Where the heck are you guys?????

OK, Kymber just had surgery so she's excused, but when you guys are busier than I am and can't post, there's something seriously out of kilter here. I got an e-mail from Gail Gameron the other day and she is doing well. She's become a realtor so that's exciting. Just like the rest of us, she's fighting with some rebound weight and struggling to get it off. OK, here's my update: I'm seriously swollen since plastic surgery and my kidney's aren't handling the fluid well. I'm on Lasix now, but it's not really taking care of the problem. My pcp thinks I have about 10 to 15 pounds of excess water weight. I'm going to continue on the Lasix for another week and if things don't get better, I'll probably have to see my kidney specialist. The business is taking off and I'm teaching a class every weekend. My sister is also teaching a class during the week. I'm pulling together a curriculum for Law Enforcement so hopefully we'll get into that market. Speaking of LE, still seeing The Man. I'm really proud of him because he's lost about 60 pounds since November. I was skeptical because how many times have we all tried to lose weight in our lives, but he's doing really well. He started exercising a couple of weeks ago so hopefully, he'll make a great lifestyle change. As for my exercise, I've got to go ahead to start light exercise, but I'm worried about what that will do to the swelling. Any extra movement seems to make it worse. I'm going to give it a shot and see what happens. I miss exercising and can't wait to stop feeling like a slug. I'm in training all week and they feed us an obscene amount of food. Breakfast, snack, lunch, snack. I try to stick with fruit at breakfast, fruit for snack, protein and salad for lunch and cheese sticks and nuts for the afternoon snack. My choices aren't too bad (except for the Rice Krispy bar yesterday), but this is way more food than I'm used to and I'm having a hard time not grazing. Add the snack stuff to the water weight and I don't know what is fat and what is water. The salt in the cheese and nuts aren't helping the water retention, but it keeps me out of the cookies and candies. I get made fun of at lunch because I load up my plate and make a very small dent in it. My mission in life is to waste food. Granted I'm loading the plate with salad and protein, but I'm still wasting food. Can't seem to get a grip on plating portions these days. Got a letter from Kathi the Murderess yesterday. She's in prison now and they are trying to decide whether to send her to max security because of the nature of the crime or send her to medium security. She's gone. The woman that I knew just doesn't exist anymore. After just a few months in jail, I could see changes in her that were brought about by jail culture so she sure isn't going to be the person I knew after prison. OK, on that happy note, I have to shower and get to training. Let me know how you guys are doing. Hugs, Connie

Connie, I think it may just be you and me these days! (and our eagles!) Watching them pig out gives a visual of myself overstuffing my pouch! I'm sorry that you are finding that you have lost your friend Kathi as well as her husband. So sad. I'm glad that your business and love life are doing well. I hope that your water retention problems go away--that is no fun!! I have so much positive in my life, but I'm fighting depression. I think too many family losses in too short a time. But I know that I will pull out of this--just giving myself some time. One thing I've learned over the last couple of years is to give myself the same concessions and kindness that I would offer to someone else. That has been hard for me--I have been programmed to take care of everyone else, but now I realize that if I don't take care of me, that I have nothing to offer to others. Keep posting--the rest of the gang will return! Joy

Wow Connie....15 lbs of water weight is quite a lot. Hell, it's a lot for a 300 lb woman, much less a slight little thing like you are now! Is it concentrated around your incisions or just all over? Lasix is one of the more strong diuretics, isn't it? I'm surprised it's not doing it for you! Hopefully they will be able to kick your kidneys back into gear. I'm not really worried about you too much, but still it is worrisome nonetheless. I know I've been so out of the loop lately and Joy was kind enough to email me to tell me to get my butt in here and post. I have let my emails stack up in my inbox and some have been waiting for a very long time to be attended to. I generally find myself checking the Q&A daily digest that comes in my email from OH and responding to a few things here and there but generally I've been out of the loop on a lot of things lately. As for me, I always battle the same 5 lbs but I don't freak out and consider it gain though. It's the same stinking 5 lbs over and over so I've accepted it as my pattern. I'm trying to gear myself up to actually lose more weight here soon. I think I've taken enough of a vacation and although I know it's not typical for wls patients to not lose more in the honeymoon phase and then try to take off another 30 or 40 later, I've never danced to the beat of the same drum everyone else tends to, so this is somewhat befitting. I hope I will be able to gear up to lose the rest but I've been pretty complacent. I haven't really exercised for about a year or so, so I know if I just started walking again I'd probably lose 10 lbs fairly quickly. I just need the focus and motivation to start in. I feel it coming on though....hopefully soon. I'm really dying to get into a solid size 14 rather than riding the cusp of 14/16. I'm so thankful that you guys are solid rocks here on the board because it is definitely home for me and I need this place to come back to from time to time even if I'm not posting every day anymore. I worry that even the regulars will soon become discouraged and stop posting, but who can blame any of you if you do? You get from it what you give, and I haven't given a whole hell of a lot lately. As for pics - I think it's time for updates from everyone....myself included. I have no full body shots taken recently and the most recent of me is 20 lbs heavier. So I guess I better do it, huh? ;) I do have a new "head shot" that I took the other day to show my new "do." It's just that I went blonde again after being brunette all winter. I'm striped, but you can't tell in the photo so much. You can see it on my website/blog at www.javajabbers.com. Connie, Joy and Maureen who I know is out there somewhere....thank you so much for being our rocks here! Dina

I'm horrid....I left the boys out of being rocks! Mike, Ken and everyone else who checks in frequently - I meant to include you all! You know who you are! D

Dina, Great picture! You look FAB!!! Joanie

Oh thanks Joanie! To be honest I'm thinking of having another one taken because I've realized just how big it makes my beak look! No, I don't h ave a dinky nose, but hmmmm, didn't think it was quite that large! LOL! Dina

'Bout time you showed up! Thanks for posting! Sounds like your are doing great! Joy

Ahhh, I'm here, I'm there, I'm everywhere. But it takes me awhile to make the rounds! Dina

Hey - I'm still here. I'm completely out of control with just about everything in my life right now, but I still come here at least once a day to check in on everyone. Not to concentrate on the negatives, but here's my life these days: 1. Failed marriage that is taking freakin' FOREVER to become final 2. I have my dream home on the market that has been for sale since 9/1/05 and still haven't gotten an offer 3. I'm stuck with paying the mortgages, expenses, et al 4. Only working part-time at Starbucks because I don't have anyone to watch the kids, and if I had to pay anyone to watch the kids, I'd probably spend more paying them than I make (but at least I'd have unlimited caffiene!) 5. I sat in front of the TV the other night after having a minor meltdown and pity party and ate almost an entire box of Pepperidge Farm cookies. 6. I'm "seeing" a guy who lives 1000 miles away and I'm realizing that long distance relationships are hell! 7. My kids are out of school for the summer and I'm at a loss as to what to do with them to keep them busy and out of my hair. I'd take them to the pool, but the thought of me donning a bathing suit makes me want to hurl (hmmmm - not a bad idea maybe!). 8. I just had to put 4 new tires on my TrailBlazer yesterday. A $750 expense I can't afford! 9. My washer and dryer have decided to breakdown on me. It would cost more to get them fixed than it would to buy new. 10. I haven't found a full-time job even though I spend hours out on the internet searching, applying, networking. It ain't working! 11. My soon to be ex has found an awesome job with great pay and a cushy title and corner office. I still have yet to see a single child support payment. 12. There are days that I don't even want to get out of bed, but I force myself to for my kids. 13. I won't go near a scale, but I know I've gained about 30 pounds since the beginning of the year. Shorts that fit last year I can barely zip. It's so depressing. I just want to stay in all summer and never be seen. On a good note - since I feel totally out of control with just about everything right now, I decided to go and get a new "do". I had 4 inches of hair cut off. I feel better already (I wish hair weighed more!). This guy that I'm "seeing" loved my longer hair, but I was pissed off at him and decided to rebel. Guess it could have been worse, huh?!? OK - I bet you wish you would have never heard from me. Kind of a buzz kill, huh? That being said, I do feel better for ranting. Where's Reenie? Ken? Mike? Hellllooooooooo????? Love you guys - you are my touchstone. Now beat me over the head. Hugs -W-

Wendy-- Wish I could make it better for you. I think we all have more than our share of struggles, but we (I'm talking to me especially!) have got to stop trying to solve it with junk food! That really takes a bad situation and makes it worse. Let's try to take one day at a time. For today, lets both spend a bit more time moving, get outside if the weather permits, and eat protein first. We all hoped that WLS would fix everything that was wrong in our lives. Well, that wasn't reasonable, so it is up to us to start on the other things, one piece at a time. Could you start a babysitting coop with some friends and neighbors, to trade babysitting without cost?? Could you plan and sponsor summer outings for groups of kids and charge parents to raise some cash? Do you have any work-at-home ideas? You have the solutions--you just need to tune in to find them! Keep posting! Joy