Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Running again!

I am finally 6 weeks post-op.  My infection has cleared up and slowly but surely I am starting to feel better.  So today I laced up my shoes and went for a run!  It was short.  It was hot.  It was SLOW. But it felt so good to get out there again!  Watch out Myrtle Beach Mini Marathon ... HERE I COME!

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Another new adventure

So the other thing that I have been doing the past few weeks that I haven’t mentioned here on my blog is that I picked up a second job. I am now your Lia Sophia Advisor. I was looking for a way to make some extra money. 3 kids gets expensive really quick and while I am extremely grateful for my day job and I enjoy it a lot – the fact is – I make MUCH less money doing it now than I did just 4 years ago. I took a huge pay cut to become a “regular” employee (as opposed to a contractor) and have not seen a raise since due to the economy – so in essence – I make less now than I did when they hired me because inflation has gone up about 10% in that time and I have stayed still. Never mind – don’t get me started. I know I’m not the only one on that bus and I am truly grateful to just have a job in this economy – I really am. But back to my original point – I needed a way to make extra money that wouldn’t cut into my “day” job or keep me away from my family a ridiculous amount of time.


I have done direct sales before. My mom is a bit of a super-star when it comes to direct sales. She has been doing it for 20 years and is one of the top in her company, At Home America. I have sold for them in the past. I enjoy it, but again, let’s face it – the economy isn’t a friend to most Direct Sales companies at this time. That would be the ideal situation for me – I could set my own hours, etc…. I just needed to find the best way to do it.

I have always loved Lia Sophia jewelry and I knew a few people in the “biz” who were managing to be pretty successful with Lia Sophia – even in this economy. So I did my research and decided to give it a shot. Why Lia Sophia? Well, their jewelry is great and I wanted me some o’ dat. But also their compensation plan was great AND their hostess program was quite simply – phenomenal. Hostesses get a TON of stuff – and in Direct Sales – Hostesses are your bread and butter.

So I had my Grand Opening Party this past week. And it was successful beyond my wildest dreams. It was quite simply – a kick ass Grand Opening. I am so excited about this great start to my new business – and without that excitement – you can’t really do well in this kind of business.

I have a great manager. Her name is Anne and she lives, quite literally, half way across the country from me in MA. But she has done a great job of bridging that physical gap to coach me. We use Skype a lot to chat and I get to sit in on her meetings with the rest of the group and glean even more useful information that way.

With all that being said – check out my new Lia Sophia web page at www.liasophia.com/pamdevries. The new catalog for Fall/Winter comes out in August and there is some great stuff in there.

I'm still here

Yes, I know – bad bad bad blogger.


I have just been feeling like crud lately. Getting over this infection has been difficult. I ended up with a bad reaction to the Septra they put me on and came down with a headache to end all headaches. I HATE going to the hospital for a headache. I seriously may as well just shove an ice pick through my eye. UGH! So I avoided that at all costs – all costs being having the headache for 3 days before finally being given some Percocet and Phenergan to help relieve it. And boy howdy – did it! But the headache has been threatening to come back the past couple of days. I don’t think I have kicked the infection either. I can’t put my finger on why – I just don’t think I have. One of these days I’ll learn to listen to my body. I go to the doctor’s office tomorrow to pee in the cup and get tested yet again. So we’ll see what happens then.

In the meantime – 6 weeks post op is quickly approaching. You know what that means – I can run again. Of course, I feel like crud – so is it really wise to start running yet? Well, if I want to make it to the half marathon in Myrtle Beach in October ………

We’ll see I guess. I may wait just a couple of days to see what happens with the tests at the doctors office and to make sure this headache doesn’t return with a vengeance. But I am really anxious to get back to running.

As a way to keep my mind in the game (if I couldn’t keep my body in it) I have been reading a book called “Born to Run” by Christopher McDougal. For a book I have loved so much – it has taken me forever to read it. But I have loved this book. And it has just spurned me to run again. I NEED to get out there and run again. It’s part story of an amazing race in the Copper Canyons of Mexico, but it’s also part documentary on the theory that mankind was made – biomechanically designed – to run. I don’t agree with many of the evolutionary theories that are touted in this book, but it is an interesting thesis on how the human body is made for running. Even more interesting – how the birth of the running shoe has been the introduction of the explosion of sports injuries. Seriously – almost makes me want to try running barefoot – or at the very least – to invest in some Vibram FiveFinger shoes.  I think every runner or wannabe runner should read this book. It has instilled in me the belief that running is even more about finding the enjoyment in it and running for the enjoyment – the unspoken comraderie between runners of all abilities – to “just do it” and to do it for the love of it. I never believed I would find a love in running – but it’s out there. You can have it to. You just have to let go long enough to find it.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Update

I finally got a call from the doctor's office yesterday and I do have an infection.  Antibiotics were called in for me and I started them last night.  I feel a little better today, but not like I'm living in a new world - which is really what I was hoping for.  We shall see how this goes.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Back To Work

Today I went back to work.  YIKES!  Not sure if I just have to get used to working again - or if I am fighting something.  I had my 4 week follow up appointment with the surgeon yesterday after a weekend where I could hardly get out of bed because of being so dizzy and shaky and generally feeling like crap.  He is concerned that I have an infection and is doing some cultures and bloodwork and I am waiting to hear about all that stuff.  Until then - it was my day to go back to work - so I did.  I missed my work peeps - it was good to see them.  I'm easing my way back into the heavy duty stuff.  I'm so exhausted and still feeling really cruddy - so I guess we'll see what tomorrow brings.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Road ID Coupon

I blogged yesterday about how I finally ordered one of the best products ever. It's called a Road ID - perhaps you've heard of it. If you haven't, go to their website and check it out. Road ID is a great product that could save your life someday.

When I ordered, they gave me a coupon that I could pass along to my friends. Here's the coupon number:

Coupon Number: ThanksPamela794764

The coupon is good for $1 off any Road ID order placed by 08/12/2010. To order, simply go to RoadID.com or click the link below:

http://www.RoadID.com/?CID=ThanksPamela794764

If you prefer, you can call them at 800-345-6335.

You can thank me later.

Oh by the way, their website is awesome, the customer service is outstanding, and the owners are very smart and good looking.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Bariatric Bad Girls Club

I am now officially 18 months post op.  That magic window that I have spoken of before is closing and closing fast.  I have always advocated that Weight Loss Surgery is not a quick bandaid approach to losing weight.  If you treat it as such - you will still lose the weight - but then you are at risk of putting it all right back on.  Because of the surgery - you will lose weight - and a lot of it.  But your body (I still marvel at our bodies and how they adjust to things - smaller stomach - missing organs, etc...) will adjust to a smaller stomach and re-routed intestines. You may stop dumping when you eat too much sugar or carbs - your little pouch may stretch a bit to accomodate more food - or you and your brain may figure out how to bypass the signals that your body is telling you you have eaten too much or the wrong things.  I mean - let's face it - I didn't get fat by accident people.  I ate - and ate - and ate.  And to be honest - there are days even now that I can get around the rules and eat quite a few things that I couldn't before - and eat all day if I time it right.  I still dump, but it takes more sugar for me to dump than it did before and I'm still unpredictable at it.  I can't eat a lot at one time, but if I time it right I could snack all day long and get in a ton of calories.

So the question becomes - what am I going to do about it?  I've lost about 115 pounds.  I would love to lose about 10 more.  I am down to a size 10 (I have even managed to squeeze into a few size 8's - but the extra skin makes it quite difficult).  I don't want to go back to the land of size 26 !  I don't even want to go back to size 12 or 14! I want this to stick - I want to take what I have learned over the past 18 months and make it work for me.

So that is where the Bariatric Bad Girls come in.  They are a group of wonderful women I have come to know (and quite honestly stalk!) who have are several years out from surgery.  They have lost the weight - and some of them have gained a little back - but they have lived to tell the story.  They do have the occassional slip in behavior - but they are committed to keeping the weight off.  These are the women I identify with - they don't sugar coat life.  In fact, they sometimes have sugar!!!  OH NO!  But then they get back on the band wagon - and they get back to the business of living the post bariatric surgery life.  I love it.  I am so with them.

The Obesity Action Coalition has been formed as a way to educate people about obesity and it's effects on our lives.  The Obesity Action Coalition is an IRS registered 501(c)3 National non profit organization dedicated to giving a voice to those affected by obesity. The OAC was formed to build a nationwide coalition of those affected to become active advocates and spread the important message of the need for obesity education. To increase obesity education, the OAC offers a wide variety of free educational resources on obesity, morbid obesity and childhood obesity, in addition to consequences and treatments of these conditions. The OAC also conducts a variety of advocacy efforts throughout the U.S. on both the National and state levels, and encourages individuals to become proactive advocates.

The Bariatric Bad Girls Club has come up with a way to donate some money for the OAC.  They have created a bracelet that you can purchase for just $5 and proudly display your membership in the BBGC!  Part of the procedes go to the OAC to help promote Obesity action and awareness.  I have a link for purchasing the bracelets on the right of my page.  Click on and join the cause to bring more awareness!  I know it can be a touchy subject - it was for me for many a year, but my sister reminded me of something recently when I had to have my kidney removed.  She said "Can you imagine having to do this 115 pounds ago?"  Yeah - kinda brings a lot into perspective for me.  :)

Bad Blogger

I know - I am a very bad blogger.  I haven't blogged in 2 weeks!  Crazy!  I have been at home - trying to be a good girl and rest and recover.  My major incision is still iffy at times, but the pain has gotten better.  I am reminded if I try to do too much that I am recovering from having a major organ removed from my body. 

The other thing that I have been struggling with lately is feeling very dizzy and shaky.  The problem is that this could be attributed to many things.  It could be medication I am taking - it could be that I haven't eaten enough - or that I have eaten the wrong things.  I am getting postural hypotension a lot the past week or so.  That is when you stand up from sitting or laying down and get very dizzy - it's a result of a drop in blood pressure.  Like I said - could be lots of things.  Your kidneys (or kidney in my case) play a big part in your blood pressure.  But tri-cyclic anti-depressants can also cause this (I take 2 different ones right now).  And with my gastric bypass - the dizziness and shakes could be caused by either not eating enough or eating the wrong things (too many carbs, etc...).  All I know is I have spent an awful lot of time in bed feeling like crud the past few days.

I have my 4 week check up with the surgeon tomorrow.  I will talk about it with him.  Assuming that all else is well he will probably sign off on me returning to work.  I was feeling like it was time, but the past few days have made me wonder what the heck is going on with me.  I don't like wondering what is going on with my body.  I'm really rather tired of it.

But I am just waiting for 6 weeks post op (2 more weeks to go!) until I can run again.  Of course, it's been hotter than the south side of the sun here, so when I can start running again I will have to be very careful as to when and how far and how long I run.

Something that I did just today is I invested in a RoadID.  What is a Road ID you ask?  Well, it's kind of like a medical alert bracelet - but mainly for when I am running. 

I say that because it's not really a fashion forward accessory that I might wear to work or for an evening out.  For that I will have to find something to work better.  :)  But when I run I often times run in places where people don't know me and most often by myself.  If I were to get hurt, or pass out or something stupid like that - how would I let people know who to contact or what is important to know about me?  It appears more and more these days that I have some important medical information that people should know about me.  If I'm unconscious - how would they know?  The reason I chose Road ID is because it is interactive.  It actually gives them a website that they can go to and enter my information and it will give them everything they need to know - such as my emergency contacts, doctor information, my allergies (I have 2 now), and other important medical information - such as the fact that I have had gastric bypass and I only have 1 kidney.  I was seriously running out of room to put all this information!  :)  This allows me to put it all on a website and first responders would be able to see everything by entering the information on my bracelet.  At least now when I know I will not have anyone with me - there will be a way for people to know what is important to know about me.