SPRINKLECHEZ's SparkPeople Blog

Goldy's Gift - Love & Acceptance

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:48:19 EST

I've only blogged once or twice a month since December. Why do I feel guilty about this sometimes? There's more of my life in last summer's blogs than any friend or family member realizes. I took a big risk in being so public so quickly with what I share here on SparkPeople - but that's how I roll.... My blogs are so important to me because it is here in your comments, support and friendship that I have how I learned to love, care for and accept myself for the first time in three decades. ...

Look what I found, just after I wrote this blog!

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 12:36:11 EST

No matter how unique each of us might think we are - it's when you're open-minded enough to realize that there's a world of people out there, many just like me or you - ready to lend a helping hand, cheering you on toward your goal and helping you keep your head above water when the seas are choppy. What SparkPeople does - for the people that "get it" is provide us with a place to meet people, make friends, share ou...

Why SparkPeople Works For Me - Volume 1

Tue, 5 Mar 2013 11:59:44 EST

Why SparkPeople Works For Me - Volume 1 - by "Sprink"

Contained herein is what I consider to be the fundamental reason that SparkPeople.com works for me. Long time readers of this blog know that EFFIEANNIE "Sparked" me just five days before my life saving Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy performed on May 30th, 2012.. Something about our conversation made her feel compelled to share her story of how SparkPeople helped her. And that she had been Sparked and inspired by IndyGirl's hon...

16 Words I Need To Share

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 13:50:08 EST

"Be as decent to yourself as you are to others and stop sabotaging your wonderful success."

I've been searching like someone continuously changing the channels (streams of thought) and not being able to lock on to something positive or productive. Yesterday, before I summoned the focus to blog again, I was emotionally paralyzed. Trapped, a Bipolar/ADHD - hypermanic mind at 200 mph, unable to lock on to a positive "station" in my brain. While writing my last blog did help, it was...

On Water, SparkFriend Search and Affirmation from afar...

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 05:29:00 EST

To all that checked in on me during my absence from Spark I thank you - and to all I missed responding to, I am truly sorry. I have spent the last month & a half trying to figure out what was wrong with my body and my mind. My weight has fluctuated in crazy ways since hitting 219 months ago, now I have been as low as 212 and as high as 230, with 15-20 lb water weight fluctuations being gained or lost in 4-5 days. Anyone else experience a strange water weight rollercoaster 9 months post op ...

My High Definition ADHD Blog - "My Favorite Years"

Sat, 5 Jan 2013 23:18:19 EST

smilebox.com/playBlog/4d7a51354f5445
304e7a6b3d0d0a&blogview=true

Not sure if this is going to work but I made a small collage of a day spent last spring with my roommate on the North Shore (see link above). Every now and then I like to go back to where I grew up, see my old house and just breathe in a memory or three. Lived in that house from the age of three until I moved out shortly after college.

Without question the events of this past year hav...

I'm a little laptop...(literally)

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 09:19:20 EST

It has been a while since I have blogged so rather than explain my way out of my absence I will say it like this - "I'm most interested in fixing that which has yet to be broken..." That applies to my physical and mental health as well as my laptop. Now over the last year I have "fixed" many physical issues and have solved some mental health and motivational "hurdles." My laptop however has not faired as well. Although it is new and powerful, my attempt at upgrading from Windows 7 to Wind...

Happy "Lifeday" To Me, You Are My "Present"

Wed, 5 Dec 2012 07:08:32 EST

Okay, I am the first to admit that I thought it was corny when I decided to call today my Lifeday instead of my Birthday - which it is at 7:30am Central Time. But hear me out, I will make a point sooner rather than later. The holidays have always been tough for me, especially since the loss of my dear mother in 2007. Nick, a really good business associate and friend taught me that to cope I should celebrate mom's life on her birthday instead of mourning the day she died. So why not celebr...

Tears Of Joy and Thanks - 101 lbs Gone Forever Today!

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 15:32:41 EST

I wanted to thank you all personally for your kind comments and encouragement as I passed my 100 lb lost milestone - today in fact down 101 lbs. Today I have been hyperemotional - my tears turned this morning from pain to joy after I saw my pain Dr about my knee. Since seeing him I have been crying all afternoon everytime I think about how much good has come out of every challenge the last six months have given me. I have NO REGRETS and nothing but thanks to you for helping me feel like I ...

100 Pounds Gone - We Saved My Life!

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 19:03:53 EST

"I pray for those who don’t
I live for those who won’t
Today I know to eat to live
My grateful heart so much to give"

~ Sprink ~

Keeping this one short and sweet, going to savor the day. Blessings -

"Sprink" 104

My Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy by SprinkleChez

Sat, 24 Nov 2012 18:30:07 EST

CGWALKER2012 - This blog is dedicated to you my friend. Good luck on your upcoming surgery and my prayers that you will recover quickly and achieve all that you hope for.

DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT A DOCTOR, JUST A PATIENT THAT LIKES TO SHARE HIS STORY - ALWAYS CONSULT YOUR DR BEFORE ALTERING FROM HIS PRESCRIBED DIET AND POST SURGERY NUTRITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.

Hi there CG and I am very glad to have you as my Spark Friend. I would be happy to answer any questions or concerns ...

ThanksLiving - Sparking It Forward In The Gift Of Today!!!

Sat, 24 Nov 2012 00:55:46 EST

Hi my friends! I trust that you are all overstuffed with Turkey and tired of shopping and fighting the crowds. I dud just the opposite myself, other than running to get some prescriptions this has been a total “me” day – a celebration in fact of my knee replacement’s progress only two weeks after coming home from the hospital. I noticed a change in my stride or gate yesterday, it felt more normal – and then this morning when I woke up – I was walking normally. Even through Costco I walked...

InstanT RefleX - Happy Thanksgiving - Music Mix & Holiday Wish

Thu, 22 Nov 2012 14:50:38 EST

Friends, this original mix is amazing considering he did this all from his laptop with no studio software. PLEASE CLICK LIKE and take a listen, even if you're not a fan of the genre, just let it play in the background and turn the volume down on your audio mixer. PLEASE SHARE THIS with all of your friends. Winning this contest for him could mean a trip to Austria for us, and enough equipment for him to perform this...

Breaking Through My Plateau, How I Did It

Sun, 18 Nov 2012 19:48:14 EST

Wow, when I realized that the last time I had tracked my weight it was a month ago my first reaction was wow - it took this long? But when you've followed my story, especially my lack of mobility and struggles with proper diet, it's not that hard to see why it took me a month before the scale resumed it's downward march.

I AM FINALLY UNDER 230 LB - TODAY'S WEIGHT 228 LB - TOTAL LOSS 98 LBS

There to are two things that happened which were key to making this possible. F...

My BiPolar Express - Embracing Your Inner Freak & Put It To Work For You!

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 09:17:03 EST

Most of you think you may know Sprink but you have no idea. Here's a rare look at the bigger picture - and how I am learning to work with insted of against my psych issues - to maintain a more stable"mind's eye. every day! This is, quite frankly "life at the speed of Sprink."

"Sprink" is blessed with multiple psychiatric diagnoses which include (but not limited to):

Bipolar I (Slow cycle, I am manic for days and sleep for days with a few balanced days in between). I ...

My Left Knee - Total Replacement Performed 11/06/12 - "It's the Bees Knees"

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 03:52:42 EST

My Surgery was successful last Tuesday and I was discharged last Friday. It has literally been a whirlwind since then. I slept so little in the Hospital that I caught up on some over the weekend too - which is going to help for the week ahead. I have physical therapy and an in-home nurse visit later today, so I hope I get some rest. Therapy will be three times a week and nurse twice a week for the first couple-three weeks and we'll go from there.

Those of you that really know m...

Body Reconstruction Phase Two - Total Left Knee Replacement Today

Tue, 6 Nov 2012 09:47:20 EST

Just a quick note to say hi and thank you to all of my SparkFriends for your positivity and support over the last five months. Today is an important day for me as I will have my left knee replaced at 1:45 pm today. I am going into this with the same optimism and positive outlook that I did for my Weight Loss Surgery.

Now with 96 lbs gone (and a little over 30 left to lose), I am going to regain mobility with my new knee. I understand that the rehab will be intense, but this shor...

Keeping My Head Above Water....Preparing For Total (Left) Knee Replacement Tuesday 11/6/12

Fri, 2 Nov 2012 16:05:03 EST

I just wanted to give an update to the mayhem which has been my life this last week. My roommate went to the hospital this past Monday for an outpatient test of his Gallbladder, and as luck would have it, was one of the 5% who develops pancreatitis as a result of the ECRP test. It's now day 5 and he's still in the hospital, dealing with excruciating pain in addition to not being able to eat or drink more than an ice chip, which does nothng but excacerbate the pain even more. Good news is t...

"The Joy Of Spark" - Meet Even More Of Me - Honestly!

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 03:34:26 EST

I pick up here where I left off from my last blog - where I revealed what approaches to weight loss didn't work for me, and how I became motivated to make 2012 the year where I re-discover myself.

WHAT ROLE DID SPARKPEOPLE PLAY IN YOUR RECENT SUCCESS?

SparkPeople helped me realize the real power behind the amazing tools information, mealplans, trackers, and coaches. About two months post surgery, I got a comment on my blog post from LaVell (MIDNIGHTER1) calling me his...

More Honesty = Max Results!

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 03:16:17 EST

The scale, measuring tape and camera don't lie! The above image is a summary of where I was before my Vertical Gastric Sleeve Surgery, and how my body has changed so far on this day - my 5 Month Sparkaversary.

I'm celebrating my successes by sharing this much of me. At this point in my journey because I want my SparkFriends to understand how I became morbidly oberse and how much my life has changed si...

"MEpiphany" - My Meatloaf Milestone

Tue, 9 Oct 2012 19:34:20 EST

Thank you to everyone for your support and encouragement over the last two weeks. Reaching this "turning point" in my attitude toward food taught me a very important lesson regarding how quickly a demon from my past (in my case childhood bulemia) could surface without warning and wreak havoc on my blood pressure and health.

It happened quickly, as I tried to progress from pureed foods to soft and beyond I overfilled my sleeve and threw up "naturally" with the salivary glands givin...

MEquilibrium - Diet & Hyrdation - Regaining Total Balance Post VSG

Wed, 3 Oct 2012 04:59:26 EST

MEquilibrium (MEq): Taking care of all of my needs nutritional and and physical needs by putting myself first every day. I lost my MEq by thinking I knew how to fuel and water my body better than anyone. I want you to know that I have no regrets about my VSG. I can forgive myself now. I will learn to feed and hydrate my new body correctly, and on the schedule provided by my Medical Team.

I did not follow the Nutritional Diet after the first two weeks of surgery and tried to ...

An Important Lesson Your Blood Pressure & Progress Update

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 19:07:36 EST

It's been while since I have blogged and i want to thank all of you for checking in on me during my 9 days of silence. I'm doing well now 118 days out from surgery and happily report I'm into the 230's, well 238 to be exact. To give you a sense of how great that feels, It's been 26 years since I have been this weight. Wow, talk about turning back the hands of time.

Like many or most of us I was a battling High Blood Pressure for the better part of my life, so much so that just p...

Top Ten Things I Like About The New "Me"

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 21:33:31 EST

For a change I thought I would let you know the top then things I like about the new me (down 80+ lbs as of today):

10: Cytosport 100% Whey Protein Powder from Costco - yummy and lasts forever

9: Walking upstairs to go to bed no longer feels like climbing Mount Everest

8: I never thought I would love Sugar Free Jello and Pudding as much as I do

7: I have lost 1/2 a shoe size

6: I no longer have swollen fluid filled "cankles"from edem...

Sprink's 92 Days Success Story

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 12:38:52 EST

79 lbs of Weight Lost Post VSG Surgery May 30th, 2012 /
1 Minute Video

91 Days, 78 lbs Gone, Blessings and Important Lessons Indeed!

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 19:54:33 EST

Thank you everyone for your support and kind words. Everything went great yesterday the Upper GI showed no problem with my sleeve and my Surgeon nailed me for not getting enough protein and not eating 4-6 smaller meals. Said my sleeve is just sending those pains to my chest and shoulders because it’s being maxed out. Advice taken and I am headed in a new healthier direction. I appreciate the “tough love” in his words, he really does care, and for me personally I am not going to be the per...

Dr. might convert my Sleeve to Roux-n-y, I'm Scared

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 12:49:23 EST

I have about three hours before my appt with my Surgeon. I spent the am at my Gen Practitioners because my Pleurisy has returned, and my esophogitis is in full swing. Other than the intense pain when I breate (think knives twisting through my shoulder blades into my chest). So Gen Prac called surgeon and said they want me to keep my appointment and mentioned possible "re-routing" of my sleeve, although they didn't say Roux-n-y that's the only possible surgery left.

I was full...

I Confess To Progress...

Sun, 26 Aug 2012 12:50:49 EST

Friends, today is "one of those days." We all have them, and I rarely write about them so I decided it was a good time to do the opposite. Having been physically weak the last ten days from Espophogitis and Laryngitis, with a touch of a cold, I have been sleeping alot. Last nite, no exception. I expected my early bedtime last night would be the shot in the arm I needed to make it a great day today, no such luck.

While I managed to make the early service at Church I walked acros...

Make your own Fear Potion - Start here...

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 12:41:05 EST

Fear itself is a natural reaction. Just like our animal counterparts it is an important part of our survival. The human mind has evolved so far that many of these natural "fight or flight" automatic responses get twisted by our own thinking and we can misunderstand their meaning. Instead of running away like a startled deer, I would over indulge and 47 years later I found myself pushing 350 lbs with a host of co-morbidities and a mind-set on writing my own Eulogy. Instead of fighting to r...

82 Day Post Op Success Story

Mon, 20 Aug 2012 01:50:33 EST

82 Days later and as you well know I spent three days last week in ER or Inpatient - and ended up curing myself after talking to my Gen Prac Dr about treating me for Pleurisy instead of Esophagitis. Thank you for your prayers and support, you really lifted me up when I was pretty down mood-wise.

Going to keep this brief (a change), I am somewhere south of 255 lbs, going to weigh in tomorrow, probably 2...

It's Easier With SparkFriends On My Side

Sun, 19 Aug 2012 03:19:08 EST

Thank you for the well wishes. I returned home from the Hospital yesterday with exactly the same amount of pain I entered with. The only exception was this diagnosis of Esophagitis. Which was shown to me on a picture as tiny ret striations or dots on my espophagus. Well I didn't buy the diagnosis one bit. So I called my Gen Prac yesterday and said Dr. let's assume that I do have esophagitis (which I don't), and that there would most likely be inflammation of the esophagus and stuff aroun...

Not Leaving Without An Answer...

Wed, 15 Aug 2012 23:45:56 EST

Life + Lemons = Lemonade...
Sprink + Pain = Hospital+Tales

Yeah, I know I was just two days ago for excactly the same thing. Kinda what happens when you come looking for an answer, get none, and go home in same shape you left. Sorry, there was no way I was waiting till my surgeon got back on Monday to get this chest breast shoulder back neck pain thing diagnosed and dealt with.

If ther...

ChestPain BreastPain ShoulderPain 8 Hours in ER

Tue, 14 Aug 2012 06:02:49 EST

I AM OKAY, so let me start with that. I woke up yesterday morning with an elephant stepping on my breastplate bone, the pain shot throught to my back and radiated out sharply to my upper arms, shoulders, and up the sides of my neck. Every breath hurt immensely... I thought I was having a coronary.

8 Hours, three pain shots, and a CATScan with contrast showed nothing more than what might be fluid or scar tissue on my esophagus. I was sent home in almost as much pain as I arrived ...

76 Days Of Success! Sprink's down 71 lbs...

Tue, 14 Aug 2012 00:11:05 EST

No elaborate video blog this time friends, just a simple picture that pretty much speaks for itself. So much has changed so quickly that even I have a hard time believing that this all happened to me. This was indeed meant to be. So many things had to happen in such a timely manner, that only God himself could be the Captain my journey, and I thank him every day for these blessings.

I did learn a few ...

Sprink's Bi-Polar Express, It's A Balancing Act

Wed, 8 Aug 2012 15:24:27 EST

[ Coe College Graduation Day 1986 ]

This journey I am on was 47 years in the making. I didn’t become overweight over-night, nor expect such rapid results. My life had become a dangerous blend of mediocrity and annoyance whenever reality interrupted my existence. I thought had prepared myself for the Vertical Gastric Sleeve surgery by my complete disassociation from food. No mourning or planning out “last-m...

69 Days 67 Pounds Gone - Celebrate With Sprink!!

Mon, 6 Aug 2012 21:40:45 EST

I'm throwing a Vlog Party your way hope to hear from you soon. - "Sprink"

You Define Your Future By What You Do Today

Wed, 1 Aug 2012 03:00:05 EST

This is my last 72 hours, unplugged. My story while not unique shows how I chose to deal with a "life-emergency" and how grateful I am to have SparkPeople in my life.

Magic Healing Cookies

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 18:02:54 EST

On our way into Church yesterday my cousin tripped and hurt her knees. Nothing serious but badly bruised. She's managed through the service and then my aunt brought her home and iced her knees down.

I had company this weekend, so I had alread intended on baking my famous cookies for them, but my mission changed after my cousin's mishap. I was making them for her, because she loves it whenever I bake.

While I can make my famous cookies from scratch blindfolded and hand...

60 Days Of Change - How SparkPeople Changed My Life

Fri, 27 Jul 2012 19:29:15 EST

My life has changed in so many amazing and wonderful ways over the last 60 days I would like to celebrate this milestone by thanking SparkPeople and my SparkPeople for all they have done to make this day possible.

EFFIEANNIE was my "spark" and after she told me about SparkPeople (2 days prior to surgery) I signed up immediately. Within hours of signing up I had already met a dozen new friends - all with ...

Hero-ing and The Secret To A Life Well Lived

Mon, 23 Jul 2012 10:30:03 EST

After reading my latest video blog MIDNIGHTER1 a SparkFriend of mine called me his hero. Wow – nearly knocked me off my feet. I’ve been called many things in 47 years but this was a first. I’ve got a lot on my mind so I will be revisiting this event often. Teachable moment:

How you choose to live today impacts more than you may know.

We all have the ability to be heroes to our friends and even complete strangers. Most of the time you won’t even realize it when you ...

Celebrate 50 Days Progress With Sprink!

Fri, 20 Jul 2012 09:23:03 EST

Pretty big milestone here so I thought I'd do it up right this time. You all have been so supportive of my Blog - THANK YOU - I am tearing down walls put up long ago, it's my pleasure to meet you and share my Inspirations, insights, and family too! Thank you for taking the time to view this -
Hugs and Pickles Always, Your friend - "Sprink"
(p.s. don't forget to click LIKE, and if you want to share this with your friends, please do, I'd love to meet them too!)

45 Days Later, 50 lbs Lighter, Life in Pictures

Sat, 14 Jul 2012 00:46:45 EST

Wow, I can't even believe it's been 45 days already. Here's an update of my metamorphosis from the beginning to my current weight of 270 lbs. To put all of this in perspective, the clothes that I am wearing today have not graced this body since the mid 1990s (and they are loose!). Three weeks before my surgery I had an incident where my blood pressure spiked at 276/167 necessitating an ambulance transport straight to the hospital. Today my blood pressure was 106/81 and I no longer need to...

Sprink's First 38 Days Success Journal

Sat, 7 Jul 2012 03:53:43 EST

Video Diary of the 38 Days Followinghttp://i.creativecommons.org/l/by
-nc-sa/3.0/88x31.png Vertical Gastric Sleeve Surgery

By Losing It All I Came To Know A Better Me

Fri, 6 Jul 2012 02:45:01 EST

I have lived many good lives in my first 47 years and have lost my fortune more than once. Shortly after fortune #2 departed my physical and mental health booked earlier flights to get away. That's the back-story to this Blog.

I survived the last five years because my roommate wouldn't let me "go" and my family has stood by me through it all. Through it all, and I don't know how to explain it, I always knew that God would provide for us, and that is exactly how things have happe...

Take Not One Thing For Granted...Reflections From My American Independence

Wed, 4 Jul 2012 09:21:55 EST

"Take Not One Thing For Granted, Reflections From My American Independence"

Most of us probably have memories of cookouts, fireworks and town parades celebrating the 4th of July; and it seems we rarely even use the term Independence Day to refer to the holiday celebrating the birth of our country. Why do you think that is?

For me the reality of my American Identity started in the first gulf war. I...

Sprink's Banana Bag to Basketball 24 Hours

Wed, 4 Jul 2012 04:17:03 EST

Sprink’s Banana Bag to Basketball in 24 hours

My original title for this blog was “My I.E.D.” – not a reference to Improvised Explosive Device, but close. I wanted to talk a moment about my battle with Intermittent Explosive Disorder, and how it reared its ugly head yesterday after a stress and joy filled roller-coaster of a weekend.

For over a month now my father has been visiting from Flo...

The Price Of My Honesty

Sat, 30 Jun 2012 01:27:46 EST

Since it has been a few days since I blogged, I was really looking forward to telling you about the scale dipping down to 276 for two days, since I weighed in above that today I will postpone the 50 lb milestone jubilee.

Instead I need to talk about what is on my mind at this moment - and that is a person whom I used to think of as a friend (that I met on a chat site TOTALLY unrelated to SparkPeople). A...

Sprink's "Go Pork Yourself!" Moodswings - Day 24 Post-Op

Sat, 23 Jun 2012 19:52:51 EST

I would be lying to you if I said it's easy staying positive 24/7 because it's not. Although what's happened over the last few hours is over, and I have finally calmed down, I wanted to share this cautionary tale about trying to cook dinner for my family.

I started out the day productive and positive, and decided to give in to my Dad's requests to have Pork Sicilian Style for dinner. So I shopped and returned with the ingredients, and unpacked them. Then out of nowhere, I just f...

Sprink's Gotta "Lose to Win", Day 22 Post-Op

Fri, 22 Jun 2012 00:22:39 EST

I needed to get this written down before the SprinkSpiration leaves me. There is so much more going on with my "being" than the nearly 40 lbs I have shed in 22 days. Sure, I understood my decision to go forward with the Sleeve was going to require a total diet and life-style change. What I didn't realize is how much impact all of these changes would have on my mind. Since Effieannie told me about SparkPeople it was like setting something into motion within me. I'm meeting new people, an...

SprinkleChez Day 21 Day Progress Video Blog

Wed, 20 Jun 2012 14:31:59 EST

Like myself, this Video Blog is the first I have attempted and is a work in progress... Thank you for sharing your journeys with me and I look forward to sharing mine with you. Anything is possible, just look at how far we've come this far. Enjoy!

"Sprink" 213