Wow, has it really been four months since last post?

Okay, I guess an update is in order here.  I am finally down to 220, which isn't great, but it is okay for me.  I don't even remember what I weighed four months ago?  I am not doing as great as some people (Nick and Ang), but hey, I am 20 years older and my body is more "settled" than theirs.  I think I am back to a lot of old habits, which doesn't help with the weight loss. 

On August 24th I was rear-ending by a drunk driver at 7:45 AM.  I was going from one Lilly's building to another building in a company's car and was sitting at a red light when at car traveling between 35-40 miles a hour plowed into the back of me, the moving force caused me to hit the car to my right and the car in front of me.  I called my boss to let him know I had been in an accident and when he asked where I was, I couldn't tell him.  I had no idea where I was.  I tried to read the street sign and realized my glasses has been knocked off my face, so I found my glasses and was able to read the signs to figure out where I was.  A little scary since I am on that road almost everyday.

A neck brace was put around my neck and I was lifted out of the car and onto the stretcher and was taken to the hospital.  While enroute I was talking to David and he told me not to let the ambulance driver take me to Wishard, so I decided I wanted to go to St. Francis South (closer to home).

While I was in the ambulance, an EMS personnel guy told me the drive of the car was being taken to jail.  Who is drunk at 7:45 AM?  Had he been drinking all night, or just getting an early start?

When I got to the hospital and was waiting to be wheeled to an emergency room, the ambulance driver asked me what ward I was in.  I acted like I didn't hear him and asked him to repeat the question, he once again asked me what ward I was in... he said when they were checking my stomach for injury he saw my garments and knew I was a member of the church. I laughed and told him the 1st ward, he then told me he was in the Franklin ward.  We had a nice chat and I realized that my garments are a protection to my body.  All of a sudden I realized how well Heavenly Father knows me.  I was having a very overwhelming week and I had so many more things I had to do that week, I had a feeling of peace come over me and I knew that I just needed to take it easy and rest. 

X-rays were taken of my knee and back (my knee hit the dashboard, but my seat belt did a great job of holding me in place so I wouldn't go through the windshield.  I was given a pain pill and was told the next few days would be the worse.  I called Staples (my part-time job) and told them I wouldn't be in for a while.

I went to the Employee Health Services (EHS) doctor on Friday and he asked me to walk up and down the hallway and then he sent me back to work.  ??????   I went to work, closed some work orders and checked some equipment into the Lab and started feeling very bad, so I told my Team Lead I needed to go home.  I saw the Doctor again the following Tuesday and told him I was having pain in my neck, back and down my leg so he told me to take off work for a week.  Now, I was finally getting to rest!  I was also off from the part-time job and just spent the day resting and having lunch with my folks.  It was great!

A week later I was back to work and have started physical therapy twice a week.  I am feeling better, but it will take time for my muscles and soft tissue to heal.  I still can't work my part-time job, I tried it last Monday and after standing for seven hours I thought I was going to die, so the Doctor said not to go back there for two more weeks (remember, this is a LILLY doctor, so he really doesn't care about my part-time job and I don't get workmans comp from the part-time job because they say the two jobs aren't similar) Anyways, I think I have a lot of questions for an attorney.

Well, that's the update of my world.... Maybe I shouldn't wait so long in between post.

My son Christopher Michael

Today I am going to brag about my youngest son, Christopher Michael.  Chris has come so far in the past six months.  He took his GED and passed, actually he scored in the 99th percentile in Math and did great in all the other areas.  Taking the GED is a big deal, you're tested on many things you learned in High School.  Well, Chris stopped attending High School his junior year.  I know this wasn't a good choice, but it was his choice.  My point is... even with the obstacles, he was able to achieve a worthwhile goal and do very well at the same time.

This summer Chris started working for Scott's Lawn Care as a door-to-door salesman.  Week after week he has been able to meet and exceed the goals (with the exception of one week).  I can only imagine how hard it must be to sale door-to-door.  I look at "door-to-door salesmen" in a different light now. The "selling" season is over, Chris was offered the opportunity to become a "tech" for Scott's.  In order to do this, he had to take a test. which he had to study for on his own.  David mentioned to me when he was a farmer, in order to work with some of the chemicals, he too had to take a very similar test, and he actually attended a class, offered by the State, to learn about the products he would be working with.  Chris took a few days to study and he passed! 

Chris has been living with David and I for the past five months and it has truly been a pleasure to have him home again.  I know in due time, he will be in a position to move out again and be on his own.  This is our goal for him as well, but in the meantime, I am going to enjoy having him around as long as I can.

I love YOU, Christopher Michael~

Time to Update

It's been a while since my last update, not too much is going on.  We did have a surprise birthday party for David last Saturday which was so much fun at Great Times.  He didn't have a clue, I knew he would love having all of the kids there to play games and hang out.  Actually his birthday is next Sunday (April 24 - Easter).  We have invited the family to come over for a cook-out and Easter egg hunt after church.  Looking forward to another great day - hoping for a beautiful sunny day.

The weight loss is going slow, I figured out that I do better on the weekends than I do during the week, ugh!  I found out I can start working a "flex week" so I will be taking off on Tuesday and David and I'll be able to drive together the rest of the week.  Reason:  Savings on GAS.  At $52 a fill-up, we have got to find a way to cut back.

Three Months Out

Yesterday I had my three-month check up.  I have lost 50 pounds and 10 inches around the waist ~ yay me!  I went to my blood draw and was told I would have to give about 12 tubes of blood.  Things started off good, the nurse was able to find a good vein in the arm vs. the hand (thank goodness).  After the 10th tube I was hurting really bad and was feeling very dizzy and the "good" vein shut down.  She (the nurse) was going to have to stick me again, I told her I was DONE!  I was not giving any more blood and I felt she had enough and I left.  Hopefully I don't get in trouble.  The missing tube is probably the check for my "protein" or something really important.

Tonight Makayla and Nathan are spending the night, I LOVE it when they stay over, however, I know it will be an early start tomorrow, they're the ones that wake the rooster... lol  I just need to figure a way to get them to sleep past 5:45 AM.  We are going to TGI Friday's for dinner.... fun, fun!

The Cruise from ....(you know where)

Okay, I am ready to post about our cruise... As you may know, I have been looking forward to this cruise for 10 years.  Monday morning we arrived at the airport at 6:00 AM, boarded our Delta flight at 8:00 AM.  The plane was packed and there was no room left in the overhead bins for our carry-on, so we were told we had to check the bags (mistake #1).  Thinking we were going to depart (mistake #2), the pilot informs us there's a mechanical problem with the plane and a mechanic is going to come and take a look.  After 30 minutes the pilot comes back on over the loud speaker to inform us the problem is going to take a few hours and we need to get off the plane.  I immediately got up and was literally the first one out and at the counter ready to book the next flight to Atlanta.  I found out the 6:00 AM flight to Atlanta had also been cancelled and now they had two planes worth of people to re-book.  The 10:00 AM flight was also cancelled due to Mechanical problems (are you beginning to see a trend here).  They booked us on a 12:40 flight which would get us into Atlanta after our connecting flight to Jacksonville had left (mistake #3).  No one seemed to care when I explained that we were meeting a cruise ship and had to get to Jacksonville by a specific time.  One of the ticket agents did make the comment to me that I should have known to fly in the night before my cruise, her family is attending her funeral service today!  lol

So I called the 800 # to notify the cruise that we had missed our flight but was trying to get to the dock before they left.  At this point everything became a blur.  Somehow we were squeezed onto a flight, made a connection and arrived in Jacksonville 10 minutes after the ship was to depart. I called "Barbara", my new best friend, every 15 minutes to give an update as to where we were and what time I thought we would be at the ship.  Barbara kept telling me to HURRY!  I was waiting for our luggage and David was getting us a cab.  Our luggage NEVER came.  We had NO luggage; we filed a quick claim and raced out to catch the cab to get to the ship.  The cruise waited 45 minutes for us to get there.  David and I went to our room and just sat there unable to believe we made it and that we had NOTHING with us.  We realized we hadn't eaten all day, so decided to first search for food, which was an easy thing to do.  Then we went to the ship's gift shop and were able to find one (1) pair of Capri pants and two (2) shirts in my size.  David was able to find a few more items.  For three days we had none of our stuff.

On Wednesday morning we were scheduled for a snorkeling excursion as soon as we docked Key West.  I didn't have a swimsuit so as soon as we could get off the ship; we ran and found a swimming suit shop where I was able to purchase a swim suit.  The water was so rough it was very difficult to snorkel and the reef we were suppose to look at, was about a 1/4 of a mile from where we anchored, so I don't think anyone actually made it all the way to the reef.  I got into the water (mistake #4) and almost drowned.  I got back onto the boat and was ready to call it a day. 

When we got back onto the cruise ship and back to our room, we found 2 out of 3 of our luggage bags.  We called Customer Service to find out where the 3rd bag was and they informed us they had it because there was a security issue with an item inside it.  We had brought a "hand steamer" (mistake #5) and they confiscated it and told us we could have it back when we returned to Jacksonville.

The last day at sea was horribly rough.  It was storming all day and the dance shows were cancelled because the performers couldn't walk on stage let alone try to dance.  The ship rocked the entire day.  David became very ill (not from sea sickness) but from the flu and felt bad all day.

The flight back home on Saturday was almost as much of a nightmare as the flight at the beginning of the trip.  I think it only took us 12 hours to get home.

Okay, now I am going to mention all the positives:  we did made the ship before it set sail; we were able to eat anytime day or night; we loved Nassau and the beautiful colored water; we spent "quality" time together; we made it home safely; Delta is reimbursing us for all of our purchases (up to $499); and we will have something to laugh about for years to come!  Now we just need to decide when to book our next cruise...

Feeling Great...

It's been eight weeks since my surgery and I am down 40 pounds and I feel GREAT!  David and I have started water aerobics 2-3 times a week and it is amazing how much better I feel.  The weather is getting warmer and yesterday after lunch, I went walking and walked a mile without thinking about it.  It has been so long since I have felt like being active (umm, maybe 10 years ago).  I just realized today that I can eat a SALAD.  I have missed being able to eat a salad the most, now I have to decide where my first salad should come from... hmmmm.  Any suggestions?

11 more days until the cruise... I am so excited!  I am looking forward to spending some time with my husband with no computers or distractions.  (I told David he can't take his laptop because I know he'll play games the entire trip and so he told me I can't take a book).  We will be creative in finding other activities to keep us entertained!

What a scare....

Angela was scheduled for a procedure last Friday (the 3rd of 3) and the first two went fine without a hitch, but on Friday afternoon I received a frantic call from Nick saying Angela was going to have an Emergency Surgery.  Wow, what a scary call.  I raced off to the hospital calling David, Jenny (Jenny called Jake, I was suppose to be meeting Jenny to get Makayla and Nathan for the weekend) and Chris.  When I got to the hospital they were preping Ang.  She was very upset (the unknown is such a scary thing) and so after a few tears, she was wheeled away. 

The surgery went well (Dr Clark brought out pictures and showed us the before and after shots) and she has been recovering the past couple of days.  The drainage tube was removed today.  The tube was very uncomfortable and was the source of her greatest pain.  Now we wait to see if she will be released to go home tomorrow.

Hang in there Sweetheart, I love YOU~

Still Thankful for....

I went to my follow-up appointment yesterday and offically I have lost 27 1/2 pounds and 5 inches.  After talking to the Doctor and Nurse, they both recommended I speak to the on-site Psychologist.  They all think I am having "mourning issues" with my food loss.  It is just something I need to work through. Obliviously I love food or I wouldn't have needed weight-loss surgery in the first place.  This will take time and I have a great support group.

My son Chris has moved back home for a while.  It is great to have him back home, but I do worry about him so much more when he is living under my roof.  He is looking for a job, so if anyone knows of any job openings, give me a call.

Back to Work....

Yup, I went back to work today... just 12 days past surgery.  I feel great!  I worked half day today and will work half day tomorrow and then on Thursday, back to full days.  I was planning on taking off until Jan 17th, but I hate wasting my vacation days the first two weeks of a new year. 

Last night I ate chicken, real chicken from KFC and it was GREAT!  I chewed really good and had a few mashed potatoes and gravy.  Today I ate some of the leftovers and it was so good.  Tonight I had egg drop soup and shrimp (chewed up very good).  I am still eating very small amounts, but it is nice to have different flavors.

Happy New Year....

I am feeling so much better.  They only bad day I have had was when I posted my last BLOG.  Wow, that was a bad day.  I feel great!  I am down 23 pounds!  I have energy.... I went for a walk this afternoon, and besides being so cold, it was great to walk!!! 

I have been cooking and baking, not sure what is going on since I can't eat it.... BUT I really like to cook.  I know I am driving my husband crazy, because I will make him tell me how good it is over and over.  Maybe I am just bored.

Looking forward to a wonderful new year!!!