Thursday Roll Call

It was great to finally meet some of the folks from the board at the Oak Orchard meeting Wednesday night.  Ed and I decided at the last minute to attend....poor guy only had about 30 minutes to get ready for it.  He had just gotten home from work when I was reading the board messages and asked him if he wanted to go with me.  I had been telling Joanne for months I would show up at the meetings and just never got around to it. I loved the taste testing part!  Those egg bites were really good, even cold.  The hot cocoa mixes were fantastic too...the best high protein ones I've tried so far.  I got some junk from CHRIAS a year or so ago and it was horrid.  Thick and lumpy and wouldn't completely dissolve.  What a waste of cash.  The soup mixes were really dissappointing and tasted like, well....CRAP. I enjoyed hearing everyone's stories of success and some even felt like they have failed.   BJ, like everyone else said, STOP BEATING YOURSELF UP, GIRL.  You look fantastic and need to draw strength from what you have accomplished, rather than the fact that you have gained some weight back.  We all know that we can potentially gain some if not all of our weight back and your story is inspiring in that respect.  The message I get from your experience is that I have to pay attention and not backslide into my old way of thinking about food.  Your experience with this journey and your past history with food is like my mirror image.  I haven't done anything special to lose the weight, I don't keep a food diary,  I don't exercise, and except for the minor problems I have with sugar, I can pretty much eat whatever I want, just not a lot of it.  The difference between you and me though, is attitude.  I choose NOT to bend my elbow and open my mouth every time a stressful situation comes up.  I made a vow to myself and God that I was never going back, no matter what it takes. I am a woman of my word.  I have gained as much as 14 pounds but knew it was medically related and once the issue was resolved, I worked at it until I lost it again.  All I did was go back to the pouch basics, increase the fluids and protein and stay off the carbs.  They are evil to me.  I look at my before picture and remember how I felt that day....the pain I was in, the mental desperation I was feeling, and how close I was to dying.  I was intimidated by cameras because photos hide nothing, and reveal everything.  My before photo was taken at the pain management center and is required by their policy.  Otherwise I would not have allowed that photo to be taken.  I am glad I have it now. It forces me back into reality every time I look at it. Heather's story inspired me as well because she has been through so much medically and I admire her strength.  She has to do something that will completely change her life's plans (hysterectomy when she wants more children) and that must be very painful for her at such a young age.  She must have thought I was nuts when I told her I wish they would let me have one.  I am at a completely different stage in my life though and no longer need my uterus.  All it does is cause me problems and excessive bleeding every month and I don't care if it's "healthy" or not, I just want it out.  To me, what I go through every month is NOT normal and I just want it to be over so I can get on with my life.  I am tired of having nearly 2 weeks of my new life taken away from me because half of my blood volume gushes out of me every time I stand up.   I will try to attend more meetings because I really enjoyed this one.  Everyone have a fine Holiday Weekend!!