10 Years Ago...

I know I was supposed to report on my weigh in, but interestingly enough, I didn't weigh in on Saturday... couldn't get up on time.  I did weigh myself, and I'll tell you, it wasn't good.  BUT, this week I have been ON FIRE with my eating and workouts.  From Saturday morning to now, I've lost 4 pounds. Go figure.  When I'm on it, I'm on it.

But that's not really what I want to talk about in this post.  The title of the post is "10 Years Ago..."

Ten Years Ago at this very time, I was recovering from major surgery.  MAJOR surgery... on August 3, 2001, I had my colon removed.  I've mentioned before that I had ulcerative colitis (technically, I still do have it.. more on that later.) Let me give you a little bit of background...

When I was in my last semester of law school (Spring 1996), I started losing weight.  I thought it was stress, not eating, exercising a lot.  I got downright skinny.  Of course, I was thrilled.  I graduated and moved back home to start my first "real job" at Hughes on July 22.  I went to work on that Monday & Tuesday... and I actually took a sick day on Wednesday (yes, my 3rd day on my real job!) I worked on Thursday & Friday... that Friday, July 26, 1996, just so happened to be my 25th birthday... the day I was conveniently booted off my parents' medical insurance.  I hadn't gotten around to picking my own plan, because I figured I had some time to figure it out.  That weekend, I was a wreck.  I remember my dad asking me, "Do you want me to take you to the ER?"  I said, "Yeeeeesssssss!"  He took me to Daniel Freeman Hospital (which is now closed)... I was admitted.... and I stayed there for about 7 or 8 weeks.  They figured out that I had ulcerative colitis, but they couldn't figure out how to fix it.  My main symptom was bloody stool (aka, blood in my poop.)  The first course of action is to give the patient prednisone, a steroid.  Not only was I on steroids, I couldn't eat.  ANYTHING.  Have you ever gone 8 weeks with no food? I was sometimes permitted to suck on ice chips, but every time they tried to upgrade me to broth or a creamy soup, my diseased colon couldn't take it.  So I'm in the hospital... on steroids, lipids, and your basic banana bag of nutrients all through a central line in my chest... and I'm GAINING WEIGHT! If I'm gonna gain weight, at least give me some pizza, bread, rice... something! I was miserable...

The short version of the 1996 hospital stay is that after a series of setbacks, blood transfusions, tears, and frustration, my sister, Dr. Kimberly Manning (aka The Grady Doctor) got on the phone and told our dad to raise hell until they sent me to UCLA.  She said the only way I'd get better was to move to a teaching hospital.  Well, our dad happens to be a professional hell raiser... he did it, and I was moved to UCLA.  Interesting side story is that I had eye surgery at UCLA as a toddler... I was STILL in the system at 25 years old... same patient number and everything. That's what I call record keeping! LOL!

I was at UCLA for about 8 days.  My new UCLA gastroenterologist, Dr. Kevin Horgan, put me on an experimental drug, it started working, and they sent me home.  I was taking about 24 pills a day, but I was home.

Over the next 5 years, I would randomly have flare ups with my colitis. Surgery was discussed here and there, but I had NO INTEREST whatsoever in letting someone open my belly & remove my colon. No way.  I was good popping pills.  However, in 2001, it got much worse... I'd spend a week in the hospital, two weeks back at work... a week in the hospital, a week at work... it got to the point where it was miserable for me.  I hated missing work.  I hated being sick.  I talked to my parents & my sister, and I decided it was time to meet with a surgeon to discuss my options.

Enter: Dr. Jonathan Sack.  One of the best surgeons in the business.  Highly recommended.  Basically, The Man.  We scheduled a consultation with him on a Friday afternoon. I think the appointment was around 2 or 3pm... I remember it was May or June, because the Lakers had a playoff game that day.  My parents and I went to UCLA Medical Center for our consultation with Dr. Sack... he was late.  In fact, he never showed up.  He got stuck in the hospital with a surgery emergency.  I was not happy.  My dad was downright pissed.  I think the combination of Dr. Sack not showing up & the fact that we would be on the 405 South at 5pm on a Friday was more than he could handle.  On the way home he told me there was no way in hell he'd let that guy perform my surgery. NO WAY.

The next morning, I'm at home.  It's Saturday... my phone rings.  It's Dr. Sack.  Not Dr. Sack's nurse.  Not someone from his office.  Him.  THEE Dr. Sack.  He apologized for missing our appointment.  He explained why he wasn't there.  He told me about the surgery & answered any questions I asked.  I knew right then and there that I wanted him to perform my surgery.  I called my dad & told him about the phone call.  Boy, was he impressed!  Dr. Sack was our guy!  We eventually had the face to face meeting (on June 25th -- I know, because I was writing in a journal at the time), and scheduled the surgery for August 3rd.

Me... on HEAVY steroids... preparing for my surgery... 30 and not a happy camper!

Between that time, I celebrated my 30th birthday... and my mom moved to Atlanta a couple of days later (with my blessing, of course! She did not want to leave before my surgery!)  Lord knows a girl needs her mommy in tough times, but she left me in good hands with Daddy & my T'Renee.

My journal entry for August 3rd at 12:30am:  "I'm nervous about the surgery, but I'm ready to get it over with and get to the next phase."

Right before my surgery, Dr. Sack told me: "I have to tell you... if I get in there & you don't have enough small intestine to make the pouch, when you wake up I'll tell you that your colostomy bag is permanent."  SAY WHAAAAAAAT??? Awww helllll naw! LOL! ..... Everything worked out fine. But I sure did hate that bag for the two months I had to wear it! I was allergic to the adhesive that kept the bag connected to my body over my stoma... it was not fun.  FYI, the stoma is the opening in my abdomen where my small intestine was dumping out my waste. I know... gross.  The weirdest part was that I didn't poop between the surgeries, because everything I ate came out in the bag.  Yes, it's as strange as you're imagining it right now.

I had the second surgery (the take-down) on October 5, 2001.  Other than a flare up here & there on the tiny bit of colon they left at my rectum or a bout of pouchitis, all has been well.  I am still susceptible to colon cancer, because I do have that little bit of colon left, but so far, so good! 

The surgery was the best decision I ever made.  It changed my life.  It changed the quality of my life.  Ten years later... I am happier & healthier than ever.

Me... 10 years later.... at 40!  Happy & Healthy!

Thanks for letting me reflect....

No Excuses.... (okay, maybe one or two...)

CLEARLY I haven't blogged in nearly two months... I could give you a rundown of excuses like... I was busy getting ready for my best friend's wedding... I have a new boyfriend.... or I was prepping for my big 40th birthday bash... but those would just be excuses.  The real reason is that I haven't gone to weigh in since the beginning of June, and I just didn't have any great (or bad) weight news to share....

But that will all change tomorrow morning when I go weigh in for the first time since June 4th... Yes, June 4th. I KNOW the scale will register an increase, and I'm mentally preparing myself for it.  I'm trying not to kick myself about the looming 14X number that will show up... I was so happy to get out of those darn 140's, but I am surely back there now.  Part of it is serious weight training the past couple of months & really hitting my workouts HARD at the Santa Monica Stairs & with my trainer.  My body has gotten smaller & I've gained some muscle mass.... and let's face it... part of it is drinking and eating good food the past two weeks in honor of my 40th birthday! LOL!  All I can do is start from where I am now and work my way down towards my goal of eventually weighing about 130.

I have the tools, and more importantly, I have the desire to do it... so I'll be back on track in no time!

I'll post more about my big party soon... in the meantime, here's a sneak peek:

I'll let you know how it goes at Weight Watchers tomorrow....

Toodles!

Roll With the Punches...

Haven't posted in a while.... life has been pretty crazy, but I'm hanging in there. I DID weigh in for the last two weeks, and here are my results:
May 28th: 139.2 (which was no gain/no loss)
June 4th: 138.6 (down .6)
Not great, but it's better than a gain. Yes, I have been a bit lax on my eating habits, but luckily I have kept up with my workout regimen. Right now I'm pretty steady on 3 days with Claudine, 3 days on my own, and one day to rest.

I've set a goal for myself to get steady under 135 by the end of the month. After that, I will probably try to get to 130 by my 40th birthday. That would be awesome. We'll see how it goes. I don't want to do any kind of crash, high protein/no carb diet just to get to where I want to be.... but I do need to make a few changes in terms of my snacking. I am a cracker/chips snacker... so as long as I keep that stuff out of my house I'll be fine. I have a pair of bright blue skinny jeans that I want to wear to my birthday party... they fit, but I want virtually no muffin top... So I'm working on it!

I'm actually kinda proud of myself for not gaining weight this past month. I've had some intense changes happen in my life that would have totally stressed me out 4-5 years ago. I'm in a better place now in my life to deal with the changes, and I realize everything happens for a reason & in it's own time. I got hit with a whammy, but God had already put some things/people in place to help me absorb the blows. He's pretty good about that kinda stuff! :-)

Have a great Tuesday & I'll post again soon!

Toodles!

Fat & Happy??? Try FIT & HAPPY!

Riddle:  Who has two thumbs and didn't weigh in again this Saturday morning??? 
Answer: This girl right here! LOL!

Okay, in my defense, I have had a VERY good reason to not weigh in... I am in a new relationship, and I have been spending the past few weekends with my guy.  Which is actually a good topic for this blog post!  I honestly didn't know what I was going to write about this morning, but weight gain during relationships sounds like a good idea.

We all know people who start dating or get married... and slowly start gaining weight, right?  They're looking at their wedding pictures 2 years later thinking, "What happened to that couple???" It happens.  Wives cook for their husbands... they're all in love... they both have the wife/husband they wanted, so they get lazy. The weight creeps on.  It happens!

I like to work out... obviously.  I am all about getting/staying fit & healthy.  Man or no man, this is all about ME. As I've really gotten into health & fitness I knew that I would not be able to date a man who wasn't interested in his health.  Okay, he doesn't have to be a crazy 5-6 day a week workout fiend, but he has to do SOMETHING.  One: no guy who isn't into keeping in shape will ever understand me.  We would clash.  I'd end up saying some off-handed remark about him being lazy & the relationship would end. Two: people who want to eat all the time & not workout are not the kind of people I like to hang with.  I can't date someone where every date revolves around food.  That's how new couples gain weight together.

Early on, The Guy (as I'll refer to him) and I established that we both like fitness & care about how we look physically.  Maybe it's kinda vain, but it works for us.  When we were "set up" by a mutual friend, one of the selling points she gave me was that he had an "athletic build"... I read that as, "he has a nice body." LOL!  Once we started talking, we immediately clicked on the health & fitness thing.  One thing about him is that he's from Louisiana & he likes to cook.  Oh boy, can he cook! So we do have some meals here and there that I would not normally eat, but that's the exception rather than the rule. His job keeps him in great shape & I have no complaints.  He loves that I work out a lot.  He even trained me through a session once... and it was INTENSE! No joke.  I didn't want to get all sweaty and busted-looking around him, but he didn't mind. LOL.   We have a joke between us that if either one gains a lot of weight (for no medical reason) then the other can leave the relationship with no argument.  I say it's a joke, but I kinda think we both are serious about it.  I know... it's a mess, but it keeps us on our toes.

Our motto:  "Fat & Happy??? Hell no! FIT & HAPPY!"

Here are a few shots from my 4 mile walk/jog when I was visiting The Guy recently...

The weather was PERFECT!

Crossing the bridge at sunset...

A little bunny I met at the park...

Oh, one more thing... Friday night, two friends (Claudine & Nicole) threw a "Bootcamp & Martinis" party. We all met at Nicole's house... Claudine led us in a workout... and we went over to a steep street nearby (Valley Ridge) and climbed it 3 times.  After the workout, we went back to Nicole's house & had healthy salads, veggies & low cal cocktails.  It was SO MUCH FUN!!!

Our "Bootcamp & Martinis" group! Go Girls!

Three Weeks Off...

I didn't weigh in for 3 weeks!!! But when I weighed in yesterday, I had lost a pound.  For 3 weeks, that's not really super good, but it's better than gaining, that's for sure.

Nothing monumental to report... This has been a tough week for me, but things are looking better. I'm getting back on track & excited about the next couple of months!  I'm planning a party at the house for my 40th birthday... nothing too crazy, but with my friends and maybe some of my family (if they can swing it).

Here I am.... 80 days before my 40th birthday...

Toodles!

Hoppin' Down the Bunny Trail...

TFP = Team Fanny Pack!

Quick update:

I didn't weigh in on Saturday morning, because I couldn't make it at 7am...  weighed myself at home & things are looking good.  But I did NOT have good eating days Monday & Tuesday (today), so I'm going to have to be extra diligent for the rest of the week.  I'm working out, so I'm not going to worry much about it.

On Easter Sunday, Pop Dukes & I walked 10 miles on The Strand... it was a lot of fun... here are a few pictures:

Daddy, before our walk...

Me, before the walk... and with a tractor.

5 mile mark... Daddy takes a bathroom break...

Me, happy because the 5 miles back is
always easier than the first 5 miles...

Sharing space with the bike riders... we didn't run into
any rude ones today (sometimes they don't like to share the road...)

I love my Ray-Ban Aviators...

We hit some drizzle, but it didn't rain...

All done! Team Fanny Pack! I went with the Asics,
and Pop went with the Nikes...

Dad wore his Village Vets gear!

Hope you had a great Easter/Passover!

Talk to you soon!

Toodles!

100 Days...

I'll admit... I'm not the best blogger in the world.  Sometimes I really don't have anything to say.  So I don't! LOL. Today, I do have something to say... and I'm gonna say it!

In 100 days, Tony & Cheryl's 'baby daughter' will be 40 years old.  I suppose that day, July 26th, will be just as much a rite of passage for them as it will be for me.  After all, I am pretty much a miracle baby (which I might blog about at some point), so the fact that I'm here, thriving 40 years later is a pretty awesome thing.

JoLai the Preemie, 1 month, 3 days old. (8/29/71)

I could write a whole blog just about my parents.  How much I love them... how much I need them... how much they have done for me & my siblings... how they are the best parents in the world...

Everything I have done for the past 39 years, 265 days have been ultimately to make Tony & Cheryl proud... to not embarrass them... to be as good of a daughter to them as they have been parents to me. Obviously, I'm not perfect... I've made plenty of mistakes & bad decisions... but for the most part, I think I've done a pretty good job.  I've always had an inner voice asking, "What would Mommy & Daddy think if they knew you did this?"  And that voice has kept me from doing a lot of stupid stuff. LOL! It's the truth!

My Hero & Shero: Tony & Cheryl

100 days from my 40th birthday, I'm in the best physical, mental & emotional shape that I have been in in 15 years.  Easily.  I'm healthy (for the most part)... I'm happy... really, REALLY happy!  I have 3 amazing siblings... 6 nieces & nephews... wonderful friends... a great job... no complaints.  I have lived the last 39 years, 265 days wanting for nothing -- thanks to Tony & Cheryl -- and I feel blessed for it!  When I say "wanting for nothing", I don't mean I got everything I wanted.  But in terms of necessities & general comforts? The Draper Kids were good to go! I never called us "spoiled"... I think we worked hard & were rewarded for doing what our parents asked & expected of us.

The Draper Kids then...

The Draper Kids now...

Finally, the good stuff... I weighed in yesterday, and I somehow managed to lose 2.4 more pounds.  Amazing, because I ate rice last week (which is my favorite food in the whole wide world).  This weigh in was significant, because I am now at 140.2 pounds.  When I stopped going to Weight Watchers in 2008, I was at 140.6:

2008...

Yesterday... Yep, down 11.6 lbs total since March 6th!

I'm below my last weigh-in weight, so that is very motivating for me!  Another reason why this weigh-in is significant is because I'm about to move into the 130s... and I don't plan to see the 140s EVER AGAIN. Adios, 140s!!!

Me... 100 days until I turn 40!

100 days and counting... Toodles!