Friday, November 22, 2013

Kinda Crispy Lookin'


For the past several months I've been gaining weight. As in fifty or more pounds. Honestly, it has been more than I can bear - I just cannot carry around anymore. I can't walk across the room without getting winded. Any time I eat anything, it cuts into my breathing. There just ain't room.

Of course, it's water weight.

I've even been cutting way way back on portions - like I should have been for years. And now my insulin resistance has changed markedly - it takes a lot less to do the same thing. Which has gotten me in trouble a couple times - hypoglycemia is not my friend. I've considered lap band surgery in the past, but the biggest problem is that there are no "providers" in this area. Wichita, Topeka, Denver, OKC  and KC no problem. Here not so much.

Plus all this weight gain has caused me another problem - been having trouble with a pinched nerve killing feeling in my legs when I'm at home wearing underwear and a tshirt. Relaxing uniform of the day for this fat boy. Fully clothed for whatever reason does not bother me, other than not having the wind necessary to do a damn thing.

So, when the front of my thighs started going numb, I'd park my butt on a chair for a few minutes and go on about my bidness. Sunday night I gambled on making it to the ol' easy chair in front of the tv rather than having a pit stop at the kitchen table. It didn't work. My legs buckled and my butt landed on my heels. I hypercompressed the ol' toes, the foot against the ankle, and just plain exceeded the design specs of said feet.

It really didn't hurt very bad, and I was able to regain my feet in short order. I iced the left foot quite a bit, but was really quite shocked to see what you see a  couple days later. The other foot - the toes were bent back, but not badly.

So, just try to walk around without using your toes. I had an appointment for Monday, but could not see walking that far into my doctor's office. Rescheduled, by golly. Had to postpone some other appointments as well - one with my chiropractor, who had been trying to ease the nerve pinching. It's about been all I can do just to walk from one side of the house to the other, so I guess it's been just as well that my diuretics have been failing. Lots less traveling, as it were.

I went into the office with a mission - I'm tired of living like this, I have tried dieting, and even now it's not working for me. I've gotta do something, or my time is extremely limited here. I wanted a recommendation from her for a weight loss surgeon, procedure or whatever, as well as figuring out what's going on with the water retention. Not all that swelling is from bruising - my ankles and calves weren't affected by this fall. That's just water, period. You aren't seeing how my skin is erupting in blisters that are oozing fluid.

Got the advice and more. She admitted me into the hospital, where they've been x-raying and so forth, blood testing for a jillion different things, got me hooked to a Foley catheter and giving me diuretics intravenously. Congestive heart failure is the main diagnosis. Anemic, slightly higher than normal liver creatine levels, antibiotics for the infection in my foot, you name it.

Things are already progressing for the better, and there are gonna be some changes made as well. If I've got to drive to Wichita for weight counseling all the time, so be it. Otherwise, I might as well kiss my arse goodbye.

Not ready to do that yet.

14 comments:

HEATHER said...

Oh goodness Jeffro! I will keep you in my prayers!

Jess said...

You have my prayers, and confidence, my friend.

Unknown said...

You are certainly in my prayers Jeff. Hang in there my friend!

threecollie said...

OMG, that looks insanely painful. I hope and pray that you will be able to work through this to a healthier and happier future. Take care...

Laura said...

I hope you feel and get better soon. And I wager the best way for that to happen would be to get a physician to properly treat you. Hang in there.

jed said...

Dang Jeffro!

My 1st thought was, "What did you drop, and from how high?" As always, thanks for the visual. ;)

Hope they get you fixed up quick, and on to a program that works. Driving to Wichita ain't so bad, is it? Beats having your pecker fitted with plumbing, I think.

SteveK said...

Hi Jeff. Really sorry to hear you're in the hospital! I'll keep you in my thoughts & prayers, and hope your condition improves real soon and you can go home.

Best wishes,
Cousin Steve

Anonymous said...

Wish you a good doctor and an simple-to-treat diagnosis.
Please get well.

lisa said...

Well, you take care of yourself, because a life is worth a hell of a lot! You have my prayers and well wishes!

Nuckle Kim said...

Dang it Nephu, that foot looks like you've been walking over the coals of hell. I think you have really poor circulation in your feet because of the water retention. This makes wounds really slow to heal. I've been there. Your resolve to do something is commendable and I think you really mean it this time. Stomach banding has really worked for a friend in Texas. He and his wife both had it done and have lost 184lbs collectively. I have lost 30lbs since Jan 1st by using a smart phone app called "Lose it". If you have a smart phone--check it out. Really works for me.

If you'll permit me to speak like a grumpy old Uncle, "Pump up your intestinal(no pun intended)
fortitude this time and do it!" We want you around a few more years--and you certainly don't want to check our before you old Uncle does--how embarrassing! Let me know if I can help.

No. said...

Jeffro ... man, I've been there, and though I didn't approach that level of a bad look (most I got to was 479 lbs, at 6'2"), I had the whole schmere from swollen ankles and shortness of breath if I took a few steps, etc. I was under consideration for a lap band or gastric bypass. Year before last I was almost pre-diabetic.

Then I remembered some books recommended over at Instapundit, a couple of books by the author Gary Taubes, and ordered both of them from Amazon(dot)com. The first one, and the one I'd really recommend, is "Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It" ... it covers the same ground as the second book "Good Calories, Bad Calories: Fats, Carbs, and the Controversial Science of Diet and Health", which is a lot more technical. But both cover the same ground.

I know, I bought and read both of them. Then I took the advice in them and changed to a better diet, and I lost 60-70lbs in the first six months. Easiest weight I ever took off. I recommend both books, but I really really really recommend the first one, "Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It".

In the mean time, if you order a book or two and are waiting for them, you can check out Gary Taubes on YouTube, there are some very good video talks he's given with a lot of the same info in it. Please at least check them out.

Guy I know just had to have his foot surgically removed as a result of such things. You don't want that, I'm sure. So please, please, please take a look at the stuff by Gary Taubes. If you let it, it'll change your life. :)

No. said...

Me again, Jeffro ... didn't know if Blogger allows the posting of links and I wanted to get the previous post to you in the worst way. So this second post has a link for the particular talk that Gary Taubes gave that made me think he knew what he was talking about: ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6vpFV6Wkl4 ... I hope that comes through, if not:

http : / / www . youtube . com / watch ? v = M6vpFV6Wkl4 ... just removed the spaces and you should be able to reassemble the link. Good luck, man.

Dad Bones said...

I think you've still got a lot of stories left in you, Jeffro, that people want to hear so I hope you can hold on to that foot. If you can't I guess I'd be thinking, well it's my left foot so I'll still be able to drive an automatic.

I can appreciate the difficulty of trying to change eating habits that have worked well over a lifetime. You're not a worn out old geezer, though. Your life force is coming through loud and clear on The Poor Farm. But it looks like freezing rain changing to snow and you're coming into a sharp curve with a full load much faster than you should be. It would be the end for a lot of drivers but if anyone can get through it I think you can.

Jess said...

We had a meeting at your fan club headquarters. After careful consideration, too much alcohol, a small fire and Buster getting arrested, we realized nobody wished you a happy Thanksgiving.

Since I was last to leave, I'm responsible for the task.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!