Wednesday Weigh-In 20250610

I've been "between jobs" for a few weeks. And yet I'm so busy! I've been getting out of bed early every day. Today I got up at 5:30am; yesterday, 6:15am. But I can't seem to keep up with all I set out to do. It seems that each activity spreads forward in time if there's nothing to contain it, such as an appointment. It's up to me to constrain the duration of my tasks. All of this is why I don't apply to jobs that call for excellent time management skills.

Waist = 42.75"
Height = 5' 7"

References:

1. Wikipedia BMI page
2. Balance Body Composition Bath Scale
3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Wednesday Weigh-In 20250526

Just another weigh-in

Waist = 43.0"
Height = 5' 7"

References:

1. Wikipedia BMI page
2. Balance Body Composition Bath Scale
3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Wednesday Weigh-In 20250515

It turned out that fluid has filled the area vacated by the hernia surgery. I'm just as uncomfortable as before, but I've been assured this will go away in a month. I wonder why one month -- is there a 30-day warranty on the operation?

Waist = 42.5"
Height = 5' 7"
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References:

1. Wikipedia BMI page
2. Balance Body Composition Bath Scale
3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Book Review: "My Bully, My Aunt, & Her Final Gift," Harold Phifer

This is a review of "My Bully, My Aunt, & Her Final Gift," by Harold Phifer.

This is a humorous account of the funeral of Aunt Kathy, the woman who raised the author.

The cast also includes the author’s older brother Jerry, who (unfairly) always got his aunt’s preferential treatment; the much younger brother, Thomas; and the mentally ill mother, with colorful and predictable ravings.

The story of the funeral itself is book-ended by the author’s recollections of his difficult childhood.  He’s treated unfairly by his Aunt Kathy, and I commiserated with him each time.  Yet the tone of the narration is more upbeat than bitter.  And the storytelling is smooth, fast-paced and laugh out loud funny in spots.

I was dismayed at first when I read the author’s bio, which says that he “bust tables.”  But then I decided to be less of a snob and just enjoy the book.  Which I did.

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This review was posted to LibraryThing on 2025-05-12.  More reviews can be found here.  I received a free copy of this book in order to write this review.

Wednesday Weigh-In 20250502

Here's the first weigh-in since the surgery

Waist = 42.5"
Height = 5' 7"

References:

1. Wikipedia BMI page
2. Balance Body Composition Bath Scale
3. Javascript must be enabled to view the data.

Post Op Brain Fog, or Self Abasement?

After Thursday’s surgery, I was advised to avoid making any important or legal decisions within 24 hours of the operation.  Is this because the anesthesia can cause cognitive impairment?  Or is it because the patient can be easily manipulated?

I think both are true.  

I’m old and recently laid off, so naturally I wonder if I can get a good-paying job in my technology-dense field.  So I began to fall victim to my negative self-talk.  On the second day after the surgery, I felt hopeless and despondent about ever recovering financially or cognitively.  It’s as if my darker side began to take advantage of my vulnerable state.  Fortunately I’m climbing out of that well of despair.  And as an added boost I just came across this Psychology Today article, which should help: “Rewire Your Brain and Create a Kinder Inner Dialogue”¹.

I’ve been taking an online course, but I haven’t noticed any degradation in my thought process.  Then again, my thought process wasn’t so great to start with!

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¹https://www.psychologytoday.com/za/blog/everyday-resilience/202504/rewire-your-brain-and-create-a-kinder-inner-dialogue

Hernia Surgery -- Finally!

I went through outpatient surgery yesterday to repair a double inguinal hernia.

I was surprised by my doctor's advice about lifting heavy objects.  I expected the weight limit to be 16 ounces (or 12 ounces as my cousin said while pretending to quaff a beer).  But no, my limit was 15 lbs!  That's a good surprise.

Another good surprise was that I didn't have any trouble lifting my legs or taking a deep breath.  I was especially concerned about the latter.

Another surprise, not so good, was that the Percocet caused hiccups.  The first episode began about 90 minutes after the first dose.  The experience was so disturbing that I decided not to take anymore.  Hiccups recurred about seven and a half hours after, waking me and keeping me awake from about 1:30 to 4:30 this morning.  Sometimes I'd have a "double hic" -- two in quick succession.  I found a paper online that said a 5mg dose of baclofen helped get rid of hiccups in a 64 year old patient.¹  I cut one of my wife's 10mg pills in half, took it, and was able to get to sleep about 20 minutes later.  So I found that to be true in my case, too.

The surgery involved a robotic laparoscopic device, and the procedure required inflating my abdomen with air.  Unfortunately, someone left the air inside!  My waist measures one inch more, but it's so firm that I walk around with my pants wide open and the belt loosened three inches.  I wear a hoodie to cover the indecency.

But aside from the bloating, I get pretty good pain control by alternating 1000mg Tylenol and 600mg Ibuprofen every 4 to 6 hours.  So I'm getting by without an opioid.

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¹https://doi.org/10.1080/15360288.2022.2157070