Somewhat of a BLAH day

I don't really know why I feel Blah today. It may be the cloudy weather, I don't know. I've been catching up on reading my blogs. I was a couple of days behind. All of my fellow bandsters seem to be doing so well. I'm doing okay I guess but I wish I would drop a pound or two and see a little progress. I've gained 3 pounds back (total lost 23 pounds) and I know I'm going to fluctuate but today that little voice in my head, who by the way is NOT my friend, keeps telling me that I'm not doing good enough, I'm not eating healthy enough, I'm not exercising enough.....blah, blah, blah....

I did go do aerobics last night at my parent's church. A lady there (who teaches aerobics at the YMCA) does a class there 2 nights a week for free. It was fun and the hour passed by quickly. Bekah (DD) and I picked up my mom and took her at my dad's request. I don't think I've mentioned previously that my mom has Alzheimer's Disease....she's only 65. My sisters and I have noticed in the past 5 years that she just wasn't herself. It took us two years to get our dad convinced that something was going on and finally she was diagnosed with AD. It's very sad. I often say when friends ask how Mom is doing, "I miss my mom". Yes, she's still here physically but she is nothing (mentally/intellectually) like she was before. Mom and I have always been the closest of we three girls. We talked on the phone EVERY day, usually more than once. I could tell her anything....and did. She was sweet, caring, concerned, compassionate and she always gave me great advice when I needed it. But now it's not the same. She has a distant look in her eyes, she doesn't remember short term anything, she never calls me just to check on me anymore. She doesn't remember our birthdays or wedding anniversaries. When our kids are sick, she doesn't remember to call or come by to check on them. She went with me last Friday to pick up my nephew at IU (Indiana University) which was about a 90 minute drive one way and the silence in the car was deafening! I tried to make conversation but one way conversation can only go so far. So, maybe that's why I am a little bit sad today.....I MISS MY MOM!

Okay, sorry for such the downer. Back to my aerobics story. Dad called me yesterday to see if I would take Mom to the aerobics class. He thought it would be good for her to get out of the house, do some exercise (at least move.....do something!) and to be around people. So I agreed. It was a good workout. We did 35 minutes of aerobics then did some free weights and some resistance band work followed by cool down and stretching. I told Dad I would take Mom again next week. She seemed to enjoy it though she couldn't follow the instructor that well, she did keep moving.

I am also tired today. I keep yawning and wanting to put my head down on my desk. My sleep last night was interrupted by an hour long coughing fit! I've had a cough for about a week now. It seems to be breaking up and yesterday I thought I was over it. That is until about 1AM this morning! I did not want to get out of bed this morning.

For those that are interested in the "Sisterhood of the Traveling Clothes" (Catherine has been doing this for some time), I hope to go through my closet this weekend and see what I can pass on. I will let you know and maybe post some pics. I will say though that I am not a "fashion queen" and I cannot afford high $$ clothes so don't get your hopes up for any trendy stuff.

I suppose that I have went on about nothing for long enough. If anyone has any encouraging words....I could sure use them today!

Blessings to you all and thanks for checking up on me,
Sarah

Clothing swap anyone?

I am moving from an 18W to a 16W....yeah me! I would like to offer my 18's to anyone who wants/needs them. Does anyone have 16's they want to pass on? We might as well share what we can so we don't have to spend so much money on "in between clothes". What do ya'll think?

"I Just Call You Mine"

Not much to post tonight. Just wanted to shout out to my hubby how much I love him. He is my best friend forever and this song says it all. Click the following link and enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcZoNBngAnM

Weight loss update

Just a quick update to say "YEAH ME!'.....I weighed this morning and I made a big jump! Total lost as of today.............26.4 pounds! Seven weeks and 1 week since my first fill!

Also, I'm going to try and post "before" and "after" pics of my hair since some of you wanted to know what it looked like before.

BEFORE / AFTER

My new "do"

Okay...so I went ahead and bit the bullet & had my hair colored last night. It is quite shocking as I have never had my hair this dark before. Rick had to do a double take when I walked in last night because he had no idea I was going to do it last night. I hardly slept last night because I was worrying that it looked stupid. Anyway, thought I would share a pic and see what you guys think.

First NSV!

For those of you who many not be fellow "banders" you may be wondering "What is a NSV?" It stands for "Non Scale Victory" and I had my first one on Saturday! I was able to get into a pair of Levi's that I hadn't worn for quite some time. And they were comfortable enough that I wore them to dinner and a movie! YEAH ME! Forgot to share this earlier. Rick was proud of me which made me feel even better!

It's been a while

Sorry that I have been slacking in my posts. I feel like I finally have a little restriction after my first fill. Once I went back on solid foods I definitely noticed that I could feel when I was getting full. And it must be working because I am down 2 more pounds! Yaahooooo!!! Total lost since August 4th surgery (7 weeks today) is 20 pounds. Sure I wish that it would FALL OFF faster but I know that losing it slower is better for my body. I'm not complaining that's for sure! My first mini-goal is in 5 more pounds. I told myself that when I lost 25 pounds I would treat myself to a pedicure. I guess I need to be thinking what my next goal/reward should be. Any suggestions?

Another dilemma I am facing......what to do with my hair!?!?!?!? I am trying to let it grow out. When Rick left for Germany in '87 I was trying to grow it out then which I eventually did. It was down to the middle of my back but unfortunately he never got to see it. So, I thought it would be fun to grow it out and let him see it for himself. Plus I was getting tired of the short cut that I'd had since before Bekah was born, though I always got compliments on it. So......the dilemma is should I keep hi-lighting my hair or should I go more towards the natural? I'm meeting with my beautician this afternoon to see what she thinks. So, we'll see!

Rick and I had a nice, relaxing weekend last weekend. Both kids were at their "others" for the weekend so we had our first kid-less weekend in a long time. Friday night, 3 of my scrapbooking buddies came over and we scrapped until around 11PM. Rick stayed home and helped with cooking dinner for us all and a friend came over to help him fix our 100+ year old front door that hasn't worked for a couple of months. All of my friends love Rick (or course!) so it was fun having him hang out with us all.

Saturday we slept in a little then went to a local apple orchard for lunch and to browse their shop. I went to my cousin's wedding shower, Rick stayed home and worked in the yard. When I got home we went to Columbus for dinner and a movie! We ate at Johnny Carino's and the minestrone soup I had was absolutely delicious!!! Then we were off to the movies to see "Love Happens", the new Jenninfer Anniston movie. It was good though it wasn't the totally happy go lucky movie I thought it would be. There were some sad moments but lots of laughs too.

Sunday we, of course, went to church and came straight home for a cozy, Sunday afternoon nap! We don't get to do that very often. (We drive an hour one way to church so most times after church we go to mom-in-laws for lunch, cards, hanging out).

All in all a pretty relaxing, stress free weekend! We were due for that!

Thanks for checking in on my progress. I hope everyone is having a good week thus far!

1st Fill

Today was my appointment for my first fill. I had to go to the hospital since doc wanted to the fill under x-ray. It was so quick! I was a little nervous though because the x-ray technician told me that the doc doesn't give numbing shots anymore (why get 2 sticks when really only one is needed). I'm not a fan of needles at all so I was concerned. But it wasn't as bad as I feared. He pressed on my stomach and found the port then said, "You're going to feel a little stick"....well, YES I did....it was uncomfortable but not terrible. He put 2 cc's of saline in then they stood the table up and with the x-ray he watched me swallow about a teaspoon of fluid (nasty tasting stuff....don't know what it was called). I was able to watch on the screen and see the fluid pass through my esophagus, through my band and immediately dump into my stomach. He said, "Yeah, that's too fast. Let's try 3 cc's". So he put in an additional cc of saline. Again I took a drink off the YUCK stuff and saw that it went down a little slower. He said, "That's perfect" and I was done.

He wants me to be on full liquids (mashed potatoes, cottage cheese, soups, etc.) for two days then back to eating normal. Rick was working in Indy today, this is a rarity, so he was able to meet me for lunch at Cracker Barrell. I ate mashed potatoes and gravy. YYUUUUMMMMYY! It was good but unfortunately I was hungry after 2-3 hours. I ate a sugar free pudding cup when I got home, hoping to keep the hunger at bay until dinner. Didn't work too well! I made homemade Cheesy Cream of Broccoli & Potato Soup. I put a few crackers in it. It was good but I'm H-U-N-G-R-Y!!!! Hopefully when I am back on solid food I will be able to eat less food but stay full longer. We'll see!

Oh, by the way....I kicked butt on the treadmill last night. I walked for 20-25 minutes and I would walk really fast for 3-4 minutes getting my heart rate up then slow down for a couple of minutes and speed up again. It was quite a work out for me but I felt good when I was done!

Thanks for checking in on me!

First fill date

My doc's office called Thursday and my first fill is scheduled for this Tuesday! YEAH! I have to be at the hospital at 11:30 AM. Doc will do the fill using X-ray. He says he can be much more precise by doing it that way. I'm so ready for this fill. Last night we ordered pizza and I was able to eat 3 pieces. Would like to still be able to eat pizza...just not so much of it!

What a beautiful day it was here today in Indiana. The sunshine was beautiful and it was warm but not too hot and not humid at all. Conner is here for the weekend so last night we vegged out at watched a movie with the kids ("Bedtime Stories" with Adam Sandler, cute movie). Today we stayed around the house. Rick mowed the yard, the kids cleaned up rotting paw-paws from the yard. Why anyone would plant for of those trash trees in on spot is beyond me! I made homemade chicken pot pie for dinner and everyone gobbled it up....me included. Now we are watching another movie ("Beverly Hills Chihuahua") and getting ready for popcorn.

So, all in all it's been a pretty relaxing weekend so far. Looking forward to church tomorrow. We missed (our church) last week because we were in North Carolina visiting my sister & family. I hope that everyone is enjoying their weekend.

6 week "bandiversary"

Six weeks ago today I had my band put in. I am so glad I am where I am today. That was a rough first couple of weeks. But today I am feeling good and I'm (still) 18 pounds down.

I haven't heard from my doc yet about when my fill is scheduled for. Hopefully they will call tomorrow!

We had a great time in NC visiting my sister and her family. Had some awesome seafood (crab cakes & shrimp) while there as well as a piece (0r two) of my niece Gabi's birthday cake.

Not much to report right now other that I have really been slacking the past few days at exercising. I've got to get back on track!!!!!

A good report

My appointment with the doc went well. He was pleased with how my incisions are healing. I was in and out of there in 20 minutes....can you believe that? Doc says I'm ready for a fill and that his office will schedule it and then call me. Should be in the next 2 weeks. He will do it under x-ray. He says he can see how the band itself looks and the pouch while also watching me swallow water (or barium, not sure). If it goes down too fast he'll put more saline in and if it doesn't go down smooth he will take some out.

Tomorrow Ricky & I leave for Raleigh, NC to see my sister Rachel and her family. (Both kids are with their other parent so we are going KID-LESS!) It's my niece Gabi's 3rd birthday on Saturday and we will be there for the party. Mom-in-law is going too. Should be a fun trip though I dread the 10 hour drive. We'll be coming home on Monday.

Right now, I am watching the IU football game on the Big 10 network hoping to catch a glimpse of my nephew, Cody who is on the cheer squad. Go IU! I'm even DRV'ing it so I can rewind it if I see him. Also thought I'd better DVR it since it's 9PM and Rick is not even home from work yet. He's been late every night this week! Seven PM was the earliest this week that he's gotten home. Don't get me wrong...I am very grateful for his job and that he stays busy with his job but EVERY night this week late!!!! That frustrates me!

Guess I'd better start packing our bags for the NC trip. Have a safe and Happy Labor Day weekend!

Lots more energy

I found myself thinking tonight several times, "Wow, I can't believe how much energy I have." I came home from work, cooked dinner, cleaned up the kitchen (twice), washed/dried/folded three loads of laundry and push mowed part of the yard. That's alot for me. The last time I tried to help Rick out my mowing the yard it was 85+ degrees and I had to stop 3 times for a break and I didn't even it all done! Tonight I mowed the front yard and the back yard (Rick mowed "the back 40" as he likes to call it) and it took me less than an hour! Pretty good workout for me. Makes me feel good that I accomplished that task.

I looked at my calendar today and realized that I am NOT 4 weeks out from my surgery as I posted last night but I am 5 weeks post-op! Tomorrow is my appt. with the doc. Looking forward to it!

And now..the rest of the story

I've left everyone hanging long enough I guess for the rest of the story. So tonight I will try to wrap it up. But first I need to give an update on the weight loss front. I hadn't weighed for a few days because I knew that I wasn't going to lose anymore until I got my first fill. But for some reason I decided to step on the scale and surprise, surprise.....I'm down TWO pounds. Now granted, these are 2 of the 3 that I had put back on since surgery but that gives me a grand total of 18 pounds lost since surgery (which was four weeks ago today)! I'm really happy with myself and am so looking forward to seeing the doc on Thursday to see how he thinks I am doing.

How Rick and I reconnected was TOTALLY a God thing. As I had said previously, he and I both had been in unhappy marriages that ended in divorce. Rick came from a divorced family while my parent's were high school sweethearts, married at 19 and this year celebrated their 44th anniversary. When Rick and I dated all those years ago I remember a specific conversation he and I had where he told me that he never wanted to get a divorce. He said that he didn't want to do that to his children. I dreamed of being married for "forever" like my parents and grandparents. Needless to say we both were devastated that our marriages ended in divorce. So that's all I'm going to say about that.

Rick and I reconnected on the internet. He had been wondering for years how I was doing, what I was doing, etc. So he looked me up and emailed me. At first I was not sure if I should answer his email but truthfully, I had alot of unanswered questions about that night in November 1987 when he came from Germany to Greensburg to see me. There were so many things that I didn't remember and all of these years I just assumed that he hated me for the way I treated him (and I wouldn't have blamed him). So I emailed him back and filled him in on what was going on with me. We emailed back and forth a few times. I was able to apololgize for the "Dear John" letter and for treating him so wrong. It felt good to be able to finally have some closure and to know that he did not hate me, which to this day I still have a hard time understanding. How could he not hate me/be mad at me for hurting him as I did? His answer, "I love you and you showed me what true love is. I never stopped loving you!" He swept me off my feet with that one! We started dating again and it was amazing how we were able to just pick up where we left off. It's as if the 23 years that we were apart never happened. God has totally restored our relationship. We are truly soul mates! There are times that we both are thinking the exact same thing. We have the same values and beliefs. He is the best friend that I had been missing for so many years. I thank God for bringing Rick back into my life, just when I needed him and just when he needed me. While our divorces were devastating for both of us, God had a much bigger plan.

We were married June 7, 2008 and now so we begin our married life together.......23 years later!

I love my hubby, my best friend, my soul mate! Thank you, God for bringing him back to me!