Sunday

Up early and off to buy hoover bags decide the old model is pooped and get a new one from tesco old swan. 35 notes. Good move. Back home and a few things sorted. Family arrive lunch a little late but goes down well indoor barbeque. Me ana Ally trot off to Tesco express for fishy treats. Back home and eat em.
Did a couple of posts on wlsingfo - I thought I would share em here
Well two years crept up on me - two years ago at this very hour I was in a theatre having an open Roux-en-Y. I was 34 stone not expecting to either a) week up, and in the unlikely event that I would b) Lose any weight. I had a turbulent immediate post op period, people have had far worse than me since but at the time it was poop. To be told at 29 stone that you were experiencing hallucinations due to starvation was weird. The site essentially arose as a diversion from vomitting. I had a gastroscopy in Jan 2003 and things went great from there on in. Weight loss wise and health wise I went great. In May that year I went high, quite literally followed by a depressive episode in the December confirmed my diagnosis of Bi-polar affective disorder.
In between all that the site won an award at the NOF and I was nominated for and won the RCN gastro nurse of the year. Weight loss continued in that first year until about 13months. Then stopped dead. I had sort of followed Janes protein thoughts. Ended up eating this high protein low carb low fat diet. I had become a gym monster and was chuffed when me, Jean, my surgeon and my trainer ran together in the 5k corporate cup in Liverpool. All good habits and I was doing well. Looking back at the time of the annual meet I was depressed but to meet again with old friends was great. So I started 2004 on mood stabilisers and was chugging along at work fine till the peritonitis struck in may. Adhesions due to my appendicectomy 20years ago led to an obstruction which near finished me off. Thats all sorted now, peritonitis and pneumonia knocked it out of me but the good physical shape I was in helped.
So here I am back to the gym this week looking back at 2 years in which I have lost loads, gained more, and shared with some of the best most sincere people that I have met.
3 years ago I was referred by the obesity clinic for cognitive behavioural therapy. At that time despite my confident middle manager jolly fat man appearance, I was instead feeling worthless, I believed I was a FLUB (fat lazy useless b******) It didn't help with my eating but made me convinced that positive action was the way. So I went looking for surgery, and found it.
A meeting with Hil(phantomlodge) led to me thinking setting this site up was a way forward.
The rest is well documented elsewhere on here.
So what have I lost
About 18 stone (dont know and dont care).
22 inches off my waist.
DLA
Blue badge
Ability to drink with meals
The real taste I had for fine malt whiskey.

What have I gained well this maybe a big list. Health
Better life expectancy
Better quality
Increased mobility - from less than 100 yards to miles.
Increased self esteem - the feeling of confidence and pride.
A network of friends across countries. Some of these friends have worried me several times peoples lives seemed at risk.
Support and encouragement from people on a no strings attached business.
A sense of helping people that has far eclipsed anything I ever felt in clinical nursing or management.
I started a project and sustained it ( a biggie for me - ask Jean, clare towers is full of half finished schemes)
National recognition
A real sense of pride.
Laffs some nights I have laffed till I have ached, ( sorry about the beast stories).
A blog.
A lot of knowledge, though the more I learn about surgery and its consequences I realise a)how little I know and b) how different each individuals experience is.
And loads more
So when I look back and I realise what this family been thro in the last 2 years and what we got to look forward to I do it with a sense of achievement and pride. A bloomin nice feelin for sure.
So good luck to all the people who travel this road with me - whether you are way along the road or just thinking about putting your foot on the road. I hope this place helps make he journey easier - it certainly has for us.
and this called champagne moments
When we return from holiday we always get asked what was the champagne moment? The bit that you will always remember- well this journey has produced a few for me and I thought I would like to share them.
Getting referred to weight management clinic.
Meeting the doc there and knowing from his eyes he really wanted to help me.
The nurses scurrying round underneath me to measure me waist.
The big comfy chair.
Him listening not judging.
Going to see the dietitian Karen Slevin - her telling me to eat more. (breakfast)
Her convincing me I wasnt lazy and making me feel less worthless.
Being listened to when I argued against getting put on Orlistat.
Going for cognitive behavioural therapy (Kay McBean) which gave me some interesting insights to how I got to 34 stone. Also helped me to decide on grasping life rather than lying back to die slowly through obesity.
Beng gobsmacked when I went armed for a fight about getting an op and the doc said well ken think its the surgical route for you.
Meeting Mr K being presented with hard facts and advised on an op didnt remember thought it was a Ross on Wye rang hLorraine his secretary next day.
Telling me mam and her crying for joy.
Last suppers boy I ate
More last supppers after being cancelled
Meeting Jeff Leach a post opper the day of my op
Going home.
The Mickey taking district nurses
Learning to walk 1 door at a time very slowly
clips out
the first weigh in
wiping me bum with ease
dryin me feet
going back to the gym
setting up the site with the challenge of learnin new skills
getting a gastroscopy and being a new man
meeting my first vbger
ditto dser
ditto bandster
going on holiday in york and doing tourist things on foot.
feeling bones poking through
getting busier on the site
the gasps when I went back to work
100 members
the site was skint it owed us, we were skint I went to church and prayed andthat night someone put a gheque thro the door for a ton fifty
being in the local paper
setting up the nw support group
not forming a dam in the bath
standing up to pee in a pub
seeing me in a mirror and jumping with shock
getting a new smaller car
being interviewed on the wireless
throwing away my crutches
reducing anti inflammatorys/pain killers
snoring less
buying clothes in M&S
a shirt for a fiver in asda
saying no thanks in a restaurant
the mansfield meeting
Giving back DLA (even harder than getting it)
http://www.wlsinfo.org.uk/the_mansfield_seminar.htm
The dockers club http://www.wlsinfo.org.uk/rogues_gallery.htm
Fun running http://www.wlsinfo.org.uk/fun_runs.htm
National obesity forum being very proud http://www.wlsinfo.org.uk/nof.htm
Nurse of the year stuff http://www.wlsinfo.org.uk/nurse_2003_gig.htm
The chief medical officer of the UK askin me would I mind joining him for lunch
http://www.wlsinfo.org.uk/rcn_gastro_gig.htm
Dudley our first national meet http://www.wlsinfo.org.uk/dudley.htm
going on a rollercoaster for the first time in me life http://www.wlsinfo.org.uk/images/btm1.jpg
Me and the sites birthday party in january http://www.wlsinfo.org.uk/birthday_2004.htm
seeing people shrinking before me eyes and looking healthier.
seeing people waiting ages on the NHS get done
people telling me I saved their life
someone giving me their last quid at NW support group and saying we needed it more than she.
Laffing at meself on the telly.
Seeing people who were on the last legs fit and well
seeing the miracle of people looking younger everytime you see them.
But most of all the friends old and new I have gained through this place
And the best thing is I have plenty more moments to come.
What are your moments from your journey.