Finished. . . . well, almost

Almost 5 months, my tree is rooted and it is deep

Here are my virgin feet after I got off of work and was waiting to drive out to Upland.
Here is my foot after about 1 1/2 hours of outlining

Last, but not least here is my foot 3 hours after the very first poke of the needle. The brown of the trunk and the green of the leaves still need to be done. Honestly, I was DONE after 3 hours.

I know that I haven't updated this blog in while but honestly, I haven't even wanted to. So, there it is: Open honesty. I have been back to work for about a month and a half getting ready for the Christmas onslaught. : ) I am still going to the gym and working out, goodtimes, actually, I really enjoy it! (Sweat and all) Still delving into my artistic side and loving it. (I will post some of my pots tomorrow. Art has always helped me express myself and is a great outlet for emotions. : ) Some of you know and many of you don't know I have been thinking about getting a tattoo for quite sometime now. I finally got it started last Friday out at Classic Tattoo in Upland, my Artist, Kayle Leogrande (owner). I LOVE IT!

Can't wait to get it finished and once my foot heals. I will be 5 months out on November the 24th. I am down 92 pounds and 163 respectively. Oh, I will post a picture of my Halloween turtle shell tomorrow as well. Take it easy everyone. : ) HAPPY BIRTHDAY NATHAN!

4 months already? Whoa!

Hey all! I can't believe that on Friday the 24th was my 4 month surgiversary! Dang! I am doing well working out at the gym, back to work with no knee pain (Praise God!), and still being creative as ever. I am loving life! I am down 155 pounds since last August! I feel great! I have been sewing a Halloween costume, I will post pictures later, I am going to be a turtle. : ) Oh, dear!

It's been a long time coming.. . . .

I know that it has been sometime since my last update, so here I am. I am doing really well. I have went back to work at Starbucks, unfroze my gym membership and am tapping back into my creativity through various outlets. Life is good and I am living it! I am down 79 pounds since my surgery and 150 pounds since last year August. I hope that everyone is doing well and I'll try to be better about updating. : )

Green Jacket, Even Greener Future

Good morning everyone! I was up at 645 am this morning. : )

I have had and interesting week. . . I am loving it!!!! Moving on, I thought that I should update my page again. As of yesterday Friday the 12th, I have lost 68 pounds since my surgery and 139 since last August. I have lost basically some of my friends in their body weight. I am still on soft solids ans am in the process of eating more at one time, that sometimes has unpleasant effects. : (

So, I got the ball rolling towards being re-admitted to Cal Poly to finish my BA. The adviser that I NEED to speak with broke her leg and is out for a few weeks, dang! So I had to finally get rid of my jeans they fell off and when strangers would tell me while I was out and about that I needed to get some smaller jean, I finally surrendered and bought new jeans. They are 4 sizes smaller than all my old jeans, I have only had them about a week ans they are already loose in the waist, never had thta problem before, so I will try not to complain. : )

I hope that everyone has a great weekend! Let the people that you love, know it!

It's a Tuesday for the Tree

Hey everyone I hope that everyboday had a nice, fun and relaxing Labor Day! I spent the day relaxing and making jewelry for friends and family. I am doing pretty good here are my latest pictures. I am down 59 pounds since my surgery and 130 since last August. My jeans are falling off me and I need to wear a belt cinched up all the way or else they will fall off. I feel better physically and I have a ton more energy. Thank you all for your prayers along the way, they are appreciated. Until my next post. . . . .

Two Months OUT!!!!!

Today Sunday the 24th is my 2 Month out surgiversary! Yeah! : ) I made it to post with only 2 minutes to spare! : )

Seven weeks and one day out

Hey everyone I am doing really well. I am back on some solid foods and am ramping up my exercise routine to be back at where I was prior to my surgery. : ) I am 53 pounds down since my surgery and 118 pounds down since last August. Here is my latest picture taken. Hope that everyone is having a great week so far! : )

Vera, oh Vera, oh how I love thee

This is just a quick blog to show off my new Vera Bradley apron. Go eBay!!! : ) I am wondering......What should I puree today? : )

Learning and yearning, I'm like a boat with a new sail, looking for my gusts of wind. . .

Hey everyone! I know that it has been about 2 weeks since my last posting and honestly I have been in a bit of a funk. (the line drawing on the right was from a copper plate I made in while at Cal POLY. I though that it was fitting) Well, maybe funk is too strong of a word, but I have just been learning more and more about what a post-op diet/life is and I am incorporating that into my life now. So, I will start with about two weeks ago. I started Phase 3 which was Full Liquids. I was SO excited to be able to eat thinned out cream of wheat, sugar-free fat-free pudding and on and on. I was doing fine except I would say once I was about into my 1-2 weeks of Phase 3 I started to feel lethargic and like I wanted to sleep a lot. I found out that this was due to me not getting my protein when I needed it and my lack of exercise. I would go too long without any protein. I have remedied that and I have been feeling a lot better. Like I said before, I had started back at the pool doing some water exercises and that really helps with my overall well-being. I am still learning and I need to be patient with myself.

I wanted to share one more thing with everyone. I went to the dentist other week to get some work done on my teeth. (People who know me know that I have bad teeth and been through some challenging times during the past couple of years) Anyway, gettting to my story, my journey towards my surgery was not an easy one, so the people at the dentist have known me for the last year of my journey. I went to the dentist to get my teeth cleaned and during the cleaning, person after person would come into the room and said, "Oh, you had your surgery?" and I mumbled, "Uh, huh." This continued happening for the next 10 minutes, about 5 different people. Please don't get me wrong they had good and caring intentions, but I went home and felt like a bit of a circus act. I have never gotten used to the people that have stared at me or made comments and it is no different now. At times it is harder to let roll off my back. This duck is tired and her back is sore. I am learning and discovering feelings that I have had stuffed down into my soul and they seem to be bubbling out every so often. It makes for an interesting life, but I wouldn't have it any other way, it has made me who I am, and I am satiated. Pray for me.

Had it for over a year, and now I can wear it!

(The frilly top that I have on in the picture above has been in a drawer for over a year, This is my last pair of jeans, and they are falling off! Picture taken July 12, 2007, Happy Birthday, Sethy!)

Hey everyone! I thought that I should update my blog, with the prompting of some others, I will.

As most of you know, the road to my surgery was a long, bump-filled journey. : ) I WON SUCKAS! So, I went in for my first checkup since surgery. I didn't know what to expect, My surgeon was very happy. As of 13 days post-op I am down 24 pounds and as of August 07, 2007, I am down 95 pounds! I am accepting it and realizing that I actually did work my butt off, I did a 180 on my eating habits, said goodbye to some unhealthy relationships and refocused my energy and love to those who have been here for me through the fat, the bad, the good and the present. I now know who I can count on and honestly, I have never felt so loved ever in my entire life! Undescribable! Thank you!

Also, I am out of Phase 2, all liquids and am onto Phase 3 which consists of everything in Phase 2 with the addition of Full Liquids. Full Liquids are Vegetable Juice (V8), strained soups, Fat free, sugar-free pudding, strained yogurt and thinned out cream of wheat! I am still on my 2ozs every 30 minutes and I cannot wait until I can have cottage cheese! (pureed that is) I am back to swimming three times a week and good old Gilad on FIT TV! Have a great weekend!

These are the soliders in my army

Hello everyone! I thought that I would introduce you to my buddies. Welcome the "Protein Brigade and the Shot glass-mixer Posse." (Thanks Jenn for the Lemonade, Strawberry-Kiwi and the Vanilla Bean) All flavors are pretty good execpt the "Virtually Tasteless Protein," yeah right! It is only good in sweet things, not at all good in Fat-free chicken broth. Have you ever had sweetened Fat-free chicken broth? I wouldn't even reccommend it to an enemy. : (

My partners in crime for the next few months. . . . The Quads and Mister Mixer (Thanks Nathan)

Like night and day. The size of the cups that I would drink out of prior to my surgery and the shot glass that I use as my glass now a days. WOW! It is pretty weird to think that this is all that my stomach can hold right now. 2oz every 30 minutes!

And yet here I am with my pals, happy as a clam. It is all worth it! I will give an update in the next couple of days. Happy Fourth of July!!!

the before and the before, before.

This is me at my first consult for my surgery. I was at my highest weight ever.
This is me th morning of my surgery on June the 24th 2008. I am 76 pounds down and was ready to have my surgery. God granted me peace, I was not afraid.
This pictur is a bit gnarly. These are my new battle scars and I am proud of them. I have 5, 1" incisions and they seem to look a bit like a star! I am doing so well, I feel a lot better, after the surgery I felt like i had gotten hit by a truck, but each and everyday brings more healing, and more joy and an unexplainable, unimaginable happiness. : )

Ch-ch-ch changes. . . . .

This picture was taken 6 months ago in December 2007. My hair is shoulder length. Old CK glasses. : (

















April 2008 brought many changes. Was told that I could no longer wear contqacts due to "chronic dry eye", so new glasses were purchased (see below). Also, I had cut most of my hair off and was experimenting with my natural curl.

And this is my latest picture that I took on June the 2nd 2008. My hair is even shorter and I am into headbands and little clips. Note: I am REALLY happy to have tried an different frame in regards to glasses. : ) I am 68 pounds dwon since August 2007. My surgery is 8 days away! : )

And so it begins...wait it has begun!

I decided to start a blog, well more of a day to day or week to week sort of record keeping. Here we go. Hope you enjoy the ride!