Hi....

Well, it's still going great! I'm losing....ever so slowly, but at least I'm losing. I'm at my lowest point since the surgery. I can't believe April will make 2 years with the band. I can't imagine how miserable I would have been by now, if I hadn't had the surgery. Yes, it is a slow weightloss, but it is SO worth it. I don't have saggy skin. My skin is still firm, and in place! LOL

I could have lost this weight a lot faster, if my fills had been more aggressive in the beginning, but oh well. I'm happy to be where I am now. It's so much fun, looking into my closet, and pulling out clothes that I haven't been able to wear for 9 years, and they FIT. It is a wonderful feeling, even if they are outdated!

I really want to lose about 25 more pounds. That doesn't seem like such an impossible feat now! I remember how I felt BEFORE surgery. When I thought about how much weight I wanted to lose, it just seemed like the impossible dream! Now, I'm ALMOST there! Hallelujah!
OK, I'll talk more later....

Hey Everybody!

I haven't fallen off the wagon! I'm still here. Happy to say that I made it through the holiday season without gaining an ounce!! I had some problems with the band before Christmas, but God got me through it! I had stomach flu, which is the ABSOLUTE worst thing that can happen when you have a band. (As a side note...try to always keep some phenergan on hand, and in case of an emergency you can take a Benadryl. Works better than NOTHING...if you can keep it down.) I was in Tennessee when it hit. Got a phernergan from my cousin, but it really didn't help. I can't remember EVER being that sick!!! It was so bad!



Got back home to Iowa, and found out that about 80% of our church family had ALSO gotten it. Plus I had taken my girls (Missionettes) from church camping the weekend before we left, and ALL of them had it too!! Must had been some really contagious stuff!!



Anyway, throwing up caused irritation, which lead to more irritation, which lead to...I couldn't DRINK WATER!! OK, so I had no way to pull saline out, and I thought I was gonna DIE. I prayed and prayed that God would help me get through it. He did! I found a medical supply co, where I could get a needle to access my port. OK, now could I get the courage to stick myself??? AND, if so, could I hit the port without messing something up? I picked up the needle, and prayed "God PLEASE help me do this!" I hit the port on the very first stick!!! Pulled out a couple of cc's.



I was able to drink water again!!! I had to let everything heal in there, so I waited about a week, and with God's help, once again accessed my port, and put the 2cc's back in.



Now, I'm sure you are all thinking I'm NUTS for doing that. I am NOT encouraging anyone to do that! My cousin is an RN, and when I was in TN, she trained me to do it, if I ever ended up in an emergency type situation. I considered it an Emergency! Plus the nearest doctor that could help me was over 300 miles away, and wouldn't be back in office for a week! SOOOOO.....yep.

OK, so now things are awesome! Had a wonderful Christmas! Hubby bought me a DSLR for Christmas, and I'm doing my first wedding this July!!! I'm terrified. The wedding is in TN. The happy couple are coming up around Jan. 30th so I can do engagement photos. They want to go to Madison county and have some pics done on the bridge. Hope we still have some snow! That would be pretty. Hope they are prepared for the fierce Iowa winters. It was definitely an adjustment for me when we moved here!

OK, I'm rambling! So, I haven't been on here for so long, because I've been so busy with STUFF. I'm the drama director at church, and also have joined the choir, (which I LOVE) and I teach a class every Wednesday night, so it keeps me busy. God is really doing awesome things in our church, and I'm so happy to be a part of it!

Well, I've gotta go, but I will TRY to post again.......SOON.