Twenty-two week weigh in - five months since operation

No change in my weight this morning from last week's weigh in.  It will be interesting to see if Christmas has an effect on my weight.  Most years prior to this one, I have have gained substantially over the festive period.  I think Quality Street and Cadbury's Roses very large tins of chocolate sweets have had something to do with this!

I did however, measure myself this morning.  My pre operation numbers are on the left:

Bust 136cm   – 53.5ins         119.5cm  - 47 ins          16.5cm -   6.5 ins lost in 22 weeks

Waist 138cm – 54.3ins         111.5cm  - 44 ins          26.5cm -   9.7 ins lost in 22 weeks

Hips 172cm   – 67.7ins         146 cm    - 57.5 ins       26cm    - 10.2 ins lost in 22 weeks

Calf 54cm     – 21.3ins           49.5 cm - 19.5 ins         4.5cm -   1.8 ins lost in 22 weeks

Finally I can measure all of me with a normal 150cm/60" tape measure - I couldn't before!

I wish anyone reading this a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, especially fellow gastric bypassers. 

Twenty-one week weigh in and getting ready for Christmas

Weighing in this morning sees me now at 106.2 kilos/233½lbs or 16stone 9½lbs, so it's still coming off.  I've lost 5st 12lbs/36.9kg now.  I am not setting targets, as I've said before, but I would like to see myself below 100kg, and it looks like an achievable aim now.

I am now avoiding all milk products and although the situation is improved it is not sorted. I haven't started the antibiotics as I have blood tests for a follow up of a parathyroidectomy in June and don't want the results distorted in any way. It seems that my parathome level is much too high and there may still be a problem.

I am, however, taking the two supplements - ingredients include, evening primrose oil, vitamins C & E, iron, ginseng,and zinc - which will hopefully contribute to me not losing too much more hair. I have lost so much now that my slide which hold my hair on the top of my head sometimes slips off. I am constantly empyting my hairbrush and the bath after a shower and it's amazing how much hair is leaving my head. The problem is, that when my hair does eventually regrow it will be short and not mix in well with my long hair, so I will probably end up having it cut short when I do get regrowth, and then I'll have to grow it again.

A friend came to lunch yesterday with her husband.  I haven't see her for, probably, a year or so. She too had weight problems, but was so worried about having a gastric bypass because she has heart problems too, that she has finally buckled down and has lost four stone through diet and exercise. She continues to lose weight and I am very proud of her - because it ain't easy.

I have eaten some different foods this week, amongst them, long grain rice and mushrooms, and in a salad, lettuce, rocket, tomatoes, cucumber and red peppers dressed with a homemade French dressing. I've tried globe artichokes but couldn't get on with them and still find bread difficult, even French bread with lumpfish caviar balanced on top.   Today, I've made enough of my usual homemade veggie soup to last for four day.  I had some celery in the fridge so I added the leaves to the soup before I blitzed it all, just to make a minor difference in taste.

My Christmas decorations and tree went up today with the help of a friend:

My tree was given to me yesterday by my friends who came to lunch and it's lovely - thank you so much!

Shopping - have I faded so much that I am invisible?

When I got back from the hospital yesterday I dropped in at the pharmacy to fill the prescription for the intravenous antibiotics and the food supplements.  Dr Lechaux hadn't given me a prescription for the nurse to do the injections and before I left the pharmacy they said they would telephone him and the nurse to organise it all for me.  They asked me to return this morning.  I went in to see them just before going into the supermarket next door.  The pharmacist had dealt with all the problems.  Apparently, these drugs are no longer available intravenously so have been exchanged for tablets.  Unfortunately, that means I am now going to have to take four extra tablets a day (with the other supplements he prescribed) and I have a problem taking tablets.  Still, I suppose it's better than a daily injection.  sometimems I feel I go one step forward and two steps back.  I shall start tomorrow with the new medication. 

This morning I bought loads of Christmas food to store and, I'd like to think that in another 17 days, I may just be able to eat something from each course of Christmas lunch.  I hardly spend anything at the supermarket nowadays with my reduced eating, but today my bill was €138,95 - quite a shock!  Still, Christmas is never cheap and I shall enjoy the others eating and drinking all the festive food even if I can't have as much as usual.

As I was at the fish counter, buying crab, salmon and having prawns weighed out, another customer asked about crabs and then started to order some.  The assistant said, “can you wait please, I am already serving”.  The woman turned to me and apologized.  I said “no problem” and smiled.  When I was at the checkout packing my shopping into bags, with the assistant still putting items through the till, the same woman offered her loyalty card and put her payment card into the machine.  This assistant said, “can you wait please, I am already serving”.  The woman customer looked at me and said “I am so sorry – this is the second time”.  I have lost 79 pounds in weight, so I replied “Perhaps I am invisible” no-one understood what I really meant, but they all laughed.  

Currently, because of course this changes at a whim, my favourite naughty "food" is After Eight Mints.  The first is the standard 200g box and the second is the 400g "overpriced with Christmas packaging" box!

I have six each day, spread out through the day, at a cost of 214 calories, and although we don't count calories, it does give me some idea of what I'm eating and how many I can allow myself - because they're very slim minted chocolates and it would be very easy to eat the whole box without realising!

This afternoon I cooked a chicken with bacon and herbs so that I will have the stock to make soup again, I did eat some of the meat for my supper.  I have bought lots of vegetables to cook in the oven and add to the stock before I blend it, pass it through a sieve, reheat and eat it.

Here is a photo of my old, fatter face and another of my old but new, slimmer face - there is definitely an improvement.

I went out yesterday evening to a Quiz evening at a pub in St Gilles Vieux Marché, about 45 minutes away from my home.  I don't usually go out much in the evening when I have to drive as I hate driving at night.  If it's dark my brain tells me that I should be asleep.  We have a meal - last night chicken in a cider and cream sauce with French fries - as part of the €5 cost, and for the first time since my operation I ate something away from the house.  I had about eight of the chips dipped into the sauce.  I was apprehensive, but everything was fine, so I shall feel more confident in future.  Little by little ....

Visit to consultant at twenty weeks and two days and weight loss

As I was going to see Dr Le Chaux this afternoon I weighed this morning.  Now, I have to say that I had a very disturbed evening and night after eating the little bit of cheese.  The evening saw me in the bathroom a lot and then I got up at just after 04.00am and continued in the bathroom about five times until midday.  Luckily, this afternoon I was ok while I was out of the house at the hospital.  I weighed in at 107.1kg which takes me down into the sixteen stones at 16st12lbs2oz.  Breakthrough!  I was 16st6lbs when I first arrived in Cornwall on 3 September 1996, so will be very pleased when I go through that barrier.

After a bit of a wait to see the consultant I showed off my new slimmer body and we talked about my bowel problems and that I had self-diagnosed lactose intolerance.  He seemed to agree with me.  As my bowel problems are better than they were, but still not better, he has prescribed me an antibiotic to deal with the growing bacterial colony in my gut.  He also precribed two more supplements to help with my problems.  I said that I felt much better in myself, I no longer walk with a cane, have more energy, generally feel much better. 

He is organising an event on 25 January 2012 for mini gastric bypass patients to meet each other and invited me along.  I accepted with pleasure.  He also asked if I would be happy to talk to any English patients who come to him.  I agreed with that too.  I suggested that he might consider a brochure in English for MGBP patients and he will probably contact an American surgeon who does a lot of these operations to ask for his advice.

He checked my scars and my tummy apron and said he would probably operate in about a year to remove the excess skin on my abdomen.  We also talked about my hair loss.  I seem to have lost so much hair I'm surprised I still seem to have some on my head.  He said that this was temporary and would improve before long.

We ended with making an appointment for 4 July 2012, but he said that if I needed to see him before this, to 'phone for another appointment.

Twenty week weigh in

Well, another week with no weight loss - no weight gain either - but no loss - so I'm still 108.6kg.   It is disappointing but I wonder if it's because I'm changing what I eat. 

I am now managing to eat a little protein, meat and egg.  I've had bacon, egg, a little chicken and some roast pork.  We are talking very small quantities here, but it must make  difference I suppose.  I am still not having any dairy at all.  Since I stopped dairy products I find I am able to eat a better choice of foods, I can't explain why, but it's good.  Also I have had three very good days, but the rest still see me in the loo on and off all morning.

I see Dr le Chaux tomorrow afternoon and will put my questions to him then.