Sticking problems

I'm still having trouble with things that stick and still experimenting with food choices.
Cruskits and smoked salmon with some philly is my current favourite and probably easiest meal. I usually have that for lunch.

Things that don't work.

Asparagus
Red meat
BBQ chicken
Lettuce or salad greens in general
Fizzy drinks like softdrink have far too many bubbles
Bread is far too filling so sandwiches are now out in preference to cruskits

and..............I seem to discover new ones most days.

I did manage a small amount of Christmas Dinner.


Mini Goal

Created by MyFitnessPal - Calorie Counter

A stitch in time.......

..well one where the stomach drain was anyway. It's apparently trying to make it's way out through my skin. It looks like the eye from a hook and eye. I remember having those stitches removed and it wasn't pleasant. I'm told it's only a piece that's been left behind and it will come out of it's own accord.

I am tolerating more food and learning to slow down and chew more. Red meat is not something I even want to try though. Fizzy drinks, except sparkly, don't go down well. Flat drinks are much better. Today I have an iced tea which I will eventually finish. It will take me the rest of the afternoon to finish the round of mixed sandwiches I have.


Mini Goal

Created by MyFitnessPal - Calorie Counter

One down, eight to go.

Goals, that is. I achieved the first one yay!!!!!!!!!
I finally broke into the 80's.

I am having trouble with solids due to the hernia, the tight little hole won't let much through so I have to chew and chew and chew and chew and if I forget I am in big trouble. Food gets stuck and then I either throw up or stay in what could only be described as extreme discomfort for several minutes. It certainly makes my eyes water.

One good find has been cruskits, they sort of dissolve on chewing and cause no problems. I will be eating more of them now.

My next goal is 85 which is not nearly as far away as 90 was so I reckon I will be celebrating again mid - late January. Fingers Crossed.

Kerry

Mini Goal

Created by MyFitnessPal - Calorie Counter

Trying to adjust to solids

Well I decided that the school reunion this weekend would be a good time to start solids.

Attempt 1

Lunch - Tiny quiche.....so far so good


Attempt 2

Dinner - Sausage are soft, I'll try one of those with some egg and some pasta. Slice off a bit of sausage and chew what I think is an adequate amount of time and swallow. Try a bit of pasta salad too. Then the tightness in the chest began and people started asking are you o.k? Ella who is ten asked and I threw up into my hands. Ella quickly got her Mum and I'm throwing up in the garden.

I ate the egg whites and that was it.

Attempt 3

Breakfast - coffee

Attempt 4

Lunch - bits of chicken, ham and sliced pork. All chewed very well and swallowed.


Later - I then decided to look for something soft that I wouldn't have to struggle with and took a piece of cake/slice which I thought looked nice and then I got a serve from another woman about what I chose. She tried to take it out of my hands and to say the least I was very offended. My dietitian told me that there was no need to go on a food funeral before the surgery because I would be able to eat anything I wanted still.
I ate half, which is all I ever intended to have and threw the rest in the bin.

Tomorrow I will speak to Melanie, the dietitian again to get some more handy hints and then I'm on my own devices until mid January.

I am losing about 1kg per week now which is more realistic than the original weight loss I had.

I am still a very happy camper.

Mini Goal

Created by MyFitnessPal - Calorie Counter

Too much food round two.

Bugger, I lost my first post as well as the mashed pumpkin I shovelled into my mouth.
The pain was unbelievable in a tight sort of way.
Now I am on pureed fruit and yoghurt from a teaspoon.

Sorry I couldn't be bothered re typing everything.

Kerry


Mini Goal

Created by MyFitnessPal - Calorie Counter

Magic Melanie

Today I had a phone consultation with Melanie, my dietition. She gave me some good ideas for things to eat like spag bol without the spag, sherpherds pie, fruit with my weetbix and I can crush ladybird crunch up and add it to oats or the weet bix. I will also try some low fat custard because four weeks of yoghurt and fruche has taken a toll. Don't get me wrong I enjoy them both but I am over them for now. Tonight I had carbanara sauce for dinner and ate it with a teaspoon as I am meant too. At least it had a different taste.

Mini Goal

Created by MyFitnessPal - Calorie Counter

Success

Today I put on pantyhose without asking Reid for help.

First post op visit

I had my appointment with Harry and he was very pleased with my progress especially on the scales and so was I because on his scales I have lost 11kg. Yay!!!!!!!!!!!

I am now allowed to thicken up my fluids and have very wet mushy food. I will eat like this until the end of November and then I will progress to solids.

I have a phone appointment with my dietitian on the 17th of November.

My next appointment with Harry is January 14th.

I do feel tightness in my chest when I consume food/water and Harry said that that will improve over time and some of the people on the Gastric Sleeve forum have reported that this is true, so I am really looking forward to that.

I am starting to make friends with clothes that I haven't worn for quite a while which is good. At least I have smaller clothes to choose from and I don't have to go out buying things.

Life is good.

Kerry

Very Excited

I am very excited because I have hit the 10kg off zone. That's 10.2kg since I was in the surgeon's rooms on October 8th.

Good bye old Kerry

Kerry

On Friday I will go back to see Harry for a post-op assessment. I think he will be pleased.
All my holes, five in all, are healing well and I am following all orders to the letter.
Good news, today the teds came off and I am back behind the wheel.

I have added a photo of me before I went to the wedding the Friday before the operation.

I nearly died when I saw it because I realised I look like Nana.

Nana and mum are featured below.
That fat gene seems to have missed Mum and stuck to me.

Kerry

Weekend over

and thank god it is.

I slept for a fair percentage of it and tried really hard to keep the fluids up.

I read on the Gastric Sleeve Support forum that a large percentage of women sleeved have a period about two weeks after whether it is time or not. Now I haven't had one since April and yesterday I had a bit of a show. I hope it doesn't develop into more because I have truly enjoyed the last few months of being officially old.

I am going into Culgoa store today but not for the whole lot, I think I will come home early and go back again tomorrow.
I also have an appointment with my G.P tomorrow so he can make a mental health plan so I don't have to pay the psychologist. I will also make sure he checks my blood pressure and other bits while I am there.

My weight loss slowed over the weekend but I think it is all to do with fluid, I'd like to reach the 10kg mark by next weekend.

My short term goal is the 80's by Christmas. When I am allowed to exercise I am goint to build up my stamina on the treadmill slowly and then really get into it.

Kerry

Gastro

It's not ideal to have diarrhoea when you can only have liquids anyway. It's hard to work out whether it's a drink or food. It must have all been food because I have ended up dehydrated. Jack has the same thing and the doctor said it comes and goes for three weeks. Just what I need!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sam has conjunctivitis so he's home too. Zachary is away and fine and Reid is o.k too.
I have had a busy and very tiring week where I probably should have been in bed but Kerri was away and somebody had to do the shop. Jack was supposed to drive me but he couldn't so Reid came to Swan Hill each day with me.
We are closing for cup day and we never open on Mondays so I should get a bit of a break.

Kerry

9 days on

I am steadily losing weight at the rate of about 600grams per day.

The narrowness of the hernia repair can get really tight but I am dealing with it quite nicley. Sometimes I forget and take a whole spoonful of something and then I have to wait until I feel it pass through before I eat more.
I am still wearing the hospital teds (compression stockings) for another 5 days and although I am looking forward to not wearing them, my ankles have never been better than with them on.
I am back at the shop in Swan Hill but I can't drive so I have to be driven over and back. This looked like a no brainer because Jack has his L plates and goes to school in Swan Hill but he has gastro so today Reid drove me over and I will be picked up at the end of the day by our farm manager and his family. Reid will be at council.
My blood pressure has been all over the shop and for the last few days it has been low/normal without tablets whilst in hospital it was dangerously high. I monitor it about 3 times a day. I am lucky that I bought the machine a couple of year ago. I have had the readings compared to a manual reading and it is spot on so I feel condident doing it myself.
I am still very tired. Yesterday Jack spent the day with me at the shop and because it was quiet we shut early and went home. When we got there we both went to bed and slept. I managed to get up about 1 1/2 hours later for a couple of hours.

Time for lunch.

I can choose from soup or yoghurt or pureed fruit. I think I will go with the fruit.

Kerry

Two for the price of one.

Yes, I had two surgeries for the price of one. Once in there the surgeon found a hiatus hernia, which, apparently is not uncommon. He repaired that and then went on to create the sleeve. I went in at 11.00 a.m and was back on the ward at 1.30 p.m. I slept most of the day so don't have much memory of it.
I had a few attachments which were gradually removed and now I am home on a liquid diet for four weeks. This is not usual. The repair to the hernia is a bit narrow and as a result I have to have the fluids longer and may even have to go back to have it stretched. I think I can cope with yoghurt, soup and protein shakes for at least 3 more weeks and won't the weight drop off because a fruche size tub is pushing the limits a bit with what I can fit in.
The only pain I felt is at wound sites which is minimal and a drain site which is slighltly more.
More to come.
Kerry

One More Sleep

I have followed the Optifast to the letter, even at the wedding.
I am a bit nervous but I am still looking forward to tomorrow.
I will fill in you in on all the gory bits next week.
Kerry

Day 1 Optifast

Today I started the Optifast.

I am not allowed to have coffee so I have managed a cup of tea!!!!
The chocolate bar is o.k too.

I found out that I will have bad breath for a while. It's a result of Ketosis associated with rapid weight loss.

This isn't something I am looking forward to so I will have to start out with weights reasonably quickly, just light ones though for a start.

I am still excited about what's ahead and because we are leaving on Wednesday night for council stuff and a wedding I think the time will go really quickly.

kerry

Ready, .................

I went back to Harry Frydenberg on Wednesday the 8th of October and then I saw the dietition.
I am still in Melbourne and having a "food funeral" which mostly seems to be poached egg dishes and ice-cream, both of which I will be eating again in a few weeks time. Melanie,the dietition, said it wasn't necessary because I will be able to eat most food again but just not much.

On Monday I start on Optifast. I thought it was shakes but there are bars, soups and a dessert as well as shakes. I can also have some green vegies.

I am getting really excited now.

Blood Tests

I finally had my blood tests on Monday morning.

Last Monday morning I was supposed to have them but Reid brought me a coffee in bed and then Zachary made me some oats for breakfast. It was only after I had it all that I remembered I was supposed to fast.

This time I got it right.


I have decided to go with the sleeve.

The GP

I had an early morning appointment with the GP in Melbourne so I travelled down the night before and went with friends to a spanish restaurant. The food was magnificent.
The GP was lovely and very thorough and took more interest in my IBS than anyone else ever has.
Turns out I have no real problems but have to have obligatory blood tests which my own doctor will see to next Monday.
I have booked into the psychologist for grief counselling on October 14th which was the earliest I could get.
Kerry

The Psychiatrist

I have been told that I am too honest for my own good.


After a quick tour of Albert Park I finally found Dr. Leon Fail's practice, a quaint little house tucked behind the cafe area of Albert Park. There is no receptionist, just a doorbell and a locked door that he opens for you.

I have read on forums that he makes his money very quickly.

A quick chat about my weight ups and downs and mostly the huge up since the Mothers Day after Mum's death and he tells me I will need grief counselling or I could sabotage the whole procedure and then, are you paying by cheque or cash, here's a pen. In total 10 or 15 minutes of his time.

I probably do need counselling and I know a good one, I just don't want to fork out the money or the time.

Kerry

Preliminaries

August 28th, 12.30 p.m Appointment with Psychiatrist

September 4th, 9.00 a.m Appointment with General Practitioner in Melbourne

October 8th, 12.00 noon Appointment with Harry

October 8th, 1.45 p.m. Appointment with Harry's Dietician, assuming the other two doctors deemed me fit for surgery

My last hurrah will not be at the wedding it will be at the Hobson's Bay Mayoral ball the weekend before because at the wedding I will be only having Optifast shake.

I am so excited about all of this

Taking bigger steps

This is Mr. Harry Frydenberg, my surgeon. Reid and I had a lovely chat with him on Friday and he has given me two options:
1. The Lapband

2. Gastric Sleeve

Check out the links to see a detailed explanation.

The second option is more radical but there is no need for follow up visits. This would save on fuel, accommodation and other travel costs over the first twelve months.

I have to go to a psychiatrist and a general practitioner and then back to Harry after they have assessed me as fit for the operation.

We have chosen October 20th tentatively because the general practitioner is hard to get into and Harry is having three weeks off in September. We have a wedding to go to on the 17th so that will be my last hurrah.

If by some chance I can get back to Harry quickly it will be sooner but not likely.

If you have some thoughts about the choices, please leave a comment.

Step Three

I was in Melbourne yesterday so I called into the Surgery and made my initial appointment which is August 22nd and I am really excited. I feel like someone has given me a big gift and I can't stop smiling, well on the inside at least.
I also bought a book written by an Australian sugeon - The Lap-Band Solution, A partnership for weight loss .
Apparently Australia is the world leader in this kind of surgery so I'm feeling better about this all the time.

Kerry

Step Two

So, I got the referral with no trouble at all. Now I have to make an appointment with Mr. Harry Frydenberg at the Epworth Centre for Bariatric Surgery.
I will call in there tomorrow to make an appointment seeing as I will be in Melbourne.

Kerry

The first step

Tomorrow I am taking the first step to permanent weight loss.

Reid and I have an appointment with the our doctor to request a referral for lap band surgery.

I fit the criteria so I should have no worries getting it. The point of this blog is to record my feelings and thoughts during the process.

Please think of this as a positive for me and give me support when I need it.

If I don't get the referral I will be very upset.
I will post again tomorrow evening.

Kerry