Crazy busy! And progress in pictures :)

I can tell the end of the school term is nigh.  Every time the last weeks finally appear, it seems to get just crazy busy!  Parent/teacher interviews, reports, assessments and all that marking that goes with it!  I'm swamped!  However, Im loving the weekends, where Im trying to do as little work as possible (with varying success) but at least having some form of social life.  This past week my little bro was up on a design conference and stayed a little longer to catch up with his big sis.  Good times.  My parents don't visit (My mum only twice, and my dad once in the nine years I've been here - one being my wedding!) So I love it when he comes to visit as he is my only other family member in the country.  Always good is that we manage to squeeze in a trip to the movies usually a horror.  This time was Saw VII 3D - because it is just not sick enough in two dimensions.  Blood splatter and guts everywhere....love it :)

Anyway, back to the weight loss.....

Another fill last week, after still feeling hungry and not getting full much.  The latest fill (a big one) has helped a bit, but feel another may finally put me in the green zone, so have got another next week.  To my surprise, when weighing in - I had lost 2.5 kilos!!!  Woo hoo, just when I didn't expect it.   So now I have lost a total of 32.9kilos (72.4lbs).

So what weighs about 32.9 kilos?

These child robots

This fish

Big dog

The weight of luggage allowed on this airline



And this seizure of cocaine!

I thought I would also put in some progress shots too.



MID - OCTOBER 2010

    

APRIL 1st 2011

The dogs thought since I was near the door, it was walkies time...bless :)

Am still doing the crossfit training, and truly am loving it!!  Short, intense, high weight low reps workouts that have you puffing afterwards.  My times are also not far from the others, so soon I will feel confident enough to do the classes with others.  Exciting!!!!



A New Oufit - Smaller Size!!!

My husband and I went to a wedding of some friends at the weekend.  I'm going to blow my own trumpet here - the dress I'm wearing in the photo below is a size smaller and from a shop I never used to be able to get clothes at!  Size XL which is equivalent to a 24 (NZ & AUS sizes) from City Chic.  Stoked - and it even fit better than when I tried it on a couple of weeks ago :)

Me and Hubby

All dressed up (excuse the mess!)

YAY!!!

Thanks for the feedback on the pain.  Still hasn't gone away and stopped me from going to work the last couple of days as too sore when upright.  I called the clinic, and am booked in on Thursday to get some steroids and local anaestetic to ease the pain.  This was part of the reply:

"Unfortunately some times there is nerve entrapment where the trocars go through into the abdominal muscle, and this can cause pain. It happens in about 1% of people. It will generally go away with time, but if it is causing you some distress, one option we have is injecting some steroid (Kenacort) and Local anaesthetic into the area, which softens the tissue around the entrapped nerve and this releases it and lessens the pain you feel. It hurts more on standing because the abdominal muscle is stretched tightening where the entrapped nerve is, and releases somewhat when sitting down and the muscle is more relaxed."

I'm not surprised Im one of those 1%.  I mean after the op, the surgeon said that my hepatic artery was in the opposite direction (20% of people have that), and my anaphylatic reaction to the muscle relaxant happens to 1 in 2000-2500 people.  Maybe I'm one for breaking the odds.  Now if I could just win lotto....:)

Yay also to see more people from the Hutt Valley commenting on the blog - be nice to meet you both in person sometime :)

Post-Op Week 1

A week has gone by since banding, how time flies.

Hospital stay was good, nurses awesome.  All concerned there relieved it happened this time.  Got bumped up to a single room of my own (nice).  It was nice to wake up in recovery seeing similar surroundings, lights and the same theatre nurse from the operating room.  Got my own tv in my room with SKY - could only really cope with American Idol which my nurse watched with me while she wrote her notes up.  Next day after the surgeon gave me the ok, and said that in the end they didn't need to use a muscle relaxant I went home to sleep.  I found out later - it was really a 50/50 chance of success for the op after last time, so glad I was on the good 50 side.
Still happy, and improving a bit more everyday.  Turns out I may have been a little ambitious going back to school (work) on Monday (Day 3).  While I felt fine when I got up, after dealing with students, meetings, moving around etc, by 11am I was absolutely shattered!  Being stubborn, I continued through the day, but coming home - I was a physical and mental mess.  Hubby handed me the phone - tell work you aren't going in for a couple of days at least.  For once, I actually did what he said.

So what did I learn from that?  Well apart from my stubborness and pigheadness, Day 3 for me going back to teaching - far too soon!  I spent the next two days at home doing some serious R and R.  Back to work too soon. Taught Thursday being first teaching day, exhausted at the end so off on Friday.  I suppose I made it to work a little this week.

My problem was the guilt, but have to step back and realise it is a job not my life, and this year especially is to FOCUS (word of the year) on ME.  Just taking a bit of practise and changing of old habits.  Just relaxing and doing nothing has being hard, especially when I know there is that lingering school work in the background.  It will get done - when I'm all good.

Im healing nicely.  Being my first op wasn't sure what to expect so on the removal of the dressings, I just needed reassurance everything was ok, and no infection was nigh.  I had heard of horrible stories of the ports getting bacterial infections and spreading to the band - I was not having any of that!  So checked in with the nurse at the clinic, and all was good.  Apparently already have a decent amount of scar tissue under the skin which is good.  Yay!

Can I feel anything in me - no.  I do wonder exactly where the port is - I will probably find it when the swelling has gone done.  I have a lot of gurgling which sounds like a massive rumbling tummy, common apparently.  Embarrassing - yeah especially in a dead quiet staff meeting.  I have to have benefiber to keep me regular if needed.  In my sleep I have rolled on my stomach as well (naturally a tummy sleeper) - damn sore in the morning.  A real tight sensation as well.  Things I have to get used to.

So first week was a diet of liquids only - Approx 6 servings a day of up to 1/2 cup - increasing a little if comfortable.

For me this consisted of:  Protein shakes, Up and go, berocca, water, amazing broth cooked by Hubby (Chicken, Mushroom and a yummy Tomato and Basil), dilute cranberry juice, coffee, tea, and tomato juice.


Have I got hungry? Nope.   I was able to increase the liquids a little towards the end of the first week more for the nutrition rather than wanting it.  It has been weird not really having an interest in eating/drinking food, but apparently all normal.   One thing that has been awesome (in moderation of course) was having a fruju - Ahhhh so good for Summer, and even though it melts, made me think I was having something solid.

About day 5 when I went into the surgery I weighed myself with a pleasant surprise.  Had lost 2.1 kilos totalling 27.3 kilos lost.  Also when updating my ticker - I noticed my BMI has gone below 50.  Wooo hooooo!!!!!

Best part of the week - going back to work after 6 weeks and people immediately noticing I am smaller, and saying my clothes are getting too big for me (first time for that!), and the other was my hubby and how much he looked after me :) 

Week 2 food phase is pureed foods - Im definitely ready to move on to something with more substance.  I can have some banana (mashed and only 1/2) - love bananas!

Thanks to all who read this and wished me well - very much appreciated :)
And finally a couple of pics just before heading to hospital to add to the progress picture journey!

 

Monday Movers and Progress Pics

Wow, the walking group was FUN!  5 people there last night, and all just lovely.  I even met my band twin (well she would have been if I had been banded on the 26th November).  She was the other op that day.  I think we were meant to meet!  Very interesting talking to her at 6 weeks on from the op.  She was not as big as me, and has lost 10 kilos so far, all since the banding - she didn't have to do the pre-op diet.  She is still learning everyday and struggling with portion sizes and chewing.  She has had a number of things stuck which has put her off some foods like steak, chicken breast and unmashed banana.  I am learning from what she says and working with it. I also learnt that recovery time is really individual from going back to solids after 4 weeks to one guy who was back on solids after a week...crazy!  Since we live near each other, we are also going to try and do extra walks as time allows.  This will be especially beneficial during those Winter months.

The walk was good, went for about 50 minutes walking along the Petone foreshore.  The lady from the clinic mapped the distance and turned out to be approx 3.8 km walked.  I was pleased with that :).  The walks are going to go every Monday.  Ill miss the next couple due to being away in Auckland and then op recovery, but then the week after that - Im back in as walking is encouraged to aid recovery.  We've called the group Monday Movers, and were trying to suggest sponsorship deals from the clinic for t shirts, caps etc, basically any free stuff - The clinic lady was amused.

Dropped my admission forms off at the hospital today - strange sense of deja vu.

Have been a bit exercise crazy over the last few weeks - and while I still have the energy Im totally going with it!  Last week, managed 3 PT sessions, and quite a few walks.  This week, so far since Monday - 3 decent walks and 1 PT session with 2 more lined up this week.  Have definitely got my focus on, and better yet Im enjoying it.  Long may it last!

Now on the positive side - I have had some lovely comments over the last couple of days - these included:  Wow, your face looks a lot more skinny (x2), you look awesome, do you have any clothes that still fit?, You are doing so well, you should be really proud of yourself, and if you have lost this much on your own, imagine how much you are going to lose with the band - warm fuzzies - thanks guys and girls.

As said a couple of posts ago, here are some progress shots.  The yellow are from Week 1 pre-op, and the purple from Week 13, so just over 3 months progress.  I can't really see it in front of the mirror, but I do notice in the photos, and I guess in my clothes as well.

Unfortunately didnt get the same clothes for comparison this time, but you get the general trend.

10 sleeps to go :)