Rumors of my demise are exaggerated...

Hey loyal blog readers! I'm here, I'm alive, I slept a FEW hours in the night, I've peed about 7 IV bags and 4 cups of tea out, and I'm completely inflated with gas! Side effect of the surgery. 

Things went well. Very friendly doctor with reassuring eyes, Dr. Behrens, and I came through it with flying colors. I'm already up and about (a little bit) and can take care of my basic needs, so that's a good sign. About to try breakfast soon - doubt it will be more than yoghurt.

But I digress. Life is pretty good today. I'm looking forward to seeing Wilbert when he arrives, and looking forward to going home soon to start our new adventure there! Many thanks to all those who have been pulling for me!

My weight loss goals

• Lose enough to be rid of joint/back pain and stop snoring [DONE!]
  
• Have physical activity become non-threatening/non-painful [DONE!]
  
• Create and stick to a regular work-out regime [DONE!]
  
• Shop in a "normal" store for clothes (at least shirts). [DONE!]
  
• Lose 100lbs/45.35kg [DONE!]
  
• Become "obese" and not "morbidly obese" according to the BMI scale. [DONE!]
  
• Lose 50kg/110kg [DONE!]
  
• Weigh my sophomore year in college weight (135.6kg/299lbs) which is also my lowest weight in 20 years [DONE!]
  
• Buy pants/trousers in a "normal" store (may be post-surgery)
  
• Have somebody attractive suggest something indecent. :-)
  
• Get rid of the extra skin I now have as a result of extreme weight gain/loss.
  
• MAYBE Become "overweight" and not "obese" according to the BMI scale (106kg/234lbs), though with my big build and musculature this is optional.
  
• No longer have this post always be the one on top of my blog.
  
• And perhaps the most difficult of all... no longer think of myself as "fat".
  

If you want to know how surgery went...

I probably won't be able to let everyone know personally how things went that quickly on Monday, but I'll try to get a quick update to my BLOG ASAP, perhaps just to the Twitter box on the right side of this page. So if you're interested, check back Monday afternoon/evening!

Naturally Protected

I usually don't like to identify the company that I work for, but I am too proud of the new ad campaign we launched this month to contain myself, so here it is. Love the visuals and how we link nature to our business! Good job, team!

Change of blog plans...

Moved my surgery blog to Blogger... easier to manage.

Surgery Next Monday!

Assuming the supposed case of shingles (which hasn't gotten any worse) doesn't get in the way, then I will be going into Rijnstate Hospital in Arnhem next Monday morning (24 September) at 10 a.m. to start my new life as a skinny person. Am going to the doctor this morning to see if this is really even a case of shingles or not, as I'm beginning to doubt.

Ready for it, want it done and over with, and am so happy to have Wilbert on this journey with me for support (he's great at that!). We're going to stay in a hotel there on Sunday night so that Monday morning doesn't get all stressy with a 2-hour drive, and he'll stay there during my one night in the hospital (knock wood). 

Will update you as soon as results of operation are known! Your prayers would be much appreciated. It's not an inherently risky operation (laparoscopic), all surgery is somewhat risky, and there's a 5% chance it could convert to an open operation (which I'm not sure I want). We're hoping for the best! And for me to be a supermodel by 41. :-)

Perfectly fits my mood this week...

Not just for roofs anymore!

The stress of the last three months (wedding, work and upcoming surgery) has earned me another ride on the Shingles Express. Not what I needed a week before surgery.

The left side of my upper back has been hurting for about a week, and physical therapy didn't help (though drugs did a bit). Seized up and irritated - sort of a burning sensation with occasional shots of severe pain if I stressed it too much (mostly due to poor posture).

This morning a fairly sizable rash appeared on my side - long and blistery. I put 2 and 2 together and headed to the emergency clinic where the doctor agreed with my diagnosis and prescribed me valacyclovir and a lidocaine salve. Said he usually wouldn't give me anything, but that considering my upcoming surgery, a more aggressive approach was called for.

To top it all off, I'm sitting at the airport on my way to England for three days (doctor told me there was no reason I couldn't). So not happy about being away from home too. At least it will be three fairly calm days of training.

So that's all my moaning and whining for now. Wish me luck!

Exhausted, satisfied, home

Wow, it's been a whirlwind summer. First the wedding (and all the many months of preparation), then my company's annual 3-day customer meeting, which I was responsible for (luckily with some fabulous help from several colleagues), and now the IBC  trade show in Amsterdam, which lasts for five days, including through the weekend. Luckily one of my able-bodied colleagues was responsible for that, though I gave a lot of support here and there with various things. Add to that our new advertising campaign, and this is the single biggest body of work I believe I have ever delivered in such a short period of time. 

I've been generally really happy with the outcome of everything. The wedding went off exactly the way we wanted it to, and I've actually enjoyed it more after it happened than while it was happening (which is somewhat typical of me - I'm a 3 on the enneagram if you know what that means). The User Group went off very well with nary a hitch (one or two small ones), though the content could have been fresher - partly my fault and partly the fault of the industry where technology has outpaced the ability of companies to implement it effectively, so things are sort of stagnant or frozen right now. The ad campaign is really fun and unique and gorgeous, but there are a few execution flaws we might have to fix - it all had to happen on such tight time schedules, it was crazy. But generally, I'm quite happy with everything. And quite grateful to the great (mostly new!) colleagues that helped pull it all off. Good job, team!

Now, after finishing IBC and a short trip to England (robbing me of yet another weekend day), it is going to be all about me for a while. I should get called for my surgery sometime the week of the 17th, and then will know exactly when I have to go in the next week. I've been talking a lot about it to people, who are curious about how it works. That has lead me to get pretty enthusiastic about the whole affair - sort of an Adjustable Gastric Band Ambassador - and I'm feeling really ready for it. 

Last but not least, I'm really happy to be back at home with Wilbert and not so much of a stress chicken (cool Dutch term) as I've been. Time to get back to basics, and I'm looking forward to it.

Same-Sex Marriage in Iowa?

Far from a done deal, but a step in the right direction!

Iowa court rules same-sex couples can marry

Story Highlights

• Six couples file lawsuit in 2005 after they were denied marriage licenses
  
• Suit: Denials violated equal-protection, due-process under state constitution
  
• District judge rules: Same-sex couples "may not be denied licenses to marry"
  
• Court strikes down state law declaring marriage only between man and woman
  

(CNN) -- An Iowa district court ruled Thursday that same-sex couples can marry based on the state constitution's guarantee of equal treatment, court documents show.

The ruling was in response to a December 2005 lawsuit brought by six same-sex couples seeking to wed. They were denied marriage licenses and claimed such treatment violates equal-protection and due-process clauses in the Iowa constitution.

The court also struck down a state law declaring valid marriages are only between a man and woman.

The Iowa District Court for Polk County advances the case to the Iowa Supreme Court which will make a final decision on same-sex marriage, according to Lambda Legal, a gay and lesbian legal organization representing the couples.

The 63-page ruling, written by Judge Robert Hanson states: "Couples, such as plaintiffs, who are otherwise qualified to marry one another may not be denied licenses to marry or certificates of marriage or in any other way prevented from entering into a civil marriage pursuant to Iowa Code Chapter 595 by reason of the fact that both persons compromising such a couple are of the same sex."

The law describing marriage as between a man and a woman, "constitutes the most intrusive means by the state to regulate marriage. This statute is an absolute prohibition on the ability of gay and lesbian individuals to marry a person of their choosing," Hanson wrote.

Lambda says the six couples are all in long-term relationship - one couple has been together for six years, another couple has been together for 17 years.

"Three of the couples are raising children, others are planning families, and all want the responsibilities of marriage and the protections only marriage can provide," according to the organization.

"We respectfully disagree with the court's decision, and we're going to ask for a stay," said Polk County Attorney John Sarcone.

He said his office will examine whether it's best to file a motion to reconsider. But barring a change in the court's opinion, Sarcone will appeal the ruling.

Co-counsel for the plaintiffs along with Lambda Legal, Dennis Johnson called the ruling "a significant step forward in recognizing the constitutional rights of all Iowans, and it's an amazing day for same-sex couples and their families all across Iowa."

Beie lekker, man!

Our friend Hans celebrated his belated birthday tonight with a party celebrated in South African style! Hans was inspired by his holiday trip last year and, as an accomplished cook, he was able to put together a delicious dinner of South African delicacies (non of which I can remember, unfortunately). It was quite impressive! And the company was lovely as well. Thanks for a lovely evening, Hans and co.!

Bearforce1: Only in Amsterdam!

Where else could crazy shit like this happen? I can't figure out whether it's the coolest thing I've ever seen or absolute trash. Or both. :-) Enjoy this little postcard from Holland. The big girls are representing!

Big Girls of the World Unite!

You better work, Tyra!

A New Blog Is Born

Instead of boring you lot to death with my endless ramblings about my upcoming weight loss surgery, I've decided to set up a new blog specifically for this topic (since Blog Diversification seems to be all the rage these days, Timo!). It will also be a kind of journal for me and an opportunity to share my experiences with others who are considering going through the same thing. 

The link is on the right side of this page, or click here.

Gastric Banding Surgery Date Finalized!

I've been in preparation for weight loss surgery for more than a year now; following the process of going to my G.P., going to the Dutch Obesity Clinic, getting insurance approval and then going through a group presentation and pre-operative screening. I could have had the surgery already before the wedding, but decided I would much rather enjoy the wedding without being in recovery from the surgery. So this week I went back and had the final consultation with the anesthesiologist and got the final go-ahead for surgery the week of 24 September. I'll get a call the week ahead of time with an exact date. Exciting and scary!

For anyone who doesn't know what adjustable gastric banding is, check out the Wikipedia article on the topic for a good view of what I'll be facing.

I've essentially gotten to the point now where I can survive going to work everyday and minor outings - and even business trips if pressed to - but that it just plain hurts to do any other physical activity because of my weight. My knees are OK, but my hips and my back give me a lot of trouble. And I can't imagine going into my 40's feeling like this... it's just completely unacceptable to me. So I'm going to do something about it, and to tell the truth, I can't wait. As a matter of fact, I've already started altering my eating patterns in preparation for the surgery.

I should lose 2-4 kgs. per month, so next year this time I could be significantly slimmer, and another year after that, I could be pretty close to my goal. which is around 120 kgs., though we'll have to see what I'm looking like closer to the time. I'll have lots of help along the way... not just supportive husband and friends, but a whole team of experts from the Nederlandse Obesitas Kliniek (NOK) in Hilversum, where I'll be getting physical therapy, group therapy, a nutritionist's advice and other aftercare. 

So I'm scared, excited, can't wait, anxious, hopeful, and ready. Wish me luck! It's time to change my life for the better... and for good.

Congratulations, Barry & Richard!

Our most heartfelt congratulations go out to Barry & Richard, who got married this past Tuesday! Another couple of gorgeous men off the open market! :-) We wish you many happy years together, dear friends. We're here to support you in every way we can! And we can't wait for the party!

Welcome, Mr. Miyagi

We went to get our hair cut at Carmen's last night, and she told us about a new sushi place in the new neighborhood being built south of town in a sort of strip mall. We were somewhat incredulous... the sushi place on the town square was closed last year, so we figured Purmerend's tastes weren't sophisticated enough to support another Japanese restaurant. But luckily we we wrong!

mr. miyagi

van damplein 22
1448 nb Purmerend
Noord-Holland
Tel.: 0299 416 907

It was fantastic... very modern and lots of natural light. The food was great, and the owner, a Dutch-Chinese guy named John, was engaging, friendly and knowledgeable. We'll be spending a lot of time there, and we encourage you to do the same!

Download Our Wedding Album!

Click here to download an Adobe Acrobat version of our wedding album! Warning: It's about 65MB so it will take a while, but has 100 pages of fun stuff! You're probably better off right clicking and selecting "Save Target As..."

Gay Pride Amsterdam

Though I was still at home recovering from the head cold I got this week, and Wilbert was working and came home with the same head cold I had, we followed Amsterdam Gay Pride on the local TV channel AT5, where we were not surprised to see our dear friend and renowned Amsterdam drag diva Miss Donna-tella Williams  (a.k.a. Frank, middle above) with her friends Bellissima la Cantante and Charite Carmen (a.k.a. Paul & John).

This year's biggest news items were the inclusion of a boat of gay and lesbian teenagers 16 years old and younger, a boat of heterosexual supporters, and a boat from the Amsterdam city council.

Sick Chicken

Felt a tickle in my throat on Monday night after dinner, and by Tuesday morning it was a full-on head cold. Went into work for an important meeting and a goodbye lunch for an employee on Tuesday, but paid for it by being flat on my back all day yesterday. This morning it's moved into my chest and I'm coughing up all sorts of stuff, but I'm feeling a bit better. Am probably going to try work tomorrow to get some stuff done before taking it easy this weekend. Going stir crazy already. But can't go more than a few hours without having to lie down, and as soon as I lie down, I have coughing fits again. Blech! Can't wait to get better.