3rd of July

Oh Yeah... I'M EXCITED So were going to watch fireworks on the ocean on the 3rd of July this year. The 4th is on Friday night and we have to be up at 4am for the farmers market Saturday morning so were skipping the fireworks on the 4th. So being we live at the ocean there are always fireworks around here on the 3rd and the 4th. Well I was just surfing our timeshare again trying to get us a ocean room for that night in Depoe Bay so we can walk down and watch the fireworks over the ocean and chill back in our room. I just scored a 3 bedroom condo with a jet tub in the master room on the ocean for $78 on Thursday night. Oh Yeah! Last few times it's just been Derrel and I. Jonathan is excited too as he has not been there in sometime. And they have 2 pools so he loves it. Derrel's mom is coming a long with us so that will be nice to share dinner, fireworks, the ocean and the wonderful room with her too.

SWEET...

Rocky...

I feel better today. Yesterday at work I didn't feel 100% but got through my hard day at work. I am famous for working and not taking the time to eat. I did take my lunch to work with me yesterday and ate about 10:30am as I get to work at 7am. Came home at 5pm and was still to wound up and not ready to eat again but knowing I need too take something in, so I did make myself a protein drink until I was ready to eat dinner later. After work I went to the Garden Show where my hubby was while I was at work. I parked at the bottom of the hill and walked up to the garden show. On the side of the building there were 20-25 steps leading up to the entrance. I had Rufus with me and I thought to myself "ok lets just run up these steps" (and thinking - try not to fall). So we did! I ran up the steps! WoW Felt good and I did it! My head still tells me not too, or I can't. So I have to push myself to try new things now. And every time I find I can now. Surprised, strange, wonderful, exciting. This is what this all was about- feeling good, feeling healthy, feeling strong. And I'm there.


I agree with Amber- I believe it was the grapes that rushed my system with sugar last Friday night. Every once in a while you experience a strange reaction with a food you have eaten a 100 times. I've had grapes before, but next time I will only eat 15 grapes. I think I'll count them. LOL There were fresh cherries at the farmers market yesterday and I've been waiting on to show for weeks. After what the grapes did to me I had no interest in buying cherries yesterday. Think I'll pass for now. Fruit is one of those things you can eat more of kind of like salad but have to be careful. You eat 25 grapes thinking your eating well and forget the natural sugars in them and it hit me just as hard as a cupcake or candy would of. Shit oh dear. I have never had any food hit me like that before and it's ok with me if that never happens again. Phew

What was that???

Not sure what happened last night. I went out to visit my hubby in his wood shop last night after we had dinner. We were standing at the table saw talking about his planters and I leaned over to put my head on the table as I didn't feel good all of a sudden. I felt like I needed to sit down and I was very nauseous. The stool was full of wood so now I'm just heading for the ground cause if I don't sit down I'm falling down. I started dry heaving, I was very nauseous and sweating like I was 300 degrees. I just wanted to lay down. So I'm laying in the saw dust. It passed in about 4 minutes. I started to cool down, the sickness passed and I felt a headache and started to feel better in about the same amount of time it took to hit me. What the hell was that?? DUMPING?? I told Derrel "was that hell was that, the grapes I just ate"? It was different that low blood sugar. Hit me hard and fast and then passed for the most part. If that was dumping, I've never done it like that before. Made myself get sick later that evening as my tummy was just icky for the rest of the night. We had grapes after dinner and I'd say I ate 20-25 little red grapes. The only other thing new i tried was we did turkey bacon last night for dinner. So now am I afraid of the grapes or the turkey bacon? I'm better this morning. Not 100% but I'm heading into work and hope to shake it off. Taking a lunch to work today and not skipping eating till 3 today.

PHEW

Doctors Visit

Went to the doctor today. He didn't think much at all about my low blood sugar. No other testing and he basically just told me to eat ever 2 hours. *sigh* Ate tuna again today and did make sure I ate a bite/snack every 2 hours today and I feel fine today. I really just think it's a matter of putting all the right foods together and don't eat to many carbs at one time and remember to eat. They called me back today already with the results of my blood test and everything is good there except my liver function test is slightly elevated again like last time. Want to check it again in 3 months. ??? I'm not taking any pills of any kind except vitamins these days so I am not sure what that's all about. He is not concerned because it is just slightly. I pick up the actually paperwork myself tomorrow to see the results myself. So that's it. $$$Pretty uneventful day at the doctor$$$ Except my BMI has gone from 46.0 to 23.2! WowZa but I didn't need him to tell me that. It was just nice to record in my medical charts. Cause it's never said anything but obese. :)

Oh yeah... big deal for us this weekend ( D and S Greenhouses). Were in our first garden and landscape show this weekend. 2008 Oregon Coast Garden and Landscape Show. They are having over 60 vendors from gardening, plants, planters (ours), gardening tips all sorts of fun stuff for your garden and patio. We are excited! My hubby has been working really hard trying to have enough product for this show of 6,000 people. We paid pretty good money to get in as a vendor so were hoping to make up for what we have missed so far this year due to Oregon not getting a spring of any kind. Sales have been down as the sun didn't start shinning until a week ago for the most part. At my house in the mornings still it has got down to 39 degrees when I woke up. No spring in Oregon has equaled no spring fever at all this year. The garden centers have been dead when you go in, it's kind of sad. $$ Wish us luck! $$


2008 Garden and Landscape Show
http://www.newportnewstimes.com/articles/2008/06/06/community/community03.txt

My lunch

Still trying to learn what works for me food wise and what doesn't. Felt pretty good yesterday and did not get the shakes at all. Taking most of the breads out of my diet. I did tuna fish yesterday without bread like I used to when I was first post op and did well. Today this is what I had for lunch. 1/2 tomato, cottage cheese with 6 croutons, whole wheat crackers and 1/2 banana. It's after 4pm here and a hour + after I ate I feel kind of shaky again today. I can always drink a protein drink with benifiber and soy milk and I feel better within 20 minutes, so that's what I'm doing now (and blogging) . Looking at the meal now I should of skipped the croutons and just stuck with the few whole wheat crackers there on the plate. As the banana is high in sugar too. This is an average size meal for me now that I am just about a year in a half out. I go to the doctor tomorrow morning and well talk. And by the way when I do see my primary doctor tomorrow it will be the first time I have EVER gone to the doctor and my weight and height put my BMI in the "normal" weight range. I'M NORMAL. My hubby say's "that's pushing it". LOL he he When I last saw my doctor in Feb. I was very close to 158. Today I was at 148.4... God this has been a great ride! You could of never, ever told me one year ago I would get even close to this weight. I would of not believed you! From those of you that have been reading forever, you must have me figured out. Shrinking (impatient) Susy!

STILL LEARNING- this is forever so I have to respect how my body process my food intake now. But nothing tastes as good THIN feels! So whatever I need to do- I will.

I added some old photos today I scanned... Scroll down and check em out.

WowZa

Old pictures

Mothers day 1994.

Scott and Barb are in this picture too. Barb (http://barbswls.blogspot.com/) is next too me and she looks even more fabulous than me now. LOL

1995

i don't even know what year this is. Early 20's, 1980'ish. This is my Aunt Loretta and my wonderful dad. One thing i know he would be would be so proud of me today. And even more happy to see me healthy.

My Monday...

Been running most of the morning. I went to physical therapy this morning and we did more stretching on my hip/leg muscles. My PT wants me to talk to my primary Dr about my hip. He suspects I might have bursitis in my left hip and a cortisone shot may really help me. The x-rays a few months ago did show mild arthritis of the left hip area. I do have a DR appt. on Thursday to speak to him about that and a couple of other things. Time for a check of my blood work again and I want to talk to the Dr. about my blood sugar. Rather than ignore it I am speaking to my Dr about it.

When I got home from work on Saturday I am noticing I am not as tired after a hard days work @ the Farmers Market. I'm getting stronger and feeling better and I can really feel it. Every week that passes I feel stronger and better! It's a job, good work out and I get paid!

So other than that... Life is good!

Off to clean up the house!

Have a good week blogger friends!

No way...

148.5

That's what my scale said this morning. For a girl who used to weigh almost 350 pounds... I say "hell yes"!

340+ pounds in 80's - 90's
294 pounds before surgery
today's weight -148.5 = 146 pounds

Where the Hell is Matt? Where has Matt not been?

I thought I would share this video I saw on YouTube. You have to of seen this guy on the news shows and such on TV the past few months. I would love to travel like that. Dance across the world, how cool is that?

Dance a little this weekend!

Family part 2

Had a good day yesterday! Had a 4 hour visit with my half brother. It was nice to see him and to get started to know each other. We talked a lot about the past...why, who, where. We went up to the cemetery to the family plot and take flowers to our dad and grandma and grandpa. We don't understand why things were the way they were but we do have today. So I do hope we can get close. Time will tell...


Before my visit with Ron I got to spend some good times with my step mom. I got there at 8:30 and we talked on the bed while she was getting ready. Then we went to breakfast. We went to the Old Fashion Pancake House. Yummy food...BIG food. Cost us 30 bucks for breakfast. I ordered a egg white ham and cheese omelet and came with pancakes. She sits down this HUGE omelet and I just laughed. It was beautiful but funny. I asked for a box before she left the table. LOL I ate off of it, brought it home for my son Jonathan. He has ate off of it last night and now the rest of it is in the fridge for his breakfast this morning. So it was so big/fluffy and funny I told my mom I had to take a picture of this. Could I of ate that before surgery??? I'd say yes or most of it anyway. I may have not ate the rest of the day but I bet I would of ate that whole thing. Now it would be 3-4 meals.

So after breakfast we went to GI Joe's to get me some rain gear for my job. I have the coat and needed pants that were water proof that I can slip over my jeans if it's raining. Then we went to shop for flowers. We got her some flowers for her deck planters that my hubby made her. It was just a good time. I wish we were closer so we could just hang out more. I am going to make a point of going over there more just because.
No Regrets anymore- remember.

That was my Thursday.

family

Well I'm off to Salem (two hours away) to have breakfast with my mom. My step mom is such a wonderful woman and I always enjoy being with her. I know why my dad loved her so. I am looking forward to seeing her and chatting. Then I am meeting my half brother today for the 3-4 time in my life. I am looking forward to getting to know him. We are going up to the cemetery today to the family plot. It's been awhile since I've been up there. I do know my dad enjoyed going up there and putting flowers and cleaning up so it will be a good memory. Hard but good... It's always hard going up there but I always feel really close to my family while there. I sure do miss everyone! I'm also taking a box full of pictures to share and look at.



I bought a blood glucose monitor to check my blood sugar from time to time. Sometimes I get shaky but I can always feel it coming on. I figured it was my blood sugar and it was. Every time I get that shaky feeling I go make a soy protein drink or eat something and it does pass. Well I took it yesterday when I felt a bit funny and sure enough my blood sugar was 47. Only once in the past year has it been really bad and I got the sweats, felt really weak, and shaky. It hit me pretty hard that one time. Most times I feel it's low and am and have been able to listen to my body and do something about it. So I do recognize it and hope it won't be a problem in my future. It's always been there. I remember getting shaky before surgery from time to time and I would just eat something and it would pass. Well now I guess it's a bit more noticeable cause I don't go straight for the fridge now and not ignoring it.



Well I'm off... wish me luck!

Being just plain pooped is a good thing..

I was thinking today about how I feel at the end of a hard days work now. How I feel is very different and I needed to really look and feel it and it feels good. I work my ass off at the farmers market and love it (as longs as it's not raining). Yes I am tired, but believe me there is a big big difference in how I feel compared to a year ago. The thing that puts a smile on my face and is very freeing is the fact that I now do way more physical work in 2 days than I did in several days at my prior job...and I don't have to take pain medicine to get through my day or the rest of my day like I was doing year plus ago. That's freeing... to feel good enough to work hard and not be exhausted and in pain like I was feeling more and more as I aged. I am just plain tired now from a hard days work, not exhausted and most of all not in pain. I used to be very tired, I limped, which made me hurt and some times I was in tears from my job and pain because it was to physical some days for me being so heavy. Not even my hip is really bothering me these days. I can certainly tell that physical therapy is helping my body and hip. I am still limited in flexibility and movement in the hip area but not in pain anymore.

FREEDOM...

Who said "good guys finish last"?...

I got my hearing decision today.

"In this case good cause has been shown. A reasonable and prudent person exercising ordinary common sense would not have remained in a job in which the person had to endure a manager's withering abuse. Since the regional manger did nothing on her (my) behalf the employee was left with no reasonable alternative but to quit her job". The claimant voluntarily quit work with good cause.

I won!

Harassment

OK...today kind of sucked. A few weeks ago I learned my former employer and I had a phone hearing about my unemployment benefits as they contested it. Today was the day I got to talk to a judge about the harassment I received from my boss at my last job. In Feb. I blew the whistle on my boss for stealing time and then got harassed by her after she leaned of a letter sent to district by me. My X employer contested the fact that I got unemployment granted to me for harassment. So then it was time for the judge to hear the facts from me and my employer and a hearing. Jeez I tell the truth, am granted unemployment, they say I abandoned my job. I did not abandon my job, I was harassed, I did not want to lose my job. If the judge is to find that I did abandoned my job I have to pay back the benefits I received thus far. I have spent hours being worried, sad, stressed, thinking and lots of paperwork...it goes on and on. For me to be slapped with having to payback any $ is stressful. Over all the hearing went well with the judge. It was my former district manager on the phone speaking along with the judge and myself. My old district manager told the judge 3 times that "Susan was a good employee for years and were sorry this happened". The judge did say to him "you don't have to keep saying that sir". LOL My DM did tell the judge he did not handle it correctly as he was managing 30 stores and did not do everything he could do to handle this harassment and he never spoke to my boss about her harassing me. I think my case is in the bag...but I'm a worry wart. I was able to tell my story today and 300+ pieces of paper work were excepted into evidence for my case. I proved it well to make a long story short. 2 weeks until I hear the decision. I don't want to spend the next 2 weeks worrying about this shit anymore. I have to let it be what it will be. This whole mess was wrong. But as you all know from reading my blog it was eating me up inside and I had to stop her from stealing or she would still be doing it to this day, no doubt in my mind what so ever. Turning her in was hard- It did not feel good but it did feel right (make sence?). Watching her steal and not saying anything would of been wrong too. But even feeling good about the hearing I still can sit hear and think of 10 more things I shoulda/coulda of said. Crazy...

i hear "SOMETIME GOOD GUYS FINISH LAST"... i sure hope not.

8th grade graduation...

8th grade graduation was tonight. School is out for summer!

Snapped a couple of shots tonight but most of them were too dark because we were in the gym. Just sharing... This is our son Jonathan. And another of Jon and dad. Looks to me like Jonathan is say "dad don't hug me in the gym". LOL

Long lost family...

Long story... but I have been in contact recently with my long lost half brother. I am a only child but learned later that my dad was married when he was very young and I have a half brother. Well it makes me smile these days cause Ronnie is back in my life after going through some hard times himself. I have talked to him 3 times now over the last few weeks by phone. He called again yesterday and it put a smile on my face. I have lost everyone in my family except for a few and am excited to have the chance to get close to him after all these years and have more family. I told him yesterday that I have my Aunt Loretta, my (step) mom Carolyn and my brother Scott and Barb and I need and miss family. And him coming back into my life is great for both of us. He needs me as much as I need him. Were not looking back and we may not understand but as we both said "we have today". Everything happens for a reason I believe and I'm happy to have the chance to get to know him this time. I'm going over to see him the week after next and I can't wait!

I have a brother! Thanks dad! :)
see everything does happen for a reason. We may not understand it at the time but may understand it later after time passes.

Amazing...

I saw 150.0 pounds today!!!!!!

I can't believe it.

Who would of thunk it?

294/150= 144 pounds

(158 pounds was my goal and made me in the "normal" weight range for my height, so I am amazed.)

June 2007 vs. June 2008

Farmers Market...

Just thought I'd share a few photos of the local Farmers Market where I work and our business D and S Greenhouses sells cedar planters, planter benches, shrubs, plant caddy's, wagons. You get the idea...

new low...

I saw 151.0 this morning. Oh yeah!

No really...if I never lose another pound I consider myself a success. I've lost 140 pounds and gained even more!

But oh what a feeling to see 151. The last few weeks I've been sitting at 153-155 and knowing this is where I ended up. It's all good. After weighing almost 350 pounds once in my life, 151 is wonderful. I'll take it! But I am thinking I can swim off a few more pounds and see 149.