First, even though I was hopeful that I might get to goal weight by my birthday or even by the time I saw the good doctor last week, alas, I am stuck right where I was. But still, being half the woman I once was isn't too damn shabby, yanno?
I didn't post on my birthday, but I probably should have. Turning 40 is/was fairly painless. Got to admit that being 150-153 pounds lighter made the actual milestone A LOT easier to both reach and deal with. The party G threw for me was absolutely AWESOME! We had about half the crowd we'd hoped to have, but that was ok. If everyone had shown up, I don't know where we'd have put them all. It was just the right-sized crowd. But for all you who missed my party, Pfffft on you! LOL Seriously, I missed you all and wish you could have been there. It was SO wonderful to have family and great old friends there. I was especially gratified to see all my old RTI buddies Melody, Donna and her husband Bryan, Karen and her husband Bill, and especially my old friend Ken Ritchie, who I hadn't seen in a coon's age! And he drove over 100 miles to be here to see me! That just made my night! More than he can ever know! The jambalaya was great, and the day turned out to be relatively nice considering this was the coldest NC winter since 1978. I love being a February baby, but honestly, the weather always sucks for a party. Oh yeah, and my friend Susan made this deliciously sinful chocolate dessert that had Kahlua in it. We ALL ate way too much of that! Lord, the gas was worth it.
Second, last Thursday we drove down to Georgia so that I could see Dr. Smith on Friday morning for my 1-year followup visit. I met a wonderfully sweet little lady named Dianne who is a Dr. S patient who lives down there. I plan to keep in touch with her if I can - what a real Southern Belle. Now, while I was filling out the paperwork, Dee (Dr. S's Bariatric Coordinator) came out in the waiting room to speak to Dianne and when she turned to leave, I spoke to her. She totally didn't recognize me! Hehehe, that was fun! I got to give her crap about not kn0wing me and she told me how wonderful - and DIFFERENT - I look. Made me feel good.
Seeing the good doc was a great visit. I watched a video had has put together about living with the weight loss long term. I got a good handout that I think will be a good resource also. I forgot that I was going to have to justify why I had increased my vitamin A, E, and K intake. But I showed him my labs from 6 mo. and 1 yr., and he agreed that I was doing the right thing. (He later conceded that he would MUCH rather have a motivated patient like me who keeps track of her labs and adjusts accordingly than to have someone he has to convince to up vitamin intake. And for that reason he said he felt that long-term I would continue to be very successful - but more on that later.) We talked about reaching goal weight, and I reminded him that I had reached HIS goal but that I really wanted to see 140-something on the scale to feel like a success. And then we got into a discussion of BMI (and what an imperfect number it is), of % body fat and how mine is changing and will continue the more we run and train for the next 10K and half marathon), and the excess skin issues I will continue to have unless I have plastic surgery. I showed the good doc my biceps and he was impressed! And then he said, "Oh yeah, you've been working out the whole time! I forgot." So all in all, I feel a little bit better about where I am. I still want to lose 15 more pounds, but I am coming to terms with that fact that 1) I may not get there without plastic surgery, and 2) if I don't, I'm STILL a raging success. He was impressed with my motivation and said that he feels that long-term I will keep the weight off because I know what I need to do and I do it (e.g., vitamins). I do plan to have plastic surgery when I can afford it; but for right now, I am content to see the weight drop in itty bitty increments. As long as I can continue to exercise without pain, I am really good with that. He said that in his practice he has seen those who lose as fast as I did stop early. He said it's not absolute but that his patients that lose >90% excess weight in 1 year tend to not get to 100% without help (i.e., plastics). So I'm ok with that. Losing >92% EW in 1 year is a tremendous accomplishment and I am learning to not beat myself for not reaching that last 7%. It's just the perfectionist in me I guess.
So when I left his office, he gave me a fist bump on the arm and said he was really really proud of my accomplishment and that he thought I had done wonderfully. THAT really made my day! I wanted to scoop him up and kiss him! I do love that cute little man! He saved my life, and once you become bonded to someone like that, it really does change your life. Hey, he's seen my guts, for crying out loud! I'll see him again in a year, and I'm looking forward to it! I hope to have that 10K (G and I want to run the Crescent City Classic in NOLA) under my belt by then or maybe some other 5Ks.
And you know what the best part of life with a DS is? After we left his office, I went to Starbucks and had coffee with Karlene, the wonderful angel who helped me fight the evil BCBS and win. It was so good to see her! But then, G and I went to do some geocaching at a place in Kennesaw, GA, at a restaurant of all places. They host a geocache called the "Kennesaw Travel Bug Motel" (see below).
Naturally we wanted to see this place. It's called Big Pie in the Sky. If you're ever in Kennesaw, GA, you HAVE to check this place out. They boast slices of pizza as big as your head, and they ain't lying!! So look at the slice I had for lunch. Yeah, that's a pizza pan they serve it on!
You can't tell me that the DS isn't the very best damn surgery around!! And I know you're wondering, so the answer is Yes, I ate it all, BUT it took me 3 different sittings in which to accomplish the feat. I had pepperoni and bacon. Get this! Their lunch special is a slice and a drink for $5! So G and I ate lunch for $10 and change. He, on the other hand, ate the whole stinkin' piece at one sitting and I had to laugh at him later when he was moaning about how his belly hurt.
Seriously, do check out their website. Apparently, they're famous for their "Carnivore Challenge" in which 2 people eat one of their 30" pizzas that is loaded with all the meats they have. The pizza weighs 11 pounds, and costs $50. If you eat it all (they give you 2 hours to eat it I think), they give you $250. Man Vs. Food from the Travel Channel has come there for the Challenge, and some of the locals were telling us about it. Oh, and the place was PACKED - it was around 1-ish on a beautiful Friday afternoon - sunny and in the upper 60s. We overheard the folks at the next table saying that they came all the way from Florida for the husband to try the pizza since he'd seen it on Man vs. Food.
Needless to say, we WILL go back there whenever we go to Kennesaw, or anywhere even remotely near Kennesaw! Oh, and it's the bast damn pizza I ever ate! No kidding.
Here's Gerald eating his slice with Italian sausage and mushrooms. It was tasty, too!So what does a girl do to work off the calories of that much pizza? Go shopping, of course! I scored at the Goodwill in Kennesaw on Cobb Parkway over by the McCollum Airport. I bought my very first ever size 6 skirt and I can wear it without having to have a "body shaper". Woo Hoo!!!! Got some really cute stuff for the spring/summer and even got my Easter outfit there - a gorgeous floral Talbots skirt with a pink surplice Ann Taylor Loft top.
Life is good. And despite continued unemployment, I am determined to savor every moment!
