Which I did.  Got up Friday morning, got to school, made substitute plans...and left.  Went to the emergency room.  I got in at 6:30am.  After several IVs, a gastric ****tail, morphine, etc...  I had x-rays, ultra-sounds, and CAT scans.  Spending most of the day "lounging" and resting...around 3:00pm, the doctor finally told me that I am the proud papa of several kidney stones (8mm).  They planned to release me with some medication (pain medicatoin...but not enough!!!!)..and I have to set up an appiontment on Monday to see what they want to do about them.  REMOVE THEM!!!! is my opinion...get me healthy!!!!  Stop the pain!!!! Needless to say, it has been awful two weeks, having problems eating...losing weight, etc...  Now, I just want to get healthy!!!!  Never a dull moment, huh!!!!    

I had to have a Kidney stone removed 3 weeks before my rny because they said it would cause complications if i didnt and mine was only 4mm, i can only imagine what your going through.  Definately have it removed because you wont be able to pass one that big.  Also i was told to make sure i get in plenty of fluids post op because if not it will cause more stones.  As far as your weight loss issue, only you know how you feel and look and to worry about what you look like or weigh just remember you took this journey to be healthy and thats the most important thing.  Good Luck! Don

Sorry to here your pain with the kidney stones my friend.  I have been there and done that a couple of times.  I actually had to have surgery twice because mine were so bad.  Make sure you followup with a Urologist, this is someone who can actually do something about your dilema.  Pain medication is your friend, not the enemy - for sure.  As a man, and as a nurse, I am telling you that having kidney stones is the closest thing that a man will ever experience to giving birth, as in a woman giving birth to a child.  Kidney Stones are painful as hell, Period, Painful As Hell.  You said it best at the end of your post, Remove Them - Be sure and let your urologist know you are at that point where you want them out.  Trust me, you will feel one hundred percent better once they come out.  It will be like a little bit of heaven.  Taz  

Hi Daniel, Sorry to hear about your kidney stones and best of luck with your recovery. When I read your summary, a couple of things come to mind ---- your desire to get healthy and your comment that your body type doesn't allow you to "be buff."  Along with nutritional eating, exercise and physical activity is the key to getting healthy or "getting buff" if that's your goal. Since you wrote a nutritional cookbook, I presume you've got the eating part well in hand. So, my question to you is how much exercising do you do? As you're finding out, being thin does not equate to being healthy. Make no mistake about it, exercising /physical activitiy is required in order to be "healthy." Boner

Kidney Stones are painful. I had one when I was 23, but I think it was only about 4 mil. I remember laying on my back on the floor while waiting for the pain medication to kick in. Hated peeing through a strainer, but it didn't hurt when it came out.