First week is done. Not so bad, and a great workout. This next week I’m also adding some running and swimming to increase my cardio level. The surgical gutting left me soft and squishy, so here is a birthday wish for less squishy and less jiggle!

Weight – up 2 pounds. I know, I know it’s muscle retaining water . . . still seems wrong, though.

Pictures after the first week – my midsection and my ham hocks need the most work (but I’m not posting pics of my ham hocks.) Arms and calves are the most noticeable difference – very slight, but hopefully that will change. (It’s funny, look close and you can see the scar in my belly button from the surgery scope.)

Check back next week for more pictures.

I have to admit, swimming and cycling in 106 degree temperatures is more enjoyable than running in 106 degree temperatures. Currently, I’m running  3 times a week, cycling 3-4 times a week and swimming 3 times a week. On most days I’m getting in 2-3 hours a day of cardio. My days are sucked up into a variety of things from school to work to all the work outs, but I feel stronger. Finally.

I feel strong even when I’m tired and while I’d like to give full credit to the cardio activity, I think a lot of it has to do with the new medicine I’m taking called Armour, for hypothyroidism. And wouldn’t you know it, just when I’m starting to see the benefits I go to get a refill of my prescription and the pharmacy is out. Why? Because the manufacturer has gone out of business and no other pharmacy makes Armour. I spent about 2-3 hours one day last week driving around town until I finally found a pharmacy that had enough in stock to get me through the next month. Joy. Joy.

Also, I haven’t forgotten that I owe a post about that 8-hour preventive medical physical examination. I got the results back on Tuesday and have been fascinated with the analysis. I have so much to share with all of you, Internet People. I’m hoping I’ll have that together for you by then end of the weekend. I also hope to be reporting on that new Garmin. I haven’t had a chance to take her out of the box – I hope she hasn’t suffocated.

Yesterday I received part of my results from my physical. And I have so much to report it is going to involve an entire pot of coffee to write and will probably put you to sleep after the first paragraph. But to give you a heads up, I started taking medication for Hypothyroidism today.

There are other things the doctor is still reviewing – other things that are really not freaking me out, really not – especially since it involves that little unimportant things called my spine and my aorta. Sister Runner Amy’s advice is that they should just cut my aorta out because aortas are superfluous just like appendixes.

Much, much more about the gory side of Runner Susan soon. I want the medication to be magic, but the doctor says it will be about three months before I see a noticeable difference – but let’s hope, for the Chef’s sake, we see it sooner. He doesn’t do psychormonal very well.

Internet People, do you all remember when half of America stopped reading my blog because I was voicing my opinion so much about politics and health care? Well very soon the other rest of America will stop reading my blog – just as soon as I figure out a way to put “damn, stupid, idiotic, messed up health care system” a little more eloquently. Or maybe that just sums it up right there? I’m so filled with excitement, anticipation and anger that I’m not sure how to say what’s what right now. Odd I know, since I rarely keep my mouth shut, and considering I need to liven things up around here I figure I’ll just let it all blow over the next few days and weeks.

Why? Because today I had a health care physical that lasted eight full hours. Not just any physical, but a complete preventive medical physical that SHOULD be standard practice for everyone, but is not. This was a complete mind, body and spirit physical – hush, I know what your thinking, so let me move on. Anyone who has read my blog for any length of time knows I’m a certified fruit loop and a borderline hypochondriac (okay, full-blown on some days), and the whole spirit was unique, especially since I’m the world’s biggest heathen – vibrantly and proudly heathen – I seriously have issues with organized religion. Seriously, serious folks. But this was more yogic, so we’ll call the spirit part stretching since those are basically the same thing anyhow. Shut. up.

Anyhow, the experience has left me temporarily speechless. It’s going to take a week or so for my complete assessment and results, but this is gonna be fun! Runner Susan is ready to get lusty, busty and wildly controversial again – and it’s about time, because I’ve missed me. I’ve missed me so much.