1 Year Later

Well, it is hard to believe that we have been in Hawaii 1 year on February 2nd.  I have loved, hated, despised, and liked living in Hawaii.  It depends on the day and weather actually.  When we first got here, it was like we were on vacation.....going to the beach everyday, snorkeling, laying in the sun, exploring new areas and new things.  Even on vacation, you get tired of it and are ready to go home after awhile.  Well, we were home, but it felt like we were on permanent vacation.  Living here is like living in the movie, Groundhog Day.  Every day is the same, and I felt just like Bill Murray in the movie.  He loved it at first, hated it and wanted to do anything he could to make it stop, and then he started to love it again.  Although the summer was beautiful with flat surf, turquoise waters, and swimming with dolphins, the heat of the later summer months was horrible when we didn't have air conditioning in our house.  I also started to get island fever and needed to get off the island and away from the constant laid back lifestyle.  Living out on an island is such a huge change from living in Washington, D.C. area, and the people are COMPLETELY opposite and live completely different. Most of the people live like they are on vacation all the time too, and everyone is on "island time."  No one is in a hurry, no one cares if they are going under the speed limit, no one cares if there is a line that is 20 people deep and only 1 person at a register, no one cares if they are on time or finish on time, and no one cares if it puts you in a bind. We only get 1 radio station out here on the North Shore, so thank goodness for my Droid and IPOD!  About 75% of Haleiwa shuts down at dark, stores close, restaurants close, etc.  School gets out early here, and we had 20 days cut off the school year because the state cannot pay the teachers. 

I have learned to live with all of this and try and enjoy the moment.  Not many people can say that they had a chance to live in Hawaii and experience island life.  I know I am blessed and so thankful for this life experience.  I have amazing friends and family to experience this with.

REPOST! Reasons why I chose Dr Sauceda

I have had so many people ask me why I chose Dr Sauceda, and I thought this would be a good time to repost this.

1. He uses the Hampton Inn to house his patients. The link to the hotel is http://hamptoninn.hilton.com/en/hp/hotels/index.jhtml;jsessionid=XSQGHGCOAUOHWCSGBJF3MQQ?ctyhocn=MTYGAHX If you have the all inclusive package, he takes care of the hotel reservations for you.

2. He performs his surgeries in a clinic that is very close to his office and the hotel. Here is a link to pictures of the clinic and to another blogger that has already had her surgery. http://www.mymexicopsjourney.com/clinic-rooms.htm

3. The clinic does have WIFI internet access now and so does the hotel. You would need to bring an Ethernet cord if you want access in your hotel room, but they also have access downstairs as well.

4. You can request to have a recliner be placed in your room and a mini fridge as well.

5.Dr Sauceda has a seat riser for the bathroom that you can request if you think you are going to need one.

6. The Hampton Inn has a free full breakfast buffet every morning and free happy hour on Tues, Wed, and Thursday with free appetizers.

7. From my own experience, it was all in a very safe area. I even walked to the HEB at night and felt completely safe.

8. The hotel has an Applebee’s next door, and they will deliver to the hotel. There is a Starbucks, McDonalds, H.E.B., an Italian Restaurant, and other shops. There is a big mall less than a $2 cab ride away called Gallerias Monterrey with every kind of shop & amenities and is very similar to an American mall. The food court at the mall includes a KFC, Pizza Hut, and a Chili’s. The hotel also has a shuttle service that will take you around for free within 10 miles of the hotel. ( I would still give a tip.)

9. Dr. Sauceda has told me that he only performs 1 surgery per day.

10. His wife is his anesthesiologist, and she is known for making patients have very minimal pain after surgery. I was off my IV and IV drugs by day 2 and on Ibuprofen by day 4.

11. He performs the surgery under something called twilight sedation, not general anesthesia. It is regional anesthesia with sedation, and that allows him to perform multiple surgeries without the risk of being under general for many hours. After I researched it, I found that it is much safer and there is no need to recover from the anesthesia like someone would from general anesthesia. I was talking to my husband on the phone before I was even out of the operating room.

12. If you are not completely 100% satisfied with his work, he will offer free revisions if warranted. The patient might have to pay for your flight/ and or hotel, but his fees are free.

13. If you travel alone, Dr. Sauceda may offer to let you stay at the clinic the entire time or stay longer than normal if you like. He doesn’t want you to get lonely in the hotel. He offered to me already, but I would rather go back to the hotel where the beds are much more comfy!

14. He also comes to your hotel room everyday at least once to check on you, change your bandages, etc. Amazing to have a Dr. that actually makes house calls! If for some reason he cannot make it, he does have an assistant or a nurse that comes in his place. I saw him everyday and also a nurse everyday to help me dress, bathe, and get my garments on.

15. He uses the brand Veronique for his compression garments, and they get great reviews.

16. If your surgery totals over $6000, he currently offers an all inclusive price. That includes hotel, medical clearance tests, all medical expenses, fees, implants (if any), required post-op garments(I believe 2 sets of garments, but it might be on a case by case basis), required hospitalization, post-op medication, follow up, refund of airfare up to $600, and local transportation (airport-clinic-hotel-airport.)

17. Dr. Sauceda will try to pick you up personally from the airport if he is available to do so. He picked me up, but could not take me back to the airport. He did already have a cab arranged for me and paid for when I had to leave.

18. The best is that he truly is an artist! He is so good at what he does and gave me an amazing new body! I cannot thank him enough for giving me a new and improved me!

Cinderella at the Ball

I attended my first military ball last night since I have lost all my weight and plastics.  It was soooo nice not to be able to be the biggest girl in the room and not worry about rolls or lumps showing.  I didn't have to fight with spanx in the bathroom or wonder if people were looking at me when I ate.  It was so much fun, relaxing, and so different from what I am used to.  I had strangers telling me all night how beautiful I looked and pretty I was.  Here are some pictures from the night.

 

 

 

14 weeks post op update!

Hi everyone!  It is hard to believe, but I will be 14 weeks post op tomorrow.  I am still battling quite a bit of swelling in my tummy and mostly in my back, but I am finally seeing signs of improvement in that area over the last week.  The scale is not my friend, and it can vary anywhere from 4 to  6 lbs a day from swelling.  It has been staying a little more steady the last few days, so the swelling is getting better.  I  guess that I have gained a few lbs from laying around during my recovery though.  He took off 3 lbs of skin and 6 lbs with lipo, but he transferred 1 1/2  lbs back in to each butt cheek, making that a total of 3 lbs.  Plus, I got 400CC silicone implants, so that adds a little more than a 1 1/2 lbs back too.  So, I should be down about 5 lbs from surgery, and I am the same weight I was when I went in to surgery.  When I came home, I was down 3 lbs from surgery, so I either gained weight or hanging on to fluid.  If I look back at my pictures, I look smaller in my pictures that were taken earlier on post op.  Anyway, I am working on that though and bumping up my workouts and gym time.  I am starting yoga 3 times a week, boot camp once a week, and elliptical on the other days.  I am also going to start Jillian Michaels 30 day shred as well.

Back to my plastics results, I am still pleased with my results.  I spit quite a few stitches, especially on my right breast, that messed up my scars, but I can live with that.  They will fade in time too.  I do have loose belly skin, but I knew I would because I chose NOT to have the anchor tummy tuck cut because of the scar.  I wanted to wear a bikini and not worry about the scar.  My breast look very natural even though they are large.  Dr S gave me exactly what I wanted, and I should have thought about what DD's would look like on me after I lost 6 inches on my waist.  I knew what they looked like before my LBL, but they look much bigger than my old ones did.  My husband loves them though!  My thighs have a huge improvement, but I am probably going back for a revision on those and have a little more taken off.  I still have some wrinkles around my knees.  I knew I may need a revision before I even left Monterrey because he made a decision during surgery to change my markings because he was afraid they would be too tight after the LBL.  I have a little pouches of extra skin around my scar area when I sit down that needs to be taken off.  That is the only time it is noticeable.  I am happy to say that I do not have a J Lo booty anymore, and it is the right size for me.  I had a very flat butt, and now I have just enough.  

I am wearing a size small or medium in everything, a 6 in jeans ( I have one size 4), but I have a hard time finding fitted dresses that fit right.  I am going to a military ball tomorrow, and I had to get an 8 because that is the only size that fit me in the boobs.  I can get a 4 or 6 zipped up until I get to my boobs, and then no luck!!!  I have to wear the dress a little big because of my boobs.

 
I have to say that Dr S is STILL the best, and I am so happy I chose him as my Dr.

Why Did You Make Me Like This?

At Church today, I had a realization about myself and my flaws.  I wanted to share this with you.


Have you ever asked God, "Why did you make me like this?"  Maybe you don't like your nose, your hips, or (you get the idea).... We all have our physical flaws, don't we?  Then, there are the deeper flaws and inconsistencies.  These are the ones that cause more serious concerns, especially when it comes to both serving the Lord and interacting with people.

Concerns like:

If I am saved and filled with God's Holy Spirit, why do I still have fears?

If God has really given me this gift, and I want to serve Him, why do I so often feel so inadequate?

If I constantly pray to God to give me boldness, why do I have a personality that hesitates, finds excuses, and then shies away?

Why do I sense I am unworthy, insufficient, and a failure?

Before you run to a Psychiatrist for answers, it helps to know that the Apostle Paul had some similar questions and struggles.  God spoke to him in a way that still reverberates to believers today.  He said, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness," 2 Corinthians 12:9.

You see, the more I am aware of my weaknesses and inconsistencies, the more I lean on Jesus.  So, like Paul did, "Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me....For when I am weak, then I am strong," 2 Corinthians 12:9b &10b.

I have come to the realization that I am perfect just the way I am.  I keep seeing these minor physical flaws or imperfections, and I still deal with feeling that I am still overweight even though I am not.  Why I feel and see is not reality all the time.  I will catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror once in a while and ask myself, "Who is that?"  It is really strange to look at a picture of a group of people and look for the big girl in the picture.  When I don't find her, I realize that I am the normal girl in the picture!

Why is physical appearance so important?  It is the beauty of my heart and soul that matters and how I am honoring and serving my God!  I am learning to lean more on God and become happy with what he has blessed me with. He has blessed me beyond measure, and I know that I live an amazing life.

Hey, since His image is good enough for Him, it should be good enough for me, right?  :)

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female He created them," Genesis 1:27.

What's for Dinner?

I love Sundays because it is slow cooker day!  I just throw everything in my crockpot before church, and dinner is already prepared for that evening.  Here is what we had tonight.
 

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork BBQ  and Homemade Buns

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 (.25 ounce) envelope active dry yeast
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon water
• sesame seed (optional)
  

Directions

1. Combine the milk, 1 cup of water, butter, sugar and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil then remove from the heat and let stand until temperature is between 110 degrees to 120 degrees. If the mixture is too hot, it will kill the yeast.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour and yeast. Pour in wet ingredients and stir until the dough starts to pull together. If you have a stand mixer, use the dough hook to mix for about 8 minutes. If not, knead the dough on a floured surface for about 10 minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover and let stand until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
3. Punch down the dough and divide into 12 portions They should be a little larger than a golf ball. Make tight balls out of the dough by pulling the dough tightly around and pinching it at the bottom. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. After the rolls sit for a minute and relax, flatten each ball with the palm of your hand until it is 3 to 4 inches wide. You may want to oil your hand first. Set rolls aside until they double in size, about 20 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Mix together the egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of water in a cup or small bowl. Brush onto the tops of the rolls. Sprinkle on sesame seeds.  Position 2 oven racks so they are not too close to the top or bottom of the oven.
5. Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove the rolls from the oven and return them to different shelves so each one spends a little time on the top. Continue to bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until nicely browned on the top and bottom.

Ingredients

• 4 Beef Bullion Cubes
  
• 1 bottle or can of light colored beer
• 1 tbs minced garlic
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 4 pound boneless pork butt
• 1 (18 ounce) bottle barbeque sauce

Directions

1. Put pork butt into slow cooker, and add beer, bbq sauce, onion powder, black pepper, and minced garlic. Cook on low heat for 8 hours, or until meat shreds easily. Shred meat with two forks and stir. Turn slow cooker to high, remove lid, and cook for 30 more minutes to help boil off some of the liquid. It will seem that it's not working right away, but it will. You also might need to drain off some grease or liquid, depending on your taste.

Pizza Dough & Sauce

We have pizza night every Friday night at our house, and we have about 12-15 people, including us, that get together. I tried a new pizza dough recipe last night, and I am going to use it from now on.  I like it so much more, and it is much more fluffy. I always have my marinara sauce on hand because I usually make a double or triple batch because it freezes beautifully. 






Pizza Dough



Ingredients


• 1 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees F)


• 1 (1/4-ounce) envelope active dry yeast


• 1 teaspoon honey


• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil


• 3 cups unbleached bread flour or all purpose flour


• 1 teaspoon salt




Directions


In a large bowl, combine the water, yeast, honey, and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, stirring to combine. Let sit until the mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes.


Add 1 1/2 cups of the flour and the salt, mixing by hand until it is all incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Continue adding the flour, 1/4 cup at a time, working the dough after each addition, until the dough is smooth but still slightly sticky. You might not need all of the flour. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth but still slightly tacky, 3 to 5 minutes.


Oil a large mixing bowl with remaining olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl, turning to coat with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place, free from drafts until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.




Kitchen Aid Mixer Directions

Add 1/2 of the flour and salt to mixing bowl while yeast is dissolving in another bowl. After yeast mixture is fluffy, pour the mixture in to mixing bowl with flour and salt. Using the dough hook attachment, run the mixer on the 2nd setting until the dough comes together, adding 1/4 cup of flour at a time, until the dough climbs up the dough hook(may not use all the flour).  Let the mixer run for 10 minutes to knead the dough. Remove the dough from the mixer and, on a floured surface, form into a smooth ball shape. Place the dough into a greased bowl and cover with a clean towel. Place in a warm, draft free place for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the dough doubles in size. I preheat my oven to 200 degrees, turn it off, and then place my dough in the oven and cover with a went and ringed out tea towel for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll to desired size.

Marinara Sauce

INGREDIENTS

* 1 pound sweet or spicy Italian sausage (optional)
* 1 pound lean ground beef (optional)
* 1 small sweet onion or 1/2 cup minced onion
* 4 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
* 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
* 2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
* 1/2 cup water
* 2 tablespoons white sugar
* 1 tablespoon of fresh finely chopped basil leaves
* 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
* 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning or Oregano
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
* 1/2 large minced green bell pepper
* 1/2 large minced red bell pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. In a food processor place tomatoes, tomato paste, minced garlic, onion, green bell pepper, and red bell pepper. Blend until smooth.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, add tomato sauce, tomato and veggie mixture, oregano, parsley, salt, and sugar.
3. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. If you are adding meat to the sauce, brown meat halfway, and add in oregano, parsley, and salt to meat. Brown the rest of the way, and then add in your tomato sauce, tomato and veggie mixture, and sugar.

Texas Caviar

I make this every year for New Year's Day since it is good luck to eat black eyed peas on January 1st.  I hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients

• 2 (15.5 ounce) cans black-eyed peas, drained
• 2 roma tomatoes, chopped
• 3 green onions chopped, including the greens
  
• 2  jalapeno peppers, chopped
  
• 8 fluid ounces Italian dressing
• cayenne pepper to taste
• 2 avocados - peeled, pitted, and chopped (optional)
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  

Directions

In a large bowl, mix black-eyed peas, tomatoes, green onion, jalapeno peppers, minced garlic, Italian dressing, and cayenne pepper. Stir in the avocados just before serving.

Pondering 2009

I have such a wonderful husband that made me this amazing cake for my birthday! He spent all morning and part of the afternoon doing this for me. We had such a good time with all of our friends celebrating my birthday and the New Year.

 

I have decided that I am going to stay 29 forever, so I am 29+5 this year! It is amazing to see the difference in my life over the past year and how much change this year has brought.

1.  Living in Hawaii when I used to hate walking on sand and hated the heat.

2.  Snorkeling and swimming at least 1/4 to 1/2 mile of the shore to swim with dolphins.

3.  Making my Dr's weight loss goal of losing 100 lbs.

4.  Completing my weight loss journey by having reconstructive/plastic surgery to fix the damage from the weight gain. 

5.  Transitioning from a working mom to a soccer mom/baseball/chef/organizer/maid and LOVING IT!

6.  Hating chickens to loving and embracing the wild chickens that frequent our yard everyday.

7.  Living without air conditioning or heat for the 1st time in my life.

8.  Taking up Yoga and thinking about becoming a Yoga instructor.

9. Transitioning from a processed food diet to cooking everything from scratch and fresh foods and veggies. 

10.  Reorganizing our day to day lives and learning to keep us on a stricter budget.

11.  Finally accepting my body and being confident of my looks.  I finally feel like I look like I feel on the inside!

These are just a few things, and I think some of them are huge accomplishments!

What changes did you make in your life last year, and what are your plans for the upcoming year?