MardiGras
MY CENTURY CARD
THIS IS A SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO MY BEST FRIEND,
'TOMMY TRISTAM BLUE'. HIS PICTURE IS ABOVE. THE BEAUTIFUL BLUE MERLE SHELTIE.
THE HUBBY AND I HAVE BEEN RESCUEING DOGS FOR A NUMBER OF YRS. NOW, HOWEVER, I PURCHASED TOMMY AS A PUP. I WAS ON A YR. AND A HALF WAITING LIST FOR HIM.HE WAS BORN ON THANKSGIVING. HE WAS THE BEST DOG, THE MOST LAID BACK DOG IN THE WORLD. HE LOVED ALL ANIMALS AND PEOPLE ALIKE. ANY AGE. HE'D WELCOME EACH RESCUED DOG INTO THE HOME LIKE A NEW BROTHER. HE ALLOWED OUR NASTY RESCUED COCKATIEL TO WALK ON HIM EVEN. HE ALMOST TRAINED HIMSELF AS A PUP. HE WAS PUT DOWN ON MARCH 8TH, 2006 AT THE AGE OF 11.
"SLEEP WELL MY BUDDY, MY BEST FRIEND"
WHAT KILLS ME IS THAT 50 LBS.OF THIS IS JUST FROM JUNE TILL DEC. FROM GIVING UP SMOKING. I KNEW THAT I WOULD GAIN WT. FROM GIVING IT UP BUT 'HOLY SMOKES'!!! I JOINED A HEALTH CLUB IN SEPT. AND IN OCT. OR SO, I WAS CARRYING TOMMY, MY SHELTIE, DOWN THE BASEMENT STEPS FOR A TORNADO WARNING, AND I GOT SOMETHING CALLED SPONDYLOLOSTHESIS. IT'S WHERE ONE VERTABREA SLIPS BEHIND ANOTHER VERTABRAE. I'VE NEVER HURT MY BACK IN ALL OF MY 51 YRS., AND THEN I DO THIS STUPID MOVE. IT HURTS INTENSELY IF I STAND OR WALK TOO LONG. SITTING OR LYING IS FINE. WELL, SO MUCH FOR THE HEALTH CLUB. MY DR. WROTE A NOTE ON 11/11 TO THE HEALTH CLUB SAYING THAT I CAN NO LONGER WORK OUT. MY POOR HUBBY, WHO WORKS HARD ENOUGH, AS TO CARRY THE LAUNDRY UP AND DOWN THE STEPS. DR.'S ORDERS. I HAVE TO SIT TO DO THE DISHES. WE HAVE A DISHWASHER BUT I FIND IT EASIER TO DO THE BY HAND. I FEEL USELESS. I WILL PROBABLY NEED SURGERY ON IT AFTER I LOSE SOME WT.. I HAVE TO OCCASIONALLY TAKE A VICODIN WITH 2 IBUPROPEN FOR THE PAIN AND JUST LATELY I'VE STARTED TAKING 2 VVICODINS AND SKIP THE IBUPOPRENS FOR THE PAIN. I'M HOPING THAT HE PAIN EASES UP AS SOON AS I LOST SOME WT. WITH THE WLS.
MY BROTHER IS A DOCTOR. HE JUST RELOCATED TO DALLAS AFTER SPENDING MOST OF HIS MEDICAL CAREER IN SAN ANTONIO. WE HAD ALWAYS SAID AS KIDS THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE A DR. AND NURSE TEAM WITH OUR OWN CLINIC. HE GOT ME INTO A POSITION AT THE HOSPITAL THAT HE WORKED AT IN ON HIS SUMMER VACATIONS DURING HIS PRE-MED YRS., SO WE DID GET TO WORK TOGETHER FOR A LITTLE WHILE. I'M 51 YRS. OLD AND I'VE BEEN A PHLEBOTOMIST, DIALYSIS TECH., O.B. TECH., AND SPECIAL CARE NURSERY TECH. IN MY CLOSE TO 25 YRS. IN HEALTHCARE.
I'M HAPPILY MARRIED WITH 2 KIDS, 22 AND 25. I HAVE A 4 YR. OLD GRANDSON, DOMINIC, WHO IS BATTLING LEUKEMIA BUT IS DOING GREAT AND IS IN REMISSION NOW.
THIS IS ABBY, MY HUBBY'S RESCUED JACK RUSSELL TERRIER. SHE'S CUTE AS A BUTTON AND EVERYONE LOVES HER. SHE IS A RUNNER AND HAS TO WEAR A LG. TAG THAT SAYS 'HELP, I'M LOST, 954-1469.' SHE IS A PISTOL!!! WE ALWAYS GET A PHONE CALL TO COME AND GET HER W/I A HALF HR. OR SO. THE NEIGHBORHOOD LOVES HER AND APPROVES OF US RESCUEING DOGS. WE TRY TO NEVER HAVE MORE THAN TWO AT A TIME.
AND THIS IS JAKE, OUR RESCUED, ALMOST 10 YR. BEAGLE THAT WE MADE OURS ON 7/2/06. HE'S MUCH HAPPIER WITH US. HE IS A REAL LOVER AND A 'HAPPY BOY' NOW.
5/29/06 I'VE BEEN ON MY PROTEIN LIQUID DIET SINCE LAST TUES. AND I JUST WEIGHED MYSELF AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW IT CAN BE BUT I THINK THAT I'VE LOST 20 LBS. I WAS WRONG AND MY WT. LOSS WAS MORE LIKE 10-12 LBS. MY WLS WAS TO BE ON 6/6/06 BUT WAS RESCHEDULED FOR 6/5/06. MUCH BETTER. NO MORE TAUNTS OR TEASING ABOUT THE DATE.
6/30/06 I HAD MY 3 WK. POST-OP EXAM. I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS DOING GREAT. FOUND OUT THAT I HAD NOW LOST A TOTAL OF 34 LBS. I WAS SHOWN HOW TO GIVE MYSELF B12 INJECTIONS AND PRESCRIBED 'ACTIGALL', HOPEFULLY TO PREVENT GALLSTONE PROBLEMS. I TOLD HIS THAT WITH MY BACK AND KNEES, IM NOT GETTING AS MUCH EXCERSISE AS I FEEL I SHOULD. (MY BACK IS MUCH, MUCH BETTER THAN BEFORE THOUGH). I CAN NOW STAND AND WALK ALOT LONGER. HE TOLD ME THAT WHEN I GET DOWN TO ABOUT 200 LBS, THAT I'LL FEEL EVEN BETTER AND WILL DO MORE. HE IS WONDERFUL AND LAID BACK. I DON'T FEEL PRESSURED AT ALL.
I'M ON A FULL DIET, AS TOLERATED. I'M LUCKY ENOUGH NOT TO HAVE HAD ANY FOOD PROBLEMS AT ALL YET. MY CHEWABLE FLINESTONES GAG ME THOUGH SO I JUST SWITCHED TO THE BRAND NEW CHEWABLE VIACTIVE MULTIVITIMIN THAT JUST CAME OUT.
7/2 THE NEIGHBORS CAME TO OUR DOOR WITH ONE OF THE BIGGEST BEAGLES ON EARTH, I THINK. THEY KNEW THATWE HAVE RESCUED DOGS AND WONDERED IF HE WAS ONE OF OURS. TOM SAID NO BUT THAT HE'D TAKE THE DOG AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO TRY TO FIND HIS HOME. HE FOUND HIS HOME AND HIS OWNERS WERE DRUNK AND LETTING OFF FIREWORKS AND DIDN'T WANT HIM BACK. THEY HAD ABANDONED HIM. LEFT HIM IN THE STREETS, AFRAID OF FIREWORKS AND STORMS. APPARENTLY HE BELONGED TO THEIR MOM WHO COULDN'T HAVE JAKE ANYMORE AND THE KIDS AND GRANDCHILDREN HAD BEEN ABUSING HIM. TOM ASKED HER IF WE COULD TAKE OWNERSHIP OF JAKE AND SHE WAS THRILLED. SHE DID TAKE CARE OF HIS VET NEEDS AND HANDED TOM A PACKET WITH ALL OF HIS INFORMATION AND 'AKC' PAPERS. SO, WE NOW HAVE A NEARLY 10 YR. OLD BEAGLE TO LOVE NOW!!
NOW I'VE LOST EVEN MORE IN THE LAST WK., PROBABLY DUE TO MY DEPRESSION. CAN'T SEEM TO EAT AT ALL NOW.NOT EVEN MY PRECIOUS 'POWERCRUNCH BARS'. SO, AS OF 7/10, I WEIGH 235 LBS.
7/12/06 I DISCOVERED WHY I WAS SO DEPRESSED AND UNABLE TO EAT. I'M ON MANY PILLS FOR MY BIPOLARISM. ONE OF THEM BEING DEPOKOTE/VALPROIC ACID. BEFORE MY WLS, MY PSYCHIATRIST AND I DECIDED THAT IT WOULD BE BEST IF I SWITCHED FROM THE CAPSULES OF IT TO THE LIQUID FORM. I WAS LITERALLY NUTS AND BELONGED IN THE HOSPITAL ON SUICIDE WATCH. SHE DID A DRUG LEVEL ON THIS DRUG AND IT ENDED UP BEING ON A 26% IN MY BODY, WHERE IT SHOULD BE AT LEAST A 52%, SO SHE HAD ME START TAKING 8 CAPSULES A DAY. I WAS FEELING MUCH BETTER W/I 2 DAYS. SHE RECHECKED MY DRUG LEVEL AGAIN ON 7/23/06 AND IT WAS STILL LOW, AT ABOUT A 42%. SO, NOW I HAVE TO TAKE 12 CAPSULES OF DEPOKOTE/VALPROIC ACID A DAY, ALONG WITH MY OTHER MEDS. AND VITAMINS. BEFORE THE DISCOVERY OF MY LOW VALPROIC LEVEL IN MY SYSTEM, I WAS HAVING SEVERE HEADACHES, AT LEAST ONE, AND SOMETIMES 2 A DAY. AS SOON AS SHE UPPED MY DOSAGE. SHE WILL BEING RECHECKING MY DRUG LEVEL ON MY VALPROIC LEVEL AGAIN ON 8/1/06. I SURE HOPE IT'S OK AND I WON'T NEED TO TAKE MORE THAN MY PRESENT 12 DAILY CAPSULES. MY HEADACHES WERE A THING OF THE PAST. I'M SO BLESSED TO HAVE THIS WONDERFUL WOMAN FOR MY PSHYCIATRIST. SHE HAD NEVER WORKED WITH A WLS PT. BEFORE BUT WAS WILLING TO GIVE IT A TRY WITH ME AND WAS EVEN WILLING TO APPROVE ME FOR MY WLS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'D DO W/O HER. SHE TAKES ALL OF HER 'OFF-DUTY CALLS' FOR HER PTS., EVEN IF SHE'S NOT 'ON-CALL.'
08/09/06. I'M 50 LBS. DOWN AND NEED TO LOSE 50 MORE LBS. TO MAKE IT TO 'ONEDERLAND'!!!! I'VE JUST ORDERED THE NEW PROTEIN SHAKE', 'PROTEIN DELIGHT' CHOCOLATE COCONUT AND CAN'T WAIT TO GET IT. I'M GOING BACK TO 3 SHAKES A DAY TO TRY TO SHED MORE WT. MORE QUICKLY. AND EXCERCISE MORE!!!
08/14/06. I ORDERED MY NEW 'PROTEIN DELIGHT CHOCOLATE COCONUT' PROTEIN ON FRIDAY NIGHT AND ALREADY GOT IT TODAY. IT IS SO YUMMY. IT REALLY IS JUST LIKE AN ALMOND JOY CANDY BAR.
9/30/06 I'M DOWN TO 209 LBS. ONLY 10 LBS. TO 'ONEDERLAND'!! I'VE DISCOVERED THAT THE 'VIACTIVE CALCIUM CHEWS' THAT I WAS TAKING DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT FORM OF CALCIUM IN THEM FOR US TO ABSORB. WE'RE ALL GOING TO THE 'OH.COM' CONVENTION IN LEXINGTON, KY ON 10/27-28TH/06. WE'RE ALL SO EXCITED TO FINALLY MEET EACH OTHER IN PERSON. AND THERE'S A MASQUARADE BALL ON THE 27TH TOO THERE. I'M DOING SO WELL WITH LOSING AND FOLLOWING MY DIET BUT HAVE TROUBLE SELF-MOTIVATING TO EXCERSISE. I HAVE MY 2ND POST-OP VISIT AT MY SURGEON'S OFFICE ON 10/20/06, SO WE'LL SEE HOW I'M DOING IN THEIR OPINION. SO FAR I'VE LOST 64 LBS.
IT'S OCT. 15TH, 2006. I GO TO SEE MY SURGEON AND DIETICIAN ON FRI., THE 20TH. WE'RE ALL VERY EXCITED TO GO TO THE 'OBESITYHELP.COM' CONVENTION IN LEXINGTON, KY. IT'S ON OCT. 27TH AND 28TH. I WAS FORTUNATE TO HAVE BEEN IN A 3 DAY LONG HORSE SHOW IN LEXINGTON WHILE I WAS IN HIGHSCHOOL, WITH MY TRUSTY TENNESSEE WALKING HORSE, 'ROAN ALLEN DANCER' . IT WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST THRILLS OF MY LIFE. OH, AND BY THE WAY, I WEIGH 203 LBS. AND HAVE LOST 71 LBS. SO FAR.
ON 2/14/07, JUST REACHED MY 'CENTURY CLUB' AND GOT A BEAUTIFUL CARD MADE FOR ME BY ALYSON. I ONLY NEED TO LOSE ABOUT 20-25 MORE POUNDS.
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Photos
 240 LBS MY SWEET HUBBY OF OVER 9 YRS AND ME. HE'S 38 AND I'M 52. |
