Wahoo - it's my one year weight loss anniversary

A year ago on November the 7th, I weighed 26kgs heavier than I do today (holding steady at 79) and my waist, at 42 inches, was 11 inches rounder. I have started swimming again after many years of not even trying, and can go for long walks. I use anti-inflammatories, mild pain killers and artificial sweetener as and when needed. I had always thought of these things as bad for you, but have discovered it's even worse not to use the things that are going to help liberate me from excess body fat. My Hashimoto's is probably as under control as it can be, and the steady weight loss has helped to gradually increase the effect of the medication without going through the horrors of adjusting to an increased dose of synthetic hormone. I have more energy than I have had in many years, and people I haven't seen in a while are gob smacked when they see me. I now have as many days when I feel good as when I feel shite. Yes, there is something else going on that is about to get addressed, but looking back over the past few years and the successes I've experienced in battling smoking, Hashimoto's & medication, as well as losing weight, I'm sure I can handle this. I've stopped asking why I constantly have some health thing to battle as there is no answer; I just have to get on with it, which is what I plan to keep doing. I'm looking forward to the next year, with new adventures, foods, people, challenges, shopping and getting to re-experience 'civilization,' whatever that may be. I would really like to get a cat.

well I've dog-gone gone and done it...

I've handed in my notice at work, I've given my landlord notice, I've emailed my moving company guy for a quote and I'm waiting to find out if I can get a berth on a passenger carrying freighter from anywhere on the Malay Peninsular to anywhere in Australia, but preferably Perth. After only 6 months in Cambodia, I am headed back to civilization, and proper medical facilities, which is what has prompted the bringing forward of the long term plan. 


I went and had a good chat with the doctor I saw for my previous thyroid check up and we decided that it would be best to get myself properly tested etc for all my various medical weirdnesses. There is nothing imminent, but she said I should be thinking of availing myself of some Western medical care in order to get things sorted out by January. Basically, the tummy thing seems related to various foods like milk and wheat so I'm struggling to eat healthily, and if I can't access alternatives soon, I will develop other problems. 


So the plan is to go from Phnom Penh to the Cambodian coast line and spent a couple of days farewelling my favourite parts of it. I'll take a bus from Sihanoukville, on the coast, straight through to Bangkok. It's about 12 hours and the worst leg of the trip. In BKK, I will hopefully catch up with some friends and do some serious shopping. I'll then leg it down to Singapore by train to spend New Years with friends, before heading back up to Georgetown and Kuala Lumpur, and hopefully a berth on a freighter heading to Perth in Western Australia. If I can't get a boat, I'll have to get my creative thinking hat on as I flying is really horrendously uncomfortable for me.


In a couple of weeks, we have a long weekend so I'm going to Ho Chi Minh City for a farewell fling of shopping and saying my goodbyes to people I will probably never see again. I have already mentally starting to say my good byes to Asia. I'm feeling very strange about the whole thing; excited to be going to Perth and very, very sad to be leaving Asia. Maybe...I will be back.