CanyonBaby

If you are concerned about this, go back to your Dr.'s office and ask to see photos, and get more information. You need to be sure it is what you want, BEFORE you do the surgery!

All of this is concerning, including genetically modified crops. Especially as we are eating more meat/protein as a rule. Any and all info on this would be much appreciated! Reading labels is imperative, people. I am trying to do my gardening without any chemicals (pesticides/herbicides), and am seriously considering raising quail and chickens. A lot of communities around here are allowing people to raise chickens, some up to a half dozen per city lot. If you're interested in it, check out your local agricultural extension office for regulations... Thanks for the info!!!

@@TEXASLADY52 Congrats on retirement!!!! The world is your oyster, now (and those are ok!!!), so go out and have fun!!!! Love your hobbies!

@@sgc Why don't you let HER decide, when she sees your picture? If you don't put anything into it, nothing will come out of it. Most people start serious relationships as friends, because down the road, after all the physical stuff starts to wane (it's called old age!!!), there has to be something more. Companionship is EVERYTHING, all else eventually fades. That is why it is important to remember that physical beauty is only temporary. Look at the elderly couples out there....still holding hands, still together even though there are many things about them that aren't so attractive anymore (at least as perceived). They love each other for who they are, and THAT is what it REALLY is all about.... I asked for a man who was funny (he is). He could've been bald (he is), chubby (he was), wears glasses (he does), could be a cop (he is), as long as he FIT me (he does!!!). AND he was born nine months (to the day!!!) younger than I, so I KNOW he was made for me! I didn't care if he was handsome, slim, perfect in everyway, and he isn't....to the casual onlooker. But for me he is perfect. And we will see it through to the end (he has cancer). When YOU figure out what is important, so will she, and there she will be! God Bless you in your journey!

@@sgc So do you mean you want to find someone who wants to lose weight, as well, and have you two lose together? That, actually, is a great idea! An instant commonality. And understanding. No cold feet with that!!! Go for it!

@@sgc So I would say "Why wait?" --- I mean why wait to lose more weight to meet and greet? The right person for you WON'T care what you weigh, now or later....they will love YOU. In the meantime, you can find many friends this way!!!! BTW......you have a least ONE female friend right here!!! Hello, my name is Jen! And I bet there are a lot of gals on here who would be more than willing to be friends, write ANYTIME, I usually check the site out a few times a week, at least until my husband has his surgery, then things will get a little crazy, but I'll still check it from time to time. So go out and have some FUN! Determine what your favorite things to do are, then go do them. If you like hiking, check into the Sierra club...good place to meet folks... so is church..a great place to meet and greet...just have fun, and keep an open mind, you never know WHO the right person is, initially, just ABSORB everything and anything...it is a wonderful journey you are embarking on!!!!!

Thanks! We needed a new way to use that dreaded protein powder!!!!! Trying it this weekend!

@@Daveo From what I can see in your photo, it won't be long! You should be very proud of your accomplishments! Well done!!!

Going into it with the attitude of "hey, the worst I can do here is make a new friend" is a good one. And we can ALL use new friends! No loss, all gain!

@@Daveo You are lookin' good, son! Your new picture is great! As for the dating thing, I am a firm believer in letting God help you, He made you, He made your soulmate. Now let Him put you together! It is called faith, and it works. All of the above mentioned suggestions and advice are awesome ways to start, but don't forget to call on the One who made you to find what you are looking for. "Ask and ye shall receive". Worked for me, and everytime I think about how a guy born in California, and a gal in New York met, married, and after almost 20 years are STILL married, it amazes me. Everytime I tell our story, how I asked, and was given the man made for me (he is EXACTLY nine months - to the day - younger than I), I marvel at all the effort that went into finding him: I have moved over 40 times in my life, he over twenty, my being previously married and divorced, all the twists and turns throughout each of our lives, yet HERE WE ARE! Together, going through life's ups and downs (cancer has reared it's ugly head), still as in love and as strong in our commitment to each other as ever. Faith and Trust in God....I can't say it enough. You will KNOW when it's right, without a doubt. Trust and Faith, give THEM a try!!!

You are SOOOO right, as usual! My last "stall" lasted a couple of months, broken today. I think it is most of those who have just recently had their surgery, who talk about the stalls so much. Like you said, it is part of the whole thing. And lest we forget, it is not unusual to "regain" a few pounds here and there on our path. Just the body shifting around, getting used to the new program. It's best to take things one day at a time, and as we follow our individual programs, it is important to remember that everyone is different, and we each, independently, will lose in our own way, at our own time. Your wisdom, Inner Surfer Girl, is spot on!!!! Have a great weekend, everyone!

And a P.S. ......... All this time you have been working so hard, that time may just be enough to get you past the wait-time some insurance companies demand, IF you can show it is documented by your previous doctors. Make sure you get IN WRITING all documentation, they should have kept records showing your progress and in what time-frame. Best of luck to you!!! Keep us informed!

And here's one more idea: maybe Obamacare can step in.....how about finding out about secondary insurance, or using your state's insurance (Obamacare), that may cover you? One thing I have learned in my life is to NEVER NEVER NEVER say NEVER!!!!!!!!! There is ALWAYS a way!!!! You just have to find it, so DON'T give up and proceed looking until you do. Several options have been listed, and you could even try the thing they do online and ask the general public (bless their hearts, they often give to those who need a procedure, and can't afford it otherwise, for whatever reason). There is ALWAYS a way!!!!! Now, remember, this may take some time, so DON'T give up while you're waiting, proceed with your plan, continue doing what you have been doing, and SHOW the insurance companies AND your doctors you are serious about this...it may be the key to getting your surgery. Dedication to the program shows ALOT!!!! The most important thing is to NOT give up on YOU! You are too important to let self-pity take over, and you are too strong to cave! Hang tight, my friend, and all will work out. Have FAITH!!!!!!

So for those who have been following Dave's cancer situation, here is the latest.... Today is FINALLY the PET scan...after 5, yes 5, denials from insurance, he is having it today. It should reveal where the cancer is, in it's entirety, we hope. He finished his 6th chemo treatment almost 2 weeks ago, and most of the side effects have diminished. He meets with the surgeon on the 1st of September, where he will schedule the surgery. He had a challenging week at work, due to the fact it was refresher training, requiring lots of physical activity, but he sailed through it quite well. I was able to be with him for the physical part, just in case. No injuries were sustained, which was the point for my presence. Now, after almost 4 months of not knowing the extent of the cancer, it will finally be known, and I have to say, I am scared %#*%#!$&*((. I have left this all in the Hands of the Good Lord, but being human, there is still that gut-wrenching fear, until I know what we're up against. So here's where all of you awesome folks come in...once again I ask for your prayers, that if there HAS to be cancer, that it is confined to the immediate locale of the tumor. That it is minimal, that it will be successfully removed during surgery, that the chemo has done it's work in destroying it. That it hasn't spread to any other areas of the body. That he WILL be cured, and it is put into remission...for good. Your constant support and prayers have been most welcome, most appreciated, and I ask that God bless you all, forever. Thank you, and I'll keep you posted when we get results. Jenifer

P.S. Dave is doing great being off the chemo for a month now, back to his jolly old self, and up to NO GOOD by always smacking my backside EVERY time he walks by me.....the chemo???? Or not????!!! All I know is it is sore, and will get a BRIEF vacation once the surgery is done! A little fatigue remains, but otherwise he feels great, and I am SOOOO thankful I cannot say.....have a great evening, all.......

You guys are THE BEST!!!!!! Sometimes I get so down, thinking of the "what if's", then there you are again and pick me up off the floor! What would I do without you? Sometimes the "scaries" get the better of me, as they did this afternoon, then I come back to this site, just to see what's going on, and it's as if you READ MY MIND and make it all better! I couldn't ask for more, and I CERTAINLY HAVE THE BEST!!!! And in case you didn't get it from my HIGHLY dramatized cap-lock wonders...I LOVE YOU LOTS!!!!! God bless all of you, and more updates as we know more......October 7th is not far away......

@@Yaberhoo Waving back!!!! You are in a really nice area...beautiful!!!!

I am soooo for hobbies, they can keep us out of serious trouble! The thing is, most things can be learned, so if you have a desire to learn a new hobby, check it out...there may be books on it, videos, stuff about it on the internet.... JUST DO IT!!!! Mine are crocheting (keeps the hands busy), calligraphy, sewing decorative things for the home (I hope to develop this into a small business someday), and gardening (harvested my first 20 pumpkins today!!!). I love creating, making something from nothing. It is very satisfying, and the results can sometimes actually be a very useful product! It relaxes me, and keeps my arthritic hands moving (use it or lose it!!!). Lots of bonuses here, and it is fun...and I love hearing what you all are doing, too!!!

I just KNOW you're going to do fine, and once you are past the surgery a few months (it seems to take forever, but it REALLY does fly by) you are going to be so glad you did it. My diabetes is in remission....now, would I have EVER have gotten it to do that without the surgery? No way. And I was doing everything I could to get it that way. I didn't want to lose limbs, or my eyesight, or die from it. I don't know the future, but I DO know I DID do everything I could to help myself, and now you are too!!!! YAY! Carry on, my friend, we've got your back!!!!

Remember your name! Choose Hope! Now is the time to do your research, know what you're getting yourself into, and ready for that date. IF you are not ready, that's ok. Take your time, heal up from your illness, and give yourself a fighting chance at this. If you still have doubts, don't do it. But take time to get well...one hundred percent...before you jump in. God bless and get well soon!!!

Of course you are! Who hasn't been, with life-altering surgery scheduled? Just make sure you do all your research, so you are prepared for what is ahead - no surprises. Making an informed decision is the best thing to do for yourself, and takes away a lot of the fears. Yes, there is pain, it passes. Yes, you will undoubtedly have some regrets (especially when you want to eat "normally" and can't), but as you adjust to your new lifestyle, that passes, too. Ask yourself what you are doing this for, and be SATISFIED with the answers. When you go in for the surgery, know you are getting the best care, and have faith in your doctor and their staff. And I have faith that the Good Lord above will see you through this safe and sound! God bless you on your journey!!!!

I have been asked to post photos, but because of my husband being a law enforcement officer, and with all today's antagonism towards law enforcement and the various threats we face (yes, even families are threatened), it is not wise for me to do so. Just know I appreciate all of you AND your successes! And you are awesomely brave and I admire you greatly.

@@KarenLoh You have the issue many of us deal with daily: taming the tummy! Since it doesn't take long for the meal to digest, you want to eat again, right away. Same here!!! I have to tell myself that I just ate, and immediately DO SOMETHING ELSE!!!!! Otherwise we are grazing, which will derail our success. Like Mrs. Sugarbabe said, drink your water!!! This helps enormously, and gets in our hydration. I don't know if you've noticed, but lately a lot of the posts are focused on this very subject, and all seem to link together. If we can weave together all the input, we should be ok if we follow it, huh?! Elode has a post on hydration, and WOW, who knew all about that stuff? So much to learn, and so much more that is being put out there for us to grab onto, that will help us through this. Good luck to you all!!!

Normal. Welcome to the club. My guess is your Dr. will probably up your acid-reducer, but wait for them to tell you what dosage. Remember, your HEAD still wants food, and, unfortunately it always will. It is one of the biggest challenges of WLS. Even though I am out 9 months, my head and my stomach DO NOT concur about hunger. You have to learn to really FEEL your stomach. Is it REALLY hungry, or is it your head? You have to really think about it. More often than not, your stomach will say it is full. Successful surgery. Your HEAD, however, is NOT convinced, and it has been in charge for all of your life. So now you have to overrule your head with your stomach. Not easy. You will always have to evaluate the stomach by thinking about the fullness of it. My trick is to FEEL with my mind the fullness of the stomach, then once I determine the fullness, either eat, or if it is full/content, think of something else, and immediately DO something else - to get my mind off of it. This will always be a challenge - remember, you have permanently altered the stomach, but the head doesn't get it. And it never will. Your body was meant to have a regular-sized stomach, and thinks it still does. You will have to manually alter your eating plan, everyday, for the rest of your life. Once you get the hang of it, it is not so hard, but it WILL take time. Good luck to you!

P.S. Where in Washington are you? I am in the Spokane area.