Ouch!!

I had an appointment with the practice healthcare assistant yesterday for an new patient assessment. She was absolutely lovely and we got on really well.

At the end of the appointment, I asked her to check my stitches as they had not dissolved as expected. Out of the three scars, I was concerned about two of them. She said she would get the practice nurse to come and look as well. The practice nurse took one look and said they won't dissolve. She was lovely as well and took me down to the treatment room to take them out straight away. She actually had to do all three scars as one of them still had the stitch under the skin - that one hurt like hell!!

Two of them looked a bit inflamed so she put iodine dressings on them - lets hope they heal up now!

Weight update

I had a nice surprise this morning, I stood on the scales and they confirm that I have now lost 2 and a half stone. It is slow but I am enjoying the results.

I am looking forward to getting the fill on Tuesday and seeing a bit of a spurt on the weight loss.

Decision made ...

...I've booked a fill! I have an appointment to see the nurse on Tuesday afternoon for my third fill. I hope I'm doing the right thing!!

I need to give the weight loss a kick start and I thought it would be good to do it while I was still off work so I can get used to it before I go back. I know I don't need much but I think a tweak would get me going again which is quite an exciting prospect.

I'll keep you posted, as ever!

Ah, the peace and quiet!

Oh, I could get used to this life! I am sitting in my lounge watching daytime telly being watched by the cows in the next door field!

I'm feeling lots better and almost a little guilty that I have another two weeks off work! My boyfriend was back in work this morning so I have the house to myself and possession of the remote control!!

My stitches don't appear to have disolved as expected and I have a bit of stitch sticking out. I have a new patient assessment on Thursday with the new doctors so I might mention it to the nurse.

Bertie is still being a bit unpredictable, one minute allowing me to eat loads, the next nothing! My weight is staying put which is a bit annoying but I'm going to see how it goes and then maybe get a fill. The concern is that some days I don't need a fill as Bertie is quite vicious and then others I feel I need one - I probably could do with a tiny fill to slow things down.

Come on now Bertie, be nice!

Well, I can't believe I haven't posted for a week! It has been a bit up and down, I keep thinking I am better and then I do something little like go out for a ride in the car (not even driving!) and I am exhausted!

It probably isn't helping that Bertie is being a bit of a devil at the moment and I am hardly able to eat anything. I feel like I have a lump on my chest all the time. Last night I tried to eat my dinner of chilli and rice and I managed about half a dozen forkfuls when I knew I was going to be sick. Fortunately, my boyfriend was quick to get me a bowl - oh the glamour! It was very frustrating as I hadn't eaten much all day. I put it in the fridge and was able to eat it a few hours later - weird! Today, it took me half an hour to eat a nectarine. I even struggled with a pot of fromage frais. I'm not sure if it is related to the op or not but I've been struggling a bit since then.

On the plus side, my boyfriend's cousin came to see us yesterday and sent him a text later to say she forgot to say to me that I'd lost loads of weight! That is four people who don't know about Bertie who have commented now - I feel great!

The house is shaping up, we've just had the hall, stairs and landing decorated and it looks lovely.

The multi-coloured abdomen!

I am developing some pretty impressive bruising on my tummy. I only noticed it today but they are big and very purple!

I spoke to my GP today, I was trying to make an appointment for Monday but the GP I wanted to see (who had originally referred me for the scan in January) wasn't available so he rang me at the end of surgery. I was concerned about going back to work and he assured me that I would not be ready yet (I kind of thought that but you always feel like you are somehow slacking!!), anyway he has signed me off for a further three weeks after this week. I was a bit shocked but I guess there was a lot going on behind the small incisions they made. I think it will do me good to rest up and recharge my batteries a bit as, aside from the op, I have had an extremely stressful year so far!

Feeling a bit low

I'm sure it is down to the anaesthetic but I am feeling a bit low today. I've got a sore throat which I thought was just to do with the tubes they use in the operation but it's getting worse so it may not be related to that.

I also made the mistake of looking up endometriosis on the internet and ended up scaring the life out of myself. I must keep positive and count my blessings - the girl in the bed next to me in hospital was only 30 and had just had one ovary removed in an emergency operation and they were waiting to see whether the other one was cancerous. In contrast, I am extremely lucky.

I'm sure it is all down to being tired and sore and I'll feel better tomorrow.

I've just looked at the posts I put up after my band op and I was feeling pretty similar at about the same time post-op so I think it is just me and the anaesthetic!

Glad that's over!

Well, I'm sitting up in bed at home, feeling very glad that's all over.

The operation went well, unfortunately I was last on the morning list so didn't go down until 12.30 but I was back on the ward at 3. I probably could have come home last night but they took my drip down in the recovery room and when I tried to drink it made me feel sick so I only took a few tiny sips to wet my mouth. Then my blood pressure dropped so they had to put the drip back in.

The operation has confirmed that I have endometriosis - the consultant said it was moderate to severe which shocked me! She also said there was evidence that I'd had a burst cyst which was probably what caused the pain the other week. The good news is that they have removed all the endometriosis and the associated adhesions to my fallopian tubes and uterus. My tubes are clear so they have said the best chance of us conceiving is in the next 3-4 months - guess we're going to be busy!!! I have to go back to outpatients in 3 months and if I am not pregnant by then, they will refer me for fertility treatment. So, it seems we are in with a chance - however small it may be at my/our age.

Bertie behaved himself throughout. If I'm honest, I was quite worried about having an anaesthetic with him in but it was all fine and now I am glad that I didn't have to have him deflated.

It is great to be home, it is weird because it's only been home for two weeks but it definitely feels like home!

It's official...

... I must be losing weight! Someone else, who doesn't know about Bertie, commented last night. It is so great when someone comments on my weight loss.

I am loving Bertie so much! I'm going to get him tightened in a few weeks and hopefully I will have another spurt of weight loss. I stood on my own scales this week. They confirm that I have lost 33lbs. I don't want to adjust my ticker backwards as I'm hoping that I will catch up with it in the next week or so when I go into hospital.

My op is on Monday (morning, I hope!), I'm keen to get it over with now and be able to move on without worrying about any further 'episodes'. I'll try to post tomorrow but we have a full on day planned, I'm not sure when I'll be able to post again after the op but I will post as soon as I can.

Happy times!

Well, we have been in the house a week now and I am feeling much more chilled and relaxed. Even the dog seems happier, I think she has been missing my parents as she used to spend all day with them. I expected her to be unsettled for a few weeks but she has settled in like she's always lived here!

We still have boxes and boxes to unpack but we have most of our everyday stuff to hand and we are starting to get into a routine. The house is just as lovely as I hoped it would be. It is so quiet and peaceful. I can't quite get over the wildlife we see - there have been rabbits in the garden every morning and we get a lot of squirrels, the dog is demented!!

Lots has been happening, I can't believe I go into hospital on Monday to have the cyst removed. It will be good to get it out. I had my pre-op assessment on Friday. I've now been told it is likely that I will be in overnight, unless I go down very early. I've also been told to expect to need a minimum of a couple of weeks off work - shame, I get to spend two weeks in my lovely home!

Work is interesting, my workload has reduced considerably. I am not taking anything new on this week as I'll only be passing it over on Friday. The temp is due to leave on 22nd July, she has been told she must take all her outstanding holiday before she goes. We have also been told that she will finish on 22nd whether they have appointed someone or not, if she is then successful she will return at a later date. So I don't think it looks all that good for her chances at the job but I suppose we'll have to wait and see.

I have finally unpacked my own weighing scales. I only found them this evening so I will have to wait until the morning to check where I am officially weightwise but it was good to find them! I have an idea where I am but it will feel real when I weigh on my own scales.

One of the girls at work came over to me yesterday morning when I was on my own to comment on how much weight I'd lost. She was so sweet because she was worried I would take offence but felt she had to comment. She said I was looking amazing - I felt 10 feet tall all day! She is the second person, who didn't know about Bertie, to notice - it feels great!!!

I've decided that as soon as I am back on my feet after the op, I will have a band adjustment. I'm ready to get things moving a bit quicker. I went shopping at the mall last night, it was great to be able to look at clothes in normal shops and realise that I could get into them! I just want them to be smaller sizes than they would be at the moment!

We're in!

Just a quick post to confirm that we finally moved in yesterday. I love the house every bit, if not more, than I did the first time I saw it.

It was lovely this morning to come down and see a rabbit in the garden - it confused the dog who had staggered out for her early morning wee and stood dumbfound as the rabbit flew across the garden into the next door field. The dog just stood there staring as if to say 'what the heck was that?!'

I feel very lucky, I'm sitting on my sofa looking out of the window at rolling hills - it really doesn't get better than this after a stressful day at work!

Happy Birthday Dear Bertie

I cannot believe that Bertie is a year old today - where did that time go?!!!

He is my saviour and I love him very much! I have lost 2 and a half stone since he was put in which is not a massive amount by many standards but I have felt a massive difference in my mobility and I feel great. I am wearing trousers with confidence which I never thought would happen!

He has changed how I eat and taken away the worry I've had in the past. I know now if I put on a pound or two, Bertie will sort it out. For the first time in my life, I feel that I can eat 'normally'. Yes, there are certain foods I struggle with but not many. I just find I cannot eat huge portions. I've lost weight without being on a 'diet' which is very liberating!

I am thrilled to bits with him and I look forward to more years of weight loss.