27 Weeks Post Op (Quick Update and My Period)

Hi there! Well, not much has happened since this last Sunday. I've been doing too much relaxing, since this is our last week before school starts again...and basketball....and Awanas....and well, just life. lol So, yes, lots of "L~A~Z~Y" happening here folks. Oh well! It feels good not to have to rush here and there...and not having to really plan out schedules and such. I suppose you could say that I'm definitely enjoying this moment in time. 

Okay, so for the update. I've lost another pound since Sunday. This puts me at 192 lbs. My size 18 jeans are starting not to be too tight. They're almost just right. It's a good thing because not being able to breath when all buttoned and zipped up is not good. lol 

On another note, for some reason my hormones and my monthly periods....yes, periodSSSSS....are so stinking out of whack. I don't understand it. Normally, I would have a 25-26 day cycle. By the way, I have an app on my phone that helps me keep track of all this. So, I'm very in tune with my body. Anyways, not including this last cycle I went through but I'm talking about the 2 previous ones, I actually had 28 day cycles for both of them. Then the last cycle, I bled 2 weeks after my previous period for like 2 or 3 days (so, mid-cycle). I had very tender breast...okay, they hurt really bad! And oh my goodness, my mood swings were of the devil. It was a really bad month for me. I couldn't understand it and actually thought I might be pregnant. Well, that sure wasn't it. Two weeks after the break through bleeding, I had my period which fell at 25 days. Then instead of having the normal 3-5 day period, I had a 7-8 day period. What???? So here it is again, mid-cycle, and I'm having break through bleeding. This has never happened before with exception to the last cycle period. But this time, so far, no mood swings....no tender boobies. What is going on with me? Does anyone have any idea? It's been a little over 6 months since my surgery. I know all the changes make your body a little wacky but honestly, I thought I would have seen something like this months ago while my body was in total shock. How I eat, drink, and take vitamins and supplements has been pretty much the same now for a while. I can't think of anything that has changed drastically. I do have my annual with my ob/gyn in a week or so and I will bring this up to him then. Anyways, have any of you gone through something similar? Do you have any idea of why this is happening? It's bad enough that I have one period a month...but TWO! Come on! Help!....and help my poor family. They will go nuts right along with me. I'm hoping this is not a new normal. Ugh!

26 Weeks Post Op (Update, Christmas, and Pictures)

Merry Christmas!!!! Wow, I can't believe it finally came and now it's practically gone. It always seems like it takes forever to get here and then in the few short weeks before Christmas, time starts to fly....THEN it's here...just like that. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. We sure did! And yes, I've been eating all the things that I shouldn't. Oh well! I haven't weighed since about 3 days ago. I just couldn't. I don't feel like I've gained anything but just in case I did, I didn't want to see it. It would depress me too much. 

On that note, I will update you on my last weigh in. I'm now down to 193 lbs. Whoopee!!!! I love it! I finally got into my size 18 pants. They fit perfectly except when I sit down. Oh yeah baby, they're too tight in the waist when I do any type of bend. So the button has to give. Yes, I've been sitting down and when no one is looking I undo my button and sometimes unzip about a half inch and breath again. lol I've pretty much stopped wearing my size 20w pants because they are just falling off of me. I was frustrated because there should be an in-between size. I'm sure this will not be the first and last time this happens and I'm okay with that. It's a problem I'm glad to have. :)

So here are some very recent pictures ... all taken this last week. OH...OH...I forgot to tell you that I got my hair permed about 2 weeks ago. Let me tell you, it felt like an eternity waiting for the process to get done. My hair goes all the way down to my booty. It took around 120 rollers, 3 perms, and 5 hours to complete. Yes, you heard me right....5 hours! It's just now starting to relax a bit. I think I like it. My husband isn't a big fan of perms but he says it's pretty. And I've been receiving compliments from others so I don't think I look like a mop head....that's what I thought when I first got it. Naturally my hair is very straight and because I've lost quite a bit over the last couple of months, it thinned way down. It had no bounce or umph to it at all, I had to do something. Now, it has lots of body and it doesn't feel super thin to me anymore. Maybe I'll get my husband to take a picture of the back of it so you can see it a little better.

Okay, pictures! Oh and I also added some of the crafty things I've made in the last couple of weeks. I love to craft. I just wish I had more time to do it.

 

Our Christmas tree right after we decorated it.

I made this for my Granny to hang on her door. This was super easy and a lot of fun to make. Wood letter, pearl white acrylic paint, red and green yarn, red ribbon, green bells, and a hot glue gun! Simple!

This is a picture of my son when he was about 2 and a half. One of my favorites! Not quite as simple but not terribly hard. Very time consuming though. Wood, sander, tissue paper, Modge Podge, laser printer, and paint. I was going to give this as a gift to a family member but when it was all said and done, I was in love with it and couldn't let go of it. So I gifted myself! Thanks self!

 Here's the finished project. Sorry, these were taken with my phone.

I made this for my Dad. This is him and my son when my son was about 2 and a half. I used all the same materials and techniques as in the above picture. My dad loved it and asked me if a local artist had done it. I was shocked! My husband jumped in and said that I had created it. My dad told me I should take this up. He actually walked around to everyone and was showing them and bragging on me. I couldn't believe it! Oh, can you see the wood through the picture...I love this about it. If anyone wants to know how to make these, let me know...I would love to share!

23 Weeks Post-Op (Quick Update and Me Talking to Talk)

Hi all! This week has been the coldest week so far this fall...or soon to be winter. I'm so excited that Christmas will be here soon even though we are no where ready for it. I hope you all are doing wonderfully!

Okay, a super quick update on my weight. I've lost another 2 lbs. since my last update about a week ago. This brings me to 196 lbs. I'm very happy about this. Hopefully it will keep falling off.

I have to say that even though this journey hasn't been the easiest...you know, with the surgery and recovery...and the getting used to all the life changes.............I feel like the weight comes off with so little effort. As ashamed as I am, I haven't exercised much and I still get to eat some junky foods that if I'd even looked at before, I would have gained 10 lbs. just for the simple look. I do still get all my protein in and I try to get all my liquid in...which most days, I do. And I don't eat junky food every single day either but when I do, I feel as if I have this high metabolism that a naturally thin person has. I'm pretty sure I don't and maybe it's just the fact that I can't stuff myself silly even after I'm stuffed (you know, going back for seconds or thirds or for that matter, eating whatever it is all day long). And possibly because my appetite is almost nonexistent .... and when I do want something that's high carb, high calorie, high fat, and no protein, I'm satisfied with only a very small portion....especially compared to what I used to eat or drink. I don't have to tell myself that I need to stop...I just really and truly have no desire to eat another bite. I love this about the sleeve! I don't really know why I'm going on and on about this except to say that the sleeve is so wonderful and unlike any kind of diet I've ever done in my life. Oh wait a minute, this isn't a diet and doesn't feel like it either. Maybe that's why I love my sleeve so much! If I ever needed or if I could ever have it done again, knowing what I know now, I'd do the surgery again in a heart beat. I wouldn't think twice and I wouldn't worry like I did the first time. I would be begging the doctor to do it right away. And I don't think I'd have the buyer's remorse the second time around like I did the in the first month after surgery this time around. I'll stop with all that....REALLY, like I'll ever need it done again! Ha! lol I heart my sleeve!!!

And just to mention it, I don't have any left over problems that some surgeries have. I have no malabsorption problems, I have no food restrictions (except maybe raw celery...I think that's one that I can pass on...and maybe raw coconut...not something I eat much of anyways), no twinges or pains....really nothing. I LOVE MY SLEEVE!!!!

22 Weeks Post Op, (Onederland Baby! and Our Week Away)

This was my weigh in this morning on the Wii.

WARNING: This will be a long post! lol I have lots of pictures to share.

Take a look at this! I'm so excited! I weigh 198 lbs. ONE-DERLAND!!!! I made it! Wow! I weighed last night and I was at 199.2 .... so I lost .9 lbs. over night. What an awesome feeling. I thought I had gained over this last week because I ate so many things I shouldn't have but I told myself, that while on vacation if I wanted something, I would have it so that I wouldn't feel deprived. Well, I sure didn't deprive myself..that's for sure. Most days, I got all of my protein and liquid in but I had a few days that it just seemed impossible because we were running here and there. I'm not sure why I didn't gain anything but maybe the fact that even when I indulged in the forbidden foods, I didn't have much because my stomach can only hold so much at a time or perhaps all the walking and climbing we did counter acted the junk calories I took in. I'm not sure why I continued to lose but I have to say that if this last week would have been a week without my sleeve, I would surely have gained 5-10 lbs. Thank you sleeve...I heart you! :)  It is so nice to know that if I mess up for a week, I don't pack weight back on...in fact, I still continued to lose. I'm so shocked by this. This is totally opposite of what it was like with the "before sleeve" reality.

I'll share our vacation with you. We have never taken a "vacation" trip during a holiday week. This year has been stressful and we needed a breather. So we went to Branson, Missouri. Actually, Kimberly, MO. This is about 8 hours from where we live...Texas. It was cold, in the low 40's, but it was fun. The first night we stayed in a one room cabin. We liked it but it was expensive and didn't have a full kitchen which was important to us being that we were going to be there for a week and we didn't want to eat out for every meal. Isn't it cute though?

 

After that, we found a condo with a very close balcony view of a lake. It was very nice but the bed was as hard as a rock. Don't get me wrong, I slept...just not comfortably. We mainly went to Branson for Silver Dollar City. They had over 4 million Christmas lights. It was beautiful! They also had many Christmas shows and of course, lots of rides for our son. I think I will just shower this page with lots of pictures. Some pictures didn't turn out so great because it was night time and our camera wasn't cooperating. Go figure! Anyways, we had a blast and my energy level was soaring! My mood was good and I felt like I could conquer the world. Past vacations I sat on the sidelines, felt sluggish, and tired a good amount of the time. I know this time was different because of the weight loss. Not only not dragging all that extra weight around but also my hormones don't feel totally out of control. It's so weird and I know I have a long ways to go but I feel like a new person. We even went down into a cave that was physically challenging. You had to go down steep stairs that equaled a 50 story building. When we reached the bottom my legs were trembling. But I was okay and able to keep going. My hips gave me no trouble and I had the energy to lug around what weight I do still carry. We went through the rest of the cave, going up and down steep passages. Then at the end, we had to climb 10 stories worth of steep stairs. It was hard but I did it! I was a huffin' and a puffin' but in the end, I was "A" okay! We also tromped all over Silver Dollar City which is in the hills. Up and down hills all day long for 3 days. It felt good! It was a lot of fun! My leg muscles were sore. We were going to go for a 4th day but the crowds were so bad that we decided to do some other things like bowling, swimming in the indoor swimming pool, and we played some games at the condo. 

We had a great Thanksgiving! I hope y'all did too!

Down time in the condo.

We went to the Springfield, MO Discover Center. This was a lot of fun for all of us.

Bouncy bridge! I tried this, too, and it was very bouncy and fun.

Tops table!

234 cans! Wow!

Pull yourself close to the poll and it would go super fast. This thing nearly made me sick! Of course, you don't see a picture of me doing it. lol

About to go flying! Look at his face.

He has his hands on a static machine. You can't see it but the guy's hand is making his hair go up and down. It was funny as you can see us laughing.

Then it was my turn. Can you see my hair standing up? It was pulled up in a pony tail. We decided to let my hair down to see what would happen. See the next pictures.

Yes, my hair goes down to my butt. These pictures just don't do justice to what that static machine was doing to my hair. It was everywhere. It's hard to see it all.

Talk about a bad hair day!

I think this was called a pixel board. We had fun with it.

This is a drinking fountain...made to make you squirm a little. They did it to play with your mind. Did we drink from it? No way! I just couldn't!

A real human brain.

Inside the eyeball.

This was one of my favorite things. I just love bubbles, especially when they're this huge!

Can you believe this?

He's being eaten! lol'

Then we got to pretend we were doing a news caption. This was fun too.

He looks really serious here! Something big must have happened! lol

He was 3 stories in the air. It took awhile for him to conquer his fear but he did it! I'm so proud! Look at his face.

Now look at his face...he's calm and having fun!

Silver Dollar City

Glass blowing

Holiday spirit? Ha! Don't ask...lol

Just beautiful! This was a huge display ... look at its reflection in the water.

 

Look! Santa Claus!

 

Okay...this was the only ride I rode. I'm not a ride kind of person. I hate the way it makes me feel. This was fun though!

This is one of the many rides they rode together.

Isn't this just the sweetest thing? My baby!

Major huggins!

Gettin' some lovins!

He's having his hand made into a wax statue. This was really cool. I'll have to take a picture of the final art piece.

See my guys on there. You don't see me on there! Are you crazy? lol This ride had 5 loops in it. Acckkkk!

Silver Dollar City: Marvel Cave

This was the beginning of our cave tour. See the picture behind her. This was were we would be traveling by foot.

In the cave now.

Going down steep stairs that equaled a 50 story building.

Back to the rides:

Bouncy bridge!

They had a live Nativity play. This was after the play was over.

On our way home, we took some back roads through Arkansas. This is Beaver, AR. This is a really long, one lane wooden bridge. You don't see this every day.

That's it for now. I hope all of you are doing well and I hope I didn't bore you to death with all these pictures.