Hellooo out there, hopefully some of you remember me. I've been gone a long time, coping with a lot of stuff, junk, depression, failures and more, but I'm now working hard to restart a lot of things in my life including my business and more.

A lot of work, gained back a lot of weight, currently back to healthy lifestyle choices and my weight is coming off. It has been insane this year and I want 2010 to be OVER with lol.

A lot of bad things happened this year, but now some good things are happening. I have work, creating my design business from scratch as in a real business not just freelancer wanting work, gaining back more independence and networking...blah blah.

I hope to come back here more...I guess I've been a bit within myself again, which I do when I'm going through things.

Miss you all and think of you a lot. Always sending good vibes your way. I'm still working on pottery and have improved my skills. Muahahahaha. I'm still here and kicking...just shyly getting back into communicating with the world.

I basically don't have time to be depressed anymore. It was a bit scary there for awhile...things are not so scary anymore. Funny how things work... Hope everyone is doing okay!

hi Jacquie! i too am making my triumphant return today. life has been so busy, but good, this year (for me anyway) ive been working a ton and going to school and doing roller derby.

i will definately make an effort to come by more often. sorry i disappeared!

Annie - you look amazing!
Cyn - love the hair!
Carol - looking great!

hope everyone is good

Luan

Hi Jacquie & Princess SO good to 'see' you both!
Ratkitty hope the iron infusions help, my old mate works at an infusion centre in Sacramento. She said they get lots of people post-weightloss surgery in for infusions, I'm sure your exacting nature will get you through this quickly and help you get back to normal!xxxxx
Annie hope you get the woodburner! We have coal fires in the dining & living rooms as well as normal heating, it's great on cold nights to light a fire & just watch it, it makes you feel warmer just seeing it light! xxxx
Jacquie I hope your business continues to flourish and that you carry on coming here! lol! xxxxxx
Princess how's college/work? Did you get the placement/job you wanted? Love the new hairdo. xxxx
I'm procastinating...gotta move my bum & get exercising...
xxxxx sharon

Jacquie!! Princess!!! W00t, so good to see you!!!

Jacquie, my 2009 was like your 2010. I was glad to see it go.

Princess, love the avatar!! Roller derby? way cool!

I went ice skating this weekend at the local rink. I'm using muscles I didn't know existed. I had loads of fun too!

Sharon, I'm hoping my energy level goes up with the iron and my toes and fingers stop being so cold. I have to take hot baths to get my fingers and toes warmed up. They can actually get numb. The doc says I go to get infusions until my iron goes up. Sounds good to me!

Cyn, counseling has helped me tremendously. I would recommend it heartily.

Annie, keep me updated on you and your Mom. How's your lung? When do you go for your follow-up?

Neon, congratz!!!!

Hugs to all!
Ratkity

Princess - YAY! Well now we have to pester each other to stick around! Hehe... I'm glad those who are lost are now finding themselves again!

Voodoo - TY Right now I'm in the process of separating my design business from the art side, so it is a more professional way to approach freelancing I think anyhow. On a tight deadline and a bit late lol...but I'll get there and rock it.

Rat - Yes, I want 2010 to be over with. I gained back 35 pounds just zoned out, but the funny thing is when my life got really hard because of just...negativity around me, I just sort of exploded in this big angry explosion of emotion and expressed this to people who I feel have really been the cause of a lot of grief in my life. The thing is that helped me A LOT and since then I have refused to be passive as I have been. So, I'm really learning how to cope with alll of my emotions and though I still have a lot of anger towards myself and others, I'm working on it! But yeah...i want it to be over with.

******
Just stopping in...good morning all. Working on my projects and just trying to get things done. Big to-do list.

Plus hormones raging...yay! lol...

Hehe

Jacquie and Luan - so great to see you both!

Okay, I'm new here. I've been lurking for awhile, but haven't gotten up the nerve to actually write anything. My name is Jennifer. I am 37y/o from the Midwest and I decided about 3 months ago that I was going to change my life. I have Hashimotos, menieres disease, fibromyalsia, and chronic migraines. I decided to start by cutting caffeine out of my diet, then junk food. Now I am eating 3 meals a day with no snacks, drinking only water and I have not had a migraine or a menieres episode since I started 3 months ago! I live in a fairly small town and cannot find a doctor who will treat my hashimotos according to my symptoms, so I still have trouble with feeling lethargic and the horrible constipation, but I do feel like some of my symptoms improved with a better diet. I began my journey at 337 and as of last monday I weighed 313. I am having trouble finding exercises to do indoors and I don't have the money right now for exercise equipment or a gym membership. I've been walking outside, but it is getting pretty chilly here! So, I just wanted to say Hi and introduce myself. I am going to try to be more active here. I need all of the support that I can get! I love reading all of your posts.

Welcome JRM!!!!

I find my dizzy spells happen more when I eat highly processed foods with high sodium. I rarely salt anything.

Congratz on doing so well in 3 months!!! You have done fabbo

I'm glad you posted and hope to hear more from you in the coming months.

Hugs,
Ratkity

Happy Monday everyone!

Cyn: I hope that you are able to find a church that you enjoy. I have to tell you that soooo many times this past year I would have given up without God and my church family. Our church offers counseling and I know a few do so many you can kill two birds with one stone. Hugs sweetie.

Rat: Woo hoo on the iron infusion. Sorry that you are so low. I hope you get back "metalic" real soon My Mom is doing okay. She is having a very hard time holding anything down including water so that makes me super worried about her. She has a visiting nurse that comes out to their house so that is helpful. My lung... well, I am still not able to breath very well, deep breaths, without thinking about it, grabbing the counter or something for support. I actually just called my Dr.'s office a minute ago cause I was supposed to go back if I didn't have a marked improvment in 3 days and it has been almost a week so I think I better make a move. I hate going to the Dr!

Jacquie: Welcome back! So good to see your smiling face

Luannnnnnnn: I am so happy to see you hon. Glad that things are going so well for you! You look amazing! So ladylike with the beautiful pearls okay... Roller derby??? Sounds fun and a great way to get some aggression out. What's your Derby name?

Sharon: Hi and hugs.

Jennifer: Welcome. So sorry that you are not able to see a Dr about your medical condition. It sure is nice to meet you though and looking forward to getting to know you better.

Well, off to wait for the Dr.'s office to call me back.

blessings all,
Annie

JRM - have you tried vegetarian or vegan? it will really help with the constipation, and its not as hard as it sounds. i did it for a few weeks this summer. i got off the train because i need meat protein as im training in skating

Annie- my derby name is LuAneurism.

i actually decided to go back to a modified vegan diet today. i loved it while i was doing it, and it really is so simple. you just have to read what you're eating. i never felt better though as when i was eating tons of fruit and veggies and no meat. i am going to keep fish on the menu because its low in calories and super high in protein. the first practice i went to i was WIPED out. but i really do love it. skating has been such a stress reliever for me. because when you're concentrating on how to not fall down (or more embarrasingly how to get up) there isnt room to think about any other drama. the girls i skate with are the greatest group of women. theres all ages and races and sizes and everyone cheers everyone on and lifts them up. its really not all the hitting and fighting that most people associate with it. think of it as a footrace, combined with football (sans ball), on wheels. basically there are 2 girls racing and 4 girls from each opposing team trying to not let her pass, while helping thier girl get farther. it takes a lot of athleticism and team work. ive been skating for 6 months now. i love every minute of it.

Luann: It sounds so fun and soooo somethng I would have loved to do! I am such a physical person and that type of thing is right up my alley. I love your name too! Knowin what your body needs and thrives on is so important. Good luck with your new eating program hon. I haven't been to California since the time we were supposed to meet up. Just been sick and with tons of health problems but I am hoping that 2011 I will be able to go down there and spend some time with my family that is spread out all over CA including Cypress. If and when it happens, we have to meet up. If you are ever coming up this way again, please let me know cause I will come see you.

Blessings hon,
Annie

Everyone else: Good morning. I am waiting to hear from the Dr's office to see if they can fit me in today. I am secretly hoping not but know that I need to be seen so.. It is up to the Lord. We are supposed to get snow for a good few days straight starting on Thursday. I am kind of anxious to see how my puppies like/love it. Our other dogs acted like there was cocaine on the ground or something just as hyper making. lol. Molly's breeder (grandma to us) asked for an updated photo of her and so Joel took a few last night. I will attach one for you all to see my furbabies are getting so big. Moose looks just like a yellow lab even though he is a ckc registered labradoodle. lol. I guess papers don't make a difference. lol.

Blessings all,
annie

Annie - whats been going on with you?

Last year, Oct 2009 I had a heart attack and at that time found out I was born with a heart defect. The prognosis from the first Cardiologist was pretty much death. I got a 2nd opinion and the new Cardiologist said he agreed with the first one that there was nothing they can do except keep me on meds and when/if the meds stop working a heart transplant. In November I got pnuemonia really bad and my 10 year old yellow lab/golden retriever, Bear, got cancer. A week before Christmas we had to put him to sleep. My whole world changed in that I was exercising 2+ hours a day the day before my heart attack and now I am not able to do anything for more than 20 min or so at a time. I gained from 211 to 225 then all the way up to 263 this past summer. In March I had to have my gall bladder taken out. 1st week of June I had major pain in my chest area and I tested positive for a blood clot. I was in the hospital for a week doing blood thinners etc. Got out then had a few happy weeks down to visit my Dad. The day after I got home from my Dad's on June 24th I got rearended by 2 different cars that didn't see me stopped on a crosswalk for some people on bikes. That layed me up and I really put the weight on during that time of sitting doing nothing but taking pain meds and going to physical therapy. August we furbaby, Pepper 13 years old started having no reaction to her arthritus and pain meds and couldn't stand up and started peeing herself so we had to have her put to sleep. Physical Therapy lasted from July 1st until about two weeks ago when I quit because I had this flu thing. It turned out to be pnuemonia and so... You are caught up with all the crap. lol.

Now for the good. I am closer to the Lord then I have ever been in my life! I have mellowed out a lot and am a much calmer, caring person. Joel, my hubby is closer to the Lord. We got two new furbabies, Moose after we lost Bearbee and Molly after we lost Pepper. They are both pups so they are both super cute and super handfulls We met Moose when he was 2 weeks old and put a deposit on him. We went up to his place near Canada to visit him every weekend until at 7 weeks old we got to bring him home. He was so tiny and cute. He is now almost a year old. We got Molly when she was 3 months old and she is now almost 6 months old. So.... that is pretty much my life in the past year. Oh, gosh one more thing was My Mom (step) had a masectomy a week ago so I'm pretty worried about her.

I hope this didn't sound whiny cause it wasn't meant to. It was just went to catch you up quickly.

Another good note is that I have been loosing the weight I put on over the past year and that is very happy and a true blessing to me :O)

love, hugs and blessings to you LUann
Annie

Wow Annie,

It piled up high and fast on you from Oct 2009 with the health issues! Then mix in regular life stuff, and it gets deep really fast. I'm glad you and Joel are close and have gotten stronger spiritually.

My November 2008 until February 2010 was rough, but I feel like I am taking better care of myself now. 2010 was the year of me! I keep practicing letting things go (and taking them back) and letting them go again LOL.

In the middle of the chaos, we both have adopted some sweet new furkids and I know you enjoy them as much as I do.

Let us know what the doc says. It all seems less scary when you tell people!!

Hugs,
Ratkity

Jackie: I am soooo glad you are back! MISSED YOU!!! Glad your business is getting on track!

Luan: Welcome back..and thanks once in a while my hair does what I ask it to.

Annie: hugs as always..you have been through ALOT!!

ME..just living..HATE my job LOL. It is just really stressful. I moved to the front of the room where they wanted me..kinda sad..kinda ok..but thats that.

Trying to keeep from stressing much