Windmill

Played a bit more with my camera and took a shot at this windmill. I love windmills... reminds me of days done by. I wonder what my life would have been like if I had lived a centurye ago.

Not so good doctor's appointment!!!

So I lost another three pounds.

I am no longet diabetic and no longer anemic... but my blood pressure is still way too high. Added another pill to the three I'm taking for the blood pressure. Off my hormones. Still on all the other stuff. When will this get better.

Don't Move!

This one posed for me also. It just sat there waiting for me to "shoot"... I had a great time taking pictures of these birds!

Taken with Nikon D80.

Posing for me

This seagull just "stood" there at midair posing for me. It never moved, it just waited until I took it's picture.

Taken with Nikon D80.

FOUR IN A ROW

What are the odds. I took this picture at one of the T-heads in Corpus Christi, Texas. They seemed to be pretty people friendly... I was able to get up close and personal with these pelicans!!!

Taken with Nikon D80.

Weightloss Surgery Update: 4 months and two weeks out!!!

I had my 4 month surgiversary on June 10. I've lost 69.8 pounds. Weightloss has slowed down since I am now able to eat more foods. My eyes are still bigger than my stomach so I tend to make myself sick from time to time.   The "now" picture, in the red top, was taken at my office by my bff Myrna.

Weightloss Surgery Update: 15 weeks and 5 days out

I'm 15weeks and 5 days out and I've lost 63.4 lbs. I haven't lost much in the last month, I'm thinking that it may have to do with the vitamin B12 shots I've been getting for the last four weeks. I have to go for bloodwork and a knee x-ray this week and I have a doctors appointment on June 11. I started walking last week with my aunt and my cousin, but we missed a few days... hopefully we'll continue this week and maybe my knee won't hurt too bad. I'll post a new picture as soon as I take one!!

Update

So far so good... I'm six weeks and one day out since my weight loss surgery on February 10 and I've lost 46.6 pounds. Although I can't tell too much of a difference, some say it's already very visible. I can, however tell that the inches are coming off by the way my clothing fits (way too big)... Does that mean I get a new wardrobe soon? I hope so!

New Day

Today with much reservation, I decided to accompany Mike to Laredo. He worried all the time becauae since I'm on the clear liquid diet there wasn't much I'd be able to eat. We ended up at the Oasis and I explained to the waitress about my recent surgery and she gladly brought me a small soup which had been passed through a seive and all I had was broth. She was so nice and helpfull.

As of today I've lost between 24 - 26 lbs. since my first consultation with the surgeon on January 19, 2009. I did feel as if I over did it... it was too much walking and standing for being five days post up.... just not ready for all that yet!!!

Change

It's amazing how people change throughout time. I for one have changed to the point of "unrecognition" the 199 lbs I gained since high school have left me worn out, tired, exhausted. and amoung other things I'm also unattractive, undesireable, and sometimes unwanted. I wonder if the massive weight gain also killed spirit. In many of the WLS blogs you read about women who don't recognize the "thin" person looking back at them in the mirror while for me it's often times the opposit and I don't recognize the old, fat, delapidated woman looking back at me through the mirror... she still wears the expensive make up and has the big brown eyes.... that often times hide behind large cheekes another recognizable trait is the ruby red lips that adorn the center of my face!

Bariatric Surgery Date!!

Okay... so this is it!!! I'm set for my VERTICAL SLEEVE GASTRECTOMY on February 10, 2010. I started my full liquid diet on January 20th and I've lost about 11 lbs. I know there should be more weight loss by now but I'm having issues with the diet. I want food... and no I'm not exactly cheating as far as solids... too many people watching me, plus I know better.

Now for the big question: Am I ready? The doctor thinks I am. I'm not having second thoughts, but wonder can I still do this on my own... well the answer is no... No I can't! I talked to the doctor about it and he said that stats and studies show that someone of my size (BMI 55 when I started) or even smaller would be able to lose weight but will gain it back eventually. In other words it can be done but not long lived.

YES I AM READY!

Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy

This is the surgery that I plan to get at the begining of the year. As obese as I've become this would help me eliminate some of the comorbidities that I've developed.

Bariatrics

I've been contemplating the idea of having bariatric surgery for some time. At first I was totally against it and swore up and down that I'd be able to do it on my own. I went to see the bariatric specialist and was convinced that this is the only way for me to lose the weight. The doctor was excellent and advised me that as long as I had doubts in my mind and felt that I had a chance of doing it on my own he would not operate on me. When I left his office I was pretty much convinced that the lap band was the way for me to go. I did more and more research, I knew I didn't want the gastric bypass and perhaps health issues would have not allow me to be able to get it. Finally, after a conversation with another Weight Loss Surgery (WLS) patient (I won't say her name, but she's lost lots and lots of weight and she looks absolutely beautiful!!! and feels great too!!! Hint... Hint.. she's not only my prima but she is also my long time friend and classmate!!) I was guided to the website of Dr. Guillermo Alvarez, he specializes on both lap band and vertical sleeve gastrectomy. I've thought this over and over and this is what I'm getting. Now I only pray that my doctor will not go against it, since this is and old surgery revised from the 1980's. In my heart i do believe that this is the one for me. I post again later with more detailed information as far as procedure!

My birthday! (45)

Mom and myself at Mi Tierra!

Mom and Lee!

These were taken on September 11, 2008, a day after my 45th birthday. Mom, Lee and I had dinner at Mi Tierra in San Antonio while I was attending a Probate School. Mom and Lee got sick that evening. I didn't get sick until the following day and was sick throughout the weekend. My doctor said it was a stomach virus and that we should NOT be eating Mexican food away from home!!! What a way to celebrate a birthday!


Lee and me!

Mike couldn't join us, he had to take my MIL to the funeral of a family friend. I could not attend due to my job committment.

POSTHERPETIC NEURALGIA

I've had a headache (neuralgia) since the middle of August. This is what I was finally disgnosed with. My mom and I both suffer from the same ailment. She's had it for approximately 10 years. Our local nurse practitioner put me on Gabapentin, what a blessing, it's been the only thing that has given me some relief. Mom on the other had has had no relief whatsoever.

I took this info from Wikipedia...

Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is a neuralgia caused by the varicella zoster virus. Typically, the neuralgia is confined to a dermatomic area of the skin and follows an outbreak of herpes zoster (HZ, commonly known as shingles) in that same dermatomic area. The neuralgia typically begins when the HZ vesicles have crusted over and begun to heal, but it can begin in the absence of HZ, in which case zoster sine herpete is presumed (see Herpes zoster).

Treatment options for PHN include antidepressants, anticonvulsants (such as gabapentin or pregabalin) and topical agents such as lidocaine patches or capsaicin lotion. Opioid analgesics may also be appropriate in many situations. There are some sporadically successful experimental treatments, such as rhizotomy (severing or damaging the affected nerve to relieve pain), and TENS (a type of electrical pulse therapy).

Postherpetic neuralgia is thought to be nerve damage caused by herpes zoster. The damage causes nerves in the affected dermatomic area of the skin to send abnormal electrical signals to the brain. These signals may convey excruciating pain, and may persist or recur for months or even years.

In the United States each year approximately 1,000,000 individuals develop herpes zoster. Of those individuals approximately 20%, or 200,000 individuals, develop postherpetic neuralgia.
Less than 10 percent of people younger than 60 develop postherpetic neuralgia after a bout of HZ, while about 40 percent of people older than 60 do.

It may influence susceptibility to herpes zoster. African Americans are one fourth as likely as Caucasians to develop this condition.

Bad bad week!

I started off with a cold last Sunday and ended up at the doctor's office on Tuesday. I had a close call with pneumonia and now have a bad ear and sinus infection. I've had a headache from hell, all on the right side of my head, behind my eye, my ear, my cheek, jaw, just a heavy feeling. The meds don't seem to be doing much and if I don't feel better soon I'll be going to the clinic either tonight or tomorrow.
In the middle of everything, we had heavy rains for the last couple of weeks due to hurricanes in the area. Mike told me that Roxzee wasn't eating much and was vomiting, we don't have a regular vet here. Our vet moved and now comes only during the beginning of the month. Consequently, and due to me not feeling too good, I couldn't give my poor puppy health care and she died sometime during the night. I was under the impression that she had all her shots when we got her, however it seems like she may have come in contact with Parvo. My heart is broken. I'm going to miss her so much.

Roxzee

Here she is my new love, Roxzee... she's Rowdy's baby sister. Isn't she beautiful??? We gave her a bath as soon as she came home, she seems to love the water. She's my little flea bag, so she's getting a flea collar tomorrow. She doesn't seem to be as crazy as Rowdy, a lot calmer. Hopefully, she won't want to chase cars. My dilema is that on the 29th we leave to an election seminar and I have no clue who will look after her and Rowdy! Do I have any volunteers?

We will miss him!

It's been a long time since I really posted anything. I guess work and life keep me way to busy.

I was gone for almost a month, the middle of June I had a week long conference and after that we went to visit my inlaws, MIL (age 85) underwent knee replacement surgery. Our visit was supposedly going to be an overnight visit (over 200 miles away and a 4 hour drive). She suffered a case of Sundowner's Syndrome, and my FIL (age 90) spent two nights at the hospital with her because she pullled off everything and anything that was connected to and in her body. Then on the day we were to come home FIL suffered a fall which resulted in brain damage, we were told that he would live, but would not be able to care for himself and would not be able to go back home. Imagine, we had him at at one hospital, while she was across town in another one. Then having to tell her that he was ill and would not be coming home was one heck of a task for my husband. We finally brought her home on Saturday, we let her rest that night and the following day, as we were getting ready to go visit him, we got a call from the doctor advising us that he had been moved because he had suffered a heart attack. When we got there, the doctor was waiting and MIL understood what the doctor was explaing to us, she opted for the DNR / DNI and he peacefully passed away on June 29th, while we stood by his side.

He was cremated and his cremates were put to rest at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, TX. He retired from the Army after over 20 years of service in the early 1960's and fought in two wars (WWII and Korean). The received full military honors, we was wonderful, kind, and loving person... we will miss him!

A little more on Sleeping Pills and Muscle Relaxants

OOps, I guess I didn't finish last nights blog...

I've been insomic for many, many years... hence the sleeping pills. For years, and years I suffered severe headaches and one day while taking to my doctor about the headaches, he suggested that perhaps I had a low serotonine level. He prescribed Lunesta and I did great, no more headaches. Last November my prescription was changed to Ambien because my "new" insurance would not cover the Lunesta, now as evidenced by last nights blog... I fight the pills and eat part of the night. All the weight I had lost last year is back on my belly!! As for the muscle relaxants, I have two herniated discs and my prescription reads to take two pill three times per day, imagine that I'd be a zombie... I take one sleeping pill and one muscle relaxant per night... and I turn myself off!!! (After I eat of course!!!)

Sleeping pills and Muscle Relaxants

I'm logging off, these pill are driving me nuts.... My speech is slurred and I can't think straight... I wonder how my spelling is??? I'm going to talk to my doctor about lowering the dosage next month. In combination they wokr great.....