And that makes a year

So the one year anniversary of my band passed unceremoniously. No bells and whistles. No champagne toasts. No victory dances. It was just an ordinary day. With only the briefest moment devoted to remembering the significance of the date.

But, as promised, here is a summary of the inaugural year of Bandit Girl:

• My band is but a tool
• I have a love/hate relationship with it. There are days where I can’t imagine and don’t ever want to be without it. And there are others I curse it as I struggle to swallow a sip of water or a teaspoon of yoghurt
• It took 8 fills and £720 to get my band reasonably adjusted but not necessarily perfect
• My scars are all but faded
• I occasionally get port pain - especially if I'm doubled over for a while or slouching
• I lost a total of 25.3kg (55.7lbs) in one year
• My friend who had surgery the same day weighed more when we were being rolled in theatre but has lost more than I have (and is significantly smaller!) in the same time frame. Truthfully, I am sometimes envious. But then I give myself the proverbial kick, wish her every good thing and realize that everyone’s journey is unique. I now fully appreciate that each person’s body will respond differently. I am so thankful that the surgery and lifestyle changes have been this successful so far
• I would like to lose another 12-14kg (26.4-30.8lbs) … I don’t have a time frame in which to achieve this
• My BMI has dropped from 37.6 to 29
• I have lost 4 dress sizes – from a 22 to a 14 but bordering on a generous size 12 fit
• I’m not so small I don’t recognize myself – other people seem to think changes are dramatic
• My bra size has gone from a 42DD to a 32H
• When it comes to picking clothing items with the heinously vague sizing: S, M, L, XL .. I am now a medium
• I have given away 6 large black bin bags of clothes including an evening gown which cost me £160 … I never got to wear it … it still had it’s tags
• I have lost a shoe size
• I have discovered I have cheek & collar bones
• I have extremely small wrists and fingers
• Rob insists my head has got smaller … go figure
• I have less cellulite on my thighs – it’s still there but you now have to get up close and personal to witness it
• My boobs still droop but not nearly as much as they use to
• I no longer have an apron tummy but I will always have a bit of a rounded tummy – wash board abs will never be mine
• I lose a considerable amount of hair and tend to bruise easily if I don’t regularly take a multi-vitamin
• I take more pride and time in myself – regular hair and beauty appointments, purchasing quality make up and underwear that makes me feel like a goddess even in my unflattering work trousers
• I will more than likely have cosmetic surgery to tidy up the aftermath
• I cannot eat bread. Or muffins. Or chicken. Or steak. Or fries.
• I can only occasionally eat pasta
• More often than not I struggle with yoghurt
• What I can eat today does not necessarily mean I can eat tomorrow
• I have had two major, kick arse chokes in the past year
• These days I very rarely choke or spit/slime … but trust me, it took almost a year to get a handle on
• I am not always hungry but eat anyway
• I am still learning to listen to my body
• When relatively well adjusted, I eat about a cup/cup & a half of food at a time
• When I’m too tight, I’m lucky if I can eat two mouthfuls
• If I over eat, I get hiccups, sneezes, watery eyes or shoulder pain. Sometimes it can be a combination of all of these!
• Most of my medications and supplements have to be in liquid or dissolvable form otherwise they get stuck in the stoma which then feels like I’m having a heart attack
• On days I still struggle with eating too much chocolate
• Nutella does not constitute a food group
• I do drink the odd bubbly beverage – alcoholic not softdrink
• I can now run
• I enjoy kick arse yoga
• My body shape changes significantly when I am regularly running and doing yoga
• I now have room to move in an airline seat
• I occasionally go for a colonic to ensure that my bowels are healthy but generally speaking, I am regular in the elimination department. I don’t need laxatives.

I don't profess to be a completely reformed individual who follows all the rules to a 'T' but I have bumbled by and got some decent results.

I am still learning stuff.

But looking back - the ups, the downs, the good, the bad, the ugly - if I had to live life over, I would definitely have surgery all over again . It was the best decision I ever made.