Seismic

So, the east coast was shaken awake yesterday afternoon. Mother Nature thought we could use a little jolt. All I have to say is, "Dear West Coast... please keep your tremors to yourself. We're good with the hurricanes and flooding. Thanks. Your loving sibling, East Coast." The funny thing is, everyone was in such a tizzy, and it wasn't even catastrophic (Thank the Goddess!). You know Californians are mocking the hell out of us. LOL My brother was telling me that they were joking about the rate at which news spreads on the internet these days, thanks to Twitter and Facebook, saying that word of the quake was outrunning the quake itself, and people were hearing about it before they were feeling it. Crazy! We had CNN on during dinner last night and heard the anchor say, "After today's dramatic events..." Nick and I looked at each other in disbelief (thinking they were talking about the earlier tremble), then we realized they were talking about Libya... Ok. REAL news! Ha ha

Since the cocktail party, I seem to have shrunk some more. Not in LBs, but literally in clothing. Good thing I'm going back to work and have a new part-time job, because I am very close to needing all new clothes. Got rid of two more pairs of pants that are too big, and will go through my shirts tonight. One of my blue shirts (that I still need for work) is immense, and where my bosom once filled it to capacity, the material now drapes incredibly loose. I'm not complaining... it's definitely a good feeling! And, even though I still have quite a way to go, for the first time in a long time I am actually feeling comfortable in my own skin. Since the difference is measurably noticeable, I thought it was time to create a Before/After photo to post...

Me w/ my cousin, Kevin (LEFT taken 1/1/2011; RIGHT taken 8/7/2011)

This has been a busy week for me... started my new part-time job at Sears, so I've been working every day (yay!). Monday night went to the Studio at Webster Hall to see Julia Nunes play with my brother. Last night, my siblings and I had dinner at Abuela's. Tonight is catch-up. Tomorrow, spending the day with my mom and family dinner at night. Close the store on Friday night. Then Saturday picnic and heading upstate to spend the night at mom's and go to Wine Festival at Bethelwoods on Sunday. 

Oh, mentioning the picnic reminds me to tell you a little about a new project I'm co-working on. Some of us NJLA patients have been talking about getting together our own group of WLS survivors for extra support along this journey. We came up with a name (Twisted Banditz), Dan created a FB group page, I am working on designing an emblem/logo for the group (will post pic when done), and Alan came up with an idea to have a picnic in the park, which will be our kick-off event, to be held this Saturday! We've already had a great response and by the end of the day had almost 30 members join the group! The idea is to provide a healthy forum for extra support amongst our community, and share knowledge based on each of our strengths and accomplishments. We'll see where it goes, but for now it's just a fun project. Dan even ordered a ton of those rubber bracelets. lol

Well, that's all for now, folks! Hope you've been enjoying the splendid weather we've been blessed with these past few days, here in northern NJ.

Celebration of Life

Today marks 190 days since my surgery! And on day 186 I celebrated with many other WLS patients, as well as the staff from Dr. V's office! The annual Celebration of Life cocktail party for patients took place this last Saturday evening at The Assembly in Englewood Cliffs, NJ. It was a blast for sure! Top Night!

Last year I went w/ John as his date. I remember dreading dress-shopping, and procrastinated as long as possible. I finally found a decent, comfortable dress, but did not feel all that stunning. This year was the complete opposite! I actually didn't need to buy a dress, had the perfect little black dress and contrary to the previous year, felt confident and sexy. I fashioned my hair w/ a small white flower clip, securing some of the hair up on the right side of my face, leaving just a few wisps to frame my face. I couldn't wait to show up sparkling, flirty and dressed in my brand new perspective! My friend, and fellow WLS companion, Dan, was the first person I saw... he smiled and said, "Look at you, ready for the prom!" Having never had the pleasure, or misfortune, of having a high school prom, I felt a sort of inner-pleasure. This was my night. And truly they picked the perfect title for this soiree!

I enjoyed the evening by catching up w/ friends I've made along this journey, quality time w/ my siblings (who came as our "dates"), saving my daily caloric intake for several Dewar's & Diet Cokes (ha ha) and laughing, dancing my ass off w/ the NJLA staff (John's friends from work, who have become like a 2nd family to me)!

In a world where having a college degree doesn't necessarily mean you have a job, and relationships change like daily menu specials, it's nice to feel secure about something. I am ever grateful for the positive turn around in my life, and know that I have made some sincere, wonderful friends (Dan, Alan... Nicole. and several others I'm just now meeting) along the way, and can count on them to be there with me every step of this journey... and beyond!

Here are some pictures from Saturday's event (8/13/2011):

With my wonderful siblings (Sarah & Nick)!

Dan, Alan & Nicole

NJLA Girls (from top-left): Maria, Giselly, Indira, Elizabeth, Me, Stella & Tammy)

The famous, Gaspar, Me, John & Elizabeth

Sistahs

Dan & I (near the end of the evening!)

On a Roll Again!

Apparently that last adjustment I had was the key! Gaspar, you're the best! All of a sudden the weight seems to literally be melting off me, and it's happening so fast. Went for a weigh-in last Friday, the 5th, just to see how I did in the 2 weeks post-adjustment, and... I lost 6lbs in that short time (42lbs total)! As a result, I have also lowered my BMI to below 40, therefore no longer classifying me as, the horrifying, "Morbidly Obese". I'm a happy girl! Slowly, but surely, I'm getting there, and feel great in the process. Really couldn't be happier about my health situation. Also, it seems those 6 little pounds have made a significant difference in my appearance, because everyone seems to be amazed at how much smaller I look and thinner my face is, even if it's only been a few weeks since they last saw me. 

Over the summer, the practice held three softball games, Patients vs. Staff. The staff won the first game, and patients the second, so Thomas (ED of the practice, and husband to Dr. V) declared that the winner of the third and final game would receive a prize. Of course, us patients kicked ass by a staggering 23-10! The prize was our choice... either a 3-month supply of vitamins, or a spa treatment. I opted for the spa treatment, which I happened to redeem after my weigh-in on Friday. So, feeling light and elated, I headed to the Glenpointe where I enjoyed a manicure, 30min facial and 30min massage. My first professional massage ever. It was divine, but not nearly long enough! And, for those of you wondering, I had a male masseuse... figured I might as well go big! Ha ha

Spent Saturday at the Bronx Zoo with Mauro, Claudia & her son, Andre. It was a lot of fun! They had this "Passport" excursion for children, that I played with Andre... we went all over the zoo getting the passports stamped and were able to fill them!

Watched Source Code the other day... it was pretty good. But, the movie I saw recently that I really loved was Limitless with Bradley Cooper (love that man!)... it was awesome!!! Highly recommend it. If you see it, let me know what you think. Anyone have any other movie recommendations for me?

Had a discussion with my friend last night about how the English language isn't what it used to be. Words used to be rich and saturated with lavishness. Now everything is "Yo" "Sup?" and "Um, like". When did we become so lazy and languid? I was thinking about how the Romeo & Juliet balcony scene might sound today... "Fuck, Romeo! Why the Hell do you have to be a fuckin' Montague? Dude! I mean, I guess it doesn't really matter, it's just a name. Coffee's still coffee whether you call it java, joe or what-have-you. Whatevs. Guess I could just give up my name? Fuck it! Let my parents try and stop me. I'm old enough to do what I want!" As opposed to the classic, "Romeo, Romeo. Wherefore art thou, Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse they name. Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I'll no longer be a Capulet...What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, so Romeo would, were he not Romeo called." Oh well... what would a post be without a little side-rant from me, right? Ha ha Something to ponder...

Well, my sister's off her shift, so I'm going to go hang out with her. Have a lovely day... it's beautiful here!

Walking on the Moon

My current soundtrack as I write this long overdue blog entry. The lyrics of this Police song are actually kinda cool and fitting in a way. I'm sitting here at Starbucks... my sister was working all day, so I thought I'd hang here and get to see her too!

A lot has been going on in my personal life the past 2 months, and while I haven't really had the time to write, I've missed it dearly!

Post WLS, as of this past Friday, the 22nd, I have lost a total of 36lbs. That being said, since my last post about 2 months ago, I've only lost 5lbs. This is due to partly to my not finding the right adjustment yet, and heavy stress triggers. I'm okay with this though, because this is a life-long journey, and what's 2 months in comparison?

I am learning to recognize the difference between true hunger and stress eating. I'm also becoming more attuned to my body and how I handle stress. Believe it or not, sometimes I don't even realize that I'm stressed out... it takes someone else to point it out to me. Then it's like, "Duh, Val!"

Here are some of my life updates (some of the stress is GOOD stuff), in no apparent order...

LIFE/RELATIONSHIPS
Remember way back when, I mentioned that great things were happening in my life and I would tell you about them soon enough?!? Well, sorry for the major delay, but basically... I'm engaged! That's right folks, ring-on-finger, date-set, location almost picked, engaged. Some of you reading this may already know this news. Let me assure those of you who had no idea and are surprised... it shocked the Hell outta me too! Oh, it's John, by the way! Without posting my complete personal life here, basically, John and I had been in a relationship for 9 years (yep... you read correctly... 9, as in almost a decade) together. We broke up, and have been apart for the past 2 years. March 1st, while talking about pretty much everything, John (out of nowhere) got down on his knee and said he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. Three weeks later, while visiting Kristen & Scott, he once again got down on one knee and proposed for a second time... this time with a ring. It was a very fulfilling moment for me, and the vintage-style ring is absolutely perfect!

As of June 1st, we've been living together (once again) in our new apartment! It was a mad dash trying to find one, but all worked out, and while the apartment is considerably small, it's really nice and in a quiet neighborhood. We like!

My soon-to-be Mother-in-Law (MIL) was in Colombia when all of this went down, and had no apartment when she returned, Soooo... she has been living with us! Yay! Ha Ha Nah, it hasn't been that bad, and is actually quite manageable. Knowing it's temporary is helpful, and having her there has actually proven quite advantageous. Which brings me to the next topic...

WORK
My position at Oasis runs from September through June, leaving me out of work, and out of an income for the summer! This is probably the most stressful factor in my life right now. I started really focusing all my time on job searching and sending out resumes near the end of June. I have yet to hear back from even one of those positions! I know it's hard out there, but do you have any idea what it's like to be 31 years old, have a college degree and plethora of qualifications, and somehow not be able to find a job?! I've been pretty much living on the few pennies I had, not able to pay all my bills, and really struggling these past few weeks. Any idea how damaging that can be to one's psyche? It's not pretty. That being said, I am doing my best to stay positive and hopeful, having faith that something will come along any minute! There is ONE prospect that seems somewhat hopeful... fingers crossed please everyone! :)

BAND/HEALTH
As I mentioned earlier, I haven't really been losing weight, but my body is changing and getting smaller. This is thanks to my re-introduction of the gym into my life! I've been going pretty regularly as many times as possible during the week, and have definitely noticed a difference, not only in the way I feel (strong, healthy), but in the way my clothes fit me! More and more items in my wardrobe are becoming obsolete. Shirts that I once "filled" and fit me snuggly, now hang loose. Pants that once couldn't close or gave me a muffin top, now need to be secured with a safety pin. Great non-scale measurements of success and self-confidence booster! Thank you Bally's! lol

That being said, I've still felt like I can eat more than I should be able to. That, combined with the fact that I'm a stress-eater (who isn't?!?), have been key in my number on the scale not budging. Well, that's not completely true... it did go up a few pounds during "that time of month", but I was able to shed those temporary pounds rather easily. So, after a month of trying to figure all these things out, I went for an adjustment. I was actually hesitant to go because I felt I was so close to filling my Band completely, and was afraid I would be the first person in history to have her Band filled to capacity and still be hungry! Gaspar saw me, looked at my chart, reassured me that my fear would not come to fruition, and said, "I think we just need to do this!" What he meant by that was adding a substantial amount of saline, as opposed to the 1/2CC's I'd been getting. He pulled out all the saline I had, to see exactly what was in there, and then added a full CC. John and I have actually been wondering if I was in fact too tight (for the first time!) since it's hard to get even liquids down sometimes. But, I've been adjusting better each day, and even though it's hard (especially first few bites), I am able to get food down and only the small portion that I should be eating. RESULT! :) (ha ha A little Coupling reference, for those of you who are familiar) I haven't been "throwing up", and as long as that's the case, I'm going to try and work with this adjustment.

MISCELLANEOUS
Finished watching all of Ghost Whisperer series awhile back! I liked. More recently I've made my way through The Office. Funny, funny show. We don't have cable, but do stream Netflix and Hulu Plus, so I've got plenty to keep me entertained.

Have been dreaming of opening my own cafe/bakery lately. Probably because I've got loads of free time on my hands these days! But, that's pretty much just a pipe dream. Need money for that! Would be nice though.

Another advantage to not working, which is also in conjunction with my sister working at Starbucks, is that I've enjoyed endless Iced Skim Lattes and lots of sissy-time so far this summer! :)

Ooh! I almost forgot one other measure of success... the other night I was getting ready to go to a party, and going through my jewelry. For the Hell of it, I decided to try on some rings that I haven't been able to wear in years! And they fit!!! Good feeling!

Also, I've lowered my BMI from a horrifying 47, to a slightly less horrifying 40.4 (as of Friday's weigh-in)!

And here are some more picture updates for your viewing pleasure!

Taken 5/5/2011 (at TWIN event, with Angelae):

Taken 7/17/2011:

Well, now that I've written a freakin' novel, I think I'll sign off for today. I'm actually waiting for my friend, Tracey to meet me! Oh, and here she is! :) Promise to be back soon! Have a great day!

Yay for Friday the 13th!

I don't know why everyone gets in such a tizzy every time the 13th falls on a Friday! Being born on the 13th, I consider it a lucky number for me. Not a curse. There are so many Friday the 13th superstitions, but they mostly come from some connection between religion and superstition. For instance:

On October 13, 1307, a day so infamous that Friday the 13th would become a synonym for ill fortune, officers of King Philip IV of France carried out mass arrests in a well-coordinated dawn raid that left several thousand Templars — knights, sergeants, priests, and serving brethren — in chains, charged with heresy, blasphemy, various obscenities, and homosexual practices. None of these charges was ever proven, even in France — and the Order was found innocent elsewhere — but in the seven years following the arrests, hundreds of Templars suffered excruciating tortures intended to force "confessions," and more than a hundred died under torture or were executed by burning at the stake.

Anyway, just thought I'd share some fun facts around Friday the 13th... Hope everyone is having a good day. I know I can't wait for next year, when my birthday falls on a Friday! :)

Now I'll fill you in on my Band journey...

Last Friday (after 3 weeks) I went to the office, gained 2lbs in that time, spoke w/ Dr. V, and she gave me a fill. Not sure how much, but I'm focusing more on the "feeling", and not on the amount of saline CCs that are in my Band. I told the doctor that I had been feeling hungry and sometimes the amount of food I am supposed to eat doesn't satisfy me, and I need a little more. Other times it's fine. She said I need an adjustment, but to also cut back on carbs, limiting them to once a day, if at all.

I felt pretty good after the adjustment, however this past week I have not felt much of a difference. I have been more cognizant of my carb intake, but still wasn't always feeling satisfied. Rather than wait for a few more weeks to by, where I could potentially gain more weight, I decided to see Dr. V today to let her know what was going on. Turns out I lost those 2lbs in the one week since my last visit. Yay! She still gave me an adjustment though, and said I did the right thing by not waiting.

So, I'm still in search of MY sweet spot, but loving life along the way! :)

P.S. Happy belated Mother's Day to all you mom's out there! I finally got to see my mom last night and it was wonderful! Nick, Sarah & I met her for dinner at this charming restaurant in Goshen, NY called Limoncello. If you're ever in the area, I highly recommend it. It was the first time we ever went there, the service was great, the food delicious and made from all fresh ingredients (including homemade pasta), food was also affordable and we were even given limoncello shots and coffee on the house!

Photo Update

I know I posted some "before" pictures awhile back, but some of you, who I haven't seen, have been asking to see some recent "after" pics.

And so, without further ado, here you are...

Taken 3/26/2011 (w/ my "nephew", Ryan):

Taken 4/22/2011 (cheesy self-shot):

Taken 4/22/2011 (before the Lady Gaga concert):

Time Flies!

Has it really been 17 days since my last post?! Plus, looking back, I realized I haven't updated you on the Band WL progress since back in March. Yikes! My apologies for being such a slacker. I've been so busy lately, looking for a job (will be out of work in about 2 months) and looking for an apartment (need to move out by June 1st), among other things, that one day just blurs into the next and here we are!

Let's talk Band. Last I mentioned, I was sick and had a teeny bit of saline removed, losing 4lbs in those few days since the adjustment. Well, a few days later I went to have that amount of saline put back in and had gained 3lbs. So, basically, I lost 1lb that week. Which is normal at this point in the game. I should be losing no more than 1-2lbs per week. Had my next appointment on April 17th, and lost those 3lbs, bringing my total WL back up to 31lbs! Yippee! Gaspar added another 1cc of saline to help w/ the hunger.

Since then, I've been feeling pretty good. I think I'm feeling the right amount of restriction, and I haven't really had any issues w/ food either. Dry chicken seems to be my biggest nemesis, but as long as I take small bites and chew enough, I'm usually OK.

I've also starting incorporating some Zumba workouts into my schedule. Not everyday, but a few times per week. Would really like to get back into the gym routine! Just need to find that motivation! I know, I know... don't we all?

Threw a surprise 30th birthday party for John, which was a huge success! He had no idea and a good time was had by all.

I spent Easter in PA w/ my family, visiting my Nana, and Palm Sunday w/ my family at my Auntie "I's" house. Overall the holiday was lovely and I thoroughly enjoyed the time w/ my family!

This weekend I'm making another trek out to PA (a little further this time), for the twins' Baptism. Angelae was able to get us a great deal on a hotel, so we're fortunate enough to go the night before. Times are pretty tight financially right now and I thought we were going to have to do the whole drive in one day.

Well, that's about all for now. Will post again shortly w/ some recent photos! :)