Tonight's Meet and Greet

For those of you who could not make it tonight.....I am sorry! It was a wonderful evening. Michael Muffin's wife was there (I am not even attempting to say the last name) She said he is doing very well and they had celebrated his second Birthday as this is his second new life! That is a great way to look at this! Keep getting better Michael. 
Tonight was so good for me to see that everyone still eats fairly normal...just small amounts. I had so many  visions of how this would be....It is great to see how adjusted to the new tummies everyone is. Though some are not so new...they are still offering inspiration to the rest....I pray, that I also can cope as well as they have....NO one ate foods they weren't supposed to either!!!!!   I was totally amazed!!! (cough)  The topics were educational and entertaining.(cough, cough). To top it off, you get to meet wonderful people. As a future little tummy owner....I didn't feel out of place at all. I just took home a smaller box of leftovers.
Thanks girls for making me feel welcome and for getting me out of the house! Being single, I don't get out much, so this was great!!!
Sherry

Only those of us who were there will understand the coughs. LOL. I always enjoy our meet and greets -- and the leftovers afterwards! The recipe exchange was a great idea, something I think we need to keep up too.

I really wish I could make the walk in Tulsa too but being out of town most of next week I don't think my family would take too kindly to me leaving again just hours after getting home.

I so wish I could have been there!  I thought about y'all when I was sitting in class listening to this old Prof drone on and on and on.  It is a great way for pre-ops to get an idea of what post-op life is like.  It gave Randy and I all kinds of confindence in what I was doing when we went to dinner with the group.

I would encourage all pre-ops to come to the meet and greet, and continue coming afterward.  I knew that eating out is sometimes a big issue for WLS patients because I had friends who had "gone" before.....so it's something I've tackled from the first.  Our weight keeps some of us isolated, and we don't want the "cure" to isolate us further.

I've always orderd things different that that which is listed on the menu-even before WLS.  My favorite place in Dallas knew it was me phoning in an order when I'd ask for Fish Tacos on Toast rather than tortillas.  If I lived there now I'd ask for Fish tacos with NO tortillas.

If you stop and think about it (and I did because I was watching last night) most of our "special" orders was just asking to omit something-not a big deal.  I will sometimes just order a sanwhich if the place is busy and take off my own bread, but I really don't like to waste so I prefer it not come out at all (and I think they give you a little extra meat if you do it that way).

I've also figured out that most sanwiches have enough meat for a meal and a leftover, so I generally order a sanwhich version if they have it.   But sometimes I just want that feeling of a "normal" plate of food, so I'll order right off the menu and take it home for the dogs.

Sharing these kinds of things is really important to our success.  WLS is still controversial enough that we need peer support as well as support of friends and family.  But, I love it when spouses come too-because that's just another shot of "normal".

 

To be honest, I was afraid at first to order because I didn't want to temp anyone by ordering a full meal....Then I started hearing what they were ordering....All normal items, minus this or that. I thought it was great how everyone just ordered what they wanted, not really what they HAD to have, but did make adjustments for their needs. It was a great learning experience and one that, had I not been on this Board.....I would never have learned from.
To me this socialization was VERY important. I have locked myself away and need to get out more...  I imagine each month will bring more and more changes in each person.....I can't wait to see how everyone is looking by next month....I will just keep taking before pictures at each event until I can get a date!!! lol 
 

Dinner was a blast- as always!  I am so appreciative that this wonderful group of people has come into my life.  You guys all enrich my life!  OK, enough mushy sentiment!

Thanks for the recipes guys.  Now, if I can motivate myself to cook I will be in business.

Post-op we do eat normally.  We also don't care what others order since we don't have the strong food drive any more. 

Looking forward to next month's dinner already!