mrdead’s BodyBlog

I need to make a little note to myself. The next time I try to sneak out to the gym, under the pretense of going to the store, I need to make sure that my wife doesn’t notice my gym bag is in the truck. I was sooooooo "Busted"!!! *L* So, now it’s obvious that I will be forced to wait the full time. (She won’t even let me do cardio) But, she’s just doing her job. But, I wish she wouldn’t do it so well. So, I am stuck living vicariously through other’s workouts. But soon, very soon, I can go play.

Well, during this time off to heal, I’ve been able to spend some time going over all of the photos and video of my last show. I WILL NOT be the bloated fat guy on stage next year!!!! I cringed seeing every quarter turn, and every time I exhaled. So, now that I’ve gotten my surgery over with, I plan on spending a lot of time changing my 2-pack to a six-pack. I’ll also be bringing up the pecs, lats, and quads. I’m also going to work a LOT more on my conditioning, and seriously hope that I don’t peak the day after, like this year.

I’ve been busy picking people’s brains, watching bodybuilding DVDs and trying to re-vamp my workouts. I may have physically been out of the gym, but mentally I’ve been spending a lot of prepping for my return to the iron. My biggest problem, is that I’m supposed to "ease" back into it. Uhm… That’s a problem. I don’t "ease". And, I have already been told that I will be watched like a hawk, and nagged at every turn, until the "ease" period is over. (Whenever the heck that’s supposed to be)

But, at least I’m chomping at the bit to get started!    

Well, as I’ve been contemplating my upcoming year, I find myself faced with some decisions. More immediate, is whether or not I should try to compete in May. I haven’t had any time to do anything, and it will still be a bit, before I can go full bore back into things. So, for that one, I’m thinking "No". The next order of business is when I compete in August, which class/classes should I enter? Should I go for the novice once more, should I go for Men’s Open, or should I go Masters? (I turn 40 next May) Or, should I go for any mix of those? I’ve got time to consider this, but I prefer having a clear vision, so I can "just do it"! Any thoughts on these matters is always welcome!

I had my follow up appointment, today. Everythiing looks great! The steri-strips came off, and revealed a new "inny" belly-button. (Something I have not had for 8 years.) I got my weight that I’m allowed to lift increased from 10 lbs to 25. In 4 weeks, I get to slowly ease back into it. And, during this inactivity, I have actually lost weight. (Unfortunately, I’m betting most of it is muscle.) But, at least there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, and it’s not an on-coming train! *L*

Well, Tuesday morning was my surgery. We got there at 0630, I hadn’t had anything to eat or drink since midnight. Check-in was a breeze, since I had pre-registered on the phone a week before. Then, they came in and took my vital signs. Blood pressure and pulse were sky-high. They asked if I was a little bit nervous, and I replied, "A little bit nervous is a gross understatement." You see, I made the mistake of reading up on the procedure, and in big bold letters, it stated that AT ANYTIME DURING THE PROCEDURE THE DOCTOR CAN CHANGE HIS MIND, AND DO THE CLASSIC "LONG" INCISION. Well, they tried to re-assure me. Then they came in, and inserted an I.V.. And, then I got to lay around for an hour and a half with no TV or anything, but the ticking of the clock. Then the doctor came in, and played tic-tac-toe on my tummy. Then the the time came to roll me down "The Green Mile". The last thing I see before going into the chamber of horrors is my wife with tears welling up in her eyes. I get into the room, and transfer myself from the gurney to the  "Table of Torture". Then the fun begins…

They start strapping me down, so I can’t escape. Then there’s a creepy masked face putting a mask over my face. Now this wonderful person tells me that they’re giving me some oxygen to help me breathe… LIAR!!! In about 3 seconds I say to myself, "Oxygen doesn’t make my vision…"

I finish that sentence in the recovery room ,"blurry…" I’m greeted by the first unmasked face that I’ve seen in awhile. She asks if I feel any pain. I barely get the word "Yes" out, and she’s pumping my line full of drugs. I go nitey-nite, again. Finally I am alert enough to be wheeled back into my original room. I’m then informed that if I want to leave, I have to go pee. So, they give me some water and some crackers. I then find out that all of the moisture has been sucked from my body. It takes a quart of water to get the crackers down, all two of them. Well, I suddenly discover that the pain that I’m feeling is from the carbon dioxide that they filled my abdomen with. I look like I’m in my ninth month of pregnancy. Well, finally I go pee, and it’s off to home and recovery. And, yes, I’m still having pain, but am able to go up stairs and walk for 30 minutes by myself. So begins the road to recovery.