God has smiled one me, y'all.  I am doing well, looking pretty good, and feeling so good.  I am not even dreading going back to work--I have been off since the day of my surgery on April 26.  I go back Tuesday, and might go in to do some prep work on Monday, but I am not getting that cloud of drudgery dousing me with dollops of depression as I usually get when it is time for me to go back.  I think living on the lighter side really infuses me with zest and vigor, stuff I have always had, but not in long-lasting doses.  As I said before, God is smiling on me, and to you and yours, God's smiles!

Whew, the scale is still reading 29something, but I feel like I am a size 12 (my goal)  all ready.  I have experienced problems making sure I get enough protein, water, and well-chewed food, and the adjustment period has been, hmmmm, adventurous.  Needless to say, even if I don't lose another pound, I am so happy to be trekking this journey on the lite side.  I was reading a web site the other night about those who passed away attempting to have this surgery, during this surgery, and even after the surgery.  My heart truly goes out to their beloved and to them, as I know how desperately I wanted this surgery, and even knowing the risks, I was going to go on anyhow.  Living a life that is arrested by the weight that holds one down, to me, is not living, but I am sensitive to those who don't understand why their loved ones had to go trying to have this surgery.  I look at my mother and my husband, the two people in my life in whom I have the most faith, and I shudder at the thought of how crushed they would have been if they would have received a death notice of my passing on the day of my surgery.  My heart breaks with even the thought of that.  Yet and still, as the old folks say, I still think I would have tried, even died trying, dying one death, than dying everyday with every seatbelt that wouldn't fasten on the plane, every stair l left unclimbed, and every chair I broke.  Let us pray for those who have lost loved ones due to weight loss surgery, but, simultaneously, let us pray for those who suffer because of screwy metabolisms, unfair genetics, and treacherous appetities--those who cry alone, sometimes without the luxury of tears. Let us uplift whenever we can, understanding that this procedure might not be the best for everyone, understanding that everyone will not get the same results, but understanding also, that this method, this way, is at least a glint of hope for some, a hope that they might die clutching onto.  I love you all!