What's on your (PHOTO) Friday Menu, RNYers?

Been a good while since I've been on but I've been thinking of you all and feeling extremely grateful for my life post WLS!! As hard and horrible as these last weeks, months, etc have been, it would never have been possible without my new health and fitness, and I owe SO much of that to my friends from OH!

A quick update: moved into new condo and it is GREAT (a disaster area, but great)! Many neighbors have introduced themselves and been very friendly, a true blessing. Internet service is finally working, special alarm system being installed tomorrow (including safety monitoring for DW), cats (3) are home from boarding and mostly curious about the new digs, coffee maker is working (I really NEED that!) and things are slowly finding new spaces.

DW says that she feels safer and thinks that we will be happy here (the ultimate goal in all of this!). She is not doing well physically, emotionally, cognitively, another reminder of why I am doing all of this, but we are here and safe. The latest diagnosis is Lewy Body Parkinson's which is a truly scary prognosis. In truly AWESOME news, I was managing the movers on Wednesday morning when she got a phone call from the insurance company that her disability coverage has been reinstated!! Don't know the implications of that like when will we get a check and will there be back payments (please, please, please) but it is COMPLETELY unheard of for this company to change it's decision without being taken to court or at least the insurance commissioner. Bizarre and wonderful! SSDI is also in process but it will hopefully lighten the load a bit!

In news of ME, I have been walking through this difficult time, one step at a time, sometimes not so successfully but trying to keep my eye on the goal and just doing the best I can. I have had periods of extreme nausea, headaches/migraines, muscle aches and trouble sleeping, but I have also been seeking support from my therapist, trying to stay well hydrated (not all coffee and ice tea!!) and eat small portions of healthy protein as much as possible. In full disclosure, yes, there have been muffins, cookies, and ice cream, not good choices, but in limited amounts, but I am working not to guilt myself for lack of perfection at this hard time. In other disclosure news, this last 10 days have been overwhelming and I've often gotten to the end of the day and realized that all I've had to eat all day (while doing massive amounts of physical movement) is 1 or 2 RX bars, a cup or two of black coffee (with Miralax of course) and lots of bottles of water. I got on the scale this morning and I'm actually below my lowest weight ever and have lost more than 6 pounds in the last 2 weeks. My goal is to take some quiet time on Saturday or Sunday and to set some new goals and guidelines for myself to get back to a healthier routine, including planning healthy protein forward meals, kicking out the sugar and sweets except for an OCCASIONAL celebration (no more "I deserve this" rewards), limiting my coffee to 2 cups a day, adding in more veggies again, and making sure that I do organized exercise 4-5 days a week (2-3 days of lifting, 2-3 days of mixed cardio, not just carrying heavy boxes up and down the stairs!!).

Again SOOO glad for the health that I have developed in the last (almost) 3 years!! And so many of you here are a big part of that!!

Pictures:DW on our new reclining love seats with a big smile on her face!

Audie cat in his new window with his cat tree and toys!

Pablo and Bijou eating breakfast:

Hugs to you all and I hope that I can meet more of you in person soon. It was GREAT fun to meet Sheila and Cara at OH!!

Janet,

I love the pictures of the new condo!! So happy to see that you posted and thankful that DW disability coverage has been re-enstated. You have been missed!

I have been thinking of you and I am so happy that things are on the up and up for you and DW!

What a whirlwind to not be entirely swept up into! It was good to read an update and your plan to finally get some more self care in place sounds very wise and needed. Yes, life happens but here you are doing it and that is what it is all about. It is good to see you back. I am sorry that for the health issues that you and your wife are faced with but it sounds like some supports will be in place now and that must be such a relief. I am glad that you can finally (hopefully) take a breathe from that oxygen mask yourself now. Lovely cats.

thanks so much for the update- I've been following you on FB and I'm so happy for you being settled. I hope you can start to sleep a bit better now. that will also help with food choices. :) hugs!

Sorry that everything is so hard, but it sounds like you are able to see through the muck and find the happiness. That says a lot about who you are.

Keep hanging in and checking in!

I was glad to "see" you last week in the conference pix but really even more happy to see you here today! I'm glad your move is going well and amazing news on the reversal; hopefully this will be the first in as much positive news as you can stand!

Yeah for you and DW. Sounds like you are in a much better place not just physically but in life. You know you deserve it right!

You are AMAZING!! I think of you both all the time