Wednesday, January 24

I lived in Alaska for a couple of years. I became very afraid of bears. Bear-anoia. I thought all the bears were out to get me. The first bike ride I went on I wiped out on the trail. My face landed on a bear track. The mud that squished up between his toes was folding over from gravity and I swear I could feel the heat off of the paw print. There are bears in AK and there are alligators in FL. We are not on top of the food chain.

Your day sounds very fun! We love playing cornhole!

Gorgeous heron!

We eat at Paneras when we go to Little Rock. Good coffee. I like the bread too but I do not know why. It is mostly to hard to eat. You are sneaking right up on those Herons. Great pics.

Their pastries call to me, but going regularly with this group actually helps because we ONLY drink coffee. It is a pretty fit bunch (no more than an extra 20-30 pounds on a few of them, but very active). None of them has ever had a longterm weight problem (mostly gains after menopause).

I meant to tell you guys that one of the women we walk with showed us her villa yesterday. It is the exact same style as ours with the same light coming through the windows and it is gorgeous! Her decorating is superb and I love the colors on her walls. It really gives you a feel for what is possible, though I don't think I would spend as much on the upgrades as she did as there would be no return above a certain point. With DH, we don't know how long we will be able to keep coming here. She has lived here for 20 years mostly fulltime so it was worth it for her. Beautiful brand-new kitchen. Crown molding in all rooms. Upgraded bathrooms. Gorgeous wood floor. Just really beautiful!

I sticking in the 134's, so I'm back in my range (134-139). We met Chuck's sister (RNY with regain 20 pounds above her pre-surgery weight) for dinner at a great seafood place on Cayuga lake. I had a glass of wine, a bite of five onion soup, many bites of a seafood tower (shrimp ****tail, steamed clams, and calamari), some outstanding asparagus and one stuffed scallop. For the first time in long time, I ate over my sleeve to the point of being uncomfortable. On the positive side, I had no bread or pasta and when they had an after dinner coffee adult beverage with a chocolate chip cookie pie covered with bubbling caramel and a big dollop of banana ice cream, I was trying so hard not to throw up, I was DONE ! She has gone back to her bariatric surgeon to find out why she can't keep the weight off after RNY. All I can do is continue to support her, provide honest feedback on what has worked for me, and encourage her to reconsider counseling.

Tomorrow, we drop Atlas and Sadie off with my DB and DS-I-L for a 24 hour stay, while we proceed on for a series of medical appointments in Albany (Chuck 4, me 1). I see my cardiologist for an annual check on my leaking valves and long T. I am shaking my head at everything I am packing ! Like traveling with a pre-schooler and toddler !!

Sounds like you're a wonderful support to your SIL. It's funny how before surgery I would eat until over stuffed and feel nasty, but since surgery, if I do that, I get the foamies and have to will myself not to get sick.

Hope your appointment with the cardiologist finds you doing well, Diane!

That must be a difficult situation.

The closest situation I've experienced is my aunt had (VBG? One of those very early forerunners to RnY back in the arly 80s) "stomach stapling" when she was 22 (she's now 59 I think). I never knew her thin. She's a larger person--6 foot tall anyway. About 4-5 years ago she had a revision to lapband. She'll never be a "small" person, but I think she's met a pretty good goal for her body. Her weightloss has allowed her to get back into tennis and now she also participates in half marathons, etc. So maybe she needs more calories? Anyway, my point was whenever she comes for a visit, I'm SHOCKED by how much she can eat. I suppose if I really tried I could maybe eat a whole bagel and an egg. Nope. Not even totally sure I could. Regardless, I would feel super sick. My half + egg fills me up quite nicely. She can definitely eat more than I can. Luckily for her it works I guess.

Now I have been around non-surgery people who make me feel sick. Normally it's friends who don't know about my surgery and who maybe are a little self-conscious about their own weight and literally try to pressure me into eating more. And maybe before surgery I would've thought it was silly to leave a bite or two behind. But now I know the difference a bite or two can make to my sleeve! And not only is that super duper uncomfortable, but I really want to protect the integrity of my sleeve! My BIL is the worst. So with him I don't think it's a self-conscious thing but for him more is more. If you can get a 6 oz. steak, why not get a 20oz. ribeye?! DH and I split meals quite often because honestly the portions out are so huge I can eat 1/3 and he eats 2/3 and everyone is happy, including our wallets. But when we eat out with BIL, he wants to just "split the bill in half" prompting my husband to ultimately want me to get my own because that'll make it more even. Finally I explained to DH that simply makes it more expensive...for everyone.

I dunno what I would do. I've always worried that I would end up back in that boat. I think the best thing you can do is just try to be understanding. (which it sounds like that's exactly what you're doing). I can't imagine how humbling it would be to regain all your weight after WLS. I know how hard it was to lose weight on my own before WLS, and I'm guessing at this point it sounds like she no longer has any restriction so maybe it feels exactly the same. I had well-meaning people suggest various diets or just "diet and exercise" back in the day and while that's true, for some reason I couldn't do it! At least not without the aide of my sleeve. I'm all for revisions, especially if people can identify how it might be different this time. I think your suggestion of counseling, or at the very least self-reflection, is the best thing she could do right now.

Good morning!

It is a day off work but nothing is normal. I'm not officially up, tea instead of coffee, not looking at weather/road reports for the Big Activity. Not doing my usual morning workout. Just need to sit up a bit to nurse the cold then hoping back to bed. How nice it is to see postings this early!

Cecily, your poor dad. He does have a great travel nightmare story to tell. DianeS, your medical travel story wasn't much better!

Paula, I tracked yesterday! Very painful in the evening!!! But, just the nudge I need. And good job exercising. Ok, what about that massage, did you schedule?

Ann, glad you found the peeps with the perspective and vinyasa for the activity. See what happens when you buck up? (sarcastic font and exaggerated eye roll)

DianeO, I'm learning so much from Sadie and Atlas stories! Mary, my DD recently cut her long locks and now has a short bob. So fun to see her fresh face, super cute. It will be challenge for dance recital but she says she knows how she will handle. I can't remember if your daughter was just thinking about getting a cut or if she actually got a cut. It my klutzy way, I am saying that sometimes a hair cut is just a hair cut?

David, where art thou? Tell us a baby story.

Hug that skinny, Shel