**Tuesday Roll Call**

Good morning Oregon! I slept in this morning until 9 o'clock! Oh, the life of a retiree! I really am grateful to be retired. I am still struggling with very painful shoulders. I see my internist this afternoon, and I am going to ask him to refer me to an orthopedist. My physical therapist thinks I would be a good candidate for cortisone shots in my shoulders. We'll see. The good news is that I am healing really well from my radical stomach surgery the middle of August. Praise the Lord! I won't need to go in for more tests until next Spring. Then they will do a CAT scan and an endoscopy just to make sure that the cancer is gone. It has been 20 months today since my first surgery to remove most of my stomach because of stomach cancer, and it has been 4 1/2 months since my second surgery. Whew! Here are some questions of the day (QOD) 1. When did you get up this morning? 2. If you could change anything about yourself, what would it be? 3. For Post Ops: Name one way your life has changed since your surgery? For Pre Ops: Name one way you hope your life will change after surgery? +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ My Answers: 1. I got up at 9 o'clock this morning. Lazy me! 2. Patience! I would have more patience, not only with others but with myself. 3. I can go walking without my back hurting, plus I can now cross my legs! I hope you all have a good day. Peg

You don't know what lazy is! I got up at 10:30. I guess I am under the influence of teenagers. It is now noon and nobody is up except me and the cat. My dog is always willing to join a snooze fest and stick with it until it ends! Poor old dad got up early this morning and went to work. On the holiday schedule we start staying up later and later. Someone was making a sandwich at about 1:00 a.m. and me and my daughter were cleaning her room bout midnight. My sympathies about your shoulder. My worst ortho problem is my knee which is going to have to be replaced. I had been meaning to go in for a consult on it since the weight had come off, but the thing that got me into that ortho specialist was my shoulder pain. My history has been a few E.R. trips a year because of a brusitis attack on one or the other, and I know there is trouble in both of them. He did an M.R.I. and I guess it's good news is that it is tendonitis vs. arthritis. I asked why I have it so bad at my age and he feels it was all those years of having to hoist myself up and down when I was so heavy. He gave me a cortisone shot in my right shoulder and it has helped ALOT. It took a few days, but slowly I realized it wasn't hurting as much. It is still there, but it took it out of crisis mode. I think I will go back and get the other one done. You can't overuse them, but it did help me be able to start swimming my laps again. 1. 10:30 (I woke up when my husband went to work but I fell back asleep reading the paper). 2. My tendancy to procrastinate. I also wish I could spell better and not be so truly unable to remember names of people and places long after the point where I ought to know them. 3. I don't give a thought to attending an event or meeting a parent of one of my kids new friend, or talking to one of the teachers, etc. I used to filter such events through the dread of how big I was, but now I don't have that hesitation I once did. Patty

Hi Patty. Thanks for the info about your shoulder. I am scheduled to see an orthopedist on January 13th. Friday the 13th!! Yikes! I'm a little nervous because I'm pretty sure he will want to give me a cortisone shot. However, if it helps me like it helped you, it will be worth it. I had hoped to organize an informal get together for that date, but now I'm getting cold feet in case I can't make it after the doctor's visit. What did you feel like afterwards? Too much to make it to coffee or lunch with others? Please let me know what you think. Thanks! Thanks also for responding to the questions. I would have written you sooner, but I was procrastinating! Peg

Wow, Peg, that is major! Hope everything stay on that track for you. 1. 6 am Same time every day. 2. I would install a filter between my brain and my mouth (and fingers) 3. I had my original surgery in 1986. It actually did not change my life much. The whole thing was very matter of fact then. My second surgery took away constant pain and the need to live on vicodin. I was going nutz from all the side effects of the first surgery (JIB) So, instead of narcotics, I now take a gazillion vitamins and other pills. I now even remember to take them most days. Sheesh, at least I live in reality. (I think...........) tee

1) Lazy dispatcher here. I only got up at 9am because I was having a coughing fit. Otherwise I would like to have slept until noon. But then I didn't go to bed until 4 or 5 am though. That's a graveyard girl for ya! 2) Although I find there are advantages I would love to live without ADD. It affords me the ability to multi-task and get intensely into some things, but I'd love to be able to have a normal concentration pattern for once in my life. I'd love to not get fixated on stupid things and I'd love to be able to do routine and mundane things without having an anxiety attack. 3) Just one? I look forward to being around other people now. I forgot I used to be an extrovert and as I got fatter and fatter I became an introvert. Now I've rediscovered the joys of being around other people and it's fabulous! Dina

1) I was up at 6am 2) Be able to say "no" more often 3) I will fit in one airplane seat comfortably have a great night.. tami

I got up so late that I'm answering the Tuesday roll call on Wednesday!! Seriously, my grandaughter had a fever yesterday and all I did all day was hold and love her. She was much better today! I just wanted to check in and let you know that i finally got my picture in my profile. I wish you the best of health for the coming year. Sue Potter