Good Morning

Val, great to see I am not the only lurker on the board. I have been hanging around lately to see if I am the only one dealing with the weight gain. There are not too many people around from when we were all researching our own wls. It sounds so beautiful where you are. Glad to see you are enjoying life. You are right the activity will help . I am still dealing with the Psoriaic arthritis and take Enbrel injections, which are not really helping and I can't help but wonder if it isn't contributing to the weight gain. Miss seeing you around too. Take care and enjoy the nice weather coming up. I remember you use to like gardening too. Deb Ski

Hi Deb, Dr. Lin told me when I had surgery it was pretty much the norm that I would gain back a few pounds, especially since I wasn't active with my diseases.. So I knew it was coming, was hard to watch the scale go up.. but am maintaining where I am, and am feeling pretty good about things.. Am upset that even after losing all this weight, that they are all back, with more added meds then before.. but I think my god if I feel this bad at 164, I would be dead at 300 lbs..I think a lot of the meds I am on do contribute a lot, I also have chronic dry mouth, and after a while I just can't drink no more.. and that is when I start on my life savers..I know there is not a lot of calories in  them, but if you suck down about 10 a day there is...I also have to eat with my meds, am back on the nsaids. Indicine, amitriptylin, xanax, darvocets, requip, lasix and potassium.. some 3 times a day some 5 times a day... I get busy out in the barn and I know I have to eat something so I do ulcerate the pouch, so I grab what is handy and that is usually 1/2 of a peanut butter sandwich, but now that Goobs has caught on to the peanut butter, I get maybe 1/4 of it... Never seen a horse love peanut butter the way he does.. lol... I won't be doing a lot of gardening this year, we have our new arrival coming in on the 5th,of May, so will be back in my horse training mode with my daughter, and we will be busy, she has a lot to learn, and is quite intimidated by the size of Goobs, he goes about 1500 lbs, and the new one is about 1200.. Red  Cloud is pretty tamed.. so once we get the testing out of him, and show him who his master is, he will be fine..  I might do some container growing on the deck though.. And of course, I am not very happy with the fence, so will be doing that over again.. and adding a little juice to the lines.. lots to do..

Hey girl, nice to see you---what a blast from the past!!!  We had our surgeries around the same time. How fun to see you with your horse, you are really getting into rural life, so glad you are living your dream!! Don't be a stranger!!!! Hugs, Connie -147#

I saw a familiar name and just had to stop in and say HI!  Val, sounds like Maine is agreeing to you.  I am getting ready to move.  I am a bit scared.  The comfortable zone is going to get shaken up a bit.  Its not far but its far enough.  Me being City slicker lots of people around going to urban setting is going take me some time to get use to........Weight has been up but the normal gain I believe...And I do try and keep it from going any higher.  I will say with all that has gone on with surgery and such....I would not trade this life for anything else.  Its been good even when it was bad.  Growing and maturing isn't as bad as I first thought as a teenager.  Its nice to see everyone getting along with life and enjoying it!  So glad you stopped in.  I miss your posts but do understand. Debbie

HI Connie and Debbie, Life has changed, I feel like I am at home.. Was fun, On the horse boards where I yak now, I showed them a the pictures of my journey, and had a lot of folks come out here to check you all out... lol.. It has been a real scream, talking with people that are the same size I am riding horses.. Is hard to explain, but, I guess I am hanging out with people like me.. it is so awesome.. I ran a thread over there yesterday, and  I hope that OH lets this slide, with the url address, because it is a post about hope...  http://forum.horse.com/tm.asp?m=320696   and you need to read all the reply's.. I still have my lupus, and fibro, and arthrits, and so don't most of the people that have posted on that thread, and a lot more with worse diseases then I have, and how much riding has helped them, not only mentally, but physically as well, and getting their mobility back.. Even after I lost all that weight, I still keep in touch with Dr. Lins off way down there in DC.. and I can tell you they are all positive in what I am doing.. There are days I can't ride.. But the days that I do, I can feeling my back strengthening, and my arms and lord know, with all the twisting in the saddle, I am gaining the mobility that I needed too..I can pick up a 35 hay bale now and carry it a little ways, without dragging it like I used to..Goobs saddle is 30 lbs, and by the time I pick that up and throw it over him, I just rest on him a minute or two to catch my breath.. and then strap him all up..But the idea is, I can feel myself getting a bit stronger,, Even gaining back that 20 lbs was no big deal, I mean it was a first.. but I know at 140 I was pushing the envelope a little to much, and was not looking healthy, I am happy at 160 well 164.. Is quite amuzing mounting Goobs, as I have to stand on a step stool to get my foot in the stirrup to swing my butt over...something I never thought I would be able to do again...  It will be 4 years in October since I have had therapy... I don't count calories anymore, but still watch what I eat, and still eat off my special dinner plate.. so I still make sure I am on track, but with a little heavier duty's of mucking the barn, and grooming 1500 lbs of horse, entitles me to an extra bite of popcorn, am sure this 20 lbs will disappear, in no time at all.. but the more I worry about it the more I will gain back... and yes to all of the next questions,,. yes still drinking my protein, and still eating my vitamins... Oh and an FYI never ever,  open a protein bar in front of your horse, he will eat it.. lolol...He and I actually fight over them a times.. lol..still about a cup to a cup and a half per serving, so the pouch has not stretched, which is good news... But will tell you when it is 45 below zero up here, there is nothing better then some hot oatmeal, or cream of wheat,, and of course after mucking out the barn at -45 nothing even more better then a nice hot cup of tomoto soup...Lots of stews up here, and foods that stick to your ribs in that weather, now with it warming up the grill will be filled, and the chicken and the steaks and pork chops will be on there with tossed fresh salads..  Will try and get some picture of Goobs and Me this afternoon, after Marianne's 17th Birthday Party....OMG she has grown so fast, and can't wait to post some of her pictures... Would lo cool to see how all of you have changed since surgery too, and how many of you have made your lifes goals... not in weight, but in life since surgery... You all have a great day, and drop me a note over there.. Lots of great healthy things going on over there,, This site I will always be grateful too, for getting me where I am today, wihtout OH, I never would hae made it... but there is life out there, after, and even with us saying our handicaps are back what do we do... well hopefully you will get your answers on the horse boards.. There are a lot of sites, that will get you up and on. them, and give you yoga instructions on them when riding,, Has truely helped me with my balancing.. and my coordination and mobilitly.... Those interested you can still mail me, my email address has never changed, and I have no problem helping any of you getting you mobility, balance, strength,  and your mind clear...  Have a great day... and I beg of you Mods not to take down this URL, without this site, I probably would have been in a wheel chair today... Would love to see what others have done after they have lost the weight,,, Take Care, Val

You are truly an inspiration to me.....You are about a year out from my surgery date and I can remember just reading all the stuff and relating to them.  I still have my sleep apena...its not improving as well as I thought it would with weight loss but I am managing it better.  I am back in school trying for my BS.  Life is so much more pleasant these days.  I have been slacking on gym with school.  Its been hard trying to juggle it all.  But I still try and that is the best part of this.....I try!  I don't give up and say I can't.  I am so happy you are still trying too!  Keep happy my friend!  Your horse is gorgeous!  I think you are amazing! Debbie

You know Deb, I think back to 4 years ago, and how I felt..I just wanted to die..every step I took I hurt so bad...I remember driving down to the orchards in Md, and stopping along side of the road, and feeding some mules some apples, and was so depressed, knowing that, that part of my life was over, and that I would never ride a horse, or give lessons on riding, or even breaking them for that matter.. I wsa just a depressed bowl of jello.. When I lost the weight, I wasn't strong, I still am weak in a lot of points, but Goobs is 1500 lbs, and I better learn to get strong, or I am going down.. He is my challenge.. Everyday I go out, and clean his barn, takes me longer then I would like.. I feed him, Mike carry's his water out, but I think I can get the hose out there today for him, since it has warmed up some.. I wake up in the mornings now with sore muscles, and that is a good feeling.. I needed something that would give me the excercise I needed, but couldn't get at curves, or whatever...With Goobs, pulling on his reigns, I can feel my chest muscles and my arm muscles tightening up, and can feel my leg muscles tightening too..  Jon took my pic yesterday on him, and boy do I need that extra skin taken off.. lol...you can see the droopy skin even with a sweater on over my arms, and all my belly skin in front.. Have been turned down twice for the tummy tuck so I will live with it... but anyways, here's was yesterday's pictures.. http://forum.horse.com/tm.asp?m=321853  that was taken in front of the house.. am going to go out today for a large roll of duct tape, and a over sized sweat shirt.. lol.. You have a great day.. gotta go out and start mine.. Will check back in later on today... Val