This speaks volumes…May 2016 to May 2017! Same door.
I see the doc later today, so I will update more tomorrow.
Blessings!!
Category: WLS
A Year Ago…
November 2015 – This picture from when David and I went to Helena GA was an oh dear Lord moment. I knew I needed to start the process of getting this weight off. I have always struggled, but this was my heaviest–315 pounds. It was a fun weekend, but in a lot of pain, and really struggled to keep up with everyone.
Day of surgery – May 16, 2016.
I was 283 pounds. I felt really good about getting to this point. I followed the guidelines of my nutritionist. I struggled everyday, but knew that surgery was my goal. This picture was taken on Friday before my Monday surgery. I was excited.
David took my measurements:
Neck: 16
Arms: 18.5
Chest: 52
Waist: 48
Hips: 60
Thigh: 35
Calf: 20
Bra: 44H
Weight: 283
Today, Tuesday, May 16, 2017:
Neck: 14.25
Arms: 16
Chest: 41.75
Waist: 37.5
Hips: 44
Thigh: 26.5
Calf: 16.5
Bra: 38DDD
Weight: 190 (will do official on Thursday)
So I have lost a total of 53 inches. 53 Inches!! I have skin issues. My arms are basically bat wings. Boobs -ha. Just skin everywhere. I wouldn’t change a thing. Not one. I love that I am able to do most anything. I have zip lined. I participate in 5k’s – walking – but I am NOT on the couch.
Hair is coming back, and this time curly – curly! I am still adjusting, but at least it is growing back. So all in all, a very good year.
I go for my 1 year check on Thursday. I will give my officially update then.
Blessings!
Crab
Cravings. Crab. A little butter, and a squirt of lemon. Â Perfect. Â Simple.
Love.
Blessings.
College, Lupus, and WLS
I have just begun my journey back to school. Â At Jacquelyn’s graduation, I felt old sitting there with all of these young people that stuck with what they wanted. Â There several that were older in the graduation ceremony. Â But…I have remind myself that I have just started again. Â I also feel like this past year has been really different in retrospect.
I have stuck with a diet plan and surgery. Â I have gone back to full time work. Â And, I have started a very long process of getting several degrees. Â And, this blog…I have blogged for 5 months. Â Crazy. Â Walking every morning. Â My college classes begin again on the 15th, and I have proven to myself that I can do this.
Following my planner has helped. Â I have been keeping up with the day to day routines in my Passion Planner since January. Â I think it really has helped. Â I keep up with my health as well as my schedule, and most importantly goals.
Bariatric Surgery (WLS) has helped me with being able to function more than just for work. Â I know that my body is still adjusting, and I still get flares from doing too much. Â But I would rather be able to do most things than nothing at all.
Hair is going away again (on Methotrexate for Psoriasis), and I am not happy about that. Â The plaque doesn’t seem to be getting any better, but have to continue it for a while before we make the decision to stop that again. Â Fatigue has been bad recently. Â But, again wouldn’t change my path (past) for anything.
Remember, May is Lupus Awareness.
Blessings.
Body Adjustments & Lupus
I have been experiencing more Lupus symptoms since my surgery last year. A big part of my bodies adjustment has been my hair. I had thicker but still thin hair when I was younger (permed, and colored it -it was the eighties).
Then, when I was diagnosed with Lupus it really got thin. I change my style to a basic bob haircut so I wouldn’t have to place too much stress on my hair, or my arms and shoulders.
With the weight loss surgery I lost even more hair. After about 7 months, it started growing back. Curly! Crazy I know. Now I am trying to figure out how to style, and take care of the new growth. 
And, back to losing it again due to the Methotrexate. Ugh.
Other things that are giving me fits are the skin changes. I knew that things would sag, and droop, but with my Sjogren’s, my skin is having a hard time adjusting. Although I still believe that for me surgery was the best decision. Adjustments will always be made whether I want them to happen or not.
Blessings!
Bucket List #18
My bucket list item #18 is conquer math. Â I began the journey in January with developmental math due to my placement test. Â I have such test anxiety that it wouldn’t have mattered how much I would have prepared for the placement test. Â I needed to go to the first developmental class. Â I was really okay with this.
The first day, I was freaking out about the end of the book. Â Everything looked so foreign to me. Â Like an alien language. Â But that was day one.
I conquered the first Mat 0018 with an A!! Â I took my final on Monday night for the Mat 0028, and received a 96!! Â Oh my goodness!! Â How scared I was to even begin Math. Â All it took was a step.
So, I have gotten over the beginnings of Math. Â This summer I will take Intermediate Algebra. Â And, hopefully, I will conquer it. Â Fall will be College Algebra. Â Lord willing.
What have you conquered? Â So another goal met, and it’s only May. Â Ha. Got a ways to go, but loving this.
I never thought I would be able to do any of this with my Lupus and my old weight. Â Only due to the weight loss, am I able to do so much. Â I fight fatigue with my lupus. Â The fatigue is still here. Â But I fight it. Â Daily.
Blessings!
Lupus Awareness Month
May is Lupus Awareness Month. Â All this month, I will be promoting awareness. Â I will incorporate some of the things I do to get through the day, and highlight the positive and negative.
So if you would like to find out more, click here: Â www.lupus.org
Blessings!
Saturday Habits
Habits. Â I don’t normally keep up with workouts or diets on the weekends. Â At least, I didn’t in my past.
This morning, I walked again. Â The past 3 mornings at 530a, I have gotten out of bed, put on my sports bra, socks and shoes, and hit the treadmill. Â I haven’t been concerned with what type of workout, just getting up was enough. Â I have been walking, but not consistently.
But it has been enough by just getting up and moving. Â I have increased my steps for each of the days, and I am up and being productive with the rest of my day (two loads of laundry will be done by 10a). Â I was ready to have coffee on Thursday and Friday during work, but I didn’t and it didn’t kill me. Â I was off of the treadmill by the time I was normally out of bed. Â So no need to change the process of getting ready for the day. Â I just added 45 minutes to my day.
It wasn’t easy this morning especially knowing that I could have slept in. Â Stayed warm and cozy. Â Nope. Â I have a goal to hit by May 16, and it is something I can accomplish. Â Well, if I don’t drink as much wine between now and then. Â Ha.
So, what have you been sticking with the past month? Â Anything fun?
Blessings!!
Crawfish
One of the best things about the Mud Bug 5k is that they were serving 2lb crawfish and shrimp in togo containers for a discount. Â I love these crawfish tails. Â I used to be able to eat at least one of these containers with extra corn and potatoes. Â Now, barely half, and none of the potatoes and corn. Â 
David was the recipient of the potatoes and corn. Â And I know that I ate way too much, but it was super yummy and it will hold me over for a while anyway. Getting back on track with making sure of the right amount of intake is the goal for the week.
Blessings.
Mud Bug 5k
Last Saturday, David and I participated in the Emerald Coast Crime Stoppers Mud Bug 5k. Â It is a great fund raiser, and got in another try at a 5k. Â It was hot, and I hadn’t been working on my time or walking in general.
I finished at 52:35 which was a minute less than the Lucky Leprechaun 5k that we did in March. Â Again, just to be able to complete it is so much more than what I would have thought a year ago.
So only one more to do for the year to reach my 5k goal (3 this year total). Â I think we will end up doing 5, but not going to jinx it.
Blessings!!
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