HELLO AGAIN ... LONG TIME!

A GREAT BIG, "HELLO" TO Y'ALL ... SURE HAVE MISSED YOU. &, A VERY SPECIAL "THANK YOU" TO MS VI, MS CELIA (CL) & MS JANE C FOR MAKING A SPECIAL EFFORT TO HUNT ME DOWN BY E-MAIL & ON THE SC BOARD! IF I MISSED ANYONE'S KINDNESS, FORGIVE ME & BLAME IT ON "BRAIN FART SYNDROME" BECAUSE IT HAS SO LIFTED MY SPIRITS HEARING FROM ALL OF YOU! EVEN STILL, DOC & I ARE STILL WORKING TO GET MY HEART MEDS JUST RIGHT, BUT WE SEEM TO BE PRETTY CLOSE NOW. I DIDN'T TOLERATE 1 OF THE NEW MEDS WELL AT ALL, SO HE DROPPED THE DOSE & HOPES SINCE MY BOD WILL BE USED TO IT, THAT NEXT FRIDAY WHEN WE INCREASE THE DOSAGE, I WON'T HAVE SUCH SEVERE SIDE EFFECTS. THIS WEEK, I'M HAVING TO INCREASE THE "BASE" HEART MED & THAT IS GOING WELL ... THIS COMING FRIDAY COMES THE MAJOR TEST FOR THE STRONG MED TO SEE IF I CAN TOLERATE THE INCREASED DOSE NOW. SO, IF ALL GOES TO PLAN, I SHOULD BE COMPLETELY BACK TO MY SASSY SELF BY THE NEW YEAR, BUT FEELING BETTER & BETTER EACH DAY ALONG THE WAY! NOW, THAT IS JUST TOO COOL. I WENT INTO A MAJOR STALL AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS HEART MED THING ... YOU DON'T LOSE TOO MUCH WHEN YOU CAN BARELY WALK TO THE BATHROOM WITHOUT LICKIN' THE FLOOR ... &, LAYING FACE DOWN IN YOUR PILLOW DOESN'T BURN MANY CALORIES, I FOUND OUT ... BUT, THE WEIGHT LOSS HAS BEGUN AGAIN SLOWLY ... SO, I'M THRILLED JUST BECAUSE THE SCALES ARE MOVING DOWN AGAIN!!! I STILL DON'T EAT MUCH ... STILL ABOUT 500 CALORIES IS ALL I CAN GET DOWN ... I STILL DON'T HAVE ANY APPETITE ALTHOUGH EVERYTHING TASTES EVEN BETTER THAN BEFORE SURGERY. I STILL HAVE NO DESIRE TO OVEREAT ... 2 - 3 OZs OF SOMETHING TEXTURED LIKE A HAMBURGER PATTY IS ALL I WANT. WITH ITEMS LIKE SOUP, I CAN TAKE IN ABOUT 1/2 A CUP. IS THIS NORMAL ... ABOUT WHAT ARE Y'ALL EXPERIENCING? I KNOW I'M A BIT SLOWER LOSING WEIGHT AS I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO EXERCISE AT ALL DUE TO THE HEART RATE ISSUE ... BUT, HOW MUCH ARE Y'ALL EATING, ETC. I'M 7 WEEKS + 3 DAYS POST OP. CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS DAWN & NICK SW 279.80 CW 240.40 LOST -39.40 GOAL 125 - 118

Hello Ms Lady D! I am glad to hear your doing good.Congrats on your loss so far!!I have been wondering about you since I haven`t seen you on in a while.Keep me posted on how your doing.I look forward from hearing more from you... Hugs, Melissa

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, MS MELISSA!!!!!!!!!!!! IT IS WONDERFUL TO FINALLY FEEL PROGRESS TO FEELING BETTER! I USUALLY POST 1st ON THE SC BOARD ONLY BECAUSE I KNOW MOST OF THE GIRLS PERSONALLY FROM OUR LOW COUNTRY BYPASS BUDDIES SUPPORT GROUP. SO, WHEN I'M A BIT POOPED ... AFTER POSTING THERE, I SOMETIMES DON'T HAVE THE ENERGY OR TIME TO CONTINUE TO OTHER BOARDS WHERE I ALSO HAVE SUCH WONDERFUL FRIENDS ... SORRY, I'M NOT SLIGHTING Y'ALL ON PURPOSE CUZ I HAVE CERTAINLY MISSED EVERYONE. WE HAVE SO MU*****OMMON & THERE IS SO MUCH GOOD INFO HERE SINCE ALL OUR SURGERIES ARE SO CLOSE. I WAS SO SURPRISED BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY "NEW" FACES ON THIS BOARD ... IT'S WONDERFUL HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THEIR LIVES CHANGED BY WLS! THANKS AGAIN, MS MELISSA!!!!!!!!! CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS DAWN & NICK

Miz Dawn, It's so nice to see your smiling face again after such a long while. I know you're still having challenges with your medication, and feel bad that you've been going through this trial. Hopefully the medication will work for you and you'll be able to tolerate it when the time comes. I hope you get your strength back soon. God Bless, Cheryl

OHHHHHH, THANK YOU SO MUCH MS CHERYL ... IT'S WONDERFUL TO BE BACK WITH Y'ALL AGAIN, LET ME TELL YOU!!!!!!!!! YEAH, MY HEART MEDS HAVE BEEN A BEAR TO REGULATE, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? WITHIN 3 WEEKS OF WLSurgery, I WAS COMPLETELY OFF ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL MY MEDS EXCEPT MY HEART MEDS & ACIPHEX. THAT WAS 12 DOSES OF MEDS A DAY THAT I NO LONGER HAVE TO TAKE ... &&&&&&&&&&, WITHIN ABOUT 5 WEEKS, I WAS COMPLETELY OFF ALLLLLLL MY PAIN MEDS, WHICH WAS ANOTHER 8-10 DOSES A DAY THAT I NO LONGER HAVE TO TAKE ... ALLLLLLLLLLL BECAUSE OF IMPROVEMENTS IN MY HEALTH FROM THE WEIGHT LOSS, BEING ABLE TO BE MORE ACTIVE ... &, CHANGING MY DIET TO OUR HIGH-PROTEIN DIET. SO, A LITTLE FIGHT WITH MY HEART MEDS DOESN'T COMPARE WITH THE FANTASTIC IMPROVEMENTS I'VE ALREADY EXPERIENCED. YOU KNOW ME ... I'M A TOUGH OL' BIRD ... I'LL GET THROUGH THIS BY PURE STUBBORNESS ... &, THE SUPPORT OF MY HUBBY & MY WLS FRIENDS!!!! CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS DAWN & NICK

You've lost 39 lubs. in under two months. I think that is awesome! Kathy

WELL THANK YOU, MS KATHY. I KNOW I WAS PLEASED ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING I'VE ALREADY HAD 2 STALLS ... 11 DAYS & 9 DAYS ... WITHIN THE 2 MONTHS. &, THE WAY I LOOK AT IT IS THAT ... ... I'M OUT OF THE 270s FOREVER ... ... I'M OUT OF THE 260s FOREVER ... ... I'M OUT OF THE 250s FOREVER ... &&&&, I ONLY HAVE HALF A POUND TO GO BEFORE I'LL BE OUT OF THE 240s FOREVER ... &, IN ONLY 2 MONTHS ... I'VE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO SAY THAT BEFORE EVEN WHEN I USED TO DARN-NEAR KILL MYSELF GOING ON STARVATION DIETS!!!!!!!! HOW MUCH HAVE YOU LOST? &, MORE IMPORTANTLY, HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED IMPROVEMENT IN YOUR HEALTH ISSUES? THANKS AGAIN & SENDING CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS DAWN & NICK

Hey Lady, good to see you and glad to hear you are better! I'm only getting in about 500 calories too. For a while there I had gone up to about 700-800 and then I stopped being able to tolerate things I ate before and I would totally loose my taste for food at all! Now I'm probably around 500 a day like you and no matter what I try, I can't seem to bring it up! But have patience, I do! I'm sure this will pass. BTW, I am 8 weeks out and have lost 44 lbs. I thought I was a slow loser too and then I realized that losing 20 lbs a month and keeping it OFF isn't something to take lightly! Don't do what I did and don't make yourself crazy comparing yourself to other people! We all lose it at a different rate and we'll all get to the same place eventually! HUGS, Vi

THANK YOU, MS VI ... I REALLY MISSED YOU, GIRL! WELL, THAT SETTLES MY MIND ABOUT THE CALORIES THEN CUZ I WAS WORRIED THAT MAYBE I WAS STARVING MY BODY ALTHOUGH I FEEL FINE IN THE FOOD DEPARTMENT. WHEN I TRY TO EAT MORE, I GET INIGESTION REALLY BAD ... PAIN IN MY UPPER STOMACH AREA ... & FEEL LIKE I AM GOING TO DUMP (NOT FUN). ALSO, MY POUCH DOES BETTER IF I "GRAZE" ON MY FOOD, TAKING UP TO AN HOUR TO EAT. I KNOW THEY TELL US NOT TO DO THAT, BUT MY POUCH ABSOLUTELY RESISTS BEING "FULL". I DIDN'T MEAN TO SAY THAT I WAS UNHAPPY WITH MY 39 # LOSS ... I'M ECSTATIC! &, NICK IS IN HEAVEN! EVEN THOUGH STALLS ARE FRUSTRATING, THE COOLEST THING HAPPENED ... I SHRUNK, LIKE BIG TIME. DURING MY 2 STALLS, I LOST 2 - 2 1/2 SIZES IN MY TOPS & 1 - 1 1/2 SIZES IN MY PANTS. NOW, THAT IS MAJOR COOOOOOL! REMEMBER ... SOMEONE SAID THAT WE WERE ON A "LOSE & SHRINK" DIET? I STILL GIGGLE AT THAT ONE, BUT THEY WERE RIGHT. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I'VE GONE THROUGH. NAAAAH, I DON'T COMPARE MYSELF TO OTHERS ... JUST USE THEIR SUCCESS AS A GUIDE TO MAKE SURE I'M NOT DOING SOMETHING WRONG THAT COULD HENDER MY PROGRESS. WE'RE DOING GREAT, GIRL ... WHEN HAVE WE EVER BEEN THIS SUCCESSFUL AT WEIGHT LOSS & STILL BEEN HAPPY TO BE ON A "DIET" AFTER 2 MONTHS? NEVER, FOR ME! CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS DAWN & NICK

DAWN!!! I have missed you so much!! Congrats on your weight loss!! I am down 52 lbs in 8 weeks. I am so glad to see you back!! Post more often!! I have my before and after pitures if you want them, let me know. Erin 292/240/130