***TUESDAY'S ROLL CALL***

Good Morning, Jacinda, Shel, Becky, Peg, Lynda, Cynthia, Annette, Letty, Ginakay, Rosie, Stephanie, Debbie, Sally, Sherry, Cara, Sandy, Wendy, Dawn, Amy, Cathy, Diane, Tamara, JaNae, Betsy, Sandy, Trudy, Brenda, CC, Paula and all others that I may have missed...please make yourselves known to us!!! We would love to meet you and get to know you! We visited the Christianity Chat room last night and had a wonderful time encouraging each other, didn't we Steph, Becky & Annette!? I am looking forward to the Bible Study that Dawn is going to start for us a week from today. Dawn!!!! I'd like to encourage anyone who has been lurking to come and join us...this board is here for YOU! I have a prayer request: Could you please lift me up in prayer, that this stall would soon be over? It has been 2 weeks this Thursday. The Nut. says that this is normal because my body is compensating for the already acheived weight loss and that it is getting use to its new system. It is driving me nuts! I need to have patience and wait upon the Lord! God bless you all & have a wonderful day filled with Jesus!!!! Love, Cindy

GOOD MORNING CINDY AND EVERYONE. CINDY, I WILL KEEP YOU IN MY PRAYERS, I GUESS MY WEIGHT LOSS HAS STOPPED. I HAVE BEEN AT 150 FOR THE PAST FEW MONTHS (WHICH IS THE GOAL I SET FOR MYSELF) BUT I THINK THE DR. WOULD LIKE TO SEE ABOUT 135. ANYHOW, I AM HAPPY WHERE I'M AT AND FEEL VERY BLESSED. THAT IS NORMAL TO STALL CINDY, YOUR BODY IS CATCHING UP. A FEW MONTHS OUT I STALLED FOR ALMOST A MONTH AND I JUST KNEW IT WASN'T GOING TO START AGAIN, BUT IT DID. HAVE A GREAT DAY, LOVE, TRUDY

Trudy, thank you for the prayers and the encouragement! 150!!! That's fantastic!!!! Good for you! Cindy

Good morning everyone. Thanks for kicking things off, Cindy. Wow! I looked at all the names you have listed and realize that there are a bunch of us. I'm so glad. I saw my surgeon yesterday, and he released me to my PCP and my gastroenterologist. I hope you all don't mind, but I really feel the need to write a bit about what's going on and see if I can gain some insight. It's been almost 19 months (4/27/04) since I had my first surgery, which was an open RNY. It was also when they diagnosed that I had stomach cancer and removed 9/10 of my stomach and my gall bladder. On August 12, 2005, they removed the rest of my stomach, my spleen, and a small part of my pancreas. Since then, I have been struggling to get back to feeling better. I am making progress, and the pain and discomfort from my surgery is almost gone. My surgeon told me yesterday that in another 24 months, I can say that I am cured of cancer. "Thank you, Lord, for carrying me so many times during this long journey." So here is where I'm at today: I am almost pain-free from the 2 surgeries, and I am so grateful. However, I am experiencing a great deal of shoulder pain that is affecting my quality of life. I had been having a lot of shoulder pain for about 4 months prior to my last surgery, and I am still sleeping in a hospital bed that has an air mattress on top of it because my shoulders cause me too much pain to sleep in a regular bed. I started physical therapy on my shoulders about 2 weeks ago now that I am well enough to be worked on, but I am becoming discouraged because it is such a slow, painful process. I don't like feeling this way because most of the time I am a very happy, optimistic person. I want to be able to get a decent night's sleep in a regular bed so that I can sleep next to my wonderful husband of almost 38 years. We celebrate our anniversary the day after Thanksgiving. I also want to be able to visit his folks and to do some traveling, but I'm just not able to do that yet until I can sleep in a regular bed. I'm also struggling with my weight. I keep telling myself that it's more important to focus on getting healthy, but I still have these urges to eat more than I should of foods that aren't good for me. So what do I need? What came to mind is "respite from the storm." I guess I am just a little tired this morning. I went to a craft night with my daughter-in-law and used my arms a bit too much. Waking up at 4 in the morning because of it is not any fun. I am retired and want so much to be able to do the things I have waited to do when I retired. Okay, that's enough of my pity party. In my heart I know that I just need to remain patient and wait upon the Lord. The physical therapy is a slow process, but I am seeing small successes. Patience, Peg! Thanks for listening, everyone. I really don't expect you to solve my problems, but I am so glad that I have a safe place here with all you wonderful Christians where I can vent and not be judged. God bless and keep you, my dear friends. Love, Peg

PEG, BLESS YOUR HEART, YOU HAVE REALLY HAD SOME TRIALS TO GO THRU. JUST REMEMBER HON, GOD IS ALWAYS ON TIME AND HE IS RIGHT THERE WITH YOU HOLDING YOUR HAND AND LIKE FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND, CARRYING YOU THRU THE ROUGH TIMES. WE ARE ALL HERE TO HOLD YOU UP IN PRAYER. I WAS IN THERAPY A COUPLE MONTHS AGO AFTER SURGERY ON MY ROTATOR CUFF. IT SEEMED LIKE A LONG DRAWN OUT PROCESS BUT WAS WELL WORTH IT. I AM PRAYING FOR HEALING FOR YOU AND YOU AND YOUR DH CAN DO THE TRAVELING THAT YOU WOULD SO LIKE TO DO SINCE YOU HAVE RETIRED. GOD BLESS YOU AND YOURS AND HAVE A BLESSED HOLIDAY. HUGS, AND PRAYERS, TRUDY

Hi Trudy. Thank you so much for your prayers. It's really easy to post when things are going well, but it's not so easy when we need help. I just ask that the Lord will keep me humble so that I can ask Him and others for help when I need it. God bless you too, Trudy, and I join in wishing you and yours a blessed, thankful Thanksgiving. Love, Peg

Peg,Peg my sweet Peg, Girl you came out of 2 count them 2 major surgeries and almost cancer free(which you have the victory for) You are going to get thru this sister. God will see you through this one too my friend. I am praying for you just like everyone else here and out in your church. We are strong in Christ. You can vent here anytime,just like I did with you the other night. Thats why were here sister. I know you will come out of this. God Bless Love ya,Rosie

Hi sweet Rosie. Thanks for writing, Sister. I know that I've been through alot. So have others, and I'm just so glad we can all be here for each other on the Christian board. God is good all the time. Thanks for keeping me in your prayers as I do you. God bless. Peg

Precious Peg, I didn't sense a "pity party" in anything that you shared!!!! I felt strength, faith and trust!!!!! Bless your heart! God is giving you one mighty testimony for His Glory!!! And you are already sharing it and using it to minister to others! With your faith and trust and strength that Sweet Jesus is giving you, you are gonna see a great victory!!!!! I love you! Cindy

Hi Cindy. What a kind, beautiful, loving soul God gave you. Thanks for writing. I just read your last few profile entries, and it sounds like things are working better for you. PTL! God truly is worth praising every day in every way. I love you too. Peg