Back to the ENT today.

I am heading out to the ENT office today for my next check up on the vocal nodes.  Today he is going to go back down in with the camera.  After the first visit on August 10, I no longer fear having that done.  On the contrary, I am looking forward to it very much to see if the nodes are gone.  I can tell from speaking and occasionally a little singing that they are better.  I'm not sure they are gone, but if they show measurable improvement, I will be very happy and willing to continue the regiment.  I am wondering if he will still send me for Speech Therapy if there is a good bit of improvement visible.  I'll report on this visit tomorrow.

Yesterday I didn't write a blog.  I was disgusted with my weight, up FIVE pounds in one day from what I reported on Wednesday.  My official weigh-in on Wednesday was 266 and then yesterday I wash SHOCKED to see 271 on the scale.  I ate at Buddy Freddy's Country Buffet for our NARFE meeting.  I think I did well.  I only got a cold salad with two hard boiled eggs and a little shredded cheddar for protein.  I did put a little cole slaw and a little carrot slaw on it because I don't use salad dressing.  For dessert I took only sugar free jello.  Mark made a salad for dinner with grilled tuna steak on it, so that was also good.  I was down two and a half pounds this morning to 268.5.  I am hoping this is a new trend.  Today and the next two days should have all my meals eaten at home.  Then Monday I have to eat lunch at the Food and Wine Festival and dinner at the Enzian Theater in Winter Park, so that's going to be rough.  I need to exercise and eat right each of these three days in preparation for that!  Before we know it, it's going to be Thanksgiving and then we get on a 7 day cruise the Monday after Thanksgiving.  I was hoping to be in the low 250s if not 240s by then, but now I've gone up so much that I'll be happy to be in the high 250s by then.  I'm not even sure I can do that!

I have continued to do my morning and evening back exercises, and I continue to be almost pain free.  Every now and then or if I walk too far or stand up for too long, I start to get the old twinges that I've had for years.  The difference is that now I know what it is and how to take care of it.  I'm still on the night time pain pill and muscle relaxer.  I don't know if it will be worse when I don't have any more of them or not.  I see the orthopedist again on Monday, and that's a question I will ask him.