Waaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!

I have a cold. I've been whining about it to anyone that will listen. My head is buzzing and my nose is running. The post nasal drip is making me nauseous. What a way to spend a vacation!

I know I'm being a big baby. This is the first time I've felt under the weather since my WLS. I'm thinking that because I've been feeling so good for the past four months, this cold is a shock to my body and my head. I must feel that much worse because I've been feeling so damn good!

Baldy

I've had thinning hair for the past few years. And now my greatest WLS fear is coming true. I'm losing my hair at a rate faster than it's growing back.

I had a feeling it would happen. I've always been susetible to stress-related hair loss and I'm sure my body is reacting to the bad nutrition from months ago.

So I'm using some kind of special shampoo/conditioner/scalp treatment. And I'm planning what scarf/turban/hat I'm going to wear if it gets really bad. There's always the option of borrowing my neices' wigs. I'd be cute as a pinkie, huh?

Oh well. If the worst thing that happens from my WLS is thinner hair for a couple of months, I can deal with it.

Fa La La La Loser

Christmas has always been about food for me. As a kid, I'd look forward to the angel food candy at my Grandma Schmidt's house. And my Aunt Betts had the best Mexican Wedding Cakes. My mom made awesome Spritz cookies. And when we went to my Grandma Toot's house, my brother and I would play in the basement so we could raid the stash of Christmas cookies she kept in the extra refrigerator and above the washing machine.

This pic is probably from 1972. I was 5. I loved that purple dress.

I think this year is the first time I didn't gain weight during the holiday. I did taste a cookie and a peanut butter ball. But while everyone snacked on sweets, I relished gourmet cheeses. I took along the food that I knew I'd most enjoy and that would be the best choice for me.

December 26th marked four months since my surgery. My dad hadn't seen me since the beginning of November. He was a little suprised by how much I had changed.

My mom got a new digital camera, so I had her take a picture of me in front of the fridge for my official 4-month snapshot. Here's how I'm looking today. The "before" photo was taken in June at my highest weight.

When I see pictures of myself side by side, the weightloss is really obvious. It's easier to understand why my family is freaking out about how different I'm looking.