A Hen weekend of dancing, camping, drinking and amazing company is at an end. I am soooo sore - it's horrible, but it was worth it!

Extra large erection - no men involved!

Preparation was pretty easy, as we'd already taken tents etc out to the campsite. I just had to make sure I had all my dressings and food that I could eat (and the essential camping item - a pillow). I had packed a whole load of mackerel, salad, fruit and chopped raw veg to snack on, but in the end, after I'd had a mackerel salad lunch, I couldn't resist all the lovingly prepared cakes that were laid out.

What's the deal with cheating when the outcome is not about weight gain though?? It seems that now when I want to eat something sweet, it's not the same as cheating for normal diet reasons.  When I used to diet, I would have had a couple of small slices of everything - savouring the taste and knowing that even a small amount is better than nothing. There was even the possibility that by my next weigh-in, I could have lost the extra pound or two. Now, the philosophy is different. Any sweets I have WILL have an impact on my HS, so I don't seem to be able to limit the intake, stuffing in as much as my (now delicate) tummy can handle! On this special occasion, it was also being washed down by a Malibu rum cocktail.....

A couple of hours later and the effects of having this yucky disease started to creep in. I suffered some stomach distress from the creamy cake fillings and various sugars from the alcohol and juice (yummy...oooh..ouchy). It's pretty annoying, but cutting out all dairy has made me lactose intolerant. Another annoyance...I couldn't partake in a Space Hopper race to the pub, as bouncing on this sore backside is out of the question. I'm sure I would've won. On a positive note, I got to take some great photos. Every cloud and all that.

The limousine was cancelled...

I managed to curb my indulgence at the pub and ordered a poached salmon and salad. It was delicious, but instead of replacing the usual potatoes with an equivalent sized salad, I was given just one small side bowl-full of green leaves and green pepper (that I can't eat, as peppers are from the nightshade family). Usually my portions of salad at home are enormous and contain more than just leaves, like carrots, fennel, radishes and cucumber - yummers. Next time I must remember to specify that I'd like a rabbit hutch portion of salad to replace my carbs.

Back at the camp, I got back on the cocktails. I only had a couple of glasses before I got the camping stove on for some green tea. Instead of feeling like I was missing out, I quite enjoyed nursing a hot cup of tea and watching the others get hideously drunk!

The following morning I woke up in pain and headed straight up to the shower block. Surely there's nothing more annoying than that person on a camping trip who gets showered and dressed before you've even lifted one heavy, hungover eyelid?? And the others were all very hungover! I had to do it though - I needed to wash all my wounds and redress them, so that I could walk with less pain, help take the tent down and clear up our stuff. I think I was back before anyone really noticed I was gone.

I took some anti-inflammatories to reduce the swelling and the pain. When I am strictly AI, I don't use ibuprofen as it messes with your stomach. On this occasion, one more bad ingredient in there couldn't have made any difference. For breakfast I had a tin of mackerel and a grapefruit - I can't believe I managed to resist the bacon rolls that the girls were eating! Pain is pretty motivating though, so I was glad I'd packed some sensible food to eat.

We packed up in about 40 minutes - amazing considering the hangovers. I was back in Sandown ready to meet my family for a pub lunch...another food minefield, but at this stage I'm so broken, I'm just enjoying the food and upping the painkillers.... holidays don't last forever!