Attn all LCBBer's

I just want to say thanks to everyone for all the support with my surgery. But I think I am going to sit out for a while. I still want to stay in the loop with everyone. I wish you all the best. Brittain

WE'RE REALLY, REALLY SORRY TO HEAR THAT MS BRITTY ... WE WILL MISS YOU MORE THAN YOU KNOW. COME BACK ANY TIME & PLEASEEEEEEEE POST ON THE BOARD & E-MAIL ME! YOU HAVE MY PHONE #!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GOD BLESS YOU DAWN & NICK

I agree with Britt. I think I am going to take a break from LCBB too. I still want to stay in the loop also. Take care, everyone. Kate

WELL, WE'LL MISS YOU; THAT'S FOR SURE. BE SURE & POST & E-MAIL SO WE KNOW WHAT YOU'RE UP TO! GOD BLESS YOU DAWN & NICK

I will keep you both on my mailing list and you can watch the Boards. You are both welcome whenever you want to come join us. Susann

Here's my little pep talk for everybody: I hate to see our group start to break up , though it doesn't surprise me, because most of us are post-op now. We all go through times of burn out, boredom, of being extra busy, of have illness in our families, and the holidays are coming, but don't forget what this support group is all about. I'm not pointing any fingers, so don't take anything personally, please. This group is not just for the whim of each of us and it's not about what we have for dinner. There are people who are just in the stage of considering this surgery, who just lurk on the boards, who are frightened and confused, who are in need of information and encouragement straight from the horse's mouth, not to mention a big hug. We will all encounter hurdles during the different stages of the journey and can use a shoulder or sometimes tough love and a kick in the butt. There are people new to the area, like Kate was. We can't just cancel at the last minute because we don't like the restaurant or decide that we've gotten all we need and don't need to come anymore. Each of us might be somebody's perfect role model without even knowing it. As we've seen, new people show up without notice, and someone has to be there for them. The reason I keep coming at a year out and almost at goal is that I wish I had a group like this when I was just starting and I want to be there to make a difference for someone who might need something I could offer them. I love all you guys. I admire your courage and strength, and sense of humor. I love seeing you bloom as you lose weight. I love to see the expressions on your faces when you tell about your victories. I love it when a new person says they feel so much better after talking to us. And when you're hurting, I feel it too. That's what it's all about. I'll miss seeing you, Britt and Kate. Hope you don't stay away too long. I know you've got each other, but we'll miss you too. And everybody else, as we get busier during the holidays, keep in touch on the messageboard and keep it active so we can be here for our bypass buddies. Sorry I missed last Thursday. I wasn't feeling well. Let's give Scorra a big send off this week. Love, B

UNLESS YOU KNOW SOMETHING THAT I DON'T, WE AREN'T BREAKING UP THE GROUP, MS BARBARA. AS FOR NICK & I ... WE LOOK FORWARD EVERY WEEK TO SEEING ALL OUR LCBBuddies, HEARING OF THEIR SUCCESSES & STUGGLES ... &, HAVING ALL OF US BEING "THERE" FOR EACH OTHER. YOU SAID IT WELL ... WHAT OUR GROUP MEANS. NICK & I PLAN ON BEING ACTIVE WHEN I'M PRIMPING AROUND IN A SIZE 10. I THINK LAST WEEK WAS ONE OF THOSE WEEKS WHEN EVERYTHING WENT WRONG FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE. YOU DIDN'T FEEL WELL ... I WAS HAVING BP SWINGS & COULDN'T SEE MY DR UNTIL FRIDAY ... MERLON HAS A BAD COLD ... I THINK I READ WHERE 2 LADIES WERE HAVING TO WORK LATE ... MS SUSANN WAS JUST OUT OF THE HOSPITAL ... TOWANA HAD A COLLEGE CLASS SHE CAN'T MISS .... LEGITIMATE REASONS. SO, LET'S JUST CHALK IT UP TO A REALLYYYYYYYY BAD WEEK. &, TO MS SCORRO & MASTER EUGENE ... WE TRULY APOLOGIZE FOR NOT BEING THERE TO SUPPORT YOU LAST WEEK. WE WOULDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITHOUT YOU, MS BARBARA, & GET SO MUCH FANTASTIC INFO FROM YOU BEING A YEAR OUT ... SO, JUMPING IN & SPEAKING FOR THE GROUP ... WE'RE GLAD YOU PLAN TO CONTINUE COMING. REMEMBER, THE GROUP STARTED WITH ONLY 2 PEOPLE & AS LONG AS WE HAVE 2 PEOPLE, WE ARE A SUPPORT GROUP OF VALUE. I HONESTLY BELIEVE WE HAVE SOME OF THE MOST DEDICATED, CARING, HELPFUL PEOPLE WITHIN OUR GROUP ... OR, TO BE HONEST & A BIT BLUNT ... NICK & I WOULDN'T WASTE OUR TIME IF WE FELT PEOPLE WERE IN IT JUST FOR THEMSELVES. THE HOLIDAYS WILL BE HARD ... WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE FEWER MEMBERS COMING THAN NORMAL, BUT THAT'S OK ... JUST KEEP US POSTED AS TO YOUR JOURNEY & WHAT'S GOING ON IN YOUR LIVES & WHEN WE ALL COME UP FOR AIR IN THE NEW YEAR, OUR #s WILL GROW AGAIN. BUT, AS MS BARBARA SAID ... PLEASE MAKE LCBB A PRIORITY AS MUCH AS YOU CAN. EACH OF US IS THE ANSWER TO SOMEONE ELSE'S QUESTIONS. EACH OF US HAS A WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT ... LOVE & CARING SOMEONE ELSE NEEDS. I UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERNS MS BARBARA ... BUT, I THINK WE HAVE WONDERFULLY DEDICATED FRIENDS WHO WILL STAY & GIVE OF THEMSELVES. &, FOR THOSE WHO NEED A BREAK FROM COMING, THE DOOR IS ALWAYS OPEN TO COME BACK! SO, MS SCORRO ... I HEAR BY THE GRAPEVINE THAT YOU LOVE HYMAN'S IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA ... IS THAT WHERE YOU'D LIKE TO CELEBRATE YOUR JOURNEY TO THE HEALTHY, LOSING SIDE OF LIFE? GOD BLESS Y'ALL DAWN & NICK PS: FOOD FOR THOUGHT ... NEXT YEAR, IT MAY BE A BIT MORE FAIR IF WE FIND OUT WHERE EVERYONE LIVES & ROTATE SO THAT THE RESTUARANT EACH WEEK IS CLOSER TO AN AREA CLOSE TO SOMEONE ELSE IN OUR GROUP. THAT WAY ... THE SAME PEOPLE AREN'T ALWAYS EXPECTED TO DRIVE THE FURTHEST EACH WEEK JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE CHOSEN THE NORTHWOODS MALL AREA AS OUR "OFFICIAL" MEETING PLACE.

I'm sorry about causing this drama. I guess in my original post I should have explained a little more as to why I am needing this break. Right now my life is SOOOO busy. I work 8-5:30 M-F, Karson is in soccer, Ashleigh is in dance, and my husband is deployed for a little while longer, and I just need one night to sit back and relax. The only night that I take for myself is Thursday night and as a parent my priorities aren't to myself, they are to my family. I love all you guys and I hope that I will be back in a few weeks. Ted will be home and on a new shift for work, so he will be able to join me more often and soccer will be over (but then cheerleading starts in January). I am doing the best that I can while Ted is deployed and I am SO sorry if I have let any of you down. But this is what is best for me at this time. And I have some other personal issues that I won't go into, but I will prevail and so will LCBB. As I said I love you all and thanks again for all your support. Britt

NOT TO WORRY, MS BRITTY ... ALL OF US WILL HIT THE PLACE YOU'RE AT SOMETIME DOWN THE LINE. THAT'S JUST PART OF LIFE. WE'LL ALL MISS YOU, OF COURSE ... &, BE ECSTATIC WHEN YOU (& KATIE) CAN RETURN TO OUR LITTLE GROUP. NICK WILL BE DELIGHTED WHEN "HIS GIRL" COMES BACK AS WELL! AS FAR AS I KNOW, WE ALL HAVE "LIFE-LONG" MEMBERSHIPS IN LCBB ... CARING & LOVING & SUPPORTING NEVER GO OUT OF STYLE IN LIFE ... SO, REST UP & WHEN YOU CAN, COME ON BACK. &, OF COURSE, BRING TED ... WE JUST ADORE HIM! OUR DAUGHTER IS GOING THROUGH THE SAME THING ... SHE'S TO THE POINT OF ALMOST FALLING ASLEEP DURING A PHONE CONVERSATION & WE KEEP TELLING HER THAT SHE NEEDS SOME DOWN TIME, BUT WITH 4 KIDS, WORK, COLLEGE, HONORS PROGRAM, HOME & HUSBAND, SHE'S SLAMMED TO THE WALL. MOM'S CAN ONLY GIVE AWAY SO MUCH OF THEMSELVES & THEN THEY HAVE TO HAVE TIME TO THEMSELVES TO REPLINISH THEIR STRENGH! TAKE THAT TIME & COME BACK HAPPY & STRONG AGAIN! IF YOU NEED ANYTHING, YOU HAVE NICK'S & MY CELLS. GOD BLESS YOU DAWN & NICK

Hi all. This group was started so that whenever we needed we had someone there to support us. We all completely understand that trying to raise 2 kids a "single mom" while Ted is away is VERY hard. I've been there (although a few years ago) and know where you are coming from. You know you are always welcome to join us and we will definitely keep you in our "loop". I am sure as time goes by there will be others of us who need a "break" and we all understand those times come. Susann