6-Months Post-Op

I can't believe it's already been 6 months since I had my gastric bypass surgery! Time has flown by! I went today to see my surgeon. I found out some things I'm doing wrong food-wise, found out I'm drinking too much fluid, and doing so too close to meal times, and need to get to exercising more regularly (and strenuously!). But it's good to have a check-up. Otherwise, he said my weight loss is where it should be, and that plateaus are common at about 6 months. Hey, I'm just thrilled I haven't gained any weight back! LOL

I took a walking tour of Baylor's facilities today. Not by choice, but I must have walked a mile one-way to get to the lab for a blood draw to check vitamin levels. They had a map printed w/ written directions to get you from the surgeon's office to the lab. I had to take 3 different sets of elevators to get to crosswalks, in separate towers of that huge, sprawling facility. I walked by patient rooms, day surgery admitting, and even Nutrition Services, all on my way to and from the lab. It reminded me of being in the medical center facilities in Houston. You never have to go outside if you don't want to, and can navigate crosswalks. I took a minute to peruse the displays on the history of Baylor Medical Center, complete with old photos. There were photos from the 1930's of patients w/ their legs bound in wooden wheelchairs; the kind with the woven cane backs and seats. I figured they must have been polio patients. All nurses from way back when had on stiff shoes and hats. Candy Stripers were a prominent feature in the old photos as well. Thinking about it now, I guess the hospital's liability and the patients' desires for confidentiality has basically relegated volunteer teenagers in red and white striped dresses as a dinosaur in the medical world: extinct.

The smell of popcorn was in the air, and there in the lobby was an old-fashioned looking popcorn stand on wheels. A lady was there popping the popcorn fresh. I was dying to ask if they used coconut oil, but the crowd clamoring the popcorn wouldn't let me near her. Then I thought "Even Baylor is a carny." Every one has a hustle, don't they?

I also popped into the gift shop. If you didn't want stuffed animals or t-shirts that read "I'm the Big Brother/Sister", you were about out of luck. There was a florist in the back who appeared very busy, fielding phone calls and faxes for orders all while ringing up customers and making fruit baskets, potted plant, and flower arrangements. He had a cart full of floral deliveries ready for delivery to hospital rooms. They had a few college motif items for sale, but oddly enough, I had to look very hard to find any BU (Baylor University) items. Texas A&M, University of Texas, and OU (Oklahoma University) items were by far the most common.