I'M FINALLY MEDICALLY RELEASED, THANK YOU, GOD!

WE SEND OUR DEEPEST APPRECIATION TO ALL OF YOU FOR LISTENING TO MY JOURNEY THROUGH THE NASTY SIDE-EFFECTS OF HEART DRUGS. FINALLY, AFTER WHAT? ... 8 WEEKS OF HORRID SIDE-EFFECTS, & CHANGE AFTER CHANGE IN MEDICATION COMBINATIONS ... DOC SAYS MY HEART IS NOW STABLE & I CAN DO A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G, INCLUDING EXERCISE!!!!!!!!! WOWOWOWOW! DOC HAS GIVEN ME SOME LEEWAY WITH ONE OF MY HEART MEDS, DEPENDING ON MY HEART RATE NUMBERS ... ANY WHERE FROM 1 TO 1 1/2 TO 2 PILLS 4 TIMES A DAY. IT FEELS LIKE I HAVE SOME CONTROL OVER THIS CHALLENGE & CAN STOP STRESSFUL HEART ISSUES IMMEDIATELY INSTEAD OF HAVING TO WAIT FOR A COUPLE DAYS TO GET AN APPOINTMENT. THE LAST 4 -5 DAYS, MY STRENGTH HAS BEEN RETURNING IN LEAPS & BOUNDS ... MY MUSCLE WEAKNESS HAS DISAPPEARED & I'M UP & ABOUT LIKE I HAVEN'T BEEN IN DECADES ... FEELIN' PRETTY CLOSE TO "MY OL' SELF". I'LL TELL YOU, THE SITUATION WAS MUCH WORSE THAN I SAID IN MY POSTS OR SHOWED AT OUR LCBBuddies MEETINGS. NICK HAS BEEN HAVING NIGHTMARES ABOUT LOSING ME ... WAKING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT ALMOST YELLING "ARE YOU OK?" TO BE SURE, THE THOUGHT THAT I MIGHT NOT GET THROUGH THIS CROSSED MY MIND A COUPLE OF TIMES. BUT, WITH PRAYER & MY SWEET HUSBAND & PARENTS ... I JUST WOULDN'T GIVE UP NO MATTER HOW AWFUL IT GOT ... &, IT GOT AWFUL. NOW, FOR ALL YOU NEWBIES ... LET ME SAY THAT MY HEART CONDITION IS NOT, NOT, NOT RELATED TO OBESITY OR THE SURGERY. IT IS AN ELECTRICAL IMPULSE PROBLEM. IT CAN'T BE WORSENED OR HELPED BY WLS. SO, DON'T THINK THAT IF YOU HAVE WLS WITH A HEART PROBLEM, THAT YOU WILL GO THROUGH WHAT I DID. I GOT MORE WONDERFUL NEWS WHEN THE RESULTS OF THE ECHOCARDIOGRAM & NUCLEAR STRESS TEST CAME BACK ... AFTER 25 YEARS OF OBESITY, MY HEART & ARTERIES ARE PERFECT ... NOT A PROBLEM TO BE SEEN IN THE MUSCLES, CHAMBERS OR WITH BLOOD FLOW THROUGH THE HEART. ALSO, WHEN QUESTIONING DOC ABOUT MY BLOOD/URINE TESTS, HE SAID THAT MY NUMBERS ARE BETTER THAN EVEN HIS ARE ... THEY ARE NORMAL OR BETTER THAN NORMAL FOR THE 1st TIME IN LITERALLY DECADES ... &, HE'S THIS SKINNY LITTLE GUY THAT COULDN'T HAVE AN OUNCE OF FAT ON HIM. SO, I WAS ECSTATIC TO HEAR THAT MY BASIC CORE HAD COME THROUGH SO UNBELIEVABLY WELL ... MIRACULOUSLY WELL! THIS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR & FIGHTING SO HARD FOR ... A SECOND CHANCE AT HEALTH & AN ACTIVE LIFESTYLE. I CAN'T REMEMBER WHEN I WAS LAST OUT OF PAIN & ACTIVE ... DECADES, I'M SURE. BUT NOW I'M THE BEST I'VE BEEN IN "FOREVER" & SO HAPPY I CAN'T CONTAIN MYSELF. THOSE NEGATIVE NAGGING THOUGHTS THAT TRY TO TAKE OVER YOUR LIFE ARE GONE ... &, I SEE BLUE SKYS AHEAD FOR NICK & I ... AS GOOD AS IT'S BEEN TO BE MARRIED TO HIM, IT'S GONNA BE EVEN BETTER NOW THAT I CAN BE AN ACTIVE WIFE & PARTNER IN LIFE. BEEN WORKING ON PAPERWORK ALL WEEKEND, BUT COME MONDAY ... I'M DOING A SPRING CLEANING IN OUR HOME LIKE I'VE NEVER DONE. ALL THE "OLD" THINGS THAT HAVE HAD TO BE PUT OFF BECAUSE I SIMPLY COULD NOT DO THEM ... I'M GOING TO TAKE IT ONE ROOM AT A TIME & CLEAN THE "OLD" OUT OF OUR LIVES SO THE "NEW" CAN COME SHINING THROUGH. ONCE I'M DONE WITH THE HOUSE, GARAGE, YARDS & PAPERWORK ... I'M GOING TO START A HOME BUSINESS & SEE WHAT ALL THE HOOP-LAH IS ABOUT ON SITES LIKE E-BAY. JUST WITH THAT ONE STATEMENT FROM DOC THAT I WAS MEDICALLY RELEASED, NICK & I HAVE ALREADY BEGUN TALKING ABOUT THE FUTURE & OUR DREAMS TOGETHER ... THEY'RE ALL REACHABLE NOW. WHAT A BLESSING STRAIGHT FROM GOD. THESE ARE THE TIMES I'M SO DISAPPOINTED THAT JESUS IS NOT WALKING THE EARTH TODAY ... I'D HAVE BEEN ON MY KNEES "TOUCHING THE HEM OF HIS GARMET" & THANKING HIM & PRAISING HIM ... NOT THAT ALL OF US HAVEN'T BEEN DOING JUST THAT IN OUR PRAYERS & OUR WORDS! BUT, HOW MUCH BETTER IT WOULD BE TO SEE HIS FACE WHEN WE'RE SO HAPPY FROM HIS GIFTS OF HEALING & STRENGTH! WELL LADIES ... THANKS AGAIN FOR STANDING BY ME IN A VERY DARK TIME IN MY LIFE ... THE BOARDS & MY DEAR LCBBuddies BECAME AN EARTHLY REFUGE FOR NICK & I ... TO ENJOY THE FRIENDSHIPS THAT LET US "FORGET" MY MEDICAL ISSUES FOR AN HOUR HERE & THERE. YOU JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANT TO BOTH OF US. GOD BLESS EACH OF YOU FOR YOUR KINDNESS TOWARDS US! SENDING OUR LOVE & PRAYERS DAWN & NICK

Dawn that is wonderful news....i'm so glad everything is going great there's nothing better then a second chance on life ...I thank God everyday that he allowed me to have a second chance.... Debbie

THANK YOU SO MUCH, MS DEBBIE. I COULDN'T AGREE WITH YOU MORE. BEFORE NICK SUGGESTED WE LOOK INTO WLS, I SAT HIM DOWN & TOLD HIM I WAS THROUGH TRYING TO LOSE WEIGHT ... 25 YEARS OF FAILURE WAS ENOUGH ... I ACCEPTED THE FACT THAT I WAS GOING TO LIVE A LESS-THAN-ACTIVE LIFESTYLE & THAT I WOULD PROBABLY DIE EARLY. I SIMPLY COULD NOT OVERCOME THE HUNGER, GENETICS & METABOLISM ISSUES NO MATTER HOW HARD I TRIED OR WHAT I TRIED. BUT, MY HEALTH BEGAN TO DETERIORATE SO RAPIDLY THAT NICK FINALLY SUGGESTED WLS & THAT WAS THE BEGINNING OF MY SECOND CHANCE IN LIFE ... NOW THAT I HAVE IT TOTALLY, I'M GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT I USE THIS MIRACULOUS BLESSING TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY. ALONG WITH BLESSINGS COME THE RESPONSIBILITY TO DO SOMETHING GOOD WITH THE GIFTS WE'VE BEEN GIVEN. IT IS TRULY A JOY TO WAKE UP EACH MORNING NOW!!! THANK YOU AGAIN & GOD BLESS DAWN & NICK &, LOOK AT YOU AFTER LOSING ALL THAT WEIGHT ... YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL & SEXY!

Dawn: We are all so glad you are finally on the road to recovery and good health. We have all been very worried about you and are glad you are back to your old self! Susann

THANK YOU, MS SUSANN ... WE'RE GONNA SET THE WORLD ON FIRE NOW! NICK IS SOOOOOOO RELIEVED AS ARE MY PARENTS ... &, THANK YOU FOR TELLING ME THAT Y'ALL WERE WORRIED FOR ME ... NOT GETTING TO GO TO ALL THOSE LCBBuddies MEETINGS, I GOT KINDA OUT OF TOUCH, FEELING-WISE, WITH Y'ALL. YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE GOING THROUGH SOMETHING LIKE THIS, YOU KINDA FEEL ISOLATED EVEN WHEN SURROUNDED BY OTHERS. Y'ALL ARE THE BEST ... NICK & I SO LOOK FORWARD TO & DEPEND ON OUR LCBBuddies' LOVE & CONCERN! GOD BLESS DAWN & NICK

That is so good to hear Ms. Dawn....... Now that you're feeling so great to me a huge favor and have a lovely stroll in the water park..... when I lived in North Charleston that was my favorite place to go ..... Just so pretty with the flowers and the children playing in the huge fountain.... I miss Charleston and really miss Folley Beach and no trip wasn't complete with going to Berts for a hotdog..... *sending warm wishes and hugs your way* Stephie

YES MA'AM, IT IS SO NICE NOW TO BE OUT & ABOUT ... WITHOUT PAIN & WITH INCREASING ENERGY. AHHHHH, MY "EYE" ISN'T CLOUDED WITH ALL THOSE OPPRESSIVE THINGS & I CAN ENJOY LIFE SO MUCH MORE NOW. I CAN'T WAIT TO WORK IN MY YARD THIS SPRING ... PLANTING FLOWERS & LOCAL FLOWERING GRASSES & DOING ALL THOSE THINGS TO SPRUCE UP THE OUTSIDE OF OUR HOME THAT I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO SINCE MOVING IN HERE, REALLY. THE SUN ON MY FACE & THE WONDERFUL SMELL OF FRESHLY DUG EARTH. NO DOUBT, MS STEPHIE ... WE'LL BE ENJOYING THE OUTDOORS HERE IN THE LOWCOUNTRY SO MUCH MORE THAN IN YEARS PAST. YOU KNOW, YOU CAN ALWAYS VISIT US HERE IN THE CHARLESTON AREA ... COME JOIN US AT OUR LOWCOUNTRY BYPASS BUDDIES MEETING AS WELL. FOLLY BEACH JUST RECEIVED BEACH RECONSTRUCTION SO IT SHOULD BE GORGEOUS THIS YEAR. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WISHES & HUGS, SWEETIE, & WONDERFUL VISIONS OF THE AREA!!!!!!! GOD BLESS DAWN & NICK

Dawn, I'm so happy to hear of your many blessings..

THANK YOU SO MUCH, MS JANET. BE SURE TO SHARE EACH & EVERY BLESSING YOU RECEIVE WITH US AS WELL!!!!!!!! IT BRINGS HOPE & STRENGTH TO ALL OF US TO SHARE IN EACH OTHERS' JOURNEY! GOD BLESS DAWN & NICK

This is just the best news!! Having gone through the darkness helps you appreciate the sunshine even more. Just take it slow and be gentle with yourself. You guys are on your way now Love, B