It’s been over a week since I had to do an insulin injection. I only had to take metformin 6 of the last 14 days.
Amazing!
NSV: Small Drape
You know the drape that the hairdresser puts around you when you get your hair cut? I went and got my hair done today, and my hairdresser said I was now in the smaller side drape. I used to be in the largest drape!
These non-scale victories aren’t huge, but with the weight coming off so slowly, they lift my spirits.
NSV: Trash
I took the trash out today. This may not sound like a big deal, but for many years now, taking the trash bag from the kitchen to the trash cans outside has been a job for the kids or for Rio, because my back hurt so bad to even walk that short distance. Today I chose to take the trash out. It is about 30-40 yards from the front door to the trashcan. Not far, but normally that would cause me enough pain that I didn’t do it. Today I decided to do it because I was having a lower pain day. My back started hurting more right as I got back to the front door. But I did it, and it was another step in my mobility journey.
Reduction in Medication
Every morning I check my blood sugar. Depending on the level, I take a Metformin pill. Almost every day since surgery I’ve had to take one. However, this week there have been three days when I didn’t have to because my blood sugar level was low enough. Another NSV!
And the goal of this whole thing…
Remember why I signed up for this journey? My back pain?
Pain is a funny thing. When it’s there, you know it, and it can consume you. But when it’s not there, sometimes it doesn’t strike you right away. That’s what’s happened with me over the last few weeks.
A few days ago I walked outside and over to the side of my property with the kids, to reposition some security camera stuff. I stood there for a few minutes working with them, and walked back. I needed to sit down after a bit of standing, but for the most part I didn’t have much pain. A bit, but nothing that made me stress too much.
Over the last couple of weeks I’ve found myself getting off my stool in the kitchen, walking to another part of the kitchen, and standing there to do something. May sound mundane, but in the past I would have rolled the stool along with me and sat down. But instead I stood with relatively little pain.
I’ve been moving around more, and have less pain in general.*
Wow, this thing might actually be working!
* Caveat: A few days ago I did something nasty to my neck, and have been having pain associated with that. It’s slowly getting better. While it’s annoying, it’s not like my back pain, which lingers, but is a “one-off”, and will get better.
More creeping along, two new NSVs
Weight is slowly coming off. Down 38 lbs since surgery, 72 overall. Amazing.
NSV (non-scale victory) #1. I’ve been in size 13 underwear forever. I moved to size 12 after some initial pre-op weight loss. I’ve continued to wear those, although they’ve been getting looser and looser. I pre-bought some smaller sized underwear months ago. Yesterday I wore a size 9. Pretty cool.
NSV (non-scale victory) #2. This is me, with a towel wrapped around me enough to stay on by itself. I actually can’t remember the last time I could do this. Maybe college?
I guess I should have been taking body measurements all this time, because I am definitely significantly smaller.
Steady, plus an NSV
Haven’t posted in a while because I’m kind of holding steady. I had weighed in at 248 and then spent three weeks going between 248 and 251: now I weigh in at 246, and I’m going back-and-forth between 246 and 249. The trend is right, but it’s so slow!
An NSV (non-scale victory): went to a baseball game for the first time in two years, and sitting in a regular seat was not horribly uncomfortable for the first time in my memory. I actually fit! Didn’t feel all smushed in! And Rio and I could sit next to each other without feeling like we had to lean away from each other because we were so smashed. Small victories.
Another NSV: Shower
We’re staying at Rio’s sister’s. This morning I took a shower. May not seem like a big deal, but I was able to take a whole shower without needing to sit down because of back pain.
No seat belt extender!
An NSV (non-scale victory) on our trip to Montana: didn’t need a seat belt extender for the first time in about 15 years!
No Insulin for 2 weeks!
I just realized that it’s been 2 weeks since my blood sugars were at a level that I needed to take insulin. However my A1C is a bit higher (6.2), so we may tighten controls so I will need to take it again. We’ll see. But I’m still happy with the progress.