I'm healing from the surgery , didn't expect the continued pain from all the "rooting" around and the incison , but what's worst is the nerves trying to reconnect that had been severed...it's a mix of numb and highly sensitive... each day I have aches and tingles and a pain like a burn in places  - really weird and certainly not pleasant. On January 30 I go back to the surgeon for another ultra sound of the left side  to check it's working properly  then we'll set the date for the right side ... I dread it, knowing how much it'll hurt and what I have to endure , yet at the same time I want this over with and behind me - it's kinda like defusing a bomb  ...   The scar runs from jawline to collarbone... everyone tells me it'll fade  ,  but I feel as though they're offering platitudes... they don't know what else to say I suppose. In a few weeks I get to sport one of these on the other side - at least I'll be evenly hideous.

Well It's been some time since I've added anything - life just keeps you too busy to keep up with things like putting your thoughts and occurances down in words.... I had my colonoscopy today -  I will never do that again ever. I told them I was fine but of course everyone else seems to know better - well today I was proven right I have a healthy normal colon so "they" can go suck eggs I won't go through that again . I flat out refuse. Next I have pre op screening for next week Thursday's surgery on my carotid artery - left side . I've had a dual doppler ultra sound of my neck then an arteriogram - which proved I have a 80 to 99 % blockage of the left and 75-85 % of the right. Which to put simply- I'm a stroke waiting to happen ....at least I've also been proved to have healthy heart and lungs . I had the 4th trigger finger release surgery done Dec 4th . In about 2 months the right carotid will have surgery . Oh yippppeee I'm so excited I could just s**t. What next ?  I wonder.   I saw a plastic surgeon here on the cape , he won't do anything because he doesn't have the team or big enough facilities being I have a history of blood clots and with the greater chances of infection because of my diabetes... says I can definately be helped by a paniculectomy  and even  a breast reduction may be allowed because of the backaches ,but to go to a bigger place like in Boston. So that got shelved til next time we see our surgeon in May  at Brigham & Womens in Boston and we'll get a referral from him for someone there.
  On a postive note I finally broke the barrier - I'm below 200 - weighed in at 197 for the last 5 days,I was beginning to think I was doomed to never see Onederland.

October 17, 2006
  We returned from our fall vacation last week - the trip was all - and more than I'd imagined it could be. We met 11 of our OFF family- what a wonderful thing it was ....First it was in Niagara Falls in Ontario Canada we had dinner at a favorite seafood spot of Nancy B's. She and her husband JB and Candy W from Buffalo,NY had a terrific evening together ! 
Next we met Eileen B, Judy G. & Carla K. in Dewitt Michigan- for breakfast at Bob Evans. We had such a lot to talk about and hated breaking up the party .Before parting we even exchanged a few pieces of clothing.. it was an amazing morning. 
Later that same day we were in St. Ignace Michigan, arrived too late to go out to Mackinac Island but in plenty of time to meet Joyce L and her friend Grace - they drove and hour one way to meet us and have dinner with us - what a great gal - of course with 2 ladies such as us with the same name it would just Have to be fantastic ! We left with much hugging and promises to meet again next spring in Wisconsin...lol We arrived in Rice Lake ,Wisconsin later that day to stay with my youngest daughter JJ , we saw most of my family that were in the area and nearly all the friends I'd had when I left there in 2004 to marry John and move to Cape Cod -- the phrase "OMG I hardly recognised you two " accompanied by many squeals and giggles- was the theme ! Next we drove south to meet Gala near Madison - we got to meet her husband James and her 2 terrific kids Bryan and Abi- this was also a momentus moment for OFFers - all four of us -Gala & James and John and myself have had RNY... Gala had hers 3 weeks after James and John had his 6 weeks after me... small world eh ?
Then we got to Milwaukee where my oldest daughter Lisa lives.. we brought JJ with us so the 4 of us had a grand time together trying to cram in everything possible in such a short time especially just being together...we met Kathy K and Patti J - orginally we'd planned to meet at one meeting but fate stepped in when Patti's grandson broke his leg and she was the adult in charge at the time... so we met them a day apart ... Kathy and I had our suregeries on the very same day- she has met her goal and looks Mahhhvelous ! Patti is all I'd pictured and more ,  we chatted like we'd known one another for a long time with both of them . Finally it was time to wind the caravan towards home- the trek began on Oct 6th but we had one more meeting set up - in Maumee Ohio with Margo M and her DH Michael and Debbie G.- needless to say it was also a wonderful encounter ! We hated to leave them -amidst tears and hugs , smiles and waves we headed down the highway arriving home on Sunday Oct 8- tired but full of such joy from meeting all these truly wonderful people . 
We weighed ourselves before leaving on Sept 22 - I was 208 and John was 174 - 3 weeks later I'm 204 and John is 172 - the one thing I was concerned about while on vacation was gaining weight - cuz you know we don't eat the way we do at home as when on vacation -  ugh ! But we're still working the tool and it's still working for us - thank god ..