pink grace

the second night i was very hungry, but had a big drink of diluted pop and went to bed.

hi, i am disabled and at my current weight am not able to exercise, i cannot walk far at all because i get cramp in the bottom of my back. When i am in my wheelchair i self propel, but can not do it for long. I use my stomach muscles a lot to help me sit up in bed, and am concerned if i will be able to do this after the op. I intend to go swimming after the op when i am recovered, but can't think of anything else i can do. I have fatigue probs with the fibromyalgia but am hoping i will have more energy when i have lost some weight to be able to do some arm exercises, i have bought some little hand held weights but have not got a clue what to do with them, any advice would be really appreciated, especially from anyone else who is disabled and lives with fibro, thanks, Janet, x

hi, my op is on the 9th and today I have started the 800 Cal low fat, low Carb, moderate Protein diet, and am so ready to get on with it. after waiting 18 months I am so happy to be just two weeks away. I am having fun getting things together to take into the hospital and have two sets of pjs depending on what size I will be in two weeks, hoping to be into the new smaller size, but prepared to take in the bigger older ones, knowing I should be into the smaller ones soon. Want to wish every one on the diet, or starting the diet soon, best wishes and to all who are having their sleeve in Oct prayers for a suscessful operation with minimal pain and a quick recovery with no complications, for us all, Janet. :-). xx

I am hoping that the new bariatric dept i am going to will have gowns that fit, but i will want to be in my own clothes as soon as i can, and it is pj's for me, x

gall bladder pain is more to the right under the boob and rib area, I think you should check it with your aftercare people, x

hi, I have just found out that my op will bee in 4-5weeks time and I am really happy that I know the approx date. my first appointment was in March 2011, I attended the seminar in June, then I had all the test, physiology etc and then a sleep apnea test, I had sleep apnea and got my cemap machine, which I hate wearing. I had to wait 3months to see if the treatment was working, it was ans the specialist would send this info off to the bariatric surgery team, only, he didn't. finally after no contact from anyone I asked my dietician if she could find out what the delay was. 3 weeks later was told they were waiting for results from apnea clinic. I felt abandoned and depressed that it was one delay after the other. finally in May got an appointment for signing the consent form, it was horrendous I had put about 5 lb back on and was told that i could not sign the consent and would go to the back of the list, devastaed is how I felt. I got an appointment for another consent signing In 6 weeks, and at this one had lost 12 lbs, so was able to sign consent. I had to have an endoscopy and they remove 2 small polyps from my stomach, at which point me and hubby decided I would go for the sleeve rather than the bypass.At the meeting tonight we e sat next to a man who had the sleeve last Oct and he was 22stone on the day of his op and is now 13stone and was very encouraging, I asked him dozens of questions as did hubby, lol, and we came away happy that we have chosen the right op for me.I cannot exercise due to fibromyalgia and other health issues at this weight, but will be going swimming as soon as I can. to get fitter. It has been such a long wait and at times felt like I had to jump through their hoops, but now only concerned with getting as much weight of as i can before the op.that is it for now . x

my opdate is the 9th Oct and today I have started my pre op liver shrinking diet, so far so good, watch this space, lol, :-) x

finally found my way back to this blog, I did wimp out and removed my before pic's, am not ready to look at them myself, never mind other people seeing them. Also, I know this is public and have been debating if I wanted more than my close family and friends to know about my life at this time in my life, and have decided to continue in the hope that it will encourage and help other people who are struggling with living in this world with an unacceptable to most 5 x body, now 4x I am glad to say. I have been yo yo dieting since the birth of my second son 30 years ago, I have been to wws 5 x's and lost up to 5 stone only to struggle with hunger and unable to continue have put all the weight back on in half the time it took to loose it and often a stone extra each time. If I added up all the weight I have lost in my life I would weigh - nothing, lol. Even though I was so big, I was still able to work and always dressed as nice as I could, but was never happy with my size, and the verbal abuse I received was evil, and even though I tried not to let it hurt Mr, it would drip into my ears lowering my self esteem drip by drip. My husband has always loved me, fat or thinner, and always told me he only wanted me to loose weight if it made me happier and healthier, bless him. In 2006 I started wws for the last time at 21 stone 4lb, and by Sept 2008 had lost over 5 stone, I had gone from a size 34 to a size 20, and what a difference, I was swimming, could walk easier and was determined to get down to my goal size 16. However, after a holiday in our caravan at the coast in Sept I had a really big and painful bite and came home really unwell, that was the start of health hell, from being fitter than I had been in years I became house and bed bound, I just couldn't understand what was happening to me. I struggled with attending my meetings and began to yo yo again due to no more swimming and comfort eating. In the following Jan my hubby suddenly lost his job and took a self employed job, it failed miserably with the recession and we used up all of our savings, and this was a very stressful time which added to my fatigue and pain. We are Christians and out faith was well and truly tested, but our God is faithful and we were never without our needs. 2010, all the weight was back on and I was very I'll, my blood sugar went sky high and I was reffered to a fantastic specialist called Dr Hosker, he was brilliant, I got victoza, a brand new drug, and the sugar was stabilised. I was reffered to the bariatric process in Jan 20011, and began to loose weight, I was also seen by an arthritis specialist who diagnosed fibromyalgia and osteo arthritis, at last I knew what this terrible pain and fatigue was. I have told the rest of my story so won't bore you with it again. There is one thing I would like to say about the last 18 months, that in the end it has worked out to be good for me. I the beginning I saw the operation has a punishment for not being able to get the weight of myself and keep it off, but not now, I see it as a gift, a privelige, and am so grateful to God and my family to come to this place of knowing it is the right thing for me at this time in my life, and with God's help I will use this tool to get to the healthy happy person I was born to be. Sorry this is soooooooo long, but now it is written I can move on with my story, and hope that when you read you too will be encouraged to make this step if it is right for you, Janet, x :-)

Praying everything will go well for you and have minimal pain and a quick good recovery, :-) x

Well done, it will be here before you know it, my date is the 9th, a d am excitedly counting down the days:-) x

hi, my op is on the 9th Oct, I start my pre op diet on the 25th Sept.The injections have been great for me, my BS was up to 19, Victoza brought it right down to between 7 n 10, also, it causes food to stay longer in the stomach to help with loosing weight, but that wore off after 6months. I'm ringing the bariatric nurse on Monday to check that I will be doing the right diet, she asked if I injected for the diabetes, and I said, yes, but now think she meant insulin, and victoza is not insulin so will check, to be sure. :-) x

hi, my op is on the 9th Oct, I start my pre op diet on the 25th Sept.The injections have been great for me, my BS was up to 19, Victoza brought it right down to between 7 n 10, also, it causes food to stay longer in the stomach to help with loosing weight, but that wore off after 6months. I'm ringing the bariatric nurse on Monday to check that I will be doing the right diet, she asked if I injected for the diabetes, and I said, yes, but now think she meant insulin, and victoza is not insulin so will check, to be sure. :-) x

Well done, it must be great to be so much smaller already, im a year older than u and hope that i can do as well as you. I have bought slim fast, but just realised it contains cows milk and im allergic to cows milk, duh, i went to the site you reccomemded , for protein in the uk and saw that they do soya protein which is a great help for me, i didn't have a clue where i could get some, so, thank you, x

brill, ive read that others used a cushion pressed against their stomach, hope that will help, keep up the good work, x

x hi, i have fibro, diabetes type 2, osteo arthritus, ibs, asthma, high blood pressure, neourothopy in my feet, gout, acid reflux, sleep apnea, and will be waiting to hear about anyone with chronic pain like us, who have had the sleeve. i know that the fibro wont be cured but reckon less weight to carry around will be easier for me and the people who help me, i have been concerned how we will get our meds down, and if the op will be more painful because we are more sensitive to pain.

mean't to say, best wishes with the ops ladies, pray you will have no complications and a quick recovery, x

it is great the way the ? that run through your mind are answered here, i am 54 and still have periods , really hope they stop soon, lol, but am worried that i might get one, but it is because not only are they heavy put i have always had terrible pain and have to take meffenemic acid pills also known as ponstan , it is a high dose inflammatory and is the only thing that stops the very bad pain. I have thought about taking them before for a few days in case, but am worried if it will effect the op. thanks everyone, x

thankyou for all of your replies, all very helpful and encouraging, xx

I finally got my exact operation date yesterday, the 9th oct, in the afternoon, and am so excited, it has taken me 19 months to get to this point and it still feels unreal. I have started to think about what to take into hosital with me, and have found some new slippers, got some new pink towels, and toothpaste, lol, i am concentrating on this because i havn't yet received my liver shrinking diet, i am allergic to cows milk, so have to follow the alternaive diet, i start it on the 25th sept, and am impatient to find out what it consists of. The dietician was suppose to send it out to me last week, but as usual, what he is supposed to do for me isn't happening, but at least the specialist nurse said she would get straight onto him and i should have it soon. I have been doing the dukan protein only since saturday, but went off it yesterday after the phone call with the op date, i had jacket tattie with cheese and curry for lunch, and raspberries and light elmlea, and for supper shared a lamb rogan with rice and popadoms with hubby, really enjoyed them, but back on protein only till tomorrow, can't wait to add veg to the diet. Hope everyone is doing ok, take care, Janet. x

thank you