Grrrrr...Endo Woes!

Well the Endo appointment was mostly a total waste of time, diesel & effort

Both my Endo consultant and his senior registrar were out on leave, and their stand-in was an obnoxious prat, with no clue of my medical history, no clue of my medical future, and absolutely no interest in either...and who proceeded to ignore my blood results and talk *at* me for 20 minutes, holding forth as if he was the almighty righteous who dare not be questioned on anything...after 19 minutes I finally gave up and stopped disagreeing with him *LOL*

However, the nurses were delighted (for once!) with my pre-appointment weigh-in...and also confirmed my operation should be within the next 3 months.

Today's weigh-in...mixed emotions, but mostly positive.
The bad news is that I'm *UP* 2lbs this week....but the good news is that I expected more, so I am actually pleased that the damage is *only* 2lbs...there is logic there, I promise....bear with me.

Whilst I spanked the Wii Fit Plus this week like a mo'fo'....doubling my daily workouts are really pushing myself....I did also have the food weekend from hell (or heaven, depending on your view point ) and knowing this, I committed the unspeakable, cardinal sin of going off the Xenical pills from Thursday lunchtime in preparation so I could eat badly with no 'tango' concerns all weekend ...and combined with the fact that I'm smack bang in TOTM territory....I hope you can see how I would be pleased with *only* a 2lb gain. I think I'm totally indebted to Wii Fit Plus for sparing me utter mortification on the scales this morning

The line was drawn last night, and I'm back on the Xenical, and back on track this morning....that 2lb will be history this time next week

Next Endo appt is in 1 month...assuming I haven't been admitted for surgery before then.

Xenical & Blood tests

Down 2 lbs this week! Which I'm happier with Really do love Xenical!

Back to hospital tomorrow to see my Endo...and hopefully he'll be in a position to tell me more about what's going on. What kind of blocking regime they may have planned for me prior to the op...and most importantly (for me anyway) hopefully he will know roughly how long I'll have to wait now.
My bloods came back last week as slightly hypo, and a bit anaemic....so not sure where that leaves me right now ???

Stones & Scalpels

Down another 1lb this week, which is OK.
Two 1lb losses in 2 weeks, and since starting these were the only two weekends I've so far spent at home, not drinking alcohol and not eating semi-crap...go figure? Clearly if I go out drinking & carousing over a weekend I lose more weight? Good thing I've got a 3-day music festival coming up at the end of the month!

And, I hesitate to say it, but that's my first stone gone...even though I promised myself, for my own sanity not to count this in stones this time, but instead to stick to 10lb segments...but, well...its my first stone...woo!

In other news, regarding my thyroid...the appointment with my surgeon *was* my pre-op consultation, and I'm now officially on the waiting list, and due to complications with my windpipe being compressed the surgery is supposed to be sooner rather than later. I will be admitted a week beforehand because my thyroid is so toxic that they have to get my levels as near to perfect before the op, otherwise the complications afterwards will be more severe, yikes! So, guys & gals, it could be next week, next month or next year...but more likely to be within the next few months.
I mentioned my GA fears to him, with regards to my weight etc...but he said he's operated on 'larger ladies' with no problems, and the operation really does need to be done ASAP because of the windpipe problem so they are unwilling to let me go too long.
Still, I'm going to keep plugging away with the Xenical as it really is the only thing that has worked for me for years. And I'm now "Double Wii Fit-ing" each day, to really go to task on the cardio and aerobic exercises....overweight or not, I want to be as heart-fit as I can be before the anaesthetist plugs me with happy juice!

As you know, I have Grave's Disease/Hyperthyroidism, complicated by a large, toxic, multi-nodular goitre...however I have only just learned that this pesky goitre has compressed my windpipe down to less than 8mm in diameter!!! Hence the problems I have with breathing, swallowing and snoring like a "pig with bronchitis, on a freight train" I feel I surely should have been informed of this after my CT Scan last summer...I distinctly recall my Endo saying the scan was fine and everything was good...ho hum!

So there you have it...my weekly update...the weight is still coming off, and the surgery plans have been brought drastically forward!

And I'm Officially On The List!

Well folks...if you missed my status update on Facebook yesterday, it looks like its all been brought forward...and I'm now officially waiting for my operation date Here in my grubby mits is a pink carbon cop of my Admission Request Form!

I should have posted here last night....but I'll confess I was a total emotional wreck yesterday and my head was all over the place....when a friend rang me yesterday to confirm my attendance on today's Festival Promotion jaunt I think I scared him silly, poor chap...I think he thought I was dying.
Its not as if I didn't know I was due to have this operation, I just thought I still had another 9 or so months to get used to the idea (as well as get thinner/fitter for the General Anaesthetic!)....but no, yesterday was officially my Pre-Op Consultation, with my surgeon leaving me with the immortal words, "next time we meet will be on the operating table"...so I guess I went into a kind of shocked state...and I couldn't honestly tell you what I did most of yesterday afternoon, apart from cry a lot

Apparently I'm now considered fairly urgent, as my goitre has now compressed my windpipe down to 8mm diameter (hence the freight train snoring, ultra hoarse voice and total inability to breathe if my head is held in certain positions)...and I was told that if it compresses the windpipe any more then they will have to something drastic & gory to open my throat up to allow me to keep breathing....which I have to say sounds fecking scary! And as my surgeon said, if they're doing that, then they might as well get on and do the thyroidectomy...and so he doesn't want to wait until its that serious....i.e its serious enough right now, without waiting any longer for it to inevitably get worse.

And also, as my thyroid is considered toxic...I will also have to go in a week or so earlier, in advance of the normal admitted pre-op hospital crap, so that they can forcefully block my thyroid from working. To reduce the 'withdrawal' my body will apparently go into almost instantly once the thyroid gland is removed, they need to get my TSH levels absolutely perfect (or as close-to as it will allow them), and sustain the levels there for a few days...and that's using meds & methods not available on prescription, presumably nasty IV stuff

After the op they won't release me until my calcium levels are stabilised and/or controllable...apparently calcium is the very first thing to react and go tits-up instantly once the gland is removed. He said normally this is 2 or 3 days, but one patient he did last year was held in for 6 weeks because they just couldn't get control over her calcium levels.

I have absolutely no idea how the system works...but I presume, because of the co-ordination required between the ENT dept and the Endo dept, with regards to getting me in early and getting my levels stable...that hopefully means I won't get my op 'bumped', so once I'm in I'm staying...if that makes sense?

I have a routine appointment with my Endo on the 20th April...so if I haven't heard anything before then I'll hopefully be told more then, and maybe given a time-frame.

My surgeon just said he was aiming to do it ASAP...but I don't know if that means next week, next month or next year

So, surgery then...

I'm finally on the waiting list for a Total Thyroidectomy.

I was not meant to have my Pre-Op consultation until December, so was rather surprised when I got an appointment with my surgeon sent to me for today...I went along to see what he had to say, and basically, as per my most recent scan, my goitre has now compressed my windpipe to around 10mm and so they are unwilling to wait another 9 months (which was supposed to be *my* get fit/get thinner 9 months! ) because if it squeezes my windpipe any more they will have to take drastic action and do something nasty to my throat so I can continue to breathe....I was still shocked at hearing the first bit to be honest, so didn't take *all* the gruesome details in, sorry.

No idea how soon or otherwise the op will be, but it was indicated that it will be sooner rather than later, and apparently I need to be in for a week before hand, because my thyroid is incredibly toxic at the moment, so they will plug me into to some intra-venous happy juice, and forcefully stop my thyroid from functioning, prior to the op...which is meant to help reduce any nasty problems post-op.
With regards to post-op, the surgery will apparently cause me to go hypocalcaemic pretty much instantly...so I will then have to stay in until my calcium levels are back under control, either naturally, or by then taking a calcium supplement for the rest of my life, in addition to the thyroid replacement meds I'll be on for the rest of my life (ho hum!)
I'll also have a drain tube put in for at least 2 weeks afterwards apparently, and won't be able to talk for a while (yeah, yeah, yeah...hopefully it won't stop my typing though! )

Hubby did a YouTube search for thyroidectomy surgery at work this afternoon....and strongly recommended that I *DON'T* do the same!
He also suggested I avoid films such as 'Awake' and 'Flatliners' until after the op too....he's SO thoughtful, ha ha!

I also need to confess that I've never had a general anaesthetic before and I am utterly, utterly bat-shit shit-scared

Easter is a Chocolate-Free Zone

Down 1lb this week....and considering the 'chocoholic/food-gorging weekend' that's in it I reckon that's pretty good going!

I did sneak one creme egg....just one, honestly! After all, I think its law to eat at least one at Easter isn't it?

But other than that our household is an 'Easter-Egg-Free Zone' and that has made this weekend a whole lot easier to deal with, whilst I'm taking Xenical

However, as yesterday was not only Easter Sunday, but also my husband's birthday...and I'm really not that much of a miserable cow....I made him a Fat-Free Chocolate Cake, and adding my own small twist, I sliced it in half, like a Victoria Sponge, and spread in a layer of WW Raspberry jam....too, too good!! Awesomely good...and really not all that sinful!

In the morning we had poached eggs on brown toast, and for our main meal we enjoyed a Roast Chicken, using this recipe, substituting chicken for turkey....with Herby Roast Potatoes, plenty of steamed veg, and some low-fat chicken gravy

So I really don't feel deprived of my Easter pig out....we did pig out, but in a Xenical-friendly way

Today, we're making soup with the left-over chicken, and loads of veggies. Yum!

Off to see my surgeon on Thursday...and still no clearer as to why I'm seeing him now, in April, and not in 9 months time in December ....will report back soon!

The Rules of Xenical

As Xenical / Orlistat is something that would be popular search engine fodder, I thought I'd just thought I'd throw up a post to explain the rules, as I understand them, of using Xenical/Orlistat successfully, and in a socially-acceptable way (ie - no tango effect when you least expect it! )

This guide was originally posted up on www.minimins.com and has worked very well for me, both in getting my head around what I could and couldn't have in the early days, and as a quick, and easy way, to educate my husband when its his turn in the kitchen or to do the supermarket run
I have partially paraphrased the original guide, and added in some of my own words & experiences.

The 5 Gram Rule

You should stick to foods with 5g or less of fat per 100g of product.
You should also stick to 15g or less of fat in total, per meal.
Sounds hard, but its surprising how many things you can actually eat.
And you may just freak out completely when you see just how much fat is contained in the foods you used to eat, particularly things you previously thought were a healthy option!

Side Effects

People always focus on the side-effects of taking Xenical, and the socially-awkward situations they can land you in.
Other people are convinced that the side-effects are guaranteed, and start to believe that because they aren't suffering from them, then the pills aren't working.

Remember Xenical / Orlistat isn't a miracle pill (I personally beg to differ - ha ha!), its just to keep you on the straight & narrow, and give you a little help along the way.
If you're sticking to the 5g/15g rule detailed above, then there is no reason at all why you should have any side-effects....in fact the only effects you will notice are the reduced numbers on your bathroom scales!
However, please remember, everyone is different and certain things may give you trouble but could be absolutely fine for someone else on Xenical / Orlistat.
Salmon is a well-known problem among the online Xenical / Orlistat communities, because Xenical / Orlistat cannot differentiate between good fats & oils and bad fats & oils. But some people can combine Salmon (or any other oily fish) & Xenical / Orlistat just fine, but many cannot. The same goes for eggs, the yolk in particular.
But...be warned, if you are eating badly on the whole then you will have to deal with the side effects....you pays your money, you takes your chances!

Exercise

...is absolutely vital to *any* successful weight-loss plan, and don't believe otherwise. Xenical / Orlistat is as magic as magic diet pills can get, but it can only help you so much....the rest is down to you. And it has been observed that people taking Xenical, that are not as active, lose less than those who are active.

The original, unadulterated post is here: MiniMins - Xenical Info For New Starters

And because this primarily *is* a Thyroid Blog, and not a Xenical / Orlistat Blog - the reason I am taking Xenical is because it simply works on fat absorption. It does *nothing* to your metabolism, it doesn't *burn fat* from your system. It simply blocks fat absorption in your gut, up to approx 30%....so totally safe for people with thyroid disease, as I have been assured by my Endo, my GP and my Dietitian...if you're suffering with a thyroid condition please *don't* under any circumstances even consider using a Diet Pill that in anyway works on your metabolism. As people with thyroid dysfunction our metabolisms are already pretty messed up, and you may make yourself very seriously ill by taking pills that further mess up your metabolism!!