Helllllllllllllllllllooooooooooo, NC!

I just wanted to say HI! I've been gone so long due to a very difficult start to the school year (teachers out here in Clover had to start 3 weeks ago!) and a horrible boating accident that caused my nephew to lose his leg. Nancy - I'm so sorry I missed the Gastonia support meeting!! I know I told you I would be there - and I fully intended to! BUT, it was the first day of our new school year and I got a student with so many health problems I had to go through a very in-depth training session. It didn't end until 6 and I had no time to get to Gastonia. I'm so sorry!!! Dee - I got your email and i hope you're doing well. For some unknown reason, I can't send any emails out. Hopefully I can get that fixed soon. I just wanted you to know that I haven't forgotten you. How did your first day of work go?? I sure hope you're finally beginning to feel human again! HUGS!!! Shannon - How are you feeling? Hopefully your problems are all better? I've been thinking about you! Frances - How's it going? Your mom sure has been bragging about you! I had my 2+ month check up today and I've lost 48 lbs (39 lbs since surgery!) but, I'm getting worried because it's too easy. I can eat anything...and I do mean anything! I also never feel full. YIKES! I told Dr. Zweng that he is just too good at his job! Hope to see you soon! Pat - I just wanted you to know that I made a dish from one of the cook books you gave me and it was INCREDIBLE!!! The best part is that my kids liked it, too! Thanks so much for being so thoughtful! To everyone else...HI! I've missed you all and hope to see at least some of you soon! Take care, Christie

Christie, Thanks so much for thinking of me. I am doing better. I spent the better part on and off of 3 weeks in the hospital and had 3 intestinal blockages but I am finally on the track to better health. Dr. Lowe has taken great care of me and I think we finally have the problem under control. I am soooooooo sorry to hear about your nephew and that the start of school has been so hard this year. I have wondered how you have been doing (ok between my shots of pain medicine in the hospital haha I did think of you.) I hope I get to see you soon. I didn't make the meeting last month either but will be there next month hopefully. You are sound like you are doing good. 48 lbs is great!!! I am really proud of you! Shannon

Hi CHRISTIE !!!!!! It is so good to hear from you. I am sorry that I have been out of touch. My mom was in the hospital again and Allison had her surgery on the 3rd of August. She did well but developed an infection in her wound again so we went the whole route with home IV antibiotics again. But I think we caught it early enough this time to save the stimulator. I did not make it to the meeting last month either but I do plan to be there next Month on the 11th I think it is. I am SOOOOOO sorry about your nephew. What a terrible thing to happen. I hope you are doing well. I can't wait to see you !!!!! Take care of you, I know you are so busy. Pat

48 pounds down for Christie... WOWEEE! I agree that Dr. Zweng is too good! It's great to be able to eat anything, and I remember being worried about never feeling full in those first months. Rest assured that these days, I do "feel the full." I think that it took a while for my tummy to feel anything (brain disconnect from the surgery?). Hopefully, the same goes for you. ALSO... I began working on trying to feel the fullness. I was so accustomed to never feeling full, that I could eat beyond the full, ignoring my body as usual. Getting the mind-body connection was / is an important part of my weight loss journey. BTW - I finally broke my plateau! I am officially down 150 pounds, in ONEderland, and simply "overweight!" I went from super morbidly obese to morbidly obese to obese and now to overweight on the BMI scale! I can't wait for normal, which I think will feel abnormally skinny. See, it takes a mind / body connection to even consider normal! Can't wait to see you all on the 11th Frances PS Christie: I am so sorry about your nephew. It is so unexpected that it's hard to wrap my head around it. These days, prosthetics can do anything. Was he interested in flying like his dad?