Taking a poll - who is going to the August event and what is your focus

I haven't seen her in a while, and from what I understand she is not with Dr. C's office anymore. I would have like to kept in touch with her.

yes, true. not sure who left whom or what.

Hopefully you have found the link to register by now, but if not, go to the "Events" page - click on MORE events - then go to August and the registration for the Seattle event. Be sure to put
"Seattle09" in the code box to get your discount.

I am going to have my surgery in Sept... soo I can still go, right?? I didn't know if this was something I could go to that would benefit me now or if it was for post-op people.

Sounds like fun! I may have to drag a friend along!

Hi Tania
I am having my surgery in Sept as well.  I think going would offer a few things for people post op. 
1.  Contacts
2.  Info for now and later
3.  Support
4.  Like minds having a good time learing new tools for our new tool

Take care
mary - vashon

Hi Mary,

I love Vashon!  My grandparents lived on Vashon for many, many years right on the beach by Glennacres area.  Then my father and his sisters went together to purchase the property after grandma and grandpa fell ill and had to move to the mainland. 

I will be attending the event and will also be a Medical Alert Jewelry Vendor.  The Vendors all do their "thing" on Sunday.  I hope you can be there for both days.  The clothing exchange will also be going on now. 

Do you come over to the mainland often?  If so, let me know and we could meet somewhere and get to know each other a bit and if all went well I do have a spare bedroom you could possibly spend a couple nights in.  Once I know you, you wouldn't be a stranger and my hubby wouldn't freak out at my invite!  I live in gorgeous Maple Valley where the coyotee's serenade you at night and am about 45 minutes drive to the event - I'm just off of highway 18.

I had my RNY May 21st, 2009 and I love to chat!

Donna/ragadolly
[email protected]
(425) 432-0156

Boy did I goof - the Vendor's do their thing on Saturday - the event isn't on Sunday - dah!

I'll fully wake up in another hour or so!

Donna/ragadolly

Hi Donna
I am coming to the event with my hubby.  We were going to stay over but it's a bit spendy right now.  So we will float over for at least Sat. morning. 

I work in Seattle 5 days a week so I float often.  I don't often make to Maple Valley.  When I first moved to WA State I lived in Kent so that was the closet I ever got to there - oh - we purchased our swing set there many years back. 

After Kent we went to West Seattle then Vashon - been on the rock for 18 years now.

This post took on a life of it's own - cool.  I guess folks are very excited and I think we may have talked one or two into going.  There are so many levels of the journey - some of us started years before the surgey!!  Mine started 2 years ago.

This event will bring full circle that 'we are not alone'. 

I am always amazed when I see myself in a photo - 'that's not me is it.'  My aha moment. 

Maybe that will be my next post - 'what was your 'aha....moment and what have you learned along the way to this point?'

See you soon
mary - vashon

Hi Mary,

I'm glad that your hubby is coming with you - having a husband that supports you is wonderful and will make your journey so much better.

My first aha moment was seein 199 on the bathscale and finally being out of the 200's.  I'm now at 186-187 and seem to be at a plateau.  I'd say the biggest things I've learned along the way are:  This is much more of a HEAD trip than I ever expected.  By that I mean my head really craves all my food addictions, but my stomach doesn't.  I'm still having trouble comprehending that and often gag up food or even water or beverages.  Sometimes I also temporarily forget that I had surgery and I will not chew quite enough or swallow too fast - and darn that is uncomfortable and sometimes comes back up.  It's all re-learning to eat and drink again.  The biggest problem is getting "My Brain" to adapt and change.  Also living with the different constant rather strange feeling in my stomach.  It doesn't hurt, just feels different, constant, and I feel "slightly" naseauted most of the time.  It's not real bad - just a different feeling.  My doctor says that's the small feeling of the tiny tummy pouch and keeps you from overeating.  Says on some people that feeling lessens or dissapears, others it remains.  My most frustrating thing is getting in the liquids.  I used to love water, and unsweetend/sugar free beverages and now I have a terrible time getting them in.  I worry about getting too dehydrated.  I'm about 2 1/2 months out from my rny SURGERY now and hopefully things will improve.  Sip, sip, sip, chew, chew, and chew again are becoming the most important words in my life and when I forget or think I can be a "normal" eater again - it's awful!  Surgery is a real learning process - that's for sure!

At times I admit I regret having the surgery because food was my best friend, but then I see my sister and her husband (super morbidly obese) and see the way they still eat, and see my scale moving down, and my overall health slowly improving - I'm thankful that I did it.  I've gone from a size womens 24 and can now where a misses 16.  That part is wonderful!  And I know over time things will keep getting better.  I'm almost feeling confident enough to get in a bathing suit and start attending swim aerobic classes or lap swimming.  That will be a major, major step for me because I've always been too self-conscious to get into a swim suit in public.

Best wishes to you and read plenty of books on the "mental" aspects of WLS if you can.

Donna

I will be coming up from Vancouver, WA (not Canada). Happy to be able to stay with my daughter, she lives in Tacoma. Looking forward to meeting many new friends, being inspired by the speakers and learning something new.
See you soon!
Linda