Things that just don't make sense.

Sometimes, things just don't make sense. Things that just are so crazy, that there is absolutely no explanation that makes sense. Nothing that makes it understandable. I am going through that right now. Not anything that personally affects me, but something that affects ones that I love.

I see a person that I love, again start making decisions, that alone won't hurt that person, but when one steps back and looks at the big picture, crushes the heart of many around them. Sure, the heart only hurts for a while, but when it does, the pain is like none other.

Why do people continue to be self-destructive, when there are so many that love them, and want with all their hearts to see them succeed? Why do people that are so incredibly talented, continue to surround themselves with people who just want to use them rather than with those who will prop them up? Why do people that could conquer the world with their abilities, continue to have so little confidence in their abilities?

I will quote an incredily young friend of mine, whom I respect immensly. That person wrote me a note one day and quoted an incredible author, They wrote "Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable and it keeps NO record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice, but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance."

That makes sense. Some other things do not.

Pre- Surgery Seminar

Monday evening my wife and I attended the Pre- Surgery Seminar. Two hours spent with Beth the Nutritionist and Roxi the Coordinator of the Program. I really like Roxi alot. The first hour was nutrition and what we will get to eat ( for the rest of our life) and more importantly pre and post surgery.

Ten Days prior to the surgery and 20 days post this will be my diet. Fasten your seat belts.

• Cream Soups (reduced fat, thinned)
• Tomato Soup (reduced fat, thinned)
• Broth (chicken or beef), Consumme or bouillon ( fancy words for broth)
• No sugar added Carnation Instant Breakfast
• Slimfast 2g Net Carbs (avoid Ensure or Boost)
• Tea or Coffee (limit amounts and decaf is best) (Not)
  
• Sugar Free Jello
• Diet Custard, sugar free low-fat puddings ( Now I am pretty much a custard expert. My All time favorite dessert is Creme Brulee. Is "Diet Custard" even custard. This one is just plain scary.)
  
• Low-fat sugar free Yogurt (without nuts, fruits or preserves) ( Probably really means without taste)
  
• Sugar free Popsicles
• Unsweetened fruit or vegetable juice (best to dilute half and half with water)
• Cream of wheat (thinned) ( Yummo!)
  
• Crystal Light, Sugar free Kool-aid
• AVOID Chocolate Milk and puddings made with whole milk
• AVOID carbonated beverages such as soda pop, club soda, sparkling water; caffeinated beverages, or alcoholic beverages.

That is one exciting menu. 30 days on liquids. Is diet custard even possible?

Roxi was next with the discussion of the surgery, schedules and what to expect. The surgery will be laproscopic so I will have 6 holes in me, one of which will be left open for a couple of days with a drain coming out to ensure no leakage from the staple sites. I should be home in three days with a one to three weeks recovery time. I was told to expect to be very tired and feel weak for a few days after surgery. Duh!

I actually was a very good meeting and I appreciate Beth and Roxi and their commitment to helping us.

Prayers for someone just like Briana.

Sometimes, when I want to test God, (I don't recommend testing God) but sometimes I do. I go to bed without setting my alarm. I pray and ask God to awaken me at a specific time. An odd specific time. Something that my body is not used to. I can honestly say, every time I have done this, God has shown Himself faithful. I always awaken 1 minute prior to the time I prayed for. One minute. I find it fascinating that God even answers our stupid little requests. Now when he answers a big request, something that one has been praying for, for a really long time. Then one gets to be blown away.

Today, I am announcing, that my son is in love. Yep, the "L" word. Smitten, head over heels in love. A father can only hope that his children grow to be productive adults and find a mate that will make his children better together, than they were alone. I have been blessed once by my Daughter finding Jonathan. Now I am doubly blessed, for Jason has found Briana, and this is where the answer to prayer part comes in.

We moved to New York in about 1995 and started going to a small country church in Burnt Hills, NY. The church had about 60-70 people. We met this family, Dale and Dixie King and his four blond daughters. I ended up as the youth (teen) pastor at this church and developed a very close relationship with this family. Briana and her sister Heather were always two of my favorites. Their inquisitiveness and desire to please God. The fact that they honored their parents and honored me as their Teacher. Heather even lived with my wife and I during a time in her life.

Here is where the prayer part comes in. From the time Briana was about 15 or 16, I prayed that my Son could find a girl or young women that was like her. Someone that was strong, smart and amazing. My son was a mess, living "La Vida Loca", but I kept praying for him and that someday he would find someone like Briana.

Fast forward 6 or 7 years and OH MY GOSH. My son has his act together, he is working like crazy, back in school and making plans for the future and he has found someone just like Briana. In fact, he found Briana. I could not be more pleased. It truly is amazing to see what God does when you go to Him humbly in prayer. Lord, I thank you for answering prayers.

Gastric Bypass Surgery from www.mayoclinic.com

Weight-loss (bariatric) surgery changes the anatomy of your digestive system to limit the amount of food you can eat and digest. The surgery aids in weight loss and lowers your risk of medical problems associated with obesity.

Gastric bypass is the favored bariatric surgery in the United States. Surgeons prefer this surgery because it's safer and has fewer complications than other available weight-loss surgeries. It can provide long-term, consistent weight loss if accompanied with ongoing behavior changes.

Gastric bypass isn't for everyone with obesity, however. It's a major procedure that poses significant risks and side effects and requires permanent changes in your lifestyle. Before deciding to go forward with the surgery, it's important to understand what's involved and what lifestyle changes you must make. In large part, the success of the surgery is up to you.


How is gastric bypass surgery done?


In gastric bypass (Roux-en-Y gastric bypass) the surgeon creates a small pouch at the top of your stomach and adds a bypass around a segment of your stomach and small intestine.
The surgeon staples your stomach across the top, sealing it off from the rest of your stomach. The resulting pouch is about the size of a walnut and can hold only about an ounce of food. The pouch is physically separated from the rest of the stomach. Then, the surgeon cuts the small intestine and sews part of it directly onto the pouch.

This connection redirects the food, bypassing most of your stomach and the first section of your small intestine, the duodenum (doo-o-DEE-num). Food enters directly into the second section of your small intestine, the jejunum (jay-JOO-num), limiting your ability to absorb calories. Even though food never enters the lower part of your stomach, the stomach stays healthy and continues to secrete digestive juices to mix with food in your small intestine.

Some surgeons perform this operation by using a laparoscope — a small, tubular instrument with a camera attached — through short incisions in the abdomen (laparoscopic gastric bypass). The tiny camera on the tip of the scope allows the surgeon to see inside your abdomen.


Compared with traditional "open" gastric bypass, the laparoscopic technique usually shortens your hospital stay and leads to a quicker recovery. Fewer wound-related problems also occur.

438

Four Hundred and Thirty Eight. 438. Quattro Tres Ocho. A number. I guess it would be ok if it were my lifetime batting average or number of home runs I hit. I maybe if it were the number of sit-ups that I did last week. I think my wife has 438 pair of shoes. But it is not one of those numbers. It is how much I weigh. Holy Crap – 438 pounds. 7008 Ounces. 199 Kilos. That doesn’t sound so bad. I don’t even know how I got here.

I don’t feel like a 400 pound man. Sure, my back hurts now and then. My ankles are swollen. I have high blood pressure. But, I don't have high cholesteral and I am not diabetic. When I look in the mirror, I don’t see a 400 pound man. I see Jim. Successful, happy, always smiling, never depressed. But there it is, on the scale. 438. So, what is to be done? Where am I going in life? How do I fix this? I am categorized as super morbidly obese. Super.

I am going to answer your obvious question now. Of course I have dieted. More than you could ever know. There was my 10 years in the Navy. I was always in “The Chub Club”. Had to exercise everyday after my work hours. Running, Sit-ups, always receiving 4.0 on my evaluations except for the Military Bearing part. That was a 3.2 because my neck wasn’t big enough. If only I could have a bigger neck. Then there was weight watchers. Lost 20, woo-hoo. Gained 30 back. How about the no dairy diet. Atkins, lost 80 there. Gained 110 back. Weight watchers again.

Ok – next was the medically monitored weight loss program. I paid $600.00, which was not covered by my insurance. Interesting that Insurance won’t pay for diet programs or smoking cessation, but gladly pay for all the side affects of Obesity and Smoking. They wanted to sell me Optifast, so I could live on liquids. Why is a medical doctor supplementing his Practice selling Optifast. I chose no to by the liquid crap, but followed a strict program with them. Lost 60 – Awesome. Gained 90 back. Bummer.

My daughter married last year and all of a sudden I was thinking about grandbabies. Thinking about the a lot. When I looked down at that scale, saw 438, I quickly realized that I wasn’t going to be around to see those grandbabies if I did not do something drastic. Sure I was relatively healthy now, but what would I be like in 10 years. Would I even be able to walk? Is that the way I want my grandkids to remember me? I think not, so I have decided to do something drastic. A major life-changing event.

I am going to have Gastric Bypass Surgery, and on top of that I am going to write about it. I am going to be open and honest, you will experience my ups and downs and hopefully I will find some comfort in these words and you can be following along in this journey. I covet your thoughts and prayers and comments as I go through this journey. I am blessed to have a great employer, with fantastic insurance. I have found a great Hot-Shot Doctor with an awesome team and I have a date. November 19, 2007 at 10:30 AM. That is the day and time. The day and time when my new life starts.