Mr Kerrigan told me that Aintree was one of three centres doing most of this work in the UK. Sheffield and Leeds being the other two sites. Go and have a look at the Leeds website. I think it presents the info in a real down to earth no-nonsense way. Compared to the USA Bariatric surgery over here is really a small speciality. I think the recently produced NICE guidelines will make a difference. Some docs and managers look on this as cosmetic surgery, Mr K describes it as a surgical intervention to prevent diabetes. Looked at that way it begins to make economic sense.

Thanks for those two posts Ally, your mum will be dead chuffed, and just for the record I am completely up the wall as well as her. More people have started looking at the blog as we get ready for round two next week. I think its tiime to increase the education content of the site. Starting here would be good ASO a British site seems to talk a lot of sense about the obesity epidemic as a whole.

Dad bet u didnt think i was goin to keep writin this did you?

Hey Ally again Dad is goin in next week when i am in school (damn!) and mum is completely up the wall as far as i can tell.

Jean has just spoken to Mr K's secretary, we have a green light for Wednesday next week, need to contact the ward on Monday to see if they want me in on Tuesday or Wednesday. Top news, at least we have something to plan around

Now with added titles

just messin about.

Spoken to Mr Kerrigans secretary this morning. Says she will ring me back after 12.30 to let me know when it will be...either next wednesday or the week after......we don't like the sound of that.

Bariatric is a confusing word, I defined it earlier but people mishear or get it wrong. What its not
Balearic surgery - presumably something to do with Ibiza
Barometric Surgery - Something to do with air pressure -(thanks to Paul Hackett)
Barbaric surgery -said the spell checker, have you seen the video.
Hyperbaric surgery - the surgeon wears a divers suit
Geriatric surgery - presumably when they remove an old person from your stomach.

I started with pain in my right foot last night, this morning its hot red and swollen. I think its the gout returned. Now, before everyone starts thinking yeah, big man, port drinker type thoughts here are some links fact sheet, american. Both of which cite overweight and alcohol as predisposing factors....doh! My GP just rang and its the 3rd attack in four years. Blood test and another medication. Did I mention its really painful.

This version has spellchecking software on - if I can remember to use it. It doesnt like Spellchecking it suggested Selpulchering instead. I like spell checkers especially for names, I used to work with a woman called Ans Dodd or Anus Dodo as the computer insisted.Oh no this could lead to me entering peoples names and seeing what comes up, last time I did that it went on for weeks. I'll stop at Ans.

Upgraded my blogger software and paid to have the adverts taken off the site. Should be more reliable and less chance of being hijacked by stray Arab porn sites (sorry Val).

bigboy beds - Aintree has one bed which was in use when I arrived. The standard NHS bed is 160kg capacity. The lifting and handling co-ordinator was on leave. They ordered a bed which arrived on Wednesday it was an earlier version of one of these said to cost a thousand pounds a day to rent.

In the Sefton Suite they do one of these bariatric ops a week. They therefore need access to some bigboy equipment. Lets consider wheelchairs the bog standard NHS issue is about 17" wide and suits up to 17 stone approx. No good for the big people so they buy in this chap I like the line "to fit the growing needs of the bariatric community". I never realised I was part of a community. 26" wide seatlooks like you could fit the walton sextuplets in it. Aintree has one similar, and when its requested I bet the porters are fighting over who has the pleasure of pushing it. Anyway I got in and went for a push round the busy outpatients at aintree in it. I bet a few people eat less that night. Several small children developed a fear of big men with beards. Only problem is that I have normal length arms on a bariatric body. 4" too short to self propell. So during my epic escape from x-ray I got up and pushed the thing, with the crutch riding in it.

Spoke to Mr Kerrigans secretary, seems likely that everything will be pushed back by a week. She will call later today to confirm. I have time now to reflect on some of the bits from the hospital stay that I didnt put in. I also thought that the spelling and grammar from the hospital posts was lousy and should I correct it. I have decided I will leave it it has a certain front line quality to it. Besides you try typing on this hunched double under your sheets working by torchlight.

Just can't seem to get motivated this morning, think all my adrenalin was used up yesterday. It feels like I was in hospital for about a week. When in fact it was only 27 hours. Going to try to get back into the right frame of mind this mornin - writing this is strangely therapeutic. It just feels that a load of plans have been turned upside down. My carefully planned "last supper" regime - last week of going to various places with various people (which I really enjoyed), what do I do now? I should be on sips of water for two days then liquidised food for three months or was it six weeks? I gave up alcohol last week, planning only the odd glass of wine on high days and holidays, and now it seems I can drink again (at least for today)....momentary pause while I get the cooking sherry.(JOKE). This is all a bit of a mess really. Val my boss has been on the email, she came to look at my blog and was greeted by an arabic porn site. I would like to reassure all that this is not a design feature, I suggest she reports it to the IT helpdesk. That reminds me, am I off sick on leave or just skulking. Better clarify that with the boss.

tune in tomorrow for the full explanation, I will address concerns from all quarters. Hopefully will know more when surgeon contacts me

will catch up with all posts tomorrow and update as required

At home with family told everyone feel a bit daft. Older generation are angry "how could they mess you about like this" Me jean and ally fairly settled, somebody needed the icu bed more than me.

the worst news - I have been cancelled, the staff were gutted telling me, and I got upset again. Mr Kerrigan is still in theatre and will talk to me soon. Looks like nextwednesday now.

Jean and ally just said last goodbyes, I got upset after they went, could be as early as 4 now