Wednesday 4th March 2009

Hi All,

I think I finally have the diarrhea under control, and I already feel a little more energetic today - not to say that I'm running around the place, but there is definitely less audible groaning, and "huffing" whenever I move!

Eating is still challenging. If I eat too much or too fast I feel sick for a couple of hours, so the task at hand is to eat enough over the day to provide the calories and nutrients I need without rushing it and tipping the scales the wrong way.

I think today I have done well on the "not feeling sick" part of the task, but probably at the expense of not getting enough inside me. It will take a while to get the balance right, and in the meantime I am losing some weight (although I'm not sure how much the diarrhea will have contributed to that), however, having always had a "bit of a belly" recently, I've got quite a bit in hand - I'm about 89kg at the moment, and according to assorted sources it would seem that my ideal is somewhere between 78 and 84kg, so I'm ok for the moment.

I have some protein/nutrient supplement drinks from the dietitian which help, and she said that if the weight loss gets too extreme, there are other, more calorie-rich supplements I can switch to if necessary, so I don't think there is much to worry about for now. I won't have to join weight watchers any time soon though, that's for sure!

It's snowing outside at the moment - not settling yet, and I don't think the forecast is for much more than a dusting tonight, but I am definitely looking forward to April and May, which has been our Summer for the last few years (June, July and August having been uniformly miserable in comparison) - Hopefully the new garden will be finished, and I'll be able to truly recuperate in some nicer weather (always the optimist!)

See you tomorrow,

C