How is everyone doing?

Did you make it thru the holidays safe and sound? Did you gain weight? I didn't thank heavens Today is our first day back to normal....hubby is back to work and the girls back to school......so I am looking forward to it I go in today to have my buldge fixed......really looking forward to it, besides the pain part It is just an in office procedure and she said I could drive myself home We will see, I am kinda a pain wuss.....My hubby blocked his calender for around the time I should be done, just in case Other than that not much new.....I didn't make any resolutions yet.....don't wanna set myself up to fail.....wanna put some thought into it! We did buy a nice new treadmill for Christmas and I plan on using it daily What about all of you?? How did the holidays go? Did you make any resolutions? Have you stuck with them so far? Can't wait to hear from everybody! Hope everyone have a great time...I will be trying Lyn's cottage cheese test probably today, just curious! Tho I think my pouch does work still.....had an ate too fast/puke episode this weekend....that hadn't happened for some time before that.....man of man, I don't miss that!!! Well again, hope all is well! Take Care jesi

Hi Jesi, Glad you made it through the holidays fine. I bet lots of Moms are breathing a sigh of relief today with school starting. I had yesterday off although I had to work 4 hours on Saturday. I felt so "naughty" not going to work yesterday! For once I didn't have to take time off from work to go to support group meeting and I am so glad I went. We had a fellow patient who is a chef prepare some foods that are healthy & very good. Of course we got to sample. Lots of fun. I pretty much held steady over the holidays but don't know how. I did indulge too much. However, this is a new year & time for new habits. I don't make resolutions because I feel we have the mindset that if we break the resolution we have failed & no longer need to work on it. Instead I am just making new goals & trying to change my habits. My goal for this year is to lose 1 lb a month. Two years ago that would have been so easy but now it's a real challenge. but if I am 12 lbs lower by next January, I will be mighty close to my personal goal & isn't that the idea? Of course to make my goal, I am determined to exercise more (actually sweat this time), cut out the snacking, & at least cut back on pop & other caffiene filled drinks. Now, if I lose 2 lbs a month I won't complain. Last Friday I had my little revision in the office to try to get rid of the "butt crack from he__" There was just a tiny overlap of the skin from each side right in the middle of my back & it made it look like I had the world's longest buttcrack, all the way to my waist! I always had to make sure my shirts were long enough to cover it. I get lots of funny smiles & hear snickering at work and home. The guys I work with are great but do like to tease. They ask for plumbing advice. I thought the procedure would be very small, just a half inch or so but he must have opened up about 3 inches. It only took about a half hour but there was a whole lot of stitching & cauterizing. It's covered by a bunch of tape & so far it's staying tight so I'm not removing it and I haven't seen it yet myself. I figure the tape will help keep it together better since it's at a spot that gets pulled everytime I sit down so I'm trying to keep it nice & tight. I am dying to look though. It was a bit tender later that evening but I was able to drive home & went to work. Actually, I didn't feel anything for about 6 hours & then only mild discomfort contrilled by Tylenol. Hopefully your procedure will be as easy for you as mine was for me, although, I'd think yours is a whole lot more work than my little fix. Boy, if you are in doubt at all I hope you call your husband. Good luck Jesi. You know, heck everyone knows, how much I love my tummy. You deserve to have a good result too so you can love yours too without the extra bulge. Oh, by the way, my plastic surgeon doesn't know if what he did will fix my problem. He said if it didn't work he'd be able to do a much more extensive fix that would open me from hip to hip & pull outward, smoothing out the crack. I don't know if I want to go through that. Besides it would probably prevent me from helping with chores in the barn and you know how much I'd miss that. Yesterday was 4 weeks from my gallbladder surgery & on Thursday I HAVE TO go back to feeding calves. Gosh, I haven't missed that at all! I haven't been in the barn but once in the last month, not even to see the new puppy. Hmm, getting that extensive fix sounds better all the time. Teehee. You take care & be sure to let us know how it goes today. I'm keeping my fingers crossed! Dixie

Hi Jesi, I made it through the holidays without gaining weight! Thats more than I could say at Thanksgiving!! I hope your procedure goes well today and you are happy with the results. I am like you with the resolutions...I used to wait until the last minute and think of somthing, and then never go through with it. I am glad to see you back on the boards!! Even though I dont always post, I like to read your posts! Nancy

Jesi, good luck with your procedure. I hope all goes as planned. It is to bad you even have to go through this but hopefully they will get it right this time. I didn't gain any weight over the holidays but more important for me is I didn't loose any either. I am staying right at 139 which hopefully is where I will stay now. I don't care if I gain a few pounds but don't want to gain many. Our Christmas with the kids was the weekend before Christmas so we didn't do anything Christmas day. Also the week before Christmas we lost a dear freind, he had a massive heartattack at 57 yrs old. His wife and I have been freinds since gradeschool ( that is a longggggggg time). We tried to spend some extra time with her. It is a very sad thing. She has been going in the semi with him for 5 years now all the time, she has MS and he could help her more if she was with him. She is so lonely and lost I don't know how to help her. He died at home and it has been very difficult for to go back home. I am sure time will heal but in the mean time it is just so hard. Then the Tues after Christmas my husband rolled and totaled out his pickup. He luckily didn't get hurt any where but in our bank account. We had to get another loan to pay for a different truck. Ouch. I am thankful he didn't get hurt though. Now I can give him static about not getting what he wanted for Christmas and wrecking his pickup just to get a new one. He didn't get me anything so I think I should have gotten something new also. All I wanted was some long johns gee. Oh well I am a big girl I will survive. We had our grandsons then for New Years which was a good deal they can always put a smile on my face. My daughter will be home from India on Jan 10 so we will have a small Christmas with her when she gets here. She has been gone now for 6 mos. total. Hope she will be in the states now for awhile. I really miss her. I can't even call her, she never gave me a phone #, but she tries to call us because she can call free from her company. I do email her alot though. Well thanks for posting and I will be thinking of you today. Cindy G.

Hi Jesi: Sure hope all goes well for you today. I am having a terribfle time of not losing any weight. One month out and I have been stuck for two weeks of it. I know I am losing inches, but that scale goes up and goes down, goes up and goes down. So I am trying to drink alot more than I have, I know that is a big part of my problem and eating more often during the day. I am not doing a new year resolution, just monthly goals right now. I am hoping that will be easier to keep control of. Went to in-laws for the New year and my MIL could only say you will never be able to eat candy, cookies or cake or pie ever again. She is a know it all and I did not even discuss it with her. No use, I'd only get upset and I was not going to do that to myself. Again, hope all goes great for you today. Kap

Hello, all of my Iowan buddies. I'm glad to read that for the most part everyone survived the holidays. I did also. Down a couple of pounds, yeah! Christmas was good. I was a little depressed when it was all over. I was saddened by how quickly the months of preparation are gone. I also found out that a childhood friend passed away the week before Christmas. Corinary problems, at the age of 35. I just looked my mother in the eyes and said, "and you wonder why I am having this surgery?" It just made me all the more determined! That was a sign to me that I am doing the right thing. I am a single mom... I DO NOT want to leave my child alone in this world. That is why I am here! New Year's Eve was special. I got to talk to my baby brother who is stationed in Iraq. I miss him. Today, I am one week pre-op... seven days until I go in. I'm on day 2 of my liquid diet. It is full liquid, which I am thankful for, but it is still hard. And the worrying has begun. I'm NOT worried about the surgery. I am worried about getting my house in order, having my pantry and freezer stocked, having everything I will need post-op, having my bills paid, so that I will not have to worry about them while recovering. Enough about me~ God Bless you and your families in this new year! __________________ Angela

Hi Jesi Well, I'm doing ok. I got a digital camera and so I did get a picture taken and sent in to the OH staff, so hopefully they will have it on here soon. I came down with a nasty cold this weekend, lost my voice Sunday and just now getting it back. Trying to reorganize my place, since I received a nice big Computer Desk, that now my bedroom is a mess. So, I better get to it. Take Care and Happy New Year Love Lisa Young