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Surgeon TestimonialKenneth G. MacDonald, Jr. M.D.So far, I'm VERY impressed. Guess I will have to come back AFTER surgery and add comments then. The office staff has been wondermous. The practice is a "Center of Excellence" and it shows. I'm glad my BCBS only pays for those places and that this is where I will be. Member Interests
- Business & Career - I'm an insane entreprenuer-Personal Chef and Outdoor Kitchen and Room Designer!
- Business & Career - I'm also a Culinary Educator and writer.
- Dogs - I have one dog, a Speagle named Chamblee. He's about 10 years old and is WILD!
- Camping - Looking forward to getting back out in my tent too.
- Rock - As for music, I'm a 70's Rock 'n Roll gal.
- Talk Radio Listening - I love Talk Radio...
- Flea Markets - Flea Market, Yard Sale, Antique, Vintage Junktique Addict!
- Dancing - I've been a tap dancer since I was 5 and still do-GREAT exercise!
- Baton Twirling - HAD to check this when I saw it cause I still have mine and twirl from time2time
- Golf - Look forward to getting back out there soon!
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Here I come! on October 15, 2007 5:20 pm
Monday Night: 10 1507
Well the time has FINALLY come!  Surgery is just a few hours away on Thursday morning. I didn't start this blog until because of stuff that kept popping up and thought a few times I'd never have it! 
First, I had a date set in September, but for several reasons, I had to change it. I also decided to change doctors in the process. When I did that, my new doc, Dr. MacDonald, scheduled another endoscopy. Now I thought that was silly  since I'd already had my pre-surgery endo done back in July. It turns out, he does all of his own, and THANK GOD he does! He saw some things in there that he said he needed to biopsy.  I spent all of last week on pins and needles waiting for the report. He called me at 10:30 Friday night to tell me I have Brunner's Gland and Barrett's Esophagus!  "SAY WHAT?" I asked him to slow down and start spelling stuff. He said he wasn't very familiar with these things and wanted to consult  with Gastro docs today and talk to me this afternoon. He's never seen the Brunner's Gland, and said he only sees the Barrett's Esophagus once every few months. (Dr. MacD had done thousands and thousands of surgeries and is very well respected in the bariatric community.) I just knew (from what I found online this weekend doing research) that the Barrett's Esophagus would need immediate extensive treatment and the surgery would be delayed. He even said that might be the case himself when he called Friday night.
NOT!  Lordy, this afternoon after we chatted (and he said those docs say the surgery could actually HELP with the BE issue), he said there was no reason to postpone the surgery, unless I wanted to for some reason.  So I had to turn my brain back on to having surgery in 3 days!
I'm there, but admit I'm an emotional mess! I'm  excited about the new me that will be emerging, but also a little  scared. I realize that is normal and anybody NOT a little scared with ANY kind of surgery is craZy!
I had supper tonight (my last steak for a longgggg time, but NOT my last meal-LOL) with sis Tiana and the sweetest little boy  on earth, my nephew Wyatt. Sis and I laughed  and  cried, and our waitress must have thought there was something the matter with us... and kept asking us if everything was OK?  She'd come by one time and we'd be laughing, and the next crying and wiping tears from our blotchy  red faces. And poor Wyatt just ate his ice cream like we weren't even there!
THANK GOD FOR SISTERS!  All this has made me realize just how small my little family is, especially with no spouse or children, but I do have some mighty terrific friends.  I'm lucky to have such wondermous people in my world! To those of you reading this, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING MY FRIEND! I love every one of you...
So thus begins my adventure.  That is how I see this... I can hardly wait to come back a year from now and read this and look at pictures of now and then.  Come along with me friends, and experience the adventure with me!
I hope you will bookmark my blog here and please do leave me comments when you visit.  I'll look forward to reading them all.
LET THE JOURNEY BEGIN-------------->
Wendy
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Archive
My Story October 15, 2007
Hi everybody,
I'm Wendy, a 49yo native and current resident of Zebulon, NC. I've been "chubby" since I was a little girl and I remember my mama getting very frustrated trying to find "chubby" size clothes for me as I grew up. My grandma sewed some things for me, but shopping was always a dreaded event.
I thinned out a tad in high school, but then those freshman 15 (and then some) started piling on at college. An old friend of mine and I lived together in Raleigh for a spell and we lived only blocks away from the old Krispy Kreme on Peace Street. Many nights, as we sat in our PJs watching TV (at late thirty), we'd look at each other and never even speak a word... we'd get up, get in the car... stop at the 7-11 next door and get a 1/2 gallon of milk, and then go get a dozen donuts (we knew when that "HOT DONUTS NOW" sign was on). Before we got back to the house a few blocks away, we'd have consumed that dozen donuts AND 1/2 gallon of milk. Now his metabolism was (and still is) ridiculous and he could eat all the donuts that came off that conveyor belt and never gain an ounce. Don't 'cha despise those people?!? Man did the lbs. start piling on then! That was back in the early 80's.
On St. Patty's Day of 2005, I QUIT SMOKING! After 26 years and 2 packs a day, I had a miracle shot in my a** and I haven't wanted a cig since I walked out of that place. BUT, in the 2 1/2 years since, I have put on about 80 lbs! They must GO. When I weighed in at the docs office, I shuttered at the 300 I saw on that little digital thingy. Since then, as I've been cleansing my liver for surgery, I've lost about 12 pounds, so that's 12 I won't have to lose AFTER surgery! I'd like to get down to about 170-180.
I've never married (the lucky man just hasn't found me yet) and have no children, but have one nephew who is EVERYTHING to me... his name is Wyatt and he was 3 on 9/26/07. He calls me DEE DEE, so that's why I'm Aunt Dee Dee. I have one wondermous sister (Tiana) who is 10 years younger than me, and a greattt BIL, Matt! My daddy is 74, and my sweet mama passed away in June of 2002 with Ovarian Cancer. Until her DX in June of 2000, she had never been sick and she left WAY too soon at the young age of 63. I miss her terribly, especially now going through the surgery. I have my "other mother" Eloise. She was one of mama's best friends and I adopted her as my surrogate mama. She's there for me and went with me to my first appt. to meet Dr. MacDonald. I have some wondermous family and friends.
After attending several universities of higher learning (Atlantic Christian College & Louisburg College), in 1982, (on the 6 year plan)I managed to graduate (on Dean's List!) with a B.S. in Home Economics Education from the great East Carolina University (GO PIRATES). That takes some doing, considering all the "diversions" one is tempted with as a student in Greenville. Right after that, I attended bartending school.
I was the Dietary Coordinator at East WakeMed, so I'm VERY familiar with all sorts of special diets, like PUREED foods. LOL (Before and during this time, I owned a gift basket business for 6 years, and then operated my own catering company/wedding and event planning bizz on a part time basis for 22 years.) I left WakeMed in 1998 and became a Personal Chef (www.AngelInYourKitchen.com) when few folks knew there was such a thing. I still chef for a few clients and families and love it. I also do dinner parties, murder mystery dinner parties and other foodie things. In 2000, I co-founded the Personal Chefs Network, a professional organization that teaches folks how to become personal chefs and offers a home for networking (much like our "home" here at OH). My business partner bought my half of the company in December of 2005 and since then, I've been working on the next thing I want to be when I grow up.
Early in 2006, I expanded my culinary coaching with www.WendysHomeEconomics.com. I teach cooking classes, and do all sorts of culinary stuff. I have written one cookbook and edited a few others. For several years, I wrote a syndicated newspaper column, "Kiss The Cook." I was fortunate to be featured in Southern Living Magazine a few years ago too. I maintain membership in the International Association of Culinary Professionals and the Southern Foodways Alliance that preserves southern food history and culture. As you can see, my world has revolved around FOOD!
Early in 2007, after having 2 of the same dreams in one week, I decided I will be an Outdoor Kitchen Designer. I have since added Outdoor Bath/Shower and Outdoor Room designing. I am also offering services as an Exterior Decorator, and I particularly enjoy turning boring porches into wondermous Outdoor Living Rooms! My new logo is being designed and my temp web page www.LivingInsideOut.net is up. My business name is Living... Inside OUT! Once my new logo design is completed, we'll start working on my new web page. I'm a member of the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association and also, the National Kitchen and Bath Association.
I'm ready to get my surgery behind me and launch my new company. It's going to keep me very busy and I look forward to all the NEW ENERGY I will have once I lose lots of blubber!!!
This is my story, for now. Stay tuned, the best is yet to come!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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