Packing it up! Empiric tools....

Two weeks away from my 5th year surgiversary I AM PACKING IT UP!!!! How? you may ask, or not ask or may not even care ... and that is all OK ... but for me and my maintenance I share snippets of my journey..... 4 years 11 months and 14 days ... I live it ONE.DAY.AT.A.TIME ... with attitude... accountability and a prayer and a press ... I am only human and in the back of my mind I am always thinking .... we fall down ... but we get up ...so I try not to fall ... but if I do I KNOW that I will get back up again....

That was my mindset this morning ... as I enjoyed an awesome breakfast with my spouse who once again will depart for a few weeks while undergoing a surgical procedure on his lower extremity and will spend time in inpatient rehab for some time ... we know the drill .. we have been there... we fought and now it is time to proceed ... AGAIN .. on the used to be 'good' foot... we are braced and brave and ready...

He looked at me and my new Chia Pet look ... I have awesome long flowing black hair 'overnight' and he tells me how much he likes it this way and he asks me .... when last did you fit in your suitcase? HUH? I said it was in October ...right before taking off to the OH Conference ... why? he says ... get in it again... I will take your picture ...

Now this is my most EMPIRIC Maintenance tool ... who would'a thunk? That almost 5 complete years after WLS

I was sitting in the den just farting around with my iPad this morning when DH says... okay .. lets see you fit in the suitcase again ... huh huh I know I turned a year older last month and he prolly thought my old fart arse would not be able too ... I am thinking LOL

 

So I stood for a standing picture this morning 1/14/2012

 

and stepped into and knelt in MY MOST AWESOME AND EMPIRIC MAINTENANCE TOOL HERE...
MY SUITCASE.....
 
I gingerly squat and laid on my side for a PERFECT FIT with room to spare...
 
He closed the lid....
 
and zipped me in ... FITTING PERFECTLY JUST AS I DID BACK IN OCTOBER RIGHT BEFORE THE OH LONG ISLAND CONFERENCE... 

 
I then went to Zumba Fitness .... and came back home... and am relaxing with two of my 8 ferrets ... my lovely gals Petunia and Chiquitita .... 
 

and I did it all POUND FOR POUND ... being or I should say TRYING MY BEST to be mindful ONE.DAY.AT.A.TIME .... 

Obesity kills.... IT IS NOT ABOUT SIZE ... it is NOT ABOUT LOOKS ... I LOVED LOVED LOVED my big girl me ... but my obesity progressed to MORBID OBESITY... with 5 co-morbidities and now I have none ... where I could not climb stairs I now run every other morning with my running team at 4 am sun rain or snow ... BUT NOT ICE LOL ... I swim, Bikram, Pilates, weights, reformer I SWITCH IT UP ... some days I have to set a mental fire cracker under my arse to get into motion ... but once I am moving I am feeling better and loving it ... just like I loved me ... 5 years AGO... I LOVED ME but HATED my CO-MORBIDITIES ... MY DISEASE... 

I remember me ALWAYS because I am still this woman in a smaller frame ... her release is my deliverance and my deliverance is her release ....
 

I DRESSED BEAUTIFULLY AND FELT BEAUTIFUL AT EACH AND EVERY SIZE ... THE JOURNEY IS NOT ABOUT A NUMBER ON A SCALE OR ON A PIECE OF CLOTHING ... IT IS ABOUT SETTING LIVING MY LIFE TO THE FULLEST AND HEALTHIEST ... ONE.DAY.AT.A.TIME...

I AM OPEN AND I AM HONEST ... SHARP AS A SERPENT AND HARMLESS AS A DOVE ...

Today I embrace phenomenal women ... we all are!!!! men included here too.... WE CAN DO THIS!!!

Phenomenal Woman

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.

I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size

But when I start to tell them,

They think I'm telling lies.

I say,

It's in the reach of my arms

The span of my hips,

The stride of my step,

The curl of my lips.

I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.

I walk into a room

Just as cool as you please,

And to a man,

The fellows stand or

Fall down on their knees.

Then they swarm around me,

A hive of honey bees.

I say,

It's the fire in my eyes,

And the flash of my teeth,

The swing in my waist,

And the joy in my feet.

I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.

Men themselves have wondered

What they see in me.

They try so much

But they can't touch

My inner mystery.

When I try to show them

They say they still can't see.

I say,

It's in the arch of my back,

The sun of my smile,

The ride of my breasts,

The grace of my style.

I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.

Now you understand

Just why my head's not bowed.

I don't shout or jump about

Or have to talk real loud.

When you see me passing

It ought to make you proud.

I say,

It's in the click of my heels,

The bend of my hair,

the palm of my hand,

The need of my care,

'Cause I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.

 Maya Angelou

Thanks for your inspirational post. Love the pics. I couldn't fit into a trunk! haha!

 You'd be surprised ... little by little we fit into places we couldn't fit before... the first time I did that in October was taking my husband up on a dare .. I did not think for a minute I would pull it off ... and I did then and it was easier even today.... I just scooted right in there effortlessly... can you imagine? when five years ago I could not make it up a flight of stairs in my own home to assist my daughter....

Thank you for allowing me to share.... from one phenomenal woman to another

 LOVE it!  That's the kind of inspiration I need...thank you!  

 And you Linsday are just the type of inspiration I need ... Thank you so much for your encouragement and support.

LOVE THE POST!!!! Thanks for posting it!

 Thank you for allowing me to share Kat.... I am inspired each and every time I read Phenomenal Woman by Maya .... awesome words to encourage all of us...

Thanks for the post. I am early out and it is very hard to embrace this change yet. Too many hard things out weighing the good at this point. It's always good to see that eventually life will be good! Thanks!

 I know exactlty what you mean... I had a very serious post op complication needing back to back surgeries and was laid up forover three months after being in SICU and ICU...then landed in the hospital again for anothe week...it was a very trying time.. I am glad I hung in there by the skin of my teeth...then each day it was a little bit better and better...Hang in there!!! work clodely with your medical team for any concerns... eventually it will all work out for the better,,,

Wishing you nothing but the best on you journey!

Phenomenal!!!  Bravo!

Hattie