Hello all! I've been gone for a minute but I'm back with a whole heap of "issues" for someone to fix. First, the most aggravating and STUPIDEST thing I've done lately...my husbands decided he was going to start dipping again but "just for a little while" he didn't actually come out and tell me I found a can of dip in his man purse (cooler). The next day he brought me home a pack of cigarettes. I can only assume this is a lets be stupid/bad together since I quit smoking over a year ago. I wasn't going to smoke them and then mistake number two happened, I had a mixed alcoholic beverage. Now, before anyone freaks just remember Elode is human! Mixed beverage along with lack of good judgment making skills = smoking cigarettes. Ok, so that's that. The pack is gone after two days and I haven't had any and refuse to go down that horrible path again so I'm not buying any and threatened physical harm to him if he brings any in this house. I've noticed that all day today I have been snacking, constantly! I believe it's from lack of having cigarettes so I'm pissed about that! On to the next issues. I have spacers in my teeth..FINALLY!!! I have a very narrow upper palate that I've been wanting fixed since I was young. We have started the long process of fixing the teeth for a "beautiful smile". Next week we are putting in a palate expander followed by braces. I'm so excited but my orthodontists is recommending that I have SARPE surgery (surgically assisted rapid palate expansion) since I'm an adult my upper palatal bones have fused so it would be faster and "easier" to have surgery AND maybe have my lower jaw moved back. I won't know until January so I'm pre-worrying as usually. I will have to have my mouth wired shut for up to 6 weeks. Blessing for my husband not so much for me. I'm worried about being on liquids for that long and looking sickly. Now I don't know if I should stop actively trying to lose weight or take my chances? Well there you go! One weeks worth of drama!!

Stay off the smokes!! But you know that...

Stay off the drink if it's going to make you smoke...(I'll not say 'stay off the drink' because I have a drink on occasion myself..)

Stop snacking...

Stop 'trying' to lose weight and, for a while, just be...

I know this seems like an overly simple reply to what is a complex post, but sometimes, if things are put simply, they can seem much less like big issues...

Good luck with it all @@Elode

_{See.. Deep down I do give a s**t...}

@@KindaFamiliar Thank you! I just don't know about the weight part because its not defiant yet that I will have the surgeries and it will be well over a month before I find out. January 5th I see that particular surgeon.

I will never smoke again! It taste like an ashtray that was nicely disguised once the drink took control of my senses. Note to self...you can NOT handle alcohol anymore! Ridiculous! Dang it!!! It was the ONE time I got to leave without the kids for a day!!! I wanted to celebrate!!

So you take six weeks or so off...

It's not like you're planning on gorging yourself...

Just relaxing your rules a little...

Give it a crack...

And if it's not working for you then try something else...

You're a young, healthy woman...

You're now in a position to experiment to some degree, especially knowing that you have all the right tools (mental and physical) to get yourself back on track if and when you need to...

You're a smart kid...

You'll sort your s**t out...

Oh, the cigarettes. I actually contemplated, just for a split second, buying a pack today. Now that I'm in maintenence, for some reason I've been wanting to pick smoking back up. Well, I KNOW the reason. It would keep me from wanting to eat! But I like being able to breath when I run, climb stairs, etc...so there's that....

As far as your surgery, yeah you need to stop trying to lose for now in anticipation of the prolonged liquid diet. Of course you COULD do milk shakes if you feel you're getting too thin

@@KindaFamiliar Well I hope so! I'm going to try to keep straight!

And to top off the aggravating night I asked my husband to bring me home SUGAR-FREE Popsicles for my mouth and what does he do? Brings home two huge boxes of regular Popsicles!! I'm just going to stay in my room!!! I'm sure my extra bi*chness is from not having cigs too! How hard is it to read the labels!?!

@@Babbs Ha! Don't do it!! And now I want a milkshake ;(

Well now I feel like an a**! I just went out to the kitchen to tell my husband his dinner was ready and my son said he left to take my Popsicles back to the store. Awww after he worked all day. I'm a horrible wife...waahaa

You look lovely. Are you sure you want all that mouth surgery? I know if it was something I wanted, there would be no talking me out of it...but I just have to ask because I just came from the dentist. I had cracked a molar over Labor day, and about a month ago they ground it down and put a temporary crown on it. Today I went back and he put on a permanent one. I feel like anything more would be too much, lol!!

Anyway, it you decide to move forward, I would say you'll be able maintain good nutrition while you can't eat. If you are like me, you might be able to gain on liquids!

Yeah, I would like to smoke every once in a while. I haven't smoked since I was in my 20s, but every once in a while I think it would be nice to keep from eating. However, I am pretty sure I NEVER want to pick that up again, and good for you not going down that path again.

Well now I feel like an a**! I just went out to the kitchen to tell my husband his dinner was ready and my son said he left to take my Popsicles back to the store. Awww after he worked all day. I'm a horrible wife...waahaa

Awwww. How precious of him! You'de better tell him thanks! What a sweet guy!

@@MichiganChic I do want to do it. My mom and husband don't understand it but they don't have my mouth. It's not something you can tell just by looking at me unless I smile really big. I didn't realize how much it affects. I'm a mouth breather, my voice is a bit nasally my teeth don't close all the way down except for in the very back ect... As of now my teeth are even with each other. I never realized that my top teeth were suppose to go over the bottom. I have wanted it fixed for sooooo long but it's expensive! We have good dental insurance now that actually covers adult orthodontics which is rare. My treatment plan price is just at $8000.00 my insurance is paying 5,000 so I'm going for it! That doesn't include surgery so I don't know what that cost will be but I have BCBS Fed and they are really good.

@@Babbs Oh I will! He has a big pot of ham & beans along with cornbread made for him!

@@Elode with all that, I would probably do it, too! I had an awful lot of ridiculously painful and expensive plastics that no one thought I needed either, and I'm so glad I did. It was worth it.

@@MichiganChic Well I want all that too! I'm a glutton for punishment I guess.