My Gastric Sleeve... The process has begun!

The process is under way.  Now that my insurance has decided to cover weight loss surgery, I have jumped right on board. I had to wait until our new plan year began April 1st.
Once April first rolled around, I was finally able to call and see what all I would need to do to get things rolling.

The first step was that I had to enroll in a Bariatric Resource Group. This entailed me calling them and answering a few common questions, i.e. height/weight/BMI and if I had any issues related to weight. I quickly answered those questions and was told that I met the basic requirements. The customer service representative then advised me that she would need to schedule a phone appt for me to discuss things more in depth. She told me they would schedule this call as it would take about 45 minutes.

Friday, April 5th I was on the phone for more like an hour with the nurse. She asked me questions about my health history, she took down the names and doses of all medications I currently take, we talked about my reason for wanting surgery and then we talked about the surgery itself. There is a great level of commitment on my part for this surgery. I have to be willing to commit to a liquid diet before and after the surgery. There will be certain things I may not be able to eat again. Diet Coke, which has been like a long time best friend will probably be no more. The nurse told me that I would be off work anywhere from 1-2 weeks.

At this point I am super excited. Its definitely the surgery I want to have. I want to be able to move easier, I want to feel better and I want to see my kids grow old.  Several friends have had this surgery at different hospitals with different doctors. I had read about a certain doctor that I wanted to use, a friend had even used him. I was set.

My insurance requires that in order for me to have the surgery, I have to choose a facility that is recognized as a "Center of Excellence". Well friends, in Oklahoma that means you have, wait for it, 2 hospitals to choose from. TWO in the ENTIRE STATE! The COE hospitals are Norman Regional and Integris Baptist. Along with using a COE hospital they have specific surgeons for you to pick from. In my state that is 3. Yep, just 3 surgeons to pick from. I was bummed. The surgeon I had my heart on was not covered and I was not familiar with any of my three choices. I think the nurse must have picked up on my sense of confusion and quickly added, these surgeons we provide coverage to have to meet some pretty high standards. My insurance will not pay for just any surgeon.

So I have picked my choice and as it turns out, another friend had her surgery with this surgeon and she is very happy with her choice and she did great. I am relieve now and overall reminded that I am very grateful that my insurance is even covering it. Some friends have went to Mexico because their insurance doesn't cover it!

My nurse had told me there are various tests that will need to be done prior to surgery. She asked me if I had been on a 6 month weight loss program in the last 2 years. (This is a requirement for surgery) I explained to her that I had been on weight loss meds since August of 2018. She told me she would send me a form for my doctor to fill out and then I need to call the surgeon and make an appointment.

After the phone call was over, I received an email from the nurse with my provider choices and a form for my doctor. I immediately went on the website belonging to the surgeon and was able to watch an online seminar about their facility, the bariatric surgery's they offer and more. After watching the video, there is a packet that I downloaded, I think about 8 pages or so. In the process I also emailed them to let them know I was interested in their facility.

When I got home from work Monday night, I had a voicemail from their office. I quickly called them and they were letting me know about paperwork and I told them I would be filling it out and emailing it to them. So, yesterday I emailed my packet to them. They responded by letting me know that they would be entering my information, getting a hold of my insurance for proof of coverage/deductible info as well as reaching out to my doctor. After this is completed, they will call me to set up my initial visit. I feel overwhelmingly blessed.

So this is where I am at as of today, Wednesday, April 10th, 2019! Stay tuned for the next updated.

Just Breathe

I noticed it had been a few since I have blogged so I decided to drop a few lines to share what has been going on in my neck of the woods.. 

My life is somewhat crazy. I'm more often than not running somewhere. I do not mean literally running, I mean going different places. Grocery shopping, picking kids up from school, paying bills, appointments, events and so forth. Thought I should sit down for a minute and just breathe..

For starters, my 6 year old is now a Daisy girl scout and oh how she does love it! It's heartwarming to see the little girls faces aglow when they gather around in circle time. What a nice feeling to acquire 15 more little girl friends nearly overnight. 

We have also added Kenpo Karate to the mix! BOTH kids are involved with martial arts now. They both sat through, or should I say participated in a sample class and they LOVE it. Its one hour a night, two nights a week. They were so proud of the moves they learned and their sense of pride was very apparent. After the class they made it known they both wanted to go back! I am so thrilled to see where this program takes them.

As for me, well I am cracking the books. Classes are in full swing.  The classes I chose this semester have me doing a lot of writing! I have 4 papers due every Friday as well as discussions. I am preparing for my transition to OSU in the fall which has me energized about things to come. I am hoping to perhaps even work part-time on campus since my 4 year old will officially be in Pre-K, which is all day and part of the school district. 

My eating plan has been “okay." I am continuously learning about triggers. As of late I have learned that I enjoy eating more when the weather is gloomy. However, when the sun is out I want to move, move and move some more. It makes me wonder about something...I LOVE rainy, cold weather. Always have. Now I find myself focusing on the correlation of this weather-food relationship. And lately it’s been gray which has seen me going over my caloric goals.

When the sun is shining we can be found walking/biking throughout the neighborhood. Something about fresh air just puts a bounce in my step. The kids love to ride their bikes! I think it’s the sense of freedom that extends past our driveway that the kids find exciting as well.

Anyway, that is about it for now. It’s gray outside. Snow is moving into the west side of our state. I don't think we will get much if any here in the central area, but we shall see. Just trying to stay busy! 

Peace to you all. I hope life is treating you well. Make sure to be kind to yourself!

This IS Going to Be An Amazing Year!

So it has been a bit since I have updated my blog and thought I would stop by and drop a few lines...

2012 is definitely starting out on a good note for a couple reasons. For starters, I am doing great with my eating plan and down 18 pounds total as of today. I'm really starting to pay attention to food triggers and whether I am full or not when I feel the need to eat. I feel like my eyes have been opened to why my weight has spiraled out of control and it feels good to have a grip on things. 

Next up is school.. As many of you know I was laid off in May of 2009. This was the 2nd time between 2 companies that I had lost my job since 2001. (The first was a complete shutdown). It was then that I decided to return to school and get my bachelors. I am proud to say that I am now in my 3rd year and will achieve my goal of going to Oklahoma State University in the Fall! I have applied, and while I am not 100% sure since I have not received a letter yet, I was told by the admissions officer that with my GPA I will definitely get in. 3 years of busting my butt to not only learn but to maintain good grades has finally paid off and it feels good.  I will ad a new post when I hear from OSU. I'm VERY excited about this new adventure. 

So that it all I have for today.. I am knee deep into homework so must keep this one short. I promise to write more very soon!!  Hope you all are doing well and being kind to yourself. Peace, ♥ and Happiness to you my friends.

New Years Day 2012

Out with the old and in with the new! I was glad to see 2011 put to rest. A new year brings with it a certain freshness a starting over feeling. Some make resolutions while others choose to leave well enough alone. At any rate, we are in a new year and that is cause for celebration!

As I reflect on things of 2011, I find myself seeking out change. I am not making resolutions this year, rather I am  making changes in the way I handle my life. Food for example. I have realized that its really not about the food. I have realized why I eat the way I do and what emotions are behind it.  I am now able to stop that emotional eating by recognizing the behavior before it starts. It's truly almost as if I have had an "a-ha" moment.  And with that a-ha moment came a loss of 16 pounds and still going. :)

Saboteurs. They do in fact exist. There are people who honest to God do not want to see you succeed. They will do their best to tempt, discourage and try to bring you down. They make every effort to infect you with their misery. I see it..I get it..I'm over it. This is my life. I have a hold of the reigns. The negative people need take notice, I am stepping out.

Patience. Being a single parent is difficult. Being the sole parent even more so. I'm not looking nor do I need sympathy, it is what it is. I find myself yelling. A lot. I get frustrated having to "do it all" and I lose my patience. My kids didn't ask for a douche for a dad, but it's what was dealt them. So it's my place to step up and be both mom and dad. I struggle with patience, hard as I try I fail more often than not. But I vow to try even harder. My kids deserve it.

Exercise. I had signed up for and paid my dues for 2011. Without going into details it turned out to be something I chose not to do after seeing who I would have to deal with while there. I am not renewing my membership. However, I will be purchasing an elliptical next month. It will be parked in my living room, my very small living room, facing my television. I intend to spend many hours a week burning calories!

Those are the majority of changes I am making for myself this year. Some of which I already started working on in 2011. This is going to be a good year, I feel it.... Happy New Year friends...may you succeed in all you wish to achieve.

High on Life

I'm really not quite sure exactly what it is, but I am finding that I am really high on life lately. I think that a big part of it is that I have managed to hang on to eating under my calories for close to 2 months now. Each day I find myself feeling lighter, seeing improvement in little everyday things like clothes fitting looser, seat belt is looser, stomach is seriously shrinking (and smaller I might add) and I am sticking with it. 


I have been battling with weight for what seems like my entire life. Today I am looking at my life through a new view and I see myself going places. I see a healthier me, both for me and for my kiddos. I see a longer, happier life for my family and it feels awesome. I have yo-yo'd with numerous different diets and finally realized that just watching my calories, which in turn allows me to have little things I like now and again, is totally doable! I do have days where I slip a little, but I pick myself right back up and go on.


I have a long ways to go on this journey, but I am savoring every moment. I will look back one day, grinning ear to ear and say to myself "Yes, you did!!"

Meals & Snacks That Keep You on Track

Ever find yourself in a pinch, hunger has crept up on you and you find yourself not prepared? Nothing is in the fridge to heat up or perhaps your are out of this or that? Not being prepared can be a big downfall for those of us trying to lose weight.

I have found that preparing things in advance for the week has help tremendously. Having low cal snacks (wheat thins/pretzels/nuts) bagged into serving sizes on hand, a container of tuna/chicken salad in the fridge, fresh fruit/veggies always available and even leftover soup to be great ways to not lose focus. But there is another item I have found that I really enjoy as of late and that is steamers. Pre-packaged, yes, but the taste is wonderful and the calories are low.  I like Birdseye Roasted Potatoes in Chive & Butter Sauce. The whole bag is just 260 calories. Lunch! Broccoli and cheese is another yummy steamer and LOW cal! Steamers are relatively inexpensive and filling and for someone constantly on the move or even a working person, these microwaveable dishes can't be beat.

The key here is to make sure to not only have healthy choices on hand, but also go-to foods for times when you feel the need to eat right now and not spend and hour cooking.

What meals do you reach for on the go?

My Thanksgiving Nightmare

Well Thanksgiving has come and gone. For me it was literally gone Thanksgiving eve. It became very clear that my stomach has shrunk over the past few weeks because I could no longer eat like I could in the past.

I cooked the turkey and trimmings and my family came over early afternoon. I had told myself that I would have 1 piece of pie. 1 lead to 2 lead to 3... I felt extremely bloated, overstuffed and just horrid. My family left around 6ish and by 7pm I was in the bathroom vomiting everything up. :(  I was in tears thinking of what I had done to myself. At the same time it was an eye opener. I easily consumed over 3000 calories. And here, the past several weeks I had been so faithful to my caloric goal. Why is it that I think because its a holiday I've earned a get out of jail free card to eat whatever I want? I realize that kind of thinking has led me to where I am today, overweight.

Today, I woke to pecan pie, dutch apple, cherry and 1/2  a pan of pumpkin gooey butter cake. I started my day off by eating a couple pieces and then realized they had to go or I surely would eat it ALL! So, I bagged them all up and took them out to the trash. Done deal. Moving on... Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and are also ready to get back on track. 

A Sign of Good Things to Come!

Today when I was figuring out what to wear, I eyed a pair of pants that just 2 weeks ago I could not pull up over my thighs. :(  Nothing fancy, just a pair of jeans I enjoyed wearing that I couldn't get into because of the pounds I had packed on, Well, I took a notion to give it a try. I've lost nearly 10 pounds, what the heck,  To my amazement, they slid easily over my thighs and buttoned/zipped just fine! Of course they are not baggy or falling off me, but I can now wear them. Definitely a sign of good things to come.  Monday is off to an amazing start! Have a great day!

Making My Life a Bit Simpler

How about that, two posts in one day! Someone must have a napping kid today tee-hee!

Ok, so my earlier post I told you all how I was cleaning the kitchen, purging the garbage and then hitting the grocery. We are pretty well set for a while on meat and "go-withs" as  I often refer to them. But snacks, well that is another story.

So now that all the crap is gone, I needed to replenish some items, including snacks. This time I decided to go with what will be easiest for me in a pinch. Now by that I don't mean I bought a bunch of pre-packaged crap, well, I did buy some 90 calories snacks, but what I mean is I sort of made my own little snacks. I took bags of pretzel sticks, marshmallows, reduced fat wheat thins and sorted them into snack size baggies in individual servings. I bought nuts that were prepacked and then a tin of nuts for my boy. I also found laughing cow queso fresco chipotle cheese (light) and bought some of that. So if someone wants a snack, there is no counting or measuring. Now, its grab it and go!

I got the kids involved. We talked about how there is food that is good for your body and that which is not. We talked about how too much candy not only rots your pretty teeth but makes your body blow up like a balloon and how hard it is to move around when that happens. Overall, I explained how it is important to be healthy so we can run and play and do the things we like to do. For example, we still have "ice cream" its just that on the package they call it frozen yogurt, LOL! Instead of sitting down with a bag of chips, we now have serving size bags readily accessible of pretzels or cheese puffs. Baby steps. Just trying to make life simpler and letting my kids help so they see the importance of making better choices. What have you done lately to make your life a bit simpler?