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Surgeon TestimonialAndrew Duffy, M.D.Dr. Andrew Duffy is the best!!! He is with Yale University Bariatric Surgeons - a center for excellence and he is in with Dr. Robert Bell. I went to the seminar on 12/8/06 and listened attentively to all they had so say. Needless to say when Dr. Duffy presented I just knew that this is the guy I was looking for to do my surgery - he knew his stuff and he was kind and sensitive to my questions. I was getting frustrated because I could not get an appointment for my psych eval prior to 1/07 and he was kind enough to give me the name of Mark Gaynor, LCSW and I got an appointment right away. My paperwork was all complete and in Dr. Duffy's office by 1/2/07. Since I did not get a call with an appointment by 1/3/07, the very next day, I decided to e-mail Dr. Duffy on our Groupwise system that we use at Yale and I said \"I am hoping God places it in your heart to read this e-mail - I need a date!!!\" and he read it - I got a call with a date four days after. I feel confident and I know that I made the right decision. The staff is great, Jane, his nurse manager was great - she had R&Y a couple years ago and looks great and she used to work as an OR nurse where I work which is part of Yale too. Member Interests
- Artist/Muralist - I paint the most beautiful stills and christian art in acrylics on canvas
- Basketry - I love making beautiful dolls and gift baskets that are unique
- Hispanic/Latino - I was born in Panama, Republic of Panama came to US at age 24.
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...age and prints on June 30, 2008 4:42 am
...unbelievable - in the past (just 16+ months ago) no one would question my age - as a matter of fact no one ever even asked my age ... so what's up now with the how old are you question??? and when I say my age I get ....nooooooooo ... you can't be over 35 - wishful thinking - I just had this happen on Saturday at a restaurant ... somebody told Al he was robbing the cradle - when he told me I asked him if he told them the cradle was a year older than him? (lol)...
..... I always try to be upbeat but every once in a while I get real homesick for my family in Panama - my sisters, my brother, my dad and my friends -- needless to say we are always on the phone with each other - but that physical touch is always needed ... we had planned on visiting last year but due to Al's hospitalization we had to put it off --- so I am hoping to go for a visit by Thanksgiving or Christmas. Even trying to be upbeat I was a bit depressed I guess - so here comes my family to the rescue or what they think was to the rescue... I was fast asleep on Friday night when I hear the sound of guitars and singing at my window ... I am wondering what on earth is going on ... I jumped up and here it is my husband and kids had engineered to have a family friend Jose and his sons play the guitars and sing Mananitas at my window for no particular reason ... then here comes Al with this big bouquet of flowers of all colors of lavender and purple and white denominations with some yellow and red thrown in here and there and I am wondering what is the occasion???? ... well it was a just because thing and it really brought a smile to my heart --- that they would think of me this way and they always have --- it was really moving and I am grateful and thankful forever for them and most of all I was GRACEFUL - grace was needed here with me not letting Al know that the bouquet looked like something fit for another type of occasion- I would never let him know this because his heart was in trying to do something to make me happy - I don't know why because I was already happy - but sometimes his tastes are to run away from (lol).... like this big purple tunic dress with a big red slash he brought me once before - I may have been wearing a 4x at the time but the thing was bigger than an 8x although it was labeled a 4x and the color was horrible. Well several of those flowers were kinda purple looking and they reminded me of that tunic dress (lol) OMG I do not want to sound ungrateful but the flowers had to go (lol)... okay so here is me today wearing prints nonetheless ... I can't believe I never did prints and here I am wearing big flowers or little flowers or even giant pinapples on my clothes like I am today (lol) .... well it got busy here already --- just saying hi to all and once again thanking OH and all its wonderful members for all the support and encouragement along the way....
me at work... pinapples - go figure (lol) - I sooooooo hated wearing prints just 16+ months out (lol)
...my week in pictures.... on June 27, 2008 5:40 am
...of body fluid ... I freaked out on Monday after all my activities the prior weekend resulting in the scale dropping two more pounds as I do not plan on losing anymore ---- well I am sooooooooo glad to say I got my two lbs back it was fluid fluctuation of the body after all --- apparently after sweating my braincells out (lol) at Bikram on Friday and working a steady 10 hours painting a mural on a tall wall in one of the rooms to be used for a few of our church's summer camp indoors activities --- I may have not hydrated myself enough thus the scale went down and worst yet my daughter said I was looking like a lollipop so I got a bit worried --- but today I am back up my two lbs since Wednesday and maintaining and loving it - my ideal is to maintain at 110-112 lbs but today I am back up to 106 - and not too worried - after all my weight fluctuated between 95-98 lbs up until age 25 when I started ballooning up.... so I am thankful for the fluctuations -- it was just fluid after all ... I am not in the market of doing anything to jeopardize my heath especially when I am committed to living healthy so I am struggling to get my maintenance plan in control and working closely with the professionals involved in my care.... I have slowed down a bit at the physical activity level - I gave up one Bikram session - I am doing 2 instead of 3 weekly - I guess I have soooooooo much new energy I keep trying to do all the things that I was missing out on - it is like the world is a big opened door and my new found energy has me like a child in discovery zone - so I must remember I am an old fart after all. It has been soooooooooooo busy at work this week... I have barely been able to take a peek or two and check in with my wonderful cyberfamily on OH... Just an update on myself saying hello to all ... and as always I am soooooooo grateful for this wonderful website of support and encouragement and sharing..... I am still rocking my extended hair - as a matter of fact I was feeling a bit antsy last night so I took it all out and redid it this time with two tones all over.... Thanks for reading my silly banter and thanks in advance for all your support and encouragement --- after all I am just your SISTA ON THE SAME JOURNEY!!! LOVE YA MY BEAUTIFUL OH FAMILY!!!!
today I came to work looking like this - of course I will throw my blazer on afterwards (lol)
and this is my week so far....
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Grateful for the fluctuations.... on June 26, 2008 5:08 am
....it is sooooooooooooo busy at work this week - I have been hardly on here except to take a peek or two and comment on a couple posts on short breaks ... yet today I continue to be grateful for the fluctuations - the body fluctuations in weight that had me freaking out a few days ago - I am holding steady at 106 - five lbs. under my normal BMI but not as bad at the 103 weight reading I got earlier in the week ... so I can definitely attribute it to all the up and down activity on Sunday and all during the week ... so I slowed down a bit on the physical activity this week - and now I am regulated - will be going to Bikram later today - it makes the body feel sooooooooo good afterwards .... I am still rocking my extensions and loving it.... | Leave a comment.
Hanging in there.... blessed to see another day.... on June 24, 2008 4:48 am
....and it started out busy yet I want to make an entry in my OH journal - of gratefulness for the tool and the disclipline that gave me my life back ... yesterday I sorta panicked when the scale dipped two more pounds bringing me down to 103 - kinda scary - but today I am back up to 106 - makes me feel better and makes me understand more the fluctuations of the body with water weight - I had been up and on my feet climbing up and down doing a mural for over 10 hours on Sunday and panicked when I lost two additional lbs according to the scale on Monday - but today I am regulated. Well I am on the run ... last week I was rocking shades of lavender do not ask me why but today and yesterday I have been in browns don't ask me why either - still rocking my extensions and feeling comfortable looking like me ... and they serve a double purpose - great camouflage for my batwings (lol) ....
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....HOLDING ON AND SLOWING DOWN.... on June 23, 2008 3:59 am
ASKING TO STOP LOSING .... who would ever think this coming from me starting out at 285 lbs sixteen months ago - today I am too close to plain 100 lbs for comfort??? when I came to this country 25 years ago at 25 I weighed 98 lbs wet and I hope that is not where the body is going back to to settle ... "mom you are getting too THIN" ....this coming from my daughter, and she is right - I should be maintaining but the scale is still on the downward trend and by BMI standards I am underweight ... I am eating right and healthy and in the amount and caloric values worked out with the professionals involved in my care .... I am burning out too much as I am overdoing it with the barage of physical activity and projects that I involve myself in all of which I love doing.. .. somehow, someway I have become this energized person who is having a problem finding enough hours in the day to do all the things I want to do ... and I do them - now I have to slow down. For example on Sunday - it was going to be a day of leisure, getting up, going to church, back home and relax - well that is the way I planned it until this wall kept calling my name I decided to go paint a mural on it - one of the walls in one of the rooms that are going to be used at the church for the summer camp - mind you there is absolutely nothing wrong with that wall - yet it was calling me and so here I go donned my old painting garbs and off to paint a mural - up and down - climb here, climb there, go, go, go and before you now it was 11pm - the time passed with me engrossed in the mural - I was having soooooooo much fun - and yes I had stopped to eat and yes I had sipped but all the standing and climbing and moving from here to there when I looked down at my feet I had the puffiest ankles, the mural was not finished and I am being torn wether to stop now and finish up over the weekend or keep going? So I used common sense and stopped .... that is my artsy fartsy nature ... start doing something and there is either an idea or a vision that I must capture and I would start and keep on going ... I went home and it was midnight - got in the hot tub and then straight to bed.... get up this morning ... donned myself up for work and my daughter, my pilar of support says .. "mom, you have to slow down, you are getting too THIN now" ... and coming from her it is constructive criticism which I shall heed. This is me today, I like to put on something fun and then cover it up with a jacket or blazer .. and I am going to slow down a bit ... until I get my weight maintenace in check without doing anything to jeopardize all the work I have done ... I will maintain and I will maintain healthy ... I am a bit underweight right now but I will do whatever it takes to get it regulated ... I am working closely with the professionals and I am committed to myself.....oh, and I am still rocking my long extended hair J'aime mes longs cheveaux .. Je vais porter mes cheveux comme cela tout l'été ... me encanta mi cabello largo con su extensiones - este es mi estilo de verano and to translate it all from French and Spanish to English - I LOVE MY LONG EXTENDED HAIR - I AM GOING TO WEAR IT THIS WAY ALL SUMMER LONG (lol) - did I ever say I was trilingual???? yes I am, my native language - Castilian Spanish, language inherited from my grandparents Jacques and Noemi that I speak fluently - French and my wonderful inherited language from America the land that I love - English ... Thanks you all for your support and encouragement and for reading this silly sista's banter ... I love my OH cyberfamily ... you are fuel on my journey ... I get encouragement, education, support, humor, sharing from all your posts ... I APPRECIATE ALL ON O.H.!!! THANK YOU O.H. FOR BEING HERE FOR ALL OF US!!!!
my little summer top...
and genetics playing games - I still have a big derriere which is really what I would love to get rid of...
J'aime mes longs cheveux. I LOVE MY LONG... on June 20, 2008 4:26 am
....Je vais porter mes cheveux comme cela tout l'été ... I am going to rock my hair this way all summer - it covers the batwings too.... I washed and blow dry and flat iron it every other night - I weaved it kinda tight but that's okay - when loosens up I'll just take it off and redo it (lol).... I am just feeling great and enjoying each day of my journey one day at a time.... I am wearing all sizes 0 now - my Size 2's are totally loose and I have been either altering them or giving them away - the bad thing about the 0's is most of my clothes I have to get in Juniors and I have to search to find things to suit me....
I thank God for making it through the week and I thank Him for Friday... tonight I will be going to Friday Nite Live Service at the church and looking forward to spending quality time with my family over the weekend.... This is me today still wearing my extensions... I also uploaded a photo in the photo section....
I feel comfortable and happy in my skin..
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Yes I am Eccentric, Yes I am Artsy Fartsy, Yes I am... on June 17, 2008 4:41 am
it comes to hair I am totally CRAZY... OR WHAT????? just yesterday I got a request to post recent pics of AL and I and as the kids were not home we messed around with autoshoot on the camera but for some reason the tripod was wobbly and shaky and we could not get it together until finally we snapped a pic that looked reasonably good of us together (lol) and I made a mini collage like this....of my DH and I before and after..... I was not even at my biggest in that before pic having ballooned up a lot from that size before deciding to have surgery..... but I am off topic ... back to hair.....
Get a grip sista!!!! make up your mind already ... long today, short tomorrow WHAT'S UP WITH THAT?????? (.... that is the voice inside my head, the former me talking to me, yup the big girl me who always rocked the long extensions talks to me keeping me focussed and oftentimes I listen to her especially when it comes to food - she would say "now you know you have no business thinking about eating THAT - you do not want to come back to this" and boy oh boy it works and fast I call that voice my bad choice killer (lol) so today she is fussing with me about my hair .... and I am not hearing it).
I took a good look at that pic I took with Al and decided I was tired of my short hair for a bit and stayed up half the night weaving my extensions in again and I rocked them to work today .... boy my arms and hands hurt after doing all that - then I cut it shorter than the usual long length I wore before and I am looking like this and I am loving it...except for the fact I just saw myself in the mirror here and now my head looks too big... like a big old head with all this hair ... OMG please don't tell me I am going to be up all night taking these jokers back out ... my scalp is soooooooooo sore already....
...and for the length I took this other one - I have some water on the front of my dress - oh well - it will dry....
.... just on Sunday I was looking like this.....now I am TOTALLY CRAZY....on Sunday I was hating the fact that the hair was curling up and I did not want to take any chances relaxing it .... this morning I was up blow drying my new do straight ... but you know what .... I am having fun ... I never spent this much time on myself ... although I spend a good amount of time on myself before (lol) ... I guess it is part of my aging/changing process so I will go on being ECCENTRIC ... AND ARTSY FARTY ... AND EVERYTHING ELSE AS LONG AS I KEEP ON LOVING ME, AND YOU AND LIFE!!!!! I am just soooooooooo happy to be alive today, lighter, healthier enjoying all life has to offer from the sunrise to the sunset ... all the things I missed out on before .... because that was THEN and this is NOW .... SO WHAT IF I CAN'T MAKE UP MY MIND IF I WANT SHORT OR LONG HAIR???? I HAVE THE ABILITY TO CHANGE IT AROUND FROM DAY TO DAY (LOL) AND AS LONG AS MY MIND IS MADE UP TO EAT AND LIVE HEALTHY THAT FOR NOW IS ENOUGH FOR ME..... thank you for reading the ramblings of this silly sista on the same journey for life!!!!!
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WON'T YOU KNOW THE KIDS CELEBRATED ME... on June 16, 2008 4:30 am
... who would think of that? we had a wonderful father's day ... the kids took Al and I out for dinner at Samurai Japanese Restaurant after presenting Al with Father's Day gifts and also a wonderful gift for me too! ... I asked them why???? and they said "mom you have been our dad for years ... for all the years our real dad was absent in our lives you were our mom and dad .... and we love Al as our stepfather and our Dad too but remember when his kidneys shut down and he lost his business and he spent the better part of all those years in the hospital and you worked two and three jobs and still had time for him and for us mom you were our mom and dad then too and we could not not celebrate you on this day too - you paid our way through private high school and through college and we never lacked - when we graduated and you had no idea how to get in touch with our biological father when we asked you to knowing fully well how you felt you still tried to find him and even though you did not you were there for us mom - you and Al - --- well it was such a surprise and it really choked me up for a bit --- and Al was beaming because he knew what they were up to and he agreed with all of it ... so all in all we all had a wonderful Father's Day and we celebrated..... it was a wonderful weekend for me ... although my feet are still a bit swollen they no longer hurt as they did after my stint the previous weekend hiking up that mountain with my son (check my blog for delails).... my doll parts that were on back order came in and I made a royal mess making my favorite Martita's Dolls which I shared with you at the beginning of my journey ... I started making these dolls years ago and giving them to non-profits and to kids in shelter as my heart led me to ... I have yet to sell a doll or a canvas - I always wanted to be a singer and cannot carry a tune for the life of me so singing is out - I was blessed with talent in my hands so I draw, paint and sew to my heart's content - I always did - but before do not ask me how I was able to do my hobbies and stuff my face at the same time - now I get so engrossed and enjoy the pleasure of what I am doing I have to remind myself to eat - what a difference - hey I can even plop myself on the floor with a canvas or with my doll parts and hop up with no problem whereas before I could not even bend my knee to get down and if I was lucky enough to get down it would take everyone in the house pulling out their backs trying to get me up.... I did enjoy me weekend soooo much while I made my dolls and Al once again called me "his doll" can you believe after 18 years? I was his doll at 285 lbs and I am his doll today at 107 lbs - picture me a 50 year old doll (lol) but I love dolls, I make them, I collect them, I play with them and I cannot imagine my life without them..... sharing these pics with you.... can you tell I am addicted to the camera???? when I am 100 years old I want to sit with my scrapbooks which I also make and walk down memory lane.....
This is me at work this morning presenting my friend with the doll I made over the weekend....
this is what the finished doll looked like after I wrapped her this morning...
this is me on my floor starting to weave human hair on the doll's head - after stuffing and assembling the body --- any that floor did hurt my butt but then these day my butt always hurt when I sit - I wonder why???
and my dollmaking really took off when I had a dream of making dolls for the kids in the high risk communities and shelters -- I would get doll parts or restore old dolls and alter them and make new clothes for them ... I have been making dolls for as long as I can remember ... my mom made all our dolls and of course we did not appreciate it then - wanting to have commercial dolls like all the other kids ... until one day I realized that my dolls my mom made were so full of love and beautiful and special - and I would hate to think that she ever felt I did not appreciate them.... it all started in my messy basement office making dolls and costumes for kids like this...
So I spent my weekend making dolls, still patching my sore feet up (lol)... this is the woman Al calls "his doll" today at age 50 and 178 lbs lighter - I was his doll at 285 lbs and today at 107 lbs ... that was then and this is now .. this poor man has to deal with me - I am bossy, eccentric, artsy fartsy, full of humor and not so nice sometimes - but of all the things I know to do I know to love unconditionally and I finally figured out how to love ME... 
so we all went out to dinner on Father's Day and my children celebrated both Al and me .....
you can see more of my dolls and canvases by visiting the following link
http://s259.photobucket.com/albums/hh286/martitalinda/?action=view¤t=8bdbcd19.pbr
Thanks sooooooooooooo much for allowing me to share - I try to find a million ways to keep focussed ... the road we chose is certainly not easy but I am determined to keep the course one day at a time ... at thank that fat lady Me who resides in me reminding me every day to be steadfast --- THAT WAS THEN, THIS IS NOW ... she tells me where I want to be today and not to go back to the pain of yesterday ... so I try to keep myself encouraged and I stay on this site thankful for all of you whose posts and stories and experiences are fuel along the way.... I LOVE YOU MY BEAUTIFUL OH FAMILY!!!!
LOVE THIS DOLL!!!!! on June 15, 2008 2:49 pm
....Happy Father's Day all!!!!! .... I had the most productive day .... we celebrated Al my kids and I on fathers day and he told them how much he loves his doll ME (lol) but my weekend was most productive because I busied myself making a batch of Martita's dolls - the dolls I love to make for gifts and for non-profits - I had a whole batch on backlog because my doll parts were on back order - but they came in late on Friday and I could not wait to have FUN FUN FUN making my dolls - I even had to remind myself to eat and to sip - I was having so much fun ... this one is from my nurse friend Nonnie's daughter - her birthday is on Friday and her mom said she would just love one of these ... so here is me sharing another of my fun activities with you.....
I assemble and stuff the doll first, then the hardest part is weaving the hair because my dolls all have authentic 100% human hair ... like this
I usually make a royal mess making these ... next is finishing up the hair and putting on the hair accessories like this
then I put on diapers, onesies and spray with my favorite for dolls Jovan Musk for Women - my own personal for ME myself is Miracles by Lancome - I just love it!!! ...
then the final product - check out my Martita's Doll - my favorite hobby of all ..... now we are off to have dinner at Samurai - the entire family treating Al for father's day ... after I place a call to my own dad in Panama .... I LOVE YOU MY BEAUTIFUL OH CYBERFAMILY ... I AM STILL ON THE MEND - NOTE MY LOWER LEGS ANKLES STILL A BIT SWOLLEN FROM MY MOUNTAIN HIKE VENTURE - BUT THIS SISTA IS ON THE MEND - LIVING LIFE TO THE FULLEST ONE DAY AT A TIME AND FOREVER GRATEFUL - I NO LONGER LIVE TO EAT BUT LIVE TO EAT AND I JUST LOVE IT!!!!! HERE IS THE FINAL PRODUCT.....a beautiful full dressed 22 inch Martita's doll ....
AND ALL THISS BECAUSE I AM LIVING HEALTHY AND LOVING IT ... THAT WAS THEN .. THIS IS NOW... AND AFTER 18+ YEARS AL STILL CALLS ME HIS DOLL - GOTTA LOVE HIM (LOL) bossy as I am (lol)
It is not always easy - but one day at a time my tool and I in partnership for life!!!!!
FEELING GREAT!!!! AND FOREVER... on June 13, 2008 4:33 am
.... and I am thankful ... the shin splints I developed after hiking up a mountain on Saturday (see my blog if you missed my post) were limited to some nerve irritation and minor tendonitis that resolved with ace bandages, exercises and hot/cold compresses .... I was laid up for a few days but today I feel totally renewed - even hoofed it to work at a slower pace as recommended by the physical therapy - thank goodness I did not have to be off my walking routine for a whole two weeks as originally thought - most of the damage was caused by improper footwear and the incline that I was not used to as well as the distance we walked I guess I overdid it - nevertheless it was an exhilarating experience that I will be repeating soon enough with all the cautions I have learned now. I went to hot yoga (Bikram) yesterday and the day before - believe it or not it worked wonders on my feet and legs - got up this morning with no residual pain and totally feeling refreshed and brand new.... I can't believe I missed the exercise routine I have incorporated into my new lifestyle that I am just loving! this coming from me who still say I have to take a shot of mental Geritol to get up and get moving cause I hate exercising - but once I start there is no stopping me and I end up thoroughly enjoying the workout and the feeling afterwards. Yesterday my boss brought me two most beautiful very small wrap around outfits that she could not wear and had hanging in her closet for some time now with tags and all ... mind you this is our Nurse Manager who asked me 16 months ago what size I was planning to come down to and I had responded "your size or smaller" and she small and very petite and I never thought it would be possible although I was serious then I said it jokingly - I admire her a lot - she has integrity, great personality is a beautiful person and has a great sense of style and fashion - she, the tiniest person in our department, and yesterday when she brought these in she announced during report that she never thought one day she would bring me clothes that did not no longer fit her - mind you the week before she gave me this wonderful ivory two piece suit that was too small for her and just too big for me - I tried them on and they were too big but I said never mind I will get my sewing machine and take them in and I did - I never had a wrap around anything before and I put it on and came to work on dress down Friday looking like this and just absolutely loving it!!!! Now I am supposely smaller than her but my dysmorphic vision with all this skin that when I lie down I become a gigantic jellyfish still sees an overweight woman when I have a BMI of 18 - oh well I can't wait to get rid of the flappers under my arm and get my wrinkled up belly stretched - not too long of a wait now YAY!!!! My weight is holding steady at 107 lbs and I am trying to maintain between that and 112 lbs - I really did not want to be under 110-112 lbs but it happened and so be it --- I am comfortable with it..... thanks sooooooooo much for your warm support and encouragement along my journey.... I still can't believe it ... me the former 285 lbs chic - that is when I could finally get a read on the scale (lol) to weighting 107 lbs today and having 0 out of 5 co-morbidities - I am bold enough to wear big flower prints on my clothes - did not dare do that before (lol) still getting used to it now and loving it - I climbed a mountain when I should have started with a hill and hurt my legs but I am climbing again soon - I dusted myself off, learned a lesson and got some healthy tips and am feeling great.... I eat healthy, I live healthy, and I love healthy, wildly and passionately (lol) the sky is the limit and I am soooooooooooooo loving my life!!!! Things are not always going the way I want them to - there are still great stressors in my life - my life is not a bed of roses - but now I can deal with it since I no longer live to eat - I eat to live and I am loving it!!!!! 
Shin Splints!! and on the mend after goose stole my... on June 10, 2008 3:59 am
so this is me today .. all patched up and on the go.. had nightmares about the goose last night after the ordeal with my muffin ....
but last night I was most definitely not looking like this ... all banged up I look awfull after my episode with the geese when I posted this....
A GOOSE STOLE MY MUFFIN ... I AM NOT FEELING PRETTY NOR AM I LOOKING PRETTY..... go figure ... on Saturday I go hiking up a mountain with my son like a spring chicken - today every part of my anatomy hurts - especially my feet - where the tongue of the sneakers rubbed against them- it hurts soooo bad and the area is swollen - my calves are swollen and hurt too - I guess I am no spring chicken after all - but it was a first experience and I will try it again ... just let me patch myself up ... so I take my old beaten up body home from work - I hurt sooo bad I decided to rub some aspercreme with heat and supposedly oderless Ben-gay on my legs and feet and wrap them in ace bandages after a good soak in Epson salt with warm water... well odorless my neck -- the ointments started stinking up the house and my eyes started to smart - wherever else I touched on my body started on fire - I rubbed a bead of sweat from beside my lip and that is on fire too --- so I decide to contain the damage and go sit at the far end of our back yard where there are chairs beside the pond back there - after all it is sooooooooo hot --- so I lie on a lawn chair with some sugar free lemonade that I made myself and one of Eggface's banana muffins that Al baked for me - needless to say I had already made blueberry/raisin bran muffins yesterday but the banana sounded soo much bettter ... so I hobbled to the back yard and placed myself on the lawn chair nursing my injuries and trying to relax with my lemonade and my muffin - it was hot nonetheless but there was some breeze and at one point I closed my eyes and may have drifted off - just to get startled right back up by the sensation of being watched by something or someone a bit too close for comfort - I pop open my eyes and there are five or six geese approaching - now I am not scared of these animals- they are usually by the water minding their business as I mind my own - I sat up and they stopped so I figured hey, they are probably walking to the other side, I lay back down and all of a sudden I see the leader of the pack super size its neck and open up its beak like real wide - now what on earth is his major malfunction???? - I jumped up just as they lined themselves across the lawn in a perfect horizontal line like a firing squadron - all their beady eyes were on me staring me down - these Canadian Geese lined up on the lawn - now they are in between my location and my exit point - my legs are jacked up in these ace bandages and I neither have the energy nor the capability to run --- I started calling for AL AT THE TIP TOP OF MY VOICE - I AM SCREAMING NOW - the geese started a uniform motion towards me with the one - the ringleader with his supersized neck sticking straight up in the air - now I know these animals have attacked people when they have chicks - I even got pecked by one a couple years ago when they had nests out here and they kept chasing us - but I saw no chicks - only these big funny looking ducks coming at me menacingly in my own back yard - I am shrieking now - I see Al come out with his friend our next door neighbor Bill - Al has a broom and Bill has a rake - Al tells me to run in the house - yeah Al run how? - I started doing the bunny hop towards the house - the charging geese are no longer in a straight line but have formed some type of triangular shape and are holding their wings out menacingly as I am hopping towards the house - before Al and Bill could reach me the big one with the supersized neck ran right up to me and plucked the muffin from my hand that I had completely forgotten about - and they all ran past me after they got my muffin --- my legs got tangled up into each other - no thanks to my pigeon toes - and I fell and bumped my head and scratched my elbow yanking off the residual scar from the boo boo I had last week.... now I am all banged up ... and not looking good - sprawled on the couch in the playroom with ice on my head, my legs elevated and all the loose skin hanging loose and looking ugly and pitiful, and Al who by now is getting a hilarious laugh out of the whole situation as he tells my daughter who just walks in and asks what is wrong with me - snaps my picture and it is not a pretty picture ... here is to the mountain climber who just had a goose steal her muffin - gotta love it...what is up with me and animals this year????
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What doesn't hurt???? but it is a sweet hurt (lol) on June 9, 2008 3:57 am
After my venture with my son on Saturday hiking up West Rock - see previous entry - it seems there is not one muscle in my body that is not sore (lol) but that is all right at least I woke them all up .... we are having some very hot weather up here ... so I got up real early yesterday morning - made a couple batches of my unprocessed raisin/blueberry bran muffins - for the family and for me for the week - excellent breakfast .... and I made wheat tortilla broccoli, tomato and ground chicken quiches - for lunch and dinner as I had no intention of turning on anything that produced heat in the kitchen the rest of the day.... lol so these are my muffins - so easy to make - just beat up some eggs, add some FF milk and water - add enough splenda to taste - add a tablespoon of baking powder - add 1 teaspoon of LF butter or margerine - add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract - add cinnamon and a bit of nutmeg - add blueberries and raisins - add unprocessed wheat bran - mix together - spray cupcake pan with Pam or cooking spray and bake viola:
I lined a pan - you can use a pie pan with a carb control wheat tortilla, mixed 6 eggs with a pinch of salt and some water and poured it in the shell, emptied 1/2 cup of cooked broccoli in the shell, added browned ground chicken and slices of tomato, added chopped green peppers and FF mozzarella, stuck in the oven - to die for - low cal and rich in protein - a meal for the whole family to enjoy ....
then I donned my sleeveless dress and supersized heels (lol) and enjoyed the rest of my day....
I CAN'T BELIEVE I DID THIS .... AND MADE IT TO... on June 7, 2008 9:42 am
....my son woke me up at 7:00 a.m this morning .... mom get up ... we are hiking up West Rock Mountain .. lets get started --- WHO MEEEEEE????? This here sista could not make it up a flight of stairs 16 months ago but guess what - I said OK - so here we go we jogged/ran all the way from West Haven using the nature path - to New Haven - all the way to the foot of West Rock Mountain and all the way to the top and back down and back home - and I MADE IT - I TRADED FLAB FOR MUSCLES - CHECK THIS OLD FART OUT - DID NOT WHEEZE DID NOT COUGH AND HAD NO SHORTNESS OF BREATH ... WE WERE ON THE GO FOR FOUR STRAIGHT HOURS ... IT COST NOTHING AND WE HAD SOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH FUN - BETTER THAN THE BORING GYM AND MY SON LED THE WAY .... LIKE THIS ... I even crawled in and out of a cave LOL and fit perfect.....
...we jogged/ran through the nature path like this....
...went all the way to West Rock and started hike using a Medium Trail hey ... first time hiking I was not about to try anything harder (lol).... like this... my son led the way
and I followed ... sometimes with my tongue hanging out my head and my knees starting to act up ... hey but I was having fun ... excellent workout and I kept up....
...I enjoyed nature to the fullest ... the bees and the greenery did not bother me one bit .. 16 months ago I would be indoors with allergies to every and anything that I breathe.... my son took snapshots of his once morbid obese mommy along the way ... hiking with him for the first time ... I know I am flabby and old at 50 but I felt unflabby and fit (lol)
...we went all the way to the top of the mountain to the lookout area and to Judge's Cave....
and even crawled in and out of crevices in the cave....
then we walked the long trek all the way back down back through the nature path and back home ... ya think that is the end of me for today???? no way ... I hopped in the shower and donned some jeans --- yikes these are fitting loose - oh well - I am on the run --- heading out to nowhere in particular ... it is such a warm day --- I am going to run around for a bit --- pick up a few of Eggface's recipes ingredients --- treat myself to something nice (like I need it) and head back home and spend quality time the rest of the day with my family ... so here I go heading out the door...
in my now loose fitting jeans (lol)
I can't believe my life is sooooooooooo filled --- 16 months ago on a day like today I would be home watching Lifetime and stuffing my face ... today I take pleasure in the simplest of things because that was then and this is NOW and I am bound by personal choice to this change for life - I risked my life to get a tool and me and my tool are in partnership for LIFE and I AM LOVING IT!!!! Thank you for allowing me to share!!!! Make the best of your journey - whatever your lifestyle whatever your choice - it is well worth it!!!! I thank the fat girl me who still resides inside me - her deliverance is my release - I will not ever forget her - she keeps me focussed on where I want to be and never ever wanting to go back ...
WHAT'S FOR DINNER - EGGFACE'S TORTILLA... on June 6, 2008 2:32 pm
... and I had to beat the big guys down ...... mind you I just came home from hot yoga and my brain is still sizzling and all my screws are not in the perfect place right now ... at times these guys pretend to be as deaf as can be when I am calling them to do something at the top of my voice but when I say I have a a worldaccordingtoEggface recipe they all flock around me like chewing gum on hot concrete ... grovelling for my grub ... hey back off big guys - down, down, down... DH is 6' tall; son 6'3" tall and daughter 6'2" tall .. back down fellas ... let me cook my Eggface grub .... so today it was the wonderful tortilla Pizza recipe EGGFACE posted earlier ... said to rummage around in the fridge and top it with whatever we got-- and whatever is whatever and this is what I came up with...and ended up with super delicious tortilla pizza ----- YUMMY--- but before I could get to it my pack of big guys ate it --- and stood around asking for MORE -- wait a minuite - didn't Eggface say kids can make their own? what is wrong with my two big ones? .... and the third one that happens to be the DH? I know what I gotta do ... check it out below after you take a look of the pizzas they wolfed down....
I know what to do I may be only 5'5.5" inches tall - lost a whole inch but regained half an inch of it - and this sista can rock some heels - mayhaps Al forgot the godawful gargantual heeled whooshie mamma shoes he presented me with last night for my 16th surgiversary - he aught to know I will fight him with his own weapons (lol) so I slipped my feet in my supersized multicolored whooshie mamma heels and I go in the kitchen and say (now I am just or pretty much as tall as they are) BACK OFF FELLAS - IM GONNA MAKE ANOTHER PIZZA JUST FOR ME AND WHEN I COOK EGGFACES GRUB I GET FIRST CHOICE AND YOU GET THE CRUMBS (LOL) - and they all said ---- MOMMMMMMM that was sooooooooooooooo good can you make us some -- and Al said yeah babe why don't you make some more .... and Martita said --- SURE WHY NOT??? THERE IS NOTHING BETTER THAN A GOOD FAMILY MEAL COMING FROM THEWORLDACCORDINGTOEGGFACE!!!! Sista you rock - when you are ready to get your famous cookbook out I want to plant a seed!!!!!!! CHECK OUT THE WHOSHIE MAMMA HEELS (lol)
Sixteen months out ... today I weigh 108 lbs .....
Today is my 16th Month Surgiversary - Things I did;... on June 5, 2008 4:21 am
Down over 170 lbs from my highest weight, I got a tool for LIFE and I am running with it - to the finish line - for LIFE.....taking it one day at a time, rule by rule, with determination, a prayer and a press I continue to PURSUE!!! This is me today.....and some of the things I ate and some of the things I did 16 months into my new life for LIFE!!!!
This was me yesterday .....
I have forgiven myself for beating up on me ... I feel free and not in bondage with out of control eating habits and a morbidly obese body that would no longer moved as I willed. 16 months later, 5 co-morbidities at bay, my life is full of happiness, activities, giving, sharing, love and mobility. When life stresses me out I do not run for food, I take a run on the track. I eat healthy meals in small portions and feel totally satisfied. In sixteen months I have not once broken the rules of my pouch not my nutritional requirements as mapped out by my doctors and it made my journey so easy ... this lifestyle is now a part of me and I am not at all deprived .... yesterday someone on here posted a response and talked about Ziploc Ice Cream ... I thought it was an excellent idea and went running home after work and tweaked the recipe to match me ... and I ended up with ice cream to die for ... like this ... look what I got ... with two Glad bags (did not have Ziplock at home) and some ice ..... Check out the recipe below for a delicious protein filled, low cal and to die for ice cream .... if you can't see the pics check my Photos area ...ASK ME WHY MY SON WAS IN THE KITCHEN SHAKING ANOTHER TWO BAGS????? (lol)
Ingredients:
1 Scoop Vanilla flavored protein powder
Four-Five Packets Splenda
½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
3/4 cup skim milk or fat free milk
2 tablespoons FF Half and Half
1 egg
Sprinkle Nutmeg
Table Salt
Ice (enough to fill half a gallon sized Ziploc bag)
1 sandwich-size Ziploc bag
1 gallon-sized Ziploc bag
In blender or bowl combine splenda, protein powder, vanilla extract, nutmeg, skim milk or FF milk, 1 egg and blend or mix with mixer. Pour mixture into the sandwich bag. Seal the bag tightly.
In the gallon-sized bag, add ice cubes (or fill half the bag with ice) and add 6 or more tablespoons of table salt.
Place the sealed sandwich-sized bag into the gallon bag in the center of the ice. Seal the gallon bag. Shake the entire contents for at least 4 minutes (shake longer for harder ice cream). Once desired hardness has been achieved, remove smaller bagg and rinse thoroughly with cold water (if you miss this step you may wind up with salty ice cream!)
This recipe with the added egg and protein powder made close to 2 cups of DELICIOUS VANILLA-PROTEIN ICE CREAM - COULD NOT EVEN TASTE THE POWDER IT TASTED LIKE THE MOST DELICIOUS VANILLA BEAN ICE CREAM --- I HAD HALF A CUP AND I AM STUFFED TO CAPACITY!!!! THAT IS DINNER FOR ME AND MY POUCH IS SOOOOOOOOOO HAPPY!!!! JUST WHEN MY INTERNAL FURNACE WAS ACTING UP AND I WAS HAVING A ROYAL HOT FLASH - I MADE ZIPLOCK ICE CREAM TO DIE FOR TWEAKED TO MY TASTE WITH THE IDEA OF A POST BY A WONDERFUL PERSON RIGHT HERE ON O.H. I LOVE MY CYBERFAMILY!!!!!! YOU CAN TWEAK THE RECIPE TO YOUR TASTE - AND NO SHAKING THE PROTEIN FOR 4 MINS TO MAKE THE ICE CREAM AND EATING IT IMMEDIATELY AFTER DOES NOT ALTER NOR DIMINISH THE VALUE OF THE PROTEIN......
I have learned to have the best of both worlds .... by reading and learning from wonderful people here on OH - Eggface's recipes are invaluable and so are others .... and I tweak them all to match me and often come up with some of my own like this mixed vegetable quiche I cooked this morning for lunch today with only a FF wheat tortilla, eggs, mixed veggies, FF mozarella all mixed together and poured in a skillet like this .....
FF WHEAT TORTILLA MIXED VEGETABLE QUICHE
Ingredients:
Eggs
½ cup mixed veggies
4 tablespoon water
sprinkle of salt
FF Mozzarella cheese
PAM or cooking spray
Beat eggs and water – I use 4-6 eggs depending on the size Quiche I want to make. Add mixed veggies, salt and mozzarella cheese – as much as you want Spray pan or skillet with PAM or cooking spray
Layer pie pan or skillet with Large Tortilla
Pour in mixture - Bake until cooked
and when on the run one of my favorites is my Sopa de Camarones or Shrimp Soup ....
SOPA DE CAMARON – SHRIMP SOUP
2 packets chicken bullion
1 lbs fresh jumbo shrimp
1/2 cup snap peas or any veggies to taste
1/4 teaspoon rosemary leaves crushed
devein shrimp but leave in shell
bring bullion and water to boil
add shrimpand veggies
sprinkle bit of rosemary leaves
lower heat and simmerTO DIE FOR!!!!!
and every once in a while ... panamanian me wants something ethnic so I grab my sofrito and my sazon some brown rice, some chicken, some shrimp and some sweet peas and mix it all together for my favorite arroz con pollo .... and OH some many other nutritious creative things.....
I can sit at my desk or go to a Japanese Restaurant and enjoy Sashimi...
or I can visit with our favorite 'Eatin good in the Neighborhood OH friend Charlie and have lobster and coffee and a walk and a lovely visit like this...
Life is so good 16 months after the best and most serious decision I made in my life - to have weight loss surgery - to provide me with a tool that gave me the satiety and portion control that I so much needed, to eat and live healthy free of all obesity-related illnesses. Today I AM FREE - if I am happy I laugh with glee, if I am sad I cry or I pray, if I am stressed I funnel my energy with positive activities, I can run, I can walk and I can climb flights and flights of stairs. The doors of health and mobility are open to me and I am walking in it to stay.... thank you so much my beautiful OH family for allowing me to share my ramblings ... we must encourage ourselves to stay the course ... that is where it all starts - with us and your kindness and support are sweet fuel along the way...... I LOVE YOU ALL MY BEAUTIFUL CYBERFAMILY ... 16 MONTHS TODAY YAY!!!! I AM SOOOOOOOOO HAPPY FOR ME AND FOR YOU - LETS SHARE IN EACH OTHER'S JOY - TODAY I CAN FEEL HAPPY EVEN WHEN ALL HELL IS BREAKING LOOSE AROUND ME BECAUSE FOOD NO LONGER HAS CONTROL OVER ME!!!!! AND I WILL FIGHT EACH DAY FOR LIFE TO KEEP IT THAT WAY!!!!
.. I can even sew my own clothes (lol) - I WILL NOT ALLOW MYSELF TO GO BACK - MY FAT LADY IMAGE RESIDES IN ME! HER DELIVERANCE IS MY RELEASE!!!!!
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PROTEIN ICE CREAM TO DIE FOR!!! on June 4, 2008 1:23 pm
Someone posted earlier about making ice cream in ziplock bags ... I thought what an excellent idea ... since I do not have an ice cream maker ... but knowing me I had to do it Martita's way ,,,, so I tweaked the recipe to match my needs and my taste ..... I went home and tweaked the ingredients and followed her technique ... look what I got ... with two Glad bags (did not have Ziplock at home) and some ice ..... Check out the recipe below for a delicious protein filled, low cal and to die for ice cream .... ASK ME WHY MY SON IN IN THE KITCHEN SHAKING ANOTHER TWO BAGS????? (lol)
Ingredients:
1 Scoop Vanilla flavored protein powder
Four-Five Packets Splenda
½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
3/4 cup skim milk or fat free milk
2 tablespoons FF Half and Half
1 egg
Sprinkle Nutmeg
Table Salt
Ice (enough to fill half a gallon sized Ziploc bag)
1 sandwich-size Ziploc bag
1 gallon-sized Ziploc bag
In blender or bowl combine splenda, protein powder, vanilla extract, nutmeg, skim milk or FF milk, 1 egg and blend or mix with mixer. Pour mixture into the sandwich bag. Seal the bag tightly.
In the gallon-sized bag, add ice cubes (or fill half the bag with ice) and add 6 or more tablespoons of table salt.
Place the sealed sandwich-sized bag into the gallon bag in the center of the ice. Seal the gallon bag. Shake the entire contents for at least 4 minutes (shake longer for harder ice cream). Once desired hardness has been achieved, remove smaller bagg and rinse thoroughly with cold water (if you miss this step you may wind up with salty ice cream!)
This recipe with the added egg and protein powder made close to 2 cups of DELICIOUS VANILLA-PROTEIN ICE CREAM - COULD NOT EVEN TASTE THE POWDER IT TASTED LIKE THE MOST DELICIOUS VANILLA BEAN ICE CREAM --- I HAD HALF A CUP AND I AM STUFFED TO CAPACITY!!!! THAT IS DINNER FOR ME AND MY POUCH IS SOOOOOOOOOO HAPPY!!!! JUST WHEN MY INTERNAL FURNACE WAS ACTING UP AND I WAS HAVING A ROYAL HOT FLASH - I MADE ZIPLOCK ICE CREAM TO DIE FOR TWEAKED TO MY TASTE WITH THE IDEA OF A POST BY A WONDERFUL PERSON RIGHT HERE ON O.H. I LOVE MY CYBERFAMILY!!!!!!
TOMORROW IS MY 16TH MONTH SURGIVERSARY YAY!!!!!
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I AM COUNTING ON ME TO KEEP ENCOURAGED on June 3, 2008 3:57 am
yes..... all resources help .... every input is valuable.... but when it comes down to it I am counting on me to keep encouraged ... to stay the course ... to not waiver ... I am in for life and I am committed to me ... and it sure is not easy ... the surgical procedure was performed on the stomach and not on the brain ... so I encourage myself daily to keep in check .... after all my journey is personal and it is about me ... if you judge me shame on you ... you do not know the price of the oil in my alabaster box..... I am struggling to keep my demons at bay and I will not give in to cravings and bad choices - not after all I have been through ... not after all God has brought me through for I give Him all the glory..... I am forever grateful to be able to breathe another day in the freedom of a body that is healthier and mobile. Three days from today I will celebrate my 16th month surgiversary ... of my gift of life to myself and I am living my life like it is golden because I am forever grateful..... thank you Lord, thank you Dr. Duffy and thank you my friend for reading my humble posting.....
Martita 6/3/08
Martita 5/30/08
Martita sewing summer duds over the weekend....
sooooooooooooooo grateful for the fat lady me - she lives on in my mind keeping me focussed ... I remember the sick body, the shortness of breath, the inability to go up stairs .... and I am thankful ... for the tool and the will to eat and live healthy for life..... that was then... THIS IS NOW!
MACHINES, PINS AND NEEDLES - ALL ON... on June 1, 2008 3:37 pm
..... and I had sooooooooooooo much fun too .... decided to make some sexy and cool summer duds for myself for a change ... after sewing for everyone else but me ,,, I am sooooooooo loving this new life of mine I no longer dwell and focus on food ... I no longer lounge around eating non-stop I fill my life with so many things and activities - I am so catching up on lost time. I am always occupied and enjoying all the tiny and even big pleasures in life ... all that I was missing out on before when I had the monkey on my back that kept whispering " FEEEEEEEDDDDD MMMMMMEEEEEE!!!!! I really was a slave of food and I was a bottomless pitt - I could pack it in ..... but today food no longer has control over me.... I used to be so conscious of my body habitus before I, being an excellent seamstress, sewed all the prom dresses and quinceaneras and bridals for friends and acquaintances and very seldom did anything for myself - but guess what??? NOT ANYMORE?????? half my fancy wardrobe I have made myself and loving it (hey my mom was a couturier and a good one too - and we got to sew the zippers and hems and pick up pins when we were little - my two sisters and I - tasks that we hated but hey - today my sisters and I can sew real good (lol) thank God for mom showing us how although we did not appreciate it at the time - we sooooooooooo hated that she made all our dolls and all of our clothes and although everyone always complimented us on how nice we looked we hated it because she dressed us alike and homemade duds were not the in thing or so we thought young and foolish as we were (lol)))) - well my sisters remained skinny and I was the only one to get morbidly obese but I am grateful for having a tool that gives me the satiety and portion control that I so much needed - I sat and I sewed three different beautiful outfits to rock next week without even a desire of popping anything into my mouth or stuffing my face compulsively like I did before. I enjoyed my three protein dense meals and I sipped my fluids - I sewed, I enjoyed my family and friends who stopped by and I am soooooooo happy - food is no longer the center of my life - it no longer controls me - but I will always be mindful that beneath it all danger lies within - so I will not let my guard down and I will always remember where I came from. My fat lady image resides within me keeping me steadfast and reminding me what it felt like to live with five co-morbidities and limited mobility - a place I no longer desire to go back to..... so here is me with spending my weekend with MACHINES, PINS AND NEEDLES.... AND LOVING THE SIMPLE PLEASURES IN LIFE AND LOVING MYSELF FOR MYSELF....
I thank that fat lady me --- her deliverance is my release .... my release is her deliverance and today I AM HAPPY!!!!! even when things are not going the way I want them to --- even when I am stressed --- even when I am sad (two very good friends passed this week) ---- even when I am happy--- I CAN HAVE A NORMAL DAY WITHOUT TURNING TO FOOD FOR COMFORT AND RELEASE .... I AM GRATEFUL FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU WHOSE POSTS, ENCOURAGEMENT AND RESPONSES HAVE HELPED AND CONTINUE TO HELP ON MY JOURNEY!!!! THANK YOU ALWAYS MY BEAUTIFUL O.H. FAMILY
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