Back to Blighty in time for tea!

Well I am home.

I don't really know what to write to be honest.

I had my 2nd Operation on 9th November 2007.

My port was replaced and re attached to the tubing, and then I was given 4.5mls of liquid to kick start it all off again.

I have 2 lovely brand new holes in my tummy... one where the original port scar was, and another one to the right of it where they poked around for the errant tubing and dragged it back through my abdomen.

Once again I came to with that tube in my throat after the anaesthetic. My throat is still raw from where they hoick it out.

I was given a shot of something in the leg for the pain, and then about 30 minutes later a REALLY nice shot of something else. That did the trick. Other than that, it was just paracetamol like last time.

I went back to the ward (or should I say private room) about 4 hours after surgery... so it was about 2:30 when I saw TB again. I was bright and alert - unlike my near comatose state of delirium last time - and we chatted and I phoned a few people and texted and stuff. I was still tired out from it all and did sleep a great deal, and so did TB! The chair was very comfy obviously.

I thought I was going home that day as Dr. Dillemans had told me that on Wednesday, but the nurses told me that was not the case. I couldn't drink or eat until the following morning, even though I had not had anything done to my actual band... and all in all had really only had a big fill. But they were adamant. So I just let it go. I swigged my Evian and sucked my sweets when they left the room anyway! At about 4 o'clock, I said to TB that there wasn't any point in her hanging around if I wasn't going to be let out that day, so she got a bus back to the NH hotel in Brugge where we were staying. It used to be the Sofitel, but has been taken over. Its well lush, you should try it.

I was drifting in and out of sleep, trying to get the TV to work, reading my book, sleeping etc and in the end gave up for the day and turned the light off at about 5:30. Then at 6:00pm a doctor came into the room to see me. He asked if I had had a drink and something to eat. !!!!

I said the obvious NO... and he said "Yes, you should drink something and eat a yogurt and then if all is ok, you can go home."

YEAHHHHHHHHHH

So I drank a cup of water, wolfed a yogurt and then jumped out of bed and got dressed and waved goodbye to the nurses. By the time I was downstairs I could feel that I had definitely had an operation and an anaesthetic, and all was a bit woozy! - but I called a cab and he took me to the hotel. Interestingly each journey to the hotel and back has been a different price... Weird.

When I got back, TB was not expecting me and she had gone out and got a hair cut and stuff. She looked like she was having a great time without me ! HA HA.

So I got into bed, and there I stayed.

That's about it really. I got no aftercare check up or anything, so it makes the whole aftercare from the private nurse that we HAD to have last time look like a bit of a joke don't you think?

Also it didn't seem like a big problem to be in the Sofitel/NH hotel rather than the Acacia... Much much better hotel and the same price! Ho hum.

Anyway, that's that. Yesterday we got up and I did intend to stick to fluids... but my curiosity got the better of me I am afraid. I have become quite the little rebel haven't I!! I just think they say all this to cover their own back. As long as I am careful I will be ok. At the end of the day their advice hasn't been all that has it!!!!!! So in the morning I ate a yogurt and a mousse from the market that is on T'Sand square (the square with the fountain which we never saw last time) every Saturday morning from 9am-1pm.

Then I knew I was hungry as I felt shaky... but I didn't actually feel hungry if you know what I mean. It was a different sort of thing. So we went back to the hotel to have lunch (seeing as its all expenses!) and I ordered grilled perch with mashed potato. It was about 150g of fish and a couple of tablespoons of potato. I managed it, but I actually felt a little bit too full. I chewed it to a pulp and swallowed wanting to know whether I was actually restricted. I just wanted to know and after all this waiting and messing about I think I deserve to get things moving a bit faster. 8 months ago I would have totally done the whole liquids thing for 2 weeks, but I am just not prepared to punish myself anymore. I really don't think its necessary as long as I feel ok and stop when I am full. I mean - I knew there was something wrong with my band since May - they said there wasn't and gave me pain, infection and agony for 5 months. So maybe I actually know a bit more about my body than they do...???

So yesterdays lunch went down a treat.

The next meal was dinner, and I ordered lasagna... again gooey and soft. I ate the topping, and about 1/5th of the plate. I was full. (see below) TB ate the lot, and mopped the juice up with bread... then said that she could still eat more.

ME = BLOATED TB = FAMISHED

Then today I drove home from Brugge. It was not as bad as I thought it was going to be.

We stopped for breakfast at 11:30 in a little town an I had a slice of apple pie and TB had 2 toasted cheese sandwiches and salad. Again I was full.

We drove all around the place looking for shops to buy coffee and cheese, but every single supermarket is shut on Sundays. Rubbish.

We got to the ferry early and got the 3:30 to Dover. On board I ordered an orange juice and a toasted cheese sarnie as was feeling really weird. I swigged the orange juice down quick and then cut all the crusts off the sandwich and just ate the soft squidgy middle bit, then laid down on the seat and slept for the whole journey. I awoke about 5 mins from Dover and felt much better.

The drive home was uneventful, and I dropped TB off at her place and unloaded her stuff. Then when I got home my little monkey came running out of the door yelling "MUMMY!" and was so pleased that I was home. So a mass huggle on the drive with DH and DS ensued and WOW! How I have missed them. Its so horrible being away from your family.

DH had prepared tea and made quorn sausages and chips. "Great" thinks I. Nevermind, I didn't think i would eat much anyway as I didn't feel too hungry really. Just thirsty.

So we sat down, and I ate a piece of sausage and a chip. Then rested a little, chewing well just in case as it is dry, and then I have another piece of sausage and a couple of chips... Then I thought "right I have to stop right now". I felt that another bite would bring on an episode of watering mouth and back thumping. So I Stopped and waited about 5 minutes, but it didn't get better. Then I felt the water and got up and DH kindly came and thumped me on the back between my shoulders... it lasted like this on and off for about 25 minutes, and in the end I was so exhausted that I couldn't be bothered to eat anyway. So that was tea.

I haven't ever experienced a sustained attack like that. It was the same feeling as the others I have described on this blog, but they never lasted that long. I had to get up a couple of times to go to the sink and it was only after leaning bent double over the sink talking to M (Bunk mate from Brugge who was banded same day as me) on the phone that it gradually subsided and I actually felt it go through the band. Phew.

So that was today.

M is worried about her trip to Brugge now, she is worried just like I was that there is nothing wrong and she is just a failure. I felt exactly the same. I told her to prepare herself as I really was not prepared to see what I saw, even though I was 99.9% sure I had suffered exactly the same problem as INFORMER. It still didn't help me. I just fell apart knowing that I had been robbed of 8 months of emotions.

So there we are.

I will keep you posted, but please do check out the photo's under "Operation Number 2 Photos"

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The "You: Staying Young" Program

Six months ago Frank and Elaine looked and felt older than their years. Frank is 52 and Elaine is 45 years old.

Frank was taking about 15 pills a day to ease his high blood pressure, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes. They both spent a lot of time on the couch and ate fried and fatty foods. Frank weighed 270 pounds and Elaine weighed 223.

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Now they look and feel a lot better. Frank got rid of his type 2 diabetes and his blood pressure has normalized. Frank has lost sixty pounds and Elaine lost thirty. See their You: Staying Young story at Oprah's site.

Tim Loses 87 Pounds

Tim has lost 87 pounds. This was a tremendous feat for him but it only took him eight months. He lost the weight via regular walking, then also swimming as well as adhering to the Weight Watchers program.

Tim is 37 years old and at his heaviest he weighed 262 pounds. He is 5'10" tall and now weighs 174 pounds. See his weight loss story at CNN.

Hello From Bruges - or rather HELL from Bruges!

Well here I am everyone.
I am in the hotel business suite and I thought I should update everyone on the state of my band.

The road to Bruges was an easy one and the journey by car, just an hour from Calais.
We arrived at the Hotel Bistro Brugelhoff, parked up and went to the front. It was empty and closed up.

We called the number on the front of the door and a guy answered saying he would be right there in 5 minutes.

The Belgian equivalent of Norman Bates turned up and let us in through an underground passage and back door with the letters WC on it. WC summed the place up. It was disgusting.
However, it was cheap and TB and I had been on the road for 12 hours. He showed us around the 'room' or squat. It was only to sleep in and the sheets looked clean so I though OK what the hell, we will find something tomorrow.

So we paid for the night and then Norman left.
Left us alone...
All alone.

We were the only guests in Normans villa. Everything was locked up and we had to let ourselves out through the basement toilet. Lovely.

It was freezing in there, so I turned on the little electric heater, and the light above the sink in the room so that when we got back it would at least be light in our room and then we went out to explore Bruges again.

All was good, we bought some stuff, and had fun and saw the sights and had a wonderful meal and then made our way back to the hovel.

Picture the scene. Its 10:30, cold dark and windy. 2 foreign and beautiful (shut up!) ladies enter a deserted car park...

We walked down the driveway, the wind whistling in the electric wires.

The lights to the basement are out.

Bravely I pull my phone out and use the light of the screen to guide us down the steps into the cellar.

I fumble for the lock, open the door and flick the light switch... "Tack tack!" Nothing.

The electric is out.

I fumble around and drop my phone and scramble about for it in the dark whilst TB is yelling "Where are you?"

Ok... getting the picture? It was awful.

Anyway, we call the guy, he comes over and apparently, because we left a light on (!?!?!?!) it tripped the power.

I told him that that was F'ing pathetic, and to cut a long story short, we got our money and ran away fast!!!!!!!!!!!!

I got the Sat Nav out again and found the closest hotel to where we were, as it was now 11pm. We booked a room and stumped up £oodles for the 4 nights and checked into a swanky job on the 'Tsant.

Thank God. It is lush. It's also warm and you can have a coffee when you get up. Oh, and there is hot water, sweet mercy!

So.. with a long sigh, I settled into bed with a bottle of wine and slept.

This morning, we got up early and didn't have breakfast. TB ate some biscuits that we had bought yesterday, but I thought it would be wise not to eat just in case I was having surgery.

We got a taxi to the Hospital and the appointment was a bit of a farce. I was told that I would have an X-ray and then go see Dr. Dillemans. I went to get the X-ray, but they sent me back to to see Dr. Dillemans first. He saw me, and as I described what had happened to me and the pain etc, he immediately suggested that my port had become disconnected from the catheter.

He didn't muck about. He told me if this was the case that the company who make the band will pay all expenses and they will sort it out. Apparently they developed a new port and connection and started using it in March... so I was unlucky by one month.

So I went for the x-ray which was bizarre as I had never had a fluro fill. So I stood on a platform and there was a big round x-ray machine in front of my tummy. One the screen I then saw my insides. I could see my spine, my pelvis, my hips and all other bony stuff and also my port. Then further up I could see the band around my stomach on an angle (perfectly positioned). The catheter was hanging from the band straight down, past the port and down into my pelvic area.

I knew this was what happened to INFORMER and she had had the exact same thing happen to her, but nothing prepared me for this shock. Up until that time I TURLY thought that they would x-ray me and there would be nothing wrong with me, that I am just a greedy fat pig and I am yet again a complete failure destined to be a fat git for the rest of my life.

I now know that since May, my band has been screwed. The excruciating debilitating pain I have experienced when it burst, and at each subsequent fill has been because of this fault. I am so angry and ecstatic at the same time. It was nothing to do with my fall down the stairs afterall.

I am not a failure. I was losing weight so well and I was having such success, and then it was all ripped away from me literally.

It is totally weird to see that catheter hanging loosely inside your body cavity. No WONDER I was in agony. And I mean agony.

So I was in tears walking back to see Dr. Dillemans after having the x-ray and sobbing and I just couldn't help it. I wasn't worried, it was sort of like humiliation, and fear, and anger and everything all together - also a lot of 'poor me' in there too.

So we went back in to see Dr. D and he was totally cool. He is so angry about it and emailed the company too. I mean - he has to squeeze my surgery in to his day tomorrow, its the last thing he wants to happen. So he reassured me and put me at ease and I was laughing by the time I left his office.

I am now quite happy, but a totally ticked off that I have lost 8 months and re gained all my weight. I feel pretty crap about that, but at least I was not wrong. At least I wasn't going mad.

I am more angry with Dr. Dovey. I cannot believe after seeing me he didn't do the simple sum 2=2+4 and refer me back to see Dr. Dillemans. Even after he aspirated my band that time and found no fluid, you would think that might spur him into action, but no. What an idiot. I will be having serious words. He even saw INFORMER before he saw me on the morning of my last fill. Maybe thats why I saw him scuttying off after my appointment so quickly...

I have seen him 3 times, each time I weighed more, and each time he says I am making progress. YEAH RIGHT!! I bloody knew there was something wrong and now I am having surgery again because of it. I could have sorted this out back in May had Dovey said that those were the symptoms of a port break out.

So when I was bending down to feed the cats, or put the washing in, no wonder I was crippled... the metal prong that comes out of the port which should be sheathed in silicone is sicking directly up and jabs into my stomach muscle every time I bend over! I had to employ Mina!!!!! ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHH

So I am Nil by mouth from midnight, and tomorrow I will be going in for my surgery first thing. I hope I will be anyway!! I have to be there 8am and apparently I will be able to come home in the afternoon (or back to the hotel anyway). I am glad I am getting it sorted out, but now a bit nervous of the pain as I was in pain after the last one... Hopefully it wont be so bad.

So peeps, say a little prayer for me and keep me in your thoughts. Hopefully I will be on the road to success very very soon!

I will update this when I get a chance.

Thanksgiving Desserts for Surgical Weight Loss

Have you started planning your Thanksgiving menu? In just two short weeks we'll be carving the great American turkey and giving thanks for life's bounty.Desserts always present a special challenge as we try to follow our weight loss surgery dietary guidelines, but also desire to participate in family rituals and traditions of Thanksgiving. Today I opened my treasured Neighborhood Cookbook and