Catching Up (and an answer for Jace!!)

Okay ... I've been reprimanded by the sister for not keeping this updated!!  Sorry about that ... life has been getting in the way!!

First things first, I'm answering a question asked in the comments of my previous post by Jace.  What is a fill?  First of all - I LOVE that my family in Ohio is reading this & keeping up with me!!  Since I can't see you guys as often as I totally wish I could, it's great that I can share this way with you!!  I do get asked this question a lot ... by everyone from my mom to people at my office who are curious.  The best way I know how to describe it is to sort-of start from the beginning of the lap band procedure.  A ring of sorts is placed around the top of my stomach/bottom of my esophagus on the day of the actual procedure.  At that time, some saline is put into the tubing in that ring which constricts how much food/liquid can go through to my stomach at one time.  Because everyone is different, they do not normally put a large amount of saline in at that time.  I will have to go to follow-up appointments throughout the next few months now to make sure that no more saline needs to be added or none needs to be taken out.  Because at my last follow-up, I had lost a good amount of weight and I was eating correct size portions without feeling hungry - they didn't feel like I needed a fill at that time.  It's been a little over a week since that appointment and my next follow-up with them is Tuesday and I know I will need to have a fill done.  Last week I had only been on solid food for about 5 days.  Now I've been on solid food for 2 full weeks and I am not losing any more weight and I am able to eat more than I was and still not feel full.  I'm still being conscious of my food decisions and trying to eat small amounts - but it isn't always easy.  Anyway, I hope that answers your question Jace (and anyone else who was wondering the same thing!!!) ... if not, keep asking & I'll do my best to explain more!!

Now ... let me tell you that the fact that I haven't lost any more than the initial 30 lbs is kinda discouraging.  I'm not gaining anything back (so that's good) - but those first 30 seemed to just fall off so quickly ... a plateau this soon is hard for me.  However, I have decided that any time I need a confidence boost - I need only make a trip to my hometown to feel 100% better!!  This past weekend was our town's annual craft show put on by the band boosters.  My sister's in-law's had a booth the very first year (15 years ago) and over the years, my parents joined with them and now it's become a big family affair!  Both my sisters and their hubbys and the nieces come to town and most of the time, my cousin joins us as well so that we can all work the booth all day long on Saturday.  It's a family reunion as well as a small school/hometown reunion as it seems everyone in our little town comes out for this event to buy their Christmas decorations and get the first pics of the year with Santa who always makes an appearance.  This visit home was my first since the surgery -- no one had seen me at all since I began losing weight.  I may not be able to look into the mirror and see the loss, but apparently everyone else really does see it.  I got so many compliments and congrats ... and even a few who told me that I look younger (woohoo!).  I am really glad I visited home! :)  Below is just a glimpse of the new me (I got the hair done too!!) - and it's a glimpse of how I spent all afternoon, dealing with my crazy little monkey!!!!

I have talked about my procedure with a few people over the past few weeks.  One of the first questions I get is why I decided to do it.  I love food, I love to cook and in turn, I love to eat what I cook.  What would make me decide to have a surgery that prevents me from eating some foods at all and all foods to very small portions??  The answer to me, came about 3 years ago when I realized all the fun things I wanted to do with my nieces were much harder to do than I'd ever anticipated.  I couldn't run around in the yard like I wanted, I couldn't climb around in their toys because I was afraid I'd break them and I couldn't even swing on their swing set as easily as I wanted because I was uncomfortable.  I took 3 years to talk myself into it completely - and by then my wanting to run and play with 1 little girl had turned into wanting to run and play with 3 of the little munchkins ... and if I am ever to have my own kids, I don't want to have this ever be an issue at all.  I wasn't feeling really great on Sunday of this past weekend (I was getting the beginnings of a nasty cold) but my nieces were at my parents house with me and they were playing in the leaves in the backyard.  All I wanted to do was run and play with them as well ... and I WILL be doing that with them this time next year.  Here are my 3 little inspirations

Okay ... so I know this is really long ... but if you'll allow me just a little more of your time ... I know I haven't kept up with my Days of Thankfulness and there are WAY too many days to try and go back and catch up on.  But today, of all days, I want to say that I am so completely and ever thankful for the health of my family.  On Sunday, a really great guy from my hometown (and the father of a really good friend of mine) lost his battle with lung cancer.  His funeral was today ... he was just a few years older than my dad, he left behind 2 sons (both younger than me), 4 sweet little grandbabies (2 who will never even remember him they are so young) and a wife of 39 years.  I have another friend whose mother is battling cancer as well and chances are very slim that she will be with her family much longer either.  I pray for these families, my friends who are saying good-bye to their parents so early in life and as much as my heart aches for them - I am so thankful that I am not living their pain and heartbreak. I still have 3 grandparents, both of my parents are in good health ... I'm so lucky, so blessed, so grateful.  So if you are lucky enough to have your family around you in the next weeks as you celebrate the holidays - hug them! Hug them, squeeze them, tell them just how much they mean to you.  Tomorrow is not promised to any of us ... you never know if you'll have that chance again.