Finished Two Quilts

I finally finished my husband's fishing quilt and also a small rag quilt I made for my great grandson. He is two and so I put some animal prints on it to help him learn words. I wasn't sure I liked it until it was finished and now I am happy with it. I haven't taken a picture of it yet so I can't post it but I will. Bob loves his quilt and it's very warm and soft. I used fleece on the back of it and also used Warm and White batting in it. It was a bit heavier to finish it but it really doesn't feel exceptionally heavy but feels wonderful. Right now Chloe (our Bichon) is sleeping on it. Bob laid it on the floor for her to lay on. She isn't feeling well. She started acting not like herself around 5 last evening. She didn't eat her dinner, just laid around all night. She woke me around 2:30 to go outside and when we came back in she headed to the living room and the quilt. I gave her a dose of the anti inflammatory her vet prescribed and I am hoping she will start to feel better. It's been pretty cold and damp here the last week and that kind of bothers her arthritis.

I am planning to go to our Christmas Fair at our Fairgrounds today. It's the largest one in Southern Oregon and usually there are plenty of things I find interesting. I just hope I can find some gifts there for Christmas and not just things I want for me.

Last night we watched the Oregon Ducks play against UCLA and I am starting to really get into football. I hate to admit that since there are already football games on in our house whenever one is televised. I usually just watch the Super Bowl but I do enjoy watching the Ducks play. I was in the process of fixing dinner (pork chops) when the game started. I had forgotten the game was last night. I mentioned that if I had remembered the game we could have just had pizza so we wouldn't have to miss anything. That's all I needed to say. The Ducks were ahead in the second quarter and Bob left to go pick up a pizza at Domino's. We live farther away than they will deliver to us so we have to go pick it up. Not really great diet food but all I had was two pieces and they were small because it was a medium pizza. Sounds like I am trying to justify here doesn't it? I didn't lose any weight this week but I am still going to the gym 5 days and week and this week I had some really great workouts.

Well, I am up way too early so I am heading back to bed now for a few more hours of sleep before I go to the craft fair. Have a good day all..
Blessings..

Rainy days

I haven't been posting much lately. I think it's a combination of things that are causing me not to be on blogger much. Most of it is that since I had my band removed I don't feel the same connection to the other banded folks out there. Also, I am trying to keep in control of my eating. I joined Weight Watchers the other day and I love the new program. I try to read the blogs I follow even if I don't post myself. And I try to comment on blogs I read so people know that what they are writing is being read and appreciated by someone.

I am trying to catch up with my quilting projects and it's going slowly. Also I am planning my Thanksgiving meal. We are having several friends over for dinner and I love entertaining. I feel like the hours in the day are just going by so fast I can't get things done. Maybe I need to organize my time better.

Yesterday my hubby and I went to Costco to pick up a few things and as we left it was snowing pretty hard outside. When we got out in it we found that the snow was very large and wet. I was soaked by the time we got in the truck. It was short lived but fun while it lasted. We don't usually get much snow here where we live. Maybe once or twice a year and it's usually gone by the end of the day since the snow turns to rain and it washes away. But I always enjoy looking out at it.

Well, I guess I need to get myself together and start my day. Have a good weekend everyone.

Another New Beginning

Well, I had my surgery on Monday. I meant to make an entry sooner but I've been catching up on sleep all week. I am feeling great today. I hope to get back to the gym starting Monday and maybe do some time on the treadmill or the eliptical. I am surprised to say that I am not starving all the time. I guess since being banded for 3 1/2 years my stomach has shrunk quite a bit. I am eating the same amount of food as I did while banded and hopefully I can keep it up so my stomach doesn't stretch out. I must say, I have had no heartburn or reflux since surgery. I stopped taking my acid reducer pills the first day. I like the fact that what I do eat goes down to my stomach and doesn't come back and hour or two later. I didn't think I would be happy about not being banded but I am.

I don't know if I will have any other weight loss surgery. I will have to wait six months to a year for my esophagus to completely heal anyway. I am hoping to keep on top of the weight I've already lost and if I do opt for another surgery I may go for the vertical sleeve.

My appt with the surgeon

Well, my hubby and I went up to see the surgeon yesterday and I had my list of questions for him in my hand. I was a little surprised that he didn't have us come into his office for the meeting. We were just in the examination room. I was so glad my hubby came because he had his own questions that went along with the ones I had asked. The doctor said the reason he needs to remove my band is because my esophagus isn't working the way it should. It isn't moving the food down through the band. Also, the band is smaller than the bands currently being used and since it is smaller it is like there is restriction even when unfilled. He said the newer bands when unfilled are like no band at all. It sounded to us (hubby and me) like the band has damaged me and should not have been used to begin with since there was a choice then for a larger band.

I explained that I felt as though the last 2 1/2 years of what I've gone through was a waste since I haven't lost weight and just bounced up and down a few pounds here and there. He indicated he totally understood how I feel. He is also a lapband patient and knows how I feel about having to lose my band. It's like a part of me is going away. Like the friend inside me that kept me from being hungry all the time and helped me lose almost 100 pounds won't be there anymore.

As for replacing it with another band or the vertical sleeve, he said it would take time to heal before he would consider another surgery. He feels the larger band would be the better choice and if we go with another surgery he could see how things look at that time and try to go with the vertical sleeve but if there is too much scar tissue he would just go with the larger band.

My husband asked him how he likes his band. He turned to me and said, "how do you like yours?" I said, "I love my band" and he indicated he feels the same way. So now I have to wait for the call to go for my pre-op and soon I won't have my lovely little friend anymore. I am saddened by this but I am trying to keep a positive outlook. I am thinking of going to a Weight Watchers meeting and getting the info on the newest Points program.. I am a lifetime member so I don't have to pay registration fees. Right now I can't eat much fruit because of the band. In fact I ate one grape a couple of days ago after dinner and the next morning a piece of it came back up. It never went through the band. So I am looking forward to being able to eat pineapple again and watermelon and other fiberous fruits and veggies.

I was so grateful my husband came with me. He was my rock and his being there kept me from turning into a crying mess.

Hot Weekend......

Wow! Our temperature was up in the 90s yesterday. We aren't used to such heat here. Especially since we just spent a week at the coast and it is so cool there. It was also my birthday and hubby and I tried a new restaurant in town called Blackbird Bar and Grill. I wanted to go somewhere I don't always eat. The atmosphere was great, quiet with jazzy piano music playing. The front of the place has a full length bar and small tables across from it. There is a little bay window in front also with a built in cushiony bench and small table. My hubby wanted to sit there. It was really cozy. The actual dining roon was in the rear but it was still pretty neat where we sat. We had Bruschetta as an appetizer. Wow! It was yummy. It had artichoke hearts on it and my picky husband ate it and loved it. Boy, was I surprised. I ordered Jambalaya for my main course. I love it and haven't eaten it in years. It was fabulous. Better than any I've eaten before. I couldn't eat it all so I have a carton in the fridge for today.......yeah!! Then for dessert, since it was my birthday, I chose chocolate creme brulee. I am telling you it was so rich and smooth. YUM!! What a delightful dinner. When they found out it was my birthday, they gave me the dessert at no charge. We were really surprised when the bill came and it was only $53. I had a couple of glasses of wine and my hubster had 2 beers too. We thought it was pretty reasonable. We will definitely be going back there.

My appt with the surgeon regarding the removal of my lapband is this week on Thursday. I am compiling a list of questions I want to ask about the whole situation. I am really glad that my husband is coming with me so he can be my moral support and backup if I choke and don't ask any questions. I don't know what will happen I just am hoping that whatever the outcome is, I am ok with it. I have to call my insurance company tomorrow and inquire about their coverage for conversion if the band fails. We shall see.

Not very promising news..

Well, I saw the doctor on Tuesday for my latest fluoroscope test. This time he had me meet him in his office first and he attempted to show me the films from the last tests. I had only previously seen them from an angle as I was being filmed. He wasn't able to get them to play on his computer. So we headed down to the hospital for the test again. When I got in position he turned the television so I could clearly watch. When I drank the liquid I saw it flow down my esophagus and then it stopped at the band. He said, " it's still doing the same thing" You could see it barely trickling through the band and move on toward the stomach. I asked him if this is what it had been doing the past times. He said it had. Now, I am no medical person in any stretch of the imagination but, if the band is not filled, the liquid should go right on through. Unless there is some sort of obstruction. So what is going on? Then he said, "I am going to have to remove the band" I asked if there was any alternative measure and he said no. He said he would have his girls in the office contact me and set up an appointment for the surgery to remove it. I was stunned. I was on the verge of tears and couldn't talk without starting to cry so I just agreed and went home. Of course as soon as I got home and tried to tell my husband I started bawling like a baby. This band has been a part of my body for the last 3 1/2 years and my dream of losing weight was quickly coming to an end. My husband being much more calm and analytical said, "wait a minute, why is there no other options for you? Why can't he replace it with the larger band or something else?" My thoughts too but I was so upset I couldn't talk to the doctor. Also, I don't even know if my insurance would cover another surgery. But it should be looked into. So I calmed down and my husband said to tell them when they call that we want to talk to the doctor and we need some answers or we need a second opinion. Well, it just so happened that when they called to schedule the appointment for surgery, I wasn't home. My husband talked to the girl from the office and explained our feelings to her. She said she would talk to the doctor and call us back. So now I have an appointment with my husband going too, to speak with the doctor about what my options are and to find out what cause this to happen and whatever other questions we come up with. It's been difficult to keep this off my mind. My brother and sister-in-law got here the same day as my test so that is helping me a bit. And we have workers here replacing windows in our house and residing it so that is also a distraction. I am hoping this has a good outcome for me and not more dissapointment.

Saturday morning

I've been doing really well since the 5 day pouch test. It has gotten me back on track. I have lost 8 pounds and feel good. After being gone for a month on vacation and no exercise it felt so good to get back to the gym. It took me a few days to gain back the strength and stamina I had before though.
Yesterday, I went to Costco and bought meat for when my brother comes next week. I got tri-tip roasts, baby back ribs, pork chops, filet mignon and we have lots of fish in the freezer already. We smoked some of the Kokanee that we caught at the lake. I really like it smoked. My pastor's wife told me they eat it on Wheat Thins with a smear of cream cheese and then a piece of the fish. I tried it and loved it. I haven't eaten it this way since the pouch test. Tuesday is my next barium swallow. I am hoping things look better this time but if not I will ask the doctor to leave the band in rather than remove it and have nothing. I don't know that my insurance company would pay for another band or another weight loss surgery.

We are having our house resided next week also. They will replace several of the windows while they are siding it. The windows we have now are quite old and the new ones will be dual paned. We replaced three in the front of the house and they've made a big difference but the bedrooms all have the old style with built in storm windows over them. They are quite heavy and difficult to clean.

Today is the last day of our county fair and we are going with some friends. There is also a Skandinavian Festival north of here and we thought about going there too. But I think we will go to our fair since it's closer and our dog needs to be let out to go potty every two to three hours. She has had 2 bladder surgeries and is getting older and just can't hold her urine.

It's very quiet this morning. Hardly any cars going down the street. It's overcast outside and the sun should burn through in a couple of hours. I think I will have another cup of coffee now. Have a good weekend everyone.

Day 4

Today is day 4 of the 5 day pouch test. I've done really well so far. Yesterday I got in the car to go to the gym and once I got off our street onto the main road here in town I noticed all the interior lights were on in the car. When we were at the Jamboree this past weekend the passenger window quit working in an open position. My hubby decided he would fix it instead of paying someone else to do it. He had taken the panel off the door and was planning on fixing it when I got back from my workout. Well, I continued to the gym, thinking that maybe after I turned off the engine the lights would time out. Not so, I was afraid that when I came out 2 hours later my battery would be dead. So I turned the car around and came home. My hubby went to the garage for a little while and then decided it was over his head. He went to the auto repair he has used before and they did it for $50 plus the part they needed. I am so happy to have my car in one piece again.

Today I get to eat ground meat. I am drooling in anticipation for an angus burger from Costco. They are fully cooked and you just microwave them or you can also grill them if you like. They are so good..............yum.

Catching up with my life again.......

Back from my vacation. It is always nice to get home. I decided to try the 5 day pouch test. I've never done it before and I felt so bloated after our trip. I did gain a few pounds, 4 to be exact so I decided to try this since it's supposed to get you back to where you were after first being banded. I'm on day 2 and went back to my gym for my workout today. It felt so good to workout and sweat. I came home and gave my Chloe a bath. Now I am getting ready to go out and pull some weeds. I am trying to keep busy so I don't get tempted to eat something. The first two days are liquids only and I keep seeing recipes or pictures of food in magazines and online.
I spent yesterday doing laundry and emptying the food and other things out of the RV. I still have to clean it but I won't be doing that today. While we were gone the passenger window on our tow vehicle (my car) came off the track or something. My hubby is in town now trying to get it fixed. There are so many things to catch up on when you've been away. I had the mail stopped for 30 days and it took a while to sort through it. I have a whole stack of magazines to read now.
I also need to finish a couple of quilts that are almost complete. Better get out to that garden now.......have a good day everyone!

I am still around.......

I am still around, I just haven't been posting. We have been at a lake, camping for the whole month of July. Hubby goes out fishing in the morning and again in the late afternoon. I am ready to leave. I am soooo bored. The mosquitoes were really aggressive when we first got here. They have decreased in the last week. We've had several friends here for a week at a time so it's not too bad. Last week we had rain most of the week and dreary weather. Now it's so pretty again. I have read two books and I know it sounds like a nice relaxing vacation but I feel like all I do is wash dishes and vacuum the motorhome and pick up and put away things. Not to mention cooking all the time. The last few days were better because we made group meals with two other couples so I didn't have to cook the whole thing. Tonight we are making smoked baby back ribs and baked potatoes. One of the couples will be bringing corn on the cob. I took a picture of the lake with the moon over it the other night. Our wifi is so overworked here that I can't upload it until I get home. Next Thursday we are leaving for Sweet Home, Oregon for the Oregon Jamboree . We've gone for the last five years and it's so much fun. We have met lots of new friends waiting in line to get in each day. I have been reading all the posts I follow and even commenting on them when the computer doesn't make me wait too long. I hope everyone is having a good summer and I hope the areas suffering from the heat get relief soon.

My Next Rag Quilt

Here is the latest rag quilt for my Sis-in-law's new grandson. I am working on the last one for a little girl yet to be born. Finally I will have one done before the baby is born.





I haven't been working very hard on getting these done. I am ashamed to say I wish I devoted more time to my quilting. I go to the gym 5 days a week and when I get home I start with my housework and then I make lunch for my hubby. Before I know it it's time to make dinner and I haven't worked on my quilt. I guess if I worked on them every single day I would get sick of sewing. I don't know. As it is I love it, when I do it.





I am feeling a little sorry for myself today. I am watching the scale creep up a few pounds and my jeans are feeling a little tight today. I workout hard when at the gym everyday I am there. I still use a small salad plate at dinner and yet, I feel as though I am gaining weight. I am thinking of rejoining Weight Watchers. I have until the end of August before I see my bariatric surgeon again. At that time it's any ones guess what he will decide. I only hope there will be an improvement in my esophagus and maybe he'll decide I don't need my band taken out and maybe he will even adjust it a tiny bit so I can have some restriction again. I haven't written my blog in about a month. I just read everyone else's that I subscribe to. One of the blogs I read is
Can't Wait to Lose it.
Jacquie had her lapband removed today and it was replaced (if everything went as planned) by a vertical sleeve. I hope she is doing well now, I believe her surgery was early this morning.
I don't know if I should consider this type of surgery for myself if I have to have my band removed. I will have to wait and see.

Our weather has been so nice this week. Sunny every day and warm but not hot. Today I kept hearing meadowlarks singing all day long. Beautiful. It's pretty quiet outside now. They must be eating and getting ready to call it a day. My hubby went fishing today with a couple of his buddies. He also went on Tuesday. Today they went to a lake and Tuesday they went to the ocean. He caught a couple of lingcod and some black bass. Today he gave what he caught to one of the other guys. He doesn't eat fish and I only eat it occasionally so he doesn't keep most of what he catches. Well, I need to get back to the sewing machine and sew some more before "So you think you can dance" comes on. Good night all.

2nd rag quilt

Here is the rag quilt I have made for my sister-in-law's grandbaby. I have two finished now and I am in the process of trying to find a box to mail them in. They live in Nevada. I still have two more to make. She is being blessed with 4 grandbabies this year. Two boys and two girls. These are all flannel and so soft. I am currently cutting the fabric for the third one.

I am trying to eat right and not have any between meal snacks. It's hard to do since I have been getting hungry between lunch and dinner each day. If I keep busy maybe I won't go looking for something to eat. And if I am really hungry I need to find something healthy to eat rather than crackers or pita chips. I always look for something quick and satisfying. Since I have no fluid in my band for 8 months now I am finding I am slipping back into old habits. So I am trying to only go for something that will nourish me and hold me over until my next meal. What are you all planning for the Memorial Weekend? We don't have any plans this weekend. The forecast is that it will rain all weekend except Sunday. We've lived here in Oregon for almost 9 years now and this has been the longest winter/rainy season so far. I am so ready ( being a Southern California girl) for sunshine and warm weather. But you can't beat the green here in Oregon. I love it.

I also want to thank everyone for their nice comments about my lapband troubles. It makes me feel so good to know I have friends out there in cyberspace.

Doctor

Yesterday was my appointment with my bariatric doctor. I was his first patient in my town. We chatted a while and I told him I didn't want my band removed if I have a choice. At least it gives me some restriction and without it I would have none. I asked him if there are many people who are having the same experience that I am having. He said that there are alot of people who are having the same experience. Most of the ones having the experience have the same size band as me. It is smaller than the ones being used today and they are finding the smaller band is causing more slippages, erosions and esophagus dilations due to the band cutting into the esophagus. He also told me he wants me to take another upper GI test in three months. I agreed to it. He also mentioned a test where they measure the muscle tone in the esophagus as I swallow liquid to see if I have a normal response. It was alot to take in and I am not sure if or when they will do that test. He never mentioned replacing the band, if it needs to be removed, with the vertical sleeve. He did, however say that he could replace the band I have with a newer band. But we will wait and see how things go.

I finished my second rag quilt this week. I plan to mail off the two I have completed to my sis-in-law so she can send them to her two grandbabies. I am going to start on the third one tomorrow. I will download the picture I took of the newest one and post it tomorrow. They are quick once you start piecing them together.

Not good news......

Well, I went for my Upper GI and was very disappointed. The doctor said, "there has been no change" What???? No change??? He said there had been no improvement in the last 3 months. He told me I had two options: to wait another 3 months (which would mean 10 months of waiting)or have my band removed. I am so bummed!! I just stood there stunned. He asked me if I wasfrom out of town and when I told him I was from Roseburg he said he is opening a new clinic in Roseburg starting this month on the 24th. He told me to call his office and schedule an appointment for the 24th and we would discuss it then. I did just that, but I am worried about what will happen now. Please think good thoughts for me or prayers are so appreciated. I feel like two of the three years I have had my band have been stuck in a holding pattern over this problem.

Rag quilt finished....

I made this rag quilt to give to my sister-in-law for one of her four new grandbabies being born this year. I am a little late since 3 of them have already been born. I wanted to make something that would be quick to make and yet be soft a nice for a baby. I am so happy with how this turned out. I just have to wash it to make the fringe show up. I just need to make another one for a boy and then two girl quilts. I have the first girls quilt cut out and realized I don't have enough of the fabric I wanted to use so I will be making a trip to Joann's after church today and hopefully they have some matching fabric. This was made with flannels and each square is 8 inches with a 7 inch piece of batting inside the sandwich. I made it 6 rows of 6 squares and I love the size for putting on the floor for baby to lay on or play on and so soft and warm too. It only took me a couple of days to make start to finish.

Yesterday we walked at one of our parks for the March of Dimes marchforbabies.org. It was a considerably smaller turnout and administration than I had been used to when I lived in the Los Angeles area. But it was fun, none the less and we participated in a fund raiser of the very best kind, for babies. I had recruited all the ladies I workout with at the local YMCA and only two of them showed up. My hubby and his friend Rich also came along. It was a short walk of 3 miles and it took us an hour to get back to the starting point. They were cooking hotdogs and also had free ice cream. We got home before noon and had the whole day to do whatever. I worked on my quilt.

Tuesday, we are going up to Eugene with our friends and taking our motorhomes. There is a new Cabella's opening on Thursday and our fellas want to be there for the opening. Actually, friend Rich has one of their credit cards and has an invite for the day before the opening so I guess we'll be there on Wednesday. We are going on Tuesday because I have my appointment with my surgeon for the upper GI that day. I am hoping this time I have healed enough to have him start my fills again so I can start to lose weight again. It's been a long 7 months without restriction and I have gained about 9 pounds back. I am eager to have that not hungry feeling again.

It's a beautiful Sunday and I am off to go to church now.........God Bless all.

Fender Bender......ugh!!

Friday morning I was attempting to get to the gym at an earlier time than usual. An old friend of mine, who I worked with back 20 years ago, lives here in my town and goes to the YMCA also. She does a workout class at 9am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. She has been after me to give it a try and I decided to try it last Friday. After my shower and a container of protein shake I headed for the gym. I think I was feeling a bit rushed and was maybe driving a little faster and less safely than I usually do. I usually take a short cut on my way to the gym, thereby avoiding the busy intersection and 4 way signal. I headed down the street I take and there was another car in front of me, as I came down a slight hill I noticed a woman on the side of the road down on the ground. I thought something was wrong until she stood and I realized she was weeding. I only was looking at her for a couple of seconds but when I turned back the car in front of me had stopped to make a turn into a driveway. YIKES!! I slammed on the brakes but still hit him. Thankfully, he wasn't hurt. My car had no damage at all, his not so lucky. His whole bumper will have to be replaced at the very least. The man was very kind and invited me into his work (where he was making the turn to) to exchange information. He is a CPA and his office was quiet and private. I thanked him for being so calm and nice to me after I plowed into him.
I debated whether I should go on to the exercise class or go home, I went on to exercise. I was glad I did. When I got home and told Bob what had happened he said "sounds like you were in a hurry and that short cut you always take is proof of that, but accidents happen and that's what we have insurance for" I knew he would be ok with it. He was only concerned with whether there were any injuries.

A friend of mine is getting started on quilting now also and couldn't get her machine threaded the other night so I went over and helped her with the threading and showed her how to wind the bobbin on the machine. It hadn't been used in years and was a bit stiff and hard to get going. I suggested she take it to be serviced before trying to make anything with it. She took it in Monday morning and called me when she got home to tell me they had a Singer Featherweight machine. I have one that was my Mom's and I believe she bought at a Goodwill store in the 1960s for about $10. It is in great shape and I love it. Well, she asked if I would go with her and see if it was worth the $399 the store owner was asking for it. I said I would go and our husbands tagged along. Her husband tried to get her to buy a new Janome machine for about the same price and the same size with quilting attachments ie: walking foot, freemotion quilting foot and so I tried sewing on each of them. Although the Janome was a perfectly nice little machine that also had several different stitches built in, but that Featherweight sewed like a little dream. There is just something about those little machines. They just are so smooth. Needless to say, she got what she wanted and was sewing on it all day yesterday. She called me again to thank me for coming with her to the store. I am glad she is a member of the Featherweight Club too.

A Touch of Spring

Here is a shot of my tulips that I planted last fall. The picture really doesn't do them justice. Of course the fence is there to keep the deer from feasting on them. So far it has worked.

I went to a new doctor last week. Since moving to Oregon 8 1/2 years ago I haven't had a Gynecologist. I have been seeing my General Practitioner for my girlie tests each year. I decided I would find one and go and I did. Well the doctor I chose is very thorough. She tested me for my vitamin D and also wanted me to have a bone scan. No problem. I worked at Curves about 5 years ago and each year they had a bone scan offered to their members for a nominal fee and as an employee I was able to have it for free. When I was tested the "doctor" who administered the test (which by the way was of my index finger)told me my bone density was like that of a teenager and also told me to stop taking my calcium because I could end up with calcium deposits on my bones if I had too much calcium. Well, I didn't stop taking it but my DEXA scan results were shocking to me, to say the least. I have thinning bones. I don't have Osteoporosis (yet) but I am on the way to it if I don't take action now. She said I had two options. The first was medication taken once a week and the second is a supplement that contains the mineral strontium, which has been proven to regrow bones. I am going to try this method first since I don't want to have to take any prescription drugs if I don't have to . What they will do is retest me in 6 months to see how I am doing. Also, my test for vitamin D came back low as well. It is pretty common for people living in the Northwest to test low in vitamin D but I have been taking supplements for several years of 1000 mg a day. Mine came back at 40 and 50 is normal and 60-100 is optimum. Sooo, since this also contributes to your bone density I am now going to be taking 5000 mg a day plus the Grow Bone supplement which also contains some vitamin D.

Last night I was scanning the internet reading up on bone density and what can cause you to lose bone and one of the things I read is weight loss can cause bone loss. It said if you lose 20 pounds not only do you lose weight but you lose muscle (which I knew) and bone. Well, I thought about the amount of times I have lost 20 pounds in my lifetime and the fact that I've lost nearly 100 pounds in the last few years and it makes sense. Also, when I was have the reflux my surgeon had me taking Prilosec twice a day and last year I heard on the news that Prilosec can cause calcium to be leached from your bones. When I heard that I stopped taking it. I wonder if it affected my bones while I did take it. Check back here in 6 months and see how I am doing.

Next week I go in for my upper GI and possible fill of the band. Fingers crossed for good results.

Weekend plans messed up.......

We went to coast with another couple to join a camping club for a weekend outing on Thursday. We planned to stay until Monday and hoped the weather wouldn't be too awful. We arrived on Thursday a little after noon. The park we were in was very nice and has it's own lake. The first night of the campout was Friday. They had a little gathering in the clubhouse at 4:30. We were to bring "light snacks" and something to drink. I made Jalapeno Poppers from the recipe I got from my sister in law. They were a big hit. If you want the recipe here it is: Jalapeno Poppers 1 pkg of Jimmy Dean Sage Sausage 1 pkg (8 oz) of cream cheese 1 cup of parmesan cheese Fresh whole jalapenos Cook the sausage until crumbly and done and then add the cream cheese in small chunks. Mix them well and then add the cup of parmesan cheese. This makes a huge amount so you can freeze what's left for another time. Cut the jalapenos in half lengthwise and remove the veins and seeds. This will keep them from being really hot. Lay them on a cookie sheet fill the cavity with the sausage mixture. Preheat the oven to 375 and cook for 30 minutes. After our hors d'oevres time was about over I went back to our motor home to get our dinner plates and silverware for dinner. When I walked in, Chloe (our Bichon Frise) was standing in the middle of the floor not moving and her head was looking down. This was odd so I spoke to her and she didn't respond. I walked over to her and bent down and spoke again and put my hand under her chin to lift her head. She screamed like in pain. I couldn't imagine what was wrong with her. I had only been gone about an hour and she was laying in the recliner when I left. She then walked over to the front of the couch and laid down. I laid beside her and tried to sooth her and pet her. Then I reach up and got my cellphone and called Bob to come back quickly. When he got there she was still laying in the same spot . She would scream out every few minutes. It seemed as though maybe she had fallen and hurt herself. We stayed with her a while and then decided she was OK and went to eat our dinner with the group and then came back as soon as we finished. She screamed most of the night so neither of us got much sleep. Bob stayed with her and told me to get some sleep. I was in bed but couldn't sleep. We decided to bring her home to her own vet, since they are open on Saturdays. I gave Molly, our cat her thyroid medicine before we left and carried Chloe to the car and sat her on my lap. After driving about 30 minutes she seemed really uncomfortable and Bob stopped so I could get out and get into the back seat with her. She was more comfortable there and laid on the seat next to me. We drove straight to the Vet's office. They took her in right away and the vet checked her thoroughly but wasn't able to xray her because she would need to be sedated and wouldn't revive in time for us to take her before the office closed. He checked her legs, her neck and moved everything all over and she never screamed. He put her leash on and had me walk her through the office and down the stairs and across the parking lot and back and up the stairs and she did all of it with no problem. She did slow down and start limping a little on her right leg though. She has arthritis in that leg and was diagnosed a few years ago. So what he decided was to give her a shot of a non steroidal anti inflammatory and some of the liquid medicine she had been given before for me to take home. She started acting better within the hour. We went home and both of us took a long nap and she did too. Bob went back to the coast last night and I stayed home with her to make sure she was alright. She seems to me fine now. She ate her dinner and in fact is still sleeping now. I went in to see her a little while ago and she is sprawled out on her bed. She just now got up and went outside to do her business. She seems fine. The whole time I was at the coast it was raining. It isn't raining here at home but it is still cloudy. Bob called this morning and said the sun was out there. I hope it comes out here too. I need to go out and take pictures of the tulips I planted last fall. They're beautiful. They are in a fenced area out front because deer love to eat tulips. They actually could jump the little fence that is around the planter but so far they haven't. I guess there is plenty of food around for them to eat. Bob will probably stay there until tomorrow since we already paid for the 4 nights there. The people I did get to meet were very nice and I am looking forward to the next camp out so I can meet the rest and spend some fun time with them. It's kind of nice to have the house to myself though. It's so quiet though, but I can watch whatever I want on television and I think I will work on one of my quilts that is ready for quilting. I will put it on the frame and start the process today.

Weekend Hike.......

We went on a hike on Saturday with our group from church. Here in Oregon we have the most beautiful places to hike with foliage, waterfalls and rivers. Amazingly beautiful. I took a few pictures on my way. We had a great time and afterward we all piled into the church vans and went to one couple's home for a barbecue. They fixed skewers of chicken breast chunks with shrimp alternating and other skewers contained pork chunks or beef chunks. They all had been marinated and tasted amazing. The rest of us brought side dishes to go with it. We were all very hungry when it came time to eat after our hike. It was a mile long over a path in the woods and a stream running alongside it. Absolutely gorgeous. Some of the shots I took don't look real, they look like paintings.

My quilt frame working finally

April......blooming flowers and color everywhere

We just had two glorious days of warm sunshine and now it looks like it rain. In fact the ground is wet so it rained during the night. We have a restaurant in our area that is also a bakery and it is vegetarian. It's been opened a couple of years and their food is great. I went there for lunch with an old friend yesterday and we even sat outside in the sun. It was awesome. Today our Farmer's Market opens and they (the restaurant) sells their wonderful breads there. I think I will hop in the car and head over there and see what they have for sale. Last year I was able to buy some great salad greens that were grown locally and had all kinds of unusual and spicy greens mixed in. They were organic and delicious. I love this time of year. Also I planted 40 tulip bulbs last fall and they are all up and two bloomed this week. Bright pink. I can't wait until they all bloom so I can take pictures and share them. I am about to be finished with Bob's fishing quilt top. I have one boarder to add so it's long enough to cover from the top of his head to his toes. I received a DVD in the mail this week from my dear friend Alice who lives in Virginia. She has the same quilt frame that I have and hers came with a DVD. I can't figure out why mine didn't, but it didn't. So now it's ready to go. Just have to put the machine on it and the layers of the quilt and go for it. My quilting friend, Lori is coming over Monday and is going to put her new quilt on it and give it a whirl. I am excited. I should throw some fabric and batting on it and try it out myself. I wouldn't want to put my quilt on it until I feel more confident at quilting on it. I may just do a stitch in the ditch on the fishing quilt. I noticed today that one of my followers stopped following me. I don't know why it bothered me but it does. Silly isn't it. Maybe this person (whoever it was) decided she or he wasn't interested in my banter anymore or was looking for something else. Oh well. I myself have dropped some of the blogs I've read over the years too. I learned from one of the blogs I read that if you plan out a weeks worth of menus in advance, you can save money by not going out to eat, and also save calories since when we go out we tend to eat more or the wrong things. I liked the idea since I don't have to wrack my brain and stand in front of the pantry or the freezer hoping some terrific idea will pop into my head. She also said she keeps the weekly menus and that way she can repeat weeks and not have to try and come up with a new menu every week. It worked really well for me too. I added in a new recipe one night that I had been wanting to try and another night we had friends over for dinner and got to smoke some ribs that we bought late last summer. They were so yummy! I also sat and made a list of all the meals I usually make so I don't leave any out. I really liked doing this, I glanced at my weekly menus and made a shopping list up based on what I needed at the store for the meals and it made it simple. I have also started to freeze meals. When I make meatloaf, for instance I make two and freeze one. Or with a casserole I put it in two containers and only cook one so the other is ready to be cooked and eaten anytime. I can't believe something so simple took me this many years to try. I should have done this when I was working full time, but then I didn't have the time to even think about doing this but it would have saved me so much time. Well, that's about all that is new here. Have a good weekend everyone..............

3rd year bandiversary........

Well, it's 3 years today since I got my band. I never thought 3 years ago that I would still be fighting with my weight. I am, however, very grateful to have lost the weight I have lost. And I know I couldn't have lost it without the help of the band. I have about 6 weeks left until I go for another upper GI. I am hoping (praying) that this time I will be healed and the doctor can give me a fill.

I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend. It's been sunny and showering all afternoon. I worked a little on Bob's quilt that I am making. I am making a pot of chili for dinner and we are watching "Uncle Buck" with John Candy. That movie is a classic and I just love it. I laugh at the same places every time I watch it. It's nice that it doesn't get dark early any more. My tulips that I planted last fall are growing and several have buds on them. I am so anxious to see the colors on them. When they bloom I will take some pictures and post them.....well, the chili timer is going off.........

Missed an important milestone.....

Yesterday was my blogoversary and I missed it. Well, at least I didn't let too much time go by before realizing it. I have been doing this blog for 3 years now. I don't take as much care and time with it as some of the better blogs I follow. I sometimes just think I have nothing of interest to say. In fact even when I do post sometimes it isn't of much interest. :) I am coming up on my Lapband anniversary too and I hope I can remember to post on that day. So much has happened in the last three years. I have lost nearly 100 pounds and I have had complications with my band and I have done some traveling and lots of camping and also learned how to quilt. I still have a love of collecting recipes and cooking them. I have learned so much from all the blogs I follow. I want to thank you all for being so creative and also for teaching me various things along my journey in life.

I have expanded the blogs I follow to include foodie or cooking blogs, quilting and crafting blogs, all kinds of weight loss blogs, and a few that I just find interesting. Here's to another year, and hopefully I can reach my goal in this year and resolve my issues with my band.....

Hello, Monday...........

Just got back from my workout at the gym. I decided a couple of weeks ago that I would do my workout on the elliptical first and then the weight machine circuit. I was doing it in reverse order and some days I just couldn't do my 30 minutes on the elliptical. I was too tired from the weight lifting. So now I do it in reverse order and some days I can do 45 minutes on the elliptical.

My hubby put my quilting frame together on Friday. Now I need to put my machine on it and try quilting on it. I am a little intimidated to try it. I only have one quilt ready to be quilted and I hate to try it out on that one for my first try. I might take one of the prayer quilts we make and use that as my trial quilting project. It takes up one whole wall in our spare bedroom which is now my sewing room. We moved the bed to the computer room so that is now our guest room/computer room. Now I have excess stuff I need to give to Goodwill and find a place to store the remainder of it. I feel like I am constantly whittling down my belongings and it's driving me crazy. But they say if you haven't used something for two years you should give it away. It is really crazy hanging on to things that I don't use, I know, but some of them are very dear to me. Is anyone else facing this same problem? How are you handling it?

My hubby is on a diet for the first time ever. It isn't really a diet, more like cutting back a little. But he hasn't lost any weight after 3 weeks and he is ready to give up. I try to tell him, tactfully, that he isn't really on a diet because he eats large portions still and isn't eating lower calorie foods. He has stopped drinking soda and drinks water only now. He also doesn't eat between meals and before bed like he used to. But he eats large portions mostly at dinner and isn't doing a lick of exercise. I told him he is consuming enough calories to maintain his weight and he needs to start walking or riding his bike or something. He says if he doesn't lose in another week or so he is quitting his "diet" . Men!! So stubborn. He really needs to take off weight. He is over 300 pounds and is diabetic. I worry about his health all the time. He is in denial and doesn't want to do anything about it.

Well, I bought some fabric to make some curtains for the kitchen window so I am off to get that make. Hope everyone is having a good Monday.

Cat Patches: I've Been Featured!

Cat Patches: I've Been Featured!

Finally...........a completed quilt

I finished this quilt this week. It is going to the Squares of Hope group at the church I attend. We make and give out quilts for members or someone they know of who is sick or grieving. The fabric was donated by someone in the church. We have received boxes and boxes of fabric. I chose these five prints that seemed to go together and made this rail fence quilt. The batting was also donated. It's a high loft polyester. Not my favorite because it's hard to sew and work with. But it is warm. And it will comfort someone who needs it and before it is given out our prayer team at the church will pray over it.

Now I have to get back to Bob's (my hubby) quilt. It's a fish quilt that he picked out the kit for at a quilt shop we went to last September. I want to get as much of it done as possible before I start another for the church.

All I have left to do is to make a label for this quilt.

I am feeling much better this week than last. I have started tracking my calories on My Daily Plate or Livestrong.com and my exercise also. Just tracking the food I eat is keeping me on track better than just trying to watch it. It's a simple program to use and it's free. It already had hundreds of foods built into it. We were busy today and when I started to fix dinner our 84 year old neighbor came by and stayed a while chatting with us. By the time she left we were both really hungry so my hubby said "lets just go get something to eat". I really didn't want the temptation of eating out but I agreed. I suggested Carl's Jr since I could get a salad there. I chose their Cranberry, Apple and Walnut Chicken Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette. It was yummy and when I got home I went to their website and checked the calorie content of the salad. It was 318 calorie and the dressing was another 160. Luckily I only used half of the dressing so my dinner was well within my calorie goal for the day. In fact I am still under my 1200 a day goal by 215 calories. I may have a glass of milk or a sugar free popsicle later on.

I watched Jennifer Hudson on Oprah today and she has lost 80 pounds. She looks amazing. She is the new Weight Watchers spokesperson. I'm sure you've all seen her commercials. She had lots of her cousins and other family members on the program with her and they've all done well. In fact I think they said they'd all lost close to 2000 pounds together. Then they gave each of the audience members 3 one year free memberships to WW so they could each give two friends or family members a membership. I thought that was pretty cool. I've never heard of Weight Watchers doing anything like that before.

Monday I took a yoga class at my gym. I usually take a chair yoga class (which is for people who have never done yoga or have limitations or don't want to get up and down off the floor). A new spinning class started during the chair yoga class and I've been taking that. I was missing yoga so I decided to take a regular yoga class. Whew!! It kicked my butt!! I was sore for two days. But I liked it. I plan to take another one tomorrow. I feel so good after the class because of the breathing you do and the gentle stretching of your muscles. You really work up a sweat too. It's strenuous but not like any other workout I've done.

I am getting ready to watch American Idol. Tonight they start in Hollywood with the elimination process.

Not yet.............

I was to go to the doctor on Tuesday for my upper G.I. to determine if my dilated esophagus had healed. The doctors office called me on Monday afternoon to tell me he wouldn't be available on Tuesday and they changed my appointment to Thursday (today). So this morning I went for my upper G.I.. Sadly, the dilation was better but not enough for him to fill my band. He said I would be in the same shape within a few weeks as I was before if he filled it. Now, I have to wait another 3 months. I am so frustrated. I asked him if I had caused this to happen by something I was doing. He said no, it was caused by my band being too tight for too long. I feel as though the last two years have been a total waste of my time with this band. I haven't lost that much weight in the two years due to this particular problem.

The original surgeon I had wasn't knowledgeable enough to take care of my problem (which I believe he caused). First, I think he should have placed a larger band than he did. I have a 4cc band. That doesn't allow much room to adjust. The most my band has had in it is 2.25cc and that was fine for about 6 months until I became so tight I vomited and then it swelled shut and I could barely drink for over a week until I got home from a vacation out of state and he unfilled me and sent me for an upper G.I. He decided to leave me unfilled a couple of weeks and then proceeded to fill me again, rapidly but now I had acid reflux and heartburn and would choke in my sleep. When I went bad to him he shrugged his shoulders and said he didn't know what was causing my problem. He implied that I just wasn't compatible with the band. Then he left the practice and moved to another town. For a few months we had no doctor on staff. A doctor from another town came in once a week and did fills and such. When I saw her she immediately removed my fill and sent me to a gastroenterologist for a scope test. So I was unfilled again. It took me three months to get my appointment. In the meantime, we got our new doctor at the bariatric center and I went back to him after the gastro doctor found no problem such as a slippage or something else. Our current surgeon is a lapband patient himself. When he filled me he wouldn't put as much as I originally had and I only had 2cc in my band. I went this way for about 8 months. I wasn't losing weight after a few months. I kept feeling no restriction plus I had killer acid reflux. I took Prilosec in the morning and at night and still had the reflux and heartburn when I drank water or any kind of drink with citrus in it. Plus, I had to sleep sitting up. I propped pillows behind me so I was almost upright and basically slept on my back.

When I went for my fill last October, my husband wanted me to tell the doctor about my sleeping situation. So, I did. If I laid down flat on the bed I had fluid or food come up into my mouth. I probably should have gone back to the doctor months before and told him what I was experiencing but I guess I was afraid that he would also say that I wasn't compatible with the band.

Now, he is saying if it isn't back to normal after another three months he may have to remove the band. I am so upset by this that I don't know what to do. I feel like a failure. Only I lost 97 pounds in my first year. I feel like now I am going to have to start counting calories again and dieting again after years of failing at that too. I pray that things go well now and I won't have to have my band removed. I am going to start really watching what I eat and continuing my exercise so at least I won't gain any more weight. Am I a failure, or did the doctors fail me? I don't know.

I apologize for going on about this but I want this documented in my blog so I can look back later and have it as my diary. Thank you all for your kind comments since I began this blog.

I am going to the church tonight with my quilt top. I am ready to place the batting and backing with it and quilting it. I am proud to have completed my first quilt top for the Squares of Hope at church.

Catching up...........

We cut our trip a little short only because we missed being at home. Can you imagine? We visited siblings and had great fun with them. Then stopped in Las Vegas on our way back home to meet with some friends from home who were there for the week. We shared dinner and the evening with them. Bob wasn't happy in Las Vegas. It has gotten so overgrown in recent years that the traffic is horrendous and almost every corner has a traffic signal which takes approximately 5 minutes to change. So, you need to plan ahead to get through town or you'll be late for whatever you have planned.



I think he was tired and maybe not feeling too well. I wasn't happy about heading for home but I went along with it for his sake. All in all we did have a good time. Getting home of course is the worst. It means unloading everything from the RV and fortunately the weather here has been wonderful since we've been home. Like spring weather. We've had no rain and sunshine every day. It took me two days to do all the laundry even though I did laundry on the trip. But I washed everything including a couple of quilts we took and rugs.

Now to get back to finishing unfinished quilting projects. I took some with me in the RV but never once touched them on our trip. We didn't have much idle time so it didn't happen. I am ready to sew the blocks together for a rail fence quilt top to be donated to the "Squares of Hope" at church. It will be tied and prayed over and then given to someone who is ill or grieving. It will be my first quilt to be donated to that group. Our group meets on Thursday night so I hope to be able to take it with me this week.

Also, I am back to my gym workouts and that feels good. Tomorrow, I have my appointment with my surgeon to see if my dilated esophagus has healed. They will do another barium swallow (or whatever they use nowadays) to determine this. Hopefully, things are healed so I can get a small fill.

Have a wonderful week everyone.

Wednesday plans

My cellphone says it's 37 degrees at home. Here it is warmer and getting even warmer as the morning progresses because the sun is shining. Yes, it was so nice yesterday and again today is to be sunny and even warmer. It got up to about 59 degrees yesterday, which to some people is cold. To use it is wonderful. We are really enjoying visiting our family. We've done a little shopping and lots of laughing. Today I am going to do a bit of laundry and show my SIL how to make the pillowcases I made. She found some really cute fabric at Walmart the other day when we were there. The Walmart here has a much nicer fabric department than our Walmart does. It should be a fun day. I don't know what my hubby is going to do though. Her hubby has golfing planned. I am sure Bob will find plenty to do. In fact his sister has a list of things she needs him to do. Her hubby isn't very handy around the house. She usually does most of the things but some she can't handle so Bob does them when he is in town. Yesterday she went to the doctor and he gave her the okay to start walking again. She is a little afraid of letting go and walking after 6 weeks of sitting down. So she is using a walker. I am hoping she will only need it for a day or two.

On Friday we are going south and meeting up with one of my brothers and his wife for a couple of days. They are full time rv'ers and he works in an RV park. He is working both days so we'll go shopping or maybe just relax in our RV until he gets off and then catch up with him. Back in September my other two brothers and their wives came to our house for a week and we had a great time reminiscing and laughing and just being together. This brother, my youngest, wasn't able to make it due to his job so I am looking forward to seeing him. It's been two years since we've seen each other.

I walked yesterday morning in the sunshine and it felt so good. I am not sure how far I walked but I walked at a pretty good pace and went around a huge block. It took me 30 minutes. I am going to walk again in a little while.

Monday, Monday

Well, it's the first Monday of 2011. The holidays are all behind us and our futures look bright. Happy New Year to you all. I appreciate all the nice comments you have made on my blog. I feel like I have lots of friends I can share with and confide in on here. So it's back to getting fit for me and no more empty calories. Fortunately, I have still been getting my workouts in.

A couple of days after Christmas we loaded up our motorhome and our cat and dog and headed south. We are going to visit family we haven't seen in a while. Since we left home 7 days ago we've only seen one day of sunshine. In fact the weather has been nicer at home than in "sunny" California. We are in San Luis Obispo now visiting SIL and BIL. It's just starting to get light in the sky and from what I can see there aren't any clouds. Yippee!! We spent New Years Day with the family and had a nice time. Yesterday we did a little shopping and went to a Thai restaurant near here. It was very good. I had a chicken and veggie stir-fry and boy was that yummy. This morning I am going to the YMCA here to get in my workout. I haven't worked out since the day after we left home because it's been raining and I didn't want to go walking in the rain.
Chloe, our pooch has been limping for a few days on her front right leg. From time to time she injures it jumping down off furniture and I didn't bring her medicine (an anti-inflammatory) so the poor thing is just feeling awful. I may take her to a vet today if she doesn't show signs of improvement.
I don't know what is on our agenda for today but whatever it is I think the sun will be shining. That is a good thing. I heard on the news last night that it snowed in Southern California in places that never get snow. Lots of school closures so the kids will be loving it. Especially since today was the first day back to school after the Christmas break.
I have been watching what I eat and am feeling much better than I did in my last post. Hubby and I celebrated our wedding anniversary last week while on the road and we went to dinner and I had a pistachio crusted salmon dish. Oh, that was so good.
I brought my little Singer Featherweight sewing machine and some quilting projects to work on while we are traveling. So far I haven't taken them out though. Well, I am going to dress and go to the Y now. Have a good day all.