[neurodoc]

Saef, I find it interesting, reading your posts on antiques. I have never appreciated either the appearance or the (to me) lack of functionality of many old-fashioned items (asparagus tongs? cornice moldings?). But through your many loving descriptions of your antiques, I am gaining a new level of awareness of what drives others to appreciate and buy these objects. Thanks.

Jessica, my surgery was a -somewhat embarrassing- bladder suspension, cystocele and rectocele repair, the need for which was brought on by 3 vaginal deliveries combined with (apparently) weak connective tissues. Surprisingly little pain after surgery (I took a single Vicodin and used ibuprofen for a whopping 3 days), but I'm not allowed to increase intra-abdominal pressure by bearing down (e.g. weight lifting), nor do anything high-impact that would put repeated strain on my internal stitches.

Got on the scale for the first time since prior to surgery. I am up 2.5 pounds from pre-op weigh-in (hoping some of that is still swelling/fluid retention) and am 5.5 pounds over goal weight of 120. Sigh. One of the maintainers on this board stated that maintaining was actually just yo-yo dieting on a really short string. I couldn't agree more.

[alinnell]

Andrea~while that may be an embarrassing surgery, it beats the alternative. My Dad was diagnosed with some weird bladder thing where the doctor said it had ballooned out and was dried and cracked and that if it were to get overfull, it could rupture and cause instant death, so he has a catheter and collection bag now. And that doesn't always work (read, it leaks). That has to be bad.

I am hating the "eating" season so far. Having a household of family members that I feel responsible for makes me fix meals that I ordinarily would not fix. Although I don't feel as if I've over eaten except for the big day (and even then I was pretty much in control) I have managed to gain on top of having gained on vacation and never lost that. So I'm well over that red line amount and will have to be very careful for the next 5 or 6 weeks to not gain more. Everyone goes home Tuesday so I can then breathe a sigh of relief, but in the mean time, my BIL is taking us out to dinner tonight and everyone wants turkey Tetrazzini tomorrow (I've tried the lower fat versions and don't like them as well--I'll make one batch and not a double so I don't have leftovers and I'll take a small portion).

I think that will have to be my mantra from here on out: take small portions.

[BillBlueEyes]

Just took down the vegetable garden with DW. Hate to see it go - a clear admission that the New England growing season is over.