Can You Spot the Difference?

Watched some stunning (and some boring) rugby this weekend while Lisa went camping with the babies at the Green school. Sorry about the coffee love!

Go Sharks!!

Anyway, today a fresh new week starts..... Onward and forward.....forever thinner.....

Can anyone spot the difference? Seeing Less of me yet?

See ya

(Please comment)

Weakness

Weakness is a grumpy, 40 year old polar bear on a 12 month hunger strike stuck in the North pole on a floating iceberg.....where the fish are frozen, the seagulls are quick, the seals swim too fast and the polar bear ladies run like >>>>>>>

Second Weeks Starts

Tuesday 20th:- Tuesdays s..k! Only joking...I love coming in to work. I look forward to my snacks during the day too! See what they are -->
Energade as a regular snack, pureed apple and pear for mid-morning and afternoon snacks! I left off the pureed chicken so I didn't scare you off...
Well, time to go home. Chat soon.

Monday 19th:- Mondays s..k! I slept all weekend as I was exhausted and I needed to stay in bed today...but gotta work. Hey, had to tighten my belt by 1 notch today...no food!

Things I can do when I am THIN

-Dance with Lisa cheek-to-cheek -Roll around and play with my children
-Have energy to burn -Sit in chairs with arms -Fit in any shower
-Use any toilet -Climb stairs without huffing
-Sit in an airplane seat -Fit in any car -Water ski
-Dance -Go down river in a tube -Go rubber-ducking
-Walk on the beach -Swim in public -Run -Bend down -Lie in a bath
-Walk around unnoticed -Buy clothes off the shelf -Eat less
-Lie in a hammock -Ride a bike -Paddle a canoe
-Bungee jump -Share my testimony -Eat on my lap -Walk places -Fit in a trapdoor
-Touch my toes -Sit cross-legged -Not be stared or laughed at
-Do household chores -Be more active as a parent -Ride a scooter
-Participate in team building activities -Camp -Climb a tree
-Walk the dog -Eat on my own tray in a plane -Go to gym
-Sightseeing -Play tennis -Windows-shopping -Crawl around
-Work in the Garden -Wash the car -Play bowls
-Carry a tray -Be the butt of thin jokes -Climb a ladder
-Lean forward -Wash dishes without backache

-Touch my toes

Back at Work - The First Week

Whew!! Its Friday and I'm ecstatic.

My first week is done and I made it through. It's been tough! I've have felt extremely fatigued, nauseous, in pain (especially where my belt goes). At least I made it through 90% of my days at work. At about 3pm or so, BANG, I suddenly feel terrible and I need to rush home to lie down.

Thanks for all of those who have been coming to see me and also wishing me well. God Bless!

See some of you on Sunday!

Back at Work

Whew! Mind willing, body WEAK...... had to go in today - no work, no pay, make Jack a poor boy!

Welcomed back by all, great to be here (wish I could sleep). I will try and make it a full day.

My Stay at N1 City Hospital Resort

First Day, Thursday 31 Jan:-

11h00 – I arrived at the hospital and was escorted to the ward – Yahoo! Private room with its own bathroom. Bed is great – electrically operated. Moves legs and torso up and down.
Lisa unpacked and the nurses did all their checks. I am tagged with 3 coloured tags 1. My name and Doctor; 2. IMPORTANTLY – what operation I am having; 3. High Blood Pressure indicator. I ask for a pen to draw exactly where the operation will take place as a reminder. No Go!

11h30 – 13h00 Wait. Lisa and I have said all we need to say and I am ready

13h00 – I put on the HORRIBLE gown but hey it was my size so my b….m was covered at least.

13h15 – The porters come and fetch me. No tears, Lisa and I say goodbye, see you later…

13h30 – In the queue at Operating theatre. My escort hands me over to theatre sister and they CAREFULLY check what I am having done. I remind them again in theatre!!!

+- 13h45 – I am wheeled in to theatre proper. I check with the sisters that there are generators in the hospital so won’t be affected by load shedding!!! They move me to another bed put up a drip and put stickers on my chest - to connect me to an ECG monitor and a BP machine to monitor me throughout the operation. There are a lot of people:
- Pottie (My Doc)
- Another surgeon equally qualified to assist with the op
- Anaesthetist
- Sister to assist and hand stuff to the doctors
- Her assistant
- The anaesthetist assistant

+- 14h00 – Click, the lights go out.

+- 19h30 – OW OW OW My feet hurt. My tummy hurts. PRAISE GOD. I say a prayer of thanks before opening my eyes. Where’s my Lisa? The rooms spinning! Yahoo! The luckiest man alive - 3 Lisa’s are here…..Wait….. 3 Larry’s too – must be a nightmare! (Jokes Larry…). I am in ICU. Lots of people (patients) all around.

+- 20h00 Lisa and Larry (and Sam) go home. The pricking and prodding starts. I can’t swallow ‘cuse there’s a pipe1 down my nose and throat. EXTREMELY uncomfortable! I want to pee, the nurses say go ahead. I say No I don’t want to wet the bed, they say go ahead, you’re connected to a bag!!! EXTREMELY uncomfortable! Also there is a bag with a tube directly into my stomach area on the right side. Full of ghastly liquid! YUK! EXTREMELY uncomfortable too!

1 Naso gastric tube - small tube about 50mm in diameter which goes through one nostril into my stomach- to drain any fluids that might accumulate in the new pouch, it also prevents that I vomit as everything comes out

+- 20h15 - I ask for a pain jab – everything is now comfortable. What was uncomfortable? What are pipes? Everything is good……ZZZzzzzz

23h00 – Sister checks me out – BP, Oxygen level etc. More pain jabs….ZZZzzzzz

Day 2, Friday 1 Feb:-

04h00 – OW OW OW, still sore! Must wait until 06h00 for more! Mmm – sponge bath, full body – feel much better.

06h00 – More pain jabs…..ZZzzzzzz

07h00 – Get woken up! Breakfast time. Very angry! Why wake me when I cannot eat?

10h00 – Physio arrives for my breathing exercises. Has a pump that, as you inhale, pumps your lungs full of air! OW! Almost popped open! Tried to punch him but too weak to lift my arms!

11h00 – Get taken down to Radiology for GastroGaffin. Sambuca tasting stuff which shows leaks in operation areas. Nice, as I have had no water to drink since operation. Gagged a bit but it must go down… They try and move me from my bed to the radiography bed. Must basically do it by myself as too few helpers!!! OW OW OW! Doctor does scan, presses hard OW OW OW! Test checks out OK. Drink some Barium meal so Doctor can check for smaller leaks. All OK. Give me some water to rinse my mouth – yummy. Must move to own bed again! OW OW OW! I get taken back to ICU.

13h00 – More pain jabs. Can’t sleep.

13h30 - Complain as pain jabs are not working. Get top-up jab. Bed looks good from the ceiling…

15h00 – Get taken back to my Private room. Great as there is now peace and quiet.

15h15 – Lisa arrives with other guests

17h00 – Doctor arrives and checks me out. Ups pain medication – they were giving me levels for guy of 100kg. Words cannot describe relief.

19h00 – Get more visitors – I think, can’t remember here from the ceiling…..

Day 3, Saturday 2 Feb

04h00 – Another sponge bath. Feels good. Watched TV most of the night as I could not sleep. Strange programs on SABC and etv!

06h30 – Got breakfast – soup & jelly. Soup has bits and pieces in it. Should be clear only. Sent it back. Jelly great, just too sweet.

08h30 – MUST GET UP! Sisters orders! OW OW OW! Walk 10 meters. Tired! Get in to bed and demand pain jab. Bump, damn this ceiling is getting awkward…

09h30 – Doctors comes and says catheter can come out.. Donner and Blitzen, was that sore! I can also start sipping water. 15 – 30ml only every 15 minutes. Thanks Doc!

10h30 - Physio arrives for my breathing exercises. OW! Tried to punch him again but still too weak to lift my arms!

13h00 – Must get up AGAIN. OW OW OW! Walk 10 meters again and go to Loo. Yippee I can weewee again. No damage from pipes! Oops what’s that? Yippee! Bowel moved too! Celebrated by getting double pain jab. Bump…

15h00 – Watched TV all day. Got visitors Lisa and Babies. Fantastic seeing them. Celeste, Keith and family thanks for coming too.

17h00 – Doctor called to see if I was OK.

19h00 – Lisa and Warren visited. Got supper. Yet again it arrived with pieces. Sent it back for clear broth. Brandon and Rhos popped in for a visit on their way to a romantic dinner. Thanks guys.

19h30 – Clear soup arrived. Had a spoonful – very oily, Oh No!

20h30 – Pain in stomach! Worried!

20h40 – Feeling nauseous! MAY NOT THROW UP! Will cause damage to internals! Called for help. I was told sister busy, will come soon…

20h50 – Feeling VERY nauseous! Called again. Was brought bucket to throw up into and cloth! Demanded to see sister!

21h10 – Cannot wait any longer! Called sister again. She came now and gave me anti-nausea jab.

22h30 – Nausea gone but pain is excruciating. Called Lisa to get Celeste to call me. Celeste said I must get up and walk. Pain caused by oily food!!!! Called for help and walked around for 5 min until air escaped and seemed food drained out of pouch. Feel a bit better.

(Celeste has same op as me in October last year)

23h00 – Got another pain jab. No ceiling but pain dulled!

Day 4, Sunday 3 Feb

06h00 – Good night. Not much sleep but TV was OK.

09h00 – Doctor visits. Checks me out and says I can go home. He is upset as wound drainage tube and pouch was supposed to be removed the day before!

09h30 – Sister arrives to remove wound drainage bag. Tugs on tube! Would have wet the bed if I wasn’t so dehydrated! Oops, forgot to remove stitch holding it in! The sister cuts the stitch and tugs again! OW! Oops another stitch, sorry…. The sister is a woman, cannot punch her, so I bite my lips instead….. She tugs on the tube again and it tears loose from scab! OW! It eventually comes out. Wound wide open but she covers it with plaster… Please come and take me home from the torture palace Lisa!!!

11h00 – Nurse arrives for sponge bath. She has to do it alone as the other nurse does not want to help! Had to turn myself over. OW!

+- 12h00 – Lisa comes to fetch me. My Angel has arrived! She packs my bags and we go out the room and wait for wheelchair.

12h30 – Wheelchair arrives. No arms on it but so narrow the wheels would burn my b….m! Oops no bigger wheelchair! Perhaps we can use the big chair in ward with wheels? Get in chair but takes 15 min to lift footrest before being able to push it!

12h45 – Wheeled into lift and go down to ground floor. On arrival, we cannot get out of the lift as the footrest has collapsed and stuck in the lift! Lisa goes and discharges me and gets the car ready in the meantime.

12h55 – After trying for 10 minutes to get me out of the lift, they take me back to original floor, get a bed with wheels and wheel me into the other lift for the journey back down to ground floor.

13h10 – Lisa waiting at lift on ground floor. Steam is escaping her ears! They push me to reception but stop at emergency exit and say this is the furthest they can take me on bed. Hospital rules! Lisa, in no uncertain terms, tells them what to do and they take me through reception and to car in the bed!!!

13h45 – Arrive at home! Walk to my bed! I thank God for delivering me safely and for looking after my family while I was away.

The Story So Far - February '08

10th:- Tired and in pain. Had to skip Church - missed you guys...

8th:- Saw Doc for follow-up. He's happy. Have lost 4kg since being discharged on Sunday. Must see him in 6 weeks again.

6th:- Tired, sleeping a lot. Yesterday was worst pain day yet. Painkillers good tho'

4th:- AT HOME! I made it back thanks to GOD!!!

The Story So Far - January '08

31st:- D-Day. Off to hospital for 11am. Op at 14h00 and should last 3 - 6 hours. See ya! See pre-op photo on left @ 223kg, down 10kg since 7 Jan!

30th:- Day before operation. Feeling good (still hungry - day 7 of liquid diet!) and Peaceful, no nerves - God's grace is with me.I will be online as soon as I can next week. Cheers for now.

28th:- God is GOOD. Lisa called Doc directly and he says no need for R29K, he will go ahead without it.

25th:- Doctor's assistant called - we need to pay in R29,000 before she will confirm theater booking. Sherbert! Must Pray...

24th:- 1 week to go. Struggling with diet. Woke up with a killer headache - probably detoxing!

23rd:- Started liquid diet today. Challenging! Everybody around you seems to be eating fantastic food... Anyway not so bad:Lots of water with everything...

Basic Menu

Brekkie -

Cerelac (baby cereal)

Fruit smoothie

Lunch-

250ml yoghurt

250ml apple sauce

250 ml nutri shake

Supper-

250 ml soup

125 ml pureed fruit

2 scrambled eggs

11th:-Saw the Endocrinologist today. Prognosis - I am a very good candidate for GP operation... Whooppeeeee. Now we wait for the medical aid to issue auth number!

5th:-Gastroscopy done yesterday. Yuckie spray in throat but wow, quick working aneasthetic. Sore throat after. Stomach slightly inflamed but that is probably all the peri-peri and tabasco... Abdominal Sonar done yesterday. Checked spleen, gall bladder, liver and bladder. Liver OK - shows you red wine does flush out liver. Gall bladder has a large stone - accounts for some of the pain I experience. It will be removed during operation. Other organs OK. Just need to see Endocrinologist and lose 10kgs by end Jan. GO GO GO!

3rd:-Operation booked for 31 Jan!I have seen the Psychiatrist and Dietician.

Psych report - although loopy and have some maternal issues, the operation is medically indicated in his opinion. Great!

Dietician report - liquid diet for 1 week prior and 2 weeks post operation. Pureed food for another 2 weeks and then on to .....soft food for 2 weeks yay! Operation is indicated. Great!

Blood tests done!Have worked out that by my birthday on 9 April I should be down by 30kgs! Praise the Lord.....

The Story So Far - November & December '07

Dec 2007:- Gastric Bypass SurgeryI saw the Bariatric surgeon (Dr JA Potgieter) on Thursday 29/11 and he did an evaluation with the following results:

1. Weight 233kg

2. Body mass index (BMI): 66+

3. Category: Super Obese

4. Morbidity factors: Pre diabetic, high blood pressure, hip problems, breathing problems, reflux, sleep apnoea (all are cured by op!)

5. Minimum requirements to qualify for surgery: BMI >45 with no morbidity factors (As you see I am almost overqualified!!!)

Other factors:

1. Success rate of operation: 99%

2. Size of weight loss=77% of excess weight in 1 year (for me = 97kg!)

3. Fatality rate: SA = 1% (worldwide = 4%)

4. Morbidity rate: SA = 4% (worldwide = 10%) (Morbidity rate = number of people who have serious complications after surgery)

5. Cost of operation=R 90,000+. My medical aid covers most of it, thanks to God....

6. Options for bypass = 4 options but best is Roux and Y method.

Roux en Y Gastric Bypass Surgery: How it Works

Gastric bypass surgery involves three main steps:

1. Creating a new, smaller stomach (gastric pouch) from the existing stomach.

2. Bypassing 3 to 4 ft. of the small intestine (normally 20 ft. long).

3. Connecting the bypassed digestive section to the lower section of the small intestine, where necessary digestive juices mix with food.

Still to do:

1. Have a gastroscopy

2. Have a liver scope

3. Have a whole panel of blood tests

4. See a psychiatrist (Certify what a large impact being overweight has on me and to check that I am not bi-polar or downs or schizophrenic)

5. See a dietician (I must move from solids to soft food and then to liquids before the operation and reverse the process afterwards. About 6 weeks to 2 months). The surgeon would like to see me lose 10kg before surgery

7. See an endocrinologist (thyroid doc)

BUT these are really just formalities UNLESS something major turns up.

Welcome

Hello Friends

Welcome to my blog, set up for you all to track my progress while I move from Thick to Thin and to see the changes God has and is making in my life.

Enjoy the journey with me.

Anton "Shrinking" D