Okay so I'm a day early....All the wild turkeys were standing on the ridge this morning holding signs saying; EAT BEEF...sorry guys, but there is a very fresh bird sitting in my refrig waiting to be stuffed :-)
We are delighted this year that at least part of the family will be here to celebrate with us. We do enjoy being up on this mountain, but during the holidays it is always hard, looking back on the business of the holiday, with a crowded table and so much laughter. I miss those day, but realize that life is full of change and acceptance is the key to happiness.
I have so very much to be thankful for this year...way at the top of the list is that Rich survived his surgery and continues to improve everyday...I have survived a year of change (for the better) much thinner then last year , much healthier and certainly much happier. My children are all happy in their lives and I am surrounded by people who truly care and show it in everything they do and say. I have to be one of the luckiest people on this planet and I never stop thanking God for holding me so close to his heart and allowing so much joy to fill my life.
I am thinking about the soldiers today...young men and women so far from home, so far from the loved ones who will celebrate this holiday missing them and praying for their safe return.
Please don't forget them in your prayers...There are so many people less fortunate, I wish I could feed them all, dress them all in warm clothes....What I can do is make a difference to some...You can as well..Most churches take coats and clothes for the needy, a lot of banks have barrels out for toys at Christmas and most of all check out anysoldier,com and make life a little nicer for our forces that won't be home this holiday season....
Happy Thanksgiving to all who have made my life a brighter place...and even to those who have brought darkness...fore if not for troubled times, how would I know what happiness feels like?
My Hidden Treasure
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
WOW!! Has it really been that long?
Sheesh....Thank you to those that have written to me via e-mail, wanting to know if everything is okay because it has been so long since I've Blogged.
There is no excuse, just life happening at a warp speed pace.
Rich continues to improve from his open heart surgery...he is doing really well, still in rehab, but his color is wonderful and everyday he can do a bit more then he did yesterday.
I have had a few issues but nothing worth complaining about...I guess I could, But I am so happy to be smaller and have so much more energy...that any little bump in the road is easy to navigate.
I've also gone into business with a friend of mine so I don't spend too much time in the house or at my computer. We spent all last week making curtains for our shop and talking the whole time about what we'd like to see happen. needless to say we are very excited...We are both hard workers and what she doesn't like to do I do and vice versa so it works well. It's a very exciting time...Of course it is also the worse time to start a business...(A) So close to Holidays so we have a great deal of outside stress and (B) the economy is not the best for embarking on a new adventure...but we tarry on with hopes for the future and staying extremely busy in the mean time...Too busy to think about failure for sure.
Have have dabbled in a lot of businesses over the years and ALL have been successful... All of them ran in the black within the first 6 mouths , which according to my accountant, is almost unheard of. This one, I'm afraid, may take a bit longer, simply because of what it is and because neither of us has a huge bankroll to fund it...so it will need to grow slow and fund itself...That's how I worked the chocolate business and for those of you who know me, know it grew far beyond my expectations. But enough about my excitement...
I know a lot of people follow this Blog who are thinking about Bariatric surgery for themselves.
I promised to be honest wit h you from the very beginning so at the risk of up setting some people...I have to tell you: If you are thinking about the Band, please give it a great deal of thought...It is a relatively new device and it seems to have it's share of problems...I am fearful that 10 years from now, they will either have to re evaluate the concept of the Band or change the design etc. It does work for some and when it does the results are wonderful...However, it is something you must work very hard to maintain or the weight seems to creep back in a very short period of time. Not to say you can't re lose it...but heck, you an do that with WW without surgery. I am also seeing a lot of interest in revisions (having the Band reversed to RNY)..
Which means yet another surgery to fight obesity...doesn't make much sense does it?
A very Dear friend is struggling with some very severe issues with the Band and just found out that her insurance will not cover another surgery. So what now? Does she remove it and risk gaining weight? Does she suffer with it to maintain her weight or does she pay for the surgery out of packet to at least get some relief...? Please think LONG and Hard about Banding...it isn't for everyone and if it's not for you, it can be a disaster.
Okay I also have to throw in that a bad RNY can be a disaster as well but I had mine over a year ago and there have been hundreds preformed at my hospital and there have been no REAL problems. We all seem to lose weight rapidly, we all seem very delighted with the weight loss and hell bent on keeping it off...Only time will tell. Right now I am fighting with a Vitamin D deficiency , I am taking 50,000 units of D every other day. I know it seems like a lot and those of you in the
know" know that D can be toxic. Understand that I am being closely watched and if this is the only small price I have to pay for feeling as good as I do...so be it.
I am also having some small issue with certain foods lately. Perhaps I've gotten lazy and I'm not chewing as well or the piece is too big...We are also working on that.
The bottom line is, I would do it again in a heartbeat...I'm not as small as I was in my twenty's, but I am heading in that direction and I'm delighted with each pound gone and each size smaller.
I have had a great deal of support along the way and to those of you who have kept in touch with your words of encouragement...I thank you....
There is no excuse, just life happening at a warp speed pace.
Rich continues to improve from his open heart surgery...he is doing really well, still in rehab, but his color is wonderful and everyday he can do a bit more then he did yesterday.
I have had a few issues but nothing worth complaining about...I guess I could, But I am so happy to be smaller and have so much more energy...that any little bump in the road is easy to navigate.
I've also gone into business with a friend of mine so I don't spend too much time in the house or at my computer. We spent all last week making curtains for our shop and talking the whole time about what we'd like to see happen. needless to say we are very excited...We are both hard workers and what she doesn't like to do I do and vice versa so it works well. It's a very exciting time...Of course it is also the worse time to start a business...(A) So close to Holidays so we have a great deal of outside stress and (B) the economy is not the best for embarking on a new adventure...but we tarry on with hopes for the future and staying extremely busy in the mean time...Too busy to think about failure for sure.
Have have dabbled in a lot of businesses over the years and ALL have been successful... All of them ran in the black within the first 6 mouths , which according to my accountant, is almost unheard of. This one, I'm afraid, may take a bit longer, simply because of what it is and because neither of us has a huge bankroll to fund it...so it will need to grow slow and fund itself...That's how I worked the chocolate business and for those of you who know me, know it grew far beyond my expectations. But enough about my excitement...
I know a lot of people follow this Blog who are thinking about Bariatric surgery for themselves.
I promised to be honest wit h you from the very beginning so at the risk of up setting some people...I have to tell you: If you are thinking about the Band, please give it a great deal of thought...It is a relatively new device and it seems to have it's share of problems...I am fearful that 10 years from now, they will either have to re evaluate the concept of the Band or change the design etc. It does work for some and when it does the results are wonderful...However, it is something you must work very hard to maintain or the weight seems to creep back in a very short period of time. Not to say you can't re lose it...but heck, you an do that with WW without surgery. I am also seeing a lot of interest in revisions (having the Band reversed to RNY)..
Which means yet another surgery to fight obesity...doesn't make much sense does it?
A very Dear friend is struggling with some very severe issues with the Band and just found out that her insurance will not cover another surgery. So what now? Does she remove it and risk gaining weight? Does she suffer with it to maintain her weight or does she pay for the surgery out of packet to at least get some relief...? Please think LONG and Hard about Banding...it isn't for everyone and if it's not for you, it can be a disaster.
Okay I also have to throw in that a bad RNY can be a disaster as well but I had mine over a year ago and there have been hundreds preformed at my hospital and there have been no REAL problems. We all seem to lose weight rapidly, we all seem very delighted with the weight loss and hell bent on keeping it off...Only time will tell. Right now I am fighting with a Vitamin D deficiency , I am taking 50,000 units of D every other day. I know it seems like a lot and those of you in the
know" know that D can be toxic. Understand that I am being closely watched and if this is the only small price I have to pay for feeling as good as I do...so be it.
I am also having some small issue with certain foods lately. Perhaps I've gotten lazy and I'm not chewing as well or the piece is too big...We are also working on that.
The bottom line is, I would do it again in a heartbeat...I'm not as small as I was in my twenty's, but I am heading in that direction and I'm delighted with each pound gone and each size smaller.
I have had a great deal of support along the way and to those of you who have kept in touch with your words of encouragement...I thank you....
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
A NEW day dawns
Okay so the other day wasn't one of my best. Like I say, when your mind goes into overload and then that straw falls on your back...You just explode, it's how I survive.
Once I vented in writing, I took a walk on this beautiful property I own and thought about how lucky I am. So much luckier then most people I know and for that I am truly grateful.
I realized as I sat up at my pond and fed my favorite fish, that when people strike back at me, it's not really about ME, it's about THEM...it's about their insecurities, about their less then perfect lives, it's about them "pretending" to be happy when they truly aren't and resenting me because it is so obvious that I truly am.
Sure things bother me for about a minute. That's about all I can allow for negative thoughts...otherwise I will be brought down into that dark place I know exist (I spent a lot of years there) I don't like that place, nor do I ever want to be there again.
I pondered on how I could help those who are hurting and then remembered something someone said to me about AA "You are only as sick as your secrets"...Secrets are exactly that...ones own demons to deal with...so my answer was that I can not help. As a friend to all who touch my life , I can only be there to try and comfort, try and offer support and be a friend.
There are those who will chose to walk away rather then discuss....I can't do much about that either...All I can do is try and protect myself from the "ugly, toxic" people and help those that are willing to help themselves.
My days are truly happy . God continues to smile on Rich and I. There will always be problems...that's the way life is, but love has a way of facing those problems head on and dealing with them. Yes there are days when I want to explode, days when people try and make me less of a person then I know I am...but they are far and few between.
As I sat at my pond ,I looked at my fish, a bass I call Popeye because he only has one eye...he comes when I call him and there are days he can see his worms because I throw to his (good side) and then there are days he misses some because he turns too fast and the worm lands to his bad side....Pretty much how life goes with all living things huh? Sometimes we see the worm, sometimes we don't...but we survive knowing we may see the worm tomorrow......
Once I vented in writing, I took a walk on this beautiful property I own and thought about how lucky I am. So much luckier then most people I know and for that I am truly grateful.
I realized as I sat up at my pond and fed my favorite fish, that when people strike back at me, it's not really about ME, it's about THEM...it's about their insecurities, about their less then perfect lives, it's about them "pretending" to be happy when they truly aren't and resenting me because it is so obvious that I truly am.
Sure things bother me for about a minute. That's about all I can allow for negative thoughts...otherwise I will be brought down into that dark place I know exist (I spent a lot of years there) I don't like that place, nor do I ever want to be there again.
I pondered on how I could help those who are hurting and then remembered something someone said to me about AA "You are only as sick as your secrets"...Secrets are exactly that...ones own demons to deal with...so my answer was that I can not help. As a friend to all who touch my life , I can only be there to try and comfort, try and offer support and be a friend.
There are those who will chose to walk away rather then discuss....I can't do much about that either...All I can do is try and protect myself from the "ugly, toxic" people and help those that are willing to help themselves.
My days are truly happy . God continues to smile on Rich and I. There will always be problems...that's the way life is, but love has a way of facing those problems head on and dealing with them. Yes there are days when I want to explode, days when people try and make me less of a person then I know I am...but they are far and few between.
As I sat at my pond ,I looked at my fish, a bass I call Popeye because he only has one eye...he comes when I call him and there are days he can see his worms because I throw to his (good side) and then there are days he misses some because he turns too fast and the worm lands to his bad side....Pretty much how life goes with all living things huh? Sometimes we see the worm, sometimes we don't...but we survive knowing we may see the worm tomorrow......
Monday, October 26, 2009
Stress = Life
For those of you who think I am "always up" "always positive" "always smiling"...This is a day for you ....LOL (crap I wasn't supposed to laugh or smile)
I am NOT an idiot!! I may not have the education that some people have, but I'm not stupid!!
My grammar sucks even if I did get straight A's in English. I don't use spell check, which may or may not be obvious, so even though I won many a Spelling Bee's and Scrabble Tournaments, you WILL find misspelled words. I am not a typist, never wanted to be either , so look for typo's, they are there for you to find. I make mistakes, I've made some HUGE ones, I take full responsibility for my life.
In short I'm not perfect....Are you? Do you think you are? When I have issues with someone, I talk to them in person, face to face and in most cases resolve those issues before they fester into something greater. If you are my "friend" you need to know...I will not lie to you, I will not walk on egg shells to preserve your feelings. I certainly won't hurt you deliberately but I will find a way to "tell it like it is" as kindly as possible. DO NOT look for hidden agenda's in anything I may write...again...if I have something to say to you personally, I'll say it...trust me on that.
I understand people have bad days, people can easily miss understand the written word for lack of affect or they can transfer an anger because they are dealing with sensitive issues they just can't wrap there mind around. Don't kill the messenger simple because she delivers something you don't want to deal with.
No I do not have a degree...But I do have life's experience, lots of life experience...I also have an extremely analytical mind and I READ people very well, for the most part. I am intuitive, logical and caring...That combination can cause me a great amount of pain and often does.
I can not watch someone suffer, emotionally, physically or both, without trying to help heal them.
It's in my nature, I cannot change who I am, nor do I want to.
I have held my own through a tumultuous life and I have survived. I'm proud of that survival, I'm proud of who I am . I have succeeded at anything I've put my mind to, including several successful businesses. I have been told to learn the word "NO", some of us CAN'T say "NO" to someone in need...I am one of those people. I have been accused of trying too hard to make people like me...NEWS FLASH!!! I don't give a flying rats ass who likes me and who doesn't and I have felt that way since childhood...because people I loved betrayed me, so I learned very early in life not to trust and not to CARE who liked me...but that doesn't mean I can't give, it doesn't mean I can't share and it sure as hell doesn't mean I can't care...But again, there is no hidden agenda or need on my part to be loved by all who touch my life...I am loved my many, I am also loathed...That's life...You cannot please all of the people all of the time. I pity those who try.
My life's goal is to make a difference. How I make that difference is MY CHOICE. If you don't approve, I don't care, it's not your life. If you are one of those who write to me and one that holds me in high esteem...I thank you. If I have made a difference in your life...I treasure you, because you ARE my goal.
Everyone, no matter how thick skinned they are has to, at times, let off steam and clear the air.
I just did...If you're still reading and smiling...You get me!!! Thank you!!
I am NOT an idiot!! I may not have the education that some people have, but I'm not stupid!!
My grammar sucks even if I did get straight A's in English. I don't use spell check, which may or may not be obvious, so even though I won many a Spelling Bee's and Scrabble Tournaments, you WILL find misspelled words. I am not a typist, never wanted to be either , so look for typo's, they are there for you to find. I make mistakes, I've made some HUGE ones, I take full responsibility for my life.
In short I'm not perfect....Are you? Do you think you are? When I have issues with someone, I talk to them in person, face to face and in most cases resolve those issues before they fester into something greater. If you are my "friend" you need to know...I will not lie to you, I will not walk on egg shells to preserve your feelings. I certainly won't hurt you deliberately but I will find a way to "tell it like it is" as kindly as possible. DO NOT look for hidden agenda's in anything I may write...again...if I have something to say to you personally, I'll say it...trust me on that.
I understand people have bad days, people can easily miss understand the written word for lack of affect or they can transfer an anger because they are dealing with sensitive issues they just can't wrap there mind around. Don't kill the messenger simple because she delivers something you don't want to deal with.
No I do not have a degree...But I do have life's experience, lots of life experience...I also have an extremely analytical mind and I READ people very well, for the most part. I am intuitive, logical and caring...That combination can cause me a great amount of pain and often does.
I can not watch someone suffer, emotionally, physically or both, without trying to help heal them.
It's in my nature, I cannot change who I am, nor do I want to.
I have held my own through a tumultuous life and I have survived. I'm proud of that survival, I'm proud of who I am . I have succeeded at anything I've put my mind to, including several successful businesses. I have been told to learn the word "NO", some of us CAN'T say "NO" to someone in need...I am one of those people. I have been accused of trying too hard to make people like me...NEWS FLASH!!! I don't give a flying rats ass who likes me and who doesn't and I have felt that way since childhood...because people I loved betrayed me, so I learned very early in life not to trust and not to CARE who liked me...but that doesn't mean I can't give, it doesn't mean I can't share and it sure as hell doesn't mean I can't care...But again, there is no hidden agenda or need on my part to be loved by all who touch my life...I am loved my many, I am also loathed...That's life...You cannot please all of the people all of the time. I pity those who try.
My life's goal is to make a difference. How I make that difference is MY CHOICE. If you don't approve, I don't care, it's not your life. If you are one of those who write to me and one that holds me in high esteem...I thank you. If I have made a difference in your life...I treasure you, because you ARE my goal.
Everyone, no matter how thick skinned they are has to, at times, let off steam and clear the air.
I just did...If you're still reading and smiling...You get me!!! Thank you!!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
It's Gone????
My visit with Bob went swimmingly well. I always enjoy my time with him. I like a medical professional that "listens" and doesn't believe he has all the answers.
He did notice something in my chart and the only thing we could both come up with was "WOW!!" He saw the results of my endoscopy and said "Your Barrets Esophagus is gone Kath...". Now I believe I explained this before, but that condition is a pre-cancerous situation..that's why they watch it so carefully...so it does not usually "go away"...we knocked around some theories since it was checked and rechecked there is no doubt it was there , we even saw pictures.
The only thing Bob and I could figure, is perhaps because this surgery eliminates acid reflux (stomach acid can only flow down, not up into your throat)...my throat has had a year to heal, a year without constant irritation..What ever the cause..it is one more reason I am a strong advocate of RNY surgery. WL with the use of any tool will cause joint pain to either minimize or go away..that's a no brainer...But RNY does it faster, diabetes also will not go away with the Band, since there is no physiological change to your body. You may become a well adjusted diabetic, but you will still be diabetic...RNY can cure diabetes and now it appears it also benefits Barretts patience.
I have a friend that recently dieted her way into a smaller size, simply because she didn't want to be "the FAT friend" LOL I applaud her efforts, she looks great...but she was also no where close to my size. I believe in WW, I really do...it helped me lose a great deal of weight and there are also people out there who have maintained that weight loss for years...so I know in some cases diet alone can work...Nothing worked for me. This surgery not only changed my life forever , it also saved my life...I truthfully believe that.
Now according to Bob, I face the thought of plastic surgery to remove excess skin. I am really not,nor have I ever been, an image person. I am who I am, take it or leave it. My large arms are preventing me from wearing the proper size cloths so I may consider that. As far as a tummy tuck and body lift...I don't think so. I look good in clothes...who sees me naked? The only one who does, doesn't care and that's all that matters to me.
I am very grateful for this surgery...it has given me a chance to turn back the clock and hopefully add a few years...I say "turn back the clock" only because people, including my Grandchildren tell my I look much younger. I'm very proud of my age, but I have to say, I really am quite flattered when people don't believe me....Yup, this surgery certainly has changed a lot about my life that I'm really enjoying....
He did notice something in my chart and the only thing we could both come up with was "WOW!!" He saw the results of my endoscopy and said "Your Barrets Esophagus is gone Kath...". Now I believe I explained this before, but that condition is a pre-cancerous situation..that's why they watch it so carefully...so it does not usually "go away"...we knocked around some theories since it was checked and rechecked there is no doubt it was there , we even saw pictures.
The only thing Bob and I could figure, is perhaps because this surgery eliminates acid reflux (stomach acid can only flow down, not up into your throat)...my throat has had a year to heal, a year without constant irritation..What ever the cause..it is one more reason I am a strong advocate of RNY surgery. WL with the use of any tool will cause joint pain to either minimize or go away..that's a no brainer...But RNY does it faster, diabetes also will not go away with the Band, since there is no physiological change to your body. You may become a well adjusted diabetic, but you will still be diabetic...RNY can cure diabetes and now it appears it also benefits Barretts patience.
I have a friend that recently dieted her way into a smaller size, simply because she didn't want to be "the FAT friend" LOL I applaud her efforts, she looks great...but she was also no where close to my size. I believe in WW, I really do...it helped me lose a great deal of weight and there are also people out there who have maintained that weight loss for years...so I know in some cases diet alone can work...Nothing worked for me. This surgery not only changed my life forever , it also saved my life...I truthfully believe that.
Now according to Bob, I face the thought of plastic surgery to remove excess skin. I am really not,nor have I ever been, an image person. I am who I am, take it or leave it. My large arms are preventing me from wearing the proper size cloths so I may consider that. As far as a tummy tuck and body lift...I don't think so. I look good in clothes...who sees me naked? The only one who does, doesn't care and that's all that matters to me.
I am very grateful for this surgery...it has given me a chance to turn back the clock and hopefully add a few years...I say "turn back the clock" only because people, including my Grandchildren tell my I look much younger. I'm very proud of my age, but I have to say, I really am quite flattered when people don't believe me....Yup, this surgery certainly has changed a lot about my life that I'm really enjoying....
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Toxic People
I'm very excited to be going to see Bob today...It's been a year since surgery and he will be checking me out. I think I've done well and plan to continue my quest for a thinner body and healthier me.
Yesterday a friend I hadn't spoken to in years, called to catch up. We go back to grammar school together and she is a sweetheart, but YIKES!!! Her idea of catching up was first to tell me about all the "people we know" that have died. Then she segued into her illness followed by her husbands (who also went to school with us). When I finally got a word in, I tried to tell her nicely, that I really do not enjoy talking about pain, illness and death. Simply because there is nothing I can do about it. She then went on to talk about "Toxic People" and how she tries to eliminate them from her life. I laughed and told her I completely understood given our conversation thus far.... It took her a moment LOL We parted, once again promising to "call more often and keep in touch" we won't..It will be another few years, but I will get a Christmas card from her, with a letter in all probability telling me more bad news LOL.....
I always tell people that no matter what the conversation, I always walk away with something...Even in the doom and gloom of my conversation with my dear friend I walked away with a new expression..."Toxic People". She started me thinking and I realized just how many people like that have crossed my path. I also realized that I try and help the ones I truly care about and distance myself from the ones I don't. It's how I have managed to survive and didn't even know it.
Dwelling on the cup being half empty, doesn't change the fact that it is. Life is full of options, either fill the damn cup or view it as being half full and be happy it ain't bone dry!!! Life doesn't have to be as hard as we make it sometimes. I think dwelling on the negative aspects of life just make us more negative. Isn't it easier to think of the positives and run with THEM?
I have been watching RNY surgeries over this past year, getting to know some of the people and one thing I have seen ,is that those entering into this surgery KNOWING they were going to do well...Did.
For those of you thinking about this surgery. Know that it isn't a walk in the park, but it is hardly a climb up Mt. Everest. Go to a well educated program..listen, learn...read all you can and for Gods sake don't match apples to oranges. RNY is not BANDING...research both and ask yourself which one fits into your life style. You DO NOT have to take hand fulls of supplement's with RNY (a common misunderstanding) You do have to go back and forth for fills until they find your "sweet spot" with the Band...Most people who are not "Dr. People" shy away from the band for that reason, we just don't have the time. That's not to say RNY is perfect, when it goes wrong it goes terribly wrong...but it is not the RISK people claim it to be...not anymore with the new technology. Risk statistic's need to be followed to the source...in most cases the factors are not totally true. They pick a time frame and even if you die in a car crash it will be considered surgery related. Don't believe me? Check it out...It's one of the reasons I question statistics (even when I took a statistics class lol) This is a wonderful life changing situation...both surgeries are "Tools" that work for the right people. Are you one of them? That is totally up to you...
Toxic people will bring you down, tell you horror stories and try to talk you out of it. Question their motives, especially if they haven't had the surgery themselves....and then do what your heart tells you is the right thing to do.
Yesterday a friend I hadn't spoken to in years, called to catch up. We go back to grammar school together and she is a sweetheart, but YIKES!!! Her idea of catching up was first to tell me about all the "people we know" that have died. Then she segued into her illness followed by her husbands (who also went to school with us). When I finally got a word in, I tried to tell her nicely, that I really do not enjoy talking about pain, illness and death. Simply because there is nothing I can do about it. She then went on to talk about "Toxic People" and how she tries to eliminate them from her life. I laughed and told her I completely understood given our conversation thus far.... It took her a moment LOL We parted, once again promising to "call more often and keep in touch" we won't..It will be another few years, but I will get a Christmas card from her, with a letter in all probability telling me more bad news LOL.....
I always tell people that no matter what the conversation, I always walk away with something...Even in the doom and gloom of my conversation with my dear friend I walked away with a new expression..."Toxic People". She started me thinking and I realized just how many people like that have crossed my path. I also realized that I try and help the ones I truly care about and distance myself from the ones I don't. It's how I have managed to survive and didn't even know it.
Dwelling on the cup being half empty, doesn't change the fact that it is. Life is full of options, either fill the damn cup or view it as being half full and be happy it ain't bone dry!!! Life doesn't have to be as hard as we make it sometimes. I think dwelling on the negative aspects of life just make us more negative. Isn't it easier to think of the positives and run with THEM?
I have been watching RNY surgeries over this past year, getting to know some of the people and one thing I have seen ,is that those entering into this surgery KNOWING they were going to do well...Did.
For those of you thinking about this surgery. Know that it isn't a walk in the park, but it is hardly a climb up Mt. Everest. Go to a well educated program..listen, learn...read all you can and for Gods sake don't match apples to oranges. RNY is not BANDING...research both and ask yourself which one fits into your life style. You DO NOT have to take hand fulls of supplement's with RNY (a common misunderstanding) You do have to go back and forth for fills until they find your "sweet spot" with the Band...Most people who are not "Dr. People" shy away from the band for that reason, we just don't have the time. That's not to say RNY is perfect, when it goes wrong it goes terribly wrong...but it is not the RISK people claim it to be...not anymore with the new technology. Risk statistic's need to be followed to the source...in most cases the factors are not totally true. They pick a time frame and even if you die in a car crash it will be considered surgery related. Don't believe me? Check it out...It's one of the reasons I question statistics (even when I took a statistics class lol) This is a wonderful life changing situation...both surgeries are "Tools" that work for the right people. Are you one of them? That is totally up to you...
Toxic people will bring you down, tell you horror stories and try to talk you out of it. Question their motives, especially if they haven't had the surgery themselves....and then do what your heart tells you is the right thing to do.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
It's MY ANNIVERSARY!!!!
WoooHoooo One year ago today I took a step that would change my life forever. It is a step I have NEVER regretted taking and would do it again in a heart beat.
In the past 2 months I've had to walk the halls of hospitals and parking lots, I've had to do my chores as well as Richards, I've had to prepare for the upcoming winter , which has promised to be a cold and snowy one. I've canned and frozen bushels of beets, carrots, potatoes, string beans,corn and squash.....Last year I could have done NONE of this.
This week-end I walked through stores with my granddaughter and Daughter-in-law, went out to lunch and visited the harvest festival. Last year, even getting in the car was an ordeal, much less walking around.
My diabetes is GONE, as is my High BP and terrible joint pain. I am sure I will get new knee's somewhere down the road. Arthritis doesn't just go away because of bariatric surgery. But the pain is so bearable in comparison, that I'm sure it will be a while and who knows what technology will be like when my time comes.
My world is a brighter place, a happier place. I recently got a piece of e-mail and the person wanted to know what my "secret" was. How could I be so happy all the time...? I must have had a great life. That made me smile...we all wear a mask...and it was nice to know mine works so well.
I did not have a GREAT life. I had a painful and abusive childhood, I was the victim of not one but 3 violent crimes. I've suffered loss of people I've loved and friends I've cared about. Death, tragedy, pain and even murder has invaded my life and left it's scars. You will never hear me blame any of it for my disease of obesity., I have little tolerance for people who use their lives as an "excuse" for what they did to themselves. Sure I have issues, but they are my issues, not the fault of my parents, brother, children or friends. Sure I've been hurt and I will be hurt many times before I die. I can wallow in self pity, or I can pick myself up, brush myself off and move on. It's what I chose to do. Every day of my life, no matter what the prayer or who it's for, there is one line of a prayer I say just for me "let me change the things I can, accept the things I cannot change and give me the wisdom to know the difference"...There is a great deal of sorrow and pain behind my perpetual smile, but a frown would not make it any less, nor would heaping it on someone else's plate. We all believe our problems are the very worst, our struggles, our ailments. or loss and sorrows are far more then the next guys. Perhaps if I have ANY secret to happiness, that's what it is. I KNOW there is far worse out there then I have had to endure and when I start to think about a pity party...I think again and count my blessings.
Not only did this surgery change my body, it also changed the way I see life and the people in it.
I still do not see a thinner person in the mirror, I struggle with that. But I do like the person I see looking back at me. I have told my Starfish story many times (it is written in this blog) I have indeed made a difference in some lives...some remember, some forget...but I know and that's all that matters. This has been an incredible year for me and I look forward to what lies ahead. I don't intend to stop. I am not where I had hoped to be as far as weight, but I'm happy because I am FAR away from where I was. Life in general is tough...how you deal with it can make it hard or easy... I chose to have it easy and happy because it beats the alternative...
Thanks to all who have encouraged and supported me throughout this Journey, I couldn't have done it without you.....
In the past 2 months I've had to walk the halls of hospitals and parking lots, I've had to do my chores as well as Richards, I've had to prepare for the upcoming winter , which has promised to be a cold and snowy one. I've canned and frozen bushels of beets, carrots, potatoes, string beans,corn and squash.....Last year I could have done NONE of this.
This week-end I walked through stores with my granddaughter and Daughter-in-law, went out to lunch and visited the harvest festival. Last year, even getting in the car was an ordeal, much less walking around.
My diabetes is GONE, as is my High BP and terrible joint pain. I am sure I will get new knee's somewhere down the road. Arthritis doesn't just go away because of bariatric surgery. But the pain is so bearable in comparison, that I'm sure it will be a while and who knows what technology will be like when my time comes.
My world is a brighter place, a happier place. I recently got a piece of e-mail and the person wanted to know what my "secret" was. How could I be so happy all the time...? I must have had a great life. That made me smile...we all wear a mask...and it was nice to know mine works so well.
I did not have a GREAT life. I had a painful and abusive childhood, I was the victim of not one but 3 violent crimes. I've suffered loss of people I've loved and friends I've cared about. Death, tragedy, pain and even murder has invaded my life and left it's scars. You will never hear me blame any of it for my disease of obesity., I have little tolerance for people who use their lives as an "excuse" for what they did to themselves. Sure I have issues, but they are my issues, not the fault of my parents, brother, children or friends. Sure I've been hurt and I will be hurt many times before I die. I can wallow in self pity, or I can pick myself up, brush myself off and move on. It's what I chose to do. Every day of my life, no matter what the prayer or who it's for, there is one line of a prayer I say just for me "let me change the things I can, accept the things I cannot change and give me the wisdom to know the difference"...There is a great deal of sorrow and pain behind my perpetual smile, but a frown would not make it any less, nor would heaping it on someone else's plate. We all believe our problems are the very worst, our struggles, our ailments. or loss and sorrows are far more then the next guys. Perhaps if I have ANY secret to happiness, that's what it is. I KNOW there is far worse out there then I have had to endure and when I start to think about a pity party...I think again and count my blessings.
Not only did this surgery change my body, it also changed the way I see life and the people in it.
I still do not see a thinner person in the mirror, I struggle with that. But I do like the person I see looking back at me. I have told my Starfish story many times (it is written in this blog) I have indeed made a difference in some lives...some remember, some forget...but I know and that's all that matters. This has been an incredible year for me and I look forward to what lies ahead. I don't intend to stop. I am not where I had hoped to be as far as weight, but I'm happy because I am FAR away from where I was. Life in general is tough...how you deal with it can make it hard or easy... I chose to have it easy and happy because it beats the alternative...
Thanks to all who have encouraged and supported me throughout this Journey, I couldn't have done it without you.....
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