Additional Effect #7
Weight Loss
Over the course of the six to nine months covering the last few weeks of RT and onward I would lose 33 lb. in weight. That's almost 15 kg or 2 Stone, near exactly 20% of my body weight. Almost half of which was in muscle mass. The upshot of which was extreme weakness, constant fatigue and energy loss.
My nearest "corner" shop is not even 100m away, if I went out for milk by the time I got to their door I would be exhausted.
My GP's surgery is only about 200-300m in the opposite direction, to get there I would have to stop a couple of times to catch my breath.
Three years ago I could manage 20-30 pull-ups without too much difficulty, today I'm pushed to do 4 or 5.
I have a dietitian, Jo Jefford, I see her every six weeks at the Beckanham Beacon Hospital. Her concern is weight gain ( not Loss ) and nutrition. I'm just about at my optimum self imposed target weight now, I just need to rebuild some muscle strength. She has now discharged me from her care. Jo has asked me to attend their next Head & Neck Support Group for "new survivors" ( just 3 months or so in recovery ) to talk to them about my experiences and strategies for eating etc.
One particularly low point was one night in July 2012. I'm at my lowest weight ever, just 7 stone 8 pounds. I've had a feed or painkillers I don't remember, and cleaned and serviced the PEG tube. Unusually I was stripped to the waist, I had been wearing a vest almost constantly by then. I see my self in the full length mirror. I don't recognize the thing that is looking back at me. There is this gaunt, withered, emaciated, sorry looking, creature, we stared at each other for a couple of minutes, I fell sorry for it, it looks so pathetic just standing there looking at me and crying like that. I'm crying now just thinking about it.
What ever it was It's gone now, I hope I never see it again.
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