5 months

As of May 1st - I have lost 94 lbs. 376 sticks of grade A butter. Folks, I am almost at the century mark. So close, yet it seems so far away. I had a check-up with Dr. Valentine and everything looks good. I was warned that the weight-loss would start slowing down. (8-10 lbs average a month is what I can start to expect). I was also told about plateaus. I really didn't need to be told, as I experienced my first one. I didn't lose a single pound for almost 14 days. Now most would be thinking "well that's not bad, why are you complaining...look how much you have lost". And it really isn't - but up until this point, I have been consistently dropping pounds like hot potatoes. I know there is a "magic window" where optimal weight-loss occurs. Statistics show that people lose about 80% of what weight they will lose overall within the 1st 6 months following surgery. I hate that the honeymoon period is coming to an end. So there is a need to change my mindset/expectations as things slow down. I need to be more patient. I also think this is the time where I really have to start to deal with all the "other" things that contributed to my fluffiness. Things like coping mechanisms and how most of mine relate to food. (Well that, and the fact that I actually feel hungry sometimes). If I am happy, I want to eat. If I am sad, I want to eat. I equate socialization with food (girls lunch bunch or date night, bbq's...that sort of thing). While I now cannot physically scarf down 1/2 a pan of brownies - it doesn't mean that I don't crave them. But it's interesting that I am noticing the cravings for what they are. And don't even get me started about PMS cravings...no amount of stomach bypass can eliminate those :) I find that on most days, I crave salt (which is new for me). But I must admit, I find myself a little frustrated that the scale is slowing down.

The other thing that has happened is that I have decided to run the Dirty Dash 10K this summer (end of August) with Trace and some family and friends. I am anxious to get that part of my life back. This race is right up my alley. It's all about having fun and challenging yourself. In my bright mind, I decided to start running. Not training - but I wanted to see how my body would react to a jog. So I ran 1/2 mile. Nothing serious. Other than asthma, my body and muscles felt great. Things were moving together. But then it happened. I got a little pain in the top of my left hip. It was the same faint pain that I have been getting off and on since I started working out after the surgery. It wasn't in the hip joint, but on the top crest part of the hip. Nothing major - it was more of an annoying pain. After the short jog, I went and played volleyball. The hip pain kept getting worse, but I played through assuming the pain was chalked up to the "your body isn't what it used to be" reason. By the time I went to bed, I couldn't sleep because the pain was so intense. It hurt to move, it hurt to lay down, I was miserable. By the time I got up, both sides of my hips were hurting. Every step I took, it felt like someone was stabbing me with an icepick. I walked like E.T. (and said Oooouch) Working out for the next week wasn't even an option, as I couldn't even walk normal.

I finally decided enough was enough, and went to a chiropractor. I went in thinking it was my TFL muscle...but it appears to be the iliopsoas muscle group. The hard thing is - the one set of muscles that can't be easily reached, and that remain "flexed" most of the time - is the group that decided to wreak havoc on me. We are still in the beginning phases as to what type of therapy to use. It looks like it will be a process of elimination. So first, we have to work on decompressing my lower back because apparently that can be a problem (same problem I have had for the past 14 years...but who's counting?), which can create bigger problems - such as hip issues. Deep tissue massage therapy is also something that the Dr thinks will help. My big issue with all of this?!? Time. The time it takes for these things to heal can be painstakingly slow. Time is something that I don't have. I need to exercise to help with plateaus. I need to start training for the 10k pretty quick (within the next 3 weeks) if I want to be ready. I haven't worked out for 2 weeks now - and I still have pain every time I take a step, especially right after I stand up. Tomorrow I am going to try some yoga and see if I can tolerate that. I am just afraid that my body, because it has been under so much stress, might take longer to heal. Getting old is stupid.

Where's E.T. when you need him? Can't he just say Oooouch and heal me? Please.