Recovery Never Stops

Something I need to keep in mind


Today I sang for a ladies group meeting at a local country club, a place where my Dad has played probably hundreds of dance gigs over the decades.  He has played trombone with numerous bands of all sizes since he was a teenager, and in every kind of venue imaginable, from the seediest dives to the swankiest clubs and restaurants.  Today was my first time to step inside this place and to sing for a group of lovely ladies who give their time and resources to this service organization.

Lunch was served, a delicious beef stir-fry with rice and vegetables.  I enjoyed my lunch and have plenty of leftovers to share with The Hubs for his supper tonight.  But I think I ate a little too quickly because I had some stomach discomfort afterward and became more than a little queasy.  I went to the ladies room and texted a quick message to The Hubs requesting prayer immediately because " I have to sing soon and I am nauseated."

These are the times when I am most grateful for modern technology.  Between e-mail, Facebook and text messaging, we can ask for immediate prayer support, what a friend of mine refers to as "sending up a prayer flare".  I was especially grateful for that chance today.  I really thought I might throw up.  The only reasons for such extreme queasiness today are that I may have eaten too fast...and The Cramp Fairy has landed.

I hate The Cramp Fairy.  I hate her like poison.

Anyway, prayer helped.  I made it through my program without vomiting and hightailed it back home.  As I changed my clothes, I spied that old pair of Levi's I've been trying to fit myself back into for a while now.  These are mid-90's-old-school-hard-core-no-stretch Levi's that I'm talking about.  I decided I'd give it another try.

I zipped myself into them!  Holy Moly, I zipped myself back into them!  And I didn't have to lie down on the bed to do it!

Since they are old-school-no-stretch jeans, I'll probably let a few more pounds drop away before I try wearing them for a day at work, which is basically 12 hours from the time I leave to the time I get back home.  The point is, I could get back in them, and I didn't really think I was there yet.

As I write this, my stomach is feeling much better, although it is making some really disquieting noises that lead me to believe I am not quite out of the queasy woods just yet.  As far as I've been blessed to travel down the weight loss path, I am not fully recovered yet, even now, nearly 10 months after surgery.  Today reminds me that I've got a long way to go, and in truth, it will never really be "done".

Even once goal weight is achieved, I'll have to be diligent to maintain it.  I will still need to work on my body's health, conditioning and strength.  I will be taking massive doses of vitamins and other supplements for the rest of my life.  I will always have to pace myself when I eat to avoid the problems of clumping and dumping.

I will always be a weight loss patient.