Short, sharp and shiny.

Ok, so let's just get this out of the way up front:


Weight last week 83.5kg (184.1 lb)
Weight this week 83.1kg (183.2 lb)
Total loss of 0.4kg (0.9 lb)


Not too bad in the end, I'll take it! Funny that so many of you mentioned tracking my calories, after I had written that post I entered my food into my calorie tracking software (from Calorie King FYI), and I realised I was probably eating too little in the way of calories. WTF? I was only around the 600 calorie mark for the whole day (which is about what I had been eating all week apparently). So yesterday I upped my intake a bit, and viola, a loss on the scales today! I am going to try and stick to about 900-1000 calories. 


Netball is on again tonight! I am hoping that another week out from surgery, I'm not going to be so exhausted so quickly (my lungs were burning after 5 minutes last week!).  Day shift this week, and I have things planned for after work every day. Wow, I'm almost like a normal person!! 


Sorry for the short post, I've got so much to do before I leave for netty, then I have to get to bed early. Catchya later!


Edited to add: I'm back! And I'm not as exhausted as last week! It may have something to do with me playing in a less labour intensive position this week (ok, that sounds really rude, but I promise it isn't). And I got two goals! We only got 8 overall, so that's 25 percent my effort. Woohoo!

A definition! And a recap.

For those who asked, this is Netball! It is kind of like basketball.. but not. A very popular game here in Oz, we have been world champions several times (we tend to take turns with NZ!). Our game was nowhere near this "vigorous", we are playing in D grade after all. Essentially, I did 40 minutes of short bursts of "running" back and forth across the court. I was a little worried after reading your replies (especially Robyn - six weeks!), but then I went back to my trusty lapband bible (The lapband solution by Dr O'brien), and it states that they "want you to be as active as possible, as soon as possible. There is no exercise that will hurt the band". I'm paraphrasing here, but you get the general idea. I will be back at netball this Tuesday night, and hopefully won't feel quite so exhausted afterwards.

So after my (not-so) triumphant return to organised sports, I must admit I've had a fairly slow week in terms of physical exercise. I have, however, been much more active in general. I went back to work on Wednesday (boo hoo), and while we may do some sitting, evening shift is definitely an active one. Lots of up and down, walking around etc. I've also been more active at home, now that I'm back at work I have no excuse for neglecting the housework so I'm trying to do more to give hubby a break.

No more movement on the scales yet, which I'm not surprised about, but still disappointed. I knew that moving to semi-normal food (mushies) would stall my weight loss while my body gets used to it, but I still don't quite understand how eating such little calories I'm not losing. Hopefully when I get to my official weigh in day (Tuesday), there might be a tiny shift or two to report!

In other news, I am thinking of all the people in the path of Hurricane Irene over there. I'm not really sure who from Blogland is affected, as I'm a bit fuzzy on my American geography (and also not everyone has their location on their blogs), but I have been thinking of you all. Living over here in cyclone territory, I understand how terrifying it can be at worst, and inconvenient at the best. May you all stay safe xoxo

Whose stupid idea was it...

To play a full 40min game of indoor netball 2 weeks out from surgery? Yep, it was mine. Sort of. I was asked a month or two ago to join a team that was being assembled at work for a bit of fun. I thought, sure, I'll be recovered by then (I managed to avoid the first two weeks as I was "on leave" so no-one asked questions). However, as I go back to work tomorrow (bleh), I couldn't get out of this game so easily. I discussed it with hubby, and both agreed that I should be fine because we had more than the required 7 people, so I could sub off if needed. Um, no. We didn't have more than 7 people, so I had to play the whole game! My lungs were burning after 5 minutes, and in the second quarter the other team switched their best player to play against me (and she literally ran circles around me). Lucky for me most of the other members of our team are also 30-something unfit women, so I didn't feel too bad about not going ridiculously hard. I am feeling much better now that I have been home for an hour or so, but I'm sure that I'm really dehydrated. My incisions all feel fine, and I don't feel like I've done any damage to my port area. I will sleep very well tonight. Hopefully I am a better team member next week! Yes, this is a recurring event :S

Anyhoo, today is two weeks since my surgery! This time two weeks ago, I was dozing in and out of sleep, having the nurse wake me up for obs fairly often. Things have definitely slowed down on the scales, most likely because I have been eating a bit thicker fluids this week after re-reading the info from my dietician (yoghurt! Custard!).

Weight last week: 84.6kg (186.5 lb)
Weight this week: 83.5kg (184.1 lb)
Total loss of 1.1 kg (2.4 lb)

I started on mushy food today, so I know that the weight loss will stay slow. I boiled some eggs, mashed them with low calorie mayo and a bit of curry powder, then puréed them with the bamix till they were smooth. I split them into three small containers, had one for dinner and put the others in the fridge for later. I will have to make sure I am conscious of eating more slowly now that the food is getting thicker, the last thing I want to do is dislodge my band or stretch the pouch. 

I am inching towards the weight I was when I got married last year, and below that is the weight I was when I met my husband 4 years ago (when I had no life and spent hours at the gym every day and ate lots of lean cuisines). I would really like to be back to that weight by the end of the year, kind of a Christmas present for myself (and him!). That will also mean I can fit into some of the clothes I have in my wardrobe, as I have refused to get rid of any of my skinny clothes! I don't think I will be so kind to the fat clothes though....

Post-op check

I know, a very boring title! Sorry, it's all I could think of!

Today was my post-op follow up visit with my surgeon. I am feeling almost entirely normal, with the exception of some mild discomfort where my largest (about 4cm) incision is. Only one of my steri-strips has come off so far (my post-op instruction sheet said to let them fall off on their own), all the others are holding tight. All in all, I am very glad that I had both the accumulated sick leave, and the medical certificate to have two weeks off work. I would have been no use to anyone if I had to go back at the beginning of this week! I am still finding myself to get tired quite easily, but this is getting better.

So, back to the surgeon visit! It honestly was a bit of a non-event! Roxy (the nurse) recorded my weight (officially down 2.9kg - that's 6.4lbs - on their scales), then asked me to get up on the bed so the surgeon could check my tummy. I lay on the bed, the surgeon came in, checked my incisions were healing, asked how I was doing (was I having trouble drinking etc), then said he would see me in 6 weeks as he is going on leave! Approximately 4.5 minutes of my time. Luckily I don't feel ripped off, as my aftercare is included in the surgery fee. He said that I may or may not get a fill at the next visit, depending on how much I am eating and how much weight I have lost.

Oh, Sweet asked about protein - both my surgeon and my dietitian made a point of saying that I should be sure to get a sufficient amount of protein, hair loss was mentioned, as was protein being more filling. I think the main worry in the first few weeks with fluid diet and mushies is that we eat enough protein to minimise both muscle and hair loss. Personally, I have quick thick hair, and I like it so I'd like to avoid losing too much of it! That said, tomorrow I'm off to get a hair cut!

That's about all from me really, I hope everyone has had, or is at the beginning of a fabulous day!

Feeling Human Again!

Thanks so much to everyone for your comments on my last post! I have managed to get through the better part of 2 days without a headache or pain meds. Yay! I find it interesting that a couple of people said it was their meds that caused their headache, I am wondering if it was the same for me. To cover all the bases, I hydrated like there was no tomorrow and also avoided the meds. Success! I am actually starting to feel almost normal! I still have some discomfort where my incisions are, but it passes quickly and I just need to figure out which way to sit up etc to minimise it.

So this time last week I was sitting in the surgical waiting room, all dressed in my spectacular gear waiting for surgery! One week later, I saw 84.6kg (186.5lb) on the scales this morning. Woohoo! I'm not entirely sure what my surgery day weight was, the scales at the surgeon had me at 87.8kg (193.6lb) last Monday, but it was in the afternoon, fully clothed. I guess though as this will be my "official" weight for the surgeon, I should go with it. That means a loss of 3.2kg (7lbs) in the first week since surgery.

I am fully aware that this is an unusual loss, and it is only because I am on a fluid diet. I know it will slow down (and is safer for me if it does), but I was still over the moon to see the number today.

Speaking of the fluid diet, I am very much looking forward to mushies! I have been having trouble getting enough protein, as the protein powder I bought to mix into things, well, doesn't mix all that well! I bought some different soups yesterday, with actual meat in them, and I pulled my bamix mixer out of the cupboard to blend them. We got it as a wedding present, and yesterday was the first time I have used it. Now I am wondering why! It is so easy to use, and did a great job of smoothing out the chicken in my soup last night. Yay for new flavours! I also realised my dietitians handout says I can have runny custard and yoghurt, so that went in the shopping basket yesterday too.

Which brings me to another milestone - getting out of the house! I have been out two days in a row now! Sunday we went for a walk around the markets held not far from here. We weren't out long and I was exhausted by the time we got home. Yesterday, my hubby took me to see the 3D Glee Concert Movie (yes, I am a Gleek, yes I don't care, and yes my Husband loves me enough to be seen in public seeing the movie!), then we did some grocery shopping. I was still tired when we got home, but much better than Sunday.

So this has turned into an epic blog entry, but I wanted to update you all on how I'm doing one week out. Those playing along at home may also remember I set my first goal at 85kg, which means a new blog design from Jen at Just Fooling Blog Designs!! Stay tuned for my new look!

My Head Hurts

Did anyone else have a fairly persistent headache the week after surgery? Today marks day 4 post op and I have had this annoying headache for the last 3 days. I thought it might be dehydration, but today I have been extra careful with keeping up the fluids and it is still sticking around. I was trying to avoid painkillers today, but I think I've reached the end of my tether.

Time for drugs and a nap. Sigh.


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Parole for good behaviour

Aka, post op day 2! Coming to you live from the couch at my house. Stay tuned for a recap of the last few days.

Surgery Day!
I woke up early ( 630am) to squeeze in breakfast before my official fasting began at 7am. I was required to check in at 1030am, however I knew my surgery wasn't until the afternoon. If I had realised just how late in the afternoon my surgery would be, I would have eaten a bigger breakfast! When I had my pre-op meeting with the anesthetist, she warned me that the case before mine might take a while, so although I was second on the list, I may not get in until 3pm. 3pm came and went, and I was getting hungrier by the minute! I eventually was called in at 4, and wheeled into the theatre at 430pm. Hooray!

I woke up in recovery feeling quite groggy, and was in there for a while waking up properly. The recovery nurse said I had been a model patient and handed me over to the ward nurse who wheeled me off to my room. My Fabulous hubby was there waiting for me, sitting at the table in the corner studying (did I mention he had an exam the day after my surgery? Very bad timing). He stood next to my bed for a while, chatting away. I was still quite dopey, poor thing. Tuesday night was also census night for us here in Oz, so hubby filled out our household census form while I dozed. He eventually left about 930pm, as he needed to get some sleep before his exam.

My sleep was very interrupted, between my nurse checking my obs, giving me my antibiotics, and I also asked for painkillers a couple of times. The incisions were quite sore, and I also knew they would help me sleep. Around 6am I also asked for some anti-nausea meds, as I was really feeling unwell. Luckily they kicked in quickly.

Post op day 1

7am delivered me a new nurse (and a student nurse), more obs checking and a plan for the morning. My gastrograph and swallow was scheduled for approx 9am, and if that was ok then I was allowed to have something to drink. Yahoo! I actually needed some more anti-nausea meds about 830, as I think the lack of food was getting to me. My surgeon dropped by to check in me, and told me that the surgery went well. He said that I had a small hiatus hernia which he repaired while he was there! He asked if I had reflux, which I didn't think I did (but thinking back, I did have a bit if indigestion). He also said my stomach was tiny (!!), so he put a ml of extra fluid in my band as it seemed loose. Did anyone else have a hernia they didn't know about?

I was wheeled to xray for the gastrograph, and can I just say - BLECH!! It was disgusting. I hate everything aniseed, and this stuff was like industrial strength Sambuca (aniseed liqueur). Thank goodness I was allowed to rinse out my mouth afterwards!

When I was returned to the ward, I was happily allowed some water, and then a bit later -lunch!! Tomato soup, orange juice and a cup of tea. Heaven. Later in the afternoon, my nurse said she had been reading my notes, and the surgeon said I could go home if I tolerated my lunch! I rang my husband (he was in his way home again) and asked him to come back and get me. So long story short (too late, sorry!), my 2 night stay turned into a 1 night stay and I came home about 5pm yesterday.

Post-op Day 2
I slept much better last night than I did at the hospital, even after getting up to take painkillers (they sent me home with a liquid paracetamol/codeine concoction). This morning I am feeling ok, but still quite sore. At least today I can tell the difference between hunger pain and pain! I think though that all the codeine I have been having has blocked up the pipes (sorry Draz), so I'm trying to help out by adding some extra fibre to my shakes today. I'm also laying here with heat packs, as my TOM started last night, which has added a whole 'nother type of pain! I'm hoping that I will start to feel less pain from the incisions soon.

Can I just say, anyone who had this done as day surgery, I salute you!!


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Sexy Booty

Well, here I am waiting to be taken into theatre. Looks to be a long wait, maybe another three hours. Until then, for your amusement, here are my sexy scrub booties and pressure stockings. The height of fashion I know ;)




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Quick Check In!

Hello everyone! Just a quick check in to let you know I am still here, and still counting down. Only 4 days to go until my surgery! For me, that is one night shift, 2 nights away for our anniversary, and one nervous night at home the night before. Not long!

I went and paid my bill at the anaesthetist today (anaesthesiologist for those in the US), only the surgeon bill to go which will get paid at my pre-op appointment on Monday.

I weighed in today at 86.4 (again). I had been down to 86 even a couple of times, but rebounded to hover at 86.4. I highly doubt I will be any lower by Monday!

Anyhoo, I would love to stay and chat, but I just smashed a glass candle all over the lounge room floor and need to clean it up before I head to work.

Have a fantastic weekend! See you on the flip side!

T minus 7 days

One week to go! Weigh in this morning (and yesterday morning) at 86.4kg (190.4 lb). Getting closer to my pre surgery goal of 85kg (187.4 lb). Not sure if I will get there, as it is our first wedding anniversary this weekend and we are going away to have a hopefully romantic weekend. I will stick to shakes and bars as much as possible, and if we eat out will have vegies and protein only. No carbs (with maybe the exception of half a dessert for celebration purposes). Eyes on the prize!

Now, I am starting to plan (cos I'm a bit OCD that way) what to take to hospital with me. So far I have bought an underwire-free bra, and some gas-ex. What else should be on my list fellow bandsters?

I also have a to-do list, which will be interesting as I'm on night shift this whole week until we go away, so I'll be doing things either sleep deprived in the morning, or sleep deprived in the evening :) Should be good practice for when we eventually have kidlets. Top of my list is going to the anaesthetist and the surgeon to pay my bills. Eeek! Lucky for me I am getting a fairly hefty tax return this year (we went to the accountant yesterday), and it will pretty much cover the lot. I've been having extra tax taken out of my pay for a few years now, at first it was to cover my hecs (student loans), but when they were paid I didn't stop it. Must have known I would need it someday! kind of like a forced saving plan ;)

Anyhoo, speaking of night shift, better get moving and get ready for work. 

Cheerio!