[jiffypop]

well, interesting developments here in northern jersey!!! the director of morristown's obesity center, a nurse who has also had the surgery, has left there to start her own business. and it sounds, at least from the first support group and orientation meeting, that it will be far more responsive to post-ops.

many things to be worked out still, but the surgeons will no longer be using the obesity center, at least that's theway it looks right now.

we'll be having cooknig classes, as several of the post ops are real chefs. and there will be smaller meetings with more focused topics. a great new world here.

but the best thing was that i saw a friend there. well, she's actually the assistant manager at a bank branch i've used often, and we've become quite friendly over the years. we've suffered with our weight, watching each other lose 50 pounds, then gain it all back and then some. and up and down and up and down.

so, she's decided to have the surgery, and she's nervous, with lots of questions, but she's also motivated. i'm going to save the two pairs of linen palazzo pants i bought in june for her. they won't fit her for awhile, but if all goes as she plans, she'll have the surgery in january and she'll be ready for them by next summer!!!

one big topic has been the fact that those of us who have lost a lot don't recognize ourselves in mirrors. and frankly, i've shrunk out of my pants, but i don'[t have the courage to try on the smaller sized ones i bought just to be prepared!!!!

so, what did i do today?? i went to bloomingdales!! clinique was having a gift with purchase and i needed moisturizer. but there was another counter there, a cosmetic line i'd never heard of, but the colors were gorgeous and i wnated a new blush adn lipstick.

the sales rep??? a gay man with dark roots and bleached blond tips, and a dark tan. i told him the truth, about the weight loss and having lost all my makeup, and we talked. he's lost 200 pounds by actually making appts with the one and only dr atkins!!!

and then i told him about the clothes thing, and that i was planning to use a personal shopper. and he said that they had the best one. and then i told him that so many women in my situation are afraid to come into a store like bloomies. he was SHOCKED>.. but i told him that most still have this idea that they don't belong,and that they'll get thrown out and laughed at for even thinking they could fit into something in that store. he was very surprised.

so, the whole thing ended up with him saying that i could stop by any tme for a pep talk. wasn't that nice???

so, i bought TREATS for myself: moisturizer, lipstick, blush. and the clinique gift. a great day!!!

sorry for the babblingg... but i had to...