Day 30: The lowly planarian, and me.

[crosswind 134]

A planarian was the first live animal we were ever allowed to fully destroy in seventh grade science class. Planaria are flat worms with heads that look like arrows pointing to either a spelling mistake or a sale price. I have no idea why the world of secondary education is so taken with with these things. I never understood it. I had to learn all about this damn thing in seventh grade and then I had to cut it in half for no reason I could really fathom. How is cutting a worm in half educational? You know if you're at my house you can get in big trouble for that? Once the boys in the neighborhood put somebody's new Stretch Monster on the railroad tracks and oh man did they ever get in trouble.

I tell you, school for me always seemed to present more mysteries than it cleared up.

Sure enough though, when I went to visit my son's seventh grade class, there they were with the planaria again. Cutting worms in half in seventh grade is not just part of compulsory education, it is a little known *institution* upon which any preteen may ponder,

Actually I remember the central lesson about planaria. Planaria are unlike many other species because of their capacity to regenerate, If you cut a planarian in half, you don't havce one dead planarian, you have two, living planarians, both equally clueless. This is supposedly what made it so fun to cut them in half. It would regrow a head but you know just because you can cut something in half and make it grow another head doesn't mean you *should*.

I was thinking today about my stomach and how I am starting to respond to the fact that I barely have one anymore. Now why, you might ask, would this be associated with a flatworm I was forced to mutilate in seventh grade? Because I have a weird mind, that's why.

What i'm doing here is adapting. We're amazing machines. It's fascinating to realize that the fact is you never needed all that much of that organ to begin with and there are people all over walking around entirely without one. The body has no intention whatsoever of allowing a detail like a missing stomach to interfere with its consumption of nutrients and oxygen and warmth and sex and sleep. Nope. Like a planarian or a lizard regrowing a tail. It's just going to find another route to town.

Today is one month and I am getting tired of counting the days. That's clue number one. The first few weeks just dragged on and on interminably: I think day eighteen was the worst for that; a month out seemed like a train scheduled to arrive at the end of the world. Now I'm more interested in what I'm having for dinner, which today turned out to be a Taco Bell bean burrito -- or at least the inside of one. Being quite capable of inhaling one of these things accidently before, it was pretty stunning to open one up and realize all this time I was being sold two teaspoons of Beans inside a tortilla with the circumference of a basketball.

But eating is getting easier and that means life is getting easier. I had oatmeal for Breakfast with milk which tasted like a krispy kreme doughnut to me. I had cottage cheese and more oatmeal for dinner ( hey man, it's got seven grams of Protein in it) and day by day my diet is getting more varied and something more like what an actual person would eat. Somehow when that happens something eases up and instead of obsessing and checking your temperature every five minutes and wondering if that last swallow of Soup was in fact the cause of your demise..it all starts to feel more and more like you.

One month. Not dead, since March 29, 2011.

[meggiep 57]

My friend- as someone who is having surgery in 11- count 'em-11 days this is very very good news! I had hoped to have a post like this from you! And it is even sooner than I might have predicted.

I have thought all along that the first painful time is not suprising considering how our bids must feel losing 85% of an organ that has been the source of a lot of joy and comfort for many years. I do not blame our bodies at all for completely freaking out! ANd I plan to be very kind to mine and to follow my doctor's conservative orders in the faith that like yours, my body will adapt to this new state of affairs.

Ok, I hear you, you don't have to count the daysany more! But please please please don't go away. Unless it is to start a blog where we can still read what you have to say.

On this your one month ann'y- I am remembering your post about sitting , trying to pack and blowing up the balloons with your trip to Mexico looming. Long ag and far away eh?.

[lsereno 2,525]

Thank you for sharing. I'm so glad to learn you can eat Oatmeal and I hope I will be able to as well. I have to admit, I like a lot of healthy foods too and I've been mourning having to give them up. Oatmeal is a cozy little morning meal that is healthy and good for you. I'm so glad it may not be on the no-no list. When I ready how many people have problems with bread, I assumed oatmeal would be in the same category.

My surgery is scheduled for May 17 (sooner if they get a cancellation). It is good to hear how well you are doing after one month.

Lynda

[wishes 125]

I keep reading it like learning how to eat all over again. I am glad you are transitioning well. I am kind of scared of this, but I want to change my habits for the rest of my life. I do not want this vicious cycle of inhale this and gulp that to take away my life. Thank you for sharing your day by day experience. Good post!

[crosswind 134]

I'm not sure if this is a "learning" thing -- it's too subterranean for that. Between a real live doctor's warning that your stomach could explode if you eat incorrectly and Mr Tantrum ready to stab you from the inside the minute you screw up, you just stop putting your hand on the stove without really remembering why you don't do that anymore. Some things about recovering from surgery are hard but they get easier so fast how you used to do it becomes a blur.

Meggie, I remember those balloons. I did this religiously because my surgeon told me to do it. The key I think in this whole situation is, you know, for once, do what they tell you. No improvising, just do the things. It's funny how I was willing to take the advice of like, Valerie Bertinelli about all this when I could have talked to a bariatric surgeon the whole time .

[Cmsumom 5]

SO- Is your current weight still 260? Or have you passed that?

[crosswind 134]

SO- Is your current weight still 260? Or have you passed that?

. I don't know, cmsumom. I stopped weighing myself a while ago. Too dreary. I'll update the board when I do.