Day 33: Good News & Prep

The end of day thirty-three and the start of day thirty-four…
Morning weight:  315lbs.
No change from yesterday.  I am still down “58/65”.  As in, 58lbs down from my fasting start weight:  373lbs, and 65lbs down from my highest weight ever (two days before I started the fast):  380lbs.  This is now the third time during this fast in which I’ve had no change from the prior day.  The other two “no changes” happened on:  1 August and 15 August.  With today, that makes it (coincidentally) at almost two-week intervals.  The interesting thing about this is yesterday I swam for my normal hour and then also registered over 12 miles on my FitBit.  That’s a lot farther than I normally walk, yet, it didn’t seem to influence my weight loss.
Good news:  I took my wife to the plastic surgeon this morning and he removed the stitches from her cancer surgery.  The swelling has gone down 95% and he says she will be right as rain within a few more days.  He said give it one more day and then she can wear makeup on the scar.  That will make it virtually invisible until it finishes healing and is really gone.  Yippie!!  Cancer is such a scary word to us spouses.  I’m so relieved she’s all through it.  (I’m pretty sure it’s scary to the people with it, too.)
Colonoscopy Preparation:  I drank the medication (laxative) on schedule this evening (and the required water) and everything is “moving” normally.  LOL!!!  This is my third go-round and the procedure is slightly different.  In the past, you got one big packet of powder to mix with water in a large bottle and you drank it all the day before.  Now, you get a box with a cup and two six ounce bottles of fluid.  You mix each bottle with 10 ounces of water and drink it all down.  One bottle roughly 18hrs before the procedure and the second roughly 6hrs before.  In both cases, you have to chase the laxative with two 16oz glasses of water within 1hr of drinking the medicine.  In my case, I drank the mix pretty much straight – in about 2 minutes and had finished the 32ozs within a 15 minutes of starting.  It took about 40 minutes to kick in and after 2hrs seems to be pretty much done.  I’m starting a second 32oz of water to try to avoid getting dehydrated.
Additionally, the prep calls for no eating the day prior and the day of the procedure.  You are only allowed clear fluids.  Broth is allowed.  I made some (modified) “French Onion Soup” for lunch as I didn’t want to drink apple juice and white grape juice all day long.  I used Swanson’s Beef Broth and added chopped onion and garlic.  I then strained out the bits so it was only broth again.  It was absolutely sensational – delicious!!  I don’t remember anything tasting so good.  LOL.  See what veggie juice and fruit juice fasting does to one’s perception of colored water?!  I, of course, did not have a wedge of cheese covered bread or croutons floating on the “soup”.  (But, I sure wish I did…)
The problem / issue is the packaged broth has 37% of your minimum daily requirement for sodium (salt) in one serving and the package has four servings.  In essence, I had more than a whole days worth of salt in one meal.  Hardly a good thing for someone who’s had virtually no salt for almost a month – fasting remember…  Results:  slightly elevated blood pressure and pulse and my hands and wrists feeling “full” (not exactly bloated, but full) for the afternoon / evening.  Fortunately, the prep laxative seems to have relieved the water retention issue while cleaning out my colon.  Still, a lesson learned…
Tomorrow morning I finish the prep with the second bottle of solution and then in the afternoon, I get the procedure.  Oh, yeah.  Before I forget, I am also getting the other end checked out too.  That’s called an “endoscopy”.  The doctor figured if I’m under for one, he might as well do both.  I agreed.  I am not sure how I’ll feel this time tomorrow, so there may be no fasting post for the day.  Please keep me in your prayers and / or positive thoughts!
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On This Day In:
2021	How Learning Infections Begin
	Stay Young At Heart
2020	Policies Not People
	Just Thinking To Myself
2019	Should I Start With My Religion?
2018	Fear And Hope
	Day 33: Good News & Prep
2017	Directions
2016	Handle With Care
2015	Nothing But Pride
2014	Go
2013	Well, Does It?
2012	Near Misses Aren’t Successes
2011	Uncomfortable Feelings
2010	San Francisco (favorites)…
	Bullets or Butter?