I'm baaaaaaak

Hi everyone - old friends, new friends, old losers, new losers, entire forum.  Gosh I missed you guys!!!!!

Sorry I haven't posted sooner but I got back from my trip on Saturday past- sick as a dog with an upper respiratory flu.  I started with a fever on Friday morning and by the time I got home to Canada on Saturday afternoon - well I shivered all the way from Halifax Airport to home - 2 plus hours.  I got in the house, took some Tylenol and went to bed.  I went to outpatients on Sunday and 5 hours later saw a doctor who was obviously having a bad day and who had no compassion for me whatsoever.  She said it’s the flu, it has to run its course, over the counter meds are useless.... she fell short of saying go home and suffer but I knew she wanted to.  Plus when I asked her if I should go to work in this condition she said well I guess that is up to you and yet she would not give me a paper to put me off work even though I told her my employer needed to see proof that that I had seen a doctor.  So since I was not due back to wor****il Wednesday, I waited, hoping to get better.  On Wednesday morning I was still fighting with the fever so back to outpatients I went, praying all the while that Dr. FeelgoodNOT was not working that day.  My good luck, she was not there and the doctor I saw was kinder and gave me a paper putting me off until next Wednesday and told me what OTC drugs would help me to feel a bit better and actually apologized for his colleague.  I said look you should not apologize for her, she should.  I thanked him for his time and so here I am, coughing up a lung now and then, popping Tylenol every 4-6 because the fever comes back still and I am on my third box of Kleenex with Lotion (whose inventor should receive the Nobel Prize for Medicine).  This too shall pass.

I took some time to read some of the posts.  I will just jump in as if I was never away and so I won't post to any of the posts that happened while I was gone.  I see that some folks have crossed over and I say welcome. I thought about you on the day and thought good thoughts for you.  I seethat some folks had a rougher passage over to the bench but now that you are here it can only get better from here on in.  I hope you are feeling much better now.  I see some papers have beens signed, some surgeries booked.   WOOT to one and all!!!  I also see that the Savoie Waiters are still hanging in there.  Surely it can't be much longer for you.  I will keep good thoughts about that too.  All in all, it's just so good to be back among friends who know what its like to live this life. 

So - the trip - WAS ABSOLUTELY AWESOME!!!!!!  I hope to have some photos soon to post on my profile page.  We had the most wonderful time.  It was 3 weeks of total bliss. We are already saving for another cruise next year with a few of the same group that we travelled with this time.  The effect of my weight loss was clearly evident each and every moment of the cruise. I have so many NSVs its just mind boggling.   Every adventure was so much more enjoyable this year as compared to last year.  I walked further, stood longer, climbed higher, swam further, danced longer than I have in years.

But I also ate more than I was eating before I left for the trip.  As you all know I was and am still wide open.  My band is there, I know that but it is not doing what it is supposed to do because I can eat everything I ever ate and I can eat way more than one cup of food per sitting.  I am more than overdue for a fill.  I did my best to keep things to a minimum and keep portions small but in the long run, I failed to keep the calories low and I ate things like chocolate and creamy desserty things.   I took Mr. Will Power with me on the trip but he went missing about half way through.  Imagine my relief when I got home to find him here waiting for me.  I gave him hell for leaving me but we have made up and he is helping me again.  While away I drank water once in a while right after eating but mostly I didn't drink with meals.  I did not drink pop or fizzie drinks, I did not consume alcohol (but then I never do).  I did not eat more than 3 meals and 2 snacks per day; I exercised daily above and beyond the walking etc of the trip.  But I did gain weight.  Am I ashamed?  NOPE.  Did I follow the band rules?  NOPE not all of them.  Do I regret all the chocolate and the creamy desserts?  NOPE (well maybe a little bit but what good would it do to beat myself up?).  And that is a big one.  I am usually the biggest self punisher there is when it comes to slip ups etc.  But this time I am home with renewed purpose and I refuse to be mean to myself for having a great time.  No beating myself up.  What for?  What purpose would it serve?  I went away on a dream trip; I lived hard, played hard, ate more than I should and gained - wait for it - here it comes..........3 pounds.  It’s all gone but one pound and I am back on the straight and narrow.  I have a crock pot chicken chili cooking as we speak and I plan on making a big pot of lentil stew too.  These are 2 things I have relied on heavily since surgery and so I am going back to what I know is filling and works for me.  I am eating 1 cup of food per sitting (yup I am a little hungry but I am fine thus far), drinking lots of water and once this cough is gone its back on the treadmill for me.  I am also hoping to get back to the pool on the weekend if all goes well and I am over the fever.

The differences between this cruise and last cruise are amazing and many.  We would go out on an island and negotiate a tour with a driver and away we would go just like last time but there was a lot of difference from last time.  The vehicles are small on these little islands and even vans that are supposed to hold 10 or so people are tiny.    Last year I struggled to get in and out of these vehicles but not this year, I was in and out, unassisted while a couple of my travelling companions struggled and complained a lot.  I felt so proud of just that little accomplishment and so much more.  If we ended up in a location where walking or climbing was required I was not afraid to strike out at a good pace and I kept up.  As a matter of fact my husband asked me at one point - have you noticed we are usually out in front of everyone this year?   He then told me how proud he was of me and how much he was enjoying travelling with his new girlfriend.  I promptly gave him a jab in the ribs and then we both laughed so hard.  It was wonderful because we went everywhere holding hands like teenagers (well we always hold hands like that but we don't normally swing them like we did and goof around like we did), we always had our heads together talking and giggling.  We had so much fun together; it really did rejuvenate our relationship.  We have been a couple for 41 years,  married for 37 and we have a solid and wonderful marriage but I have to say that this trip, enhanced by my weight loss, just confirmed that all over again.  Romance was in the air and it was grand.  I almost feel like breaking into a rousing chorus of the Love Boat theme song (we were travelling Princess Cruise line which was the original Love Boat by the way).

Every morning hubby got up early to go walking on the Promenade Deck (2.7 times around was equal to one mile) with the guys.  He would walk for about an hour and so since I love to swim more than any other exercise and since there were 4 pools on the ship, I would get up and go for a swim.  I did walk with him one day but found I was holding him back a bit so I decided to go swimming instead.  I would go to one of the larger pools and I would swim for one hour from 6:30 to 7:30.  By the end of the cruise I was doing 50 laps and 15 minutes of resistance.  Then out of the pool, meet our friends for breakfast by 8:00 and usually off the ship for the day by about 9:00.  This did not happen last year.  I was in the pools a total of maybe 4 times last year on a 10 day trip.  This year I only missed one morning (the morning after Island Night when we danced til after 1) but we also often hit the pool just to cool off before going to get cleaned up for dinner.

Having had WLS and having worked so hard to make it work, I can only look forward to a completely awesome cruise next year.  I have an entire year to make this band work for me.  I am going to call Nathalie to arrange for a fill here as soon as possible and then just take this wonderful opportunity to the next level. 

I also want to say that I thought of all my friends here on the forum many times while I was away.  I thought of all the wonderful things I would be able to tell you - about how much better this trip was with my weight loss and how much I could use this experience to encourage others.  I also felt some guilt (almost like I was letting you down as well as myself) when I knew I was eating too many calories but I shook that off instead of using it to beat myself up because I know I am human and not perfect and that if I just continued to do what "Normal People" do by exercising and pushing myself to do more and be more active that I would be okay.  And I am okay.  I feel that I did really well; I had the most memorable time.  I gained a few pounds but I didn’t beat myself up over it and I did not let those few pounds define how I go about living life post cruise.  Last year, I came home and gained weight after the cruise because I continued to eat like I did on the cruise and I did not exercise.  This year, even wide open with no restriction and not even one fill to my name, my attitude towards my life is so different.  I got IT - I really think I have got IT this time.  She Who Must Be Obeyed (my band) and I will now embark on the next part of this wonderful opportunity to live a long healthy life.  I will keep you all posted.  

I am so glad to be back and I am really looking forward to seeing many of you at any upcoming meet and greets as the weather improves.  I am also looking forward to continuing to use this forum for help and encouragement and inspiration. 

Like I said - I really missed you guys -
Ann

Glad to have you back Ann, flu and all. Sorry to hear that you are sick but if it's any consolation, better at the end of your vacation that at the beginning. :)  I see you had a wonderful antastic time on the criuse and by next year you will have lost even more weight and the trip will be that much better. Glad to see you.

Oh Ann so glad you are home safe and sound, I was sick at the beginning of my trip the first week and had to take antibiotics so I here ya with the coughing up a lung! Hope you are on the mend.

Its pretty awesome about all your wows.... mine was full of them too and many only I noticed but it sure was very special in so many ways.....life is totally different on this side thats for sure.

Glad to have you around - I had my laptop with me and poked in from time to time so I did not have total withdrawl like you went thru.

Hope we get to meet soon,

hugs

deb

WOOOO! WHOOOOO!  ANN is back!!

So glad you are back! I love reading everything you write. Princess Cruises are an awesome bunch. On our last cruise, we went with Princess and they treat you like Royalty.  My goodness, it sounds like you had a wonderful time with loads of NSV and even some romance.  and isn't that what it is all about. Three pounds is great considering all the food there to choose from. My husband gained 14 lbs in two weeks. You have done wonderfully and I am sure your success will continue. Again, glad to have you back.  Cheers, Sugarbear

It's good to have you back, Ann. I have missed your posts. I am more of a lurker these days, I think because I'm now back to waiting for another surgeon. If I stayed with bypass with Dr. B, I would have been done this week. I know the VSG will be right for me, but it's hard to just be waiting again.

As for gaining three pounds, sister, that's nothing! Well done!

Well, well, well...she's back.  I'm so glad you are back.  its great to hear you had a fab trip and only gained 3 lbs.  3 is nothing.  that could have been from the plane ride.  I can't wait for my trip.  We are leaving on the 31st for a week.  Going to stay with my dad in Florida (sarasota) for the week.  I can't wait to get there and do stuff I couldn't do two years ago when we were there.  We plan on renting sea-doos, which is my dream.   Hopefully you will get your fill soon.  I still haven't had my second fill.  Should be in April some time.  Hopefully you are near the top of the list.  I am having stomach issues which are not yet resolved so they won't give me a fill until they figure out what's going on.  I was there last Friday for a gastroscopy and now they have called for me to come back next friday for an ultrasound.  anyway, I hope you are feeling better soon.  I can't wait to see some of your pics.  Take care of yourself...chat soon. patsy

Ann, you have me all teary eyed because a lot of the nsv you've had are things that I've struggled with for a long long time.  I'm soo happy for you, can't stress that enough.  I think it's wonderful that you've done all these things....

You're keeping me motivated with this...Thank you!

Welcome back!  You have been missed.

So glad you had a wonderful trip.  So many of the nsv's are why we have these surgeries so it is nice to hear about them ... just think how much better your next one will be too.

So now get lots of rest, take some vitamins and get rid of that illness.  Worry pas about those 3 pounds - could be water retention, need of a good potty etc and if you are back on the program now then a couple days will banish them away.

Hope to see you soon!

M

your line is a great one:

I walked further, stood longer, climbed higher, swam further, danced longer than I have in years.


it inspires us all!