The doctor said no :(

I wasn't able to get my fill today and this is why...

First of all my appointment was at 8:30 this morning and I am NOT a morning person! I can stay up all night long but waking up at 6:30 almost kills me. Anyways, so I get to the doctor at like 8:15 and wait and wait and wait some more. Finally I pay my co-pay and they call me back at like 9:15. I got up on that dreaded scale which I had been dreading for days because I knew I had gained weight since my last visit 3 months ago. Not just 1 pound, not just 2 pounds....try 7 pounds! Holy smokes! A feeling of embarrassment and motivation came over me all at the same time. But the nurse was sweet and told me some people come back months later and weigh more than they did before their surgery. I think she was trying to make me feel better....and it worked.

So because I am not ashamed...I will tell you what the scale said. Wait for it.....wait for it.....228 pounds. My last visit I was 221 which was three months ago. I know my eating has been out of control and I havent been exercising much so what do I expect?! Although it is my time of the month and I tend to gain a little...so maybe that accounts for a few pounds. Maybe. Hopefully.

So the nurse practitioner comes in and looks at my chart and asks me how things are going and why I have managed to gain. I told her honestly it was because I had been eating the wrong foods. I havent been snacking and I havent been eating late. But the foods I choose to eat, I eat too much of at one sitting. Anyways...she is getting the saline ready to give me the fill and this conversation takes place...

Nurse: "So what all do you have planned this week? Anything fun?"

Me: "Oh yeah! Im actually going on a cruise tomorrow to Alaska!"

Nurse pauses...looks at me...and puts the needle down.

Nurse: "Oh no! Then we cant do the fill today"

Me: "Really? Why not" (As I try to hold back the tears because I NEEDED this fill)

Nurse: "Because it is just too risky with you about to leave the country. It is actually against our policy and they wont allow me to do the fill with you about to go on vacation. We have had too many people get fills and then leave town and something happens and they have no way to get it fixed."

Me (still trying not to tear up) "Ok. I really need this fill but I trust your judgment and if I need to wait I can."

Nurse: "We actually had a lady that had a fill, then left the next day for Hawaii. She had terrible complications and it was too tight. She couldnt find a doctor anywhere in Hawaii that knew enough about the lapband and they had to fly her home to Birmingham. So Im sorry sweetie...its just too risky. Just have a good time on your cruise. Try to be good and dont overeat and we will do the fill the day you get back. Plus you dont want it to be so tight on your cruise you dont enjoy the food."



So that was that. I was definitely torn about the whole situation. If I didnt open my mouth about the cruise, I would have been able to get the fill. But then again, what if something would have happened and I was stuck in Alaska for two weeks and not back to do anything about it. So I made an appointment for the day after I get back from our trip and that is also the day my mom has her first fill! So in the end, I guess it worked out for the best.

In other news, I am about to start packing for the trip!! We leave bright and early at 6 in the morning!! I havent even started packing and Burch and I are going to a friends house tonight for dinner and a movie! So I better get started! I somehow managed to spent $140 at Target this morning getting "last minute things" for the trip but I think I went a little overboard. Ha. Typical.

Our ship

Beautiful Alaskan sunset

Anyways, if I dont have a chance to get back on before we leave tomorrow...everyone have a FABULOUS next two weeks! Be safe! Pray for our safety :) I would greatly appreciate it! I will bring yall back pictures and pictures and more pictures....of course! Have a great Wednesday!

And always remember...you are TOO precious to let anyone or anything ruin your day!

I have missed you ALL!

Friends! Oh my goodness...have I really not posted a blog since June 15th?! What a terrible blogger I am! Well I have missed you all! I hate I havent had the time to post anything and I havent been able to read as many of your blogs as I have wanted to. I wish I had like 3 solid hours with nothing to do so I could catch up on everyone's blogs...but seems like free time is hard to come by for me these days. You know how it is...work, the boyfriend, the family, the friends...keeps me busy :)

So what exciting is going on in my life?

Well my family is leaving to go on our cruise to Alaska THURSDAY!! This Thursday!! We have been planning this trip for months and months and it is finally here! Thursday we are flying bright and early from Birmingham to Minneapolis. In Minneapolis we have a 4 hour layover and then we fly to Fairbanks, Alaska. We are doing what is called a cruisetour. This means are doing a 5-day tour of Alaska on land and going from city to city by train. Then we get on the cruise ship on day 5 in Whittier and cruise for the next 7 days on the water. The cruise is 12 nights and we end up in Vancouver. We are staying an extra day in Vancouver and then flying back home to sweet home Alabama :)

I know I asked yall a few months ago...but have any of you been on this cruise or been to Alaska? We are cruising with Princess Cruises. I have done Carnival and Royal Carribean but havent cruised with Princess before. I am super duper excited about the whole thing! And yall know me...there will be plenty of pictures to show when I return!

Secondly...

I am going for a fill Wednesday morning because I need one baddddd! My eating habits havent been the best lately and I feel like been letting myself slack off. I havent managed to gain weight in the past month but I havent lost any either. I would lose a couple of pounds...then gain it back. Over fourth of July weekend I actually gained a couple of pounds but then lost it a few days later. All this to say I am in desperate need of a fill. Why right before my cruise you ask? Because I am afraid I will eat and eat and eat on the cruise and gain 10, 15, 20 pounds! Those of you who have been on a cruise and can attest to how much food there is knows exactly what I mean! I am hoping this fill gives me a little restriction...enough to let me enjoy the food but not overeat :)

Thirdly...

All of you going to Chicago, have you bought your tickets yet?! I havent and I am thinking I should get on the ball. I keep putting it off thinking since we are going in the fall, it is like months and months away. But its only like TWO months ago and I need to get my plane ticket! Kim...we need to figure it out so we can get the same flight girlfriend :) Does anyone know the final count of how many people are going? It is going to be so much fun to meet you girls in person! I cant wait!!

Lastly...here are a few pictures from the last few weeks!

















Well that's all for now :) Have a fabulous Tuesday!! And remember...you're too precious to let anyone or anything ruin it!!

My life in the past month...along with a documentary of pictures!!

***Warning: Long post ahead with lots of pictures***

Hey friends! Are yall still there?! I figured since it has been almost a freaking MONTH since my last post, I needed to do a little update. Life has been non-stop busy busy busy for me this past month (but it has been a good busy) and I honestly dont even know where to start :)


Right after my last post back in May we had a lot going on with my brother's graduation. He graduated from high school on May 27th and even though we didnt think we would ever see the light at the end of the tunnel, we are so proud of him! His graduation was like 3 days of nonstop parties and I was the right hand woman to my mom who planned them all. Cue pomp and circumstance....here are some pictures of the festivities:

















Soon after all the graduation parties were over, we got a new puppy!! It was an early Fathers Day present for my dad :) We used to have a siberian husky for 13 years and had to put her to sleep in 2004. So my dad had always wanted another siberian husky. So I researched for days and days and finally found the perfect one! We went to see him and fell in love immediately! The siberian husky we used to have was a girl and her name was Nala because when we got her I was like 6 years old and loved the Lion King so I wanted to name her Nala. So when thinking of a name for the new dog we decided on Simba because he is a boy! Cute, huh? Anyways, we love him like crazy and he is so much fun and full of energy! Here are some pictures of Simba:











The day after we got Simba, Burch and I went to Dallas for Memorial Day weekend! We went for four days and had a great time. He hadn't seen his family since the end of December so it was time of us to go back and visit. Like always we stayed busy while we were there....cookouts, swimming, shopping...the usual. I didnt take many pictures while I was there but here are a few:







And only a few short days after we got back from Dallas, my mom WAS BANDED!! On June 8th, last Tuesday, she had lap band surgery! Ever since I had surgery, she had been wanting it. She put her mind to it, went to all the doctor appointments, got all her paperwork together and scheduled surgery. The process went by a lot faster for her than it did for me. But she is doing great. As of yesterday, she has lost about 11 pounds since surgery and she goes today for her one week checkup and to get the staples out. She has been really sore and says she now knows what I felt like when I was complaining of the pain after my surgery haha. But I am so proud of her and I cant wait for us to be mentors to each other and lose the weight together. I have been slacking for the past two months. I havent gained weight but I havent really lost. I honestly think it is because I have been too busy to really focus on myself. My last fill was on March 30th and Im thinking it is time for another fill. I have 6.5 cc's in my 11 cc band. I have restriction with some foods but with other foods, I can eat all day long. I just need to buckle down and spend some time on myself and treating my body right...making sure I get enough protein, water and stop eating out so much. But regardless of how fast or slow the weight is coming off, I am still proud of the 35 pounds I have lost. I have learned in this experience to just be happy with what I have accomplished this far and as long as I dont back track, its ok to take it slow. But my mom started out on her surgery date 30 pounds less than me so if I dont buckle down fast, she is going to pass me with flying colors haha!

This past week I have spent every single night with the exception of last night with friends and family. I love spending quality time with the people I love. I met up last week with some of my friends I worked with at Anthropologie and I miss them so much! Then Saturday Burch and I went to the Carrie Underwood concert and it was AMAZING! She is fantastic in concert and so beautiful. Her voice is seriously one of the best....she is up there with Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey in my opinion if not better than all of them. Burch and I want to go see her again when she comes back in the fall! And then all day Sunday Burch and I went to Auburn to visit our friends Kyndal and Kyle. We hadnt seen them in a few months and we all had a great time together. While we were there we went antiquing!! One of my favorite things to do. I love antique shopping and looking for vintage things! There is a huge antique mall there called Angels Antiques and it is as big as Walmart! I was like a kid in a candy store and I bought some fabulous things! As soon of you know, I was a fashion major and I have always had an obsession with dress forms...big and small. I have them all over my room, including a 6 foot one my mom got me for Christmas a few years ago. But while we were shopping around I saw an antique dress form from the 1940's! OMG! It was used as a mannequin in a department store back in the 1940's and when I saw it I knew I had to have it. It is about 5 feet tall and fabulous! I also got an old antique wooden mirror and vintage Marilyn Monroe paintings from the 1950's. But if any of yall are into antiques, you would have died! They had unbelievable vintage furniture for like $200 and under. If I had my own house I would have gone crazy in there! Kyndal bought this old 1960's high back chair with yellow upholstery for $30! I was jealous that she has a house to put it in haha. But here are some pictures from the past week:

Have a fabulous Tuesday!!
**The End**