pain in the.......ear?

So yesterday when I was writing my post a mentioned in it a little something about my ear hurting. I thought today I would talk about that some more!


I have been having ear pain. Only in one ear mainly. My left ear.


I need to go back and tell you a little bit about my ear troubles before weight loss surgery.


I have had ear pain different times in my life. I have TMJ, self diagnosed but I know I have it! When I get stressed out, or my TMJ starts hurting really bad I get ear pain. Normally in my left ear only. I usually only have like maybe 4 or 5 spells of this a year. It always seems to hit when I am like stressed out to the max in my life, or when I am super worried and stressed over something that is going on in my life.


Before surgery I had severe acid reflux. Really really bad. The way I got diagnosed with acid reflux was kinda weird. I went to the Dr. because my throat felt really strained, my jaw hurt, and I was having left ear pain. She took one look in my throat and said you have acid reflux. I have been on medicine every since. When I am irresponsible with taking my medicine it will flare back up. Usually the same symptoms...ear pain, jaw tightness, and strained throat. When I start taking my medicine again it goes away.


So, guess what? I have been having ear pain again! In my left ear. When I went in to get my fill I told my my "nurse important lady" that I was having ear pain and thought it was from acid reflux. Probably shouldn't have said anything because then she went on this whole rant about how I shouldn't be having any acid reflux with the band and if I was that typically means my band is to tight. :( Not good, since I didn't have any cc's in the band. She went ahead and gave me a fill but told me to watch it.


I have been trying to pay real close attention to my ear vibes since the fill :) All seems to be fine except this one thing. It seems that when I over eat it makes my EAR hurt????? I am being serious! Has anyone ever had this problem? The "nurse important lady" told me that I may have a nerve or something that is real sensitive in my ear! I think that is so funny!


Gotta get busy at work!


Does anyone else have a sensitive ear? :)

planet mary overload!

Are ya'll ready for this?


I haven't blogged in what may seem like an eternity ;)


life. It just takes up so much time these days!


I am going to do this in bullets and just type till I have nothing left in this little mind!


enjoy.


weight loose.


I am down 33 lbs. Well technically 32 lbs this am, but I did see an all time low of 33 lbs Sunday morning. Why does the scale do this to us? It really is cruel! Of course I immediately get on the phone call my momma, my sister, my grad parents, wake my husband up shouting the news that I now officially weigh less than him, run to church and just about greet everyone at the door with my new weight loss number....to wake up the next day and the scale say, just joking you really have only lost 31 lbs. Since then I have at least managed to get the scale to read 32 lbs down. It only takes a minor adjustment of tilting the scale diagonally to the wall and weighing on it while standing sideways ;) Don't ask! I figure it this way, when I weighed 310 lbs no matter how I stood on the scale it would have never flashed 277 lbs. So, even if I have to stand on it sideways, I'll still claim it ;)


first fill.


hmmmmmm......what comes to mind when I think about my first fill that I just got on the 4th? Oh, I know!!!! Wow, that really hurt! I think I was so worried about the surgery part of this process that I didn't even listen, or maybe no one told me, how bad this little fill would hurt. I was not expecting it at all!!!! I was really in shock! Here is how it went, just in case there is anybody out there just doing research or waiting to be approved! They made me lay on a table and pull my dress up. They came in with a little sonar machine and found my port. It was taking a little long, at least in my mind it was, so I said, "It is in there, right?" The nurse kind of laughed and said, "Yes, it is. It is right here." She marked it with a pen. She left. I was thinking ok cool. Not too bad so far. Then came in another lady. The lady who assisted in my surgery. Not sure what her title is but, I know she is important. She came in and asked me some questions. Nothing major.....can you eat chicken, can you eat fish, can you eat this and that, how much can you eat, how often do you stay full? All of those kinds of questions. Next thing I know she says she is ready to give me the fill, lie back down. And then BAM. No warning, no numbing, BAM. She like literally jabbed me with the biggest needle I have ever seen in my life. She had no mercy. She hit the port first try. I just want to go on record saying this, "fills hurt." Don't let anyone lie to you and tell you they don't! They are manageable, but it is pain! She then tells me to sit up. I say, "like right now, with the needle in me?" Yes, ladies that is exactly what she meant. So I sit up. She says I need to drink water. I should also point out at this point I still have my eyes closed and have not opened them yet!!! While trying to get the water from her, with my eyes closed, I spilt the water on me and her :) I finally drink and everything feels fine! I eventually opened my eyes ;) I layed back down and she took the massive needle out of my stomach! sigh. I ended up with 4cc's. Not too shabby for a first fill. They normally give 5 cc's, but since I had lost a good amount of weight and was having ear trouble (a different post for a different day) 4 cc's was all I got.


clothes.


Clothes these days are a funny subject. Nothing seems to fit right. My 24's are officially baggy, but not out of control too big yet. I have 1 pair of 22 jeans. They fit now :) But, I also feel like maybe they are a pinch too tight. It might just be me? Maybe I am used to my clothes being a bit to big now? I am also having a hard time in telling what size I really am in. All my clothes are really old. Like the 22 jeans I have, they are at least I know 4 years old. So clothes = craziness.


progress pics.


I have got to get some updated pics on here! Ya'll haven't seen me since surgery, that was 30 lbs ago! Promise to make that happen soon!


Kim @ Good Bye Fatty McButter Pants


She is so sweet! Are all of ya'll following her too? Her birthday was yesterday! Happy late birthday Kim! I got to catch up with her the day I got my fill. She came and picked me up at the hospital and we went to lunch and did a little shopping! Awesome time. We are meeting up again this weekend! Maybe I can get some pics that day! We are going to the Alabama Football game this weekend together. It will be a great day for some photos because I have some pics of me last year at an Alabama Football game! Yay!


O.K. I think that about covers all the basics! Really my mind is just like blah and I can't think anymore!


:)

goals?

Good Morning!

I am so enjoying reading everyone's post about BOOB'S! It kinda makes me sad that I wasn't able to participate....but, there is always next time! Seriously it looks like ya'll had a blast! I am slightly jealous!!!!!!! Ok, maybe really jealous!

I have been thinking a lot about goals lately. As of right now I really have no goals. Ever pound is a celebration, and seriously ever pound I loose is like a shock because I never really thought I could weigh....THAT! Has anyone else ever been there? Today I am down a solod 28 lbs. almost 29 lbs. I was banded August 12th......so not too shabby! I weigh 282 lbs. My husband weighs 281 lbs. I can not remember the last time I weighed less than my 6 ft 3 in husband. Well, actually I do, the day we married and then maybe the next 2 months after that :) I am happy.

Oh, today I am wearing a really cute blazer that was sent to me from the sweet Amy @ Babbles of a Bandster. It is a size 22. Guess what.....it is baggy. Not so baggy I can't wear it. Baggy like it looks cute and it doesn't look like I had to shove my upper arms into the jacket and suck in to get it to fit! Ahhhhh........the pros if a band ;) Life is good! Thank God for Amy becuase without her I would really have NO clothes right now! So, thank you Amy! I just looked at your blog and your pictures.....there are no words. What an acomplishment!


I got the sweetest message on facebook from Jenny @ Embracing a New Path. Thanks Jenny! It let me know ya'll were thinking about me at BOOB'S!!! ;) It was really nice to coe into work this am and see that message! So, Thanks again!


This weekend went by supper fast! As usual! I really did not make the best eating choices this weekend though! I have bunkered down and I promise I will eat like a perfect little banded girl all week! My first fill was suppose to be scheduled for today, but I had to reschedule......I know totally sucks! My sister's soriety step show is tonight and I had promised her I wouldn't miss it.....So now I have to wait till next Monday. It is ok though, I'll manage.


Now, back to the main point of this post ;) Goals. I would really like to be at 50 lbs. down by Christmas. I guess that could be my first goal! Well, really my first goal was actually like 30 lbs. down, which would be like 10% of my body weight. So I have almost reached that goal! Yay. I think I can do 50 lbs. down by Christmas. That would put me at 260 lbs. and maybe a size 22 jeans?????? That ladies is a whole seperate post ;)


Love ya'll!

award frenzie.

Thank you Christine @ Phonenix Revolution!

1. Answer the question, “If you had one chance to go back and change one thing in your life, would you and what would it be?

I like this question. I don't think I would change anything. I have done a lot, I mean a lot of stupid things in my past. I do wish that I wouldn't have done those things, but I would never change it. I believe that everything we do in life shapes us into the person we now are. My past has shaped my personality, how I view things in life, how I address certain issues, how I give advice, and most of all how I live my life now. I thank God that he protected me during all my wild and crazy days, but I am most thankful that He opened my eyes and allowed me to see what I needed to change. Without that I wouldn't be the Mary that I am today!

2. Pass on to six people and inform them of the award.

YOU!!!! If you haven't received this award yet, YOU deserve it! Take it, it's YOURS!

Thank you Beth @ I'm Ready to Become the Woman I Want to be for the Rest of My Life & Stephanie @ A New Me!

1. List 10 things you like.

Jesus, Anthony, the movie The Holiday, Family, skinny jeans, boots in the winter, scarfs, my niece Praislyn, my marriage, my weight loss, my life :)

2. Award it to other people!

YOU!!!! If you haven't received this award yet, YOU deserve it! Take it, it's YOURS!

who is in charge of these sizes?

Geez! Who is in charge if sizes these days?

I have great news! After I got on my blog and complained that I wasn't loosing weight anymore....I had a 2 lb. drop! Yay! My new total is official 27 lbs. I am so satisfied with that! I feel great!

Even though I have lost nearly 30 lbs. I am still wearing the same clothes that I wore on any given day when I weighed 310 lbs. :( Am I EVER going to go down in a size? I feel like my clothes fit me fine. My faithful skinny jeans are a little loose...I have to pull them up every time I get up! A lot of butt crack going on these days! But really, in all honesty, my clothes fit fine. It is hard for me to imagine how I squeezed in these clothes when I did weigh 310 lbs. Goodness, now that I think about it, they must have been really tight! ;) Oooopppsss!

Anyway, since I have been thinking about sizes lately I thought I would share this.

I pretty much associate everything in my life with what I had on that day / how much I weighed that day / what size my clothes were that day. Does anyone else do that? Like the day I got married I weighed 230 lbs. My wedding dress was a size 22 that had to be altered down because I lost a little bit of weight before my wedding day! The day my sister got married I weighed 260 lbs. I wore a size 22. The day I meet Anthony I weighed 160 lbs. I wore a size 12 / 14. The day I graduated from high school I weighed 163 lbs. I remember I shopped at Abercrombie and Fitch for my senior trip I bought all sizes 12 / 14's. On our, Ant and I, first year anniversary , cruise to Mexico, I weighed 290 lbs. I wore probably a 22. When we got married, at 230 lbs, I wore a size 20.

Sizes are just so weird. It seems like they are never the same. Like, the last time I weighed 283 lbs. it seems like a size 22 fit with no problems. Today at 283 lbs. - they are a tight fit! Craziness I tell you!

Which brings me to the point that I don't think I really wore a size 24 at 310 lbs. before I had surgery. I think I could squeeze into a size 24 (STRETCH) from Old Navy, but I don't think I actually wore a true size 24. I think I probably wore a 26 or maybe even a 28!

I really hate this vanity sizing thing! It just messes up everything for someone loosing weight, but for someone gaining weight it makes a lot of sense!

decades.

It feels like it has been a decades ince I have written a post. I am sorry! Life just gets in the way sometimes!

I am in band HELL. Ya'll know what I am talking about!!!! Seriously.

I had my surgery August 12. I have had no fill, my first one is scheduled for September 27. I have lost 25lbs. so far. I don't think that is something to shout about :( The scale has not moved in over a week. I am starting to have some....am I doing this right thoughts. I try so hard. I feel like I am eating to much. I have never had a "stress / PB" episode or anything like that. I try to never eat more than 1 cup / 8 oz (by volume) per meal. I just feel like I am eating too much! I really do not want to mess this up! I am just HUNGRY. Bottom line!

Ladies......am I doing this right? I just don't want to fail at this!!!!!!!!

Send me encouragement! I need it! ;)

Catch up ;)

Hi guys!!!!


I am so sorry I haven't been blogging as much lately. I have been swamped at work!!! Our receptionist is on maternity leave and since I am the next in line I have been doing my job and hers as well! Oh, I don't think I have ever mentioned what I do for a living???? I work for a non-profit organization funded by United Way called Early Intervention. Anyone ever heard of it? It is a state mandated program that is available everywhere. I work for the the one that services the county I live in! We provide case management services, occupational therapy, speech therapy, physical therapy, and family training services free to families with children 0-3 in age that have some sort of disability or developmental delay. I am the office coordinator (glorified Secretary) and do all the medical billing for our program. So basically I bill medical claims all day!!!!! :) Anyway.....that was way off subject!!!


What has been going on in the life of Mary???


The scale finally moved!!!! Yay!!!!! I seriously have been grinning from ear to ear! I am down 23 lbs! I know that isn't a lot compared to some other peoples loses, but I am ecstatic!!! It really just seems unreal......Have I really done this????? 23 lbs gone! FOREVER!!! :)


What's changed since the loss? Well, I fit in the bath tub better. I never really realized it was a tight squeeze before......it is way more roomy now!!! I painted my toenails last night. I have always been able to do this, but it was easier. I didn't realize it was hard before, but now since my 23 lb weight loss I have noticed it is easier!!!! I have not gone down any sizes in clothes! But, I have come to the realization that I was more likely a size 26 before my surgery. I always said I was a 24. I don't think so anymore! I think my mind just couldn't except a 26!!! I feel better also!


I am able to eat protein now, which is what I contribute my extra weight loss to!!!! I love some meat!!!!!


I have not been able to read very many blogs lately....but it's not because I don't want to, I just don't have the time!


Know I still love ya'll! Know I am proud of you!!!!!!