RAVES FROM DOC BYRNE

HAD MY 1st POST-OP APPOINTMENT WITH DOC B TODAY. IT'LL BE 8 WEEKS TOMORROW SINCE MY SURGERY & I'VE LOST 39.40 #s. HE WAS THRILLED & SAID THAT HE EXPECTED NOTHING LESS FROM ME ... GUESS HE FOUND OUT HOW DETERMINED (STUBBORN!! ) I AM. WHEN HE READ MY LIST OF MEDS THAT I NO LONGER HAVE TO TAKE & OF ALL MY HEALTH IMPROVEMENTS SO FAR, HE WAS REALLY, REALLY THRILLED!!!!!!!! DON'T HAVE TO GO BACK FOR 3 MONTHS ... SHOULD DO WELL AGAIN AS I SHOULD BE ABLE TO EXERCISE WITHIN NO TIME. I TOLD HIM I WOULD BE SO SKINNY IN MARCH THAT HE WOULDN'T EVEN BE ABLE TO SEE ME WALKIN' DOWN THE HALL ... HE SAID, "I DON'T DOUBT THAT AT ALL!" & HAD THAT BIG OL' SMILE OF HIS JUST BEAMING. I FEEL LIKE I'M ON THE TOP OF THE WORLD! BRAGGIN' A BIT ... OOPS! SLAP ME DOWN FOR TOOTIN' MY OWN HORN! WELL, IT FEELS GOOD TO FINALLY HAVE SOMETHING TO BRAG ABOUT IN THE WEIGHT DEPARTMENT, DOESN'T IT?!? CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS DAWN & NICK PS: I HAVE TO WORK ON MY PROFILE ... I HAVEN'T UPDATED IT IN WEEKS. DA-UHHH. WE STILL HAVE TO LEARN HOW TO DOWNLOAD PICS FROM OUR DIGITAL CAMERA. NICK TOOK SOME PICS OF ME IN THE HOSPITAL ... UGGGHHH ... BET THOSE ARE "LOVERLY" ... LIKE A DRIVERS LICENSE PICTURE!!!!!! YEEE-UCK!

Wooohooo Lady D congrats on your progress!!! this is such a ride! On the other hand sorry your not feeling well with this awful infection .. hope you and hubby are feeling better soon! will keep you folks in my prayers for sure.. love Dar

THANKS DAR ... ON BOTH CASES. I APPRECIATE THE SWEET WORDS, LET ME TELL YOU! THAT DO HELP!!!! SEEMS YA GOTTA TAKE THE THORNS TO EXPERIENCE THE BEAUTY OF THE ROSE ... JUST GOT A CALL FROM MY HONEY ... HE IS ON HIS LAST RUN & WILL BE OFF FOR 10 1/2 DAYS UNTIL THE 3rd OF JANUARY. I CAN'T WAIT ... UNTIL THIS JOB, WE HAVE ALWAYS WORKED TOGETHER, BUT BECAUSE OF INCREASING JOINT PROBLEMS, I HAD TO GIVE UP DRIVING WITH HIM. AFTER WE CAME IN OFF THE ROAD, WE GOT JOBS DRIVING TRI-AXLES (THE BIG DUMP TRUCKS) FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION & WE USED TO CHIT CHAT ALL DAY ON THE CB RUNNIN' WITH EACH OTHER. THEN, WHEN MY JOINTS SAID, "NO MORE", I GOT A JOB AT THE SAND PIT & GOT TO SEE HIM WHEN HE CAME IN TO FUEL THE EQUIPMENT (HE DROVE A FUEL TRUCK THEN) ... NOW, THAT I'M HOME HELPING WITH MOMMA (STROKES), OUR TIME TOGETHER IS VERY LIMITED AS HE WORKS 10 - 12 HOUR DAYS. SOOOOOOOOOOOOO, I'M GONNA LOVE BEING WITH HIM FOR ALMOST 2 WHOLE WEEKS!!!!!!!!!!!!! TALK ABOUT A CHRISTMAS PRESENT! HAVING HIM HOME WITH ME IS THE BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT I COULD GET! CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS DAWN & NICK

WOW Dawn - the weight loss is great and I'm glad Dr. B was pleased..... Susann

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, MS SUSANN ... I HAD AN OVERNIGHT BREAKTHROUGH OF SORTS ... I'VE BEEN STRUGGLING THIS WHOLE SECOND MONTH TO GET OUT OF THE 240s ... WELL, I LOST 1.80 #s OVER NIGHT AFTER NO LOSS FOR THE LAST 4 DAYS, & AS OF THIS MORNING ... AFTER 8 WEEKS TODAY ... I NOW WEIGH 238.60 LOSING A TOTAL OF 41.20. MY 1st 4 WEEKS, & THEN 30-DAY LOSES WERE GREAT, BUT MY 2nd 4 WEEKS WERE A MAJOR STRUGGLE WITH ALL MY BODY WENT THROUGH ... BUT, NOT TO FEAR, I STILL MADE ANOTHER GOAL & AM STILL LOSING WEIGHT ... "AIN'T WLS GRAND?" OH YEAH ... NICK HAS ALSO STARTED TO LOSE WEIGHT ... HE'S BEEN AROUND 205 & WEIGHED IN YESTERDAY AT 199!!! HE WANTS TO GO DOWN AROUND 175 ... DON'NO ABOUT THAT ... I TOLD HIM IF HE LOST THAT CUTE BUTT OF HIS, HE'D HAVE TO GAIN IT BACK! HE DOES NEED TO DROP SOME WEIGHT THOUGH TO HELP BRING HIS SUGAR NUMBERS DOWN BECAUSE OF THE DIABETES. SO, WE'RE BOTH GETTING HEALTHIER!!!!!!!! CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS DAWN & NICK

Hey Dawn, What great progress. There is no doubt that you will be the skinny woman coming down the hall in 3 months!!! I know these 8 weeks have been a little rough with your medication, and now respiratory infections....but you are right. Get all this icky stuff out of the way and make way for 2006!!! We are ALL going to shine in 2006!! Hugs, Dianne

THANKS MS DIANNE ... JUST THINK WHEN YOU ARE ON THE "LOSER'S SIDE", YOU'LL CATCH UP WITH THIS OL' LADY IN NO TIME. WOWOWOW, THERE ARE SO MANY OF US NOW ... THIS IS JUST THE GREATEST RIDE! CAN'T WAIT TILL YOU ARE EXPERIENCING IT FOR YOURSELF, GIRL! PRAYERS & CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS DAWN & NICK

40 lbs in 8 weeks!! WOW!! You are doing great!! I hope I come somewhere close when I get going!! Just getting rid of a lot of those perscriptions will make me happy!! Patty

THANK YOU ... THANK YOU ... I'M VERY, VERY HAPPY ... JUST GOT BACK FROM MY FAMILY DOCTOR TODAY & ALL MY TESTS CAME BACK NORMAL ... EVEN MY CHOLESTEROL WAS PERFECT & I'VE BEEN COMPLETELY OFF MY MEDS FOR 5 WEEKS NOW. HE CHECKED ME HEAD-TO-TOE & WAS ECSTATIC. JUST LAST YEAR, HE WAS TELLING ME THAT IF WE DIDN'T FIND HEART MEDS THAT WORKED ... WELL, LET'S JUST SAY ... THIS YEAR IS A COMPLETE TURN AROUND. MY EKG TODAY EVEN LOOKED GREAT! WOWOWOWOW! EVEN THOUGH WE HAD TROUBLE REGULATING MY HEART RATE MEDS AFTER SURGERY, I'M NOW DOING SOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD, EVEN HE COULDN'T BELIEVE IT. YOU WILL DEFINITELY DO JUST AS GOOD ... EVEN BETTER!!!!!! &, YOU'LL SEE YOUR MEDS & HEALTH ISSUES GO AWAY & STAY AWAY. YOU WILL BE A TOTALLY NEW WOMAN, MS PATTY. YOU'LL HAVE A SMILE ON YOUR FACE & A BOUNCE IN YOUR STEP IN NO TIME! EVERY FACET OF YOUR LIFE WILL IMPROVE! YOU WILL BE AMAZED AT JUST HOW GOOD LIFE CAN BE! GOD BLESS YOU DAWN & NICK