WOW! Moment

So as of yesterday I was 17 weeks post-op and I am currently down 75lbs. I've had my share of plateaus and frustrations, but I'm really happy with what I've lost so far. I only have one mirror in my apartment, and it's on the medicine cabinet in my bathroom ... I can't see too much of myself in it, and I like it that way! When I come to my sister's house, which is where I am staying this weekend, there are big giant mirrors in both of the bathrooms that allow me to see pretty much down to my knees. In fact, I have taken all of my progress pics in one of the bathrooms - it's kind of a tradition. LOL. I have been telling everyone for the last 17 weeks that my logical mind knows I have lost a lot of weight and that I look different, and I can see it when I look at the progress pics ... But when I look in the mirror I see the same person.

Last night for the first time, I looked in that mirror and realized that I no longer see the same pre-op body ... I am finally seeing what I really look like now. I started at 360lbs and I'm down to 285 now ... Sometimes people call me skinny and I am FAR from being skinny, but I am definitely smaller and if I were to ever let someone guess my weight, I don't think they'd guess 285. I'm not secure enough to try something like that, though - not at this point! LOL!

I have been saying for a while that everything is just weird right now, and it is ... I'm still amazed that I can feel my collarbone and sometimes, depending how I'm standing or sitting or holding my head or smiling, I can actually see it! I can feel my shoulders, my elbows, my kneecaps ... I can wrap my fingers around my wrists and they overlap instead of me having to squeeze just to make the tips of my fingers touch. I've had to get my ring resized twice now - from a 9 to an 8 and then to a 7. I always thought that my grandma's engagement and wedding rings were tiny and I remember her having tiny fingers, and when I got them I put them on a necklace because I said I knew I'd never fit into them. Well, I do now!

I don't want to be skinny - that is not my goal. My goal is to reach and maintain a healthy weight so that I can live a long and healthy life. But when I look in the mirror now and see this body that some people actually refer  to as "skinny," I am amazed that it's really me!

I didn't mean to get so long-winded, but when I saw myself in the mirror last night I was completely in awe and I just had to share that with you guys!

I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend ... I am just sittin' around right now, killing time until I leave for my ride-along. This is Lucky #13 and I'm hoping that I'll get to see some good action tonight ... Or at the very least, write a few tickets. The last officer I rode with called me mean (who, ME?!?) because I like to write tickets! I told him, "Hey, YOU pulled them over - I'm just filling out the citation!"

Couple of things to you....

1. Copy and paste this in your profile, if you haven't done so already so that you can go back to it and remember this milestone.

2. Congratulations on your 75lbs weight loss and collar bones!!  I remember those days clearly. 

3. I feel you on the whole ring thing.  I am now able to wear a ring that was passed down to me from my great-great grandmother that I thought I could NEVER wear...but within about the same time frame as you, I was able to put it on....(and it is a bit loose now, but I can't have it resized~it's platinum and will cost too much!)

4. WHERE in Clovis/Fresno/the Valley do you patrol so that I can make SURE that I don't go speeding through there???  LMAO (I am actually taking a break right now in an online traffic school course for a ticket that I got a couple of weeks ago on Fowler Ave)

Anyway, now *I* got long winded (BIG surprise there!) ha ha....

Again, congrats, keep taking those pics, revel (sp?) in seeing your bones, and have fun on your ride along!!


Best to you!

I'm riding in Central ... The area right around the station is in the Tower District and the whole district is only six square miles, but I haven't gone with this officer before so I'm not exactly sure where his beat is. My advice to you? DON'T SPEED ANYWHERE IN FRESNO OR CLOVIS! The motor officers are hiding EVERYWHERE lately! Most patrol officers don't do many traffic stops, but the motors bring in HUGE stacks of tickets sometimes! Was it a motor officer who busted you on Fowler? I have to remind myself to be careful out there because there are a lot of hiding places for them! The other place you've gotta watch out for is the stretch of Clovis Avenue between McKinley and Kings Canyon ... When they completed all the construction out there, the speed limit dropped from 50 to 40. I know a few motors who hide out in that area because it's so easy to catch speeders! When you're flyin' 50mph down Clovis Avenue, you pass the 40mph speed limit sign VERY quickly! It's easy to miss!

Thanks for the suggestion about cutting and pasting my post onto my profile ... Great idea! I hadn't thought about it!

Not sure what kind he was- white car? Is that Highway patrol?  He said I could go to the Fowler court to take care of things.  I just tried to pay the ticket online, but the system is down for right now.

I had seriously thought that on that stretch of Fowler Ave, the speed limit was 65mph.  It's 55mph (which I guess is most country roads if they aren' marked??)...so he clocked me at 66. Whoopsies! I was all ready to fight that it wasn't marked with a speed limit sign until I drove the same stretch a few days later and saw the sign.  I was just totally out of it that evening, I guess.

Anywho, I will keep in mind the stretch you mentioned.  Although, I don't find myself up in those parts too much....

Hmmm ... CHPs have black and white cars, but I suppose - just like FPD - they might have a few older white cars, too. The only city I can think of around here that has white cars is Selma PD ... I guess it would have depended which part of Fowler you were on! I'm pretty sure it's never higher than 50mph between Kings Canyon and Nees (which is the largest stretch of it that I know), so now I'm thinking you were in someone else's territory and not Fresno's.

I have gotten into the habit of using my cruise control so I don't speed ... I will usually set it about three to five miles above the speed limit. Even though I've had two speeding tickets, I can't seem to learn my lesson! I just like to drive fast, I guess! I've noticed that my worst times are when I'm driving home from ride-alongs. When I have just spend ten hours in a car with someone who doesn't obey speed limits or most traffic laws, it's almost automatic for me to want to do the same thing once I get back behind the wheel of my own car. I know I could get out of a ticket if I were to get pulled over by one of our guys, but if I'm in Clovis or CHP gets me, I'm toast! LOL

Lauren-Marie, Congratulations!!! I am so proud of you . You are doing Great!
HUGS
JOY

Thank you so much, Joy! ***HUGS*** right back at ya!

Thank you for posting this----- how nice to have these wow times!!! It really helps all of us that follow behind you.  I actually have the same Dr. as you----- any ideas and tips for me on that?  I'll be staying at the Clovis Cole while there;  makes it nice for my friend that is helping me--- and close to my God-daughters. 
     Best wishes to you on the rest of your journey--and please keep posting as you go.....
Thank you..........
Lori

Dr. Higa is great ... He's very no-nonsense, gets down to business, etc ... If you've already seen him for your consultation then I'm sure you know what I mean! But if you are open and outgoing with him, have a sense of humor, try to open up, etc, then he will, too. At least, that was my experience with him! I was a little more laid-back at my post-op appointments and that seemed to ease him up a bit. I would rather that he had been the one to see me the day after surgery, but one of the other doctors was there instead. I think his name is Dr. Namiri ... Anyhow, he seemed like a nice enough guy, but I didn't know him so I wasn't as comfortable with him and he didn't really seem like he cared whether or not I was. Which hospital will you be at?

Thanks for your note and I will definitely keep the updates coming ... I was on a ride-along yesterday and was telling my officer a little about the surgery and post-op life (officers don't always have the best diets when they're on duty) ... He said he couldn't imagine living like this for the rest of his life and I told him, "I would do it again in a heartbeat - I wouldn't hesitate for a moment."