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February 11 Your Help RequiredOnce again, I have decided to participate in The Weekend to End Breast Cancer. For those of you who may not be familiar with the event, it is a 60K walk which takes place over 2 days. It is held in various cities (Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax) throughout Canada. This is the 3rd year this event will take place in Ottawa and the 3rd year I will participate. This year, I am lucky to be part of team called Bandsters for Boobies. The team started out with a few of us who have had lapband surgery and has expanded to include others as well.
One of the commitments I've made in registering for the Weekend is to raise $2000, which goes to the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation. To do this, I need your help. Please consider sponsoring me for the Weekend. You can donate by credit card at my Weekend to End Breast Cancer website, or you send me cash or a cheque (leave me a comment or send me an email for my contact info) and I will make the donation on your behalf. Tax receipts are issued for any donation of $10 or more. Your support is greatly appreciated. January 28 AcuDetoxToday, I started AcuDetox treatments. For those of you too lazy to click on the link, this involves having 5 acupuncture needles inserted into specific points in each ear. This is done every day (except weekends) for three weeks. This protocol has been successfully used to treat addictions and is supposed to provide other overall benefits. Let's see how it works on food addiction. We have been cautioned not to expect much change until the full course of treatment is completed. And that things might get worse before they get better.
Let me say this. Acupuncture needles, at least in the ears, hurt. Not a screaming in pain type of hurt, but still. And in fact, some of the people receiving the treatment did in fact cry out in pain (although there was no actual screaming).
I can't say exactly whether I have seen any benefits yet, and as I just said, this is not necessarily expected. However, I did notice that perhaps I had a little more energy today, in spite of being exhausted. Enough energy to haul my ass to a spinning class and get through the whole thing. Said ass is now screaming in pain, but since I only plan on spinning once a week, it will have a week to heal up. I guess I need to build up some butt callouses.
June 19 Lose Weight and Get Drunk FasterFor the last 2 weeks, on Monday night I have watched a show called Big Medicine. It's a show about a couple of doctors (father and son I believe), who are surgeons specializing in weight loss surgery. They show people going through the process of getting gastric bypass surgery, from the pre-surgery phases of getting insurance to fund the surgery through to the plastic surgery that seems to be inevitably required once they've lost the weight. Some of the people on this show are extremely overweight -- some as big as 1000 pounds.
I don't know much about gastric bypass surgery, but I know that it changes your biochemistry somehow. It's a drastic measure, this surgery. I don't quite understand how it works, since most people who have weight problems are using food to manage emotions, and simply making it impossible for you to eat large quantities of food doesn't help with the reason you were eating in the first place. But, it seems to work, although I wonder if people replace the food addiction with another addiction. Regardless, I understand why people do it. Being fat is no fun. Trying to lose weight is no fun.
One interesting little side effect of surgery that was investigated recently is the fact that people who have had gastric bypass surgery get drunk faster and stay drunk longer.
The study was apparently prompted by an episode of Oprah where the effects of alcohol on gastric bypass patients was a topic of discussion. It turns out to be true. The surgery apparently alters the way a person metabolizes alcohol.
I'm not sure if this should be considered a benefit, or a drawback, to having surgery. March 13 Something In the AirAnd it isn't a good something. Everybody around me is sick. I wake up every morning feeling like I've been hit by a truck (but apparently Serdic is responsible for that -- thanks man!). I swear to God, if I feel like I have a huge hangover every morning, I might as well start drinking so I can at least enjoy the drunkeness part too. Sheesh.
Cindy sounds like she's about to hack up a lung. A (my ex) has pneumonia. The guy in the cube next to me has pneumonia. Esteemed colleague AW has been home sick for 2 days now. My mom is sick. Britgal's back is out. Mir has been sick as a dog since Friday and has to miss volleyball. WWJD is apparently sick, and I fear for his ability to fully enjoy S&BJ day. I think maybe we should all just shut down for the week, go home and sleep. January 09 Sleep NakedSo, I'm reading Chatelaine, which this month contains a guide to your best year yet. Of course, all these magazines do this type of thing in their January issues. Anyway, it's just a bunch of quick little ideas for improving your mind, body, soul, etc. Nothing really earth shattering.
But I liked this one, which was listed under the "Soul" section.
Sleep Naked
The best way to get comfortable in your own skin is to shed the outer layers: Follow Marilyn Monroe's lead -- she once quipped that Chanel No. 5 was the only thing she wore to bed -- and slip into super-luxe sheets wearing nothing but a spritz of your favourite eau de parfum.
So, why not? Let's all sleep naked. Might have to put an extra blanket on the bed, but so what?
December 20 I Can See - Day 7This will probably be the last of the I Can See entries, since I can in fact see today. Not super well, but well enough to drive. I expect my vision will continue to sharpen up over the next few weeks, but so far, I'm reasonably happy. My near vision still isn't great -- quite blurry, making reading and blogging difficult, but my distance vision is decent.
The kids are back with me today, and then off to their grandparents tomorrow which will allow me to finish up my Christmas shopping. Their father and I will join them on Christmas Eve.
And and big shout out to D, who did a foolish amount of driving this past week taking me to my appointments and keeping me company when he didn't have to work. I very much appreciate it.  December 19 I Can See - Day 6Clearly those people at the clinic know what they're talking about. My eyes feel better today. Still sort of scratchy and dry, but overall quite tolerable. My vision is still not great, but I can tell that it's improving. It's amazing how quickly it does improve really. I had hoped to do some work today, but at 6:30 this morning when it was time for conference calls I felt pretty bad, so I opted to keep sleeping. Even now it's hard to type. Sometihng that required extended focus would be tough. MY distance vision is actually better than my near vision.
Today was the first day I was able to really look at myself since the surgery. Somehow, it seems like my eyes should look different. They don't really, except I notice that they are incredibly white. Maybe it's the drops, or all the sleep. No idea.
I'm craving lasagna, and since I don't need to follow a recipe to make that, I'm thinking about walking to the grocery store to get the stuff to make it. It doesn't require much focus or visual acuity (I'm pretty sure I can distinguish a red pepper from an apple -- mmmm apple crisp ...). So, perhaps I will cook this afternoon.
Tomorrow, I should be able to drive again. It's kind of hard to believe since driving would definitely be out of the question now. But 24 hours seems to make a big difference, and the doctors have been right so far, so I'll just take their word for it for now. December 18 I Can See - Day 5So, I still can't see. So, if none of this makes any kind of sense, blame my lack of eyesight.
This morning, after not much sleep, headed off to Focus Eye Center for my last post-op appointment. At this appointment, the bandage contact lenses were removed, since my epithelial membrane has apparently healed up. I was advised however not to rub my eyes or squint cause this could tear the membrane which would "hurt like hell". At first, having the lenses out feels better. For about 5 minutes. Then the irritation starts again. D and I go out for breakfast. Here is a bit of our conversation.
D: Don't rub your eyes.
Me: I'm not
D: Yeah, you are. You'll tear the membrane.
Me: *attempt to glare without squinting*
D: Well, at least don't rub your eyes until I go to work
Me: What, it's ok if I tear the membrane after you leave?
D: Ya, as long as I don't have to listen to you bitch and whine
Me: Great. Thanks.
D: *Laughs*
Nice friend. Although he did offer to stay home with me after a small application of guilt on my part. But I sent him on his way to work.
I spent the day sleeping and putting numbing drops in my eyes. Got up around 5:30pm, showered, cleaned up the kitchen and walked to Mac's to get the essentials of life (diet coke). It's interesting, walking around in this blurry, foggy state. Christmas lights look very pretty.
Then, I "watched" Love Actually (most excellent Christmas chick flick). And now I may actually attempt to "watch" another movie before I take some knock me on my ass drugs and go to bed.
Oh yeah, and since I don't feel like writing another blog devoted to the subject, I just thought I'd note for any of you that might be interesting in hearing about my progress that I lost 7 pounds in the last week.
December 17 I Can See - Day 4This should actually be titled "I Can't See". My vision has gone straight to hell. It makes me panic slightly. Off to the clinic in a few minutes so I'll know then if it's normal. Day 3 was hellish. I slept, getting up every 6 hours to eat and take the most glorious drugs. Pain seems to be gone now. ALONG WITH MY VISION.
Ma, your blog comment didn't show up. I'm so disappointed. Try again. Or I'll teach you how at Christmas. December 16 I Can See - Day 3Good day eh. And welcome to day 3. Yeah, I watched Strange Brew the other night. Bob and Doug Mackenzie crack me up.
So, what do you do when it's 4:30am and your eyes are burning out of your head, your back hurts from all the lying around and you've got this annoying tickle in your throat that results in coughing fits every 5 minutes?
Well, first you put some lubricating drops in your eyes and get a cold washcloth and go back to bed. Where you lie for an hour with cold washcloth on eyes thinking how the pressure of said cloth is bothersome.
Then you get up and think about how your eyes feel like you're hacking into the biggest, most potent onion you've ever seen in your life. It feels like you've been slicing this onion for hours and there is no end in sight. So, the thing to do, obviously, is to crack into the freezing drops. A few seconds after installation of drops -- sweet relief. Then you take Robax for the aching back and a drink to try to make the tickle in your throat go away. Then, what the hell, you might as well do the dishes and take out the garbage (out in the garage, wondering vaguely where the car is until you realize you loaned it to your friend since you can't drive anyway). And then of course the cats are whining about being little neglecterinos (search for neglecterinos on that page), so you figure, hey, I'll go feed the cats and scoop the cat box. Think twice about scooping the cat box for fear of getting cat litter dust in eyes (fleeting thought of "maybe I should ask D to do this when he gets here to pick me up", but then think that might be asking too much, although he would probably do it). Instead, wear funky sunglasses supplied by Focus Eye Center to prevent cat litter dust from entering eyes. Scoop box. Give cats new food and water. Of course, 2 minutes later, Lily the stupid cat is puking from eating too much new food. Like she's never seen food before.
Then you write a blog, check out who's online (nobody at 6:17 on Saturday morning), put more freezing drops in your eyes (since previous drops have worn off and blog writing causes much burning), clean up cat puke, and go to bed.
Woo hoo. See ya later hosers. December 15 I Can See - Day 2My vision today is slightly blurrier than yesterday, but still quite functional. I'm told that this is normal as the epithelial membrane which they took off with a brush yesterday regrows. I am also told that I should expect more pain, scratchiness and discomfort, but so far I have not experienced that. I have some good drugs though, so if it comes on, I should be all set.
I wish I could focus on computer screen for more than a few minutes before my eyes start to tear up and then close. With all this lying in bed, tons of thoughts are coming to me. I guess it will have to wait.
Time to put in drops and find something to eat. I Can See Clearly NowYep. I can see. The whole thing took about 15 minutes. I got to look at some pretty funky laser lights and when I got out of the chair, I could see. They gave me some cool drugs that made me loopy. Had lunch at Swiss Chalet.
Slept this afternoon, and when I woke up, the first thing I did was reach for my glasses. Weird. But, I can see. My eyes are a bit sensitive to light and want to close a lot, but otherwise, no real discomfort yet. I'm told that will hit tomorrow. December 13 VisionToday is the last day that I will wear corrective lenses. Tomorrow, at 1pm, I go in for laser vision correction. I am soooooo looking forward to this, even though I know there will be pain for the first few days.
I went for the wavefront "mapping" last week, and I was assured that my vision will be functional, so I'll be able to putter around the house, make meals, etc., but that it will be hard to keep my eyes open. I still plan on sleeping as much as possible. Maybe I'll even get caught up on that sleep deficit and be able to get myself back on some kind of semi-normal sleeping schedule.
I am about to go play my last volleyball game of the season. We are vying for 10th place. Out of 13. We won last week, which is pretty decent, considering we finished the season in 13th place.
After volleyball my friend and I will watch stupid movies. Cram in as much movie watching as possible while I can keep my eyes open. December 06 Bone DryI have been wearing glasses for about 5 days now. Today, I find that my eyes are extremely dry. I don't ever remember my eyes feeling this dry, except for maybe those times when I fell asleep with my contacts in. It's almost as though contacts kept my eyes lubricated. I've been putting artificial tear drops in my eyes about every 15 minutes, but I don't get relief.
Advice anyone? December 03 Wearing GlassesIn my first step toward laser eye surgery, I have to stop wearing contact lenses for a period of time. Apparently contacts change the shape of your eyes, and they take some time to return to normal, which is required for the surgery. So, I'm now wearing glasses all the time. I have worn contact lenses for the last time.
It's going to be tough for me to wear glasses all the time. I don't see as well out of them, and they tend to give me a headache. But, relief is less than 2 weeks away. November 28 Eye of the BeholderToday I went for a consultation for laser vision correction. I have decided to take the plunge, and my surgery is scheduled for December 14th. For the first time in 20 years, I will be able to see without glasses or contacts. I am very excited.
I'll be having the surgery at Focus Eye Center. They have come quite highly recommended by my optometrist and I was very impressed with their professionalism before and during the consultation. I also like the fact that the price includes all medications and follow up visits, as well as a lifetime guarantee should I need a touch up later on.
I've opted for Wavefront Guided Photorefractive Keratectomy, which is an older technology than LASIK. I decided to go with PRK because, although it has a longer healing time, the cornea is left intact (as opposed to LASIK where a flap is cut in the cornea). Since I play sports and have young children I'm concerned about a poke in the eye possibly dislodging the flap somewhere down the road, so I figured it was best to avoid that risk entirely. Also, the risk of prolonged dry eyes is much more significant with LASIK than PRK. On the downside, it will probably take several days before my eyes heal well enough for me to drive, and there will likely be more discomfort during the healing process. Wavefront is basically an advanced technology that allows a more precise mapping of the eye so that very specific vision corrections can be made. This has helped to eliminate the haloing effect and night vision difficulties that many people who have had laser vision correction have experienced. It's more expensive of course, but not significantly so.
So, in just over 2 weeks, I'll be under the laser. |
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