Weigh in today...

Well, I weigh 17 stone 6 and a half pounds this morning. (244.5lbs)

I thought I would weigh in again this morning seeing as it's Wednesday again. It was also a Wednesday that I weighed before I went off to Belgium again, and by strange coincidence, it was also Wednesday that I was banded in the first place.

So Wednesday will be the weigh day for me.

To date - my total weight loss since banding is 7.5lbs

Because of last nights choke... And for those who have asked "Do I mean PB?" No, I really do mean choking - I could hardly breath with that food stuck in my band - which was too far down to be puked up by fingers down the throat, but not wanting to go through the band either; I guess you could call it a 'half way house'. Trust me I had my fingers down there many times, but it didn't do anything except bring the swallowed saliva back up again. Grim for sure, but its these type of experiences that help others right?

Since being reconnected to my band I have come to the conclusion I haven't had a pb... just a reaction to the food going through the band, or not as the case my be. I haven't had a classical burp followed by regurgitated food. That has not happened at all. Its strange, but maybe others have experienced the thing I am going through and also had a PB...? Your experience is valued.

So all I can call my episodes are 'chokes' as nothing ever came up, just royal pain on and off for between 20 minutes and 3 hours, near loss of consciousness, shakes, runny nose, sweating, hiccups and eventual release as the food passed through the band.

I am going to seriously re train my eating as it is obvious that I have a serious difference now.

So, today, because of last nights 'half way house choke' as I will henceforth refer to them, I am on liquids for 24 hours. I can feel my band in my stomach right now.

This morning when I got up I had a glass of water and took my tablets. Prozac comes in a capsule that is ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING and I refuse to break it apart and take it any other way, so I was careful and swallowed both pills individually with a couple of large swigs of water. When I went to the doctor on Monday for pain medicine, I spoke about getting the Prozac in liquid form, but he said they are not supposed to prescribe it as it's horrendously expensive. Diddums. What a joke. If I need it mate, then you will have to prescribe it. I then broke up my Co-dydramol into quarters and took them individually with large amounts of water. I followed this 30 Min's later with 2 warm coffees. Then for lunch I had a yogurt. I have just finished another warm coffee and am about to have another one.

I really don't want to have to go and have an un-fill or a de-fill or whatever you call it. That would just be bloody typical! So I am really going to take it easy, and also I am just gonna stay away from really dry foods. Its not worth the hassle. Maybe after I start to lose some weight then I will be able to have a try again, but for the time being I am going to let this settle down.
I think that I might have some gastric swelling as I can actually feel it around my oesophagus which is a bit worrying, so I will let it settle down with fluids/soft diet for 24 hours and then see how i feel. If its still terrible, then I will do another 24 and so on until I go to mashed stuff again. Now I know its working, I am going to do it right.

Something in me just had to push it a little bit and see if it REALLY was going to work, if there really was a difference you know? Its so horrible having lived with this crud for so long, and getting so down about it and losing all faith and confidence in the band, the doctors, the surgery and even myself. I really thought I was a total failure.

I know its working for sure, and I am really really REALLY EXCITED!!

Update from M the bunk mate - she was out of theatre last night. Her tubing was in her intestines!! OMG. Yes, it was quite a nasty surgery as they had to go deep apparently. I shudder to imagine, but she phoned this morning and its all done. She left the hospital this morning with her DH and went back to the NH hotel where I stayed -Her DH apparently had wild boar last night just like I did for my last supper - it was heaven I'm telling you!

So I also must tell you I had a call from the company who supply my band to Dr. Dillemans. They are handling everything and I should get some forms to fill in in the last week of November. I fill them out, send them back by Post and then they deal with it within a week apparently. That will be good, as I can pay off my credit card and not worry about spending money for Russia. That's a weight off my mind. I spent the holiday money on getting back to Belgium in a hurry, so I was kind of fretting that we would be eating in the Moscow soup kitchen for the week! Not a good thought.

If I get any more news I will post it.

I am feeling really up beat today and happy and bright and alert. Still in pain, but not doing too bad.

*Whispers* My bands working!!! HA HA HA HA

*silent hope and optimism is growing inside me right now*

Food log for today:
8oz glass water
2 cups coffee
1 Tesco Healthy living Toffee Yogurt
2 cups of coffee
1 serving of Quaker Real fruit porridge over cooked and then pureed till a paste
8oz skimmed milk (for my coffees)
1 cup of coffee
1 glass of water
3 inch square piece of home made lasagne (low fat) pureed

Total calories for today:
approx 800 (can't work out the lasagne at all)

The lasagne I made was really tasty.
Heres the recipe
1 500g packet of leanest steak mince
1 500ml packet of tomato passata
20 sheets of Egg Lasagne Verdi
3/4 pint skimmed milk
3 oz flour (or enough to thicken)
1 tablespoon of green pesto
grated mild cheddar cheese (enough to lightly cover each layer and the top)
1 beef oxo cube

Pre heat the oven to 200 oC
Dry cook the mince in its own juices until no red meat is visible.
Add tomato passata, pesto, oxo and mix.
Blend with an electric hand blenda until no big lumps are left.
Set aside

Put milk in a pan with the flour and bring to the boil whisking continuously as it thickens. If too thick, add more milk/water. Add a little salt and pepper if liked.
set aside.

Get a large 16inch x 10 inch square casserole (or smaller for more layers)
Grease the bottom of the casserole with olive oil or butter.
Put a little white sauce on the bottom and spread around
Then add 4 sheets of pasta to cover the bottom of the dish - Keep close together.
put a dollop of mince sauce on each sheet and carefully spread to cover the sheets then grate enough cheese to cover.
Cover this layer with another 4 sheets of pasta.
put a dollop of white sauce on each sheet and spread
grate cheese over, add another layer of pasta.. continue i this manner until its all gone.
The top layer you want to put both mince and white sauce and then cover the whole thing with grated cheese. No need to go over board, but needs to be a little more than you were putting in the layers. I think i must have used about 200g cheese in the whole thing. Don't worry if the edges of the pasta sheets are peeking through its gonna be lovely anyway!

Bake for 30 minutes and eat!

What you don't eat, let cool and cut into portions and freeze. It reheats in the microwave in 3.5 minutes from frozen and is just as yummy.

As you know I made this lasagne yesterday, and froze last nights leftovers. I didn't think we would be having it today, but both my boys wanted it again!! So its served us another night.
This recipe makes 6 good sized adult portions.

Enjoy.