This speaks volumes…May 2016 to May 2017! Same door.
I see the doc later today, so I will update more tomorrow.
Blessings!!
Spoons
My days have been much better since surgery, and 125 pounds lost. My joints don’t hurt as bad as they used to. I have used the Spoon Theory many a time to explain my fatigue, and just levels of pain. This picture explains:
Thankful my days are better, but I still have bad days. They are fewer and far between now. Thankful I don’t have to use so many spoons.
Lupus Awareness Month.
Blessings.
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!
Mothers
I love being a Mom. I always have. I wanted children regardless of a husband (at one point in my life). Grateful I have both.
I love most of the stages. Learning to get through some of them is sometimes more important than loving them.
Each year is a different challenge or a change that occurs with them or with me. I wouldn’t trade a step. I love them dearly.
Happy to be a Mom. Yesterday was nice. Time spent with them is always good.
Blessings.
Mother’s Day
This was invading Facebook this year:
Every year my children ask me the same question. After thinking about it, I decided I’d give them my real answer:
What do I want for Mother’s Day? I want you. I want you to keep coming around, I want you to bring your kids around, I want you to ask me questions, ask my advice, tell me your problems, ask for my opinion, ask for my help. I want you to come over and rant about your problems, rant about life, whatever. Tell me about your job, your worries, your kids, your fur babies. I want you to continue sharing your life with me. Come over and laugh with me, or laugh at me, I don’t care. Hearing you laugh is music to me. Â I spent the better part of my life raising you the best way I knew how. Now, give me time to sit back and admire my work.
Raid my refrigerator, help yourself, I really don’t mind. In fact, I wouldn’t want it any other way. Â I want you to spend your money making a better life for you and your family, I have the things I need. I want to see you happy and healthy. When you ask me what I want for Mother’s Day, I say “nothing” because you’ve already been giving me my gift all year. I want you.
I miss my Mom, and this idea. Â I made sure that I was a part of her day. Â Not always showing her the best of me, but showing up. Â It was one day of the year that mattered to her officially. Everyday I spoke with her. Â I miss that.
So to all of the Mom’s out there, Happy Mother’s Day.
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!
World Lupus Day
50!
Well, it’s actually 51, but OH MY!!
Not sure what I am doing but I so appreciate the follows! Thank you all so very much. Â It is hard for me to believe that in December last year I only had 7 official followers. Â And, now in five months – 50!
My goal is to do a giveaway if, no, WHEN I reach 100 followers. Â I will need help to decide what would be a good giveaway. Â So be thinking of stuff now…and thank you again.
Blessings for today, and always!
mommajerryanns.com 