Happy Thanksgiving

Well, I'm at Mom's right now, and I have to admit I have been pretty grumpy so far. It finally struck me, too, that being grumpy on Thanksgiving is stupid. I have SOOOO much to be thankful for. I have a great (if dysfunctional) family. I have a decent job. I have a good roommate. I have been lucky enough to have an amicable divorce instead of a messy one (the papers are turned in - just waiting on a court date). I have a reliable car. Clothes to wear. And I have lost 98 pounds in 5 months. What do I have to complain about? Sure, my hair is falling out, but I bought some wigs and everyone I know has been very supportive. So I should be thankful that I have some options. Not to mention, all my research indicates that my hair will grow back. I'm lucky to know the hair loss is probably temporary. So why allow myself to be crabby on a day specifically set aside to be thankful. I'm embarrassed I allowed myself to act so childish.

More pics from Halifax, NC

Halifax, NC Tactical Event

I have now lost 95 pounds! Only 5 pounds away from my first major goal. I am very excited. My hair is still thinning, but it is a small price to pay. I know it will grow back. It normally does for gastric bypass patients. But I have definitely lost weight much more quickly than I would have vver expected. And it is allowing me to do things I haven't been able to do in years. Or it has allowed me to do things I have never done before. This weekend is a good example.

Friday I drove to Lexington, NC to meet up with the leader of the WWII reenacting group I am with. A group of us met at his house and carpooled to Halifax, NC for a tactical reenactment. It was a blast! We found a barn and camped there to get out of the pouring rain and wind. I easily fit into my sleeping bag and even managed to get some sleep. We found out in the morning that 5 tornadoes had touched down basically in the town to our left, passed over, then touched down in the town to our right. They passed directly over us! But by the morning, the rain had stopped and the event went as planned. My unit commander instructed me prior to the event that he wanted me to go out with the troops this time and get pictures of everything I could. Thank goodness I have been working out! And even with that, I am soooo sore today that I can barely walk. I know the guys have to be sore. They were not only hiking the same amount that I did, they were RUNNING. All in all, it was fantastic. During our second mission, one fo the Germans did not recognize me as a non-combatant war correspondent, and I was shot in the head. But even that was a thrill in a way. I was truly participating and not just hanging out waiting for everyone. I feel so blessed and thankful I had the surgery. And whenever I feel bad about my hair or not being able to eat a greasy cheeseburger, I will remember this weekend and how I would not have been able to keep up if I had not had gastric bypass surgery.

On that note, enjoy some pics!

Eating, anyone?

So this week has been a bit frustrating in general. I decided to make sure I am eating more healthfully so I invested in some tofu, soy beans, and soy nuts. In case you are not familiar, soy is the only food outside of meat that contains COMPLETE protein so it is a good choice to replace meat. I'm not becoming a vegetarian, per se, but since most meat makes my stomach feel funny, I have been avoiding it. The problem is that the one thing I am REALLY supposed to be trying to get in my diet is protein. Without meat, I've been trying to use soy to supplement. Boca burgers...um...well, they're not bad, but put them on a bun with cheese, lettuce, and other condiments to eat them. Don't have them like a hamburger steak as I did. You'll miss the ground beef. LOL! I haven't tried the straight tofu, but I did have some of the edamame (soy beans). I followed the instructions on the bag and boiled them in a water with a little bit of salt. Then I dressed them with bleu cheese crumbles and blue cheese dressing. Unfortunately, edamame contains a lot of fiber which also made my stomach hurt. I liked the taste, but I may need to watch that I get that in moderation.

So I told my roommate that maybe I should just live on protein shakes and multivitamins. She didn't seem to think it was a good idea. Hehe... Guess I'll just keep trying.

The Hard Way

More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of. --Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Ever notice how some of us only seem to learn things the hard way? I am one of those people. I have been trying to learn to eat healthier in general and be mindful of how much protein I consume as well as fats and carbs and sugar. But I worked late last night and asked my roommate to grab a burger for me on the way home so I could just eat when I got home. Big mistake! While I have had burgers without problems since my surgery, it has been a long time. And when I got home last night, I was so hungry, I started gobbling away like I did before my surgery. I ate too fast and without chewing well enough. I paid for that last night. It was a painful experience. But I guess I needed to be reminded that burgers are not a good choice and to eat more slowly and carefully regardless of how hungry I am.

On a side note, today I am going to file my divorce papers. I didn't think I would be so emotional about this, but I have been. I am ready to be divorce and so is Mike, but it's just a sad thing to have happen.

I also have been saddened by the election this week. I have not made too many political statements on this blog, but I was disappointed by the country's choice. I voted, but not enough people felt the way I do. However, the choice has been made, and now, I would encourage everyone to pray for Obama. He has been elected as our president so we should pray for God to grant him wisdom in his duties. God can use any situation for good. And the last thing our country needs is more division. We might not have supported him for president, but let's pray that Obama will do a good job. For us doubters, maybe he will surprise us. We need to pray as hard for him as we would have prayed for a president we wanted in office. I might not believe in Obama, but I believe in God. We are instructed to pray for our leaders, not just the ones we like.

Hrmmm....

So...I had my hair cut short this weekend. Why, might you ask? Well, now is the time for me to be brutally honest. My hair is falling out. I knew it was a possibility, but I have to admit I just KNEW that would not happen to me like it does most gastric bypass patients. Why I thought I would be spared this, I have no idea. And it is difficult to deal with which makes me feel shallow and vain. But my hair has always been one of my vanities. So I have been reading up on hair loss after gastric bypass and found that the multivitamins I have been taking are probably not enough for a gastric bypass patient. Because the stomach has been cut so small and the process is malabsorptive, a regular multivitamin does not get absorbed by my system the way a normal person would absorb it. Therefore, it's almost like I'm not taking a multivitamin. My iron has been very, very low, and again, my hair is falling out. I looked on bariatriceating.com for bariatric specific vitamins and found a brand called Celebrate. I take the multivitamin three times a day. I also invested in a hair, nails, and skin formula multivitamin from GNC recommended by my surgeon's office.

The other thing that has constantly been mentioned in my research is the need for more protein for hair growth and just overall health in bariatric patients. I recently ordered a protein sampler from the above-mentioned website and have been experimenting with the protein powders. Some are pretty good. You can't even tell they are protein blends. I also found a coffee drink with 20 grams of protein in it, but I am trying not to drink that all the time as it still has caffeine.

Hopefully, my hair will start growing back soon. I bought some Nioxin shampoo and conditioner and it seems to be helping with the appearance of my hair. Most information about the hair loss also states that because the body has been through so many changes so quickly, it might just take time for the adjustment. For most people, their hair grows back within the 7th to 9th month after surgery. As of Saturday, it has been 4 months. So I am going to keep doing what I am doing and hoping for the best and look at this as a lesson in patience and discipline.

On a very happy note, I have now lost 86 pounds since June 1 (when I started the pre-op diet). I have lost 4 pants size and the ones I am wearing now are starting to get loose. For the most part, I feel very good. I have so much more energy and confidence (even with my thinning hair). It's amazing! I can shop at most plus size stores now. I hate to admit it, but before the surgery, The Avenue was the only store I could use because their sizes went JUST high enough for me to comfortably wear. Yesterday, I went to Lane Bryant for the first time in literally years. It felt great! Of course, my next goal is to be able to wear clothes from the regular store sections instead of plus size. Frankly, I don't think it should be too long. And I am planning a small girls' night party to celebrate when I hit 100 pounds lost! I want to do something frou-frou. My roommate and I were talking about a night at the Koger Center. Sounds like fun to get all dressed up! Anyway, please keep me in your prayers, and thanks to everyone for so much love and support!