Down Memory Lane

Hi, everyone!

I'm back after taking a "computer holiday" yesterday. I'm sorry about posting today instead of yesterday, but when I got up yesterday, I felt just absolutely horrible.  The ultimate of flare-ups.  My low back was acting up and it felt like somebody had lit a torch on my right foot and was just going to town with it, so to speak!  Lately I've been having a lot of problems with neuropathy in my feet.  They just burn and shoot "electrical" type pains down to my very tippy toes.  The only cure for it is to keep my feet elevated and take my neurontin....or nine of them!  (Just joking...I only took an extra one...honest!)  So I spent the day reading my Janet Evanovich book.  If you've never read her books, you are certainly missing something....she's a scream!  I love her characters and the plots are wild and zany.

Okay, now on to the bariatric seminar my husband, me and mother-in-law attended on Thursday.  We got there in plenty of time and had NO problems with parking.  Isn't that something? The thing you worry about the MOST turns out to be nothing?  My husband dropped his mom and me off at the lobby and he proceeded to park the car in the parking garage of the hospital.  We got to the conference room very slowly.  I'm losing ground with my legs everyday and even with the walker, I can't walk very far anymore without severe pain.  I had to stop twice on the way to the conference room.  We finally get there and I plopped myself down into an aisle seat up front.  I never would sit up front in the past, because it seems the presenter interacts more with those up front and I was very shy (because of my speech problem) but I figured I'm venturing on a new life, so why not sit up front?

Anyway, the doctor that was going to lead the seminar was late, so his nurse began without him. She was nice and friendly and did a good job of explaining things.  There's a new (within the past 6 or so years) procedure out called a "gastric sleeve" that I wasn't aware of.  It's where they cut about 75-80% of your stomach and then sew it back up.  So what's left is a banana shaped pouch and you can only eat about a cup of food and feel full.
She also explained about the after care program with support groups, visits with the nutritionist & exercise physiologist, AND there are NO extra program fees!  You can't beat that!

The doctor showed up about 45 minutes late.  He instantly apologized and took over where the nurse left off.  I immediately liked him.  He was warm, personable and a good public speaker.  He didn't make us feel bad because we were overly fat and he was very specific describing the other procedures - the gastric banding and gastric bypass.  I learned that now, the gastric bypass is done with a laprascrope!  This means no long incision lines, shorter hospital stays and shorter recovery times.  I know I said that I wasn't going to get the gastric bypass, but he made it sound like a piece of cake....oops, no cake.  Make it....a piece of wheat bread!!  LOL!  So whatever procedure he decides for me, I think I will do.  I just want to feel better.  And I think getting this excess weight off me will do a lot of good!  My poor legs and feet will thank me, for sure.

The seminar was about an hour long and then we left.  There were only about three other people there like me and they brought their spouses along, too.  I'm glad I went and could meet the doctor.  And they are not out for money like the other group I went to.  I'm glad I persisted in my search for the seminar I was supposed to go to in the first place.  The next step now is waiting for them to call and set up the initial appointment.  The nurse said that would take about an hour and I'd meet the whole team-surgeon, nutritionist, exercise therapist and psychologist.  And, they take my insurance....whooo-hooo!  My hubby called the insurance and they DO cover bariatric surgery, as long as it's for medical reasons and not cosmetic.  No prob!  My medical chart will speak for itself!!  So I can't wait until they call and we can get started.

I was going through the pictures on the computer and taking a trip down memory lane.  It's nice to do that every once and awhile.  I originally came from Michigan and looking at those old pictures brought back so many memories.  I will share with you some of my photos of my family and me and life in Michigan. I hope I don't bore you!!  Here we go:

                 My mom and me with our first kitty, Boots.

                         My best friend, Denise and me - Denise is holding our 2nd kitty, Toby and I am holding Boots.  Boots wasn't a very friendly cat-he bit everyone!!  Just look at those glowing eyes!!

    My mom with our sweet kitty, Toby.  He loved hugging!!

             Me, trying to be sexy by my alluring pose, with Toby.

           Me, up close and personal, with Toby.  He shared my room with me as we had to separate Toby and Boots as Boots wasn't very cooperative.  So Toby and I were very close. He was called my "study buddy" as he laid on top of whatever school book I had open. We think he was a Maine Coon cat as he was BIG and weighed 25 pounds.  I miss him so!

                 Me (what did I do to my hair?!) and my dad at Pitcher Lake in Dowagiac, Michigan.  We were camping for the weekend in my grandma's trailer.  We had a blast!!

     My mom and I at Pitcher Lake.  I remember her trying to start a fire in the fire ring and it turned out to be a "smoke out" instead of a fire.  Mom worked so hard to get that ignited and we teased her about her fire for years to come!!  We were bad!!

And, to end the show, here is Pitcher Lake at dusk. I remember the sights, sounds and smells of that lake as if it were just yesterday.

Thank you so much for coming along with me down memory lane.  I hope I didn't bore you too much.....

Alrighty, that will do it for this post.  I hope you all are happy and flare-up free.  And enjoying the beginnings of fall, my favorite season.  I sure do miss the trees changing colors and the smell of burning leaves.  So those of you that actually have seasons, enjoy them!!!

God bless you all.
Until next post,
Missy