http://www.southernsavers.com/2011/06/cvs-weekly-ad-coupons-612-618/
Also, just got a new deal alert: grab two Free Hershey’s Air Delights while you are there by printing off the coupon at coupons.com!
Just a side note, while I was there this morning, I also picked up my prescriptions. My migraine medicine normally costs $165 per fill, but I only paid $10 for my refill this morning. And, I can get it filled once per month for $10. How great is that? How did I do it? I went to the medicine's manufacturer's official Web site and printed off a savings card. Almost all non-generic medicine's manufacturer's have coupons on their Web site for the taking. Use them!!
Puppies
Today is grooming day for the girls! Not their favorite day, but it is for me. I LOVE how they smell and how pretty they look, and I think they prance around afterwards and know they look pretty, too! I have a mobile groomer that comes to my house and grooms them. Yes, it does cost more, but this is one arena I am willing to compromise on. I have tried all sorts of groomers, and it was so so stressful to my spoiled rotten girls that I just couldn't leave them in a cage somewhere. So, I found this mobile groomer, and it is the best money I have ever spent on my girls! Totally worth the splurge for their sanity and mine! She is wonderful!
I did want to mention this wonderful, local magazine that I honestly had forgotten about until the publisher contacted me. I used to get a subscription, but it ran out and for some reason I never renewed it. Well, I just renewed it! The magazine is called Southern Paws & Tails. Read about it here and subscribe here...
http://www.southernpawsandtails.com/
I love supporting local businesses!
Ponderings
Ok, on to my big, "secret," one-year anniversary that I celebrated yesterday. I pondered about whether or not to openly talk about this, as many people are not aware of what I have been throught in the past year, but my husband reassured me that I should talk about it because I may help others. So, here it goes....
This was me one year ago:
A little over 100 pounds gone! Ok, I am going to try to make this as short as possible. In two words, how did I do it--gastric bypass. I know you are thinking--how did she get approved for that? Well, rewind over 8 years ago, and I began having MAJOR stomach problems. Doctors just dismissed it as IBS, and I continued with major episodes of stomach problems and cramping and pain and other not so lovely things I will not go into :) I was getting up at 4:30am and going to boot camp, limiting my calories to 1200 per day and doing a walking/running camp at night. I had a great trainer who was helping me and was convinced there was an underlying medical issue because I continued to GAIN weight. Imagine how frustrating it is to do all of this and gain weight! Now, mind you, I was the strongest I had ever been in my life, but that wasn't a consolation prize I was willing to accept! My mom always says things work out for me, they just work out the hard way. And, she was right, once again.
I finally, by accident, found the right doctor/surgeon who found my problem. I went through a stomach emptying scan where you get to eat a yummy radioactive egg sandwich in an x-ray room and then lay on an uncomfortable table while they watch the food empty into your stomach. Details here..
Well, my results were that my stomach emptied at 23%, which is very abnormal. Of course, I was an exception because this problem called gastroparesis normally causes one to lose weight, but it caused me to gain and not be able to lose weight. I love being an exception. ha! I was of course upset, but my problem finally had a name and had finally been diagnosed!
So, there is no cure for gastroparesis. There is a medicine called Reglan, which can have major side effects, like permanent ticks, that can help. I tried the medicine, making my then fiancee swear that he would still marry me if I developed a tick. I know, how vain of me! Anyway, I was on Reglan for three weeks, and I had to get another gastric emptying scan done and eat that yummy, radioactive egg sandwich again! (I still can't eat fried eggs to this day!). The medicine only helped my stomach empty 3% more. It was a failure, so what else were we to do since there is no cure?
That's when my fabulous doc came into play and consulted with several colleagues and even presented me at a conference to find out how to help me since I was young and the only other option was to take out my stomach and give me a feeding tube. On to the solution---gastric bypass so that some food would bypass my stomach. So, a year ago yesterday, I underwent gastric bypass. I stayed four days in the hospital, and it took me a long time to gain my strength back.
It has not been an easy year at all. Because of the major weight loss, I developed a common side effect of gallstones and had to have my gallbladder removed. I was then hospitalized and released on Christmas Eve for fluid in my remnant stomach. It has been a long, tough road, but I have has such a great support system through my husband, family and friends (the select few who knew). I am finally at 100% a year later and feel awesome. Let me tell you that this surgery is not an easy fix. It is tough--mentally and physically! You have lifelong consequences and responsibilities that include monitoring proper protein intake, blood taken every few months to monitor your levels and tons of daily vitamins that you must take to keep your levels normal.
This has helped me tremendously, and I have obviously lost my extra weight. I don't regret this hard road one bit! I would do it all over again! So, now my "secret" is out. My anniversary came and went, but it was a major milestone in my life that I will always celebrate!
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