JOYce, I just popped on while I had a few mintues so that I could try to read and catch up on everyone. I can't tell you what a smile your kind words put on my face...and I haven't been smiling very much lately, so it felt really nice. You can't know how much your sweet words meant to me, especially coming from you. I often think about how much I admire you and all you do...not only for your family, but for your church and community. Even though I don't really "know" you, I think I know enough to know that you are a very unselfish person who is always thinking of others. All those in your life are very lucky and blessed to have you!! You are right about my friend and I having a special friendship, and this tragedy has reminded me to cherish not only each and every moment, but all those people I hold dear. It is so easy to take things for granted.
Thank you again...and congratulations on the new baby. I know that you all must be thrilled!!
Carol, congratulations to you too! How exciting it will be to have two "sweeties!"
I wanted to send a quick note before I headed out to work.... Well, I ended up losing 3 pounds this week - YEAH!!! ... I am 1/2 way to losing what I gained last week.... I probably would have lost more but I kind of ate a lot during my birthday this weekend - Ugh... But I had lots of fun went to a club by the water and they had some DJ from a local radio station.... Thanks for all the Birthday wishes seems like we have lots of cancer people on the board .... Talk more later....
Good morning, ladies -- I lost a pound, so I'm off that pesky plateau I was on for so long--thank you to those who gave me some very sound advice on dealing with it.
JAN, how is your dh doing? Mine has lost another pound, so he is down 8 pounds now. It's just wonderful that he is taking this so seriously.
I picked five tomatoes from the garden yesterday. They are so sweeet and good! I made tacos for dinner last night with some ground buffalo I'd gotten at Trader Joe's; they were 5 1/2 points apiece, counting the guacamole we put on them. JAN, were those cheese enchiladas your dh made low in points? I really like enchiladas, especially cheese ones.
JOYce and I get to do Meals on Wheels this morning; I have so been looking forward to it. JANET, you are so right about JOYce's being selfless and kind. She is definitely set apart. How is your friend doing?
TEXASLADY, so glad you found a mother of the bride dress. I too, found mine right away and bought it immmediately. Dd's wedding was in the summertime (August) and my dress was a breezy, chiffon type. Yours sounds just beautiful.
Linda, congrats on breaking the plateau! That's great; and I'm so glad your dh is doing so well, too. Re: my dh, he's lost about 3 pounds in the last 2 weeks, and is still OP. Those cheese enchiladas were fairly low point; he used the lite cracker barrel 2% sharp cheddar, lots of onions, and Tia Rosa corn tortillas (2 for 1 pt!) and El Torito Fire-Roasted Green Chile, 1/4 cup for 15 cal, no fat. (We get it at Big Lots.) He warmed the tortillas in the microwave, dipped them in sauce, and put a little cheese and onions in each; rolled up; rest of sauce on top, and baked 30 min. or so. He also fixed condiments of sliced radishes, chopped cilantro, and nonfat sour cream to go on top.
Merri, way to go, 3 pounds down! I'm sure you'll recoup that setback very soon! Glad you enjoyed your birthday; sounded like lots of fun!
JOYce, what a lucky dgd you have; I'll bet she's really enjoying all those wonderful crafts you have lined up for her. DH and I are looking forward to meeting you and your dh in New Orleans; the way this summer has gone, September will be here before we know it! Re: Dad, thanks for asking, he's doing great; he just went to visit with my sister in Florida for 5 weeks, while dh and I went to San Francisco and then tackled this surgery thing. He loves it out there, but I sure do miss him when he leaves! Hope your DH is catching all kinds of interesting fish out in the Pacific!
Carol, how great that your exdh is around to help with your move! I'm sure you have everything organized beautifully, but even so, a move can be so stressful. I hope you're not overdoing it! Any word on that second opinion yet? And thanks, yes, am feeling stronger every day, and definitely staying out of this awful heat!
Saara, hope you found the med records you needed! Is today your last day at work, or is it next Thursday? I hope you have a great flight, and that you enjoy visiting with your "second family" in California! What an exciting time ...
Texaslady, have you thought about black sandals? I think our favorite shoe place, SAS, has some nice ones with very little heel. They have multiple tiny straps that look quite elegant, yet they could also be worn with a summer dress. I've been wearing mine most of the summer! Hope they still have them; usually they keep their designs a long time.
Beth, a 1.8 gain is so small, I don't think you should worry about it. It will come off next week, I'm sure! Travelling can make for weight fluctuations, but they always settle down a week or two later. Sounds like you're really busy getting ready for school! I'm glad you're looking forward to an exciting year. Your love for teaching just shines right through in all your posts; how fortunate your students are to have someone like you!
Janet, so good to hear from you again! I am so sorry that your friend is going through all this, but I agree with JOYce, she is also blessed to have you there by her side. I'm glad that you'll be able to have a little R&R before the summer is over; that trip sounds like heaven on earth, so restful. How long will you be gone?
Went to a meeting yesterday (maint. week 1) and stayed well below goal, so I'm happy with that! Also saw my doctors, who both said I was doing well recuperating, though my gyn said not to exercise for two more months at least. I *never* thought I would some day miss being able to exercise, but I was not happy to hear that! (Although I'm definitely not in the mood for situps, I can tell you!) I asked if I could at least do my upper body workout w/weights, and she said only with 5 lb. weights; guess I'll have to borrow Dad's set. Oh well!
Hope everyone's having a good OP Thursday; what's in store for the weekend?
No I have not fallen into the Muddy Mississip'.......I have just been really overly busy, aggravated and just lazy.......
I am ashamed to say that I have not been back to WW since my son graduated in May!!! I weigh myself really often and I am holding at my ending weight, but I am just a little disappointed in myself. I WILL get back to WW this coming Monday. I still have 40 lbs to lose and I want to lose a few before the New Student/Parent Reception at my son's college on Aug. 15th.
My Dad had his ultrasound of his heart done and that came out fine....but now they want him to do a Thalium (sp?) Stress Test. They said his blood pressure was a little high....it was 150/80!!!! High??? If they saw mine they'd probably have me in CCU!! Even though his wasn't THAT high.... it was probably "White Coat Syndrome". I know he was concerned about hearing the results of the ultrasound so that had him anxious. I told him he needs to decide if he wants that stress test. Sometimes I think they are just trying to get money out of older patients. Everything they did so far came out perfect.
And I am still having just a grand old time with my varying TOM. That one month it took 40-something days to start. The next month only 19, this month 30-something. This is just SOOO exciting. Never a dull moment.
DS finally got his car back and he is back to "cruisin' for chicks". He is also in two different bands with friends and has been really busy with that. They got a "gig" at a restaurant/bar in New Orleans for a week from Sunday. He is really excited.
I have been trying to keep up with at least reading the posts.
Carol - any news yet on the second opinion?
Well, I need some pep talk because I am discouraged with myself. I don't see any weight gain, but I don't feel as firm. I haven't been exercising like I was. I want to get Leslie Sansone's walking tapes (tapes that let you do 1, 2, 3 & 4 mile walks --- INDOORS. I was going to order them on QVC but they are wait-listed. Does anyone here have them? If so, what do you think of them?
Well, I know this is long. I really wanted to address everyone, but I've got to get back to work. Everyone else seems like they are staying pretty much on track. I am determined to get that mindset back again. I think I will cook some eggplant tonight.
Hi everyone! Happy TGIF Eve!
I heard from the doctor on my second opinion. He said their radiologist (who's specialty is mammography) sees some "potential concerns and does not like the "watch and wait" option. She believes some additional views should be done- also, the "technical quality" of my other films wasn't the best, especially the one they did the day of my surgery trying to insert the localization wire!Now THERE's an encouraging thought! That guy based his "let's wait" on a poor quality film! So, I'm now working on getting my HMO to approve another mammo and additional views up there at the Baltimore facility- I have an appointment for Aug 1, hoping I'll have my pe-authorization by then. And then if it shows the biopsy is necessary, I'll have to try to get it there- since the radiologist down here can't tell the surgeon where to cut! This is a pain in the neck! Oh well- I needed a little more stress in my life! Patti YOU're the one I keep forgetting to post to!!! I'm so sorry!!! I'm so glad you are back with us! I hope your Dad's Thallium scan goes well too- even though it seems like overkill for them to be doing all this, better safe than sorry! I hope you can get back to WW- the meetings will help you get back on track. Maybe you can ease into exercise gradually- like park farther, take the stairs, walk up nd down the halls or rooms in your home, etc- all that sort of stuff helps without feeling like exercise! Glad ds got his car back- I know he's tickled to death about it! Jangive dh an "attaboy" from me for staying op and losing those 3 pounds!I'm glad your sweet dad is doing so well!! I'm not surprised by the exercise restriction placed on you. It is funny how the previously hated thing can be so sorely missed! My inability to exercise even a little has been so frustrating with this back thing. But, my theory about that is, if you go to a doctor and pay for his/her expertise, you need to do what he/she says!!
Hang in there, girl! This too shall pass! Linda, congrats on the one pound loss!!And ditto for your dh! MMMM! Those garden tomatoes sound wonderful!! Email me a few, will you? Merri, big congrats on your 3 pound loss! Way to go! And you'll probably do just as well next week with no birthday celebration to contend with! I'm glad it was fun! Joyce, how is your dgd enjoying the first few days of her visit?I have a feeling those kids all love to come visit you- you are such a sweet, caring person. And they all learn such a wonderful sense of values from you! How did dh's fishing trip go? Janet, I guess by now you are frantically doing the last minute packing for your trip! Have a WONDERFUL time!!!! How is your friend doing? She is so lucky to have you- I don't know if you appreciate what a wondeful, thoughtful person you are! Have a safe trip! Beth, Uh-OH!! The delayed Houston gain syndrome! Don't forget to keep tracking the points even if you are not totally op- and drink that water! I know you'll be back on track in no time! Find yourself the ugliest, grossest picture you have of yourself and paste it right on your refrigerator! Increasing your green veggies will help your anemia even more than red meat, and will be good for your weight loss plan too! Texaslady, AWWW! No Boots! You're no fun! Jan's shoe suggestion sounds like a good idea to me too! Saara, how's the mad search for the medical records coming? Hope you had fun with your dad!
This weekend will be packing, moving stuff, and working on getting the inside wiring for my phone line into my daughter's house. And I'm sure an occasional little sweetie hug! I am so totally exhausted and sore that even picking him up is a struggle! Hopefully I'm tonong a few muscles in the packing process!
Gotta run. Have a good op weekend, everyone!
Carol
Jan, I am so glad that your dh is still OP, too. That is just great. The cheese enchilada recipe sounded really good -- I love onions in cheese enchiladas. I have never heard of the 2-for one point corn tortillas. I'll have to search around next time I'm at the grocery store to see if I can find any that are only 1 point for two! I appreciate your typing out the recipe for me; thanks. And kudos to you for making it through your very first week of maintenance. What a blessing to have a nice cushion! When I was on maintenance I found it a little hard to increase my points. I lost about 6 more pounds (down from my goal weight)during that six weeks, not meaning to. I just get to the point where I'm not used to eating the "old" way, and it is easy to eat too little on maintenance.
Carol, I am hoping that your HMO will OK the mammo on August 1...you seem to have such grace throughout all of this; I admire you. I smiled and my heart sort of "squeezed" when I read of the "sweetie hugs" you are probably going to get from time to time when you are moving in this weekend -- dh and I are sooooo looking forward to our first grandchild (who hasn't even been thought of yet by dd and dsil; it will be at least six years of their saving for a house before it will be in their minds)...I have lots of "grandmothering" sites bookmarked already. I also have a drawer in dh's old bedroom which has some neat "grandchildren-" type things I've come across. I have "Grandparenting for Dummies" and "The Idiot's Guide to Grandparenting," as well as "The Idiot's Guide to Cooking with kids." Dh is redoing our landscaping with grandchildren in mind...all we need is a grandchild! <sigh> I know, I know; in due time!
We are having baked albacore and roasted vegetables for dinner tonight -- JOYce's dh shared some of his "catch" with us, and JOYce gave us a bag of fresh veggies from her garden. Yum!
I hope you're all having a great Friday! Where did *another* week go? Well, I should be able to get all that medical stuff in order. Still haven't found my records, but because the doctor here said his sure I've had 2 MMRs, he's going to write me the paper for Utah. I'm still going to send a written request to the place where my records should be, so they have to look for them harder...
I had a nice visit with my Dad, we went out for lunch with his co-worker who's from the States. She was a really nice girl, and gave me some advice about Utah. She had been on a camping trip there, and said it was absolutely wonderful.
Well, next Thursday is my last day of work, and then I'll be going to Eastern Finland for a weekend to my friend's summerhouse. Should be fun, about 20-30 people are coming. After that I have 2 weeks of packing, and partying... And I'll leave on the 12th. I haven't heard from my american family for a while, but I guess someone will pick me up from the airport...
I've been trying to figure out what classes to pick next semester. I can already register for classes online on the July 30th, and I want to, too, so I'll get the classes I want. Anyways, it seems that I'll have Fridays off. Great! Long weekends, always.
Hang in there Patti! Our WW leader's talk this past week is just for you! It was about getting back on track. She said to first - Get past the feeling of failure. You didn't fail - you just made different choices. Then, ask yourself three things - "How did I get off course?" "What can I learn from this experience so I don't repeat it?" and "What one thing can I do RIGHT NOW to get back on course?"
I really think your choice to get back to your meetings is a good one. I have joined and quit WW numerous times. I would KILL to be the weight I was when I joined the first time! (Funny how what used to look like fat to us now looks like skinny.) I think I finally have the right formula figured out -- You HAVE to attend meetings weekly and you HAVE to journal everything. It is a lifestyle change and you will have ups and downs. Doing these two things will keep you on track and help you go the distance! Of course, this is what my WW leader has always told me - but like my kids do, I had to figure it out for myself.
By the way, what college will your son be going to? I have one at UL of Laffayete.
How are things going?? Things are fine here... Quick question for you guys - does anybody know where I can order old issues of Weekly Woman - the small mag in your grocery stores?? I cant seem to find their websit anywhere and lost the mag I was using to lose the weight I lost last week .....
JanetMae- I have to ask you what does dh stand for? I am assuming that would be your honey - so how does he like the program so far?? Has he gotten hungary?? I have to say when I started I was always hungary......
Rymsh I have to say to you all the stuff you seem to be going through with these doctors you seem to be SO strong & positive (how do you do it??)..... You deserve a big hug.... Hope the packing/moving goes fast!!
Well, I'll chat with you all again soon..... Hope you all have a wonderful/OP weekend!!! I feel like I have to be good this weekend seeing I was semi evil last weekend .....
Carol, I'm so sorry that things are turning out so complicated with the tests; I sure hope the ins. co. gets its act together, so you can get that additional test Aug. 1. You are handling this all so well; I really admire your strength! And I feel sure it will all come out ok. How wise of you to seek this second opinion, rather than wait-and-see, which is what I would have done, I'm afraid. And thanks for the encouragement! You're right, I'm going to follow my docs' advice to the letter.
Merri, so glad things are going well for you! Re: dh, it stands for dear hubby or husband; just 'net shorthand. Dd stands for dear daughter, dgd for dear granddaughter, etc. Helps protect privacy and conserve bandwidth. (Though my messages are so rambling, I sure don't help out with that!) Re: dh's opinion on WW, he's a big fan of it. Sometimes he doesn't eat enough, and sometimes too much, so I'm really glad he's started to journal now.
Saara, sounds like everything's falling into place for you! How wonderful! I hope you have a great time this weekend at your friend's house. (Are you taking some op snacks along? Remember not to get too hungry!)
Beth, you really hit the nail on the head re: how we have to learn/accept things for ourselves, no matter how many times we're told. And I've noticed that with my students, too. Sometimes, I'd tell them something (like a design principle, for ex.) a zillion times, and then I'd have a guest speaker in who would say the same thing, and suddenly *then* they'd believe it! Go figure! I think we can read this stuff in magazines, but when our WW leader says it, it starts to sink in a bit more.
Linda, those tortillas are Tia Rosa; hope you can get them in your area. They also have a large wheat flour tortilla that is one point! We have to get them in San Antonio, though. And wow, you lost 6 more pounds on maintenance?! That's amazing! I'd like to lose 8-10 more pounds to reach my personal goal, but Christmas is a pretty realistic time frame for that, considering how slowly I lose!
Patti, I think it's great that you have maintained your loss, with all the excitement in your life these last few months! Don't feel discouraged for a minute! And now that you're ready to start down the scale, I'm sure you will. I've heard that it helps to maintain a loss for a while; gives your body time to adjust to the change. Glad to hear your Dad is doing ok with those tests. My dad actually likes to have tests done; he calls it "getting a good going-over." I think he sees it like a tune-up or something, bless him. So maybe having these tests will reassure your Dad that he's doing fine, I hope. State of mind is so important to older folks!
Had a good day; dh and I drove to Victoria (about 75 miles away) to do some school business, and then saw a movie (Final Fantasy; not bad! amazing animation..) and shopped a bit. I found a new dress for school, cotton/linen, my favorite. Am a bit worn out tonight, though; guess I'll have to build my stamina back a little.
Everyone have a great OP weekend!
Regards,
Jan
Hi everyone! Jan's right- we've been an awfully quiet group this weekend! In my case, I've been moving stuff, packing stuff and cleaning stuff, and I am totally exhausted and officially in pain! This too shall pass. This time next weekend I'll be all moved. We've got most of th big stuff moved- anything I don't need for the next week. But there's still so much to do, it seems like- and so much to find a space for without totally disrupting my dd and sil's lives too greatly. It's going to be so hard not having any more than a room to really call my own- it will be quite an adjustment. Wonder what it will do to my weight? Linda, being a grandma is the best! I'm afraid it might be less fun when I'm living with him, because I won't be able to escape bad days or avoid being the "bad guy" when I'm there all the time. But he's such a good little guy- it'll be fun to see him everyday. Thanks for mentioning that there are grandparenting sites- I never thought of that, and since your post have found several I like. Saara, I'm glad the medical stuff is working itself out, and hopefully you will still be able to find the missing records. Have you chosen your classes yet, or heard from your previous host family? Beth, I enjoyed reading your good advice to Patti! It helped me too! Merri, thanks for the big hug and the vote of confdence. However, I'm not really as strong and positive as you may think! I only wish I were! Jan, I kind of figure I'd rather know what's going on and deal with it now than wait 6 months and maybe have to deal with something worse- while worrying that my insurance is changing Jan 1st! I'm glad you got yourself something new to wear, but it sounds like you may have pushed a little too much- I'm not surprised you were tired! Your stamina will take it's own sweet time!
Gotta run, ladies- it's only 7 p.m., but I'm tired and I think it's bedtime! Hi to everyone, and here's to a good, op Monday for all of us!
Carol
50 Or More Pounds #70
That guy based his "let's wait" on a poor quality film! So, I'm now working on getting my HMO to approve another mammo and additional views up there at the Baltimore facility- I have an appointment for Aug 1, hoping I'll have my pe-authorization by then. And then if it shows the biopsy is necessary, I'll have to try to get it there- since the radiologist down here can't tell the surgeon where to cut!
This is a pain in the neck! Oh well- I needed a little more stress in my life! 
I'm so sorry!!! I'm so glad you are back with us! I hope your Dad's Thallium scan goes well too- even though it seems like overkill for them to be doing all this, better safe than sorry! I hope you can get back to WW- the meetings will help you get back on track. Maybe you can ease into exercise gradually- like park farther, take the stairs, walk up nd down the halls or rooms in your home, etc- all that sort of stuff helps without feeling like exercise! Glad ds got his car back- I know he's tickled to death about it!
.....
and I think it's bedtime! Hi to everyone, and here's to a good, op Monday for all of us!
