lynnsarasin

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Well, what can I say???  I've been very bad for the last year and have gained 21 lbs back from my lowest weight.  I am so frustrated with myself.  I am an emotional eater and have had alot of stressors in my life recently.  We have been raising my 2 year old granddaughter since birth.  My husband lost his job after 28 years with the State of MI and we had to leave our home and move to Kalamazoo.  My 15 year old son has been having a very difficult time with this move and I'm feeling his pain.  When things get tough....I EAT!!!   I was overdue for my 3 year post op appt.  Should have been in October.  Found a nice Doctor here in Kalamazoo named Dr. Verseman.  Went to see him yesterday and told him how bad I have been.  I went back to drinking my Diet Coke and eating junk food as a "comfort" tactic.  Did not work for me cause now I'm very unhappy with this weight gain and really need to get back on track.  So I am dumping the diet pop, chips, popcorn, and the high carb foods.  Gonna eat more protein, yogurt, cottage cheese, fruits and vegetables..........stay tuned!  I could really use the support of my OH friends.  I'm sorry I haven't been on here for so long and maybe that's why I have failed.  I am on facebook also but there's nothing better than the support of people who have been through the same thing as you.  I'm not going to call this dieting but changing my lifestyle to healthier eating forever!  Good to be back........missed you guys!

Well, once again we are being tested by the Lord to totally put our faith in Him to get us through these obstacles we have faced in the past couple of weeks.

I have been having more eye problems from my diabetes so I had to go to Green Bay to Dr. Scattergood for an injection in my eye.  I got this done on Feb. 12th.  On Feb. 13th we were in Marquette for my husband's MRI because he had hurt his knee and was in alot of pain.  I woke up that morning and was totally blind in my left eye.  This hadn't happened previously when I've had this done.  My husband said I better call Green Bay so I did when we got to Marquette.  They wanted me to rush back to Green Bay because they thought I might have an infection and would have to have Emergency Surgery.  I explained we had to wait until my husband had his MRI and then we would stop home for clothes and be on our way.  It takes us 3 hours(one way) to get to Green Bay from Marquette.  They said they would wait even though the office would be closed (that in itself worried me).  When I got there the doctor looked at my eye and said he thought the medicine just floated to the front of my pupil from a surgery I had last fall and that is why I couldn't see but he wasn't sure and they wanted to see me back at the office for the next four days.  It worked out okay because I have a sister in Green Bay and my youngest son, Lorenzo, had a tournament that weekend in Oconto which is about 1/2 hour from Green Bay.  Saturday went fine and they won all their games.  On Sunday, 4 minutes in to the first game he went up for a layup and was fouled by two guys from the other team and knocked to the floor.  Unfortunately he didn't get up.  When everyone went running over to him they noticed his wrist was sticking way up and it was all deformed.  We had to rush him to the Oconto Emergency and they sent us back to Green Bay where Lorenzo had surgery the same day for a broken wrist and had a big cast put on his whole arm.  Needless to say he is out for the rest of the season and is very disappointed.  I had my last appt on that Monday morning and they okayed for me to go home and come back in a couple weeks so they could take another look at my left eye.  The doctor said it should clear up in 2 weeks.  It has gotten alot better but is still pretty blurry and hard to see out of.
Anyway when we finally got home on Monday night there was a message from my husband's doctor telling him he needed to see the Orthapedic Surgeon and have surgery on his knee.  He had that surgery last Wednesday, Feb. 25th and is doing fine but will be off work for a while. 

I am working alot of midnight shifts right now at the hospital as one of the girls is off on maternity leave so this is taking a toll on me as I have a hard time sleeping during the day and also it's very hard to get my shots and food in when I work in the ER because we don't get breaks or lunches alot of the time.  I am currently trying out a trial insulin pump called the Omni Pod.  It is wireless and transmits to the Pod without all the tubing that the other pumps have.  It is very cool.  We are ordering one through our insurance but the process takes a while to go through.  This pump should make my life a whole lot easier.  I couldn never get one before because I had too much insulin resistance but since my RNY surgery I don't have the resistance I had anymore and am now eligible.  This to me is a WOW moment because I have been waiting forever for this day to come.

On a happier note, my granddaughter, Jaelyn Joy is four months old today and has truly been a blessing in our lives.  She's still living with us, along with my daughter, and we love her to pieces.  She is beautiful, precious, and a true joy to be around.  I will post some pictures of her very soon.

Thanks to everyone for all your support through not only my weight loss journey but the journey of everyday life......moments of happiness, sadness, heartache, joy, sickness, health, etc. 

God is good and never gives us more than we can handle!   Through Him all things are possible!  God bless you all!  Lynn

Hello Everyone!  I just wanted to update you all in what has been going on in my life.

On October 29th it was one year since my surgery.  I am down about 82 pounds and still have a goal of 30 more to lose.  I feel so good and have not felt this good in at least 20 years.  I have so much more energy and am truly blessed to have had this experience and the opportunity to start a new life.  My diabetes numbers are fairly good.  They have been a little bit higher since I started my new job at our hospital and don't have a regular work schedule.  I now work swing shifts and sometimes in the ER we don't get our lunches or breaks which is bad for me because I do best when I am on a regular schedule.  I'm trying to deal with it the best I can.

On November 2nd I became a new grandma!  My first grandchild and it was a girl!  She's absolutely beautiful.  She weighed only 6 lbs 5 ounces and was 17 1/2 inches long.  She is such a peanut.  Lots of dark hair.  I will post some pictures of her very soon.  Her name is Jaelyn Joy and they will probably call her JJ for short.  My daughter and granddaughter are living with us for right now and I am truly enjoying giving her love and attention.  I have bought so much stuff for her already I may need to get a second job!  lol

Everyone else in the family is fine.  My husband and sons are all getting ready to go hunting for opening of deer season this weekend.  They are so excited and hope to end up with some big racks (more for the walls....I keep telling him we need a camp wall to put them on because they don't belong in the house but I've lost that battle......

Hope all is well with everyone and that things are going great.  Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving.  I know I have alot to be thankful for this year! 

Thanks for all your support during this last year!  I truly could not have done it without any of you!  God Bless you all!  Lynn

I was so excited today when I hopped on the scale.  I finally hit 159.  I have been stuck in the 160's for at least four months now.  Maybe this is the beginning of breaking the big stall I've been on.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Lots has been going on in my life in the past few months so I thought I'd update you all.

My daughter, Chelsey, is expecting a baby in November.  She's making me a grandmother.  I'm very exicted about that but not excited about her situation.

My son, Chase, has started full time college, is working and trying to maintain a relationship with his girlfriend, Jamie, so needless to say we don't see a whole lot of him these days.

My son, Lorenzo, has just started football season and I will have to miss some of his games as I started a new job at St. Francis Hospital in July and am working several different shifts.  I love the job but the shift work is a little crazy and I'm definitely not used to working weekends and giving up time with my family so I'm having a hard time getting used to that.

I had another major eye surgery on September 2nd in Green Bay.  There was a membrane that developed in my left eye that was pulling on my retina and detaching it.  Dr. Scattergood did the surgery and said there is a 80% chance I will get some of my vision back in that eye but it may take 6 months or so to notice any change.  I am so afraid of going blind.  I never took care of my diabetes in my younger years and now I am seeing the effects of that.  I wish I could stress  how important that is now.  I never listened and regret that every day of my life!  You never think it's going to be you that will be affected but it happens sooner or later.  I'd love to be an advocate for diabetes and tell everyone the importance of taking care of their diabetes every day of your life.

My husband and I have been enjoying taking short rides on our motorcycle this summer.   We really enjoy the freedom you feel when the wiind is blowing through your hair on the open road.  I do not like riding the bike at night when the deer are out though.  We took a ride one night to a lighthouse to watch the sunset and we had six deer jump out in front of us that night.  That was the last time I rode on the bike in the dark.  I finally feel good and am not ready to die yet.

My dad, my siblings, and I are struggling with the grief of our mother's death in May.  We all miss her so much and certainly miss her smiling face and her laughter but we all know she's in a much better place.  I just ordered some books about Grieving the Loss of a Mother and am hoping they help me work through the great loss I am feeling.

I hope everyone is doing well and I thank you all for the support and love you have shown me over the past 10 months or so.  I could have never got through all of my surgeries and complications without you all.

God Bless you!

Well the holiday weekend is here!  IThere's always fun to be had, except for by me!  lol

I had another eye surgery in Green Bay on July 3rd.  Dr. Scattergood lasered 800 spots in my left eye as he did a little over 2 weeks ago.  My eyes are bleeding from my diabetes and he said if I did not have these done right away I would be totally blind in that left eye within a month or so.  These two surgeries were way worse than the other six laser surgeries I had done by Dr. Garrett in Iron Mountain but they were different surgeries I guess.

My eye was a little sore but we managed to get together with family to watch the parade yesterday and then spend some time at our park which has 4th of July festivities.  We then went home and took a nap to rest my eye and went back for the fabulous fireworks!  It was a great day!

My diabetes and health are so much better since my RNY surgery in October.  I have lost a total of 75 pounds and have another 35 to go to meet my original goal of 130 pounds.  The weight loss has been very slow over the past several months but Dr. English reminds me it's not all about the numbers on the scale and he is right!  I have reduced my insulin dose from 250 units daily to about 30, sometimes a little less.  I have discontinued my pain killers, sleeping pills, cholesterol medication, and several other medications I was on.  My Hemoglobin A1C has gone from a horrible 17 down to 6.3, and my blood sugars are stable for the first time in 25 years.  My fibromyalgia has improved tremendously and I have a ton more energy than I've had in several years.  I feel like a new person and that I have a new lease on life.  My quality of life is back and I am now able to do things with my children and husband again.

Today my husband, Jeff, and I took a motorcycle ride and we put on over 200 miles just riding.  Nine months ago I couldn't even get on the bike as I was in so much pain, not too mention too overweight to lift my leg over the seat.  We had a wonderful day together and it was definitely one of my WOW moments!

Despite the three surgeries I've had in the past nine months and the loss of my wonderful mother in May,  my life is the best it's ever been and it is really looking up.

I just accepted a new position with our local hospital, St. Francis, in the Business Office, and am really challenging myself now.  It will be working swing shifts, holidays, and weekends.  I have been wanting to work for the hospital for years so last fall, even while going through all my surgeries, etc., I decided to take the Medical Terminology class at Bay de Noc Community College.  It took alot of discipline and studying but I managed to get an A grade.  The hospital then called me to fill out an application and take all the tests at Michigan Works.  They were impressed with my scores and called me for an interview.  I was offered the job and accepted.  It was a bittersweet day as it was what I always wanted to do but I was also sad to leave all of my coworkers at Public Health that I had grown to love and were like my second family.  I am now in the process of going through all the physical tests, fingerprinting, etc. and should be starting in a week or two.

I am passionate now about the RNY surgery and helping anyone I can toward making the decision to do it.  While I was in Green Bay on Thursday for my eye surgery I met a very nice young man in the waiting room who is contemplating having the surgery.  I gave him my card and this website as this has been a lifesaver for me.  I appreciate all of the support I have received from everyone here.  I really hope he follows through with the surgery.  I told him it would be the best decision he would make in his life and I know he won't regret it! 

Until next post.....God Bless you all!

We are in the process of establishing a memorial to the PSP Foundation in memory of my mother.

It has been incredible how many cards and contributions came in for this wonderful cause.

This is just a small token of our appreciation to the PSP Foundation for providing us with so much information on this terrible disease that has no cure.  Maybe with more donations research can be done to find a cure.

Thank you to everyone who contributed in memory of my mother!  Your thoughtfulness will always be remembered!  God Bless you!

We had my mother's funeral today and it was absolutely beautiful.  There were so many flowers and we took all of her religious things from her bedroom that she looked at every night and put them on a table by the casket, along with some angels, crosses, and a couple of her favorite things.  We had a big picture called I'm Finally Home on an easel by the casket and hundreds of people showed up to pay their respects. 

Just before they closed the casket at the end for just immediate family, I was moved by the Holy Spirit to say a prayer for my mom with everyone holding hands.  I've always been so timid about speaking out loud, especially praying so that's how I know it was my mother and the Holy Spirit that gave me peace in doing this.  Everyone thanked me afterward and said how nice it was.

My sister, Di, and I got up at the church service and said a few special things about my mother.  There wasn't a dry eye in the place but I felt really good about paying tribute to my wonderful mother who was always there for her six children and always had a positive attitude and fought this disease for over 10 years without ever complaining.  She was an amazing lady!

She and my father were married for over 51 years and he is my hero.  He really demonstrated the unconditional love they had for one another by taking  care of her for the past several years as to keep her in the comfort of her home and keep her out of a nursing home.  My father gave up alot to do this and I admire him for that so much!  He's a very strong person and I now pray that God will give him the strength to go on without her and find comfort in knowing that they will be reunited again.

My mother's burial is tomorrow and that will be hard because that is so final!  My sister's and I worry that our family won't be as close now because Mom was the glue that kept us all together.  We promised each other that we would do our best to keep in touch and stay together.  I hope this does happen because this is what Mom would want.

God Bless you all!

My mother passed away this morning.  It is a bittersweet day for our family.  Bitter in that she had to suffer for years with a terrible disease called PSP and also bitter because we no longer have her with us here on earth.  Sweet because she was a faithful Christian and we know she is now in the Kingdom of Heaven with her Savior and is no longer suffering and can dance, walk, talk and eat again.  She is now worshiping the Lord in a perfect place and for that we Thank God!

She will be deeply missed.  These last few days have been full of tears and emotions.  My Dad, sisters and I spent the last few nights in my mother's bedroom with her, holding her hand, carressing her, praying with her, and telling her we love her very much and that is was okay to go and we would be okay.

She passed away this morning at 5:07 a.m. with all of us by her side.  We didn't expect anything less from our mother then to wait until Mother's Day to decide to go.  Now she is with her mother and rejoicing.

Thank  you all for all the love and support you have given me through the boards and messages.  I feel blessed to be a part of Obesity Help and have met such wonderful people.  God Bless you all.

Hello Everyone,
I am sitting at Marquet6te General Hospital waiting for my gallbladder to be removed today.  I've actually been visiting my mother who was admitted on Monday as her PSP (Progressive Supranuclear Palsy) has gotten worse and Dr. Lewis put a feedinmg tube in her stomach yesterday.

This is the hardest thing to just sit by and watch my mother deteriorate.  She's been on Hospice for almost two years now but the past week or so has been so difficult because we know she is in the end stages.  This has been very difficult for my father too as they have been married for almost 52 years.  He's very emotional and so are we.  How can you ever totally prepare yourself for this?

I will be having my 3rd surgery in the past six months and hopefully this will be the end of them but I really hope to feel better after Dr. English takes my gallbladder out.  I plan to return to work on Monday already but other people are doubting it so I guess I'll just have to play it by ear and see how I feel.

Well I need to get back in to my mother's room so I'll write more later.  
Hugs, Lynn

Hello.......I am down 55 pounds and almost four months post op.  It feels like the weight loss is at a stand still sometimes but then when I least expect it I will see a few pounds less on the scale.  I'm hoping that the slower it is the better chance of it staying off.......that's the only thing that keeps me from getting discouraged.

Well, after two major surgeries on October 29, 2007 and December 29, 2007, I'm a little afraid for February 29, 2008 to come.  I hope there's not another surgery in store.  This seems weird because it is a leap year so there is actually 29 days in February this year.  Pray for me on this day that nothing will happen but good things.....lol

I am feeling so much better and can't believe the energy I have now compared to before.  Of course my blood sugars and diabetes has improved 95% so I'm almost exactly where I want to be with that.  My other comorbidities have pretty much disappeared and I've flushed the medicines down the toilet.  My brain fog has cleared up tremendously and I'm sure that was from being on narcotics for pain, sleeping pills every night, and several other medications for health problems.

I feel like I have a new lease on life and I decided to go to college for Medical Terminology on January 14th, after being out of school for 26 years.  What was I thinking?  Actually, I am enjoying it immensely.  It is a hard class and there's alot of studying but since my brain fog is gone I'm doing great.  We took a Midterm test last night and I believe I got an A.  We've taken 3 other tests so far and I got A's on all of them.  Not bad for an old bag like me but I do study alot and I'm trying to teach my children they have to do the same.   lol  We now have Spring Break for a week so I can put the books down for a little bit.  Yippee!!!

We plan on taking a trip to South Dakota the first week in April when our youngest son is on Spring Break from school.  I'm sure the weather will still be cold but we will find some fun things to do.  I'd rather be on a deserted island somewhere really warm (especially since I'm freezing all the time) but my husband wants to show us his hunting grounds and so I figured the "wifely" thing to do was to compromise...........wait a minute it's not a compromise when youjust say, "Okay Dear, whatever your little heart desires" is it???  Boy did he fool me......lol.

Well, I have to sign off for now.  I have to get some financial aid papers done for my oldest son, Chase, who will be attending College for Pharmacology and then I have to bring my youngest son, Lorenzo, to the dentist.  The joys of parenting but I wouldn't give it up for anything in the world.  I have three beautiful children.......don't get me wrong they have their moments, but you gotta love 'em!

Bye for now!