UP-DATE ~ My son called and said the surgery on the boy went better than expected. Evidently he is expected to survive but it is still un-clear on the extent of brain and spine damage.

Oh, Gary, what a sad thing. I'm glad the surgery went well. I'm so thankful my son doesn't want to play football, but that doesn't make him immune to injury from his other activities.

Good morning everyone.

We're home and I've recovered from my shopping disappointment (see the thread).
I'm not changing all my information for 3 lbs of travel bloat.
We had fun tho'. Nice relaxing fun. Got a couple of Christmas gifts. That's waaaay early for me.

Gary - keep us posted on that boy please.

Well, I am in to taper now so time to start counting calories and weighing again. I have to adjust to a lower level of activity again. I think I have gained a couple pounds the last 2 weeks, but it is hard to say. It will be a day or two before the water from yesterday's run goes away.

Was very disappointed in my dinner last night. I was going to allow myself a food I never allow myself and the restaurant was closed. Second choice was as nutritionally bad, but not nearly as good!

Time to go get ds and start the day!

Here is the story in today's paper on the boy. It appears he had severe brain damage but no spinal injuries.




Prayer vigil held for injured San Marcos football player

By: COLLEEN MENSCHING - Staff Writer

SAN MARCOS ---- A somber crowd took to the stands of the Mission Hills High School football stadium Saturday night.

Nearly 200 people joined in a prayer vigil for senior Scott "Scotty" Eveland, the 17-year-old linebacker who suffered a severe head injury Friday in a game against Santee's West Hills High School.

Eveland was rushed by ambulance Friday night from the game in San Marcos to Palomar Medical Center in Escondido where, a hospital spokesman said Saturday at 7 p.m., he remained unconscious and in critical condition after surgery.


Mission Hills Principal Brad Lichtman, who attends all the school's football games, said he saw Eveland stumble at the edge of the field a minute into the second quarter. Lichtman said Mission Hills coaches saw Eveland falter, too, and asked him to lie down.

"At this time we don't know what caused the injury," Mission Hills Principal Brad Lichtman said. "I was on the sidelines, so I saw the aftermath, but we have not yet identified a tackle or a specific contact that caused this to happen."

Saturday morning, the football team gathered as they usually do after a game, but a majority of their time was spent reflecting on Eveland and making cards and posters that were later taken to the hospital, Lichtman said.

By Saturday afternoon, the local arm of the national Moms in Touch prayer organization had arranged for a vigil on the Mission Hills field.

Bob Bishop, pastor of Valley Bible Church of San Marcos, led Eveland's friends and family in a verse of "Amazing Grace."

"My daughter is a senior with (Eveland)," Bishop said later. "They had lunch together right before the game and she sat with his girlfriend throughout the game.

"They spent all night in the hospital."

Eveland is described as an honors student with an eye for world affairs and the urge to lend a helping hand. He recently offered to tutor teammates who are struggling academically, Lichtman said.

Mission Hills is in its fourth year and, according to Lichtman, though tragedy has hit close to home, it has never before done so on a Friday night, under such bright lights and in front of so many people.

Lichtman said he remains optimistic.

"Scotty's ... youth and his strength are tremendous assets here," he said. "They certainly are in his favor that he can heal, heal quickly."

Youth and strength may have played a part in the recovery of Vu Dang, who in 1992 suffered a brain injury in an Escondido High School football game. Dang was in a coma for six days before gaining consciousness and discovering he was partially paralyzed.

By the following spring, he was playing baseball for Escondido High, though the injury did continue to affect his life.

Modern medicine can also be a powerful player in recovery, as suggested after Buffalo Bills tight end Kevin Everett suffered a potentially life-threatening spinal cord injury during a game earlier this month.

On the way to the hospital, Everett received "hypothermia treatment" ---- a cold saline solution injected into the veins of his arms to lower his body temperature and inhibit swelling.

Within days, doctors announced Everett could move his arms and legs again. There is speculation that the experimental hypothermia treatment is the reason why.

Eveland's immediate family, including a brother who also attends Mission Hills, has not yet spoken publically, but Lichtman said they have asked for the community's prayers.

Tony Latimore, one of Eveland's cousins from Ramona, attended the vigil Saturday. He said he was grateful to see so many members of the Mission Hills High School community supporting his family.

"Scotty's just an amazing kid," Latimore said. "He's always full of energy, kind, generous.

"We're just waiting for him to come home."

Gary, that's a terrible story. I hope things go well for the boy and his family.

My weekend was as dastardly as anticipated. I can't even remember anymore all the horrible things I ate. Oh, yes I can. Too much pizza with too much wine on friday; too much cheese and too much good food and waaaaaayyyy too much wine at the dinner party on Saturday night; and then today, the hangover breakfast meeting that involved my eating hash browns, eggs, bacon AND a biscuit with gravy. Ouch! Usually I don't fuss too much about overdoing it on the weekends, because most of the time I eat really healthily, but I think I might have over-over-done it this time. I shall be in penance for the rest of the week, eating extremely moderately and carving out a 200 calorie daily deficit. We're having nicoise salad with seared ahi for dinner tonight: that's a start.

Despite this morning's hangover, bf and I did a 15 mile bike ride this morning, which should have been lovely and rejuvenating, but instead was horrible and torturous: a ghastly, ghastly headwind that made riding up the many hills the most miserable experience (especially with the hangover). I think the horrible bike ride combined with the hangover lead, in part, to the breakfast excess.

Ah well.

I hope everyone had a MUCH more OP weekend than I. And let's all hope that I haven't gained 5 pounds this weekend.

Ennay, what does 'into taper' mean?

Susan, anyone who buys Christmas presents in September deserves a medal. I usually forget about Christmas altogether until the last possible second, and wind up having to pay for expedited shipping for everything I need to buy.