Tuesday, November 24, 2009

50!


50 lbs down! It feels awesome.
I am a week away from being banded 4 months and I am just so thankful for this tool!

The last couple weeks have been rough living with this band but I wouldn't change a thing. The real stress of my lay off started to sink in and then the loss of my Brother-in-law, travel...ugggh! It really impacted my restriction. I've been better since my slight un-fill and decided not to get any more at my appointment last Monday. Currently I am at 7.8cc's in my Realize band.
 Thank you everyone for your honest blogs and for posting the good and the bad of this journey we are all on!

Monday, November 23, 2009

Picasa 3 and progress

I was bored and was messing around with my new version of Picasa and found some pictures from this year.
The top picture was taken most recently, the others have dates. I see a slight change in my face...but they are all different sizes and angles, hard telling



Saturday, November 21, 2009

Time to hunker down

I believe my travel has come to an end for a while. It is time to hunker down and stay warm and go into winter mode. I returned home to Oregon from California last night. My husband and I drove down leaving on Wednesday afternoon. We attended the service for my Brother-in-law Thursday and returned home yesterday. It was a quick trip for sure and I have realized that travel with Claire (band) not so easy. I think with a little more planning I could do much better but the last two weeks have been so up in the air I never really had time.
I am ready to stay put for a long while. Not working and having made two unplanned trips have us in a tighter spot than normal money wise so after having the "What's the plan for Thanksgiving talk" I've decided to stay home and cook for the family. We usually are not all together on Thanksgiving. My husband, Gene, has stayed home the last 5 years since we moved away from our families so I could spend it with mine. (We have too many animals)
I had expected some backlash from the kids...but I didn't get any, in fact my daughter said she wanted to help! WTF? So, I put her in charge of doing all the sweets since I don't want to be around fudge (hub's request)
I live at about 3,500 ft (Mt. Sexton/ London Peak) so we tend to get more weather than the folks on the valley floor. We also live in the middle of the forest and learned quickly that you need to be prepared come about October for the weather and elements can get ugly. Don't know if any of you recall the James Kim story? His family had become stranded and his wife and children rescued, sadly, he did not survive. That happened very close, a few miles, of where I live and has made us more careful as the season is changing.

I plan on digging out some of the 1000 piece puzzles I picked up just for this time of year.  We set up our table under the light and near the wood stove and it helps to pass the time when the snow fills up the TV dish and we lose our signal . I can't wait for the first heavy snow! I feel like I could keep up with the kids for the first time. They like to sled and snowboard . Our backyard has three good runs where you can ski/sled/board down and then we use the quads to go back up to start over. What am I thankful for? besides my band....That I got my kids the heck out of the city!!!!

I have two appointments Monday. I am meeting the doctor who did my band for another procedure that I am soooo excited about. It is for laser treatment on my varicose veins. Mine are U-G-L-Y! I have not worn shorts in public...well, never. They hurt and ache and are just unsightly. I am hopeful to get it one before the end of the year as I have no more copays due this year.
My second appointment is to get about half of my un-fill back. I think I had just irritated it so bad with getting stuck over and over due in part to the stress of losing my job, then travel and grief. I did 72 hrs of liquids then started slow and have not had any trouble since. I feel restriction but I can still consume more than I think is okay at this stage. I'm making small progress on the scale but I think that will increase the longer I stay home and get back on my eating and workout schedule.

Wow, this post was a whole lot of nothing :) sorry for the ramble! Had too much coffee today!

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Good one gone....

Thank you to all who responded to my last couple posts. I'm sorry to say my Brother-in-law passed away last night. He was determined to be brain dead from the stroke and all machines were removed at 6pm last night. Please keep my sister in your prayers. She has a struggle ahead as does the small community where she lives. He was a part of many, many lives.
So, travel is again in my future for a service which I am guessing will be early next week. I had an .6cc removed from my band on Tuesday and was told to do 72 hrs. of liquids and am taking prilosec for two weeks to keep any acids from irritating the band. Tomorrow I will try some middle ground foods and see how it goes. I think after all the travel & things settle down I will worry about getting the fill back...it was working well for keeping the hunger under control and I still have quite a bit of restriction (even with liquids/soft foods) I had a one pound loss and a gain of lean muscle since my visit a week and a half prior so I was told I was getting enough protein. good to know :)
I abused my Old Navy card in a bad, bad way today. I shouldn't have, you know being unemployed and all...but it has turned cold here in Oregon so I had to get me some new PJ bottoms because mine kept falling off...I kept them longer than I should have because, well...I liked it when they fell off! I was using hair clips to twist the waistbands to hold them up. Get this, Old Navy PJ bottoms...a large, L (notice the absent X)  Thank you Claire (band)
Well internet, need to go update my resume...yuck

~Jen from Oregon

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

My turn... passing the time

A
- Age: 40
- Annoyance: flaky people
- Animal: Must have them...three cats, one dog, one horse
- Actor: Adam Beach, Hugh laurie

B
- Beer: can"t drink
- Birthday/Birthplace: June 2, Bay Area, CA
- Body Part on opposite sex: eyes, hands
- Been in Love: Yes!
- Been bitched at: Yes, more often than I would like
- Believe in yourself?: I have too!
- Believe in God: Yes I do.
-Before weight: 272

C
- Car: 2008 FJ Cruiser
- Candy: yes please, sees carmels
- Color: Green
- Cried in school: yes
- Chocolate/Vanilla: Chocolate
- Chinese/Mexican: chinese
- Cake or pie: Turtle Pie from the powderhorn in Grants Pass, OR
- Country to visit: OZ

D
- Day or Night: night
- Danced: gots two left feet
- Do the splits?: nope
- Eggs: learning to love them
- Eyes: Green/gold

F
- First crush: in elementary school, teddy anderson
- First thoughts waking up: coffee, and there better be creamer
- Food: before the band: bread!

G
- Greatest Fear: bats and clowns
- Goals: weight wise: 185
- Get along with your parents?: my mom, yes.. dad died years ago
- Good luck charm: a little silver turtle
H
- Hair Colour: Brown.
- Height: 5'10
- Happy: most days
- Holiday: Thanksgiving
- Health freak?: not so much, learning to make good choices
- Hate: slow internet


I
- Ice Cream: not a fan
- Instrument: song flute

J
- Jewelry: big chunky organic necklaces
- Job: wife, mother, unemployed ... however my work experience is construction/ estimating/ erosion control

K
- Kids: 4, Kayla is 20, Zack 18 & Eli 17 and my stepson Jeremy 36
- Kickboxing or karate:  Kickboxing.
- Keep a journal? a few blogs
L
- Longest Car Ride: from CA to Texas.
- Love: is hard work
- Laughed so hard you cried: Yes.
- Love at first sight: I believe it happened to me 25 years ago

M
- Milk flavour: hate milk
- Movie: smoke signals
- Mooned anyone?: prolly
- Marriage: 17 years, together 25
- Motion sickness? somewhat
- McD’s or BK: southwest grilled chicken salad w/ basalmic dressing from McD.

N
- Number of Siblings: 4 sisters and a  brother who died in a car accident
- Number of Piercings: 6, not saying where
- Number: 3
O
- One wish: that my kids will be happy and healthy...and outlive me

P
- Place you’d like to live: South Carolina
-Perfect pizza: ham & pineapple
- Pepsi/Coke: gave it up cold turkey...was pepsi

Q
- Questionaires: pass the time while waiting for an update from the hospital

R
- Reason to cry: hurtful people
- Reality T.V.: biggest loser, survivor
- Roll your tongue in a circle? one of my many tongue talents
S
- Song: right this second...need you now by Lady A
- Shoe size: 9.5
- Salad Dressing: low fat anything
- Skipped school: more than I should have
- Smoking: I have
- Sing well?: I wish..... and so do those around me.
- Strawberries/Blueberries:strawberries
T
- Time for bed: 7:30 - 8:00 pm, sad I know but it is cold and dark and I get up early
- Thunderstorms: scare me
- TV: Days of our lives...

U
- Unpredictable: my mood
V
- Vegetable you hate: none really
- Vegetable you love: yams, squash
- Vacation spot: Las Vegas, I play in Blackjack tourneys
W
- Weakness: a man with an accent
- When you grow up: undecided
- Which one of your friends acts the most like you: I have no friends... I live deep in the forest, my friends are from grade school, but none act like me
- Wanted to be a model?:That's a stretch.

X
-X-Rays: Surprised I don't glow in the dark I have had so many.

Y
-Year it is now: 2009
-Yellow: my pee when I take my vitamins everyday

Z
- Zoo: A four hour drive to Portland, OR
- Zodiac sign:Gemini

Monday, November 9, 2009

Travel & Stress = STUCK

I've scheduled a small un-fill for tomorrow morning. I've known that I needed to consider it even prior to my travel last week but there was no time. I tried to be real careful but nothing worked in my favor.
I think the travel (8 hr.drive) followed by days waiting in the hospital and nights in a hotel and eating out...ugggh Every time I put anything in my mouth...STUCK!
I don't have a lot of hunger so I hope just a small adjustment will help so I can get some protein down. I've been trying to get a shake in daily to help but I would sure rather eat my protein.
My hair is falling out like crazy... not sure if it is a normal Fall shed or if it is due to the surgery....time will tell! I have super thick hair and it is hat season at least. Actually, it is freaking me out a bit but with all the other stuff going on I have just tried to ignore it the best I can.
I haven't been on the scale since I left last week and I think I will wait for the doctors office tomorrow. I am sure there will be a gain, but that is okay. It's temporary!

now an update on my brother-in-law and the stroke....It is not good.
He suffered a stroke to the frontal lobe of the brain, both sides. He has been in a coma since it happened a week ago. His body is shutting down, kidneys are failing and his pupils are fixed. They said from the location he would most likely not have memory, thinking, personality....that the damage is like a lobotomy. It is just not fair. I say that knowing everyone has some experience with a situation like this. I know it is not unique. Life sucks sometimes. But that said, he is one of the good ones. A grandfather of six who fixes them breakfast everyday (my nieces live in homes on the same property) He worked as a firefighter until retirement. He takes care of his disabled sister and is the first person people call on to help at the church. They have had too much heartache already. My niece (his daughter) was killed by a drunk driver along with her best friend at age 18, just a few days prior to leaving for college. During that time I saw first hand how having a strong faith can get you through the worst....and I saw them smile again after living through the worst possible nightmare as a parent. It just doesn't add up sometimes.
I really didn't mean to put all that out there but it is so fresh right now I just wanted to share what a great person he is and the love of my sisters life.
Life is short, hold your family close.....
~Jen

Friday, November 6, 2009

Absent....with reason

Hello all,
Quick post to say sorry for being absent...but I am reading all your posts from my cell phone.
I have had to make an unexpected trip to San Francisco as my Brother in law suffered a major stroke.
It is a stressful time for my family and all prayers welcomed!

Sorry I missed your Birthday Cara...and Robyn, I"ve been thinking of you!  There is more I am missing....but you all are doing great!

Please hold my sister and brother in law in your thoughts....

XOXO, Jennifer

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Three months banded (+ a couple days)

As of October 30th I have been banded three months. It is starting to become a lifestyle as opposed to a temporary fix/way to lose weight. My vitamins have become routine, moving my body each day in some form, choosing protein first and it doesn't feel like I am fighting for every pound or that I am deprived to the point where I am a raving bitch. (need to find something else to blame that on now I guess)
I am half way to my own goal, a weight where if I think about was very healthy and I looked pretty good. It is funny though because I had zero confidence then. I was much more uncomfortable in my skin than I have been as a plus size (16-22) person the last 20 years. Maybe I have just been too busy to give it a thought as I have been doing for others and neglecting my own needs and dreams.
Just a few random thoughts on this anniversary.....