Omega's journey

Hi Stacy

Fortunately I havent had any pain (from what I now know were gallstones) since September - but I have taken extra care to eat raisins or what most of us would consider to be excessive amounts of fruit since then. I am going to stick to that approach because I am losing weight just fine with it and the pain was really bad when I was getting it (and it had got so that it was taking over my life several times a week). Coincidentally - I made some other changes to my diet around September to resolve a plateau (e.g. having less salads with meat and adding weetabix with milk) and this makes me more keen than ever to keep that aspect of my diet just as it is.

Back in November I first started to notice a bulge that has developed at the centre front of my waist. At first it just looked a bit odd as if the fat wasnt melting at the centre front in line with at the sides. As I have lost more and more weight it has become more prominent as the fat has continued to melt and this huge bulge is revealed. It is hard and nothing like the consistency of fat. I mentioned it to the doctor over two months ago and she agreed that it wasnt fat and said that she didnt know what it was.

I had to wait to have the test done until yesterday - because our speedy NHS (that is supposed to be the envy of the world) is so slow it is silly. Thank goodness my BMI is now less than 30 - because if your BMI is over 30 they appear to often tell you to go away and bring your BMI below 30 before they will consider doing whatever operation you may need.

I am really supposed to wait longer to be told what it is (and it could have been a number of serious things). Thank goodness that they have ruled out all the big nasty things that it could have been. At the end of the day it isnt going to kill me if my bowel is in the wrong place. It needs more tests to see exactly what has happened (she couldnt see the torn muscle) but there are apparently more tests to see that area better which she is sure that the doctor will send me for (which will probably take for ever). It is highly likely that I will need a hernia operation. I used to work with someone that had one and it wasnt bad for him.

In the meantime there is no pain from that. It does mean that it makes my waist a lot bigger than the fat there would warrant. A bit like how a pregnant woman can have a huge waist because of a bulge at the front which might not mean that she is carrying much fat.

It does mean that my clothes size is deceptive. I have difficulty fastening UK size 16 clothes with a fixed waistband but am wearing plenty of UK size 14 clothes as long as they have an elasticated waistband and they are a bit baggy on me. I even have bought (and they fit) some size 12 tracksuit bottoms (I just have to take up the bottoms). Basically the bulge (which is huge) is keeping me in much bigger clothes than the rest of my body requires. It is annoying as I want to be able to wear size 14 or size 12 properly and it keeps me out of them. I have never had a wish to wear size 16 jeans - size 12 yes, 14 to be going along with maybe, but not size 16. It means that it is keeping me out of jeans.

My hubby is great. A lot of hubbies would have just left their wives to it - but we are lucky to have really sweet ones.

Take care
Love
Margaret
 
I'm glad you're so on top of things which is in your favor! :hug2:

That stinks re: the clothes/sizes bc of the issue. That would drive me crazy.

At least you have the peace of mind to know that for now, it's out of your hands, but when the issue is fixed - you'll have more options.

I hope you're havin' a Goal Reachin' Tuesday! :grouphug:
 
Margaret I am happy to read that your bulge is not life threatening.
I can only imagine how stressful it must have been knowing that there was obviously "something" there but having to wait so long to have someone tell you what it is/isn't.
I can't imagine having to wait so long to go to the doc or for results.
A good friend of mine now lives in Canada and broke a bone in her foot. By the time they got the results from the x-ray, I believe like 3 weeks had gone by. In that time the bone had already begun to heal and to have it "fixed" was going to require surgery. She decided that it wasn't life threatening and she would wait until she came back to the States to have anything done to it. As she wasn't too confident in their system by that point in time.
I can't blame her.
 
Thanks for visiting and your sympathetic comments. I have to say the result of the test was a big relief.

Stacy

It is very annoying about the clothes. Morally I should be able to wear heaps of clothes that I cannot wear. My waist measurement would be tons less if it could just continue the line round instead of jutting out.

Dawn

I am sorry to hear about your friend's foot. My cousin shattered her heel a year and a half ago and she still limps and cannot walk very far. A damaged foot can be really difficult.

I feel so lucky. The gallstones are causing me no bother and the fact that the bowel is in the wrong place is more of an annoyance now than anything. I do want it fixed though. I will have it fixed even if I have to pay for it out of savings. Now that I know that it is nothing serious - I dont mind so much having to wait and get it done on the NHS if they will do it. They ought to.

I must admit that I was a bit twitchy about what the bulge would be. A bulge is after all another word for a lump and when you are 48 and both grandmother's died by the time they were 50 of cancer plus several aunties, uncles and cousins - you immediately have to wonder if there could be a tumour.

Take care
Love
Margaret
 
Blancita said:
Hello M :). I've been thinking of you as I've been watching the Tudor series here on Showtime. After watching a few episodes of Ann Boleyn flirting w/ King Henry and him doing everything in his power to get out of his marriage to Katharine of Aragon, I looked up the history online (which I had been only vaguely aware of). My gosh, the best and most creative script writer couldn't have come up with that saga! Especially how each person in the story would go way too far with his/her power when she/he had it (being gratuitously mean, having former enemies beheaded), only to be taken down far (beheaded) when the next group came to power. It all seems so over the top if it wasn't actually true. I love historical fiction. TTYL :)
Click to expand...

Oh, I wish I had Showtime just so that I could watch that series! I wonder if you can rent it. First off--I love all things Tudor. I have read tons of biographies watched lots of documentaries about Henry VIII and all his wives, Elizabeth and Mary the firsts, etc. Also, I think Jonathan Rhys-Meyers is HOT stuff...lol. I keep seeing previews for it on other channels, and it annoys the hell out of me that I can't watch it..lol. I wonder how historically accurate the series is--a black-haired Irishman playing a red-haired English king? lol Either way, I'm sure it's highly entertaining. :D

I'm glad that nothing very serious is wrong with you. It was nice of that lady to clue you in so that you wouldn't have to wait in suspense for weeks on end. Hopefully things can be rectified fairly soon. It must be annoying to know that you would be able to wear smaller sizes if not for this issue. :)
 
I am looking at the gallstones as extra motivation to eat healthily. The concept of having a realisation that you will most probably get at least 4 hours of a really bad pain that stops you doing anything does much to dissuade you from eating in an unhealthy manner.

This might really keep me on track for maintenance! At this rate you might all be wanting them!

As far as the bulge goes - it is great to know that it is no more than a clothes size / shape annoyance. I do want it fixed and am ok to wait for it if I can have it done on the NHS. When it is done it will not exactly help my adbomen loose skin situation - but you can say that for my fatty bulges too.

Another good thing is that I know that my weight is not being inflated by the weight of something that needs to come out so the BMI / weight holds as valid indicators of how much fat I still have to lose.

It was really interesting having the scan done. She firstly scanned my whole abdomen with me lying down - and I couldnt see the screen then. That was when she ruled out all the nasties and told me so. Then she did a scan of the bulge itself with me standing up - and I could see the screen. She showed me my bowel. It was so funny. She was saying "look these are the gases in there and here is the movement". My first thought was "no wonder my post walk / pre hospital weight was up - I still havent eaten - I should have another trip to the toilet and weigh again. That is quite a bit of movement". I did just that. Who said that our weighing gets between us and our wits.

I currently feel very fortunate. Very few of us know that pretty much all our major organs (since so much is in the upper / mid abdomen) have been checked out and look ok.
 
Big congrats on the new low, which you keep reaching in record time!

Dont be so quick to knock your system. After living abroad for the past 15 years, with a few of those years in the UK, my sister is just shocked at the expense of our health care system. Her husband spends a large part of his salary on coverage and she had a $2000 deductible when she gave birth. This is really putting them in the hole. Comparatively, she thought your system was great. And remember, my sis actually has coverage, even though its costs are draining the family finances. There are many people who have no health insurance and consequently, literally cannot get treatment unless they show up in an emergency room (and this treatment will generally be marginal at best, depending upon where you live).

Most of our doctors have to rush us through a 10 minute appointment as that as how quickly they must work to make a fair dollar these days. All of this while the insurance companies and their executives make money hand over fist for providing as little healthcare as possible (for each claim they deny, they put more money in their own pockets). For example, pre-existing conditions are generally not covered so if you switch jobs after you are diagnosed with a disease, it usually is not covered by the next insurance company you may be switched to at your next employer. You literally may have no coverage whatsoever for cancer and all other diseases that cropped up and were diagnosed before you started at your new insurance company. This is because our health insurance is very often covered by our jobs, so often people are stuck with an employer just so they get coverage for their "pre-existing conditions". States have actually had to pass laws to force the insurers to cover pregnant woman, even if they became pregnant before commencing coverage (usually because of a job switch)--meaning the insurers even try to characterize pregnancy as a pre-existing condition.

So sure, if you have good coverage through a job and that job pays all or a large portion of the health insurance premium, like me, then you're all good. However, if you are jobless or your job does not provide or chip in for health insurance, you are literally out in the cold. You only qualify for very marginal free care if you are dirt poor. If you are bordering on the edge, you are without any health care.
 
Congrats Marg, on the new low. I'm proud of you chica, way to go!

And I agree with you. I think it's fantabulous you know how everything is working and that your not in the type of significant pain that would dominate your weight loss efforts.

Moreso, it makes things ALOT less complicated to know that your BMI points strictly to your body fat percentage. This is great. Now you know how much left you *really* have to lose.

I'm proud of you Marg, really I am. You've been through and are going through so much and still, you stand your ground and hold your head up high and manage to be a marvelous inspiration to the rest of us. I'm glad I know you, hon. I really am. (((Big hugs)))
 
Thanks for visiting and for your congratulations. I love getting new lows - but then I often seem to drift up a little. I will probably hover here for ages because I really want to get to 147.0 pounds.

Claudia

The NHS used to be excellent and in many people's eyes lives on past glory.

The fact is that there has been a major decline in recent years and what was once an excellent system is now in a rediculous state. I know of people who have been refused surgery which was accepted by all parties to be required immediately as there was a "time bomb" situation which could kill them at any day - until a time when they had brought their BMI down below 30. Currently there is an attitude for many things that people that smoke or have a BMI above 30 are told that nothing will be done until the people sort that out. For many people it is an impossible or near impossible task.

For many years my BMI was well above 30, and my husbands probably always will be well above 30 - so this probably colours my attitude.

This service is not free. We pay approx 10% of our salary as employees NI (national insurance) to pay for this and a further approx 10% is paid too (employers NI - a tax charged to all employers regarding each employee). This is for all businesses from large corporations to one man bands. This tax is levied in much the same way as income tax so many people do not know that they are paying it or how much it is.

We rarely get more than a 10 minute appointment and our GPs often act as gatekeepers - stopping us from getting treatment for things that should really be treated. I feel that I have not had the best of treatment from the NHS and I am sure that if I had spent my 20% (I used to pay both NI because for many years I worked through my own company) on private sector insurance or indeed private treatment on things that went wrong I would have recieved better quality for my money. Even now that I am not working - I pay my NI at a default level.

People that are slim and do not smoke and are not well paid probably often benefit from the UK system in comparison to your system. Many people of medium to high income that are slim pay for private insurance to paper over the cracks in our system - as queues are often long. Many large people find that private insurance is very expensive if they do not have an employer that provides it free as a perk. We looked into it several times and felt that it was far too expensive. If I need surgery that I cannot get from the NHS I will investigate the cost of paying for it privately.

In the past we have paid for hubby to recieve private treatment.

Rae

It is good to know that the bulge is not something extra - just something in the wrong place so the BMI is as valid as ever.

Stacy

A pretty fantastic Wednesday since you ask. I will post regarding it in a minute.

Take care
Love
Margaret
 
Tuesday 08/04/08

General Data:

Morning walk = 6.9 miles
Round the block = 5 times
Extra exercises = none
Weight = 10st 9.0 lbs (i.e. 149.0 pounds)
Steps = 28,612
Distance = 11.06 miles
Remembered to take normal vitamin / supplements
Continued my creaming regime – missed one bio-oil massages
Continued ankle exercises

My Food / Drink:

Basic eating plan

1 banana
3 weetabix, sweetener, 350 ml skimmed milk
1.5 handful honey shreddies
1 clementine
1 kiwi fruit
1 pear
1 pear
1 apple
40 grapes
2.5 litres of cold water
some diet cola

Breaded plaice, tin of baked beans
4 plums
 
Hello Margaret~
I am just popping in quickly to see how you are doing.
As always your doing great!!!!
Hope you can hit that 147 soon. Know that I have been bragging on you to everyone I know about "my friend who lives in England". Like we have really ever met! LOL
Everyone I tell of your achievements is absolutely awe struck. It is just not something you hear of very much these days.
YOUR AWESOME!!!
 
Jeans milestone

I have mentioned quite a few times that I didnt want to wear jeans because I can only just fasten the UK size 16 skirts with a fixed waistband - and I have no wish to wear size 16 jeans. I wanted to wear jeans - but really the fact was that I wanted to wear size 12 jeans. That was the size that I wore between 119 and 126 pounds (8.5 to 9 stone) when I was young.

As mentioned earlier - my size 14 yoga pants with an elasticated waist had got quite baggy and I have bought some size 12 tracksuit bottoms that fit just fine - but I am aware of the fact that they have an elasticated waist.

Well - I got to thinking that I would really like to wear size 12 jeans and I decided to buy a pair so that I could use them as a bit of a motivational aid for losing more weight - fully accepting that they may not fit until my waist is sorted out by surgery.

Well I went to the shop and found a pair that I really liked and decided for a laugh to try them on to see how small they were on me. I was amazed to find that they zipped up just fine. They were actually more comfortable than the size 16 skirts.

Naturally I couldnt buy them quickly enough. I brought them home and am wearing them now. I didnt even need to take them up at the bottom. Hubby definitely got a surprise when he got home.

I had forgotten that a lot of jeans dont actually come up to the waist - they kind of have the waistband at the hips. If the waistband of these was for the waist they certainly would not have fastened. I am not saying that I am size 12 - but I am saying that I can easily fasten size 12 jeans and walk around and sit down in them without feeling that they are cutting me in two. I certainly look slimmer in them than in anything else.

I am not saying that they fit as well as they did when I was young - they dont. I havent worn jeans in over 20 years.

This is a totally unexpected turn of events and I couldnt be more pleased.
 
Hi Dawn

I dont think that I can hit 147 in time to save us in the challenge - but I will hit it as soon as I can.

Kimberly has promised that we can both be honorary aunties if she is pregnant.

Naturally I am your friend in England. I tell people about you and one or two other people as being my friends too. We contact each other more often than many people do with very close friends and relatives.

See the posting I just made. Things are going really well here.

Take care
Love
Margaret
 
OMG Margaret!!!
I am sooooo happy for you! You must be over the moon!
:party::party::party:
I want to see a picture of you in your NEW jeans!!!
I bet your smokin' hot!
Just think once you get your "bulge" all sorted out how much better you will feel about your physique.
I am so very PROUD of you Margaret.
I don't care if you lose any weight this week for the challenge. In my book your the winner!
 
I will have a picture taken in my new jeans when I get to 147 pounds.

It really feels like the end is in sight. I have just phoned my mother and said "guess what I am wearing". She just couldnt believe that I am wearing size 12 jeans.

I will lose the rest of this fat and get the bulge sorted out - it is really all going to happen.
 
SIZE 12 JEANS!!!!!! :party::party::party::party:

Fantastic! :hurray:

That is very exciting news, and I'm so happy for you!! :grouphug: Like Dawn, I cannot wait for 147 in jeans pics. At the rate you're going, you're on your way to being an honorary MILF as well as an honorary auntie. ;)

You and Dawn do realize that being an honorary auntie means you have to babysit for free, right? :biggrinjester: So I expect you to hop on a plane and come over when I need you...lmao. :biggrinjester:
 
Thank you!

And congratulations on the SIZE 12 JEANS!!!!!!

I bet you're looking fantastic, theres noting like new, smaller clothes for a confidence boost =D
 
Thanks for visiting. Kimberly and Becky I must say that I am really surprised at these jeans fitting ok. I saw them in the shop yesterday and liked them and thought "its a shame that I cannot wear them". As I said before I just didnt want to wear the bigger size that I was confident was the one that would fasten. Well I thought about it last night and on my walk and decided to get the size 12 ones anyway for the future. I was just so stunned when they zipped up fine.

Kimberly

Very amusing MILF quip. As I put in your diary - I will babysit anytime - you just bring him / her round and drop him / her off and I 'll look after him / her anytime.
 
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