Long time no post!!!!

I do have to apologize to everyone.  I am sorry it has taken me so long to post another update.  I am going to try to do at least 1 post per week. 

 I have been doing ok, taking one day at a time.  I have been having some issues with dry food.  I have had some emotional melt downs as well.  The thing I am finding the most difficult is when my family is eating something that looks and smells so good and I can't have it.  One example was last Wednesday, I had not made any plans for dinner,  now mind you there are two other adults in this house that can make a decision on what to eat for dinner, so Tommy decided to make breakfast for dinner.  It wouldn't have been so bad if it were bacon and eggs, but it was homemade waffles with butter and syrup.  The smell of the waffles and syrup sent my brain into a tizzy!  Tommy was kind enough to make me a scrambled egg,  I told him that I could cook my dinner, but he insisted on making me an egg, so I let him.  Well between making the waffles and trying to cook my egg, it go a bit over done.  I didn't think this was going to be a problem, so we all started eating.  OH but how good those waffles looked and smelled.  After about the 4th bite of my egg, I started to get an uncomfortable feeling in my chest.  OMG the egg was stuck!  Now once food gets stuck, I just need to let it pass, not eat or drink anything until it does.  Tommy felt so bad, he offered to cook me another egg.  All I could do was snap at him, I was just so uncomfortable.  I got up from the table and went outside for a walk.  Now Douglas is suffering from separation anxiety lately and gets very upset when I leave the house.  He also gets very upset when he sees me upset.  So as I am outside trying to get my food to move, I hear Douglas howling (crying), I try to ignore it, but that wasn't happening.  I came in and Douglas is freaking out that he is tired and wants to go to bed.  I told him that I just needed a little time to make my belly feel better.  I went out the back door and sat by the pool for about 5 minutes and he started to howl again.  You would think that someone else would start getting him ready for bed, but noooooo, so I came in and got him calmed down and put to bed.  Which turned out to be a good thing, cause it took my mind off of me and by the time I came back downstairs, the egg had passed!  Tommy was exhausted from not sleeping all day, so he went to bed and Nicholas and I sat outside on the lounge chairs by the pool chatting and reading.

Friday was another day from hell!  I made the mistake of drinking my shake right after eating a couple of pieces of watermelon.  After I eat something I am supposed to wait an hour before drinking anything to give the food time to break down and pass out of the pouch.  If I drink right away, it will force the food out of the pouch too early and will get stuck.  That is what happened.  So I poured out the rest of my shake, and took Douglas and my Mother in Law to get haircuts and then to Walmart.  After the haircuts I had noticed that the food passed and I was able to start drinking my iced tea.  Off to Walmart we go.  I had a list of stuff, just wanted to go in and get what we needed and head home, well 2 1/2 hours later we are checking out and I am absolutely starving.  WE are starving, except for Douglas, cause he thinks going to the store is like browsing the buffet table.  He has to get a cookie from the bakery, taste a sample of each cold cut I order, and of course get a drink to wash it all down.  You Gotta just love him!  We made a stop at Wendy's drive thru and picked up some lunch.  I got my usual, chili which I never have a problem with.  I quickly unload the car and then we sit down to have lunch.  I take a few bites of the chili, and do you know, it got stuck.  I was so upset!  Tommy woke up and I started crying.  I laid on the couch and feel asleep immediately, I was so wiped out!  I consider Friday a total wash as far as food goes, had a protein shake and hit the sack real early.

Saturday was a great day, I was able to eat 3 full meals without any issues, even tried a recipe I got from a fellow WL friend called Tipton Pizza Soup.  It was delicious. 

I know now that I just need to stick with the moist soupy foods until I am totally healed.  

I have been walking 2 miles every morning.  I find that walking sets my mood for the day, I feel really good after walking, but it is getting mighty hot here in FL.  Wednesday, Tommy, Nicholas and I meet with the personnel trainer at the gym for him to help us come up with individualized workouts.  Then I think I will be going to the gym instead of walking outside.  

NOW TO THE STATISTICS:

Lost a total of 42 lbs so far.

Lost a total of 17 inches 

• Neck -  1 1/2 
• Thigh - 1 3/4
• Bicep - 1 1/2
• Calf -    1 1/4
• Chest -  2 1/4
• Waste - 3 1/4
• Hips -   5 1/2

I knew I was losing inches because I have gone from a Size 2X to an XL and XL's are baggy on me!  I never thought that I would be able to shop outside the plus dept again, but YIPEE!  now I can!

Here are some pictures of my progress so far!

This is a total life changing experience!  and it only gets better from here.

One of the reasons I decided to have this reconstruction of my insides, was my uncontrolled diabetes.  I want to share with you my sugar numbers over the past month.  Incredible, just incredible!  Again a life changing experience!  I am no longer diabetic!  

I finally sat down and read "Living and Eating Well After Weight-Loss Surgery before & after" by Susan Maria Leach.  What an awesome read!  I should have read it before surgery, because everything I have been going through with food and my emotions, are very typical of those who have had WLS.  Plus the book has 135+ recipes that are Low carb, high protein, which is the diet I need to follow for the rest of my life.  I suggest you read it if you are planning WLS or have had it!  

Thank you for reading, I will post again soon!

Love,

Stephanie