An Update From My Physical

And some other stuff


The nurse at Dr. Awesome's office called late last week with the results of the blood work from my physical.  Lots of good news there.  My fasting blood sugar was 78, which pleased me greatly.  Over the past several years, while never severe, my fasting blood sugar had been gradually creeping up and that concerned me.  Being so overweight and having such a huge family history of diabetes on both sides did not bode too well for me staying on the non-diabetic side of the spectrum.  So I was relieved that my blood sugar this time was where it was.

My total cholesterol was 130, which also pleased me.  I had written in my last post that since I am eating so much more animal protein now, I was concerned that my cholesterol might be out of whack.  My ratio of good-to-bad cholesterol still needs work.  My LDL (the bad kind) was 88, and my HDL (the good kind) was 33.  They'd like my HDL to be above 50, so I'll be seeing what I can do to improve those ratios.  And my triglycerides were 61, which is great.

A couple of things showed up that I need to be rechecked for in a month.  A couple of my liver levels were, in the nurse's words, "a tad elevated", so I will get those rechecked in 4 weeks.  This may be related to the biliopancreatic portion of my surgery.  I am not experiencing any pain or symptoms that would make me suspect that my liver is sick, so I am hopeful that this is no big deal.

The urine test showed ketones, which is common after weight loss surgery, or any other kind of rapid weight loss.  The body, instead of burning carbohydrates for fuel, is burning fat, and that throws ketones into the urine.  Dr. Awesome also told me that there was bilirubin in the urine.  I am still doing research to find out what that means and to learn if it is related to the liver levels.  It could be awful or it could be no big deal.  I feel fine so I'm not going to get all twitchy about it just yet.

On to more pleasant things, I am looking forward to a vacation with The Hubs and the dog in a few months...and I need a new swimsuit.  I have been looking online at what is available and a disturbing trend I'm seeing is the return of the super-high-cut leg.  I will still be in the market for a suit with a skirt, thank you very much!  At least for this year, I will want a skirt.  There are wiggly-jiggly things in my abdomen, hip and thigh area that I don't think anyone needs to see.  I found one that I almost ordered, but then I remembered that it is too early for me to buy something because the size I guesstimate in February may not be right in May.

I have no idea what size I would need in a swimsuit now, much less in 3 months.  I may actually have to try on swimsuits in a store.  Horror of horrors!  No matter what size, shape or age we are, trying on swimsuits is a universally unpleasant experience for women.  Unflattering fluorescent lights plus dry, flaky pre-swimsuit-season skin equal a confidence-busting trip to the mall.  No matter what size, shape or age we are, we can all find something not to like about the way we look, especially in swimwear.  It's just part of being female.

One of the very best cards anyone ever sent me addressed this issue.  I've kept this card for nearly 25 years because of the letter my friend wrote on the inside, and because of the way it still makes me laugh after all these years.

On the front is a cartoon lady and the caption reads, "I tried on last year's swimsuit the other day."

Open the card and the punchline reads, "Perhaps you heard the explosion."