My 2nd chance - Don't F$#k it up this time...

The fasting began at 7am.

Today is the day that the annoying lower abdomen and groin pain that I have been suffering with the last 4 1/2 months goes away for good when they reconnect my band tube which inadvertently came apart while I was travelling overseas a few months ago. At first I thought it was appendicitis, but then the pain moved - and kept moving, as well as coming and going - for the rest of the trip. Not in my wildest dreams did I think the band had come apart and there was this little metal piece moving around down there.

My appetite was more than usual - and noticed the weight was slowly coming back, but I thought that may have been the fact I needed a fill. It turns out I do because there is nothing restricting my stomach, apart from the lap band hardware itself.

At 1.30pm today my new surgeon, Prof Wendy Brown, will get in there and fix it all up, and put some fluid back into it; and so starts the slow process again of getting back down to my goal weight. It will be hard, but I'm determined again to not let this beat me.

Back to the liquids, and then mushies for a week or so until it all settles down; and then its back to smaller portions, slower eating and satiety. Time to pull out my 'Lap Band Manual' folder from the initial op and refresh my mind about how to use it properly.

While I'm waiting to go in to surgery, I'm going to start reading the updated version of The Lap-Band Solution to remind me why I went down this path in the first place.

I'll keep you posted with how I go...

A Missing Link

So its been a while. Six years on and I've been travelling along fairly well and still remaining under triple figures in my weigh (just). Recently there has been a weigh increase of about 5-7kg over the last 4 months or so. That said I can still get to back under the 100kg mark without too much of a problem.

Last year I moved from Sydney to Melbourne and settling into my new life down here fairly well. Finally I found some time to get my 'band affairs' sorted and have moved from Circle of Care in Sydney to The Centre for Bariatric Surgery (CBS) here in Melbourne... I've been away with work for an extended period during the winter and came back with a few extra kilos which I manages to shed 2-3 fairly quickly but the rest wouldn't budge. Time to make an appointment for a checkup with my new clinic which I went to 3 weeks ago. The doctor was great. We spent about 20 minutes bringing her up to speed with my journey, but then it came to the crunch - I needed a fill. Fair enough, I knew it was coming.

Portion sizes had been getting bigger, and evening snacking becoming more frequent, but still had the morning restrictions and occasional issues when I'm eating so I didn't think there was any problems.

Given it was my first one with CBS she, and I hadn't had any adjustments for a couple of years; she decided to take it all out and then put it back with a little bit more just to help me a bit. That's when we realized there was a problem. She couldn't pull any out. So she thought she try and give it a flush; Put some in and try and draw it back out. So in some went, but nothing could come out. By this stage I was wincing (I'm a 'needlephobe'), so she let it go and said she'd try again in a few weeks (today).

So again today, she tried to do a fill. She felt the port go 'pop' and put .4ml in, but again couldn't draw it out. Something weird is going on...

So off I trot to try and get a fill under X-ray. It was all going well, they found the port, it hadn't flipped and it was in the position she thought, but there was a missing link. Some how, at some time the tube has come apart. (see image below). This was the last thing I needed.

Finally though, it does explain some unexplained pains I've been having in my lower stomach / groin region since late June while I was away. Whether it happened then, or before that, is unclear at this stage. I go back to see my specialist on the 28 October, where I find out my fate then.

A few steps backwards, but at least I now know what the problem is and I will get back on track real soon...

Dorinda

I had the pleasure of meeting the lovely Dorinda Hafner  http://www.dorindahafner.com today… You remember her… the larger than life chef that used to appear on Bert Newtown’s Good Morning Australia for years…

I have worked with her daughter, and now good friend the gorgeous Nuala Hafner for the last 10 years, and meeting her mum today, another fellow “Bandit” whom I had no idea until after I got mine had had it done 2 years earlier… but now after meeting her today, she gas given me a whole new appreciation for the better quality of life the band has afforded me.

Dorinda has just released her latest cookbook "Honey I shrunk the Chef" http://www.honeyishrunkthechef.com for some great new ideas on how to create healthy 'band friendly' food. Cant wait to get it and try out some of her recipes… Also loved some of her ‘band-friendly’ cooking utensils too… little saucepans, frypans and dishes for one, which makes cooking that bit easier, as you’re not tempted to add a “little bit more” into the pan just because you can

3 years today...

 Wow, my how time flies when you're having fun.. And that's probably the best way to describe the last 3 years... As I posted on my blog back on 9/9/09, the day I got banded it was the first day of the rest of my life, little did I know back then it would ring so true. Fair enough I've had my ups and downs with the band (but no regrets) as well as my personal life; but I recon if I hadn't gone down this path now I'm reaching almost 41, I would have been starting to have a lot more health problems by now.

Since getting banded I have now lost 43kg and now sit at 94.4kg (and body fat of 24.8%) when I weighed in at the doctors the other day so I've put a bit on since my best at 91.8kg in August 2010, just 12 months after the band, but hey that's life. I haven't had to have a fill (or adjustment) now for over 12 months (which is surprising given both the doctor and I thought before I went away I'd need to get this week) but with the weight loss and all he was ok to leave it.

All in all considering was overseas for 9 weeks prior to my last weigh in and my there was oohing normal or regular about my day to day or eating habits I even managed to loose 1 kg from my previous weigh in.

Speaking of being away surprising I was able to handle my eating habits pretty well. Most mornings I was still able to have my cereal (even though it was while we were hosting the evening news) and big jimmy Wilson always looked after us with a coffee or 2 on his way up. Lunch was the usual fast food/food court fare, occasionally supplemented by a Tesco, M&s or Waitrose take out salad, or a salad at Wimbledon; on the days when it wasn't too cold. Afternoons were always difficult and I needed a sugar hit or two for energy (with the 16-18 hour days). Dinner was always the challenge. Wimbledon was always either eat out, or take away/delivery, or dinner at the boss's place; but then once I moved into Olympic mode it proved much harder. Evenings I was always in the production office, and eat-in/takeaway was fairly limited and you were always going back to the same place every few days. That said pasta, noodles and rice (carbs I know) were my staples that I know I can generally eat without much difficulty. We had a sushi place just up the road from ITN and a great Vietnamese around the corner so that was a good favorite. All in all very limited troubles and only 1 major block that made me regret the "medium" steak I had eaten. A few other little hiccups along the way but nothing that I don't get at home occasionally when I get too ambitious with my food.

Now I'm home (for the moment) I'd still like to loose a little more and maybe get down to between 85-90kg - just need to get back into regular exercise and cut out my afternoon snacks (but I’m getting there with that and it will be easier once I’m back at work).

One thing I did discuss briefly with my doctor this week was what I can do about the "excess skin" which is the "hidden" downside to weight loss. From the outside I look like I've gone so well (and I have), but when I look in the mirror the excess skin I see is the only thing that gets me down. I didn't things need to do anything, and generally it's snapped back pretty well compared to others, but it's still something I will need to look at in the future. 

As I write this I’ve been looking back over my blog from the last 3 years (alright I haven’t posted anything for the last 2 years) and have just got up to my post on 9/9/09 The first day of the rest of my NEW life... I know I said 80kg was my goal back then but as I said earlier if I can get to between 85-90 I’ll be happy.

And just above that post was “Kyle get a life” – my how things change, some thing always stay the same.

I started reading from the time I made the decision until just after the band and it has reminded me how much I have changed, but also some of the habits I have fallen back into that I need to revisit - I'll keep on reading over the next few days)

12 months ago, I went on a pilot program with Circle of Care… It was all about mindfulness… in out day to day lives and how being mindful, with meditation and exercises to take you mind of food and the feeling of being hungry (and thus slipping back into old habits.

I got some things out of it; however other things that were happening in my life at that time meant I probably didn’t put as much into it (and therefore get as much out of it) as I would have normally of hoped… It was great though as I was the only man in the course (the rest were women) so they were always happy to hear discussion when we did it form a mans point of view

Just so you can see how far I've come heres a couple of photos from before and after...

Before - April 2008

After - September 2012

 

A False Economy – Health Funds reconsidering Bariatric Surgery Cover

This morning on Health Matters I spoke with Dr John Darcy about my progress since being “banded” 9 months ago… This time last year, I was in the serious contemplation stage of getting the band and doing all my research about it… Obviously some of that research included the cost for the procedure, and how much of it was covered by my Health Fund, or if in fact like some people I applied to my Superannuation fund to withdraw the amount to cover it.
I chose the Health Fund option, but now 12 months on, the uncertainty continues about Health insurance funds and their continuing coverage for this and other forms of ‘life-saving’ Bariatric Surgery.
Why are they doing this? - The effects and benefits of weight loss by people who have this surgery now, will cost them much less than if they refuse to cover this surgery
Without this surgery to help the morbidly obese loose weight - they face a certain future, which could include the risks of heart attack, disease and relegated problems; stroke; high blood pressure; Diabetes; Osteoarthritis, and sleep apnoea to name a few… All the costs related to these diseases and their management far outweigh the $10,000 it costs a health fund per person to get ‘banded’.
The cost of a band without Health insurance is in the vicinity of $12-$15,000. The cost to those with Health insurance (me included) is $5,000. Now while that seems a lot (and it is), the health benefits of the weight loss is enormous.
I can calculate conservatively that over the last 22 years of my working life I have probably contributed over $50000 to my health funds, which I changed over to from my parents once I started working.  Apart from the lap band surgery, I might have claimed another $5000, over the 20 years for specialist, pharmaceutical and other related claims – when you look at it that way, it sometimes makes you wonder why you’re in the fund.
The Government and Health Funds continuously go on about the need for us to become a healthier society. We’ll some people need a hand – me included. I tried everything before this, with little success. Since the Band my life has changed.
Apart from the physical benefits of weight loss following surgery, the psychological benefits too are enormous.
It changes people’s lives for the better.
No longer are they in danger of becoming a burden to the already crumbling heath & welfare systems; or their families with many and varied ailments relating to obesity.
I will admit, I had some pretty low days when I was a big boy. I wouldn’t want to do anything; I didn’t like the look of myself. I had the potential to head for that spiralling downhill depression.
No I go out and grab life with both hands… I am happier and more content within myself, and even contemplate doing things that in the past I would never have done.
Health funds need to take note - $10k is a SMALL price to pay to give back a life.

From 3XL to Large!!!

Prior to my recent overseas trip I had a bit of a  clothing purge… Nothing I had fitted me anymore and almost everything was like a  tent – except for some of those clothes I kept from years ago, hoping I might  get into them again… well they do fit me now; but even some of them still swim on  me…

I didn’t have time for much of a shop before I left  so today I decided to pop over to the local Rivers Outlet store and see what they had…  I knew I had gone down a couple of sizes, but when I tried on some button up shirts, even the  XL’s still swam on me out the front and even in the shoulders. So off I went and  got a “L”arge and went back to the change room too try that on… Perfect –  almost, but definitely better than the XL. If I decide I want to try and do aerobics  in it, it’s a little restrictive but otherwise it will do… I still bought a  couple of XL pullover shirts but they fitted well.

Since I’ve been banded almost every week something;  like this, reinforces my new positive attitude to life…

While I expected to go down a couple of sizes I  never expected to get into a large. Only 12 month ago, clothes shopping was a nightmare. It would take forever to find something that both fitted me (normally in 3XL and 112cm waist – and even then that was ‘snug’) and I  liked; now clothes shopping are a breeze with so many options – where do you  stop.

Add today’s experience to my 97cm pants I had to  buy before I went away, and in all it just makes me feel so much happier in myself…

Now to go through the wardrobe again and get rid of  some of those ones I kept until I could find the time to go shopping and then  drop all the old clothes down to the local charity store.

Until next time

No Medications

Following my recent (well 3 months ago) blood checks, my cholesterol had dropped to 3.6 – I have never known it to be this low… Today I had to pop along to the GP to get a couple of referrals and have a chat about my progress. Not putting to finer point on it, he was (very) pleased by my progress to date… He knew it would be good for me, otherwise why would he have given me a referral; but he like myself, didn’t expect the results as quickly as they have been. Over 40kg in 12 months, makes it about a kilo a week I have lost… It’s slowed down now, although I am back to my pre-trip weight at 92 ½ KG’s

We got onto the subject of my cholesterol medication, which ran out about a month ago, and he agreed it was worth seeing how I go without it. My next blood test is Early July so it will be very interesting to see if I can stay off it.

As I said at the beginning of all this, as long as I can come of the Diabex and reverse my insulin resistance I’ll be happy.

My GP took me of Diabex in August 09 and my last blood test confirmed that my insulin resistance had gone; but with a family history of Cholesterol, never in my wildest dreams did I think that mine would go down to 3.6 – OK that’s been with both the weight loss and Crestor – but the proof will now really be to see how far it can stay down (and there is no doubting without the Crestor it will rise, but to what point; it will be very interesting.