I'm glad you are doing well, I know what you mean about not wanting to loose anymore. Hang in there with your recovery! Dianne

Hi gang, Recovery from spine surgery is going well. I am striving to get weaned off of the fun meds - which I am other than sleepytime. I'm starting to get out more often, but still require a lot of resting time after any form of activity. I've dropped 10lbs and am down to 186. I am not eating much, and I'm positive I've been losing my hard won running muscles (my legs look so depressingly unripped now). So, how's this for a change of pace - I'm upset that I'm losing. I really miss running. I get to start taking walks today. School is on hold until next semester. No way to make it back in a healthful way. But, I'm keeping a positive attitude for next semester. Mostly I'm trying to learn how to cope with knowing that my back condition is permanent - in the sense that I have a tendancy to have disc problems more frequently than others. I can't say enough how thankful I am I had my WLS - because this back problem really is the one that debilitated my mom and lead to a huge amount of the neurological problems that helped her become immobile - which let her life-long eating disorder do its magic to help her become SMO. . .which started the catastrophy of diabetes-heart disease-congestive heart failure-etc. that is her current body. I'm trying really hard to forgive her. It wasn't enough I got her Eating Disorder and asthma, now I have her horrible back too. . . It makes getting calls from the nursing home like I got on Halloween telling me that she ate candy and had a 490 blood sugar so they're giving her additional insulin, MUCH more annoying. For the record unlike my diabetic mother- I didn't eat any candy this halloween. Not one damn piece. Just my lovely SF candies - and I didn't really have any of those as "special". I will cop to baking a SF pumpkin pie, with homemade whipped creme and a SF Apple Pie this week. Mostly that's just trying to make myself interested in food - which I'm just plain not. I had a close run-in with my food plan this week. My primary rule is: Thou shalt not have refined sugar. My local Whole Foods store has a new cookie that has in HUGE letters across the front of the package that says 'NO REFINED SUGAR!" . . .(it's sweetend with juice (organic cane, and apple juice). The sugar content was within my allowed volume - but I didn't eat it. Thought about it - checked in with 2 people to see if it was a good idea. . .even got permission from one, sniffed the cookie, then decided that it just wasn't worth it (had a friend eat a bite of it - she said it really wasn't worth it.) Apparently I'm verbose this morning. Hugs to all, ~Lara Healing from spinal surgery

I have taken many many photos myself and have gone to the Doctors. My plastic surgeon never asked me for this information. I'm going to see him this morning to find out what he suggest to provide. I can't imagine them turning down me down after seeing these disgusting photos. They are quite embarassing. I'm not the most articulate person in the world and I hate having to write this letter of appeal because I'm afraid I won't be able to convey my true feelings and how bad this skin is. I get so depressed when I check out how many people who get approved for a TT who have not lost nowhere near as much weight as I have. I'm trying not to be jealous but the green eyed monster is really getting to me. I keep thinking that the 10lbs of skin would put me at goal. I'm really struggling with my depression again which in turn leads me to EAT like a PIGGGGG!

I have been dating again since August. Friday night I had a date with a very nice man, who actually called again (Yeah). It is the first person I have really liked. It brings up a host of questions, when do I tell him about the surgery, etc.? Any suggestions? Dianne

Hi Beth, I was wondering about you. Glad you are ok. I'm still loosing (YIKES). I was trying to eat lots of nuts to keep from loosing more and they started giving me migraines so now it's no nuts. I'm so limited in what I can eat because of the migraines, milk allergy, etc. Anyway, I'm trying to make sandwiches to bring to work everyday so I can have a snack. Glad your back. Dianne 340/135