Sunday 1st April 2007

Oh my gooness it's been ages!!! Sorry for not being a very dedicated blogger this past while. I have no valid excuses!!

OK, so here I am 6 stone 2 off, 22 weeks post op 14 stone 5lbs and wearing a size 16-18. I am very happy with my progress so far, although we are going to see my parents next week and I would have given my right arm to be a size 14 by then. Never mind, I am looking considerably better than I was the last time they saw me, and I think I will still give them, and my mate Pauline the 'WOW' factor when they first clock me !!
Pauline is one of my dearest friends, but I did not tell her about my operation. I wonder if she is reading this now ( subsequent to seeing me next week and being suitably gob smacked to check out my website !) and thinking... daft cow, why didn't she tell me? Well, I didn't tell you for a few reasons !! I didn't tell many people at all about my surgery. I didn't want anyone to try and talk me out of it, and I didn't want anyone to critisise me for opting for the surgery without hearing all the facts behind it, not that I thought you would do either, but we are not face to face very often and to have that kind of conversation could run up quite a phone bill ! Secondly, I knew that we'd be over at some stage after I'd lost a decent amount of weight, and I was using this trip as a target for my weight loss so I could see the look on your face when you saw me. Believe me, you were one of the ones at the front of my mind when I was having the operation. I hope you are pleased for me and see that this operation has made a real and amazing change to my life, and put a smile back on my face, which is now somewhat slimmer than it used to be !!
Yes, perhaps I should have let you in on my secret, especially if things had not gone to plan in Brugge and something terrible had happened to me, but it was a choice I made at the time, and believe me, having your reaction to work toward has been very helpful all these months !

OK... what else has been happening in the last month.... well, we have put our house on the market, and we have found the most beautiful bunglow imaginable. We are over the moon with the thought that we will be living there one day, hopefully sooner rather than later. It's gorgeous. We even started packing today ( and my back is reminding me of that fact right now as I sit here typing !!) and I realise I really am one hell of a hoarder !! I have chucked out stuff today though which is great for me, although a little traumatic if truth be known !! I also found stuff in the loft that I have been looking for since we moved 3 years ago so that was good !!!

I went to the WLS support group meeting yesterday and it was brilliant to see everyone again. I didn't get to the last one and I really missed it. Seeing everyone again really made my day. Kathryn is off to Leeds to go under the skilled and trustworthy handiwork of Simon Dexter and I could not be happier for her. I keep sending her positive vibes, hoping she is receiving them and knowing that she is going to be just fine. Eileen is looking superb, with the weight just dropping off her apace ! Marj is off for her plastics soon, and is Ruth. It's all happening. Best of all was seeing the boys, Paddy Joe and Ian. Paddy is only 1 week post op and has a grin like a cheshire cat on him, and Ian is looking healthier than I have ever seen him yet. Brilliant news for both of them and I am so relieved that they are both through their respective surgeries without any complications.

Finally, just before my 36th birthday in March, I got a phone call from the McIndoe Centre in East Grinsted. They were inviting me to attend the Ulster Hospital for a plastics consultation. I told them that I was not ready, and that although I had lost 6 stone, I still needed to loose 4. He told me that as long as this is off within the next 6 months they should still be able to do the op. I was floundered !! So I went for the appointment on my birthday, and have been told that it will probably still happen, but the consultant will see me again in a few months time to reassess me and see if I then meet the BMI criteria. So there I was, top of the world, practically skipping out of the out patients department with glee. I appreciate that some of the WLS members have been waiting for ages, and that they totally meet the criteria set out for the plastic surgery, and I respect that they have a right to be peeved at me, but I honestly did not expect this, nor did I chase it, they simply phoned me up and asked me to attend. I was not going to asked twice, sorry !! I hope that you guys can be happy for me, as I am for you to be getting your plastics soon too.

Right.. I had better go now. It's been a long long day, and I have a mountain of ironing to do and get out of the way before any more viewers come !! I will do my best to blog a little more often and keep you up to date with my news.

Oh.. and one more little plus !!!! I have not only found my collar bones, but was shocked and delighted to see in my photos that they are sticking out !!!! Yipee !!!!