Well, I didn't exactly make it a week of posts last week, but I am being more consistent here at least. I hate to bore everyone when I have nothing useful to say. I know some of you are probably wondering why I talk at all then! LOL
So one thing I have been trying to focus more on is quality of life goals - focusing on those things that I used to be able to do that morbid obesity took from me. The premise being that I can take my mind off the scale and the lack of movement there. Seriously. Been stuck there for 3 weeks now, and even gained 2 pounds last week. But that's what I get for eating Thai, Korean, and Chinese all in a span of 4 days. Lesson learned.
But that list consists of such things as riding a roller coaster again.... of going sky-diving.... of water skiing again.... of learning to scuba dive.... things such as these. Think of it as sort of pseudo-Bucket List. Things such as these are what WLS folks call non-scale victories. Wearing a smaller size of clothing is just icing on the cake. I already wrote about kicking the last of the BP meds last week. This weekend, I was able to check one of those items off my list.
Yes, that's right boys and girls, I water-skied. For the first time in almost 20 years I was able to get up on a pair of water skis. In fact, I was able to get up on the first try, and I stayed up until I told David to drop me by the shoreline. (BTW, a big shout-out to David Hall - he is a co-worker and friend of my brother-in-law, Todd. Now I can say that both David and his lovely fiancee' Heather as well as his parents are now friends of mine and Gerald. Wonderful, generous, sweet people.) And David knows how to pull folks on skis. He was completely calm and reassuring so I didn't have any fear of falling and embarrassing myself. If I fell, so what? I'd try again. But I didn't. David and Heather as spotter let me know when I was coming into some choppy water so I was able to keep my knees bent properly. I could go on and on.....
But the most important part of this whole story is that I felt FREE. Free from the bonds of morbid obesity and the ravages it had on my body. Free to do anything I want. Free to live my life to the fullest! I can't describe the feeling. I got a little teary-eyed then, and even now when I think about it. If you've never lived with the daily pain of morbid obesity and the toll it takes on your body, count yourself very fortunate indeed. And for any folks out there who may be reading this, especially those of you who don't know me personally, if you are living in that prison, let me say it again, you can be free, too!
Words can't describe how good it felt yesterday to move my arms and feel the soreness in my shoulders. Yes, it felt good! I hate we don't have pictures to share, but we will, next time! Yes, there WILL be a next time! But there is no way that next time will feel half as good as realizing a personal victory such as this.
Hope you have a great week! Go out and have your own personal victory, whatever form it takes. Now that's living.........
Monday, August 10, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
What? 2 posts in 2 days?!?!?!
A few weeks ago, I was having bouts of dizziness, especially when I stood up or sat up. I remembered (thankfully) that the cardiologist that cleared me for surgery said to watch for those symptoms when it became time to get off the Norvasc. I was placed on it several years ago because I was always having tachycardia. Stressed much? And not just from carrying around an extra 170 pounds.....
I went to see my PCP's PA, and she did some orthostatic BP measurements sp see what was going on. I was certainly symptomatic. She did a test run to see if I could come off the Norvasc. I went back a week later, and lo and behold, I can finally completely kick the BP meds. That was the last one since I came off the other one that day of surgery. I really am excited!! My BP was 112/68 the last time I took it. And to think that 6 short months ago, my BP was constantly around 150/90, and was becoming more and more uncontrollable. The cardiologist even mentioned increasing my dose of Norvasc before surgery, though that was not necessary as it turns out.
So I really am excited about the quality of life improvements that I have now. I can sit on the couch and bend over until my chest touches my knees and tie my shoes while still continuing to breathe normally. I can do the same while painting my toes. I can get down in the floor and get right back up with ease. No grunting or feeling like my knees are going to explode. Heck, the other day I squatted down in Mom's yard and stayed like that for a minute or so while I tried to get her neurotic dog to stop barking. Not only would I have not done that before surgery, if I had, I'd have not been able to stay like that more than a few seconds.
Now that the scale seems to move a little slower, I'm doing a couple of things to keep my head sane. First, I'm staying off the scales. Second, I'm trying to focus on those QoL improvements that give me non-scale victories. And I'm staying accountable with my eating - protein first! We haven't started our running program yet, but I am hopeful that my back will calm down enough that I can try it in the next few days. I have an appt to see the spine doc in September, but may get in sooner if it continues to bother me. I'm basically having sharp, shooting pains down my left leg and in my lower left back. They come and go very quickly, but it paralyzes me while it's happening. I think I may need to have it injected again. But, the one thing I am doing is reading a book called ChiRunning by Danny Dreyer. And out of that, I have come to realize that Tai Chi can help me gain core strength, flexibility and relax all at the same time. So to that end, G and I are going to start going to some Tai Chi classes at the downtown Y starting tomorrow night. I'm pretty excited about it. I'm just anxious to get back out and do some running since I can't help but think it will feel a lot different now that I've lost a whole Paris Hilton.
So that's where my head, and weight, is now. I am doing well, felling really good most days. I still struggle with eating too fast, and it still hurts when I do. But oddly, I am glad it still works that way, and I hope and pray it always will. Lots of folks tell me I'm looking younger, but at the same time are wary I'll be offended. No way will I ever get upset to hear I look younger! It'd be different if I didn't go into it knowing I made a drastic life change, yanno? Heck, I even had some young hottie say hello the other day in the produce section of the Harris Teeter. That was exciting and scary on SO many levels! LOL Ya'll know what I'm talking about!
Well, tomorrow, in my plan to keep up with posting daily, I will tell you all about losing my hair. Seriously, what's up with that crazy do in the picture Sunday night? I just don't know what to do with it now..... I'm open to suggestions!
I went to see my PCP's PA, and she did some orthostatic BP measurements sp see what was going on. I was certainly symptomatic. She did a test run to see if I could come off the Norvasc. I went back a week later, and lo and behold, I can finally completely kick the BP meds. That was the last one since I came off the other one that day of surgery. I really am excited!! My BP was 112/68 the last time I took it. And to think that 6 short months ago, my BP was constantly around 150/90, and was becoming more and more uncontrollable. The cardiologist even mentioned increasing my dose of Norvasc before surgery, though that was not necessary as it turns out.
So I really am excited about the quality of life improvements that I have now. I can sit on the couch and bend over until my chest touches my knees and tie my shoes while still continuing to breathe normally. I can do the same while painting my toes. I can get down in the floor and get right back up with ease. No grunting or feeling like my knees are going to explode. Heck, the other day I squatted down in Mom's yard and stayed like that for a minute or so while I tried to get her neurotic dog to stop barking. Not only would I have not done that before surgery, if I had, I'd have not been able to stay like that more than a few seconds.
Now that the scale seems to move a little slower, I'm doing a couple of things to keep my head sane. First, I'm staying off the scales. Second, I'm trying to focus on those QoL improvements that give me non-scale victories. And I'm staying accountable with my eating - protein first! We haven't started our running program yet, but I am hopeful that my back will calm down enough that I can try it in the next few days. I have an appt to see the spine doc in September, but may get in sooner if it continues to bother me. I'm basically having sharp, shooting pains down my left leg and in my lower left back. They come and go very quickly, but it paralyzes me while it's happening. I think I may need to have it injected again. But, the one thing I am doing is reading a book called ChiRunning by Danny Dreyer. And out of that, I have come to realize that Tai Chi can help me gain core strength, flexibility and relax all at the same time. So to that end, G and I are going to start going to some Tai Chi classes at the downtown Y starting tomorrow night. I'm pretty excited about it. I'm just anxious to get back out and do some running since I can't help but think it will feel a lot different now that I've lost a whole Paris Hilton.
So that's where my head, and weight, is now. I am doing well, felling really good most days. I still struggle with eating too fast, and it still hurts when I do. But oddly, I am glad it still works that way, and I hope and pray it always will. Lots of folks tell me I'm looking younger, but at the same time are wary I'll be offended. No way will I ever get upset to hear I look younger! It'd be different if I didn't go into it knowing I made a drastic life change, yanno? Heck, I even had some young hottie say hello the other day in the produce section of the Harris Teeter. That was exciting and scary on SO many levels! LOL Ya'll know what I'm talking about!
Well, tomorrow, in my plan to keep up with posting daily, I will tell you all about losing my hair. Seriously, what's up with that crazy do in the picture Sunday night? I just don't know what to do with it now..... I'm open to suggestions!
Monday, August 3, 2009
I know I'm slack, so gimme some slack, OK?
Howdy! I have been so crazy busy each day here at work, and then I go home and it seems the list of stuff to do grows each day I'm not there to work on it. It's crazy! But we wanted a new house, and we totally love our new house! I'm still working on the studio, but I had to fight the wasps for territory this past Saturday. They built a nest in the window where we have the A/C unit. Not fun. But I did find out that Raid really will shoot their asses from 20 feet away!
G is working on the yard and garden like a madman. We have peas and green beans sprouting. He also planted some lettuce but he accidentally killed the seedlings last week when he left the top on the little seed starter. It cooked them. But we have more seeds so we're starting again. We really do need to take more pictures of the yard and house to document the transformation. My crepe myrtles are finally blooming and that makes me happy as well. It's all a work in progress.
But speaking of transformations, I have been having a few. Got into a size 16 comfortably about 2 weeks ago. Was thrilled! That was until I got my ass into size 14 shorts yesterday. I was SO excited, I ran G down in the store and told him I was buying them just because I could wear them! Well, and I needed new shorts - the ones I was wearing were size 20 and were falling off me. I gave them to Mom when I got to her house. So then, I also have gotten to One-derland - that would finally be a weight that doesn't start with a 2, or a 3, for that matter. I can't believe it! I am posting a picture of me on the scales the day I got below 200 for the first time.
That was about 10 days ago. I've been kinda stuck around there since then, so I've been getting frustrated with that. I started to try to focus on non-scale victories though. So last night since I was feeling kinda full of myself after the size 14s, I decided to try on the one pair of stretch jeans I've been saving from my heaviest weight. So in the picture you will see I am standing in one leg of those jeans. Pretty unbelievable. I am going to keep them around and continue to try them again and again to see how easily I fit into that one leg. But I gotta tell you, I never thought I'd see that day! Oh, and I took measurements and totaled them. I've lost 11 inches off my hips, and 11.5 inches off my waist. From neck to ankles, if you add them all together, I've lost over 74 inches since I had surgery.
I'm still getting used to this new body. It seems surreal some days. And just like before, sometimes now it's hard for me to really "see" what I look like - the crepe-y skin on my arms or my thighs. But hey, it's better than being morbidly obese and dying slowly. And I keep telling myself that it sure as hell isn't anything that $5K and a scalpel can't cure!
More later, perhaps tomorrow. I've got more to report and I really need to go do some house work now. So check out this picture.....
What's up with the boobs yesterday? Geez, for a minute there it actually looked like I still have some.....
G is working on the yard and garden like a madman. We have peas and green beans sprouting. He also planted some lettuce but he accidentally killed the seedlings last week when he left the top on the little seed starter. It cooked them. But we have more seeds so we're starting again. We really do need to take more pictures of the yard and house to document the transformation. My crepe myrtles are finally blooming and that makes me happy as well. It's all a work in progress.
But speaking of transformations, I have been having a few. Got into a size 16 comfortably about 2 weeks ago. Was thrilled! That was until I got my ass into size 14 shorts yesterday. I was SO excited, I ran G down in the store and told him I was buying them just because I could wear them! Well, and I needed new shorts - the ones I was wearing were size 20 and were falling off me. I gave them to Mom when I got to her house. So then, I also have gotten to One-derland - that would finally be a weight that doesn't start with a 2, or a 3, for that matter. I can't believe it! I am posting a picture of me on the scales the day I got below 200 for the first time.
That was about 10 days ago. I've been kinda stuck around there since then, so I've been getting frustrated with that. I started to try to focus on non-scale victories though. So last night since I was feeling kinda full of myself after the size 14s, I decided to try on the one pair of stretch jeans I've been saving from my heaviest weight. So in the picture you will see I am standing in one leg of those jeans. Pretty unbelievable. I am going to keep them around and continue to try them again and again to see how easily I fit into that one leg. But I gotta tell you, I never thought I'd see that day! Oh, and I took measurements and totaled them. I've lost 11 inches off my hips, and 11.5 inches off my waist. From neck to ankles, if you add them all together, I've lost over 74 inches since I had surgery.
I'm still getting used to this new body. It seems surreal some days. And just like before, sometimes now it's hard for me to really "see" what I look like - the crepe-y skin on my arms or my thighs. But hey, it's better than being morbidly obese and dying slowly. And I keep telling myself that it sure as hell isn't anything that $5K and a scalpel can't cure!
More later, perhaps tomorrow. I've got more to report and I really need to go do some house work now. So check out this picture.....
What's up with the boobs yesterday? Geez, for a minute there it actually looked like I still have some.....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)