What's New Tuesday........

Well....I guess that I am first this morning.[it is 12:45 am here, but I felt the need to "talk."....the weather is turning wonderful and that is great......I am ready after this horrible winter we have had. It is going to be sunny and 63 degrees today....IN WISCONSIN! I have noticed that many  of us seem to be having problems with .....NO PARAGRAPHS........I have told OH about it and they are checking on it. As I am typing they appear, but after I "submit" it does not post with paragraphs. Well, I went to see my WLS surgeon on Monday and it was a very interesting session......I was there almost an hour......he loves to talk real estate with me.....as a matter of fact most of the docs do....LOL.........but I also told the nurse Lynn that I thought I was depressed and having issues.....we talked and then she talked with my Doc.  I told him that I had not been stopping with one glass of wine and sometimes throughout the evening I would drink 3 glasses and "there goes a bottle"...my husband is concerned as I have never been like this before and he had someone tell him that "we" substitute "one addiction for another".....whether it is "drink, drugs food or anorexia".....why oh why can't we be normal???.................... I have gained 5 pounds since my last visit.....I have stopped exercising.....and I am eating bad things and drinking more wine......He said he admired me for talking about it. He said he had two patients that he knew they had an alcohol problem, but refused to admit it......he said he understood about the wine in the evening, as he also felt it difficult to stop with one glass of wine...but he forced himself to stop. He said "I hear you....it is hard to put that cork in the bottle.....and return it to the shelf when you really enjoy the taste"....... Thank God I have a surgeon that understands.  I have to go back in 3 weeks to see the nurse and get weighed and talk with her. They said that I should only try to work on one thing at a time......and if I felt it would be easier to get back into exercising that I should do that first....I used to do 5 times a week, but they only want me to do 3 times a week...more is okay. He said that eventually I would need to stop with the one glass of wine.....as the calories are way too much ...as wine is metaboliszed as carbs.....He also said that "Dr. Atkins had it right, it is all about carbs.....but only 20 carbs a day is toooooo few........he suggested that I concentrate on "only having 100 grams a day of carbs".....BUT an 8 ounce glass of wine has 170 calories and 4 carbs.....but he said that it gets metabolized differently.....] So there you are....that along with my lousy real estate market and my weight gain.and probably depression...I am pretty good... What would I do without my family and my sweet sistahs [and brothers] on OFF.......I do know that I have also lots of sweet girlfriends in my life also, but it is not helping....I am going to have to do this on my own......I never never never want to go back UP the scales again....at least we have learned that we CAN turn it around even if we have to lean on each other occasionally. Unfortunately, this evening one of my girlfriends called and said our other real good girlfriend's sister Lisa had commmitted suicide tonight. in New York City....not only did she commit suicide, she did it by jumping off her 18 story apartment building. The shear violence of it is devastating to my girlfriend and their Mother. I feel so sorry for her. Lisa had her problems, drug abuse etc. but to have her do it so violently. She left a note saying, "call my sister and not my Mother".. so she was notified by her sister's doorman. So sad. Well, today I am going to need to work out....get to the office and then this afternoon I have to work at church helping people that are getting their pictures taken for the Church Directory.....BUT that also means cute babies!!..... Love to all, Marti

Oh Marti, I am sorry to hear of your troubles and your loss.  My name is Marti also and we share some similarities, though I have not had my surgery yet.  I quit drinking ten years ago after realizing that my father was an alcoholic and I was on the slippery slope to alcoholism.   I think you are taking some positive steps by listening to your doctor and increasing your exercise.  I recently have increased my exercise from three days a week to five and from 30 minutes to 35 minutes each time, so every little bit helps. I pray you can take life one day at a time. Marti in San Jose

Hi Marti, WOW I'm first.  I'm so sorry to hear about your friend's sister.  If those who commit suicide only knew how much it would hurt the ones they leave behind, I wonder if that would it would stop them.   Yes, I've also heard many time that we can easily exchange one addiction for another.  While food was always my addiction of choice, never drugs or alcohol, I know I have an addictive personality.  My addiction for food was replaced with one - strange that it is - of buying bath towels.  I have no more room in my linen closet, because after buying several bath towels, I started to buy hand towels.  Now it's dish towels and dish cloths.  Well, at least they are not edible and don't really go bad!  Our older son recently moved out and I sent him on his way with four sets of bath linens.  Our younger son is hoping to move by summer, and he too will get four sets, along with dish towels. I definitely over did it today or I should say yesterday (Mon.) and am paying for it now.  The pain pill isn't budging the throbbing.  Too much chopping seasoning for all I cooked, and trimming the bottoms off over a gallon of fresh Brussel sprouts did me in.  I'm about ready to head downstairs for another 1/2 of a Lortab.  Add to that I didn't drag my lazy butt out of bed until 8:30 this morning, so I'm not even tired.  I need to get some sleep - busy day tomorrow - driving George to work, coming back across the river for doc appt to get stitches out, trip to the garden center for eggplant plants (that sounds redundant), a stop at the pharmacy for George's scripts, a stop at the grocery for a few things, a few hours for myself, then back across the river to pick George up from work and head to the Hornet's last home game. Take care, Debbie

Oh Marti, I am feeling for you on the wine thing. If I could drink it I would!!!!! I cant drink at all. Alchohol that is. If I did I would be in the ER. I am allergic to it. Passover is comming up and at the Sedar we have 4 cups of wine and I wont be able to partake in in drinking of the wine. So Grape Crystal Lite it will be!!!!! My new addiction is the resale shops. Thank g-d they are cheaper than the mall!!!!! Or I would be broke. My Prayers for your friend. That is so sad. Well I am going back to bed for a little while as I have to take Heather and Lily to work and the babysitter as Heathers car crapped out on her, and I have to be back to work at 9. Carla who is playing mom today

Now, now Carla, did you forget about those chocolate martinis?..:) Janet

Oh Sweet Marti, I am so glad you opened up about the problem with stopping at 1 glass of wine in the evenings.  Do not be discouraged, "you can do as Philippians 4:13 says..."all things through Christ Jesus Who strenthens me"  I know you love the Lord and He loves you even more and wants to give you strength to do this.  I know because I used to be a drunk...yes, a drunk...but He set me free in 1987 and I have never had an urge to drink again.  So from personal experience I can say it is very prossible to be set free.  I agree we experience problems with addictions.  we just need to recognize it and then take the next step which is what you are doing.  I love you and will be praying for you in this area.  I also am so sorry about the loss of the friend's sister.  How sad and tragic. With that sad..I do have an exciting thing happening here...Our Dear Joyce and her hubby are coming here hopefully today or tomorrow and spending the night!  Hooray!  We have talked two times and we are excited to get together. She will call me this morning or I will catch her this morning to finalize details. I too am struggling with cheating...with the cookie jar of all things! I was on prenisone this week do to another arm injury from Kung Fu and was craving munchies....yikes I was up 2 pounds today.  I know that isn't much but today is last day of 6 days of the meds and they stay in your system after you stop.  So I am quitting today...no more putting my hand in that jar!  Plus they make me feel queasy! Cold weather ha**** us in time for Joyce's visit after last week being in the 80's it will be 30'S in the AM Wed (tomorrow). Well, maybe we will post while she is here or even skype some of you if you want to. Have a great day and press in friends of OFF to obey the pouch rules and stay on track..and yes I am preaching to myself also!

Good morning Marti! All I want to send to you is a HUG!!! Depression is an awful demon that seems to lead us down the wrong path if we let it. I think the blessing is that when we are able to realize what is happening and consciously work to change it. More power to you in battlng your demon!  Monday wasn't too bad. Well, the blasting heat in my office that gave me a headache, the noise when I attempted to rest to rid myself of the headache, the phone calls from N and my son when I was finally able to relax, and finally the calls from the jerk asking me if I was bi-polar didn't completely ruin my day. I didn't go running off to rescue my son and N. I hung up on the jerk. I toosed and turned for a while until I finally slipped into a blissful slumber. I think today I may not answer any phone calls. I alaso think I may have my number changed. I don't want to do that as it shows that I have to hide. I will not hide from the jerk. He will leave me alone!!! I pray that we each find the strength to battle our personal demons so we can have bright and happy days!!!!

Okay, Aime, I have no idea what phone company you have but several of the brokers I work with have something that makes me tell who I am in order for me to reach them.  It then tells me that I am 'not on their list' and leave my name and number and refuses to put me through.   Anyone else know what I'm talking about? Janet

I believe it is called, call intercept and you can program in a number that you do not wish to have calls from. . .

Janet posted to you about something that some phone companies have, I believe it is called call intercept, whereby you can program a number(s) you don't wish to recieve calls from and it might be easier than having to change your number ;)