Day 4 Call Someone You Love

Call Someone You Love

This was today's challenge.  I call my husband everyday and I talk to my kids everyday.  The people I wish I could call and chat with are no longer here with us.  

I would love to pick up the phone and call my mom, and tell her all about Jacob her great grandson who is the joy to my life.  Tell her all about how the kids have grown into wonderful human beings.  Tell her about my best friend, my husband. 

I would love to talk to my Daddy, and tell him the same things, also ask him about the weird noise my car is making and should I be concerned.  

I would love to talk to my ex-in-laws especially my Father-in-law and telhim how happy I am, because I know he would be happy for me.  He would really like Iftequar too, I believe. 

These are the people I am thinking about today, along with my friends Jill and Sandra, what I wouldn't give to speak with them one more time. 

I miss them all dearly. 

But today I talked to my husband and best friend and he made me laugh, and annoyed me at the same time. Like he does everyday.  He called to check up on me several times today too, because he knows I am not feeling well. (OH BTW I have strep) We are starting to plan my time in Florida.  I am very excited to be going to Miami so I can have a cafecito and introduce my husband to cafecito.  I think he will love it. 

Did you call someone you love today?  I hope so.  

Day 5 is Declutter your room or desk........ (we'll see if I'm feeling up to it)

Day 3 Take a Walk Outside

Full Confession,  I DID NOT take a walk outdoors.  I got 6k steps in but didn't walk outside.  Unless you count walking from the car into Whole Foods, and from Car to Work. Which I don't really think that is what is meant by this Challenge. 

REASON FOR FAILURE 

My hubby and possibly my oldest daughter gave me the YUCK!  I have been battling a fever all day, with a headache and sore throat.  In a nutshell, I feel like $h**.  I think I will go to the doctor in the morning because the daughter unit had Strep.  I will try to walk outside on Sunday to make up for today.  (Saturday I will be in the car and at a conference most of the day SO Sunday it will have to be.)

Sakina (or anyone) if you are reading this do you think these things are supposed to become habits or just be a boost to our Mental Health? 

Day 2: Journal 10 Things You are Grateful For

Over the last couple of years I have picked up a cute little notebook every January to use as a gratitude journal.  Every year I jot down thing for a few days, then the usual happens, I forget or get upset and don't take time to look at my life and be grateful.  My Friend Sakina who is also doing this Challenge posted here about the science of gratitude check it out. Then come back and read my list.

Gratitude can help us make sense of our past, bring you peace in the moment, if you just sit and think about 3 things that you are grateful for right now, and IT CAN give us hope and vision of what we want our tomorrows to look like.

So without further ado here are the 10 things I am grateful for today.

1. My Family;  My children have grown into such wonderful diverse adults that I am super proud of. My husband is my best friend and #1 supporter.
2. Waking up each day; Today is a gift that is why they call it the present.  Is that how the saying goes.  Each day we have the chance to begin again, no matter what your struggle.
3. Coffee; Honestly I have to say this lovely beverage hot or cold is the glue to my day and the way I fell in love with my husband.  So to this glorious bean, I owe a lot of gratitude.
4. Music; Music makes my day brighter, the world would be a sad place without music. 
5. Health; I have struggled with my weight and food issues for many years.  I am thankful to have my health back on track and still improving.
6. Books;  Where would I be without a good book to read?  It is the best free escape a girl can get.
7. My Cat; She keeps me company and loves to snuggle. I love her cold nose that works on my touch screen and pauses movies or tv shows. (I just wish there was a way to solve the cat hair issue)
8. My upcoming trip; I am going to Florida for 3 weeks to be with my husband over winter break.
9. My crafts; I am thankful for all of my crafts from planners to making yarn, knitting crochet and cross-stitch keep me sane sometimes
10. Friends; Those friends that you have that no matter what happens in your life you can pick up like you saw each other yesterday and keep moving forward. The friends who don't judge you. I am thankful and grateful for my groups of friends.

Did you watch the video on Sakina's blog?  Are you ready to be happy?  Make your list!  What are you grateful for?

See you tomorrow, for Day 3

Day 1 20 Day Mental Wellness Challenge

So a friend on Instagram had this in her story last month and I shared it with my Planner Crazy Girls on WhatsApp so we decided to make it a M-F challenge and post about it on our blogs.  We are starting today and will end InshaAllah on December 21st.

Just in time for Holiday Madness to set in.

Tonight is going to bed 1 hour earlier.  I already go to bed at 8:30pm every night, so I think I will give this a little tweak and say I will go to bed and not touch any devices.

I will update on how it went tomorrow.


UPDATE: So last night it went well.  I think unplugging before bed worked well for me.  I did journal like I said I would before I went to sleep, and I honestly dozed off in the middle of that. I was cozy and comfy and my mind was clear.  It was kinda nice.  I will continue this practice as I go forward.

Thanks for checking back on my update.

I've Been Quiet

Hey all.  Sorry, I have been really quiet on here lately but I did start a professional blog that I have been pretty active on.  I really want to start working on here a little bit more and talk about things that I am working on for ME.  Maintaining ME too is more important than ever for me and I don't want to lose touch with that.

I have to put myself first with this new lifestyle of mine, eating clean and exercising.  Maintaining a healthy balance. 

A few things I need to check as I go forward.

1. Not snacking when I get stressed at work! 
2. Going to the Gym Three days a week.
3. Eating three balanced meals
4. Drinking plenty of water


I have my sleep habits down.   I go to bed early and get up every day at 5am.  I have my morning routine down.

I just need to work on the times in between.

Made it to ONEderland and other things

Well, I can see a few people come by the blog occasionally.  No one leaves me comments and that's ok. I have gotten a couple on my Instagram where I update that I have a new blog post.

But this week I made it to ONEderland.  I'm officially in the 100's in weight. No more two in front.

STATS Lapband to Bypass
5/14/18
HW 325
SW 221
CW 194.3 YAY 
GW 158

41lbs to go.

I keep thinking to myself.  It's crazy to have a bypass for that small amount of weight.  But it was a medical necessity I keep reminding myself of that.


As promised this is me at my highest weight!!!!  325lbs.  I honestly can't believe that is me.  I get very emotional seeing this. 

Still having trouble getting all the water in daily! It truly sucks! But I have been eating three meals a day for the past 3days and that feels amazing.  

I joined foodcoach.me 28day challenge she sends out weekly meal plans during the and I am hoping to keep this trend going and learn new recipes as I go along.  Learning ways to make the meals I cook healthier and cleaner. 

I'm enjoying the challenge and the people I have met in this group better than the ones I have met in some of the other groups.  

Thanks to whoever reads these blog post. 

Until next time

Feeling good!

I'm feeling good about the small amount of progress I've made.

One Month Out

So I have survived a month! I am now on soups, which I am quickly getting bored of.  Someone I follow on instagram just posted a recipe for Arroz Caldo and I think I'm gonna give that a go, and maybe make some homemade ramen this weekend and see how those go down. A nice brothy ramen with an egg and some veg and some chicken.  YES!!!! OK so now I'm not feeling to bad about soup!

So this week I had a good experience, my husband I have a membership to LA Fitness with our Insurance it works out really cheap and we have access to any club near us we are not stuck at one club and it works if we move or travel if there is an LA Fitness we can go.  So I got this before my surgery hoping to get over there and start working out, however.....I got really sick and didn't have the energy for going. But this week I did make it to the Gym.  I have done a mile on the treadmill, baked in the sauna and had a nice shower.  I was kinda testing the waters so to speak.  I did great, Then....a set back that lasted me through yesterday but today I am feeling ok, and think I will go again when hubby gets home from work, if not I do have a plan for Saturday to go to an aqua fit class because, YES I was cleared for it.  NOT cleared for yoga yet, but by August they said I should be good to go.  They don't want me doing anything that is too ab focused.  Let all that inside stuff heal well. I think they lean a little too much on the cautious side but...I will be compliant and not do anything ab focused until August.

So since the last post I have seen my General Practioner, he was happy with my BP and BG  numbers and agrees with my surgeon, no more diabetes meds for now.  BP we are gonna keep an eye on. I am waiting for him to post my stats and get back with me concerning they Hypothyroid issue. Which he didn't see in January, and they caught at the hospital.

I also had my first visit with the dietician, I liked her, she is very practical.  We are not counting calories we are counting grams of protein I am supposed to be getting in each day and keep trying to get enough water in each day. I go back to see her in August after I have been on a normal diet for a month.  Then we will discuss meal plans and everything.

I did start a food journal. I got the happy planner fitness/health planner I think it is called.  Been doing pretty good at keeping up with that.

I have had a couple of bad days, since last time I posted.  I don't know if it was dumping syndrome or what, but the first time I had some white bean stew and that went down like a rock I was in pain for what seemed like hours, the second time was a riced cauliflower soup that went down hard as well.
Nothing that would immediately call to mind dumping syndrome. (ie Sugar) But boy.....the symptoms were the very same as dumping syndrome.  But could have been severe gas as well. IDK!!!!! It's hard to say, and something I will need to discuss with my doctor when I next see him.  So avoiding those two things for awhile.

Lapband to Bypass 5/14/18
HW 325
SW 221
CW 205
GW 158

Hanging in there.

First I wanna start out by saying that in my first post I said I would post a picture of me at my highest weight, but I can't seem to find them.  I've put them somewhere "safe", and don't remember the safe place.  Typical.

But I will put in a picture of me in April 2018

This is me at 222lbs. 

These were taken at a Day Quilting Retreat with one of my best friends aka partner in crime.  She is a great support and I love her like a sister. 

So this is where I am starting over.

STATS as of Today

Lapband to Bypass 5/14/18
HW 325
SW 221
CW 208
GW 158

I saw my surgeon today, and they removed the drain!!!!!  I'm very happy about that and put me on Protonix to keep the stomach acid down, I was having pain and issues with putting anything in my stomach. That has seemed to help because tonight I am able to eat....well drink my protein, without pain. He thinks once I start with something a little more solid that issue will go away.

Blood Pressure and Blood Glucose is all within Normal range and has been since I came home post-op.

Still emotional, and can cry at the drop of a hat.  But I'm dealing with that by just letting it happen.  Just letting it flow! 
I told a friend today that I didn't want to make a flosstube video because it is highly likely I could seriously cry over cross stitch.  NO ONE wants to see that.

So that's my update for now.  Thanks to everyone who reads these ramblings of mine!  I appreciate the comments you have made, as well as the support.

14days Post-op

So I had my first follow up with my doctor/surgeon.  That's different.  I think I went to the surgery center to get my staples out after lap band, or maybe they did while I was in the hospital afterward. Either way I didn't see my surgeon again after the hospital stay.

I go back in again on Tuesday to see him.  Hopefully to get the drain removed, aka the grenade (it looks like a clear grenade without the pin) 

I have three appointments this week one with the surgeon, one with my GP, they called because they heard I had surgery and wanted to touch base and schedule a follow up too. The doctor I had when I first moved to Dallas, whom I loved never followed up with me after surgery, so this was unexpected.

Thursday I meet with the Dietician, I'm actually looking forward to this one! 

I still feel tired and weak, but I'm beginning to get around a little more.  I think adding the protein drinks has added to my energy level, and I have started drinking electrolyte water because I was feeling dehydrated and I can't have Gatorade right now.

On June 4th I get to start healthier soups, with chunks in it! Looking forward to that I have already started menu planning.  I found some soup recipes for two. Because I have difficulty making small batches of soup. 

Oh and my daughter went with me to my Dr. appointment with the surgeon and we discussed the rapid weight loss.  I have already dropped like 14 lbs in a very short amount of time, it didn't' seem like that was good.  She would lose weight on the diet that I am on too if she were to do it but not likely to lose as much.  So we were both concerned at the rate.  Turns out it is normal.  I'm a little overwhelmed by it.  Seems like so much so fast.

 That's it for now. Until next time!

7days Post-op

So... Yesterday and today I went out.

Yesterday Saturday 5/19 I went to see my grandson and played with him a little.  Just being around him made me happy. Then hubby and I went shopping and I stopped to get some Pho minus all the goodies just the clear yummy broth.  Lasted me 4 meals and was only a little over $6

Today 5/20
I went to my English Paper Piecing (EPP) Club at a local quilt shop that meets once a month on Sunday.  I enjoyed that. Then hubby and I went to get some fruits for me infuse water with it was a good day all in all. 

My emotional level is a little low.  I feel weak, I know it is from lack of nutrients. 

This week I have a follow-up with my surgeon on Thursday and the following week I go start with my dietician/nutritionist. Which I have found out everyone just calls a nutritionist or NUT.  I was a little confused.  My daughter (a nurse) who works with people with severe eating disorders (she's a psych nurse) told me I had to work make sure my "nut" was a registered dietician so I followed her orders.  This had been the original plan get the band out and work with a dietician. So I am sticking with the plan.  Just not the plan I had imagined.

Still dealing with the emotions of this not being exactly ideal but I'm coming to terms with it. Slowly.

Current Stats
Lapband to ByPass 5/14/18
HW 325
SW 221
CW 214
GW 158

Super Emotional

Ok, I went for a walk this afternoon and became super emotional afterward. I cried for like 5mins. CRAZY!!! So I jumped on to a support group I joined on facebook and heard that I am not alone it's normal.

I got a lot of advice and support. Made me feel better, and I decided to just let it come.

The one thing that I'm not grieving is the loss of food.  I haven't really been able to eat much for the past 14 years because of the band so the lack of food is not an issue.  I don't feel cut off from that relationship that happened years ago.  I want that relationship back as a matter of fact in a healthy way. 

I have gone months without being able to eat anything without pain.  At least now I can drink tea and have some broth and it doesn't hurt my stomach. Literally, everything I was putting in hurt.

I understand what the people who are going through that feel because I did feel that as well at the beginning of my lapband journey in 2004. 

This journey, MY journey is different.

I promise when I feel better more up to it I will search for those pre-surgery 2004 pics of me and one current one of me.

Today I restarted my Fitbit

My goal for awhile is 3000 steps a day that is 250 steps every hour or so...My FitBit reminds me to walk.

As a matter of fact, I am going out for a walk now. My husband just came home from prayers. So someone will know where I am.

Goodnight from day 4 post surgery

P.S. They tell me it gets better!

New Journey Begins

So 14 years ago, I started a journey that didn't pan out so well.  I had a gastric lapband put in. 14 years of throwing up almost 4 time or more per week.  I did loose weight with the band I'm not gonna lie and I did maintain at 221-225 for the past 10 or so years.  But after my 50th birthday in February things started to go really south.  I had constant constipation, I could not eat anything without it hurting.  I was in pain.

My family convinced me to get the band taken out. So I consulted a doctor...who turned out to be kinda of a flake.  Needless to say that didn't pan out.  So I contacted one of the big names here in Dallas and made an appointment to see him and discuss my treatment plan. 

Turns out it was a good thing I went to see him.  He sent me for an EDG on Tuesday May 8th and by Friday everything had pretty much gone to Hell in a hand basket.

So today Thursday May 17th at 6:54am I sit in a hospital chair beside my bed writing this post. 

Monday May 14th

I had the lap band removed and a gastric by pass done. 

So this is my beginning.  I came into the hospital weighing 221lbs.

My goal it work with a dietitian and lose the remainder of my unhealthy weight.

What I had intended to do was to just have the lapband out but due to complications beyond our control it was medically necessary to have the bypass.

I'm tired and sore right now and feeling very gassy.



In the 14 years since I had the lapband there have many significant changes in my life.
1. I got divorced from a bad emotional marriage
2. I remarried a very kind loving man. Who loves me for me and I love him for him My Bestfriend
3. I'm a grandma to the most adorable little boy in the world

I feel like I am in a much better place to start over Maintaining ME. 
The Doctor told me it was time to get selfish and put myself first.  So here I am trying to do just that.

I will insert a before pic here, of where I started in 2004 if I can find it.  A pic of me today, when I get a chance to get out of this hospital gown and I will keep you posted on my journey.