The Alveolar Bone Graft

10 years and 7 months have passed since we first learned about the long road ahead for Holly.  Once the first 3 surgeries were over, it's been a lengthy, plodding road to this hopefully final procedure: The Alveolar Bone Graft.

To tell you the truth, one day post op, it's almost anti-climatic. I'm grateful, very, very grateful. The surgery went as planned, unilateral graft (so stitches on one side not two) and a tiny lip revision which will require three stitches to be removed. No sweat. After all in the time between the last palate surgery, we (as parents) have shepherded one child or another children through an 8hr dental procedure, a tonsilectomy and 4 wisdom teeth pulled at once.  A two-hour bone graft with stitches at the front of the mouth is so much easier than tonsils. So far, I know days 2 and 3 after surgery are hard. Still compared to the waiting; anticipating the scary idea of harvesting bone and grafting it into place hovering somewhere in the near future for so, so, so very long, We are all relieved to have this over.

The long road part came in the yearly visits to the cleft clinic. There was one year when surgery for speech was recommended and after careful consideration we opted not to do that. So far, Holly's voice is clearly understood and no other mention of  speech problems has ever been brought up. Then we skipped one year in between because there were no changes in Holly's progression. Next came years of  "Is it time for braces yet? Not this year, maybe next." Not this year maybe next. Not this year....you get the idea. And when braces finally did happen, the question for the last 18 months has been, "are the teeth in place yet?" First we thought surgery was going to be in December, then maybe April but it took 2 months to get on a calendar to pull a tooth and so...July, 2018 was the magic date.

Walking has not been as difficult as we thought. She has been a trooper and was up and ready to move right after we got into her room at Baptist. She didn't go far but did walk. Once the IV's were out she was ready to be free to move. So much better than we anticipated. She has taken it easy and being 10 helps a lot too. She can tell me when enough is enough.

Soft foods were a little more challenging. If it could be all dairy, then no problem. Over soft mac-n-cheese, mashed potatoes, ice cream, yum!  But that wouldn't be good for anyone. We worked in some almond milk smoothies and soup was good too. Holly was so glad when we got to step up to slightly firmer foods, like toast and pancakes.

Now we are 2-weeks post op. Still no swimming and 4 more weeks of no contact sports (no injuries to her mouth). Some stitches remain. Grateful beyond measure this was scheduled for summer. Even though no swimming has been a bummer, we've manged. Keeping my eye on the calendar for our last check in with the doctor and so ready for this is to be completely O-VAH!

Thank you to everyone who has prayed us through this journey!<3 nbsp="" p="">

Stress and Weight Gain

Have I mentioned that the back to school season is an extremely stressful time for me? Not because anything in particular happens now but because August is when school starts. It's when we stopped home schooling, when Holly two medical procedures, all in all tough times during this season. It has left a lasting impression on me. It's called the Anniversary Effect but that is a discussion for another time. Anyway recognizing this stressful time has empowered me to be prepared to react in healthier ways!

Today, I wanted share what I have learned about Stress and Weight Gain. It's the gut/brain connection in action. You probably already know that when you are stressed out, you eat. What I have discovered is that this is not just a mental thing, it's a physical reaction. I am slowly recognizing that stress actually makes me feel hunger. I mean, put your hand on your stomach and on a scale of 1 to 10 how hungry are you? And that feeling during times of stress is not reliable for me. I can eat breakfast and one hour later really think I am hungry, even though I should not be!

Elizabeth Scott, Stress Management expert for the VeryWell wesite explains some effects of stress on weight gain. One of which is how stress effects your metabolism:

Metabolism

Do you feel like you're prone to putting on more weight when you're stressed, even if you're eating the same amount of food as you always have? Too much cortisol can slow your metabolism, causing more weight gain than you would normally experience. This also makes dieting more difficult.

What does this mean when I step on the scale? It means I am probably not going to lose weight.The good news is it doesn't mean I'm going to gain either. There's a BIG HUGE IF right there. 

IF I move more during stressful times

IF I make better food choices during stressful times

IF I am consistent with my Plexus supplements (to help regulate blood sugar and reduce cravings)

IF I wait between meals

IF I drink water

Sharing this here with you in the hopes that you can change the way you react to stress with real actions. If you are interested in learning more about Plexus could help, send me a message on Facebook, Peggy Fisher.  Or you can read about Plexus here.

Gut Brain Axis

The whole gut/brain connection is really, really important to understand. Stress directly effects your weight and shape. If you are already making good choices and already exercising but not seeing results, this is something to consider. This article  doesn't include a Probiotic as a key to overcoming stess, but I believe probiotics have made a huge difference in my healing from the inside out. The author does mention how a magnesium deficiency can lead to food cravings!

The Biggest Loser

11 years ago, it was season 2 of The Biggest Loser. I remember looking at a female contestant weight and thinking, "That's what I weigh. Is that what I look like?" Of course I didn't walk around in spandex....but still. It is some small comfort to me to read this article about how your body actually does change the way it processes food once you lose large amounts of weight. Dr. David Ludwig's quote, "that shouldn’t be interpreted to mean we are doomed to battle our biology or remain fat. It means we need to explore other approaches”, gave me Hope that I needed to try a different strategy, what worked before was not going to work this time. #tryplexus #whatif#PlexusCouldChangeEverything #icandomore

How's that working for you?

At last there is progress towards emptying out the abandoned house next door. I feel for those owners and who ever is actually working inside that house. It made me thing about how hard change is and that reminded me of Dr. Phil.

So a 11 years ago I lost 70 pounds on a portion control/spiritual weight loss program. Yay! That was great! I said then and I will say it again now, you must find something that works for you. There is no one way to lose weight. Focus on what is working for you, and if it's not try something else.

Once the Adrenal Fatigue set in, what worked before did not work anymore. At. All. And every single pound came back. It took me a long time to change my thinking to match. Although I was seeking answers, seeing doctors, googling, in the back of my mind there was this fear. I was afraid I could feel worse. I was afraid to waste money, I was afraid to fail.

And then there are the answered prayers that overcome my fears. I think sometime my absolutely weakest prayers are the ones God hears, the ones that I whisper full of doubt. I remember praying for an answer to my struggle with weight 11 years ago and the phone call I got from my sister saying, "Let's do this."

This year, once I overcame fear and actually tried Plexus, I remember praying about being an Ambassador on the way to ECU orientation this summer. When my complete-stranger-roommate-for-one-night pulled out a bottle with the Plexus label, I could not believe it! What are the chances?

My goal this time around is to Make Good Choices, and if my weight drops, so be it. I feel better and can do more, and that is soooo worth every penny!
#howsthatworkingforyou #dontwait #PlexusCouldChangeEverything#icandomore

What does Healthy mean to you?

It took me about 3months of reading Joe's Plexus journey to healthy to be brave enough to try to change. What if this could change everything? And it has for me! Old habits are hard to break but the support of these supplements has pushed me to be better than yesterday! And that is my healthy!! #icandomore #plexuscanchangeeverything

Sugar and Adrenal Fatigue

Tuesday means the baking begins in earnest over here. That means there will be sugar e.v.e.r.y.w.h.e.r.e. Cake scraps, cake batter, frostings, fillings. This is not the place to hang around if you are trying to choose healthy. Even so, I LOVE my job as a Cake Lady!! Thank you Plexus for helping me help myself!

A little reminder for my day: Insulin is the mother of every other hormone in the body!! If things aren't working in your body, try balancing your blood sugar and see what happens! Because of high sugar diets most people have some level of insulin resistance….that means your cells quit noticing when your pancreas release insulin. It's like walking into a loud room - at first your ears hear the noise, but after an hour or two you don't really notice the noise any more.
Plexus Slim helps balance blood sugar, which may in turn reduce cravings and binge eating. Plexus products are about helping your body achieve a balance so that it can function as intended. Often times as a consequence of this balance, people can naturally let go of excess weight.
✅ We don't have an energy drink...we have a drink that helps you gain natural energy by balancing your blood sugar.
✅ We don't have diet pills...we have probiotics and natural supplements which help balance your gut and decrease sugar cravings. Plexus is about getting healthy NOT about getting skinny. It's NOT a FAD. It is however HELPING THOUSANDS of people, no matter what their age, gain control over their HEALTH and FEEL their BEST!

New Goals

Just got back in town from Myrtle Beach and saw this post from Joe Harris. Had to reshare because 3 months ago, I had no energy to think about eating healthy, moving more or drinking water. Sleep was sketchy too. This rang true for me! Healing from the inside out has made a huge difference every day.

Plexus is NOT a REPLACEMENT for drinking hydrating water, eating healthy food, body-moving exercise, or getting a good night's sleep!!

Plexus IS a SUPPLEMENT system. By definition, it completes or ENHANCES something. In fact, I wasn't very good at ANY of those four things before Plexus. But now? I'm balanced from the inside, and it's the support system my body needed to encourage me to do a lot more of all 4 of them.

Sugar Cravings

Resharing from Joe Harris because this is so part of what I have experienced. I thought the sugar, especially chocolate, cravings were just a cross to bear.

Imagine your body as an imbalanced washing machine. It's not going to run smoothly again until you stop and re-balance what's in it.
Your body is a powerful machine and when it's out of balance, it's hard to control (I was there way too long). Exercise is great, diet is great, together they are better, but here's the kicker -- you'll still have cravings until you re-balance your gut. Only THEN will you get the full results of your healthy diet and exercise.
#guthealth #plexuscouldchangeeverything #oneofthereasonswhyiloveplexus

Energy Level

The absolute best part of this Plexus Tri-plex has been the increase in energy. Over the last few years, the kids and I both began to cringe when I said, "I'm just really tired. " I knew their reply would be, "you're always tired." In the last three months I have done more, felt better and said, "Yes" more than I have in years! I wasn't here telling you how great going decaf was 4 years ago but I am telling you today that Plexus can make a difference!#tryplexus #icandomore