koka22
January 3: The Tenth Day of Christmas
Despite claims of many different holidays and observances on January 3, the only one that I found to have much significance is the 10th...
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koka22
- Jan 3, 2020
- 1 min
January 2: Science Fiction Day
January 2 is Isaac Asimov’s birthday, and thus it is widely celebrated as Science Fiction Day. I have long been a fan of science fiction,...
koka22
- Jan 2, 2020
- 1 min
January 1: New Year, New Me
It’s the first day of 2020, and I am embarking on an ambitious challenge: observe a different holiday each day this year, and blog about...
koka22
- Dec 29, 2019
- 1 min
12. The Last Day
This is it. Tomorrow I head to the hospital, and everything changes. Tomorrow, I begin a new chapter in my life. I’ve lost 12 pounds in...
koka22
- Dec 21, 2019
- 2 min
11. Day 6 of 14
Day Six of my pre-op liquid diet. My daily routine is protein shake, hot tea, protein shake, protein shake, broth, protein shake, more...
koka22
- Dec 17, 2019
- 1 min
10. Pre-Op Diet
Yesterday was Day One of my pre-op liquid diet. My “food” for the day (in no particular order) consisted of four protein shakes, hot tea,...
koka22
- Dec 16, 2019
- 2 min
Saving animals
I follow a few shelters and animal rescues on Facebook, and I’ve been noticing posts lately that say “this cat would benefit from joint...
koka22
- Oct 28, 2019
- 3 min
9. Holding Pattern
I haven’t posted in a few weeks about my weight loss journey because there hasn’t been much to say. I went to a support group meeting for...
koka22
- Oct 16, 2019
- 3 min
Wear pink for fashion, not advocacy
Wear Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and pink is the symbolic color to promote recognition of...
koka22
- Sep 30, 2019
- 2 min
Lessons I’ve learned
In my 44 years, there are a few things I’ve learned (some after much trial and error, some after many times repeating the same mistake...
koka22
- Sep 28, 2019
- 1 min
8. Why?
I’ve been thinking a lot about exactly why I’m having surgery. I guess my initial resistance to the idea was that subconsciously I...
koka22
- Sep 27, 2019
- 4 min
7. Checking Off the Boxes
This week I had two important milestones on my list of requirements prior to surgery. First, I had my second “diet visit,” which was a...
koka22
- Sep 20, 2019
- 4 min
6. What Have I Gotten Myself Into?
The first “diet class” I attended as a requirement of having bariatric surgery left me feeling overwhelmed. But I was armed with...
koka22
- Sep 19, 2019
- 2 min
5. Hoops
By now you’re probably wondering what hoops you have to jump through to have bariatric surgery. I can’t emphasize this enough: Your...
koka22
- Sep 18, 2019
- 4 min
“No Kill” Shelters: A Good Idea?
A few states have recently become “no kill” states. In 2019, Delaware was noted as the first such state, followed by Michigan. At first...
koka22
- Sep 17, 2019
- 7 min
4. Taking the Leap: An Unscientific Examination of the Scientific Literature
Deciding to have bariatric surgery can feel like taking a leap of faith. Is it going to work? Can I ever eat again? Why not just change...
koka22
- Sep 13, 2019
- 4 min
3. Decision Making
My doctor has been encouraging me for a couple of years to consider bariatric surgery. I’ve tried a few weight loss medications, with...
koka22
- Sep 11, 2019
- 3 min
2. How Did I Get Here?
I started gaining weight as an adult. I was in college when I first noticed the weight gain. I had spent the summer wearing shorts, of...
koka22
- Sep 10, 2019
- 1 min
1. Thunder Thighs
When I was eight years old, I got my period, and everything changed. Before long, I was a foot taller than everyone else, and I had...
koka22
- Feb 18, 2019
- 2 min
What a diagnosis does and doesn’t mean
We got an autism diagnosis shortly before his 10th birthday when we had him tested for ADD, and I was completely blown away. All of his...
HELLO
creative writing | personal essays | photography
I live in Gurnee, Illinois, with my husband, teenage son, dog, and four cats. I have a variety of interests, and my philosophy is to never let fear get in the way of what I want to accomplish.
I started this blog as a place to record my thoughts. I promise to always be completely honest.