Word of 2011

Arggghhhh the detox - week 1 of pre-op diet 2.  How soon one forgets the effects of it.

Within 2 days, my energy levels plummetted!   But due to heat - sleep still hard.  By Friday, I was sporting some pretty decent panda eyes.   Have been trying to keep up the exercise, but Fridays PT session was swapped for a sleep in.  I love sleep when I can get it.

Day 7 now, as long as I eat when I am meant to - things are getting better, and the energy levels are on the up!  In the week ahead, exercise every day no matter what.  Still on holiday for another 3 weeks so no excuse!

In a few blogs I have been reading, I noticed that people are chosing a:

Word Of The Year

I thought I would try this, actually harder than I thought.  So many words, but which one will drive me for the year?  Well this is it -



I thought about success, goal, determination, achievement etc but focus is what I need to get all of these.  Keep my eye on the prize as they would say and success will be mine.  That will be my 2011 :)

Back on the pre op diet wagon! Week 12 pre op

First week of January 2011 - Week 12 of the pre-op diet.  Tomorrow it is 6 weeks since the first op attempt.  This also means my cells are fully recharged and ready to react and deal with allergy testing.  Another small milestone.

Been back on the pre-op diet wagon since the second.  In the last couple of days, I have noticed the energy waning.  It does help immensely not being at work.  Im still gyming it - hope to lose at least a total of 20kilos by op time.  Still waiting to hear when that will be, hoping I will find out next week sometime.

So no carbs or any of the crap I ate over the festive period.  Good time for detoxing!

Trying the lemon mousse opti fast as something different.  Its ok - kind of like a cheesecake flavouring.  Still prefer the coffee and strawberry shakes and the bars though.  Also to note - in future be more organised and buy them from the clinic.  There is serious inflation when buying it from the chemist!

Holidays are full of events and social time - it does make the eating thing a bit harder.  Coffee's are fine - a trim mocha is fine as long as I give away the marshmellows/chocolate fish.  Today I felt victorious at Maranui Cafe in Lyall Bay when after looking in the food cabinet and menu - there were no meals without carbs.  Even the cabinet salads were potato or pasta based.  However, I noticed a green salad, mushrooms and spinach on the side order menu.  So I combined them for my lunch - success!!!!

 Success!!  Green salad had sunflower seeds on it to - nice touch!

Trim mocha at Diamond Deli - Lyall Bay 

On the weight loss,  I have gained a little during Christmas.  I decided to delay weighing myself for at least a week so hopefully will see a good loss.  Hopefully, next week some energy will return :)

Obesity Ad Campaign

Doctors want graphic ads, similar to pictures on cigarette packets, to be used n the fight against obesity.

When you think about the pictures on the cigarette packets - how effective are they?  Who is more offended by the pictures - Smokers or non - smokers??   While I am all for trying to reduce the obesity epidemic that is spreading throughout the western world - is this tactic really the answer???  How about prevention, education, compulsory PE and guidance in diets and lifestyle.  I mean if an alcoholic watched an ad with someone drinking a bottle of wine - would that put them off drinking??

I think the obesity problem is complex.  Just overeating and having a sedentary lifestyle is not all that can lead to obesity.  I would like to see some more 'positive' campaigns to deal with this growing problem.

While searching for the above report, I also found the following ad campaigns and posters:

 Thought this placement was ironic

 Back in the Stone Age this would have been useful

 Soft drink packs on the pounds

 Butter suicide bomb

The effect of processed foods 

Are parents part of the cause?

Happy New Year!

The festive season is almost behind us, and as from today I'm back on the Optifast wagon until the next surgery attempt.  I'm hoping that it will be on the 28th January.  Why you may ask?  Well I found out that my allergy testing is on January 26th (co-insiding with my wedding anniversary).  According to the specialist, it will take approximately 2 hours to establish if I am allergic to what they think I am.  She did point out that there is a chance that they may not find out either.  When talking to the people at the clinic, late January has been talked about as the date, and the 28th is the Friday.  Ill see in a week or two I guess when the clinic reopens for the year.  Stupid time of year for it all to happen - more waiting time.

So week 8- 11 pre op was like an intermission.  A week after the no-op Anthony and I went to Bon Jovi.  LOVED IT!!!!  Ol' Jon Bon Jovi is looking very good for his age I must say.  Loved the music, and have been playing their greatest hits records for the last month (still not tired of it either)

The end of year party season started.  My diet became looser.  I still managed to lose another 3 kilos or so.  Stoked with that.  Still using optifast, but allowing some carbs in.   My booze drinking came back with the festive season, starting witht he last day of school.  Man, I loved been drunk and had the best time.  However, many drinks = no will power and cravings for carbs in the form of chips and bread.  And the hangover the next day - no so fun.  The partier in me is still strong :)

 Me and Julia - her last day at UHC

 The alcohol starts to take affect

 Secret Santa pressie - treats for my dogs

Partying like its 1999

I allowed myself to buy a new top.  Love it - has an apron like over top.  Many compliments :)

So - the holidays at long last began!  No marking this year, awesome!  A few of us went over to Martinborough for a couple of days to chill out and explore what it has to offer.  Wineries, cafes, gift shops - sweeeeet!!!!

 Me and Kate

 Tried to make meals reasonably healthy

 Group shot - I like this pic - I look smaller :)

The girls had cake- I had fruit salad

The Christmas season hit and my diet basically went out the window.  I appreciated how good a lot of food I had not had for a long time tasted.  I did stay predominantly away from cheese and bread.  Cheese seems to now not agree with me much - a great way of deterring me from it now.  But I did enjoy potato in the form of my bro's potato salad at Christmas - yum!

Me and my bro - Christmas Day 2010

Christmas was in Welly this year - a complete day off, although I was proud I didn't over indulge.  In previous years, I have eaten until my stomach ached, so a good positive.  It is amazing though just how much food is around at Christmas.  Truly a hard time to have any self control.  Loving the sparkling wine this year!

Anthony's birthday a couple of days later, more food, more booze.  I did fit in a couple of walks and personal training sessions during the week between Christmas and New Years.  Exercise really does make you feel a lot better when you are being so glutonous.

Visitors, brunches, road trips, iced coffees, more wine, bbq's, sweets, chocolate summed up that week.

Last brunch for the year was with Miss Hitchings and Jamie on their visit to Welly with Judge, bro, and hubby.

Yummy and my last full brunch!  A beef thai salad with shared belgian fries....mmmmm  mmmmm



New Years Eve no boundaries.  We went to a morrocan restaurant, and I had my first tagine.  A king tagine with sausage, lamb shank, and chicken served over couscous.  The flavours were amazing.  And truly filling not being able to finish it.  I have discovered that I can't eat as much as I used to.  My stomach capacity must have shrunk a little in the pre-op diet.  BIG YAY!

 Tagine!!!!!

 Me and Kate

 A sweet tagine :)

 Free pita and dips - nice!

 BYO - lots of wine!

 Cheers!

Happy New Year!!



So, I summed up to Kate as 2010 being 'arse'.  Things did not really go my way - 2011 will be a better year!  No real resolutions to be made.  Just goals which the main two are to have my lap band surgery and make it into the adoption pool once we have completed the courses.   We have two wonderful referees so I would pick us if I had read their statements!  Once the surgery happens - the goal is big weight loss!  It will be done :)

Merry Christmas!!!!

Dear Santa. I don't want much for Christmas. I just want the person reading this to be happy. Friends and family are the fruit cake of life. Some are nutty. Some are soaked in alcohol (!!). Some are sweet. But mix them together and they're my friends and family :).
Merry Christmas!♥♥

The Aftermath - Week 7 Pre Op

After arriving home - it honestly took about 3-4 days before my mind was clear of the daze of the drugs, apparently thats normal.

My body felt like lead, muscles in my arms and legs ached (also apparently normal side effect).  Plus a sore neck where that bloody big needle was in me. The best position was standing, but with no energy I was predominantly in bed for the next 24 hours.

On the Sunday, more mobile, I baked to take my mind off things and keep busy (easier for me, and during this process I have grown to love baking - its like an escape).  Anyway, this is what I produced!

Firstly - My first attempt at a Christmas Fruit Cake - With a few dashes of Rum

Secondly - Hazelnut and caramel truffles - I did taste one - delicious :)

The weather had improved remarkably so those truffles had to be made quickly and chilled to help set.

In Week 7 I lost 2 more kilos - totalling 17.1 kilos lost - a bonus to everything else that happened.

On the Monday - had the day off - still too sore and out of it.  The anaestetist rang and explained what had happened and what was going to happen from there.  He stated that he was 99.9% sure I was allergic to the drug suxamethonium which is a muscle relaxant. It was pointed out to me, that I was in the right place to have the reaction, where it could be treated.  Anywhere else, and I would be dead.  Oh joy!  However I needed to wait 6 weeks for my cells to recharge to react to allergy testing.  Once it was confirmed, I could then have the operation with another suitable drug.  He also sent a letter outlining what happened and what not to give me in possible future situations. Arghhhhhh....more waiting!!!!!!  Now I know I am a teacher who has to be patient, but seriously - I am so not a patient person outside of work!!! 
The other thing is that I will now have to wear a medic alert bracelet, as it is the most popular drug of that type to use.  I have heard now they are a bit better looking that in years past.  I checked the website:

 

The bead ones are cool, although maybe not completely practical.  A bit of time to make that decision though!


What was nice though, was that the nurse from the Surgical Obesity Clinic rang to check I was ok and what happened. The dietician also emailed and was available to chat anytime.
We also returned to Boulcott which was weird - like the scene of the crime.  Everyone knew who I was, and me knew nobody - pretty intense.  Any who - got a refund for the time being.  Better in my account than theirs!
My department were lovely at school.  I got flowers and a card - very sweet.

 


Went back to school on Tuesday - too early.  I know people care, and I dont want to sound ungrateful, but I wish that other than my closer peeps at work, that everyone else would just leave me alone.  I also wish that I had a tape recorder that I could just play the story and walk away.  There were all the aww tilt head sideways.  You must be so disappointed (really...nooo I was stoked..WTF).  Some people at work are just plain nosey and dwelling on the negative.  I just wanted to move on, and the constant questions just got me depressed.  The students were really my saviour.  Being teens, its all about them - so while they cared that I was ok - it was quickly back to their dramas, nice.

I lasted the week - and made it to senior clearance and their leavers dinner on the Friday night.  One bonus - instead of liquids as pre planned - I could actually eat a normal meal.  I had carbs (kumara) for the first time in weeks and it was nice :)



When things don't go as planned :( (Part 2 of 2)

So Anaphylactic shock means I was allergic to one of the drugs the anaestetist gave me - in this case it seemed the muscle relaxant that stops me moving during the operation was thought to have caused it.

According to the report, my blood pressure decreased, my respiratory rate decreased, as did my circulation.  I later found out that if I was not in the operating theatre under specialist care at the time it happened, I would have died - woah!

Now according to reports and what people have said, I had a tube put down my throat to breath, I had a central line put into my jugular vein which lead to my heart to put adrenalin straight into me to get me going again (see pic of it below)

Not me- but same deal

From the blue piece to the right was in me going to my heart!

Now I also was transferred by ambulance from Boulcott to Hutt Hospital (I was unconscious so don't remember that).  I was bummed to know that the lights and sirens weren't used though - although since the two buildings are beside each other, I guess thats reasonable ;)

Now my poor husband was conscious the whole time, and got a call 21 minutes after he left me.  He ran (doesn't generally run - bad knee) back to the hospital in 3 minutes.  White as a ghost, they took his blood pressure to make sure he was ok - it was high surprisingly (well duh, not that much of a surprise).  When he saw the surgeon coming towards him, he thought I was dead - but no takes more than that...

Anyway, he was in the ambulance as I was transferred.  I was taken to ICU where I eventually became conscious after a while.  I woke not knowing anything, but only responded to Anthony calling me Munter (after doctors used Cassandra for a while)!  From reports I was in and out of consciousness for a while.  When I remember things, the tube from my throat had been removed but had scratched up my throat.  I had vague recollections of something being pulled out of my throat in a semi conscious state - that must have been it.  I had tubes in me, IV drip, electrodes stuck to me, oxygen tubes, various tubes and lines in me and a catheter - my underwear had gone!!! (note - don't wear underwear you want to keep when going to hospital, it may be cut off).  I wasn't in the best state.

Anyway, I soon realised the op hasn't gone ahead.  I patted my stomach area and found nothing.  Anthony told me, and I got upset.  Various doctors, nurses came in.  I got angry at Anthony as I wanted to go to the toilet ( had a catheter in me).  He said I couldn't go and held me down as I got quite agressive about it ( the adrenalin apparently plays a part in that).  I called him various names (which I do regret now).  Luckily, since he has had operations - he knew this would happen and found it funny more than anything...phew!

I got my way though, but had to go on a wheelchair toilet.  I think I was in and out of consciousness for the afternoon, but slowly improving.  My O2 was low and I beeped a lot.  Later on that night, they gave me a low carb meal, the drip was removed, and the surgeon came and saw me. It had never happened before to him, but assured me that the operation would go ahead, just a matter of finding out what drug I reacted to and I had to wait six weeks to take allergy tests.  My cells need to 'recharge' to react properly and that is how long it takes.  NOT HAPPY.  But nothing I could do about it either.

And so, I dozed on and off - throughout the night and through about three nurses shifts.  By morning, I had improved enough to go to the toilet by myself and get bored.  I just wanted to go home. I had to wait to be discharged by the surgeon and doctor and get all the tubes etc taken out of me.  Once that was done, it ended up being about lunchtime when I got to go home, and to my own bed to recover.