Monday, 19 March 2012

Blog 11, The Good, The Great and The Magnificent! ... and my stupid forgetfulness.

Let's start off with The Good.

So the past few weeks now I've been "testing" with food to see if I can make myself plateau and I did succeed, as far as my surgeon was concerned I had lost 6 kgs in 5 months, however the past 6 weeks I was losing 100grams a week. How did I do it? Ate all the wrong foods, so to be proactive I asked my surgeon when I saw him if I could see the nutritionist about my diet it's unstable and I need to find even ground to slow down my weight loss in a more healthy way.

The Great!

So I meet up with Ben and Dylan (mentioned them both in blog 5) and wow, it was awesome the whole healing process is complete with those guys they were genuinely happy for me and my changes.
I had a chat to a guy named Oli who had taken the picture back then (which I linked in blog 5) and he never recognised me, when he did it was like "wow, no way, it can't be you" I'll just sit here and grin ear to ear, it makes me so proud to think that people see me in a different way now, not only am I invisible but I'm also a motivation for those wanting to make changes to their own lifestyle.

Stupid me forget to get pictures taken I was a little caught up in the chatter that it never occurred to me to take any media with them, bah, but I did ask when the next show is, we can do it then :)

The Magnificent!

Before all of the above I visited an old doctor of mine (David is his name) that I hadn't seen in a long time, about 2-3 years ago was the last and before that at least 3-4.
Let me take you back a few years to 2005 to be exact...
"Adrian, mate, you have to lose weight, the road your going down is not a good one, you have elevated blood pressure and your body is starting to shut down from the weight. If you don't make a change soon I can't see you having a 30th birthday".
I asked then what options were available he mentioned lap banding, I shook it off told him I wanted to try and lose it myself before that happens. He respected my decision and off I went.

By now you know most of the story leading up to 2010 so ill skip to that, what I haven't mentioned will come later.

So I go back late 2009 and tell him I'm ready for the lap banding after a referral he gave him his best wishes and that was the last I saw of him. As mentioned in Blog 8 depression hit me when I couldn't get the lap banding because I gained weight, thankfully a few months later my mother knew a family friend who happily referred me to my surgeon and the rest is history.

So I stand up and look at David (old doctor) and he smiled ear to ear gave me a pat on the back and asked me how I was coping with the banding, I told him what had happened and he was in shock, to gain 20kgs in 1 week is physically not possible... but it happened to me, I informed him on the gastric bypass and told him how it goes and he was in shock. "The best thing is that it isn't reversible", "that's the best thing?", "Yup, the operation can always pull me up when I need it and I can admit when I need help". It was amazing to see his face, he has seen me at my worst and today, this man sitting in front of him was a different man from before, pride, confidence, self love and respect, tis a great thing.

Oh and here's a story for you before I head off to eat my dinner..

You know when they say "God does thing's in mysterious ways"? Well for those not religious let's call it Karma or Fate or just plain dumb luck.

So a few weeks back I went to a concert with my brother (from another mother) Scott and the guy who ended up sitting next to me that night.. you won't believe it he was almost my original size before I started losing weight.
I learned so much in that night about the man I was that it actually sickens me to think I put my family and friends through that when I was larger. Few things I noticed.
This guy could never catch his breathe, he let off excessive amounts of body heat which caused him to sweat and smell, he couldn't keep his legs together and always ended up having to extend his legs out to the sides, he held onto the front railing for balance and each time he moved I felt everything.
It was an unconformable experience but if there was ever an experience that needed to happen and one that I had to learn from it was that, I am so very thankful to whatever being or thing that made that happen, I would never have had my eyes opened that wide and a lessened never learned so well than that experience.


To Cam, Damo, Mickie, Scott, Marvin, Zane, Daniel, my parents, my family I can never apologies enough to having put you all through that each and every time I was around but what I can say is am now so very great full and eternally thankful to you all for sticking around and seeing my inner beauty and that inner beauty is who I am today. From the very fabric that is my soul thank you all for being there, I now understand.

Be sure to add yourself to http://www.facebook.com/groups/AdriansGastricBypass/ if you haven't already for the latest photo's and updates.

Thank you for reading.
Big Age.

Tuesday, 6 March 2012

Blog 10, next milestone... check!

Hi All,

Sorry for not posting another blog sooner I've been so busy living life!
Great excuse I know :)

I will get straight into it this will be quick and short but to the point, like a thumb tack.

I have mental milestones during my journey the first was the operation (check), the second is losing more weight than the average person (check), the third is my blood pressure and associated pills.

About 10 or so years ago perhaps even more I started taking medication for high blood pressure, I was 17 at the time (sad I know), I was on 2x 80mg pills per day, 160milligrams of medication to control my bp incredible really, even youth has it's limitations.
Around 2004 I went to see a specialist at St Vinnies Public and they found out my dopamine gland was secret excessive amounts of adrenaline which is what was causing the excessively high blood pressure, so what caused the gland to secret so much? My weight, my weight was placing it under so much pressure it was forced to do what it was doing, almost crushing it if you will. I was told then there was no cure for it unless I lost the weight, of course I shrugged it off not caring because a pill could control it for me.

Come 2012, February 25th to be exact and 93kgs (204.6lbs) of weight lost, my GP game me the sign of approval to stop taking my blood pressure medication, March 5th approaches and I go for a check up and all is confirmed I am officially not on medication for high blood pressure anymore! *cheer*

Not only was I taking the pills for my bp I was always taking them as anti-migraine medication, since I've been losing this weight I have been having fewer and fewer headaches and migraines.

Milestone 4 survive Soundwave week, Big Check!

Let me pain you a picture, last year I purchased 2 tickers for 2 shows, I only attended one because I was either tired or had a headache or some other excuse I would rather not remember. The day of Soundwave I used my operation as an excuse to leave early, I had a headache I was hungry and thirsty but was still new to what I could and couldn't eat, I didn't have a medical card so I couldn't get a pass out and what they were selling that day was all fast food trash. Awful memories that help me appreciate the awesome ones I made this year!

I was prepared this year 3 sidewave shows leading up to the big day, not only did I attend all three shows leading up to the 10 hour Soundwave day but I managed to live off about 20 hours of sleep that week! 12 hours of band practice the following day then another 6 on the Sunday, what a week.
When walking out of Soundwave after the long day I had the biggest smile on my face, I began talking to myself out aloud even with people around me hearing, this is what I said.
"3 shows this week, no sleep, 10 hours today, comparing to last year, Adrian be proud of your accomplishment, be proud that you smashed this Soundwave week out of the park, you could never do this before and now look at you, conquering the world one music event at at time, I'm proud of you"

Great job son, great job, you do me proud.

Be sure to add yourself to http://www.facebook.com/groups/AdriansGastricBypass/ if you haven't already for the latest photo's and updates.

Thank you for reading.
Big Age.