Hi everyone :) 

Today is Monday, April 13th and on April 2nd, I was 20 months post-op!!!  I don't have all that much to update you on for the last month, but I'll do my best ;)  In the middle of March, Adam and I spent a long weekend in Florida visiting with Adam's dad and stepmom -- we had a great time & a nice relaxing weekend :)  After we got back from Florida, I attended an information session at an agency that works to empower and support Individuals with developmental disabilities.  This opportunity came about after I met with their recruiter at one of the career fairs I attended so I was very happy to be invited :)  After the information session, I had an informal interview and was later offered a job at the agency!  The exact position I was offered did not wind up working out because of the hours, (Wednesday and Thursday 3:00-11:00 and every Saturday and Sunday 12:00-8:00) but I am currently going through all of the training sessions (and getting paid for them which is a definite plus!) and my supervisor (who I absolutely adore!) is going to keep her eyes and ears open for a position that does not require weekend hours.  I am learning a lot in the training and I hope that a more reasonable position (hours-wise) becomes available for me.  I also received an acceptance letter from Simmons Graduate School of Social Work this month for the upcoming fall, 2009 semester so I am thrilled about that!  If time permits, I also plan on volunteering a bit of time at the Big Sisters Organization after meeting with a representative from their organization at one of the career fairs I went to and completing a phone interview as well as an in-person interview.  I imagine by the time the fall rolls around, I will be quite busy ;)  Let's see...what else?!?!  I was able to get three FREE one-hour personal training sessions at my gym this month, which was really, really great!  I hope I am able to successfully use what I learned now on my own :)  And last, but certainly not least, Adam and I just got back from our trip to PA :)  We drove down on Thursday and spent Thursday and Friday with Adam's family for Passover.  On Saturday morning, I got to have breakfast with my 3 Eens -- Laureen, Arlene and Eileen, which was absolutely wonderful!!!  After breakfast, Adam and I drove out to Easton and spent Saturday afternoon at Liz's house visiting with some of my wonderful PA friends, and even meeting some new friends at Liz's house too!  We then spent the later part of the afternoon and evening driving back to Boston.  It was a really great weekend and SO nice to spend time with Adam's family and my friends in PA who I miss very much and think of all the time :)  I've posted some pictures from the weekend in PA on my profile, so check them out if you get a minute :)  I think that's all for now and I'll be sure to update again this time next month.  

Talk to you all soon, 
Lisa :) 

Hi everyone!  

It is now March 2, 2009 and today I am 19 months out!  I'm not sure where the past few months have flown by, but I honestly feel like it was just Thanksgiving.  I can't believe I haven't updated since mid-December.  Happy (belated) New Year, by the way!  Hehehe ;)  Let's see, a lot has happened since then...Toward the end of December (during Hanukkah and Christmas), Adam and I took a trip to Florida (with a stop in Atlanta on the way).  In Atlanta, we went to the Georgia Aquarium, which supposedly is the largest aquarium in the U.S.  I thought it was nice and fun, but it didn't feel overwhelmingly big.  Our time in Florida was fun and we had good weather, but it wasn't very relaxing.  We spent the week bouncing back and forth between visiting with my family and visiting with his family and just doing a lot of running around/driving around.  It was really nice to see everyone though and I'm glad I got to introduce Adam to my grandpa (my dad's dad).  He seemed to like Adam very much :)  My favorite part about our trip to Florida though was the fact that I went waterskiing again -- something I hadn't done in years and since before my surgery.  It went SO well!  It took me a few tries to get up, but I managed to get up slalom (on ONE ski!) and I had the most amazing time!  Adam went in the boat with the driver and took pictures.  There are a few on my profile if you'd like to see :)  January was very busy because Adam and I were trying to get everything ready for me to move in with him the weekend of January 18th.  Of course all of the normal moving-type stuff needed to be done, but there was also a lot of time spent on "projects" in Adam's place.  His place (well now, our place ;)) is the first floor of a three-family home and my gosh, he has a LOT of stuff and more tools than I thought humanly possible.  He managed to spread his stuff out enough to fill a living room, kitchen, guest room, small dining room, master bedroom, two bathrooms and a basement.  So we had A LOT of cleaning and reorganizing to do if we were gong to make this work.  And with that, Adam is very handy and enjoys taking on these "projects", but they are so very time consuming.  I'm going to be honest here -- before I met Adam and we started tackling these "projects", I had only been inside a Home Depot once in my entire life!!!  Liz, if you're reading this, I know you will probably laugh because I think you visit Home Depot quite frequently.  Well anyway, I have now been to Home Depot more times than I think I ever needed!  But I must say, Adam did a beautiful job building a cabinet for inside the closet so that all of the "components" for the new flat planel television he got for the bedroom are inside the closet and hidden, putting up shelves in that closet and the guest room closet to double the space he originally had so that all my clothes could fit, adding shelves for my shoes, adding drawers for my purses, etc. etc. etc.  The actual move went pretty smoothly (although it was of course snowing that weekend) and we have now officially been living together for a little over a month.  I feel pretty settled in and everything I need to access regularly has found a place in my new home :)  (I did keep a few things that I know I'm not going to need, down in the basement).  In February, Adam and I went back to Florida (different part than in December) for a long weekend because one of Adam's closest friends and his wife have a time share there and wanted us to come visit.  We had a really nice time and even got to go to Epcot one of the days we were there!  Even though we were only there for a long weekend, it was actually a much more relaxing time than in December.  AND, I accomplished one of my goals while we were there.  I was able to run OUTSIDE for 30 consecutive minutes!  I accomplished my goal of being able to run for 30 consecutive minutes on a treadmill during the end of September, but for whatever reason, I could not get through more than 19 consecutive minutes outside.  Well, I knew the day would come eventually, I just wasn't sure when and when I did it in February, I was absolutely thrilled!  Then there was Valentine's Day, which actually put me in a lousy mood the whole week leading up to the 14th.  I'm not sure why exactly -- perhaps it's because it can be so artificial.  We did have a really nice day and special evening together though and it didn't feel artificial at all.  The last weekend in February, Adam and I drove out to the Berkshires to visit my aunt, uncle and cousin.  I had never been out there before and we had a wonderful time.  This part of my family hadn't met Adam yet and they absolutely loved him, which made me so happy!  And now, hard to believe, but it is actually the first week of March...and still snowing ;)  WLS-wise, things could be going better.  Even though I have been extremely dedicated to my exercise routine (even with the move, and needing to find a new gym, etc), but my eating has really been less than stellar.  I have not lost any additional weight since October and that really gets me upset.  I am now making a conscious effort to really and truly Get Back On Track.  Job and school-wise, there have been some new developments.  My search for a job still continues.  I met with a headhunter in January and went to a Career Fair last week and I have applied to countless positions varying in scope and so far, nothing has come through.  Amidst all that frustration however, I have done some serious thinking, soul-searching, and researching, and have decided to apply to graduate school for Social Work.  I am actually very excited and happy about this decision and I really hope that I get accepted to one or more of the schools I am applying to.  Ok, this entry is getting pretty long now, so I'm going to sign off and I do plan on updating again this time next month!  

Lisa :)   

Hi Everyone!

Today is Tuesday, December 16th and I am just about 16 and 1/2 months out!  Absolutely incredible.  Earlier this month, I had a follow-up appointment at Barix with Dr. Pupkova.  Everything went very well and it was wonderful being back.  Actually, I had such a terrific weekend, and even though I love Boston, it was kinda sad to come home.  Our day started at 5:00 am since we had a pretty early flight.  Once we got into Philly, Adam came with me to my appointment on Friday morning and got to see Barix and meet Dr. Pupkova.  Then, Laureen, Adam and I went to visit with Arlene who had just had her plastic surgery.  We spent the rest of the afternoon/early evening at Arlene's place and even though she was in quite a bit of pain, I thought she looked remarkably well.  Then Laureen, Adam and I went out for dinner, which was very nice since Laureen and Adam got to know each other a bit better.  After spending some great quality time with my Big Sis Laureen, we (Adam and I) made our way to Adam's aunt and uncle's place in Dresher.  Not only do I absolutely adore his aunt and uncle and their dog, but I also am in love with their house.  Aside from a few minor changes, I am pretty sure it is my dream house and I just love being there.  Saturday morning, Adam and I slept in a bit and then around 11:00 am, we started our drive toward Barix for the Saturday Support Group Meeting which started at noon.  It was SO nice for me to get to see everyone who was there and it was really special for me to be able to introduce Adam to this very important part of my life and be able to introduce him to all of you!  We left Barix around 5:00 so we could get back to Dresher to be able to have dinner with Adam's aunt and uncle.  Then Sunday, we flew back to Boston.  It was a quick visit, but one of my all-time favorite weekends with Adam.  Aside from our recent trip to PA, we've been pretty busy here in Boston too -- we just celebrated our 6 month anniversary this past weekend and we have been getting everything ready for me to move in next month.  I'm a little bit nervous I suppose, but mostly, I am very excited!  We (Adam and I) are also headed to Florida this Sunday and we'll be there for a week and for all of Hanukkah, bouncing between visiting with my family and his family.  Should be a nice time but I'm sure we'll really be looking forward to seeing Lara and Logan (Adam's dogs) when we get home!  

Unfortunately, the job that I had a first-round and second-round interview for didn't come through, so I am still in search of a job.  It's definitely frustrating, but I have not lost hope.  If anyone out there has any leads for me, please, please, please get in touch with me!

I hope everyone is doing well.  It was wonderful to see everyone in PA that I was able to see earlier this month and for those who I wasn't able to see, you were in my thoughts for sure.  I hope you all have a very happy holiday season and a wonderful, happy New Year!

Lisa :) 

Hi everyone!  Today is Tuesday, November 4th and on Sunday, November 2nd, I was 15 months out!  Where has all the time gone?!  October seemed to fly by and I completely missed posting an update on my blog.  But, October was actually a really great month.  And after a pretty lousy summer and early start to the fall, it was really nice to have such a great month...especially since I absolutely love the fall and it is my favorite season here in Boston!  So let me try to catch you all up:  Adam and I went to NY for the weekend and the first night of Rosh Hashanah to be with my family -- and despite the stressfulness that sometimes accompanies my visits with my family, we had a really wonderful time.  While we were there, I accomplished a huge goal and had a big WOW moment -- I ran on the treadmill for 30 consecutive minutes.  This is something I had been working toward for the past 10 months (I started running about 4 months after my surgery and could only run for 3 consecutive minutes!)  I felt so happy and proud of myself!  For whatever reason, I haven't been able to run more than 19 minutes outside yet, but I've been running for 30 consecutive minutes on the treadmill ever since that milestone of a day!  I also participated in Nicole's weekly Chat forum on OH and read The Beck Diet Solution book.  I really enjoyed the book and Nicole's weekly Chats very much and aside from a slip-up week last week during Halloween time, I've been doing really well with my eating plan and my exercise plan.  Let's see, what else?!  For the second night of Rosh Hashanah, Adam and I went to his mom's house and then the following weekend, Adam and I went to D.C. to visit with his dad and his step-mom.  We had a really nice time, but since our trip to D.C. was planned a while ago, I wasn't able to go to the OH event in Philly.  I really wish I could have done both!  I am coming to Langhorne, PA next month though so I am really hoping to get to see all my wonderful PA friends, who I miss dearly, and I'm hoping to make it to the second Saturday Support Group meeting at Barix.  Aside from the visits with our families, Adam and I have also spent some weekends alternating between my friends and his friends (some couples, some not) and introducing eachother to our friends which has been really nice.  We also went on a Boston Duck Tour which is something I have been wanting to do since I moved here.  It is a total touristy thing to do -- the vehicle tours around the city both on land, and in the Charles River -- and everyone "quacks" at the Duck Boats as they go by, but I had so much fun doing it!  I really think Adam enjoyed it too :)  Adam and I are definitely in love and I can't wait for you all to meet him!  He is truly special and so wonderful...Another progress update for me is that after spending a fair share of months feeling pretty down and out about law school/job prospects/bad economy/etc, I finally began researching job positions during the month of October and so far, I have applied for 7 positions.  Most of them are human services related and so far, I've had one interview (last week) which went well, and I'm waiting to hear back to see if I am being considered for the second round of interviews.  I will definitely keep you all posted on that.  Today is election day and I voted without any trouble and I also got my flu shot today too.  I think that pretty much sums up everything that's been going on with me at least for the past month and a half or so.  I'm doing much better now than I was doing during July through September and I'm really happy that my life seems to be moving in an upward direction and I'm also really happy to be celebrating 15 months post-op!  I hope everyone is doing really well and please know that I am thinking of all of you, quite often.  Until next time :)

Lisa :) 

Hi everyone!

Today is Monday, September 8 and I was 13 months out on September 2 :)  Hard to believe it's been 13 months already.  Last month I flew back to PA for my 12 month follow-up appointment.  Adam's aunt was kind enough to pick me up from the airport, take me to lunch, and then take me to Barix where I got to meet up with Dennis for the afternoon.  We had a really nice time together and it was terrific to see him.  Then, Dennis and I met up with Eileen, Jan, and Laureen for dinner and then we headed off to the Barix post-op meeting where I got to see lots of my PA friends.  It was so nice to see everyone who was there because I hadn't seen anyone since the Spring Pilgrimage back in May.  After the post-op meeting, I went back to Laureen's house in Maple Shade and hung with her and Dilinger :)  Thursday, I drove around Maple Shade while Laureen was at work and then we hung out on Thursday night together, which was nice.  Friday, I had my follow-up appointment at Barix with Dr. Pupkova.  Everything went really well.  When Dr. Pupkova walked in the room, she actually told me I looked like a different person than the girl she met last year.  I was so happy to hear her say that!  She seemed really proud of me and I'm proud of me too :)  We had a really nice, long chat about many things and it was wonderful to see her!  Later on Friday, I got to meet Laureen's son and daughter-in-law, both of whom I liked very much, and their 2 kids (Laureen's grandchildren) who are absolutely adorable!  While I was meeting them, Adam was flying in from Boston and we were supposed to stay at his aunt and uncle's house in Dresher Friday night and Saturday night.  Adam's aunt and uncle are conservative though and since we're not married, we aren't allowed to stay in the same bedroom together.  Since we hadn't seen eachother for a few days though, Adam surprised me and booked us a room at the Park Hyatt at the Bellevue in downtown Philly so we could spend the night together and told his aunt and uncle we would drive to them in Dresher in the morning.  SO, Laureen got to meet Adam for a few minutes, which was really nice :)  And Adam and I had a great evening and morning at the hotel.  The hotel was beautiful and I missed him a lot the previous few days so it was really nice to have some alone time, just the 2 of us :)  Then the next morning, we drove to Dresher and met up with his aunt, and uncle and their sweet Black Lab, Hallie.  Adam has 2 dogs also, by the way!  He has a Golden Retriever named Logan and a Black Lab named Lara.  If you look on the side of my profile under "Member Interests", I had written "I wish I had a Golden Retriever or a Lab" when I first joined OH.  Now I pretty much have both...and an amazing boyfriend ;)  Funny how things work out sometimes ;)  Anyway, later on Saturday, we drove into Lancaster with Adam's aunt and uncle and spent the day out there.  We were in a different part of Lancaster than for the Pilgrimage though.  It was nice to get to see both parts.  Then Sunday, we spent the day in Dresher and flew back to Boston together on Sunday night.  All-in-all, it was a really great trip to PA. 

As many of you know, I've had a lot of stress/tough things going on with me lately so I haven't been on OH very much.  I really want to get my life back on track though and I think I am ready to make a concerted effort to start posting again more regularly...starting today!  So here I am :)  Miss you all already!!!

Talk to you all soon,
Lisa :)