Come Update!!

Hello ladies. Jaci's update made me wonder about many of you! What's new and exciting in your life, how are you maintaining your weight, new job, career, lover etc... So, come share. I am sure there are a few lurkers reading the board daily and just decide not to post because I am one of them. I'll go first.. I am pretty content with my life right now. I LOVE my job and the new friends that I have met since moving back to charleston. I'm still single and sometimes I hate it and sometimes I miss being in a relationship. Even though it's been over a year since I've seperated from my partner, I still miss her. On the flip side of that, I am a dating fool! I need to write a book entitled "The Do's and Dont's of dating". I seem to be way more picker than I use to be and refuse to settle for just anyone. My weight.. My lowest weight is 181 but I gained up to 191. My old and terrible eating habits were returning, especially at work. I do good all day but when I get to work, I eat junk. For a while my weekend rule was working great for me... I'd do good all week by watching carbs, no sugar and drink plenty of water then on the weekends, I would allow myself to splurge a little. It got to a point where I couldn't stop splurging on Monday, Tuesday and etc.. I'm slowly getting back into my normal routine by planning and keeping a food journal. I'm now 187. As you all know, I have 2 hernia's and my first appointment about getting them repaired was yesterday. She refered me to a Plastic surgeon for an abdominal plasty so they can be both done at the same time. My first PS consultation is on the 15th!! I'm pretty excited about that. I'm so ready to get rid of this skin. Summer is coming fast and I've got a lot planned. I'm going to carowinds at the end of the month with my family and I'm excited about riding rides for the first time in years! I'm going to visit friends in Atlanta in June. In July we are going camping and I'm taking my daughter to her first big concert in charlotte, NC to see Jonas brothers and Avril Lavigne. Overall, life is good! I miss the board so much and just want to let you guys know that I think about you all often! I hope everyone is ok!! Take Care Kay Ok, NEXT!!!!!!!!

Awww, I spurred an update roll call! Yay!!!! Good luck at your consult, Kay! Ask allll the questions you can think of, nothing is a bad question- be prepared!

I've been posting ... just wanted to say HI!

"What's new and exciting in your life, how are you maintaining your weight, new job, career, lover etc... " Nothing is very different in my life but here are the updates. 1. My FIL has been in and out of the hospital 3 times since January. My MIL is exhausted with running after him. Pray he lives to my son's Bar Mitzvah in December! 2. My son (now 12) joined the track team at school and is throwing discus and shot-put. He enjoys it and I'm thrilled. Neither DH or I are athletic so this is wonderful for him. 3. My daughter (16) is taking her AP US History test today. If she does well she will have college credit as a sophmore in HS, Yeah! She and I are both working at a Day-Camp this summer, no sleep-away any more. 4. There are going to be major job cuts at DH's work so we live in fear/anticipation of the hammer coming down. 5. My weight is up from my lowest of 157, bouncing around 165 give or take 4 #s. I'm addicted to nuts and seeds. I make a mix of Soy nuts, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds (all unsalted) and keep them in my car. They keep me from eating Little Debbie cakes. I'm sorry that I've turned into a lurker but my life is just too boring to comment on. Love you all, RobinNJ

It's the lurker from Pennsylvania . Things here are hectic as we have commencement tonight and tomorrow - so I am dealing with all the logistics of that. I absolutely love the whole 'pomp and cir****tance'. Check out Dr. Reinhart in her academic regalia on my profile . I fell off the Diet Coke wagon as I lasted about a day and half. As several of you know, I have a cranky bladder and my urologist and I hoped that cutting down on the Diet Coke would make it less cranky. I had an InterStim device implanted for my bladder in October and now the leads/electrodes have shifted, so it is not working. I'm going back in on May 22 for some surgical adjustments and 'reprogramming'. Keep your fingers crossed (or legs in this case - LOL). My weight has stabilized between 118 and 125. It is about 10 pounds too low; but at least it has stopped. I still suffer with some fatigue; but it is better than it was. I finally am starting to feel better. I am fortunate that my skin shrunk with me - so I don't need PS....although I would love to have boobs again....I look like a 'boy' . If I don't get a chance to post before Sunday, Happy Mother's Day to all us moms...it truly is the hardest job you will ever love. Rose from PA

Kay, Great to hear from you. Glad you are starting your plastics. What a wonderful time! I am getting ready for the summer. Having out of town company in the next week so I am cleaning like a mad woman! Teresa

HI Kay, I miss your and April's daily food post, I know I did not post but I promise I always read them. About me, Well I am down 500 lbs, I am so happy! I have 35-40 lbs of excess skin and slowly will have that all removed. I hear now all the time you are to skinny (yeah lol, I just let it go). I now work for my surgeon (who I love) and I love my job I really know what it means to love what you do, I love getting up in the morning to go to work I hate leaving work. I work 6 days a week. I LOVE IT! On the home front, we are trying to get Pregnant, it is not going so well, I have been off birth control since October and we have had no luck as of yet. I miss the activity of the board, I wonder what happen to the ideal of getting together for a reunion, I was going to try to come this year! Miss and Love ya all, Melissa

I will go next and say it has not been very pretty for me as far as my eating plan and exercise. I will know tomorrow how much I gained because I will finally weigh myself. My clothes are getting tighter and my muffin top is over flowing. I was denied for plastics and kinda used that excuse to wallow in self pitty and giving myself reason to abbatoge my success. Tomorrow is a new day for me and I will conquer my trouble. Kay my daughter is also going to see Jonas Brothers but it will be in August in Buffalo! Have fun and I miss all of you too. Hugs, Chris

Ok, I have been maintaining my weight at 150. I really would love to loose another 10-20 pounds, but I cant seem to commit to the rules! It really frustrates me and when I get frustrated.... I eat... the more I eat, the more I get frustrated. Do you see the vicious circle? I work 12 hour shifts. 4 weeks of night shift and then 4 weeks of day shift. I can only work out at the gym on my days off. I work a 2-2-3 shift, which means that I only work 2 days in a row with 2 days off, and then I work a 3 day week end. I get a 3 day week end off every other weekend, which is not too bad. Nothing new in my life... no new babies (thank goodness), no new marriages, no new jobs or plastic surgery... which I really want to have. My insurance denied me, and I cant afford to self pay at this time in my life. I do not feel good about myself due to the sagging skin and the "girls" are a not a pretty sight! if you know what I mean. For my summer plans, we are going to Kitty Hawk for a week, and I CAN NOT WAIT!!! We rent a beach house with my husbands sister and her family. We always have a great time. Tootles!!! Cath

Hi Everyone! I'm still alive, and doing well... Glad to see all my Brothers & Sisters here and living their post-WLS lives! Here's a not-so-short update on me: - After living in my Mother-in Law's basement for 10 long months, we finally moved into our new house in late November. About 12 years ago, my wife and I bought the smallest, crappiest house in a fairly up-scale shore town for next to nothing. Last year we tore that 900 sq foot shack down and put up this custom modular 2-story: http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i229/Gyrofork/House.jpg I no longer have to worry about possibility of all the mold in that leaky old basement making my daughter sick. Honestly, I don't know how anyone could swing buying their first home in this crazy market, now. Thankfully, my wife talked me into buying that old house back then... We could NEVER afford to buy now... no freakin' way. - Went to my 20 year High School Reunion... For anyone who was fat in school, and has now lost weight, I HIGHLY recommend it! For fun, I ditched my name tag right away, and it soon began... I had only 2 conversations all night... but I had each one about 50 times. Conversation with every guy: "A.J.?!?!?! Holy s#@!, dude... I think I gained what you lost! And all that hair... I hate you!" Conversation with every woman: "My friend and I have been talking all night... did you go to school with us?" - Yeah, I'm A.J., We had English together, Junior year. "A.J.? Oh My God... Are you Married?" Here's a pic of me explaining to a woman who never gave me the time of day back in High School, why I won't go back to her hotel room with her! http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i229/Gyrofork/20thReunion.jpg - Triathlon has become a huge part of my life... I spend a lot of time training and I'm having a great time swimming, biking & running. I've made a bunch of new friends all with similar goals... A far cry from the unsavory characters I used to spend time with! In January, our Triathlon club had it's annual awards dinner. I was honored with this year's "Heart of the Club" award. Presented to the one athlete who most exemplifies the spirit of hard work, dedication and sportsmanship. It was a proud moment for me... Never in my life would I dream that I could attempt to do the things that these athletes do, let alone be condsidered an equal. Later in the evening, after a few drinks, the club president forced me to get up and play with the band!: http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i229/Gyrofork/Jamminw-billyhector.jpg In early June, I will compete in my longest event ever, a Half-IronMan (1.2 Mile Swim / 56 Mile Bike / 13.1 Mile Run). This is just one more step to my ultimate goal of completing a Full IronMan (2.4 Mile Swim / 112 Mile Bike / 26.2 Mile run) sometime in the year of my 40th Birthday. (2009) http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i229/Gyrofork/Devilman08Run2.png So, the 2 year surgiversary has come and gone, and this still holds true: I can't begin to say enough about what having WLS has meant to me and my family. I would have this surgery over and over again every year if that's what it took to stay healthy... that's how much I believe in it. If you've read this far, thanks for paying attention to my ramble. This is all stuff that I probably would have posted here and there, as it happened over the course of the last few months if I hadn't been out just living life! Be Well, A.J.