LOOK ALIVE IT'S FRIDAY!!!!

I have my first appointment with a Endocrinologist on 9th Sept to start the ball rolling on my Lap band Surgery. He will assess me to see if there are any other barriers to me losing weight(other than gorging and stuffing my face) like thyroid & diabetes,which I do not have by the way.

He will also put me on the dreaded Optifast diet prior to having surgery, they do this to reduce the size of the liver which makes the surgery easier and of course less weight lessens any complications with the anaesthetic

I've decided I'm going to start a new blog for this new journey and give you all a blow by blow account - warts and all of my experience. I've decided to do this so I have a record of this and maybe it may help other people decide if this is the right thing for them.

I have a surgery date of 21st November, so fingers crossed all goes well for me to have this.

SUNDAY

Thanks for all your kind words of support, it has meant so much to me.

I am getting a little stronger by the day, had a reasonable week with the exception of one day. My main problems are still the fatigue and the pain and many trips to the loo, that my colitis brings, but hey, it could be worse.

I went back to work for a few days last week, I only did part days, it was all I could handle and brought some work home to do. I had to as my boss has been away, as well as my assistant,so I have been feeling a bit guilty about leaving them in the lurch.

I've been doing a lot of thinking on the surgery,I think I'm going to go ahead with it providing the finances hold out. My bills for the last hospitalisation are coming in think and fast and I'm going to be out of pocket by several thousands of dollars. It really pisses me off when you have private health insurance they think they can charge you more than if you went in as a public patient. I feel I get hit doubly.

The surgery seems the best way for me and I feel it's meant to be. I have struggled all my life with weight loss and now I seem to be running out of time - I need to do something and do it fast. I never had any preconceived ideas about the surgery, I have never viewed it as the easy way out. My opinions have always been that people need to do what works for them from a holistic point of view.

Personally, I would never have Gastric Bypass Surgery simply because it cannot be reversed and it's major surgery for the morbidly obese. The Lapband is minimally invasive as it's done by keyhole surgery,recovery time is a couple of days and it can be removed if it needs to be without any detrimental effect to my stomach.

Sure I'm nervous about having it, but I'm backed into a corner I just have to do it, Will it fix all of my problems - no, but it will make them a lot better.

I'm too young for a motor scooter!!!!!

ps have dropped 1.4kg (3.08lbs) since my last weigh in - not bad considering I was in bed for two weeks and eating three cooked meals and two snacks a day in hospital.

HOME - AT LAST

After two long weeks in hospital, I finally came home yesterday. To say I've been "through the mill" over the last two weeks is an understatement.

My condition was more serious and out of control then even I had thought and it has scared me quite a bit - seems I'm not infallible after all.

I was given a complete overhaul by my Doctor, I had 2 MRI's,a bone scan, a colonoscopy,gastroscopy,barium swallow,bone density, not to mention donating a litre of blood for blood tests.I had consults with Immunologists,Orthopedic Surgeons and Upper GI specialists - god know how much this is all going to cost as I went in to a Private Hospital - at least my insurance covers the hospital accommodation at $800.00per day - FARK!

We did get some answers to some things, my bone problems are not solely a condition of the steroids, but more related to my immune disorder. My immune system is fighting my body and attacking different parts of my body primarily my joints,colon and eyes causing different problems in each area.

My foot isn't fractured as first diagnosed, is it just being attacked by my immune system causing inflammation and fluid build up between the joints and severe degeneration of the cartilage in the ankle and foot joints. The orthopaedic surgeon I saw told me the best thing I could do was lose weight - DOH! What a surprise - NOT! He told me when we walk we exert 5 times our weight on our joints, so me at 127kg is exerting over half a tonne everytime I take a step - how scary is that!!

The other bad thing is I cannot do any weight bearing exercise at all, I was told strictly non weightbearing like stationary bike or swimming, not only for my ankles and feet but for my back as well,in fact I was advised by two Dr's to seriously consider getting Lapband surgery in an effort to reduce my weight as I was wasting my time dieting on my own. I was given all the information to read about and have to give them an answer when I go for my follow visit in 3 weeks, so I have some thinking to do.

I'm feeling kind of shot at the moment, as part of my treatment I was given 3 IV infusions of steroids. I usually take 10 mg a day - I got 750mg a day for 3 days straight. It's left me feeling shattered and bloated and feeling more of a beached whale than normally. Even though the scales say I haven't put on any weight I feel like a Sherman Tank.

OK, better sign off as I'm getting really tired and sore, thanks for all your wonderful support, I'll be back soon.

WEIGH IN, GOOD NEWS & BAD NEWS.

GOOD NEWS - Weighed in today for a loss of 1.2kg (2.64 lbs) - GO ME!

BAD NEWS - Went to my Immunologist yesterday and got the berating I knew I would get which had me in tears.Every word though he said was relevant and correct and gave me the shake up I needed. To be told "Your 46, still a young woman and look at you, your a mess"! was the comment that hit home the most.

My fractures are not healing as they should and they are worried the bones are necrosing due to lack of blood supply, so I have to have a few - no alot of tests, and a complete overhaul to reassess my condition in an attempt to get me off the damn steroids I have been taking for 12 years.

I'll be away for nearly two weeks, funny thing is I'm more concerned how I'll go eating wise while I'm flat on my back. First thing I want to do is speak to the Dietitian and see if they can give me some calorie controlled meals.

Anyway bye for now and please say a prayer for me. I'll leave you again with another funny.

WEIGH IN WEDNESDAY

Weighed in today for a 2kg (4.4lb) loss. Yay Me!

It has given me a much needed boost to my motivation.

Thinking about all the negatives obesity brings to my life every time I wanted to pick at this or scoff down a packet of chocolate biscuits has helped me enormously in the past week.

Things I need to improve on is to drink more water and secondly space my food out better. I was finding it difficult after dinner as I usually save something for supper to have with my cup of tea.

I'll leave you all with another funny - have a good week and stay strong!

AT HOME

Working from home Tuesday and Thursday this week. My daughter has gone back to school so I don't have her to drive me or help me around the office being "my legs".

I have arranged for a guy from work to pick me up in the other mornings, it will be an early start 6 AM (FARK!!) which means I will have to be out of bed at 5AM as it takes me twice as long to get ready with the crutches. My boss was not impressed I wanted to work from home, don't know why but he tried to talk me out of it, but I'm sick of having to give in all the time, I always in the past put everyone first before myself, but not this time.

My food has been relatively good, though I went to a party on Saturday night and had what I wanted. I will still record a loss tomorrow but will not be as good as I could have done.

Oh well, onwards and upwards, will record my loss tomorrow, so until then adios amigos!

ps Say a prayer I win the $50 million lotto tonight - I want to retire!!!

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

Still hobbling around on the crutches. I am finding the limited movement frustrating to say the least.It has highlighted to me (again) how precious good health and fitness is.I know when I go to my annual review with my immunologist in 2 weeks time I am going to get a mouthful.

I have gained weight big time,my mother told me yesterday "she has never seen me as big as I am now". This comment stung me a bit but if your mother can't tell you a few home truths, no one can.

I jumped on the scales this morning and am so disgusted I'm not even going to write down those figures here, but I can tell you I have gained half if what I lost in the past two years.

I'm back on my old program of 1500 cals a day and will blog my losses and not my weight until I have reached what my lowest weight was. It's a mind thing I know, but I seem to do better when I play these games.

Anyway best go and pay some people, have a good week to you all and I will be dropping in on your blogs more in the next week.