gailpatrick

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Two weekends ago Fayetteville had Host of Christmas of Past.  Haley and I went around the square on Friday night.  We went in all the stores that were open.  They were all beautifully decorated.  Being on the square at night reminds me of when I was a child going to town with my granddaddy.  I was his girl.  I was the only child and the only grandchild.  My grandparents raised me and I was spoiled rotten.  I haven't been spoiled since.  Last weekend Melinda, Tim, Jennifer, & Brian came down from Nashville.  It was great to see them in person.  Both the gals were great sources of information.  Melinda brought me a lot of samples of everything bariatric and protein.  She must have enough to start a store.  I met her here on OH.  Yesterday I went to a reunion for former employees of Scovill.  I worked there long ago.  I'm anxious to compare my picture from yesterday with the one from last year.  I won two door prizes, a Christmas ornament that looks like an ice cream cone filled with candy and two Christmas dish towels.  Guess my son, Haley , and myself will just go out for Thanksgiving.  I'm the only one who likes turkey.

I can't believe I didn't have something to say 2 months ago.  I didn't have a picture either.  In the month of July 4 of us met at Shoney's for our newly formed support group.  We all made it back together last month.  A lot of people I work with have had the same surgery but they are all 2 years or more out.  In my group of 4 the others are not as far out as me.  My older son who had been living with me for a year and a half has moved to Virginia.  His 12 year old son, Jacob is staying with me so he can ride the bus to the only school he's ever attended.  He's pretty easy going and not hard to get along with.  He likes to play games on the computer.  The other son's little girl, Haley is still with me at night.  She will be 9 next month.  She seems to be doing better in school this year.  She's in the 3rd grade.

Today I saw my gyn for the yearly pap exam.  He is just two doors down from Dr. Foreman.  I had seen him last year in May and told him I was going to have wls.  They must have noted it in my chart then because the first thing his nurse said was "How much have you lost?"  The doctor said he didn't recognize me.  Since he was seeing everything else I showed him my thinning hair.  He asked if my mother had thin hair.  She was in a nursing home and bedfast for over four years.  When she died the right side of her head was practically bald.  We put a wig on her.  She had worn one back in the 70's and it sure looked better than nothing.  I finally got one of the boys to take my picture yesterday.  Yesterday morning the scale went down 2.5.  This gives me a total of 58 lost.  I can now get in some size 16 jeans and other brand fit pretty good in an 18 petite.  I'm hoping the slow lost will help with the skin issue.

I haven't updated in a while.  I've thought many times about what I wanted to say but the words just stayed in my head.   On Monday my older son Brian, his son Jacob, my granddaughter Haley and I left for a short trip to Newport News, VA where my son had a job interview.  I got up at 8 in the morning on Monday and didn't go to bed until around 9 Tuesday night.  Brian drove most of the way but he got sleepy and I had to take over.  His interview was successful and he accepted the job.  He will have to go back for a physical and a drug test in a few weeks.  It could be 6 to 8 weeks before he actually goes up there and starts work.  We only got to go to the beach on Wednesday and it was cold , very windy, & the beaches were closed.  Finally late in the afternoon at the third beach it had calmed down and my granddaughter got to get her feet wet.  On the way back home on Thursday we stopped at the outlets at Williamsburg.  My son was good about stopping often because he wanted to smoke.

This morning at church I told my friend's Sunday School teacher who I was. She said that my face looked familiar and that I looked gorgeous. We went to lunch and then next door to Goodwill. I got some spring jackets and some dresses. The jackets are 10s and the dresses are 8s. Not all the dresses fit, but they'll wait on me. Both granddaughters went with me. They both picked out some dresses and promptly tried all of them on when we got home. We had a little snow yesterday but it didn't last long. The girls got up early and played in it. The blue recliner that I ordered 4 weeks ago was delivered yesterday. I sure is comfortable. This time last year I would have spend the whole weekend in it watching TV. I don't spend as much time sitting down now. Today was sunny and warmer. The week of the 17th the kids are out for spring break. I hope the weather is nice.

I've been waiting a while to write this. I hit 50 pounds this morning. I've set my goal at 125. I weighed 115 when I got married in 1965. I don't think my legs are rubbing together as much as they did, but they are still big. The weather is supposed to be nice today and tomorrow. My friend Jane and I are going to Tullahoma shopping. I stopped at Dillards's in Huntsville on the way home from work yesterday. There was a pair of earrings that I wished I had bought. Jane suggested that there are other Dillards, so I decided to go to another one. They have some good sales on now. Tullahoma is smaller than Huntsville so there will be less traffic and we will only have to go to one mall.

I have been going to Goodwill and yard sales for years.  Now I can't stay away from Goodwill.  I'm in there 2 or 3 times a week.  I do need smaller size clothes but I'm getting too many.  My granddaughter and I have been to church for the past two weeks.  I was raised in the Cumberland Presbyterian as a child, however it is on the other side of town and I would pass about ten churches on my way there.  So I have gone to a close one where my best friend and her mother goes.  They have a children's church where Haley can go.  It's a new experience for her.  I know more people who go there that I thought I did.  Afterwards we've gone to Goodwill and then to the Mexican restaurant next door.  Today I wore a long black skirt size 16.  It was very slimming.  At Goodwill I found 2 small checked blazers to go with the skirt.  I usually buy what's on sale for .99 or .50 according to what day it is.  I also found some dresses for both of the granddaughters.  My sons grandmother who had been staying with her daughters since her lung surgery the week of Christmas came back to her home over the weekend.  It's good to know she is at home.  She has been a best friend, a sister, and a mother to me for many years.  My food choices haven't been too good over the weekend.  Last week I got some more protein and want to try to work a shake in daily.  I have found that mixing vanilla protein with coffee makes both of them taste much better.  I've never been a coffee drinker just a diet coke addict.  I need to try some new recipes that  I find  on people's blogs and on the forums.  I keep saving and printing them off but haven't tried any yet.  I like putting ground turkey in vegetable soup, taco salad, and chili.  I eat it for days till it's gone.  Sometimes I freeze it.   I hope to report a loss next post.

Well it was 6 months yesterday and I'm 45 down by my scales. I had my surgeon's appointment last Thursday and was only officially down 41 by his scale. My hair has always been thin and now I can't stand to look at my scalp in front in the mirror. I went out and got a wig. I had been wearing one but it wasn't the color I wanted and didn't fit real well. I wish I had done it sooner. I love the way it looks. I've been told it makes me look younger. I might just get another one. It's not 100% comfortable but guess I'll get use to it. I know it makes me feel so much better.

I can't believe I forgot to post a couple of WOW moments, maybe because of the event associated with them.  My ex brother-in-law was diagnosed with sinus cancer about six months ago.  He passed away the week after Thanksgiving.  I wore knee highs to the visitation and they stayed up.  They didn't even think about rolling down.  I wore panty hose to the funeral.  I needed the big size for my legs but the panty part was loose. This week at work I've had men and women tell me that I'm looking good.  My hair has always been thin but now you can see my scalp in the front and it parts funny in the back.  I may wear a wig to work tomorrow.  Today I wore some black mules instead of my old stand by tennis shoes.  I still have a hard time walking in them but I kept them on all day.

It's been 5 months today and I'm down 42 pounds. I went to my family doctor last Monday and got the results of my latest bloodwork and it was all just right. He has checked me 3 times since WLS. Goodwill had a 50% off everything sale yesterday. I got a nice teal long wool coat and a nice L. L. Bean all weather coat with a wool liner. They were $10 each. I'm wearing 18's in dress pants which are fitting good now. The weather has been great this weekend. It's been in the 70's. I did yard work both days. I have 1.7 acres and lots of trees which means lots and lots of leaves. The temperature is supposed to stay warm for several days. My younger granddaughter started basketball practice last week. She is going to play point guard. She is better than the other 4 girls. She has stayed in the after school program and has been on the basketball court. I don't think the other little girls have ever played. She only knows dribbling and shooting, but nothing about playing the game. She played t-ball last year but don't like it. Her grades are not so good. I think this will be so good for her self esteem. She only sees her mother about once a year. My son has full custody. Her mother wanted to know what she wants for Christmas. She said that she would like to spend time with her mother, but that won't happen. I don't know how a mother can not see their children. I am thankful that I have been able to help my son with her. Having two boys only, I am so loving this little girl.