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6/21/2004 What an exciting few days we've had! Wade and I went to San Diego for the annual ASBS conference. There are so many wonderful advancements in the field of bariatric surgery and the resources available to the surgical weight loss patient are growing by leaps and bounds. We took one day and played tourist and went to the San Diego Zoo and Balboa Park. At Balboa Park we went to the Museum of Photographic Art and while we were there we went to the gift shop. There were only about 5 people in the shop. You can imagine our surprise as we were admiring the beautiful jewelry and the ground started to shake. Things started falling over and moving around on the shelves. A lady came out from her office and said "THIS IS AN EARTHQUAKE - MOVE TO THE DOORWAYS!" I'm almost embarrassed to say that the first thought that went through my mind was "I live in Alabama - I don't do earthquakes! I do tornados!". As we were moving toward the doorway, the curator came running down the stairs and said "At first I dove under my desk but we've got to get out of this building. When these things happen there's never only one!" The look of fear on his face made all of the rest of us afraid. We went out into the street and there were people coming out of all the other buildings. There was no hysteria or anything although EVERYONE was on their cell phones. Wade and I thought it only shook about 5 seconds but they say it shook for 20 seconds. When we got back to our hotel we found out that ceiling tiles had fallen out in the convention center, one light fixture had come loose but didn't fall all the way to the floor, the escalators swayed and elevators shook and stopped. Some of the historic buildings had cracks in the walls. It was 5.2 on the Richter Scale - the largest quake in San Diego since 1984. Once it was over and we knew no one was injured and there was no serious damage we were able to relax and even think it was exciting. I confess, however, that I wasn't sorry to leave sunny California and hope I'm not there if they ever have "the big one". There continue to be wonderful things on the horizon for surgical weight loss patients. I'm so proud to be a part of it. I'm still in counseling and am learning to live with the 15 pound gain that I can't seem to conquer. We took lots of pictures in San Diego and I even thought I looked good in some of them. Life is grand!

7/14/2004 Have discovered the most wonderful cure for nighttime grazing demons or even daytime demons if you have them! I tried a Vanilla Latte at Starbucks and loved it until I found out it had about 400+ calories in the big one. YIKES! So I experimented with about 50 pots until I got it down to basically the same taste with only 200 calories for a WHOLE 12 CUP POT! That's right - not per cup but per pot.
Here's the recipe:
Pour water in your coffee pot - using the amount that will leave room for 2 cups of Carb Countdown Milk in the pot once it's brewed.
Pour 2 Cups 2% Carb Countdown Milk into your pot (not the coffee maker) BEFORE you brew the coffee.
Add 1/4 cup Sugar Free Vanilla Syrup (DaVinci is best)
Put the amount of decaffienated coffee you would normally use in the filter
Put 1 Cup Splenda ON TOP OF THE COFFEE IN THE FILTER(before you brew it)
Brew coffee
Once the pot is brewed take a spoon and stir it up as it will have more milk on the bottom.
I use a little Bodun hand frother in each cup. YUM YUM YUM
This lasts all night and is a great appetite suppressant when you feel like nibbling. Here's the cool thing......drink it hot......drink it over ice...........put it in the freezer and make a slush.......IT DELICIOUS! Plus it has over 20 grams of protein in it! That's a great bonus! I tried it with NutraSweet, Equal and other brands of Vanilla syrup and while it was good it wasn't nearly as good as using Splenda and DaVinci syrup.
Still wishing I could lose 15 pounds but confess that I haven't put the effort into it that I should. Where does the time go - I know it's no excuse - still it's a reality! But - I'll take size 12 over size 24/26 any day. I wouldn't change a thing!

10/01/2004 I'm sending this update from beautiful sunny New Braunfels, Texas. My husband and I have taken our first 10 day vacation in 25 years! We are having a ball. I have walked and shopped my legs off. I am feeling great! My gallbladder is trying to act up but I've been praying it will simmer down. Life is so good. I wish there was a way to tell the world how amazing life is as a normal sized person. I have never been happier. It's been 4 years ago this month that my life was changed by weight loss surgery and it's been getting better every single day!

10/26/2004 Well folks, it's been 4 years today since my life took a very amazing turn. I have regained my health and well being as well as traveled all over the country and met many wonderful people. I cannot imagine anything that could have brought about the same degree of hapiness and blessings in my life. Thanks to everyone who has added a ray of sunshine to my journey. It's been wonderful!

11/24/2004 Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I have so much to be thankful for. I had my gallbladder out a week ago and was back at work in only 4 days. I can hardly believe it. I feel SO MUCH better. Our son is home from Colorado for Thanksgiving so we are having a special holiday. Like most long term post ops I am struggling a bit with wanting to jump right into the holiday goodies but am working hard to keep the food demons at bay. NOTHING tastes as good as thin feels. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

01/03/2005 Well, here it is a New Year and I'm beginning my 5th year as a WLS patient. I have to wonder how many people have made New Year's resolutions to lose weight. I know I have. I'm getting rid of this 15 pounds once and for all! I'm going to just eat healthy and cut out the junk. You know, the junk seems to find it's way into our lives without our even realizing it. So, we've cleansed our home just like I tell my pre-op patients to do and we're getting serious. My husband and I both want to lose 15 pounds and we're going to do it. The only difference is that this time we're going to eat smart and not go on some crazy diet that makes us nuts. I still have the tool and am going to use it like I'm supposed to. It's ridiculous not to. I'm feeling great - just bought a treadmill and LOVE that! Our son who moved to Colorado is moving home and will be here in just one week. He's a little exercise junkie so that should be good for us too. At 4 years and 2 months post op I am as glad today as I was the day I had surgery for the miracle of WLS. What an amazing blessing!

02/07/2005 I spent some time over the weekend actually reading my whole profile. It's amazing how life has changed for me in just over 4 years. I am so happy. I will be leaving Medical Center East at the end of this week. I have taken a job with a bariatric consulting firm in San Diego, California - the city of my dreams. We won't be moving right away. Maybe in a year or two. For now, I will be a remote employee and do alot of traveling. Wade has made arrangements with his boss to be able to go with me when I travel. I hope we're going to have the opportunity to see the world! I will be consulting with hospitals that want to start programs, hospitals that have programs and want to enhance them and hospitals or physicians who want to start support groups. Leaving Medical Center East wasn't an easy choice to make. But, it felt right in my heart and I know I'm on the brink of a big adventure. I have lost 9 of the pesky 15 pounds but folks, I can't see it in the mirror - I can't see it in the way my clothes fit - nothing! I lost the 9 pounds within the first 10 days and then - nothing! Only two times in the last 35 days has any sort of refined sugar passed these lips and still the scale is stuck and I see no difference at all. Boy, it brings it all home to me about how my patients feel when they come to me and say.........THE SCALE IS STUCK! I've been eating healthy, walking 2 to 3 miles on the treadmill every day and I'm just stuck. Oh well, at least my head knows the scales will eventually move even if my heart can't figure it out. ha ha Life is so good. Wade and I will spend Valentine's Day in sunny California. I can't wait. It's off to another adventure..............one I never would have experienced if I hadn't had weight loss surgery. Be blessed!

03/20/2005 Today I have been married for 23 years. It was a most wonderful anniversary. We slept late, went out for lunch and then to the mall. EXCITING, huh? Our kids (ages 20 and 22) went with us and we all just hung out. Wade and I didn't buy gifts or even cards for each other. Our gift was a day spent just having fun with our family and being devoted to each other and staying totally away from stress of any kind. It's been terrific. We stopped in at Starbucks for a decaf, sugar free, fat free vanilla latte and as we were leaving we were walking toward the escalators which are mirrored all the way up the side. I took a moment and evaluated the reflections and decided that Wade and I looked o.k. to be old married folks. *smile* We're both continuing to be diligent about eating healthier and losing a bit of weight but the scale has been STUCK for awhile. That's o.k. though - I'm feeling pretty content. My new job is super fantastic! The company is called iVOW, inc. They have put me in charge of starting a new support group in Birmingham that will be very, very focused on long term patients. I am completely passionate about it. One of the things I think can be most helpful to NEW patients is to learn from the errors that result from the lack of education we "old-timers" had (or didn't have, as the case may be). It seems that focusing on long term patients will be a great benefit for new patients as well. The new group will be called F.A.C.E.S. of WLS, iVOW. If anyone is interested you can feel free to email me for information. My regular Dear Rona column was in WLSLifestyles magazine this quarter but I also had a feature article titled "Stepping Into The Spotlight". It's a story I wrote about our fashion show and one of our participants. Sometimes when I see the column or an article in the magazine or spend time thinking about my job I ask myself "How in the world did I get here???" I just can't believe how fortunate I am and how God has blessed me! It's been 4 1/2 years since surgery. I may have said it before but every day continues to be a learning experience and a new joy. There are struggles that remind us we had "body" surgery, not "brain" surgery. However, the miraculous tool we are given allows us to defeat the food demons that will probably forever be a part of our lives. I know and accept that I will never be "normal" when it comes to food. But I have the ability to win the battle and ultimately win the war and THAT'S what it's all about. I look at every day as a gift and the view from this side of the scales is still the best view in town. :) Hope and happiness to everyone!

5/20/2005 What a busy spring and beginning of summer we have had! We went to California a week ago and soaked up the sun. We strolled on the boardwalk and drove up Highway 101 in a red thunderbird convertible. It was so much fun. I was out there to have my picture taken. I'm actually going to be on the cover of WLSLifestyles magazine's June issue. Went to a beautiful resort to have the photos made. It was so pretty! Even after almost 5 years I can't imagine how my life has changed since WLS. It's a struggle with food but I learned a while ago that it would be. Thank heavens for the tool that keeps most of us in control. Still there are days when I feel a bit out of control but that just goes to show how important support groups, supplements, exercise and a regular routine are. All of it is worth it in order to fall into that "normal" category in the eyes of society. This weeks marks 3 years since I had double mastectomy. I have many things to be thankful for. The glass is always half full!!! Skinny wishes to everyone!

7/04/2005 Happy Independance Day to us all! It's been almost 5 years since my surgery. I am still the happiest girl on earth! Wade and I just got back from Orlando, Florida where we attended the ASBS (American Society for Bariatric Surgeons) conference and I had the HONOR of presenting a lecture on Industry Night. I spoke on obesity sensitivity training. Heaven knows there's a need for that!! It was a little strange to be at the conference as a vendor this time instead of as a customer. But, it was great to see old friends and make new friends. We didn't get to do much sight seeing and it rained every single day. Still, it was nice to stay in a lovely hotel and see so many WLS friends. OH had a great booth, as usual and I saw lots of people checking them out. I haven't lost any weight or gained any weight but I'm getting more content each day. I was actually chatting with a physician who told me "It wouldn't matter if you weighed 100 pounds and wore a size 2 - you'd still want to lose just a few more pounds. It's just the nature of the beast". You know what??? She was right! I've had alot of fun having my picture and my article on the cover of WLSLifestyles magazine (email me if you want details). I even signed some autographs......can you imagine???? Life is so good. Never give up your dreams - you are worth every good thing that comes your way!

09/16/2005 Greetings all! I have been working in New York and New Jersey since just after the 4th of July. I work away from home during the week and go home on the weekends. It's been exciting and a grand adventure at points and other times I have been very lonely during the week. One thing I can say is, this is just another way that having WLS has benefitted me. There is no way I would have been able to walk as much and do as much if I weighed 115 pounds more. I can now say I've just about done and seen it all in New York City (not really - you could NEVER do or see it all). Wade came for a week and we went to the top of the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, 5th Avenue, Central Park, Park Ave., Madison Ave., Waldorf Astoria for drinks, Ground Zero, Rockefeller Center, St. Paul's Cathedral, Trinity Church, Wall Street........well, you get the picture. It was AWESOME!!!

I'll be home for a while starting October 1st. That will be nice. One thing I was worried about with being away from home so much is that I would gain weight from sitting in hotel rooms and always eating out but I've actually dropped a few pounds. How's that for irony?

Life is good - WLS seems like a distant memory but the benefits are a daily joy. Almost 5 years out and still no regrets! :)

12/04/2005 I thought I would be home for a while beginning in October but as fate would have it I've been to San Francisco, Las Vegas and Seattle since. I am currently on long term assignment in Seattle, Washington. It is drizzly here alot and really cold in comparison to Alabama but it's just beautiful. Wade took a leave of absence and came with me - we'd been apart too long and since I don't know how long I'll be here we just decided to do it as a team. He'll be getting a temporary job here after Christmas. This has been a difficult few weeks for us. We relocated to Seattle and then my mom had a stroke. We had to admit her to a nursing home which has been very, very difficult. She cannot walk and she is refusing to eat. It's just been so hard. It's been equally as hard not to turn to food for comfort. Honestly - I have turned to food some. It's scary for me. I feel like I should be a leader and provide a good example but I find that in spite of being in the surgical weight loss business for years I am still human. Still, my life is so much better - even after 5 years. I am cherishing each day. I am going to seek some counseling regarding food since my life has been so hectic. Right now, I feel like that is the BEST example I can set. It's admitting that we are never truly in control and it's o.k. to need help and to seek it out. Losing weight doesn't make life perfect. Gastric Bypass is stomach surgery, not brain surgery. But every aspect of this journey is wondrous and I have no regrets at all. During this special holiday season - God bless us all for being brave enough to do whatever it takes to be healthy and happy. We deserve it all.

2/3/2006 Dear Friends - The past few weeks have been very difficult for my family. My mother improved very quickly from her stroke and during Christmas we took her out for lunch every single day. It was joyous to be able to make final arrangements for her to come home on January 28th - my dad's 83rd birthday. On January 10th she unexpectedly had a massive stroke and died instantaneously. I am so thankful that I was able to speak to her by phone on the day she died. She was happy and in a great mood. We had the great privilege of having the last words we said to each other be "I love you". Still, the emotional roller coaster is so very, very hard. My dad is doing well but we have been very attentive and have not left him alone. My husband and I both stayed 2 weeks with him and then my husband is there now for 9 days. But, this weekend Wade comes back to Seattle. I just have to pray for my dad that he continues to do as well as he has since her death. Many times during the last 3 weeks I've wondered what it would have been like to have to find out about this while I was 2700 miles from home - pack for a 2 week trip in just 2 hours - race to the airport - fly all night - make ALL of the funeral arrangements and handle everything for my dad for the next two weeks when I still weighed 263 pounds. Had I not lost 115 pounds I NEVER could have done it. It's yet another way that WLS has been a blessing to me. Keep us in your prayers in the days to come.

4/18/2006 Hello friends. How quickly 2 months have passed. My family is doing well. My father is coping well since my mother's death and he is currently in the 4th week of a 5 week visit with Wade and I here in Seattle. He is the focus of our lives right now and we are happy that after he leaves us next week he will only be home a few days alone before going on a trip to Mississippi followed by a trip to Georgia. Then it will be time for us to visit Alabama. I am doing well and have actually discovered during this family turmoil that I love brocolli, fresh raw spinach with a bit of Caesar dressing and some Mozzarella, brussels sprouts and other healthy things. My goodness - who would have ever guessed. My weight is stable which is good considering all we've been through emotionally. Hostess Ding Dongs would be great therapy right now - ha ha. All is going well and I continue to wish to lose 20 pounds but each day learn to appreciate myself a little more. If we're headed in the right direction..........all we have to do is keep walking...........eventually we'll get there! I believe it! God bless us all.

7/2/2006 It's almost the 4th of July and it is HOT HOT HOT here in Seattle. Since it's normally so cool here the apartments don't have air conditioning. Man, I am really spoiled because I'm not liking the hot stuffy weather. I just got back from the ASBS conference in San Francisco. It was nice to see lots of friends. I saw Michelle Curran, The Vitalady. I also had the honor of meeting Dr. Edward Mason who first pioneered weight loss surgery. I spent some time with Dr. Wesley Clark, another pioneering surgeon, as well. I also saw Eric and JC from Obesityhelp. Their booth was right across the aisle from ours. I saw Carnie Wilson twice and she looks fabulous! The advances being made in the surgical weight loss industry are very exciting. I had a feature article in the ASBS issue of WLSLifestyles magazine about dealing with regain so that was cool too. Spent some time with Chef David Fouts too - he's a funny guy and obviously a fantastic cook!!!
My family is doing well. I'm still maintaining my weight and have almost reached the point that I'm satisfied with myself. Another 100 years or so and I'll get there - ha ha. But seriously, I have stopped stressing over the 20 pounds that I will always wish I could lose. I believe my body has reached it's ultimate set point or sweet spot and weighing any less would require an excess of work and distraction and I'm not sure it's worth it. Statistics say I'm "normal" so I'm going to continue to work at being happy just like I am.
Godspeed to each of you on the journey.
10/20/2006 Happy Autumn to everyone! Hope this post finds each of you doing well. Much has happened in ourlives since July. My company, iVOW was acquired by another company and I was caught up in a layoff. My last day with iVOW was September 22nd. Almost a month ago. It's hard to imagine facing unemployment but I have several irons in the fire and feel certain that something will come up soon. We are back in Alabama helping my father sell his house. Once we finish this project we will permanently relocate to Texas where Wade's family lives. It will be hard to be away from my dad and our boys but it's time for us to live for ourselves and we want to do that in Texas.
Wade's dad has been diagnosed with lung cancer and we are glad that we will be able to be nearby to help out once we get to Texas.
On the weight front..........things are the same. So, I guess my current weight is where my body is happy. I will always wish to be smaller but have accepted that I'll probably always be a 14. That's sure a whole lot better than where I was! My health is fantastic and I still love being a participator in my life instead of just an observer.
I saw yesterday that Sharon Osborne is having her lap band removed. I think it's a shame and hope it doesn't cast a negative light on band surgery. Ideally, it seems it would have been best if she'd left the band in and STILL focused heavily on the emotional issues of battling obesity. But that's just my thoughts. Life is great - onward and upward!!

2/5/2007 I'm delighted to say that Wade and I have finally landed back in Texas for good! It is so good to be home and have all of his wonderful family nearby. I know we'll miss our boys but they're all grown up and living their own exciting lives. My daddy remarried and his wife is fantastic! They've known each other forever and they are currently in Hawaii on their honeymoon. Talk about jealous! I have gone to work for Austin Surgical Hospital as their Director of Bariatric Surgery. They are a lap-band only program and have FANTASTIC surgeons. One of the things I'm looking most forward to is starting the support group again. FACESofWLS has been sitting quietly waiting to be brought back to life and now it will be. We're revamping the e-group and already planning a meeting in south Austin as well as lots of activities. While Austin Surgical Hospital is a lap band only facility they're allowing us to have support groups for RNY and lap band. I'm so thrilled to be part of this organization. Frankly, I'm just thrilled to be back in the thick of things altogether! Please email if you would like additional information.
Every day, in every way, it's getting better and better and better!