Small victories...

It hasn't taken long. In just the first couple of weeks post-surgery I've begun to see small changes that are ultimately going to add up to a huge victory. It's exciting, yes. But like a no-hitter in the bottom of the fifth, I'm almost afraid to mention them for fear of causing a texas-leaguer to drop in right over the shortstop's outstretched hand.
Had my first outing last Thursday night. Went to watch my beloved Yellow Jackets play Jacksonville State. Obviously the new coach's new offense putting 41 points on the board made the fatigue and heat worthwhile. But, again, I noticed small things pointing towards very exciting things. I walked better than I have in years (my bride has confirmed this.) If it hadn't been for the heat and humidity I think my energy level would've stayed quite high. It's hard to stay hydrated when you can only take small sips of water (it becomes especially pleasant when your bottle of water is hot by the 2nd quarter.) But overall it went well and I could definitely tell things are on the upswing.
Clothes. Oh man, they're starting to hang off of me. Especially the shorts I live in this time of year. I'm at a loss what to do about it. I'm not going to buy new stuff that in a very short while will be big as well. I do have some stuff I haven't gotten into in a while. Problem is, they're mostly suits. As mentioned in prior entries, I'm not really a suit guy. I guess I could become Cary Grant and be very dapper everywhere I go. Nah......dapper's never been my style. Now that I think about it, I also have a few pairs of jeans I'd grown out of. That'll be more my style, but not 'til cool weather gets here. Until then the world might just have to get a few glimpses of "Uncle Tim's hiney" (my niece's exclamation when I started to swim out of my bathing suit when we took her up to the pool a few weeks ago.)
Comfort. I actually curled up in a ball in my recliner the other night. I drew my knees up close to my chest and sat like a normal person. Now you're thinking "yeah,,that's real exciting." You have to remember I'm someone who's had zero mobility and suffered from swollen legs and feet and constantly aching knees. Not trying to whine - them's just the facts! All I could stand to do was lie here in the recliner like a beached whale with my legs flailing all over the living room. There was a time when my legs retained so much fluid they burst open with water blisters and I couldn't stand for one leg to touch the other. So it's a wonderful thing to be able to sit however I choose to.
Along those same lines, sleeping is much easier. Just this amount of weight lost has made lying in the bed such an easier task. I can actually turn over without grabbing the headboard and yanking my enormous self over onto the other side. The other night (drum roll) I woke up lying on my back! And I wasn't suffocating! Now I have asthma which is always going to be around regardless of my weight. I can't lie absolutely flat without gasping. BUT I was lying on my back with my head propped up by pillows. Amazing.
Yesterday I drove my bride's Tahoe for the first time in a while. Previously, when I drove her Tahoe, I had to tilt the steering wheel all the way to the top so as to accommodate my sizable gut. Yesterday, out of habit, I put it up there and immediately thought "I can't reach the wheel..do I need to move the seat up?" It then occurred to me that the problem wasn't with the seat but with the wheel being too high. My stomach wasn't there anymore. I dropped the steering wheel down to the same level where she keeps it. Dear God - I'm become less freakish by the day! As soon as these scars heal my career in underwear modeling is ready to take off! (I'll be the guy in the Sears catalogue going to get the morning paper in his BVD's.)
Please don't be frightened...I'm not seriously considering a career in underwear modeling. I had gastric bypass..not a face lift.