Darkness's Gentleman

The Easter Weekend that sucked.
So early in the Week before Easter, my Team mates decided to have a little chat with me, I was rostered on to do the Good Friday shift, on call for our support team. I had no problems with that as it would leave me 3 days to do whatever and Friday was when our entire family was getting together to celebrate Easter with the nephew. My Brother, Sister-in-Law and Father were going away to a Doof, up the Putty road so Friday looked like a good time to be on call. My team mates however thought it would be cool to ask me to take over the Weekend shift and the Easter Monday shift because I would have the “On Call” Kit. Not that you need the kit to do A weekday “On Call” just on the weekends. But either way I said yes, like the big sap I am.

( The Weeekend )

So Tuesday night at SIOS for the support group raised a few issues with the revelation that Taryn and Narelle had both left SIOS, this was a very large shock as Narelle had helped me through a few post band issues and was also the first person I spoke with at SIOS and Taryn, well what can I say about Taryn, she was a massive influence on my life and my eating and habits, and was overall a great support to me during the initial stages. This was a big loss and I hope that SIOS replaces them with people who are just and brilliant and committed.

So it was with great trepidation I went to SIOS this morning for a fill. I have been hovering all week. Up and down and not ever under 140kgs on my home scales, so I was quite sure I would have actually put on weight after last months 3 kg loss. I weighed in 400 grams less, so more or less stable, but as long as I didn't put on I was happy.

I discussed with my Doctor the possible need for a fill. I have been waking up hungry of a morning and Hungry between meals which is normally a good indicator. So Gorgia and I decided to go for a fill. Another .5 mils. The Problem here is that Gorgia has never "Filled" me, so she found it difficult to locate my band's port. After 4 attempts I asked her to stop, and I took a walk around to regain my composure.

After a bit of air and some pacing in the waiting room, we tried again and this time I kept my feet in the air for a long time and held them there while I had the injection of the fluid. Only dropping them once the needle had found its home and the needle had aspirated.

Gorgia and I were both apologetic, the injection had been a bit traumatic for us both and Gorgia made a note in the SIOS database that fills are better when I keep my feet in the air.

I am firstly quite serious when I say I have to adjust my alarm clock. I no longer need to get up at 5:15am.

5:15am was when I used to get up for work before the operation and while I still needed to eat breakfast. It took time to eat a 2 or 3 course breakfast, but now I don't eat Breakfast, I have a glass of milk with my vitamin tablet and I have a scotch finger if required but normally on the early shifts I won't even need that. Also with work only 8 minutes away on the Train, it makes my life that little bit easier.

I might afford myself 30 more minutes of sleep, that would be nice.

Friday night I got itchy feet again and decided to go out for another drive. This time I went to Parramatta and Granville, via James Ruse Drive, then back down Parramatta Road to the M4, then onwards to the M7, Then Richmond Road, a Bunny committed suicide in front of my car at Birkshire Park, Richmond Road became Blacktown road into Richmond, then I took a drive toward Penrith and that ended up being The Northern Road, before I got back on the M4, a stop of two along the way, but it made for some fun, listening to a CD I bought again at AWC2009 and had only just taken back to the car.

Saturday was quite, no on-call, nothing much to do, my last really relaxing weekend before all hell breaks loose, with league trials and the like, I ended up sitting with my Grandparents for a while watching Mythbusters, but then turned in for a rare early night.

Sunday Morning I spent at my PC doing some filing, changing file names and the like, you would think it would be kinda boring, but the obsessive complusive in my wants to get them all done, only another 355 to go I think.

Sunday afternoon Mum and I trotted off to ANZ Stadium for the T20 Cricket match between the Blue and the Redbacks, with an opening game of the NSW Breakers vs the SA Scorpins. The SA Teams had a big problem scoring over 90 with the Scorpins scoring 84 to be beaten by the Breakers in 9.5 Overs, and the Redbacks scoring 81 to be beaten by the Blues (84) in 9 overs.

At the game it was great to catch up with Robin and Michael who we normally got to sporting events at ANZ with, Robin had never been to a cricket game before but got quite involved during the match. I also invited some guests, bird7 and her partner Dan. It was a great night and everyone seems to enjoy themselves. Over the 2 games (Wednesday Night and Sunday Night) the NSW State cricket side attracted a combined attendance of over 55,000 people. I doubt you would get 55,000 nation wide to State Test cricket. You might get that number Nation wide to state ODI's but the Nationwide attendance to T20 cricket is currently just under 279,000, averaging about 18,600 a game which is a boon for State Cricket.

I have put the latests touches on the Lughnasadh ritual, I am happy enough with where it is going and I really can't wait to get it finished, Lughnasadh will be a time of endings for me, a time for reaping what I have spent all year cultivating and hopfully a few months of peace in my soul before I can move on to other things.

Then band hasn't been working that well for the last week, and I had a bad night at the cricket but I have the feeling this week will be much better, I can feel the band around my stomach today and that is definatly helping, for the last week it has not been in my head as much, and I have been very hungry.

This weekend things started to emerge from the Dark that I have been inhabiting and getting to a point of being “Sorted”

On Friday I got a phone call from my mother telling me that my New Bed, would arrive on Saturday Morning. I had been without a bed for 11 days, sleeping in my Nephew’s single bed in the spare room, so I was relieved to this Friday night would be my last night in that bed.

Friday Night I went home and had my normal dinner before heading over to Number 91 for Circle. I found that my DVD return that I had sent to the ABC Shop had been exchanged and was sitting on my desk. I had purchased a DVD called Into the West as a solstice gift for Sara, as she can never find it at the local library, however what I received was the 4 Disc Mini Series also called “Into the West”. So I returned it on Monday and got the correct item on Friday, so Yay!.

At Circle we were doing Magicalk Brews, and all 3 that we made were fantastic and had different purposes and charging, the Elderflower cordial with Elderflower and Vanilla Ice Cream spider was fantastic!

We sat around talking, It started to get a bit cold but I didn’t pay much notice to time till I left at 11:30pm. I got home and had a nice night sleep but I was a tad exhausted.

Saturday was up early in case the delivery guys were early got changed and then readied my room for the New Bed. While we were all waiting Mum bent her glasses, so I forced Mum and Dad out of the house to get them fixed. Wouldn’t you know it the Delivery guys arrived about 3 minutes after my Parents had left. I had the Delivery guys put the bed in my Room and then I started to set it up. It didn’t take that long in reality. And all of a sudden I had my bed back and bucket loads of plastic sheeting that had covered it. I then moved the lounge room back to how it is normally and started on cutting up the sheeting.

After a quite test nap, I got ready for a 21st held in Cranebrook. Most of Applegrove had made it for the event which was a very nice chilled BBQ and chat that ended up in Singstar and Guitar Hero. A great night all in all then Home to my first real sleep on my new Bed. Oh it was Bliss being able to stretch out and to roll over with no fear of falling out. Simply fantastic.

Sunday was a nice chilled day had a nap on the new bed and talked some things over with my Nan. But all in all not too much apart from watching some movies, Nice a chilled.

Well Vivid for my Dreams.

For those that know me, before I actually started on my Path "Full-time" I was prone to Déjà Vu and mostly the images would come to me in my Dreams first, I often took this as a time of change or a tipping point so when they came around I was on my guard. Well more than usual for the person I used to be.

I have been sleeping in the Spare bed in my house after the shock failure of my water bed. I guess 7 or so years is the upper limit for a water bed. The spare bed is a single and is quite firm, comparatively to my waterbed, however I have been sleeping better, but I have been dreaming.

Two nights ago, I dreamt of what I can only say was doomsday. People were chosen to live, others would be left behind and die, my family, flashed before my eyes, they were all to survive, but I don't think I was, I think I was to be left because I was single, or I wanted to be left, to stay "On the Earth" maybe both or one after the other (Staying because I was single and then convinced myself to stay on the earth was better). The Dream must have gone on forever, as when I woke, I awoke tired and drained, I guess I was more emotionally drained than physically. I wonder if this dream has some sort of message behind it or if it is my subconscious being paranoid.

I can't wait for my new queen size bed to be delivered, I can't wait to not have to worry about rolling out of the bed, and to a point being able to stretch out.

Yesterdays weigh in was a major success. Over the last month I have dropped more weight, and for a time dipped under 140 on my home scales before the Holidays and the eating during them. So over the past week I have tried to be good and I was again under 140kgs on my home scales yesterday, so I went to the clinic to see a new clinic doctor and weighed in at 142.4 KG, That was a loss of 3.2 Kgs and only 400grams down on my best ever loss figure, although the 3.6 was over 2 weeks while I transitioned to solid foods after the operation.

As I mentioned above I was treated by a new clinic doctor, Dr Georgina Regis. The Name Georgina has been rumbling around my head for a while, I guess now I know why, although Georgina is the name of my Great Grand Mother. Georgina Mclwaine. Dr Regis was quite thorough with her background on me, I guess partially because of the notes used at the clinic, but we had a good chat about how my weight loss and health during the month were going. Dr Regis said I was the star performer of the clinic so far during the festive season. Some people lose a little, some are stable, some put on a little and some put on a lot, I lost more than my average so I am very happy.

. . . Not sponsored in any way shape or form by Allergan.

Hi Guys,

I know that being a Golfer John Daly is a little of topic for me, but it has been interesting the Buzz created by John Daly coming to Sydney. The Buzz has been more about his weight loss and the method he has used, Lap-Band surgery.

Now as many of you may know I have had the procedure myself and while not an advocate for what it can do for people, I am an advocate for what it has done for me.

Anyhow, John Daly had a "Fill" procedure done on his Lap-Band at the same clinic I go to for my Lap-Band, by my clinic doctor, vision is available at the Channel 10 website under the Early News, it is about 8:38 into the 15 minute newscast.

I know there have been recent "scare" stories about the Lap-Band, the Channel 7 piece a few weeks ago, was a complete hatchet Job on Allergan the Lap-Band manufacture and their promotion of their product, by hosting training seminars and funding research on Obesity, as well as attacking one of the worlds leading Lap-Band surgeons in Prof O'Brien.

I can feel sympathy for the poor bloke in the Channel 7 piece who had a surgical accident that lead to further complications while having the band inserted, that is more an issue with a surgeon making a mistake than with the Band being a blight on society and purely installed to make money for the surgeons and Allergan.

I will also tell you that the allegation that after the surgery there is no follow up, in my case is untrue, I have been required to attend a follow up consult every month I have had this band, and will continue to do so for the next 5 months until it has been a year, then my follow ups go to once every 6 months, then once a year in the 3rd year.

John Daly has lost over 50 Kgs in a year, His Daughter over 20 in less time.

For those concerned I have lost 34 Kg's and it is a little over 7 months since I had the operation.

So over the last few weeks things have started getting a little better.

Firstly I am resigned to the fact that I am on a Plateau. They happen, they end and we move on, as long as I am not putting on weight, things are good. It is frustrating not to lose weight even after these long weekends.

( Stopping Weekend )

( Thursday / Friday )

( Canberra Weekend )

This can end one of two ways, I swerve and coast to a stop, or I hit the wall, but at least my foot was not on the gas when I did.

Since the start of spring, I have been going a mile a minute. I haven't had time to stop rest and take stock.

( Read more... )

This week has been catching up with stuff. My Mom has been sick for almost 3 weeks now, and saw the specialist yesterday who is now apparently very upset at Mums referring doctor. Mum goes back tomorrow and hopefully will be given something to fix her up from the apparent infection she has, still 3 weeks with an infection and no treatment still stinks in my opinion, and I am also not very impressed with my Mums referring doctor.

I have been watching all my TV show recordings, I still have a History Channel thing I need to catch up on, only 8 x 45 minute episodes, I am also working my way through the Bathurst Recordings, which seem to have an error in one so it makes it hard to set-up to watch but I will get there, I am hoping to watch all of the coverage from Friday tonight, then Saturdays coverage Saturday morning before heading off to a Birthday Party Saturday. It is normal I watch the Bathurst recording the week after the race, what is not normal is that I wasn't there this year. Maybe things will be easier to get back to next year.

So for the last little while I have been neglecting my LJ, and for that and those that read it, I am sorry.

So lets set the way back machine for 3 weeks ago.

( Read more... )

Well I just got back from the mens wear store. It was the strangest thing. I put cloths on and they had to take them back and find others, that is kinda normal for me, people would underestimate my size, But today they overestimated.

I tried on a pair of "Chisel" screath denium jeans, they they were so big I could fit my hand in between my gut and the pants quit comfortable, I then tried on some Normal Jeans and they were again to big, so we went down, (Yes folks I know it is a very different concept) to a part of 46' black jeans.

OH MY GODS. The store I went to is a big mens store, I am not small enough for the regular mens wear stores and those that have big mens sections are normally very limited. I have been a regualr customer at this store since our company moved to the City. The last thing I bought from them was a suit when I went and saw Andre Reiu at ANZ Stadium. That night I wore 56' pants.

46' is 117 cms which means I am now only 10 cms away from fitting into normal gear, that might be a while down the track but so was losing 10' from my waist back in March.