Well, I know it has been a while since I have posted. My life is going through a world of changes! Some changes have been great, yet others have broken my heart.
First, I started my journey to lose weight and feel better on August 6, 2009. I went to the Metabolic Surgery Center at Baptist Hospital, completed paperwork for insurance approval, and started "jumping through the hoops" that unfortunately insurance companies make people do. Finally on September 30, 2010 I had Lap Band surgery and a hernia repair. Believe me the first month was horrific (is that a word??). If someone had asked me "would you do this again," I'd say "NO WAY!!" My situation was different - I was a very sick and I think dying individual. My health issues were: type 2 diabetes (insulin dependent - 4 shots per day!), hypertension, sleep apena, coronary artery disease, high cholesterol, migraine headaches, and fibromyaliga. WOW, it's a miracle I'm here and writing this!
Back to the recovery... After the soreness, an overfill being fixed, and pain finally leaving me, I really felt like a different person. The weight seemed to just be coming off, I was not hungry nor craving the foods that helped me get this way, and I could actually feel myself "liking" who I was becoming.
I went to the doctor for my last appointment for 2010 and since starting the process in August, I have lost 65 pounds! Praise the Lord! I could not have done this had it not been for the grace, love, and strength given to me by my Lord. My goal is 40 more pounds. This is a goal I set before I had the surgery, but I do want to continue to lose more and then maintain. I KNOW I can do it, because when I feel like eating I always think back to how bad I felt before the 65 pounds. Dr. Morton, (the doctor who did the surgery) told me to go in the grocery store and pick up the biggest bag of dog food closest to the weight I lost and walk around the store. Since I had 2 back surgeries, I could not do that - I couldn't even begin to lift that weight - yet I had that on my body!!
That was my great change, now to the heart breaking change.
My husband of soon to be 25 years (January 24, 2011) has had open heart surgery (2 bypasses)on September 1, and a light stroke on Thanksgiving day. He is doing better, but I still worry every day about his health. He's not big on communicating and sharing, so I worry he is keeping everything inside. I try to take care of him and just pray each night Jesus will keep him alive. We have 2 teenage boys who still need us to be here for them.
Our family is struggling right now. Even though I had the surgery and am losing weight, I'm still having medical problems. Now, my fibromyaliga is the biggest obstacle in my life. I have had to stop teaching for right now, because I was simply not able to move around, bend, stand, and even my mind was getting involved in the "fibro fog." I always said that when I could no longer be the teacher I wanted to be, I would step down. I will not let the children I love and care about so much suffer because of my disability. I miss being in education more than anyone will ever know, but as I have always said "we must look at what we have, not what we do not."
As I look at the events of my life since August, I think of the wonderful quote "what does not kill us, makes us stronger." I am strong - I have found this out by going through these events.
I pray all will have a Blessed Christmas and a Very Happy New Year!! God Bless Us ALL!
