I'M FINALLY MEDICALLY RELEASED, THANK YOU, GOD!

IN CASE Y'ALL WONDERED WHY I DISAPPEARED OFF THE OCTOBER BOARD, WELL ... IT'S BEEN A REAL STRUGGLE WITH MY HEART SITUATION & BOTH NICK & I WERE SICK FOR ABOUT A MONTH & A HALF OVER THE HOLIDAYS ON TOP OF THE OTHER MEDICAL ISSUES. I SURE DIDN'T WANT TO COME ONLINE DAY AFTER DAY & BRING Y'ALL DOWN OR SCARE SOMEONE ELSE WITH A HEART CONDITION. BUT, AFTER GOING THROUGH SO MUCH WITH THE HORRID SIDE-EFFECTS, & CHANGE AFTER CHANGE IN MEDICATION COMBINATIONS ... DOC SAYS MY HEART IS NOW STABLE & I CAN DO A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G, INCLUDING EXERCISE, THIS BEING 12 WEEKS POST-OP!!!!!!!!! WOWOWOWOW! DOC HAS GIVEN ME SOME LEEWAY WITH ONE OF MY HEART MEDS, DEPENDING ON MY HEART RATE NUMBERS ... ANY WHERE FROM 1 TO 1 1/2 TO 2 PILLS 4 TIMES A DAY. IT FEELS LIKE I HAVE SOME CONTROL OVER THIS CHALLENGE & CAN STOP STRESSFUL HEART ISSUES IMMEDIATELY INSTEAD OF HAVING TO WAIT FOR A COUPLE DAYS TO GET AN APPOINTMENT. THE LAST 4 -5 DAYS, MY STRENGTH HAS BEEN RETURNING IN LEAPS & BOUNDS ... MY MUSCLE WEAKNESS HAS DISAPPEARED & I'M UP & ABOUT LIKE I HAVEN'T BEEN IN DECADES ... FEELIN' PRETTY CLOSE TO "MY OL' SELF". I'LL TELL YOU, THE SITUATION WAS SEVERE & POOR NICK HAS BEEN HAVING NIGHTMARES ABOUT LOSING ME ... WAKING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT ALMOST YELLING "ARE YOU OK?" TO BE SURE, THE THOUGHT THAT I MIGHT NOT GET THROUGH THIS CROSSED MY MIND A COUPLE OF TIMES. BUT, WITH PRAYER & MY SWEET HUSBAND & PARENTS ... I JUST WOULDN'T GIVE UP NO MATTER HOW AWFUL IT GOT ... &, IT GOT AWFUL. NOW, FOR ALL OF YOU ... LET ME SAY THAT MY HEART CONDITION IS NOT, NOT, NOT RELATED TO OBESITY OR THE SURGERY. IT IS AN ELECTRICAL IMPULSE PROBLEM. IT CAN'T BE WORSENED OR HELPED BY WLS. SO, DON'T THINK THAT IF YOU HAD WLS WITH A HEART PROBLEM, THAT YOU WILL GO THROUGH WHAT I DID. NOT LIKELY AT ALL. I GOT MORE WONDERFUL NEWS WHEN THE RESULTS OF THE ECHOCARDIOGRAM & NUCLEAR STRESS TEST CAME BACK ... AFTER 25 YEARS OF OBESITY, MY HEART & ARTERIES ARE PERFECT ... NOT A PROBLEM TO BE SEEN IN THE MUSCLES, CHAMBERS OR WITH BLOOD FLOW THROUGH THE HEART. ALSO, WHEN QUESTIONING DOC ABOUT MY BLOOD/URINE TESTS, HE SAID THAT MY NUMBERS ARE BETTER THAN EVEN HIS ARE ... THEY ARE NORMAL OR BETTER THAN NORMAL FOR THE 1st TIME IN LITERALLY DECADES ... &, HE'S THIS SKINNY LITTLE GUY THAT COULDN'T HAVE AN OUNCE OF FAT ON HIM. SO, I WAS ECSTATIC TO HEAR THAT MY BASIC CORE HAD COME THROUGH SO UNBELIEVABLY WELL ... MIRACULOUSLY WELL! THIS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR & FIGHTING SO HARD FOR ... A SECOND CHANCE AT HEALTH & AN ACTIVE LIFESTYLE. I CAN'T REMEMBER WHEN I WAS LAST OUT OF PAIN & ACTIVE ... DECADES, I'M SURE. BUT NOW I'M THE BEST I'VE BEEN IN "FOREVER" & SO HAPPY I CAN'T CONTAIN MYSELF. THOSE NEGATIVE NAGGING THOUGHTS THAT TRY TO TAKE OVER YOUR LIFE ARE GONE ... &, I SEE BLUE SKYS AHEAD FOR NICK & I ... AS GOOD AS IT'S BEEN TO BE MARRIED TO HIM, IT'S GONNA BE EVEN BETTER NOW THAT I CAN BE AN ACTIVE WIFE & PARTNER IN LIFE. BEEN WORKING ON PAPERWORK ALL WEEKEND, BUT COME MONDAY ... I'M DOING A SPRING CLEANING IN OUR HOME LIKE I'VE NEVER DONE. ALL THE "OLD" THINGS THAT HAVE HAD TO BE PUT OFF BECAUSE I SIMPLY COULD NOT DO THEM ... I'M GOING TO TAKE IT ONE ROOM AT A TIME & CLEAN THE "OLD" OUT OF OUR LIVES SO THE "NEW" CAN COME SHINING THROUGH. ONCE I'M DONE WITH THE HOUSE, GARAGE, YARDS & PAPERWORK ... I'M GOING TO START A HOME BUSINESS & SEE WHAT ALL THE HOOP-LAH IS ABOUT ON AUCTION SITES LIKE E-BAY. JUST WITH THAT ONE STATEMENT FROM DOC THAT I WAS MEDICALLY RELEASED, NICK & I HAVE ALREADY BEGUN TALKING ABOUT THE FUTURE & OUR DREAMS TOGETHER ... THEY'RE ALL REACHABLE NOW. WHAT A BLESSING STRAIGHT FROM GOD. THESE ARE THE TIMES I'M SO DISAPPOINTED THAT JESUS IS NOT WALKING THE EARTH TODAY ... I'D HAVE BEEN ON MY KNEES "TOUCHING THE HEM OF HIS GARMET" & THANKING HIM & PRAISING HIM ... NOT THAT ALL OF US HAVEN'T BEEN DOING JUST THAT IN OUR PRAYERS & OUR WORDS! BUT, HOW MUCH BETTER IT WOULD BE TO SEE HIS FACE WHEN WE'RE SO HAPPY FROM HIS GIFTS OF HEALING & STRENGTH! THERE WERE SEVERAL LADIES WHO CAME TO THE SC BOARD TO LOOK ME UP & MAKE SURE I WAS OK. I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MUCH THAT MEANT TO US IN SUCH A DARK TIME FOR NICK & I. "THANK YOU" IS SIMPLY NOT ENOUGH, BUT THAT'S ALL I HAVE ... SO "THANK YOU MY DEAR FRIENDS". THE BOARDS & MY DEAR LOW COUNTRY BYPASS BUDDIES SUPPORT GROUP BECAME AN EARTHLY REFUGE FOR NICK & I ... TO ENJOY THE FRIENDSHIPS THAT LET US "FORGET" MY MEDICAL ISSUES FOR AN HOUR HERE & THERE. GOD BLESS EACH OF YOU FOR YOUR KINDNESS TOWARDS US & I MISSED SHARING HERE ON OUR OCTOBER BOARD! WE SURE HOPE THAT Y'ALL HAVE BEEN HAVING SUCCESS AFTER SUCCESS IN MY ABSENCE & WE CAN'T WAIT TO GET CAUGHT UP ON THE NEWS. SENDING OUR LOVE & PRAYERS DAWN & NICK

Dawn, I am so very pleased that you have turned the corner and feel like you have a new lease on life. It has been a very hard road for you, but you've come through like a champ and your positive attitude has surely made all the difference. Thanks for posting an update - I had wondered how you were doing and am sorry it has been a difficult time for you. Best wishes to you, Sheryl

THANK YOU, MS SHERYL! YUP, LIFE IS WONDERFUL NOW. SOMETIMES I THINK WE NEED THE DARK TIMES SO WE CAN APPRECIATE THE GOOD TIMES EVEN MORE ... I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THIS "GOOD TIME" MORE THAN I COULD EVER RELAY! IT'S GOOD TO BE BACK! GOD BLESS DAWN & NICK

It's so good to see you here again and to hear that things are looking good!

THANK YOU, MS VI ... I FEEL SO INCREDIBLY BLESSED. THE OUTCOME COULD HAVE JUST AS EASILY BEEN VERY, VERY NEGATIVE ... BUT, I'M DANCIN' ON THE CEILING THAT WE GOT THROUGH THIS CHALLENGE! GOD BLESS DAWN & NICK

i am so glad you are back!!!!! And that everything is going so well for you. I've missed you! Deb 392/308/225??

THANK YOU, MS DEBRA ... I MISSED Y'ALL AS WELL!!! WOWOW, LOOKS LIKE YOU'VE BEEN DOIN' SOME MAJOR LOSIN' WHILE I'VE BEEN GONE. A MAJOR "CONGRATULATIONS"! GOD BLESS DAWN & NICK

Dawn, I'm glad to hear that you are feeling better and GETTING better. Please keep us informed. Fran

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MS FRAN ... IT IS SO NICE TO FEEL BETTER & KNOW THAT YOUR HEALTH IS ACTUALLY IMPROVING (BY THE TEST NUMBERS!). HOPE TO BE ON THE BOARD MORE! GOTTA GET CAUGHT UP ON EVERYONE'S SUCCESSES! GOD BLESS DAWN & NICK

Yea Dawn!!! It's so good to hear from you. I felt like a stalker but I was so worried about you. You gave me such great encouragment from the start and I felt like I couldn't do anything to help you. I am so glad you are better. Take care. Hugs Jane