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

Wednesday Weigh-In 20250422

I've stopped exercising and starting eating sweets right after supper. Hence the increase in the numbers. I'm surprised they aren't higher!

Weight = 181.6 lb.
Fat = 23.6%
BMI = 28.44
Waist = 42.0"
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 20250404

Some of the January Weigh-Ins don't include the body fat percentage. It's not that I'm ashamed to reveal that information. Rather it's a quirk of the Body Composition Bath Scale that I use. The device uses weight as an index to the user's parameters. I had lost enough weight since I configured the scale that it didn't find my parameters!

Weight = 176.2 lb.
Fat = 25%
BMI = 27.59
Waist = 41.25"
Height = 5' 7"

References:

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

Only 56

“But She’s Only 56 Years Old!” exclaimed the doctor.

I had just told him that my wife’s wishes are Do Not Resuscitate, and I requested just comfort measures in the ER.  I described the many years of chronic pain that she suffered for more than a decade.

My wife is one of many civilian casualties in the war on drugs.

As activity on my wife continued (vital signs, full body CT scan, blood tests, health insurance network and benefits), I pondered the doctor’s comment.  How old should a patient be for a doctor to not respond that way?  What’s the implicit minimum age requirement for a DNR?

My guess is if a person has reached the life expectancy for his or her demographic, the request would draw little reaction.

“But she’s only 82 Years Old!”¹ would be a strange response to a DNR order, for example.  But why?  Do we think it’s a waste of time and effort to take heroic measures if she’s supposed to be dead about now anyway?  No, that’s not it.  What matters more is the likelihood of an 82 year old woman surviving the procedure.

A decision on life-saving measures could be made based on the patient’s Apparent Age, or how old a patient looks.  If a patient appears to be 10 or more years older than he or she really is, it’s likely that it indicates poor health.² So if my wife looked 66, perhaps the doctor wouldn’t have reacted with such conviction.

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¹ Life expectancy for a woman living in the USA is about 82 according to https://www.worldometers.info/demographics/life-expectancy/

² https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3019310/

Wednesday Weigh-In 20250219

Just another Weigh-In...

Weight = 174.2 lb.
Fat = 24.5%
BMI = 27.28
Waist = 40.75"
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 20250131

Just another Weigh-In.... Unfortunately, the Percent Body Fat is not working today.

Weight = 168.8 lb.
Fat = 24.9%
BMI = 26.43
Waist = 40.75"
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 20250127

Just another Weigh-In.... Unfortunately, the Percent Body Fat is not working today.

Weight = 170.8 lb.
Fat = 24.9%
BMI = 26.75
Waist = 40.75"
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 20250120

Just another Weigh-In...

Weight = 175.8 lb.
Fat = 24.9%
BMI = 27.53
Waist = 41"
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 20250116

Just another Weigh-In...

Weight = 176.4 lb.
Fat = 25.6%
BMI = 27.63
Waist = 41"
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 20250113

Just another Weigh-In...

Weight = 177.4 lb.
Fat = 25.2%
BMI = 27.78
Waist = 41"
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 20250106

Just another Weigh-In...

Weight = 174.8 lb.
Fat = 24.9%
BMI = 27.37
Waist = 41"
Height = 5' 7"

References:

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