WOW! WHAT A RIDE!!

Hi Everyone, Sunday, April 15, 2007 I hope y'all haven't forgotten me, it's been sooo long since I have been on the board. Life has been a whirlwind! Just to cover a few, My mother-in-law had a bunch of many strokes. I am the one that takes her to weekly Doctor visits, Then on St. Patrick's Day We had a kitchen fire! My husband Dean got second degree burns on his hand and arm, our kitchen was a total loss and smoke damage through out the house, but we are counting our blessings, He could have been burned a lot worse and we could have lost our whole house. ME ~ I had my 47th birthday this past April 6th (Good Friday) and in 2 days on April 17th I will be celebrating my one year surgiversary! WOW! It's hard to believe it's been a whole year! I'm very happy with the weight loss. My goal was to loose 100 pounds by my one year mark. I have surpassed that! Since surgery day, I have lost 165 pounds as of yesterday!! I also hit my goal weight of 155 when I was 11 months out. I now weigh 153 pounds! On surgery day I was wearing size 3, 4 and some 5X's I now wear ....... ....... a size 8! This surgery, with God, Dr. Ross, my family and friends has given me a new life. I see Dr. Ross for my One year visit on April 26th No matter what kind of little problems I had along the way, it was worth it all!! I'm still having a little problem, (((not from the surgery itself but from ME not using my TOOL right))) I get sooo busy doing things and helping others I forget to get in all of my protein and water, thus the results ... This past week I passed out and when my son got me to come to, my left arm was numb, I MEAN DEAD! You know if you popped a barbe doll's arm off? Well, all of that was as numb as could be, it felt just like when you sleep on your arm and it goes to sleep, only it starts tingling and then wakes up, only my arm didn't wake up!! I could bend it, wiggle my fingers, but when I went to pick up my coffee & protein drink, the cup fell to the floor. The next day my family Doctor did some blood work and made 10 x-rays! They seen nothing, so I go for a MRI Mon. morning. All the feeling came back yesterday, (THANK YOU LORD) It lasted 3 days, Dean & Jessie would pinch me hard and I felt nothing! They still want me to have the MRI to see what was or is going on. I'm sure I must have pinched a nerve or something when I passed out. Please pray all is well with the MRI, I'm always afraid when they do MRI's they will find something like cancer, brain tumor or something. Yes, I know, I'm always such a big worry wart! BUT... I am going to try ....... NO, no trying about it, I WILL get in all my protein and water. I have come waaaay too far and feel waaaay tooo good to let myself die from my own doings! Dean & Jessica are also DRIVING ME CRAZY asking me at least 20 times a day "How much protein have you had so far? Where's your water bottle?" So as my daughter says ... "It's all good" I'm looking forward now to some skin removal. My back hurts none stop from all this loose skin on my stomach. UGH! It's been a wonderful whirlwind of a year with many. many, many more blessing than problems. GOD IS IN CONTROL!! Amen?! I Love you all! Debra

Hi Debra, First off, congrats on your wonderful success!! It's incredible to look back and realize how different we were last year and how we've changed so much for the better over this past year. It's been a year of new discoveries and re-discoveries! Best of luck to you with your MRI, I hope it's either a one time fluke or something easily treatable. Thanks for posting and continued best wishes to you. Sue

Thank you Sue! It really is incredible and hard to believe it's been a year already! The MRI showed nothing there, LOL My daughter said it would show "NOTHING" since I had no brain! LOL! They have decided that me passing out was in fact from a lack of protein and water and that the dead arm was from a pinched nerve. How are you doing Sue? Love, Debra

Congradulations on the weight loss and the reaching goal. Girl that is totally awesome. I am sorry for all the problems that you have had, but you and your family have survived it which is the best part. I sure hope everything is okay with your MRI. Keep drinking your protein and getting the water in and you should be ok. I am so happy that you feel so great. It is amazing how much difference this tool has made on our lives. Great job Debra. Keep up posted from time to time. Kathleen

Hi Kathleen, Thank you for the congrads! You are sooo right about the protein and water, bad thing is I KNOW THIS AND DISOBEYED and look what happened! BAAAD DEBRA!! LOL! I AM getting in everything now and with God's help will continue to. And yes it is amazing how much difference our "TOOL" has changed our lives, I just have to keep reminding myself that it IS a "TOOL" and I have to do my part to make the tool work right. Love you! Debra

Debra, congratulations on your one year anniversary and on your tremendous weight loss. Sorry about the fire, your husbands burns, your mother in laws strokes and your numb arm. I hope your husband heals well and that your MRI doesn't show anything serious. Please try to remember to do the things you need to keep yourself well. We all tend to forget to do those things when we have so many other problems to deal with; but in order to cope and accomplish those things we need to put ourself first and make sure we get the proper nutrition and exercise. Again, congratulations, you have done just fantastic. All the best Sher

Sue, You hit the nail on the head, your so very right! Thank you so much for your words of wisdom I know that everything that has been going on in my life is the reason I had simply forgotten to get in all my protein and water, I just didn't think about it and my "tool" can't work properly without my help. Thank you girlfriend Debra

Hi Debra - Sounds like you have been living on ends of the spectrum! Congratulations on your weight loss and don't mess around with your arm. Make sure you are ruling out all possibilites. You look awesome, Lisa

Good morning Lisa It really has been a wild ride on a roller coaster! I'm so glad the MRI showed nothing wrong and that my arm was a pinched nerve, I was scared! My husband and daughter WILL make sure I get in all protein and water from now on, even when I'm drinking water my husband will say "how much water is that so far?" LOL! not doing what I was supposed to not only effects me, it effects and scares my family to. My 24 year old son CRIED! He was the one that seen me pass out and was trying to get me to wake up, He said "I thought you were dead Mama!" and started crying. I DON'T WANT TO DO THAT TO MY FAMILY AGAIN, OR TO MYSELF. By the way, YOU LOOK MARVELOUS! You also look a lot like my pastor's wife, They use to live in New Orleans and one of there son's lives and preaches at a church there now. Love you my friend Debra

Congratulations Debra, you've done great! I hope you are able to remember your protein drinks, vitamins and water so you can stay healthy. I'll keep you in my prayers. I hope your arm is ok. Lizzie