Hi everyone

Just want to say hello to all of you! I'm quite new to the area, i moved from Ontario Canada at the end of August with my hubby. He is originaly from MA but has wanted to live in this area for a long time so here we are! I have to say that i'm terribly home sick for my family and friends but i do love it here it's so beautiful and people are just wonderful! I have a daughter who will have my first grandchild in May and a son who is still single, they both live in Toronto Ontario. Congrats to all the new post ops .. you'll see how wonderful life will get! Dar

Welcome to SC. I've always lived here and loved it, but I would love to travel to Canada. I just looked at your profile, you look absolutely amazing. What has been the biggest change for you? You will have to travel to Charleston on a Thursday and join us for our support group. We have a great time and we are always full of questions for longtime postops. Mary

Hi Darvin! Welcome to the Upstate. We're glad you're here! Just before the holidays we tried to start a support group but the holidays kind of got in our way. I hope things will pick back up after the first of the year. I plan on hosting one of our meetings/parties soon. I would love for you to join us! What a great way to meet new friends. I will let you knowwhen we get another one scheduled. E-mail me anytime! Leisa

HEY MS LEISA ... HOW'S HUBBY DOING AFTER HIS BACK SURGERY. SORRY I WASN'T ON BOARD TO KEEP TRACK OF HIS PROGRESS ... CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS TO Y'ALL DAWN & NICK

Hi Sweetie! It looks like you and I both have been absent from the board for a while. Howard is doing well. Still has pain from surgery but he is beginning to feel improvements in his legs and actually is moving better than he did before surgery. I think we might be on the mend. Dr. pleased with his handy work. I just read yesterday that you have been having some issues...I sure hope you are feeling better. Please let me know. Of course, as I am sure you know too, dealing with medical issues has put me so far behind on my Christmas shopping and preparation that I am now about to pull my hair out. I know it will all get done and as always Christmas will be loads of fun but I am ready for it to get here so things can slow down. I am planning a weekend stay in Chucktown over 1/6. Maybe we can finally do some "Goodwill hunting" or just some old fashioned after Christmas sale shopping. I hope you and Nick have a wonderful Christmas and a Blessed New Year! Leisa

THAT IS THE BEST NEWS ... YOU TELL MASTER HOWARD THAT WE ARE JUMPIN' FOR JOY FOR HIM! BACK SURGERY IS SO HARD TO COME BACK FROM; IT SOUND LIKE HE IS RUNNIN' AHEAD OF THE PACK AS FAR AS RECOUPERATING! COULDN'T BE HAPPIER FOR THE BOTH OF YOU. 2006 WILL BE "YOUR" YEAR NOW THAT ALL THE HEALTH ISSUES ARE BEING RESOLVED! YES MA'AM, DOING SOOOOOOO MUCH BETTER NOW. FRIDAY IS THE REAL TEST WHEN I INCREASE THE CLONIDINE TO A FULL DOSE, BUT I'VE BEEN SEEING SMALL IMPROVEMENTS IN MY HEART RATE SINCE I WAS ABLE TO GO BACK ON A FULL DOSE OF LOPRESSOR, SO IF THE CLONIDINE WORKS WITH OUT THE SEVERE SIDE EFFECTS I HAD THE 1st TIME, I'LL BE BACK TO MY SASSY SELF IN NO TIME. MAYBE NOW IS THE TIME TO SLOW DOWN, STEP BACK & DECIDE WHAT IS TRULY NEEDED AS FAR AS EFFORTS TO LIVE THE TRUE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS! ONCE ONE PARES DOWN THE FLUFF & FOCUSES ON WHY WE REALLY CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS, IT'S EASY TO DECIDE WHAT TO DO & WHAT NOT TO DO SO YOU DON'T WASTE PRECIOUS TIME & ENERGY ON VALUELESS ISSUES DURING THE CHRISTMAS SEASON. WHEN YOU FOCUS ON THOSE THINGS OF LASTING VALUE, MY DEAR WEARY FRIEND, YOU'LL GET EVERYTHING DONE & HAVE ENERGY TO SPARE TO ENJOY THE HOLIDAYS YOURSELF! NICK & I HAD TO LEARN THIS, THIS YEAR WHILE BATTLING MY LITTLE MEDICAL CHALLENGE. IT'S NOT AN EASY LESSON TO LEARN BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN SO CONDITIONED TO DO, DO, DO ... GO, GO, GO ... BUY, BUY, BUY ... AHHH, BUT WHEN YOU BEGIN TO SEE A DIFFERENT WAY, THEN THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT ITSELF BRINGS YOU JOY & PEACE & FEELINGS OF THANKSGIVING. &, THAT IS WHAT I PRAY FOR YOU, MS LEISA ... THAT INSTEAD OF BEING RUSHED & EXHAUSTED FROM "DOING" ... THAT YOU WILL BE BLESSED WITH "EXPERIENCING" THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT. I HAVE ALREADY PUT OUR GOODWILL HUNTING TRIP DOWN IN MY DATE BOOK ... LET ME KNOW THE DETAILS WHEN WE GET CLOSER TO THE 6th. WE PRAY FOR CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS ON YOU & YOURS, MS LEISA! DAWN & NICK PS: I'M NOT MEANING THAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THE TRUE "CHRISTMAS SPIRIT". I'M ONLY MEANING THAT WE ALL GET SO CAUGHT UP IN ALL THE THINGS WE THINK WE ABSOLUTELY MUST DO & SOMETIMES ARE SO EXHAUSTED FROM ALL THAT, THAT BY THE TIME CHRISTMAS ARRIVES, WE'RE SO BEATEN UP & TIRED THAT WE CAN'T EXPERIENCE THE JOYS OURSELVES.

YOU ALWAYS MAKE ME SMILE!!!

WELCOME TO THE BOARD, MS DARVIN, & WELCOME TO OUR "NECK OF THE WOODS" AS THEY SAY ... WE'RE PLEASED TO HAVE YOU & YOUR HUBBY HERE IN THE USA WITH US. WE HOPE YOU HAVE MANY, MANY YEARS OF JOY & CONTENTMENT IN YOUR NEW HOME. NICK & I HAVE THIS DREAM OF GETTING A LITTLE MOTOR HOME & TRAVELING AROUND THE USA ... SEEING THE UNBELIEVABLE BEAUTY OF CANADA FROM TV PROGRAMS, WE'D LOVE TO TOUR CANADA AS WELL. I'M ONE THAT ABSOLUTELY LOVES THE MOUNTAINS & AREAS THAT HAVE SNOW IN THE WINTER, SO I KNOW I'D ENJOY CANADA! I BET YOUR ARE HOME SICK!!!!!!! ESPECIALLY WITH YOUR 1st GRANDCHILD ON IT'S WAY. ARE Y'ALL GOING BACK FOR THE BIRTH? FORGIVE ME FOR NOT KNOWING THE AREA WELL ENOUGH ... IS EASLY NEAR US HERE IN THE LOWCOUNTRY (CHARLESTON/SUMMERVILLE AREA)? WELL, IF YOU'RE EVER DOWN THIS WAY, DROP IN ON OUR THURSDAY EVENING LOWCOUNTRY BYPASS BUDDIES MEETING! YOU & HUBBY ARE MOST WELCOMED TO JOIN US. CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS DAWN & NICK

Thanks so much for the welcome! Easley is in the upstate so i don't know about making it to Charlston area any time soon but will work on that. I would love to have a chance to meet up with some of you would be great! So yes please let me know if there is a group starting up in this area soon. And yes for sure i'm going back for the birth of my first grandchild! hehe i can't wait.. Again thx for the welcome ladies love Dar

Hey Dar, Welcome to the Upstate!! I live in Boiling Springs (Spartanburg), and am part of the group that tried to get things going before the holiday**** us!! Like Leisa, I am hoping that we can get things started back after the first of the year. I am pre-op and anxiously awaiting for my insurance papers to be sent off (supposed to be done this week). I'm hoping to be approved quickly (praying....praying!!) to have surgery in January. I can't wait!! Hugs, Dianne