Well, I have been a little busy this year and to be honest, coming here anymore is rare, but I try and remember to keep my profile updated.  I've noticed that most people this far out from surgery don't come here anymore and post on their progress.  So, I may not be posting exactly on my surgery date, but at least I'm posting four months later!

I've had a very stressful year, unfortunately.  I've got some sort of problem that the doctors can't figure out.  It started with having pain from one arm through my chest and continues to the other arm, when I overindulge on fats or sugars.  What used to be the 'dumping syndrome' has now turned into something much more serious.  That specific pain has been going on for almost two years.  But now, the pain goes from my head to almost all over my body when I eat bad foods for an extended period of time.  It feels like pain in my blood or my bones, and I'm not sure which one it is.  I've been to a neurologist and had tests run and he can find nothing wrong.  I've had blood work done and everything is perfect.  I've had an MRI on my brain and a bone scan and the tests were normal. 

It's very frustrating to say the least.  The only thing I DO know is that if I want to be 'pain free' in my body, I have to eat healthy the majority of the time, or the pain will show up in one way or another.  And, my hypoglycemia is worse than ever now.  If I try to eat something really 'rich' my blood sugar will plummet to the point where I can't think or barely move unless I take a glucose tablet, if I'm not around food that I can consume.  I keep peanut butter crackers in both of our cars so that I have something with me, even if I'm at the store and didn't bring my purse. 

We went on different vacations this year and I managed to be bad and my weight climbed up to 190 (WHOA!).  But that was after eating out for a week.  I managed to get it back down and my average now is 170.  I've been down to 167 this year and that seems to be where my body wants to be when I'm eating right. 

And before I forget to mention, I've also had some heart pain on occasion along with shortness of breath.  I was told back in the 80's that I might have a mitral valve prolapse due to having scarlet fever when I was a child.  It's very scary when it happens, but with everything else going on, it's just 'one on a list' of problems I'm having. 

But, being this far out from surgery and at the age of 51, my goal isn't to keep the weight off, but to just be HEALTHY!  I'm going through menopause and I've got some tumors on my uterus (the size of a lemon) and having all kinds of pain.  Next week I go to the Ob/gyn and we're going to schedule a hysterectomy.  I'll be so glad to get rid of at least the 'female' pain I'm in, that's for sure! 

I've been tolerating a right rotator cuff tear in my shoulder, but I just try to keep from tearing it further.  I've got too much else going on to worry about that. 

I feel like an old person now and I've learned that 'health' is the most important thing in life, over weight loss and over any other goals I might have previously had.  I still wish I would have lost the weight by 'normal' means, instead of having surgery.  I do feel that I wouldn't have near all these problems if I hadn't had the surgery, but I'm not one to 'cry over spilled milk' as they say.  I just have to deal with the cards that are dealt me in life.

So, if you don't hear from me next year, or from here on out, I just might have 'gone Home'.  I hope that's not the case, but I just don't want to have another bad year like this one.  If I'm still around, I want to be healthy!

Please keep me in your prayers!

Have a very blessed year!

Robin