This brought tears to my eyes! It's soooo awesome that your Doc can see and appreciate all your hard work.
That would be great to have your surgeries covered. I do NOT think something like that is *elective* surgery, that skin will just have to go
Congrats!

That's pretty cool! I just went last week and got the whole lecture type talk. I finally told her I had been working on it since November and she changed her tune. That so great for you! Glad it was a nice visit.

That's great!

Way to go! You are a great motivation!

Oh, how cool!!

Wonderful!! You're an inspiration and it is so exciting to watch you "grow"!

That's Fabulous!!!

Great job.

I just went in for my yearly pap and had them check my cholesterol. Four years ago it was 202. It is down to 149!

Woohoo!!!

Isn't that a great feeling!

uh-oh...time for me to get on my

Ladies, those yearly visits are SO important, especially after 35. If you're not getting your Pap done, then you're probably not getting mammograms, either. PLEASE, if you are over 40 (or over 35 with a family history) GET A YEARLY MAMMO! My mom was diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer in November. The doctors estimate she had her cancer for FIVE YEARS before it was caught. Had she gone for regular mammos, it would have been caught way before it metastatized to her spine and lungs.

There is no reason to be shy, embarrassed, whatever. Yeah, Paps are uncomfortable, and yeah, mammos can be a little uncomfortable, but I guarantee you that Mom would take a booby squish over radiation sickness and a bald head any day.

stepping off my

Yes, those gyn visits are so important. I too avoided them like the plague for years at a time when I was overweight. Now I go regularly. Avoiding those visits, like avoiding eating properly and responsibly and exercising, was just another way that I neglected myself. I would never go years and years on end without taking my children to the doctor, not sure why I didn't feel the same way about their mother. *ME*.

I just went this past Wednesday actually and had a great experience, similar to that of cfmama's. The nurse recorded my weight on my chart. Started to look like she needed some air, eyes got glazed over, she got very silent. I'm like "what's wrong, what's wrong?". She said "Am I reading this correctly, have you lost 165 lbs?". She just went on and on and on with praise and then the ensuing how did you do it questions. After being on BP meds, have been off of them for almost 2 years now, it measured 110 over 70, my lowest ever. Then the actual doctor comes in and get this, she tells me my arms look like Jennifer Anniston's. They don't. But it surely felt good to hear anyway.

And believe it or not, the pap smear took seconds. And was totally painless. Anticipation of it was waaaay worse then the actual event, as is so often the case.

And yes, next up a Mammo and a breast sonogram. My mother is a breast cancer survivor.

Jenelle, all the best to your mom. I'll be pulling for her.

cfmama--That is SO awesome!!! Congrats!

Jenelle--I'll get right up on that soap box with you! Exams are super important. Not fun, over quickly and then you are all set for a whole year! LOL!

I try to take the day off from work and go shopping afterwards....a little treat to me for taking care of myself!

cfmama- Thank you for posting this thread. As bright as the doctor made your day is as uplifted we all feel when reading your post. I think the grins are stretching from country to country!!

and one more

Oh wow, congrats! That's gotta feel fab. I never see the same doc twice (which is weird) so I will never have that. booo! But go you!