it's only just begun!

Well, it's been a while since I have blogged. I'll update you. Life still is crazy and now it's crazier. Evan just left for deployment and it's only just begun. It's been only less than 48 hours and I'm having trying times with Alexis. Of course she's angry this time, so I'd like to say, instead of REgressing, she's being AGGressive. She was a trooper the evening he left, she actually did not react the way we assumed she would react but the following evening around 4:30, it hit her that her daddy really is not here and will not be home for a long time. Although I am trying to be patient, it is difficult not to lose composure when she's throwing one of those crazy temper tantrums that are blood curdling. Let's hope that the adjustment goes well and she will be okay.

Work of course is always crazy. I think that is what we get for working for a non-profit agency. The job on base fell through but that is for another day. Long story and I don't feel like going through it because it will entail a lot of curse words and quite frankly, I'm not in the mood to express that one yet. School is school. It's going good but I would be tickled pink if I was just done with because I'm so thoroughly exhausted.

Weight loss is still going. I've lost 120 pounds and that's nine months post-surgery. I'm feeling great and my health could never be better.

Life has been bonkers!

The weight loss is still going! I had my update appointment in January. Doc said I was looking great! He said if we continue the great work we'd do the tummy tuck by July! :) It's been since September 26, 2008 and let's see, I'm now down to 202 pounds. Gradually it's getting there! Soon I am hoping will be under 200!! :) I am so excited. On another note, it's been getting even crazier at work. Almost to the point there is an overabundance of clients so I have to combine my clients from an individual intervention to a group intervention with two groups. I also have one group in Snyder, Oklahoma with another 15 kids and hopefully soon we'll be doing Hobart. I'm barely at the shelter anymore and gaining good rapport with a lot of people in the five county area. I was in the newspaper last week for the kick off for teen dating violence awareness week and yet again today as a guest speaker with the alternative education school in Altus. I'll be in Frederick's newspaper as a guest speaker to their high school this week also. If you guys get a chance, look it up online. www.altustimes.com and put in a search with my name. Teen dating violence awareness week is over but I have one more outreach this week to the headstart parents on child neglect, child abuse, and mandatory reporting. April will be busy because we'll be doing the "good touch, bad touch" puppet show to pre-k through 2nd grades in all of Altus and our other 4 counties we serve. There's also a lot of planning for the kid carnival to support child abuse awareness month and sexual assault awareness month. I love the job! I barely get time at home which sucks but hopefully things will taper down. Evan will be deploying again in June for another six months. He just tested for tech sergeant. Let's keep our fingers crossed he makes it! He's great, he just got his associates! Lexi has been doing awesome in school. She loves it, she can't get enough. Lexi is growing like a little weed and still talking up a storm!

Thanks for reading, I hope everyone is doing well and that your year has been as great as ours so far!

A newer update!

Hello everyone,
A new update. I am down to 220. Well lingering between 224 and 22o. I am hoping that I get to 200 by the New Year. Let's keep our fingers crossed. This is definitely a life altering progress. I am finding that certain foods do not settle well and overeating is a big NO NO. Thanksgiving was great, I had a little bit of everything within moderation and of course, cheated and had some pie. Cheesecake does not settle well just yet. I am thinking it's still a little too rich on the tummy. My energy level has sky rocketed and I have been off the thyroid meds for quite sometime. I feel great, I feel 18 again but I am a little wiser and a little more mature with my choices. I am down to a size 17 pants and I originally started at a 24W pants. I wear a size XL and my shirts to begin with were in between a 2X sometimes a 3x. I love how much I have changed and the amount of weight that I have shed already is amazing.

Work has been crazy as of lately but I guess that comes with the territory of working in crisis intervention. School has been overwhelming but after my finals on Thursday I will be on Christmas break. I'm looking forward to a Christmas break from school. Lexi will be turning 4 on Tuesday and I can't believe how much she has changed and how quickly time goes. I will be out of town for her actual birthday because of training but Evan has taken the entire week off to dedicate doing something with her to get her party ready and doing something special on the 9th. Lexi will be able to go to school on Tuesday and share some cupcakes with her classmates and her teacher has something special planned for her. Lexi has grown and matured, it's amazing what the difference is with behaviors.

I just wanted to give everyone an update on how life has been for all of us. We've been enjoying each others company and preparing for the month of December. Everyone knows that over the holidays we tend to rush through things. I hope every one of you are doing well and that the holiday season treats you all well safely. We keep everyone in our thoughts throughout the year but I definitely do miss seeing and having family over the holidays. I hope the season finds you safe and warm. I will be sending out cards soon with a picture of all three of us. Much love to you all. We miss you all terribly and have a great holiday!

update, it's been almost 3 weeks

Hi everyone! It has been almost 3 weeks since my surgery! I have been terrible with keeping you updated but my body has been so out of wack and I have been so tired. I decided to update you all while I have a second to do so. Surgery went well. My pre-op weight was 281, I had my post-op appointment yesterday and I am now 245! It's amazing how much more different I do feel with that weight off. I actually feel my ankles! I'm feeling great, tired but great.

The surgery part was easy, it was doing the after care and the after diet that is hard. I am having a hard time with certain things I eat, drink, and smell. I get nauseous sometimes, I throw up if something does not sit well, and my sense of smell is just so very different. My senses are so heightened and there are certain things that I do smell that will make me feel ill. Other than the nausea and throwing up, things are back to normal sort of.

Besides my weight loss, I got a full time job! I'll be the children's advocate for the battered women's shelter I worked at before. I'm so excited and this is an opportunity of a lifetime. I am looking forward to going to work full time. It'll be different but I'll be able to push through! Sorry this is short, I am feeling a nap coming soon! Hope all is well, I will try and keep everyone updated more than I have been!

We got a date for surgery!

So, I initially thought it would take a few months before this whole process would start but in actually, I only have a few weeks. A couple of weeks ago I had seen a bariatric doctor. He said that once it was authorized by insurance, we could set a date for surgery for anytime. I just got the authorization from insurance today and we have a surgery date for September 26th! Yes, it's our 8 year wedding anniversary and I didn't want to do it than so I could be coherent for our anniversary but Evan looked at me and said, "DO IT, the sooner the quicker we can start on to you being healthier Leah" So, I scheduled the surgery for that date. September 26th. I am so of nervous right now. I'm nervous, scared, wondering if I'm strong enough to do something this drastic, and have the willpower to do it. I'm scared of the "what if's" and the "what could happen" but I look back and I've seen many people have the surgery and be sucessful, like my mother in law. She had no complications, she looks great. So, here it goes, we are supposed to be at the doctors office at 8:30 a.m. on the 25th for pre-op stuff, than onto the hospital where he performs the procedure and we have to do all the admin stuff. I have to stay overnight in a hotel that night, be at the hospital on the 26th at 5 a.m. Hopefully they are able to do this as soon as possible because there are a lot of grumpies in our family that do not do mornings well. After surgery, I have to stay overnight in the actual hospital and than the following day be moved into a 'rehab' type center for one more night. Hopefully, letting me get home by Sunday. The surgery is supposed to take approximately 45 minutes. Keep me in your thoughts and hope that I am strong enough to do what I need to do before surgery.

The beginning

So I've decided to create a blog since I am about to start on the voyage of a life altering experience. I have had hypothyroidism since 2000. After my radioactive iodine ablation, I gained nearly 100 pounds. After trying to get my thyroid levels under control for 7 years, they finally became normal levels but I was experiencing issues with not ovulating or having a monthly cycle. After six months of dealing with that, the doctors finally looked into it and determined that I have polycystic ovary syndrome. That in turn causes insulin resistance and that prevents me from losing weight and puts me in high risk for diabetes. So, while all of the referrals to endocrinologists and other doctors is happening, I have been trying to get a referral to a gastric bypass surgeon. I tried for two years while living in Altus, Oklahoma. The doctor was just refusing to give me the referral to the surgeon. He leaves, I see a different doctor and she finally gives me what I want. After years of being morbidly obese with a number of medical problems caused from obesity and preventing weight loss, I finally prevailed! I recently went and saw the gastric bypass surgeon. (August 20, 2008) and he said that I qualified, we have to wait on insurance approval, than we can set up a date. They weighed me at my consult, weight to date, 281 lbs. I was so disgusted. But, the good news, we ARE getting the surgery and getting it sooner than I thought. There are some stipulations and things that I must follow prior to surgery. Some of those things are, quit smoking. Which is my number one priority and damn, it's difficult. Second, protein diet, one protein drink in the morning for breakfast, a small salad with some chicken or ham for lunch, and than for dinner, another protein drink. Ugh, this is going to miserable. I am still coming to my senses with this one. Last of all, attend at least one support group meeting, and exercise one hour a day everyday, (I normally do that but not how he wants me to). This is just the beginning and I am praying for an ounce of support from everyone. My ideal goal is to lose approximately 130-150 lbs which would put me at 150-130. So I guess that means, half of who I am now! I will be updating on my weight loss, my feelings, and my thoughts about this. I also decided to use my mother in law's example and not post or send anyone pictures of myself after I have the surgery. I will be taking pictures but will not post, I intend on blogging about my weight loss but until I reach my goal weight, I will not be showing any pictures of myself. (Let's see how that one works, I may get impatient and overexcited that I HAVE to show everyone how drastic I changed).