Month 2!

Sunday marked 2 months since surgery!  I am done 45 lbs, which is an amazing number for just 2 months in.  My weight loss has slowed this month as month one I lost 31 lbs and this month just 14, but it is still 14 lbs closer to my goal!!  

Month 1/Month 2

With my weight loss slowly this month it has messed with my mind a little.  I started to weight myself more then once a week.   Before I knew it, it quickly turned into once a day, which is something they really encourage me not to do.  My friend Linda told me to walk away from the scale and to trust the journey I am on, it is just hard!  I worried I was doing something wrong when the scale didn’t move and I let my thoughts get carried away.  I am terrified of once again failing.  I have tried so many times to loose this weight, from what I hear it is natural to worry like this but that doesn’t make it any easier.  The biggest thing is to keep going and to keep following the plan that I have been given.  I have stuck to my diet and have not cheated, not even once!  That is 2 months with no soda, no bread (other then at church for the sacrament), no chocolate or sweets (I don’t count my chocolate protein shake because lets face it, it is not chocolate!), no pastas, and no high carb foods.  This in and of it’s self is HUGE for me!!  It isn’t easy by any means as I still crave all those things, but I am 100% committed to this weight loss.  

The things I have noticed this month is clothes that were tight are much looser and I am able to start wearing some of my XL shits vs. the XXL shirts.  Most of my jeans no longer fit and just look sad and saggy.  I have one pair that fits just right and 2 pairs that I should be able to fit in sooner than latter.  By March I have a feeling I am going to have to go through my clothes and clean out my closet. 

(My snow pants were so tight last year I couldn't button them up last year, this time no problem, the pink jacket was so tight it didn't fit at all, this time I was able to wear it!)

It is getting easier to find food that is healthy and taste amazing!  It is also getting easier for me to find healthy things to eat when I eat out such as asking for a burger with no bun.  The biggest is making sure I am prepared for the week and have food that I can take to work.  

My first unwitch, it was amazing!

My naked taco I made at home, loved it! 

BBQ salads from Panera

Cheeseburger with no bun, I was only able to eat a little more than half of it.

  

My energy is getting better and I am finally eating just enough to start going to the gym.  I am still worried about passing out or pushing myself to hard so I signed up to work out with a trainer for 6 months who is familiar with the surgery and what I eat.  The first two months I will work out with them 2 times a week, then once a week after that.  I start next Tues and I am excited to be back in the gym!!  I really hope we are a good match as I have had both good and bad ones in the past.  I also hope that this will help me tone up and keep loosing weight at a good pace. 

  

I am hoping that month 3 is when I really start feeling myself let go of the negative thoughts and can embrace each and every pound I loose a little more.  Bring it!     

6 Weeks

On Tuesday I hit 6 weeks out from surgery which marked when I could start eating more "normal" foods and it meant it was time to go back to work. 

 

I had my 6 week follow up with the doctor and the nutritionist was Monday.  The doctor says I was healing well and I was on a good track.  My total weight loss so far is 38 lbs which is crazy and amazing at the same time.  The biggest hurtle I have is I still don’t have a lot of energy and what energy I have is quickly whipped out if I do anything physical.  My doctor ordered blood test and everything is looking good but my iron is low so that could be part of it.  Another part is while I am doing better with my food I am only eating about 300-400 calories a day when at this point I should be up to 500-600.  After talking with my nutritionist she gave me some really good pointers on how to get those numbers up. 

 

Once I get those numbers up I can start working out and building my muscle back up which will also help.  I went ahead and bought a gym membership and starting in February I plan to start working out with a trainer once a week for 6 months.  They (my bariatric team) would like me to be working out consistently 5 times a week for 45-60 mins a day.  With my food I haven't tried anything new new yet because I need to go shopping, but I am excited to add more fruit and vegetables!  There are still foods they want me to avoid such as corn, celery, pineapple, grains, concentrated sugary food, and I need to remove tough skins such as from apples and cucumbers.  I still crave foods.  My brother ordered a pizza from Chicago Connection (my favorite place) last night and it smelled heavenly!!   The biggest difference is I didn't take even a small bite where if I had been on a regular died chances are I would have stolen a piece.  For one I don't want to take the chance and make myself sick where before I didn't have to worry about that.  For another I am happy with the progress I am making and I am more than ready to get myself healthy and keep that progress going.  Monday I was also handed my doctors note clearing me for work. 

(my last few mins of freedom!)

 

Tonight was my first night back to work.   I have had mixed feelings about coming back to work.  So much so that it stressed me out.  Having 6 weeks off was nice, and it was such a good break from the stress of dispatching.  It went way to fast.  Thankfully work went well and other then forgetting two of my passwords and having to have them reset everything else came back as if I had never left.  The hardest part is I am so use to day time hours I have to try and get my body and food switched around while making sure I get enough calories and protein to keep me awake.  Wish me luck!          

 

Winter Storm

In the valley we are breaking snowfall records right and left from the past 30 years!  

This weekend we are set up for the perfect winter storm, so much so they have already declared a state of emergency.  And for the first time since I can remember (or my mom) they canceled church due to weather valley wide.  

We have so much snowfall already on the ground and this weekend we are suppose to get even more coupled with freezing rain and possible flooding.  Idaho Power is preparing for power lines to snap and power outages.  The news did a story on ice dams building up on the roofs and so now when I see ice cycles on my roof I stress a little because I don’t want damage to occur.  

The kids have had 3 snow days in a row.  My dogs have loved playing in the snow but with below 0 temperatures this last week they don’t’ like to stay out too long as their feet look like they start hurting.  

The mall and businesses have closed down do to the road conditions.  As I type this more snow is falling outside.  The church leaders advised people to have extra water on hand and be prepared for power outages.  If the church leaders are asking people to be prepared you listen!  Yesterday Jen and I ventured out before the first wave of this new storm was to hit.  We headed to Fred Myer to grab some extra water and it was the craziest I have ever seen it.  We went at just before 11 am and shelves were clearing fast.  We were able to grab some water but there wasn’t a lot left.  Friends on FB were posting through the day of different stores they were at and each one was a mad house.  After we headed to the store we went to the movies and watched Hidden Figures.  It was amazing and inspiring!  It was an also perfect break that we both needed!  

When we got out of the movie the snow had started.  

We ran over to Petco so I could grab the dogs some food to be on the safe side.  By the time we got out of Petco the snow was crazy and getting deep fast!  We also stopped by the gas station to pick up a few extra lighters just in case.  By the time we got into my neighborhood the snow was the deepest I have seen it.  My car has done amazing well but for the first time I hit a snowdrift and was about as stuck as I could be.  Thankfully some amazing neighbors saw me and came to my rescue.  I cannot express how thankful I am for the neighborhood I live in!!  That evening I cleaned my house and hunkered down.  

I am worried about this storm but thankful to have a warm house to take shelter in.  My thoughts and prayers are with all the first responders, dispatchers, hospital staff, road crews, and Idaho Power crews who will be working non-stop to keep us save! 

Today as I woke up my thoughts turned to my ancestors and the pioneers and tears filled my eyes.  I am thankful that I don’t have to worry about an angry mob coming in the night and kicking me or my family out of our homes, forcing us to walk barefoot in the snow away from our homes as our bloody feet soak the white snow with blood.  I am thankful that I am not walking across the open plans in handcarts and having to watch family members and friends who became too weak and sick causing them to died, then leaving them buried in shallow snow graves.  

I am thankful I don’t have to stay in a quickly built shack that the winter wind tears though as all I have to eat is water down strew or hard bread.  I am thankful I don't have to worry about crossing ice filled river and streams.    

I can’t imagine all they went through and I am beyond thankful for their faith and strength.  It is a testimony to me how much the gospel means to those who went before me.  I am thankful I have found the peace the gospel has given me in my life now.  My ward has been amazing, I can’t count the number of times my driveway and sidewalks have been done by people in my ward and the love they have given to me.  

So while this storm is stressful I know I have so much to be thankful for and no matter what there are people all around me looking out for each other.  I am hoping and praying this storm wont be as bad as they say but I am prepared and that is all I can do.  

ISP K9 Dax and Cpl Cottrell

One of my goals last year for work was to ride with a specialty team and then wright an article on it for the newsletter.  I was lucky enough to go not on one but two rides with the K9 team here in D3.  It was all on my own time but so worth the experience.  I LOVED every second of it as dogs hold a special place in my heart and there is nothing more impressive then watching a working dog work!   Police dogs have won a big place in my heart and after my first ride with Dax and Cpl Cottrell I started to push for an Idaho K9 memorial for the 3 Police K9's who have died in the line of duty in Idaho.  Tragically a month into working on this large project Boise PD K9 Officer Jardo was shot and killed which has pushed the memorial into full swing.  

I will write more on all that latter.  As for now here is the article I wrote up for our work newsletter. 

The Idaho State Police currently employees 4 K9 Officers (all labs).  D1- K9 Ace with Cpl Kessler, D3- K9 Dax with Cpl Cottrell, D5- K9 Bingo who will be getting a new handler soon, and D6- K9 Apollo with Trp Peeples.  All four K9 Officers are drug detection K9’s.  I have always had a passion for police and military dogs and the more I have learned about these amazing dogs the more that passion grows.  Because of this I have craved to learn more about ISP’s K9’s and started to hound Cpl Cottrell every chance I got (which I am sure drives him crazy but he is always really good about answering my questions).  We decided the best way for me to learn about the program was to come on a ride and see firsthand how the K9 team works.  This is an article on what I learned about K9 Officer Dax and his handler Cpl Cottrell. 

Becoming a K9 handler was a lifelong dream for Cpl Cottrell.   As a kid he had a German Shepherd named Abraxas who he spent hours and hours training.  His dream became reality when Cottrell became partnered with K9 Dax December of 2013.  Cottrell, Kessler, and Peeples went to Pacific Coast K9 in Custer, Washington, to pick their K9 partners.  Dax was picked from a total of 9 different dogs and it was a perfect match.  From Washington, they headed off to Utah to attend an 8 week academy which came to 320+ hours of training together.  Once training was completed in Utah they came home to Idaho where the teams became POST certified.  Dax and Cottrell recertify every 12 months and are federally required to put in 16 hours of training per month.  Dax and Cottrell often train with other agencies which provides Cottrell an array of tools to work and train Dax with.  Dax is POST certified to detect Marijuana, Meth, Cocaine, and Heroin.  Dax was also trained to detect Ecstasy and Psilocybin Mushrooms when he trained in Utah.  Dax is a Passive alert dog which means when he detects drugs he should sit, or lay down, and stare at the target.  If the environment does not allow him to sit or lay he will then stand and freeze while staring at the target.  Dax’s reward for finding drugs is praise from Cottrell and his tennis ball, he LOVES his ball!  

To date K9 Dax’s largest drug locates have been 2 LBS of meth/1.1 LBS of Cocaine/ 65 LBS of Marijuana/plus user amounts of Heroin, Ecstasy, and Psilocybin Mushrooms. When it comes to searching vehicles with a K9, the courts have ruled that K9’s can sniff the “free air” around an item, such as a car, that is on a public roadway, or in an area that is reasonably open to the public without needing consent. If the K9 alerts, the Officer will then have PC to search the vehicle.  However, a traffic stop cannot be prolonged just for K9 deployment unless that K9 alerts on the vehicle.  

None of ISP’s K9s wear ballistic vests.  Cpl Cottrell advised it is his responsibility to assure that the location is safe before Dax ever gets out of his patrol car.  Most K9 ballistic vests are designed for Apprehension K9s, who are often deployed into dangerous situations.  Having a vest on could cause harm by Dax raising his body temperature and/ or cause him to get caught up on an object while on a search.  Cpl Cottrell is also trained in basic K9 first aid as well as ways to induce vomiting in case Dax ever ingests drugs or other harmful things.  Cottrell carries around a first aid kit just for Dax in his vehicle that his wife helped to put together.   While Dax thankfully has not needed it, it has been used to help another Police K9 from another agency that ingested a large amount of sugar free gum which is toxic to dogs. Their patrol car is specially made for Dax.  It has a “cool K9” device which vents A/C from the front vent of the car back into the kennel area. There is a heat-alarm which will activate a fan, rolls down the window and activates the emergency lights and horn if the ambient temperature rises past a pre-set level.  

In the back kennel area Dax has a bed and water bowl.  The widows have a cage around them so the window can be down but Dax is unable to get out.  There is a sliding door between the kennel and front of the patrol car that allows Cottrell to have access to Dax but is able to close it to keep Dax from getting in the front when Cottrell is out of the vehicle.  

When Dax is off duty he is very much a family dog and is a part of the Cottrell family.  Dax is very loved and lives a very happy and cozy life.  The one rule that everyone in the family must fallow is Dax is never allowed to eat human food.  This is done so that Dax will not sniff around and try to eat human foods when performing searches while in the field.  Dax is not only a drug busting pro but is also a great bridge between the Troopers and the public.  People light up when they see Dax and it opens the door for them to come and talk to the Troopers.  

(My nephews LOVE these two!)

I was able to attend a couple of PR events with them the DHE team and Dax including speaking at a high school class and going to a high school football game.  I was also able to the memorial service for Boise PD K9 Jardo with Dax and Cottrell.  

The public was invited to come and meet the dogs before the service begin and it was an incredible experience.  Each time people would eagerly ask question and want to meet Dax, they always seemed to leave with a smile on their face.  It was such a great way to show the positive side of Law Enforcment!!   

Dax is currently 4 years old.  Most K9 Officer’s careers can last 7-12+ years while the handlers may go through a number of dogs for as long as the agency allows up to their retirement.  Cottrell’s hope is when Dax is ready to retire he will be able to adopt him. 

While on my ride it was incredible to see the bond between Cpl Cottrell and K9 Dax.  They are truly partners and together make a strong and effective team.  If you were to ask Cpl Cottrell, he would tell you that Dax is one of the best partners anyone could ask for.  I cannot even begin to thank Cpl Cottrell for allowing me to become part of their team, even if it was just for a moment in time.  My passion for Police K9’s is now unbreakable and I am so grateful for all that they do.