Hey, friends! If you’ve been reading my blog for a few years, you will remember that I have a very close friend, Vicki, who I went to high school with and we have been best buddies for many years.
I featured her several times on fashion posts for the full figured gal and today I’m sharing more of Vicki’s story. I know you will love hearing from her again, this time even more from the heart on what she’s been through over the last few years, life’s ups and downs. Along with all of that, Vicki has been on a quest for weight loss and I’m so excited to share her amazing journey.
Just as a reminder, here are a couple of shots from 3 years ago when Vicki was a guest on my blog with some fashion over 50 posts.
Vicki loves shopping at thrift stores and has found many things over the years to add to her closet. I’m sure she will continue shopping thriftstores at times, but now her size has been altered and as she mentioned back then shopping in the Women’s department, now she’s shopping in the regular department, size 14.
Here’s Vicki 3 years ago, a pretty lady.
And here’s Vicki now! I can’t wait for Vicki to share her story and I hope it touches many of you too. If you have struggled with weight issues or anxiety, you’ll relate to Vicki’s story.
Here’s Vicki…….
Thanks to Rhoda for allowing me to share my heart with her readers.
The storms of life can pop up when you least expect it, out of a clear blue sky, bringing winds and waves of adversity. I felt like I was standing, firmly, on a white sandy beach enjoying the beautiful view of a calm sea and bright future when, BAM, a huge wave of change rose up out of nowhere and crashed into me. The forceful wave pounded me down onto the ocean floor strewn with sharp rocks and broken shells, bruising my faith. Just when I got my footing and stood back up, BAM, a huge wave of loss and disappointment hit, knocking the breath out of me. Again, I fought to stand up, but more waves came, one after the other, each one stronger than the last. Finally, I was carried out into the deep, lost and alone, where sharks of worry, depression and fear lurked, seeking to devour me.
This sounds a little dramatic, but it’s how I felt as I tried to “stand” against waves of change and loss during one of my life’s storms, the greatest in 24 years. While many of our challenging circumstances were natural life events, they occurred within a relatively short period of time. I won’t bore you by expounding on my list of trials and tribulations, but Rhoda suggested I mention them. I’m sure many of you have experienced some of the same, and many of you have experienced much worse.
January 2016-February 2018
I began treatment for dangerously high cholesterol levels.
The shape of my nose changed after basal cell carcinoma surgery.
Our younger son graduated from college (9 year plan) and moved an hour away.
He married a wonderful young lady 3 months later, both joyous occasions!
My husband required 2 surgeries after an injury.
Two weeks later, our beloved 15 ½ year old Weimaraner died.
My precious 79 year old mother-in-law with Alzheimer’s moved from her home of 36 years two hours away to an assisted living near her daughters.
My 84 year old mother with Alzheimer’s was hospitalized 3 times in 6 weeks, and survived pulmonary embolism.
We celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary and our 60th birthdays.
Our older son and daughter-in-law and their 4 children, ages 1-6, moved 17 hours away from their life long home in North Georgia, to West Texas where he accepted a position at a huge church.
We closed on the sales of both our parents’ homes in the same month.
I experienced some concerning symptoms and assumed they were caused by the mental and emotional stress of the past year. But they progressed and after research, I determined the debilitating muscle pain in my quadriceps was most likely caused by the statin drug I was prescribed in January, 2016. I alerted the prescribing physician and halved the dose.
We traveled to West Texas to visit our son’s family.
Symptoms/side effects persisted and I discontinued the statin and returned to the one I had taken previously without any negative side effects. Quadricep pain disappeared but not the most serious of symptoms. .
My brother and I had to make a very difficult decision regarding our mother’s health.
Texas crew came home for Christmas, 2017.
During 2016 and 2017, my husband was dealing with his own challenges regarding his business, surgery, loss of our sons, our dog, his hobby, etc…In January, 2018, he was diagnosed with severe anemia. After numerous tests did not reveal anything ominous, I finally told him about my symptoms.
On Tuesday, February 27, 2018 I heard from God.
Yes, I heard from God. Not in an audible voice, but He spoke to me very directly that day. My anxiety level had reached an all time high. I had an appointment with our internist the next day to discuss my persistent symptoms of dizziness, upset stomach, and problems with short term memory and speech. At that point, I had concluded I might have dementia caused by the statin drugs and blamed myself for not losing weight to lower my cholesterol. Guilt and shame added insult to any real or presumed injury I faced.
That morning, I shared my fear with my dear friend Carol, a strong woman of faith. When I began the blame game, she cut me off, saying that was a lie from satan and I should not look back but forward. Her encouragement reminded me of the scripture, “satan comes to kill, steal and destroy, but I come so that you may have life ‘more’ abundantly”. John 10:10.
Later I listened to a Christian program I enjoy in the mornings. The message was on 23rd Psalm and how the sheep would stay stuck in the same place until parasites took them and the land over! The message was to JUST MOVE. Well, I had been stuck in a rut of poor eating habits resulting in obesity for much too long! It was time for me to “move”.
After lunch, I took a short drive to the library and flipped on the radio. The very first words I heard were about addiction and how we must push through the discomfort of withdrawals from drugs, alcohol or food (New Life Live Broadcast). Hmmmm….Back at home, I prepared dinner and fretted over the webinar I planned to attend that night. It was an orientation about a weight loss plan I had experienced success with years prior, but fear of failure kept me from trying again. After dinner, I turned to the daily devotional from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young.
Keep your eyes on Me! Waves of adversity are washing over you, and you feel tempted to give up. As your circumstances consume more and more of your attention, you are losing sight of Me. Yet I am with you always, holding you by your right hand. I am fully aware of your situation, and I will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able to bear. 1 Corinthians 10:13
Your gravest danger is worrying about tomorrow. If you try to carry tomorrow’s burdens today, you will stagger under the load and eventually fall flat. You must discipline yourself to live within the boundaries of today. It is in the present moment that I walk close to you, helping you carry your burdens. Keep your focus on My Presence in the present.
Wow! This devotional spoke directly to my anxiety and temptation with food. A wave of peace washed over me. On the day of the orientation webinar, and the day before my doctor’s appointment, God used 4 different “messages” to minister to me in a very personal and specific way. My husband noticed the improvement in my demeanor. When I tearfully shared what happened, he agreed I’d heard from God. After the webinar, I committed to the health plan.
Appointments with my internist and later a neurologist concluded my worrisome symptoms were not related to the statin drug but caused by the stress of the past two years! I felt immediate relief in my mind and body. Overcome with emotion, I told my husband I felt God had given me a second chance to live a healthier lifestyle.
I began my weight loss program the next Monday, March 5, 2018. Less than 4 months later, on June 28, 2018, I saw my internist again. I had lost 40 pounds and my blood pressure was the lowest ever. (I’d never been treated for hypertension, but this was the lowest BP reading I could recall.) My cardiac health risks were much lower and my internist recommended I discontinue the statin drug! Woo hoo! I had been on a statin since I was 50! God truly touched me, giving me the self discipline to work the plan as needed to lose the weight quickly. I give Him all the glory for my success. I have not weighed this weight in 24 years.
My Weight Loss Plan
Most any weight loss plan will work if you work it, but as I aged, plans that had worked for me before, no longer worked, or maybe I just didn’t work them! This plan is different in that it teaches how to combine foods for efficient fat burning. It’s scientific! Why had I never heard of this before? Other components of the plan include portion control, timing, journaling, support from fellow members and staff, exercise and spiritual enrichment. While I am blessed to live near a center, I have worked the plan completely on-line, on my schedule! I enjoy encouraging relationships developed through our Facebook group. We have members located across the U.S. and in other countries.
If you’ve struggled to lose 10 or 100 pounds, what do you have to lose but weight by trying this plan? You are worth the effort of improving your health and taking back your life. Trust me! If I can be successful working this plan at this age and stage of my life, you can too! This plan is affordable and enjoyable using grocery food; doable and sustainable as a life long lifestyle. Here is the link to the plan that has radically changed my body, my life: https://www.myshibboleth.com/sponsor/vickidavis/
If you’d like to contact me about the plan, please leave a comment here or on my blog, Mother Moms Musings.
God bless you all as you strive to “stand” up against the waves of life’s storms and in your pursuit of life “more” abundantly!
Thank you, Vicki! I’m so glad you stopped by today to share your heart with my readers and I know that someone’s been blessed today because you shared. I hope you all will leave Vicki some comments and tell her what a great job she is doing. I’m SO proud of my friend! We have had different health journeys over the years, but aging is not a one size fits all program, is it? I love Vicki’s story and how God intervened in her life to give her the tools when she needed them to get on the weight loss path and stick with it.
We’re going shopping for new Fall clothes for Vicki soon and I can’t wait to see her in them!
Thank you for sharing your struggles and successes with us – Very inspirational – and a wonderful reminder that we can’t do everything by ourselves
Hi Terie,
I’m glad you were inspired by my story. God bless you and yours! Thanks for commenting.
Vicki
Wow, that was a powerful story. Your strength inspires and amazes me. What you lost in weight you gained in spirit. Congratulations!
Hello Sharon and thank you for your encouraging comments! My spirit has definitely been lifted as I have grown in The Lord and gotten healthier. God bless you as you pursue life more abundantly!
Vicki
Vicki, I am happy for you girl! I know you must be feeling so much better and you look amazing. You are an inspiration to all of us, truly.
We went through some very trying times like you have described in the course of three years- a few years ago. We kept very quiet about most of it and I too had some of the weird symptoms you described. It’s terrible what stress can do to your body! I learned that sharing the burden with a friend would have helped but it’s hard to do that sometimes.
I’m going to write down the specific scriptures and quotes you shared because they are perfect for the “dark days”. That’s what we call that period of time we went through.
Thanks for sharing your story and inspiring us!
Hello Stacey,
I’m so sorry you have experienced such “dark days”. I normally share openly my good and bad times, but over the two years of dramatic life events and changes, I could only talk to a couple of very close friends. I didn’t tell anyone my fears regarding my health because I kept thinking they would go away. I finally shared with my s-i-l and she encouraged me to tell my husband. I hadn’t told him, again, thinking stopping the medication my symptoms would go away, and he was dealing with a very serious health problem. As soon as I told her, my anxiety decreased and continued to decrease once I told my husband and the 2 physicians. All that to say, talking to the right people can help. But I also didn’t want to burden anyone with my ongoing list of disappointments. There will always be others who are suffering much more than us and I surely don’t want to burden them with my pain when theirs is so much greater. I draw strength from others’ inspirational stories, so I’m glad you were inspired by mine. I have been turning to The Word more and more as I get older and life gets more unpredictable! Thank you so much for sharing. God bless you as you pursue your life more abundantly! Vicki
Vicki,
Thank you for sharing your story. It is amazing what we can handle when we are givin no choice.
Last Tuesday life was going great and I get a call that my husband had passed away. Now myself and our children are trying to figure out one day at a time. Thank you for sharing the devotionals, they are very fitting. My doctor told me recently to “Manage your stress, don’t let it manage you” I am listening as I don’t need my children to lose another parent. Keep up the great work, you are worth it!!! God bless.
Oh, Dana, I’m so very sorry for your loss. We will lift you up in prayer and bless you!
Dear Dana,
I cannot imagine such pain as you have experienced with the sudden loss of your husband. My problems pale in comparison. The closest loved one I have lost was my sweet daddy who lived a healthy 80 years and did not suffer. We spent 7 weeks together knowing his time was near. Therefore, I cannot relate to such a loss but will pray for you to have comfort. When I lost Daddy, someone shared https://www.griefshare.org/dailyemails with me. I’ve also heard good things about Grief Share groups. Please try to take the necessary steps to help yourself. When a very close friend of mine lost her husband suddenly when she was 52, she stayed in the house, mostly in bed for several months. She finally got up and out with her son, to a guitar class at the local university. That led to her taking an art class and she is now a professional artist, sells her work, and also has developed a hobby business. She keeps her grand baby several days a week and enjoys her work, living a full life that I didn’t expect after her loss. God bless you friend. I am so very sorry. Prayers and hugs your way! Vicki
My dear, dear friend, Vicki – you look absolutely stunning. I am so dang proud of you. Thank you for sharing your story of faith – this will touch and inspire so many. You are a remarkable, talented, kind and beautiful person. I love you.
Hey sweet friend,
You’ve always been so encouraging about my writing efforts. Thank you for your thoughtful comments! I so appreciate Rhoda for allowing me to share with her readers. Love you and hope to see you soon! V
Vicki, thank you so much for sharing your journey with us….it was very moving! I could identify with the emotions you were feeling when one wave after another knocks you down. The same thing has been happening in my life, as well, especially ER visits and health issues with aging parents and the loss of much loved family pets. And, thanks for telling folks about Jesus Calling…it is my daily devotional, too, and it is amazing how often the words on the page seem directed solely to me and what I’m going through in my journey. Congratulations on your weight loss and coming off the statin drug! 🤗 Hope the waves will lessen and there will be smooth sailing ahead!
Hi Susan,
I’m sorry you’ve been dealing with your own waves of adversity. For me, care giving Mom is more difficult than burying my sweet Daddy. The emotion involved of watching our parents decline can be overwhelming. I had never bonded with a dog until our Dixie. We knew her time would come any day and are thankful she did not suffer at all. But…I had no idea how deep the pain of loss would be. I surely don’t mean to compare losing her to losing a spouse, parent or child, just that it was a surprise. Yes! Isn’t it amazing how Jesus Calling speaks to you and your need! I cannot imagine writing like she does, truly anointed by God. I really appreciate your comments of encouragement. God bless you as you seek life more abundantly!
You look amazing Vicki! All of your outfits look great on you but I especially like the red top and black pants. I am glad to hear you are bouncing back from all the ups and downs of life. Keep on keeping on, you are going great!
Hi Lynne,
Thank you so much! I feel great! I really appreciate Rhoda allowing me to share with her faithful readers. Everyone has been so kind. I’ve never bought a lacy type top like the cherry colored one. I shop by color first and that vibrant pinkish red jumped out at me. I probably wouldn’t have even tried it if I had not lost 40 lbs! Yes, I am bouncing back. Thank you! When the next big wave hits, hopefully not for a while, I plan to reflect on this time when I “made it” through. God is good! Bless you as you pursue life more abundantly! Vicki
Thank you for sharing! I know the waves also.
Thank you Gina. Yes, if we spend much time on this planet, we will experience them. God bless as you weather any life storms that come your way. V
Wonderful story!! And Vicki looked wonderful before and after–such a sweet pleasant face–comes from within, I’m sure!! Stay healthy!!
Awww Brenda, You’re so sweet! Thank you! I do feel so much better now. God bless you as you pursue life more abundantly. Vicki
Vicki, you are beautiful inside and out! I love that you give God the glory for your success.
Also, I clicked onto the link for your blog and your first post about your anniversary encouraged
me. Thank you for being transparent to others! God Bless You!!
Hi Sandy and thank you so much for your encouraging comments! Rhoda told me about the date of my wedding anniversary blog post being August this year when it was actually DEC 2016! I’m new to blog land. I had revised it so it posted the revision date. I’m glad you found inspiration in that post. I give God the glory for our long time marriage as well. Your thoughtful comments mean a lot to me. I appreciate you taking time to check my “hopefully developing more soon” blog. Until then, God bless you with life more abundantly! V
Hello From Texas!
Hey dear girl, let me say that you look so beautiful and radiant! God’s Love shines through.
Golly, I was so saddened to hear that you had so many things going on at once. This life is like that some times. It would overwhelm us without Jesus.
I hope that you enjoyed your trip to Texas. Texas gets in your blood. There is another couple from Dallas, GA that moved to Bastrop Texas. Their Son is a Minister of Music for a large church. They were like us, their other Grandchildren were grown so they decided to move closer to the younger Grandchildren. We have been here for two years and have never regretted the move.
Thanks for sharing on Rhoda’s blog. She came to see me in March and I so enjoyed having her here with me. She is a dear friend. I know that you know that. You ladies have a special bond.
Much love to you Vicki. God Bless You!
Judy
Hi Judy,
You are so sweet! Thank you for your thoughtful comments. Rhoda loved her visit with you. I’m glad you are so happy in Texas. I told another reader that I’m partial to our rolling hills and beautiful trees here in Georgia. We do plan to visit our son’s family at least 1 x per year and they are coming Christmas. But our younger son and his wife and our mothers are here, so no plans for moving from Georgia or the southeastern U.S. Our younger son moved an hour away but returned to our side of town only 10 minutes away! They will probably have a baby in a year or two. Maybe our Texas crew will return to the SE sometime in the future. The stormy seas have calmed for me and I’m looking forward to cooler weather and fall colors, my favorite season. So good to hear from you, Judy. God bless you and Paul! Enjoy those grands! V
Thank you for sharing your story. Sometimes life really gets us when we’re already down, but it looks and sounds like you have fought your way back up. Good for you. I know how hard it is, as, I’m sure, do a lot of readers here. And that cobalt blue top is stunning on you!
Hi Alison,
Yes, the stormy seas are much calmer now! Rhoda asked me to share what she had watched me struggling through, knowing many of her faithful readers could relate. Thank you for your thoughtful comment. I love cobalt blue!!! I just had to have that tunic! No matter how much I weigh, I will always like tunics! LOL! Thanks again and prayers for an abundant life for you and yours. V
Vickie is beautiful inside and out. Her story is similar to mine. I also started Shibboleth 4 months ago and have lost 38 pounds. Praised to God…
Hi Jane,
That’s soon exciting that you have lost weight on Shibboleth also, and almost the same amount during the same time frame! Wow! I have stayed within a couple pounds of my lowest weight since July 15 and it’s time to lose more pounds. My new short term goal is to lose 7.6 pounds by September 30. I will then be at the healthy BMI my internist recommended. Yes, praise God for Shibboleth! Do you live in North Georgia? If you’d like to chat about our mutual efforts, please feel free to email me. [email protected]. God bless you as you pursue your life more abundantly! Vicki
You look wonderful! I’m so glad you shared your story here. You have a new lease on life!
Thank you so much Renee! I do feel like I have a new lease on life! I’m so thankful to God for touching me and for the plan! Thanks for commenting! Bless you! Vicki
WOW… can’t say how much this post blessed me this morning!!! Thank you for sharing…..
Thank you Terri! I’m so glad you were blessed. I’ve been very blessed by the many thoughtful comments from Rhoda’s readers. I appreciate Rhoda allowing me to share here. Blessings to you and yours! Vicki
Thank you Vickie for sharing this wonderful post. Your are a pretty lady with a beautiful soul.
Hello Sue,
Thank you! You are so sweet! I’ve really enjoyed hearing from Rhoda’s readers and appreciate her allowing me to share with you all. God is good! Blessings to you Sue! Vicki
Vickie you look beautiful. So happy for you and I am so blessed to know you
Hello Bobbie,
Thank you so much for your sweet comment! I feel great! I miss seeing you and maybe we can meet for lunch sometime before Christmas, lol! Hope you’re doing well. Bless you friend. Vicki
Ditto what Terri mentioned in the above remarks! I, too, needed this post and especially this morning! Thank you so much for sharing and continued success!
Hello Carol,
I appreciate your and Terri’s comments so much! I’m glad the post was timely for you. God’s like that!
I’m thankful for the opportunity to share with Rhoda’s readers. She’s always been very supportive of my writing efforts. Bless you! Vicki
Congratulations Vicki…..you look beautiful! And younger! Thank you for sharing from the heart.
Wow Toni! You sure know how to make a girl feel good! Thank you! I feel younger! I want to try some things I haven’t done in a very long time, lol! I bought a new swimsuit and actually wore it on the beach last week, and had my picture taken in it! Living on the edge! God is good and I am blessed. Thank you for your thoughtful comments. Vicki
What a beautiful lady you are, Vickie! The plan you mentioned sounded familiar, and I believe that it is similar to the Thrive plan, also by Travis Martin. It is an excellent way to lose weight and I’m so glad you found a way to heal yourself. God moves in mysterious ways!
Yes, Ellen, MyShibboleth is the new and improved Thrive by Travis Martin. I also worked Thrive and had great success, but my mom had surgery that dramatically progressed her dementia over night and I became a care giver. Any time for myself was limited and my emotions were reeling! MyShibboleth is bigger and better and Travis and his team are amazing! The plan is first and foremost a ministry and the cost for an annual membership is minimal. I am so thankful I have learned how to enjoy life in a healthy and nutritionally balanced way. Thank you so much for sharing your experience! To God be the glory!