April 15, 2009

Apr 15, 2009

Happy Tax Day!

I am going to be honest here. Blogging when you are experiencing a major stall sucks. Unless something happens, expect me to blog every other Wednesday. I am up a half a pound this week from last week. I am also PMSing BAD, so I am sure that has something to do with it. But it is what it is.

Right now some aspects of my life are really really tumultuous, while others are quite fabulous! I am gonna focus on the good.

Like my job. It is picking up and I am going on more appointments and I am really loving it!

And my friends – I have some of the best in the world! Included in these friends is the WLS family I have found here on OH. I seriously would lose my mind without my WLS friends. So many of them are years out from their surgery. I heard from my friend Ann who is almost three years out and just hit Onderland a few months ago. She is the one that tells me this journey is not a sprint – it is a marathon. And as long as you don’t break the cardinal rule – DO NOT DRINK WITH YOUR MEALS – your pouch will always be with you and always stay small. Ann will never weigh in the 300’s again, and neither will I. Another friend, Rob – oh Rob, what would I do without you? – he is fresh out of surgery and reminds me all the time what it was like in the beginning and how to stay on track. And Steph – she is about 2 and a half years out – she talks me off the ledge all the time – I love you girl! And Jenny, who I met on the OH cruise in January 2007 – oh Jenny – I am blessed to have you in my life. Jenny started at upwards of 400 pounds and is looking so good at 2 years out. She keeps it real. She knows, like me, that she is not at goal yet, but she sure as hell isn’t gaining any weight back and that she will now live a long and healthy life and be there for the people that she loves. She is no longer busy dying, she is busy living and it is a wonderful thing! There is Melissa and Teri and Anna and PK and Jess who I also met on that cruise and I follow their process and they inspire me all the time. (Pictures of all of us in the Archives of January 2007) Teri just had her first round of plastics as did PK and they both look amazing! I SOOO can’t wait to get the skin removed from my upper arms and my boobs put back where they belong. LOL! And Natalie, who looks like she was never overweight a day in her life, started out over 325 pounds 5 years ago and has now had ALL her plastics (losing over 25 more pounds of skin in the process) reminds me that stalls and slowdowns can last 6 months but as long as you are not gaining you are on the right track. (You can see pictures of me with Natalie from my post in the February 2009 archives. There are also pictures there with Mikey.) There is Mikey who is going on two years out and drives a truck for a living so he doesn’t have a guy membership and he is still keeping off the weight he has lost. And Kristen - I so can't wait for you to move down here! Your words of encourgement help me every day and I just know that you are gonna get me running 5Ks with you! And last week I met Kimmy who just had her 4 year surgiversary and looks fantastic - inspiring! And of course my WLS friends that I have here in town. Diane – I never would have done this without your help and support and encouragement and even though we face struggles every day, you have kept off over 100 pounds of weight loss and three years later are still one of the most beautiful people I know. Pattilyn, Jill, Tami, Andrea, Amy and Tammy – the best support group ever! There are so many more who keep me on track and keep me going every day. I love all my WLS friends!  

So, if there are some of you out there that are worried… don’t be. I know it is hard for people who have not had this surgery to understand, but the pouch never goes away as long as you don’t break the Cardinal Rule – and I never do.  

So here are a few photos.  I said I met Kimmy this past week. She is awesome!  
  


And a few weeks ago I met Ed and Nicole and Shirl (well, Shirl I have met several times - she is pre-op). We had a blast! I love meeting people from the OH board!

  

And a few days ago I was in Ross and didn’t see anything I liked. But on the way out, I saw this skirt. It is a Large and it was $10.00! I bought it without trying it on! Wow! I never do that! And I got it home and it fit! I am wearing it today.



Here is Me, Gretchen, Scott and Tina from an Art Show we went to 2 weekends ago. It was a BLAST! I am wearing a new Michael Kors top! Woo Hoo!

  

And it was Easter! Happy Easter Everyone! I love my family so much. They have stood by me through thick and thin – through good times and bad. I could not ask for a more wonderful family.

  

And here are the nephews with the Easter Bunny.

  

And here is me with the Easter Bunny in my brand new Large top from Macy’s. Ummm, is it just me or is the bunny looking down my shirt? LOL!  



After brunch we went on a golf cart ride. Here is Ethan sitting on my lap so he can drive. What's that? Sitting on my what? Oh yeah, my LAP! I have one now!! Before surgery my stomach would have hit the steering wheel. This is awesome!

  

See you all in 2 weeks – unless something awesome happens. Just keep checking back on Wednesdays or Thursdays. Don’t worry, I won’t ever stop updating for good.

 

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