Good morning!

Congratulations on following your exercise program so consistently, SunnyD!

And eating smaller, frequent meals seems to make healthy sense. In fact, I heard it's a boost to your metabolism, and certainly evens out blood sugar to avoid cravings. I eat every couple of hours, too, and try for a little bit of protein at each minimeal.

Thanks for the great advice, Charlotte. Gosh, there is just so much to do and think about. My daughter's fiance called on Saturday to chat with us. He's got a great midwestern drawl. They both prefer an outside wedding, but weather in June is so iffy in Seattle that we need either tents or someplace with shelter in case it rains. I bought Seattle Bride magazine to give me some hints on where to find other venues. We found a docked ferry that sounds kind of neat, but expensive!

My old dog had lost two pounds that my other dog picked up. We're calling him FB (Fat Boy) now--he looks like a sausage. Molly, my oldster, started peeing blood on Sunday evening. We just got back from dropping her off at the vet. Poor baby!

Willow, my spam filter had taken the e-mail you sent, but I finally got it. So cute!! Thanks! What a charmer that little guy is.

Anyone watch the Oscars? I'll confess that I really like to look at the dresses and stuff. I mute the speeches (blah, blah, blah), but enjoyed Billy Crystal immensely. Everybody I predicted would win did win, but I had some favorites that I wanted to win that, of course, didn't.

My Dad was driving me crazy yesterday. After we trimmed the shrubs in the backyard, he could see that the neighbors had a shed. He swears they tore down part of the fence and built it, and it's on his property. Well, it does kind of look like it is on his property, but the shed was there when the neighbors bought the house. He made the people who sold the house move the fence because it was on his property, but I'm betting he couldn't see the shed because of the shrubs. I told him he needed to get a survey done if he felt there was a problem, but he's moaning and groaning about it, and insists that the new neighbors built it, and he said the fence was never moved. Finally I sent my DH over to ask, apologetically of course, and, yes, the shed was there when they moved in, and they remember that the old owners had to move the fence at my father's insistence. My Dad still doesn't believe us, which makes me ticked off, but I have to remember he's an old man and he doesn't remember what he forgot, so to speak.

Spring has really sprung here. Everywhere we go cherry trees are blossoming and daffodils are in bloom. In a couple of weeks, it will be even more gorgeous. Hope everyone else is seeing signs of spring.

I wasn't going to make an entry until I could say something positive instead of always complaining, but, what the ****, ....

I had to go back to the Dr this morning, and he said the MRI of the hip and pelvis shows a possible labral tear and also degeneration of the hip. I don't understand why the xrays at mayo showed nothing wrong with the bone.

Anyway, he wants me to see an orthopedic surgeon again at his clinic, (I saw this surgeon last year and he agreed with mayo) because there seem to be some changes in the hip now.
He also sent the MRI scans with me today to take along to my appointment at Mayo on Wednesday so my Dr there can compare them to the ones done at Mayo last year.
He said there is a possibility of one of 2 different surgeries, one is hip arthroscopic surgery, and the other is a total hip replacement.
I'm scared $hitless of both!

My Dr at Mayo told me last year that he wouldn't do surgery on me because of my weight. He said it's a very risky procedure even on a very slight person, and down right dangerous on an obese person.
Soooooo, I think I'm going to ask one of them to put me on a medical leave for a few months and see if I can concentrate on taking off a bunch of this fat, and in the process stay off of that hip as much as possible. Maybe I can swim for exercise.
It kills me to sit all day at work anymore, and it's just as bad to stand all day.

I'm using a cane now.

According to the Dr scales this morning, I have lost 6 pounds since I was there on Feb. 5th, ... 3 1/2 weeks. That's a nice start. The amounts I've been eating I'm amazed that I'm losing at all, but, I don't have any refined sugars, no saturated fats and mostly whole grains and vegetables.

I cooked up some peaches and finely diced apples yesterday with cinnamon and Splenda, and this morning I had some on buckwheat pancakes and some GIMME LEAN sausage with it. It was sooooo yum!
Then, I was upset and waiting for MRI films to be copied to take along to Mayo, and I went to the cafeteria for a cup of decaf coffee and spied a yummy looking pumpkin bar and scarfed it down. Should have known better. Got the back door trots from it. And it didn't really taste all that great.

Sunny, you're really doing awesome! keep up the good work!
I've heard so many people say the same thing you said about the Passion. I also heard one woman died watching it. Don't know if it's true or not.
I wish you good luck on that 6-week diet thingy. I know it works in theory, .... I just have decided to quit paying out money to have someone tell me how to lose weight or to weigh me. I have the knowledge, ... I just need to USE it. I don't mean by that, that someone else is wrong to pay for a program, I'm just talking for myself. I always get myself in trouble when I say things because those reading it can't see my face and hear the inflections in my voice and before you know it, it's KILL THE MESSENGER! Ah, well, such is life.

Awww Sheila, your poor doggie! That's sad. I hope they can help her.
Nope, I didn't watch the Oscars. Never do. I'm such a boring person.
I see Dad is still spunky even if he doesn't have a good memory.
I envy your daffodils and tulips etc. The snow is just about all gone from here now, thanks to warm temps and an overnight rain.

Gotta go. It's going to storm here. Thunderstorms, some severe.
Then by tomorrow morning, it's suppose to be snowing. Crazy.
Wish me luck at Mayo.

Hey, Willow, we're here to support you when you're feeling bad or good. What lousy news for you. I'm glad, though, that you did the MRI so they really can tell that there's something going on. I do wish the news was better, though. I'm not sure what the actual difference is in the surgeries, but isn't arthroscopically less invasive? And if you do have to have surgery, just think how much better your hip will feel afterward. I know, it's not too much consolation when you're facing a scary situation. On the news last night, they were showing a new type of artificial joint that is good for younger people getting replacements. It was called otanium or something like that. It doesn't wear out and works smoothly.

Six pounds--all right, woman! That's wonderful! Congratulations! And isn't it funny how something looks so good, but when we go to eat it, well, it just isn't as good as it looks. I wish we could remember that feeling every time.

Hey, whatever works for you, Willow. I like WW, and don't mind paying, because I know I need the support and the accountability. I do envy people who can lose weight without a program, but I know myself, and I'm not one of them. Wish I were--I'd have a lot more money in my pocket!

The good news about my dog is that she doesn't have stones; it's a regular bladder infection. The not-so-good news is that the X-ray detected something on her spleen or perhaps just a shadow. The vet is getting a radiologist to read it, and will let us know on Friday. So it's going to be a looong week. On another matter, my daughter was sexually assaulted on the base. It was a groping incident (he grabbed her crotch twice, then put his crotch on hers--how disgusting), and she got away. She filed charges, and, yes, there is an NCIS, just like the show (that I don't watch) on TV. Supposedly the Navy has a zero tolerance for that kind of stuff, but we'll see. The Air Force Academy scandals have made me skeptical. It's a bit difficult being on this coast when she's on another. She sounds pretty darned depressed.

We had our former remodeling contractors out (the ones I'd never use again) because we've got rust spots in our 1.5 year old tub. The plumbing guy said he'd never seen anything like it. He's going to call this afternoon and talk about recoating. I wonder how long that will keep the shower out of commission. We only have one shower except for my Dad's, and I'm not taking a shower in his bathroom.

Hope everyone has a great day--it's very springlike here.

Okay, I don't want to be the only one posting! I hate for us to get on the second page for some reason so I'm bumping this up.

Hope everyone is doing okay!

Well, first of all, thanks all of you for your kind thoughts and good wishes.
Those Drs are still stumped. They can find nothing wrong with the bones, and it's not osteoporosis, but they think I had an infection in my body some place at some time and it went to the joint and set up this inflammatory process, but, they aren't sure there is anything that can be done about it.
I asked them if they've ever seen anything similar to this and they said absolutely not. It's very unusual.
They are going to have me see a surgeon at Mayo who specializes in the hips, and see what he can do. They said if they open that hip up and go in there, they don't even know what the heck they'd be looking for anyway. And they don't want to compromise my health by opening it and making things worse.
The real kicker though, is that he doesn't have any openings until May, 18th.

They had a special radiologist look at the new MRI films from last week compared to those from a year ago, and she said there are particles of something in the fluid surrounding the hip joint, but they don't know what the particles are except that it's not bone or cartilage.
They have tried twice now to aspirate the fluids out of that joint capsule and neither place has been successful, which means it's probably a very thick fluid, but, they injected saline and aspirated that back out and there was no bacteria or fungi, so, ... they are really scratching their heads. They said there is no reason to replace a hip joint that has not one thing wrong with the bone. This is all surrounding the bones.

They did remind me again today however that the hip arthroscopic surgery to explore the hip joint is not an option for me because of my weight. So, we all know what THAT means, ....

Soooo, I didn't ask them about this because I didn't think about it till after I got home, but, I'm going to increase the anti-inflammatory. I already doubled the dosage a year ago, at the Drs suggestion, but, now, I'm going to take that double dose in the morning, then take a normal dose at night. If I get sick, I'll quit taking it. If the pain doesn't get better in a week, I'm going to ask the Drs here to put me on a medical leave.

Sheila, I don't think there IS such a thing as "everyone else" on this thread anymore. It looks like it's 3 or 4 of us now.
I'm done running to appts. now for a while, so I'll probably post more often.

Hey! Good news about your dog. But, I hope the shadow turns out to not be anything serious.

Sheila, I'm so sorry for what happened to your daughter. You know, I just know that there are people who would say, " well, he didn't take her clothes off or penetrate her. " But, assault is assault, and the intentions were there, and he degraded her. I sure hope they throw the book at the SOB! I feel so bad for her being so far from you and home. I don't care how old a girl gets, they always need their Mom at times like this. Hugs to you my lady, and to your daughter too.

I hope you get good news about your bath tub.

I need to get some serious cleaning done around here.

Alright, ... this book is long enough.
Everyone have a great day today. .....

Hi ladies.
I'm so sorry for not posting more. I'm really going through some rough times, though. Our son & DIL are really doing a number on each other, as well as us. I just don't know how much more I can take of this. I/we love him very much...but, it's hard to help him. He's into drugs, & so is she. The two little girls are in the middle of some of the worse fighting I've ever heard of. He calls us all during the night....so paranoid! He & the girls stayed here last night. Then SHE called during the night! I'm like a zombie walking around hoping to get a little mental & physical rest. I stay very stressed. A few years ago, my nephew was beat to death by a so-called "friend". So, I know the fear of this happening. DIL has a brother & cousins that stay after our son...& he just doesn't have a lick of sense any more! It would be so much easier to help him, if he would stay off the drugs, though. I'll post when I can. But, a lot of the time, these days, I have my hands full....literally!

Sheila, I'm so sorry what happened to your daughter! I know that was so rough for her....& so hard for you to be away from her. I hope something is done about it. I have very little hope for justice, any more, though....with what we've been through. I'm thinking of you & your daughter.

Willow...hang in there. I'm sure something will be found to help you. They just haven't found the exact problem, yet. I know how frustrating it can be...don't give up...keep pushing them until they get it figured out. You're doing very good with your weight loss. Proud of you!

Hey, I've got 2 new double windows in my house! May have to post pics soon!

Hi Fatpuss...hope you're doing well.

Hi to SunnyD...I'll get you on the other thread.

We go see our attorney tomorrow....big deal!!!!!!

Where'd everybody go?

Hope you all got my private message, Ladies, and just a SHORT explanation of what's been happening this end. Mind you, you have all been going through your own turmoils from what I have just been reading on the posts. Sheila, I can't imagine how distraught you must have been over DD. Being so far away from her just makes it worse for you and no wonder she is depressed; you don't expect that kind of thing to happen on a military base from one of your own! My thoughts are with you both. I hope Molly gets better soon - my dear friend whose animals are her babies rang to say one of her cats had died. Although it was 17, the cat looked like a youngster and having no kids or husband, my friend treated it (like we all do to a degree) like the baby. Your dad and his fence/shed is a recurring thing with my mother. Just two days ago she got a handyman in to replace a broken section of fencing (arranged it all herself over the telephone and was complimented by the nursing staff who overheard her). He too (just like the gardener and neighbours) has stolen one of her plants!! Or so she says. A year ago she was convinced the grandchildren visiting the house next door had poisoned her plants - she was going to pay to get them analyzed at the university! I was proved right, they had just been over pruned by the gardener and they were fine in the summer. Willow, I am really, really sorry you are in so much pain and having more tests to try to solve the problem. You are the kind of person I try to tell my mother about to show her how fortunate she is not to have debilitating ailments etc but it's all about "me" and I have finally realised I must stop wasting my breath. I told her my daughter was in surgery last week and they just had to sew some poor 30 year old back up as the cancer was everywhere and nothing could be done. She has a few months left to spend with her 4 year old and husband but even that didn't move my mother. * Just had to break off for yet another phone call from DM!! There's no end to it* Angel, I don't need to tell you what I feel like because you are in the thick of it too right now with DS and DIL. I am really sorry for you because, unlike me, you have your own health problems and your house problems to contend with as well. Thanks for taking the trouble to tell us about your dear aunt, she sounds a lovely person. I told my mother that my DF would have loved to have had the 3 years extra to live that she has wasted but it fell on stony ground all the notice she took. My friend who had the lung biopsy is still waiting to hear the results. I thought it would have been quicker but DD tells me it can take a week to 10 days as we have a shortage of pathology people in the UK hospitals (not if you are private patient though!) She has been on the phone this week too as she is not only having to cope with that but her DM died Tuesday night. Poor lady has had alzheimers for 12 years and her eldest daughter has had her at home the whole time. So although she feels she really lost her mum all those years ago, my friend is still distraught over her loss. SUnnyD you are doing brilliantly on your healthy regime, well done. I don't really like Mel Gibson's acting but I will watch the film when it comes out on rental release.
DS and girlfriend are here for the weekend and it's been fun having them. DS and DH took down a huge branch off a sycamore tree at the back of our garden yesterday. Hopefully all the greenfly will stop blighting the roses on the patio underneath and the squirrels will have to go to a higher branch to drop their dung!! I am hoping that a lot more sunshine will filter through on the ground below and I can put some sun-loving plants there for a change (I bought 20 new perennials at the market yesterday).
Well, looks like the straight talking I gave my mother yesterday didn't affect her too badly since she has just been on the phone with more of the usual - yesterday she had threatened suicide again and although I knew it was rubbish, I was so low I didn't actually care if she did do it.
Thanks for being you, you girls, little spot of sanity makes me feel better. You all have your own problems too and it's nice that we know we don't always have to be cheerleaders here.
xxx

I'm SOOO glad we don't have to be cheerleaders here, Fatpuss! It's good to have some friends to talk to & feel they really care. I got so caught up in every day talk...that I forgot to post my weight loss last year, & when I reached my goal, in a couple of the threads. I think it was Willow who asked why I wanted to lose weight, after seeing my picture I posted. Well, it wouldn't hurt to lose more, but, probably won't. Got too many other issues in my life, right now. They keep me busy enough, that maybe I'll be able to maintain.

Gee, it sounds like your mother gets to thinking some things have happened (like the plants) & convinces herself it's true! That's the way my son is...only his is because of drugs....I think. DH & I are afraid he may be losing it (mentally)...breaks our heart to think about it. His little girls thinks their daddy is all there is in this world! They love their mom, but, are daddy's girls. A lot of little girls are! He IS a good daddy. But, worry he'll be out driving with them when he's high, & get them & himself hurt. Didn't mean to go on about him, again.

Maybe you should let your DH answer the phone for awhile. Might cut down the calls! Something has GOT to work. Keep us informed. I also hope the lung biopsy turns out well for your friend. Oh, & Mel Gibson isn't in that film, he just directed it, etc. Have a great Sunday.

Hello everyone!

Just a quick post to let you know I am still here!

We finally have our computer fixed after about a month without it. We went to visit DS and family fo a couple of weeks and now everything is working fine. Yipee..

I started to read the posts to see what I have missed and it is like reading a book so I thought I would just jump in and let you know I am up and running ..... I will get back to reading tonight after I take my GD to the circus !!

Should be fun !!

Glad to be back....will be in touch later.

Jacquie

Hi, all--

I'd kind of given up on here, but it's so great to see others post that I thought I'd come back and see what everyone has been up to.

So glad to see you back, Jacquie. So does that mean your computer just wanted you to leave town for a couple of days?

SunnyD, that's great that you're really working hard to make yourself "beachworthy." I know exactly how you feel! Sometimes I wonder if that's why I never wanted to go to Hawaii. I did end up going there when I weighed 230 or so, and loved it, but would feel more comfortable going back when I can get into a size 10 swimsuit. Hopefully that day will come, although the song about having a pair of hips the size of two battleships was written for me.

Charlotte, how is it going with your son and DIL? How are your granddaughters doing? Still hoping to see pics of your new windows. I loved getting new windows. Funny how things like that can make you feel good.

Puss, what's happening with your friend with the lung biopsy? I'm still crossing my fingers that it's scar tissue only. I hope everything is okay on the mother front, too.

My Dad finally got new shoes on Saturday. It was like this huge outing for us. I'd been bugging him to get new shoes for a long time. Now that his feet aren't swollen, he was wearing what looked like clown shoes. He wouldn't listen to me, though, but he had to have the doctor say he needed new shoes. I'm thinking that when I want him to do something, I'll have to call one of his doctors and get the doctor to write it on a piece of paper. The only problem with the new shoes is that he can't put them on by himself. I have a hard time getting them on his feet, but it only took me two tries today. I figure by next week, I'll have it down. They are two sizes smaller than what he was wearing, and he admits that he walks better in his new shoes. Now he's got to get a diabetic insert put in, which is supposed to help with the lesions he's getting on the bottom of his feet. I tell you, after seeing my Dad go through all this stuff, I'm vowing right now that after I lose the rest of the weight, I will not gain it back. No way do I want to get diabetes!

It was so incredibly gorgeous here today. I hope everyone else is having good weather. My DH took our younger dog (well, he's 12 so he's a senior, too, but he's small) on a longer walk, and I took our old girl up the street and back. She is soooo slow now. I feel like she needs to walk so she won't lose more muscle mass. She's pretty much refusing to eat any of the prescription kidney diet food, which was keeping her kidney disease at bay for the last several years. I'm cooking her chicken breast and adding that to this other prescription food (a/d). After she takes her antibiotics, we'll check her kidneys again, and we're going to keep an eye on the mass on her spleen rather than do invasive procedures.

So who has flowers blooming? The cherry trees are in full bloom now--so beautiful. And I noticed my magnolia tree is coming into bloom, too. I'm looking forward to the tulip festival next month. I usually order too many and then regret it when they all arrive for planting in October. But it's well worth it come springtime.

Good morning. Ladies.
Well, as quickly as it came, DMs mood has lifted and back to cantankerous, fiesty old self. Great!!
SunnyD, you sound fantastically focussed on your regime, I just wish it was infectious because I still can't kick start back to the way I was before Christmas. I came back from doing an audit at a company site and dropped off at a different supermarket and ended up buying a ton of comfort food including cakes! Have put 9lb on since mid December and keep resolving to start anew but...... Anyway, well done to you, SunnyD.
Jacqui, wonderful to see you back. Glad your computer is behaving now, what did we do before we had them and mobile phones, eh?
Sheila, I spoke to my friend last night (her mother's funeral was yesterday). She still has not heard anything from the biopsy though she had an appointment made for next Thursday on the day they did it. I am hoping that this is good news and think surely the results would be through by now and if they were bad, then surely she would have heard by now. DD says not to get hopes raised too much yet as the labs are slow. She has promised herself a weekend down to my place if she gets the ok and we will go to London shopping to celebrate! Re your dad and his shoes, I remember dear FIL wearing 'clown shoes' for a while years ago, he had made a mistake buying without trying and looked so funny - seems he was too proud to admit the mistake and return them! Your old girlie dog reminded me of my puss Alfie when the vet tried to get him to eat the special kidney failure foods. He would rather starve so I just gave him what he wanted as he was living on borrowed time then anyway. SunnyD, not a day goes by I don't miss him, such a fantastic little character. I am thinking of getting two kittens in the spring after my holiday but am not too sure about it yet though DS and DH say I should "because you are the type of person who needs someone to look after" they said. Their comment had me worried for a while, until they explained that I wasn't a born orderly, ha ha.
My garden is full of daffodils and a few early tulips but the weather has been bitter again and we had snow flurries for a few minutes the past few days. I bought a white camelia and a climing rose called Penny Lane (my brother lives in the next road) and DS planted them in for me last weekend. I still have the 20 perennials to plant in and hope to do them this weekend.
Willow, I hope you are ok and not in too much pain right now.
Angel, I know you have your work cut out right now too (though you always have time for others).
Thanks again, girls, for support when I needed it!
Am going to get my Rosemary Conley cookbook out again and perhaps do a cook in at the weekend and make a determind effort to get back on the wagon with this weight loss. Oh - the lady at the checkout at the supermarket yesterday said she was on the Atkins for a week and ended up calling an ambulance - seemed she never knew she had gall stones till the fat in the diet aggrivated it.