Sam's Musings

[SAM55]

That's brilliant. I'll worn you know it can get addictive! I'm starting to look for reasons to fit a walk in most days now because it's worth the pain for the way it makes me feel emotionally now. Plus I am building up a lot of podcasts to listen to while I walk
How is your daughter getting on? Is she settling in and adjusting to the time difference?

I hope it does get addictive as I live in the Yorkshire Dales and all my friends walk a lot. I had only lived here a month when I damaged my knee 13 years ago and have never been able to enjoy the great outdoors in its fullest sense.

She is still adjusting to the total strangeness of it all and no real structure to the day, plus living with the in-laws and sharing a kitchen! With two small children who are also adjusting and now having to share a bedroom it is pretty stressful as father in law works shifts so she has to keep the girls quiet when he is asleep. They are both trying to job hunt so they can rent somewhere, but they are in the sticks so the wifi isn't very good. They are also homeschooling the eldest who is 6 as their school year starts in January, and also they don't want to put her in school until they know where they want to live, which will be dependent on work, and then have to take her out again.

We are both having big adventures this year!!!!

 

[SAM55]

Well, my first stall at 9 weeks. Not surprised as I have eaten more with my cold this week. Surprised I hadn't put anything on! At least it will give me a bit more time to get some wear out of my knickers!

 

[puddytats]

How did it go with M today?

was fine, she's pleased with my progress. I mentioned the party, she didn't ask about alcohl, but I'd have told about my glass of wine and mouthful of a cocktail if she had. She said not to worry about eggs, sounds like I'm having enough protein daily. See her again in Dec!

Well done on your walk! Stalls are normal as you know. I stalled at 3 weeks - it's what it does to my head makes it worse than the physical!

 

[SAM55]

Well, mini break coming to an end and home tomorrow morning. Have swam and walked everyday, and only tried eating out once in a tea room. Couldn't decide if I was hungry or thirsty so ended up with a glass of raw milk and some potato wedges with mayo. Old habits die hard when faced with a menu on my own! There were only five wedges and I managed about three avoiding the crispy bits, and half the glass of milk. Otherwise i have been reasonably good, but did treat myself to a box of mini flapjacks whilst wandering around Aldi - a new experience for me, plus I usually have my groceries delivered which helps with not being tempted. With all the exercise hopefully I will have burnt off any extra calories. Time will tell on Saturday when I weigh. If another stall or a gain then I will have to give myself a good talking too!!!

Haven't bothered with going to the onsite bar or the restaurant as it seemed pointless on my own given how little I could eat, and also no alcohol or more importantly diet coke!!

It has been good to have a break from everything and everyone as life was getting very stressful and my brain was on major overload. Had nice weather until today so have been out and about along the coast line. Expecting to be travelling home tomorrow in snow

Had planned to get on with my OU assignment whilst I was away as it is due on the 17th but the brain said no, and for once I listened to it. Hopefully it was telling me me the right thing and when I get home I will feel able to get on with it, otherwise I am going to have to ask for an extension.

Going away has made me realise i need to do this more often, even if i have to go on my own and have been making plans for the next one over the Christmas/NY period which would be with friends. I love where I live, my little flat and the people I do my voluntary work with, but a lot is done from home so it is difficult to switch off.

I wouldn't be on here now had they not got my massage appointment wrong by half an hour, so when I went she had gone home I enjoy a massage and this would have been my first post-op. My regular person isn't available at the moment so feeling somewhat touch deprived since surgery. Need a hugGot to have a last session in the jacuzzi and sauna though. It has been great having these facilities a five minute walk away and part of the package. It is so much easier to feel motivated when it doesn't involve a lot of effort before you get there... As it is off season now it is quiet here and i had the whole place to myself last night

Have also managed to fit in a trip to the cinema, a DVD, a lovely drive along the coast and some retail therapy, plus chilling out in bed watching crap TV, which normally bores me. It's nice having the bed and the TV in the same room and it is lovely and toasty warm. At home i have to make do in bed with watching on my phone and my window is draughty.

Off to hospital on Thursday to see consultant for first time since op. It seems an age away, and I cannot believe what a difference it has made. Also get my diabetic blood test result this week and hoping that it will show it's now normal. I hadn't realised quite how ill the Metformin was making me feel until my GP mentioned that it was that, that was making me feel so lousy.

My bedroom was being decorated whilst I was away so hopefully it is finished and then my first job will be putting everything back before I unpack the car - oh joy!!!! Hoping the snow doesn't stop me getting home...

 

[puddytats]

Sounds lovely, Sam!

 

[Want2b3]

It sounded like you needed that break Sam. Yes treat yourself more often you are working so hard at losing its hard going and your doing amazing. Your break sounded fab and so relaxing although busy too. A change is good the hospital stay was my first time alone in 3 years, longest away from my boy and that was a break despite having the op felt like a hotel lol!

 

[SAM55]

Early weigh in this week as off to the consultant today and I wanted to make sure I wasn't still stuck. Have lost 1.5kg since Saturday so happy with that. All that swimming and walking has done the trick, despite my have the odd food that had probably a bit too much sugar in! The downside is that my scales are 2kg less than the hospital ones, so it won't look so good on there.

Currently my jeans are going round in the tumble dryer trying to shrink them a little bit

 

[SAM55]

It sounded like you needed that break Sam. Yes treat yourself more often you are working so hard at losing its hard going and your doing amazing. Your break sounded fab and so relaxing although busy too. A change is good the hospital stay was my first time alone in 3 years, longest away from my boy and that was a break despite having the op felt like a hotel lol!

I certainly did, and have vowed I am going to be kinder to myself as well as everyone else. We all need a break from routine.

 

[FeeBee]

That sounds lovely and well done on your loss too! Did the jeans shrink sufficiently? Wasn't there a thing in the 80's about getting in a bath wearing your levis so they shrunk to your body and therefore fitted perfectly or is my brain throwing up random dreams again?!

 

[SAM55]

That sounds lovely and well done on your loss too! Did the jeans shrink sufficiently? Wasn't there a thing in the 80's about getting in a bath wearing your levis so they shrunk to your body and therefore fitted perfectly or is my brain throwing up random dreams again?!

Haven't tried them yet - been too busy on computer to take them out of the machine, and haven't made the shower yet either! The problem with going away and taking time away from the laptop is there is so much to catch up with!

You memory is correct, I was only thinking about the Levi's thing the other day. Did it have to be cold water though?? Wouldn't fancy that, even if I had an actual bath to do it in.

 

[Hannah2]

Yep Fee, there was a shrink to fit ad! Just be careful using the tumble dryer to shrink jeans - they will shrink in length as well! You might end up with cropped jeans!

Glad the break was good and well done on all the swimming and walking!

 

[FeeBee]

Hurrah my brain wasn't playing tricks! I think it was meant to be a cold bath but I only have a wet room. Maybe standing dressed under a warm shower would work too?

 

[Hannah2]

You could try being hosed down in the garden - definitely cold!!!

 

[FeeBee]

Oh god the thought alone makes my entire body clench!

 

[SAM55]

Well they did shrink a bit, partly where I wanted them too, which included length and waist, but have gone tight around the calves (they are bootcut). Hopefully a bit of wear will stretch them again.

Saw consultant's registrar this afternoon. All ok and wasn't in there five minutes and it was all very rushed with him conducting part of the conversation whilst i was still walking down the corridor and then from his office next door so i couldn't hear what he was saying. All he did was look at my scars (which my GP did last time I saw him) and comment on my weight loss. A bit of a waste of time and a long journey. He wants to see me again in March. Have to go back again this month on 23rd to see dietitian. Wouldn't it be great if they could manage it on the same day!

Feeling shattered now and nowhere near getting my essay done on time for next Thursday so have asked for an extension. Fingers crossed

 

[FeeBee]

Yeah that's a bit annoying, especially talking to you in the corridor. Never mind confidentiality eh?
I hope you get your extension x

 

[Turps]

Your break away sounds fantastic, well, apart from the missing massage.

But that consultant's appointment was ridiculous, especially talking in the corridor!

Fingers crossed for your extension.

 

[puddytats]

Well they did shrink a bit, partly where I wanted them too, which included length and waist, but have gone tight around the calves (they are bootcut). Hopefully a bit of wear will stretch them again.

Saw consultant's registrar this afternoon. All ok and wasn't in there five minutes and it was all very rushed with him conducting part of the conversation whilst i was still walking down the corridor and then from his office next door so i couldn't hear what he was saying. All he did was look at my scars (which my GP did last time I saw him) and comment on my weight loss. A bit of a waste of time and a long journey. He wants to see me again in March. Have to go back again this month on 23rd to see dietitian. Wouldn't it be great if they could manage it on the same day!

Feeling shattered now and nowhere near getting my essay done on time for next Thursday so have asked for an extension. Fingers crossed

So unprofessional of the registrar! Sounds like my appointment this week, without the corridor. Waited an hour, was in and out in 5 mins!

 

[LittleMissNom]

Grrr consultants. Best of luck with your extension!

 

[SAM55]

Well a day of good things and bad things...

Still waiting to hear about extension - sigh. Did manage to do 4 hours studying this morning, but there is still a long way to go before I even get to begin to answer the questions and there are a lot of them!

Thought I would chase up the therapy I am waiting for that I had the assessment for at the beginning of August! Had said not until November because of surgery and they said it was more likely to be January. The letter said I could ring and check where I was on the waiting list if I hadn't heard for a few months. They have a SPA system so you always get unhelpful people and the third degree. Sometimes I ring this number in my professional capacity and it has been known for them to ask my date of birth! A complaint went in about that one!!!! Firstly I was told that info wasn't available, or even any indication how long the waiting list was for people, but I was on the waiting list, so I did the cracked record technique of keeping repeating the sentence in the letter and then I asked to speak to the manager. I was offered the option of speaking to someone in the psychotherapy dept. who was immediately able to tell me that I 191st out of 260 However, as she was new she said she wasn't able to answer my question about roughly how many people a month are seen so giving an idea as to how long it would take. It certainly won't be January though My initial referral was last February! Spoke to GP this evening and he is now going to try and refer me out of area, which is going to mean a round trip of 180 miles every week if successful. Plenty of time for reflection...

Another long battle about getting some short term counselling travel expenses repaid (again out of area) without breaching my privacy as I know and work with the CCG has finally been won thanks to the persistence of my wonderful GP again, and it is going to be paid through the surgery in cash via him. I just need to provide an invoice. Especially pleasing as phone calls i had made to DWP and NHS Advice this afternoon about how my privacy could be conserved, where people I spoke to tried to be helpful but the system didn't allow for it, i had resigned myself to not getting back a significant sum of money.

Also got my HBN1 bloods results and i am now in the normal range instead of the diabetic range. Have gone from 54 when I went for surgery to 41! He was a very happy bunny and congratulated me on my hard work. I have to have one more test in 3 months and if still normal then I will no longer be diagnosed as diabetic. Cholesterol has also gone down so hopefully they will stop mithering me about statins Thank you surgery.

Still trying to find out when I should have my B12 injection as a letter from hospital to GP has gone astray (or was never written). Having all bloods tested early December to see where my vitamin, mineral and iron levels are at.

My knee has swollen up again after all that swimming so also have to go and have another steroid injection as it is keeping me awake at night. If it isn't one thing its another

On that note I think it is time for bed so I am ready to face another day taxing the brain on project management, change and strategy