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Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Flipped Port!

Went to have my 2nd Fill and Dr Ingram took 6 stab attempts and much pushing, poking and prodding around my port area only to not have gotten the needle in. She sent me down to SKG for an xray fill and we all saw on screen the bloody port has flipped over! Went back upstairs and saw Dr Watson who had another few stab attempts and prods and pokes which by now was so fkn painful, again he couldn't get the port to flip back to normal position. So.. next week i'm back under the knife ..

Sunday, October 9, 2011

5 Days Post Op

I'm finally banded. Wednesday 5th October 2011.
I was in hospital for 2 nights as I had a migraine and panic attack and the nurses wanted to keep me to keep an eye on me.
Had a few days of being unsure if I had made the right decision as I was hungry and feeling some pain and discomfort in my stomach. Referred pain in my ribs and shoulders was quite bad. It feels like a "stitch" that lasts a few days.
I have 5 incisions closed with Dermabond adhesive and they aren't sore, just a little tender to touch.
The weird part of all this is the bloating, grumbling, tightness, fullness in my stomach. I am still trying to work out what the signals mean.
I am eating: Up&Go, Home made Soup that Matt makes me, Sustagen, Smoothies, Juice, Water & Ice.
I made a yummy Smoothie today which was;

Banana
4x Strawberries
1/2c Ribena Juice
Optifast Strawberry Sachet
Oat Milk
Ice

Will update on my next phase of Mush/Smoothies Phase

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Measurements

Weight: 130kgs
Body Measurements:
Neck: 41.5cm
L Wrist: 17.2cm
R Wrist: 17.4cm
L Upper Arm: 49cm
R Upper Arm: 47.5cm
Bust: 135cm
Under Bust: 119cm
Waist: 124cm
Stomach: 136cm
Hips: 142cm
L Upper Leg: 80cm
R Upper Leg: 78cm
L Leg Above Knee: 55.5cm
R Leg Above Knee: 60.5cm
L Leg Calf: 48cm
R Leg Calf: 47cm
L Ankle: 25.5cm
R Ankle: 24.5cm

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Some Updates

I have been eating Low GI for the past few weeks and have lost 8kgs!
Will be seeing Dr Watson 22nd September for a pre-check before my surgery on 5th October.
Start Optifast 26th September.

Short & Sweet xo

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

New Surgery Date

Well I have been on hiatus for the past 9 months. I haven't had my band as I lost my job shortly after my appt with Dr Watson and was unemployed for 6 months!
I am back on track and saving furiously for my new operation date: 05/10/2011

Watch this space!

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

My First Appointment For Lap-Band Surgery With Mr Stephen Watson

Ok, WOW...
I had a 4pm appointment with Mr Stephen Watson today for my initial consultation for Lap-Band Surgery.
Well I arrived there and sat nervously in the waiting room which is at the Medical Suites of Murdoch Hospital.
Mr Watson walk by me and said, I'll be back in a minute.. I was surprised how friendly he was and that he even noticed me in the waiting room.. He went out the front door and came back a few minutes later, grabbing my patient file from the reception and then turned to me with a huge smile and said.. Hi Vanessa, come on in. I followed him into his office and he shook my hand and said Hi, i'm Steve.. Please take a seat! How many high or might surgeon specialist do you know that do that?
Anyway, we talked over the procedure, he weighed me and by the way, i've lost 7.5kgs since my profile picture! I have no idea how considering Christmas and all!
So, we discussed all the bits and pieces and decided on April 13 2011 is the "DAY"
Now I just have to save up $2,500 for the surgery and wait until then. In the meantime I have bought a sample box of Opti Fast Shakes to try and see which flavour I like the most. Oh and Santa bought me a Wii & a Wii Fit to start exercising with!

So until April...

Friday, November 26, 2010

Ok...
I have somewhat created my first blog!

I have been reading several other blogs in relation to Lap Banding and how awesome and not so awesome it has been on other peoples lives. So.. I thought I would document my story about getting Lap Band Surgery.. The good, the bad and the "meh".

I have been toying with the idea of Lap Banding for a few years now, but due to financial restraint and work getting in the way, it has never eventuated.. Until now!

I will be Banded Feb/Mar/Apr 2011


I made my appointment with Dr Stephen Watson at Murdoch Hospital a few days ago for 11th Jan 2011 and received my confirmation letter today which made me really happy - Although the $195 consultation fee for the appointment was a lot more expensive then I thought.

It is November 2010 and I have been adjusting to a Low GI diet for many reasons:
1. I have PCOS & Insulin Resistance
2. I feel like i'm 70 and tired, sick, etc etc the list of how shit I feel goes on for a while
3. I NEED to LEARN how to eat!
4. Finally, getting ready for Lap Banding Surgery in a few months time

So, my main motivation to become healthy first then thinner second, is a multitude of reasons most of which is based on the above reasons i've started Low GI eating

I have PCOS - Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome - No Period, Acne, Hair Growth, Insulin Issue, Infertility 

Since I first became a "woman", when I first got my period, I had always had irregularities - 6 months here, 3 months there - Mum said it was the same with her and it's just the way we are. Then at 22, I thought to myself "When was the last time I had a period?" The answer was about 2 yrs ago!!! I had just thought MEH, it's good not to be bothered with it all and i'll sort it out when I was older. I am 29yrs old now and that time is now! Matt and I have been trying to have a baby for 8 months, but I know that will never happen for two reasons - I am obese and consequently don't ovulate due to my label of PCOS.

Over the past 8yrs I have piled on the weight, mainly because:
1. I never cared enough about myself to look after my body
2. I've never learned how to eat - Sounds strange, I know - But think about it, Do you know how to eat?
3. I'm an emotional eater
4. PCOS puts weight on and doesn't want to let you take it off!
4. Stress of life etc etc etc the list of reasons/excuses can carry on forever, but I don't want to make excuses anymore

I am obese, in fact I'm 5'10 and 135kgs as of 25th November 2010
I have put up the most horrible photo I have - The ones where I cringe at how flabby I am

This is the beginning of  thinking there is no problem and facing it head on

So, the Lap Band Surgery... No one wants to have a foreign object squeezing their stomach to artificially create another stomach.. But when you can eat a whole pizza something has to be done

The difference between me and some other "Bandits" is that I have started to learn how to eat for my body. I have to eat a Low GI diet because that is the main problem.. Insulin and Blood Sugar Spikes.
I have seen many people eating junk while being banded, but I am going to try my best to keep on the Low GI eating while being banded as the band is not the be all-end all solution to my weight lose and "emotional weight" issues.

To me the reason I am being banded is not so I can keep on eating junk and lose weight, or have a "quick fix" as many people have accused me of.
I never cared about myself, my body, my life! Until I met Matt!
I want to be health, sexy, energetic, FERTILE for my husband to be.. I don't want to be a half broken woman for him as he deserves my best.

I am 60kgs overweight and I want to start living our lives together... being healthy.
My Low GI approach is my long term way of achieving healthiness and happiness within my body... but...
60kgs is a HUGE amount to lose and it would take me 4/5yrs just eating right which is fine for some.
I want to feel good sooner rather than later. I want to live my life now Matt has saved me from myself.

My approach to Lap Banding Surgery was never a long term quick fix.
It is as follows:

1. Lap Banding Surgery to lose excess weight
2. 20kgs to target weight, I will hopefully feel energetic, alive, fit enough to excercise regularly

Currently, I can't walk 500mtr without turning red in the face, puffing, feet.knees hurting, back hurting etc.
Hopefully with 40kgs off my frame, I can lose the remaining weight mainly on my own.

Disregarding looking awesome, there i\are so many health issues i'm facing if I don't lose this weight and the sooner the better!
Insulin Resistance is a pre cursor to Type II Diabetes, causes extra insulin to be excreted from the pancreas because it is not sensitive enough to take energy (sugar, carbs etc) into the cells to use as energy. So what happens? Insulin over production causes pancreas exhaustion, insulin floats around the body, sugar floats around and then stores as fat.. I also read over insulin in the body causes more calcification on the artery walls..Clogging my arteries and then HEART ATTACK

What else.. My Back has killed me since piling on the weight, headaches have quadrupled etc etc etc!

So, I will enjoy tasty, but Low GI treats at Christmas - Mother in Law is a Nutritionist and a Vegan, so she won't let me be silly at the table.

The next blog post will be my appointment in Jan with Dr Watson and whatever comes from there.

Merry Christmas

Ness xox