Nashville here I come...

Tomorrow I'm heading to Nashville to get my second fill....it feels like it's been forever coming! I had to cancel my last appointment 2 weeks ago due to snow and me having to drive 3 hours to get to the Dr's office. I live in Southern Illinois so it's not just driving a 30 minute drive. I love my Dr. though and couldn't be happier to be his patient! This past few months have sure been a trip. I lost quit a bit right after surgery. Well enough it had me smiling. The past couple months have been very slow to me. I've not felt like that I've lost "enough". This sure is a learning process! But ya know what, I am doing JUST FINE! No maybe I've not lost as much as the next person, but I have done great. It's not easy. I've spend 10 months now dedicating myself to this change. Deciding to have the surgery - to find the right Dr. - monthly weigh in's - dealing with the insurance - waiting on the insurance to approve me etc. I'm devoting this time for ME as long as it takes me to reach my goal. Some get there quickly, some it takes longer, but the truth is, if you don't give up, then you will get there. I WILL GET THERE! :) I thought I'd share this link to My Dr's page incase anyone is looking for a wonderful Dr. in the Nashville, Tn area ...will update on how I feel tomorrow and how the trip went.

Tropical Sweet & Spicy Chicken

I named it that because it makes me feel like I need to take a trip to Hawaii LOL

Well today I took some chicken tenderloins and I played around with them and what I could find in my kitchen and made such a wonderful dish.

First I took a meat pounding mallet and I pounded the chicken tenderloins until they were thin. Then I opened a can of Crushed Pineapple and I added a tad of teriyaki sauce, some soy sauce, lime juice, tad of brown sugar, garlic powder.

I marinated my chicken in that sauce for 30 minutes. After It marinaded, I sprinkled some cajun spices on my chicken, a tad of hot pepper flakes, garlic powder and cooked it on the grill (it cooked fast as it was so thin). Before I put it on the grill though I added my marinated sauce to a skillet and cooked it with some red pepper flakes, onion flakes, fresh sliced portabella mushrooms, red & green peppers & onions. I let that cook until the veggies were done and everything took on each other's flavors.

I cooked my brown rice, then after it was done I stirred it into my skillet of wonderful. It was delish! It had a sweet, mild pineapple flavor and yet a spicy flavor from the red pepper flakes. We really enjoyed it. i will be making this again. :)

I took what was left over and put it in small bowls with 2/3 of a cup of the rice mixture and a serving (deck of cards) of chicken.

First Dr.'s appt

Had my first Dr's appt with my general physician.

Got my starting weight today!

Went over my blood work - my cholesterol and liver enzymes are up, he put me on a bigger dose of lovistatin now I will take 40mg's.

I will be meeting with a dietician on April 9th

I am to not eat beef, very little pork, no sweets, no carbs except what comes from fruit and veggies.

i'm going to try to start limiting my caffeine intake as well.

So very excited

I'm soooo excited I can't hardly contain myself. I don't think I've been this excited over something since the birth of my children. Other than Salvation I must add!!

I have been nervous because of the horror stories that I've been hearing. I posted on my forums that I go on and I received some wonderful feedback from other's who are also going through this. Then I started to think of things I had went through in my life and how people "always" have a horror story to tell about something. My best friends, sister's husband's cousin had a friend of a friend who bla bla bla. The fact is that this life isn't perfect and things do happen to people. I have complete faith in the Lord that he will see me throught this. I have to have that faith! As of how I am right now, I'm not in good health and doing this will better my chances of living longer and getting off of the medication I'm on and improve my over all well being. I can't wait! I think of how nice it will be to have less leg and joint pain, for my back to not hurt as bad, to be able to do things with my kids that I didn't or couldn't before. Like my little girl said today, Mom you can jump on the trampoline with me. Yes baby, yes I will!! We'll do all kinds of things together!

Giving all the glory to the Lord and I am so happy to have this opportunity to be healed. I'm thankful that the Lord gave these Dr's the knowledge to know how to do these surgerys and that he will heal me and I will have a happier healthier life. Thank you Jesus for what you are going to do and have done for me in my life!

A life changing decision

Just one month after at 35 years old having my tonsils and adnoids removed, I have decided that going through with another surgery might just be what I need to do. Read below.


Well I've decided to throw in the towel on the fad diets and wl programs! I've tried and I just am not able to do this anymore. I am doing what I can to improve my life. I quit smoking 2 months ago. Jan. 17th, 2011, that is a big accomplishment for me. I want to live my life and do it BIG. For once in my life I want to think of me and live for me and be who I'm here to be. I have a purpose in this life and I want to live with purpose! Ya know, my mother had me very late in her life, she got pregnant with me on only a quarter of a ovary. Yes, she had one ovary removed and all but a "quarter" of the other one. Can you imagine? Why did they decide to leave that little piece of a ovary in the first place? Because God had a plan for me! She was on bed rest and got H.E.L.L.P syndrome and almost died bringing me into this world. She was in a coma and kidneys had shut down along with other things trying to shut down! I was born not breathing but ya know what, God had a purpose for me and I'm here and I'm gonna do what I have to do to live this life with purpose for God and do it the way I'm suppose to!

I now have decided to look into having Bariatric surgery. I have found a Dr. that I feel would be a good one and I am going to a Seminar on April 2nd. I'm excited. I'm nervous but most of all I'm happy to actually have a plan and know that the plan is gonna work. I'm willing to do whatever I have to and follow this to the T.

I've been talking to friends and people that I know have had the surgery done and got their opinion, stories and have asked them if they would do it again if they had to and I'm getting a good feedback. "Most" have said they would for sure do it again.

I will be writting and sharing my thoughts here and posting pictures down the road.

Swiss Chicken Casserole

Swiss Chicken Casserole


1 package of stove top stuffing mix

4-6 boneless/skinless chicken breasts

4 slices of Swiss cheese

1 can of reduced fat cream of mushroom soup



Take 1 package of stove top stuffing mix and mix both drypackets together. Do not add water yet. Place in a sprayed (with Pam) crockpot. Place the 4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts on top of the stuffing. Place the Swiss Cheese on top of the chicken and then spread the reduced fat cream of mushroom soup on top of the chicken and cheese. Spread evenly. Drizzle 1/4 - 1/2 cup of warm water around the edges. Cook on low in crockpot all day. If you don't use or have a crockpot you can cook it in the oven at 350 degrees for an hour.

Slow Cooker Salsa Swiss Steak

Makes 5 servings

2 tsp. oil
1 1/2 lbs. boneless beef top round steak, trimmed of fat, cut into 5 pcs.
1/2 tsp. Salt

1/4 tsp. Pepper

1 med. onion, halved lengthwise, sliced

1/2 med. green bell pepper, cut into bite-size strips

1 (10 3/4 oz.) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

3/4 cup thick and chunky salsa


Heat oil in large skillet over med.-high heat until hot. Sprinkle steak with salt and pepper. Place steak in skillet, cook 4-6 min. or until well browned, turning once. Transfer steak to a 4-6 qt. slow cooker. Top with onion and bell pepper. In same skillet, combine soup and salsa; mix well. Pour over vegetables and steak. Cover; cook on LOW for 8-10 hrs.

Remove steak pieces from slow cooker; place on serving platter. Stir sauce well and serve with steak.