And it was a nice party indeed, Rain and all! This year we had five guests more than prior years, and all great costumes! Unfortunately, I will not be able to post my photos until this weekend, as one of our 'merrier' guests grabbed MY camera instead of her own. SInce our friends all live over an hour away, it will be Saturday before I can get it back. I'm so bummed! I like to catalog our party decor, kind of like my surgery, before, during and after. I wanted to show our friends who kept asking how long it took us to decorate just how long it took us to UN-decorate. LOL. Even though it's his favorite time of year, DH had 75% of the decorations down before our friends had made it half way home. It took us a WEEK to put everythiing up!!
Oh well. This means by the coming weekend we will be putting everything back in the rafters and I can make him pull down X-MAS! I'd skip IT if I could, looking at our bank accounts, but we still have to have a holiday appearance for the family.
Now I have to get ready for Thanksgiving, which I was hoping to get out of as well. DH's dad always does T-Day so I was hoping to go there (ALWAYS an open invite), however, my parents want to come here so now I guess I'm cooking.
I have a hard time paying attention to myself on days like this, so I need to try harder. I took NO vitamins yesterday, except my B's, and barely ate or drank anything all day. I was feeling it by 1AM this morning. I got to bed by 3 after getting some Tylenol for my back, then we all slept in past 9 (we got very little done today). I guess on days like that I need to write myself a schedule and post it on the fridge. At least then my family can help keep me on track.
Well, I am off track now, too, so I better go get some protein in. I'd like to beat the 17_ off the scale, and can not do that if I am not getting my  proper nourishment. 16_ anything, here I COME!!!

So it's not HUGE numbers, but down around 175 now. That's 36 since surgery, 45 from my heaviest early this year.
The clothes are the tell. I only traded out my 18-20 jeans to my old 16's about two weeks ago. Now the 16's are generally baggy. Of course, these were all jeans I had PUSHED my way out of before, up to the 18's and 20's. I dug out soome old 13/14's from 26 years ago (yeah, I never let those go, they were too cute!) and I hope I can get into them by the holiday's. High wasted with suspender's, black pinstripes, as well as a pair in heather. Wore them to my aunt's wedding 2  months after my first son was born! How sad is that! Wearing size 13 two months after giving birth and now, 26 years later, (and 19 yrs after my LAST sons were born), I can't wait to get back down to them!
I put on some Medium slacks that were given to me. A little snug still, but how close is that to a 13? I wonder.
I am hopeful that the cortizone shots I got yesterday will enable me to begin my exercise again. I was really working out hard for several months prior to approval, then had the bad bursitis flare ups that benched me.
I'm looking forward to DH's Halloween party next weekend, though we have not yet decided on costumes! I was hoping I'd be in to those pin stripe pants for a gangster look. Oh well. At least I won't have to buy a plus size costume this year. Bummer I can't drink along with our guests.
Well, we'll see what the doc says tomorrow.

Last couple times I got on the scale I was bouncing between 189 and 187.6. I finally put it away last week, and will leave it there a couple more. However, I had been wondering and finally took the time to look up the last time I had weighed that little. It was after 7 months on phenteremine. Jan, 2007. Prior to that I had been in the mid 190's to mid 200's for a long time. SEVEN MONTHS on a diet pill that, from the time I started it at 212# I lost as much as I have already lost 6 wks post RNY. And what damage did I do to my body during those seven months? That was my THIRD attempt at doctor assisted weight loss. He just kept making money on me!
I am still adjusting to this new tool, but adjust I will! The more I figure out, the easier it will get.
Mom is asking her doctor next weekend if she would be a candidate. She's so tired of the difficulties she encounters every day that she is willing to ask for help, even though she's terrified of her heart letting her down.

Big day tomorrow. Will be on my feet all day. Crossing my fingers my feet will hold up better than last year. This time last year my weight was near 215#!!!! I did not realize that! The pictures tell the truth, I just refuse to look at them. Same event TWO years ago I was 195# so, either way, this year's pictures have to be much better. Too bad I got the curse today!  I'll probably be off in the restroom during pictures. LOL

Well I just can't believe it. Four weeks ago, post surgery, I was SURE I had made a wrong decision. Now I am working out the kinks in my new life, and taking it on faith that all the 'Senior' WLS'rs are right.
I have a new chance ahead of me, and I mean to take it. I have been 'stalled' for the past 10 days or so, but I am not 'stuck'. I know I have lost inches due to the fact that I had to take a pair of pants back off this morning. Now, they HAD been the pair that I marked loose inside because they would stretch out so much by the time I got home from work. This morning, however, there was no way I could wear those. The button overlapped by about 3" and they looked ridiculous in the legs and seat. So, Yeay! I am losing.
I had a male co-worker yesterday tell me I was losing weight and ask me what I was doing, if I didn't mind? I just said thanks, and silently thanked another unwitting employee that asked him a question.
He later caught me coming in the office and complimented me again, pointing out the places he could really see the loss (tummy and thighs).
So, my second WOW. The first was my DH noticing my loss of butt, paired with an entire day on a motorcycle where I had to believe what he said due to the unusual amount of pain I ended up with.
I know I need to take pictures to help me get past the scale stopage. I will try to get DH to do that for me this weekend. I know I need to get my exercise act together; I tried; my bursitis flared up again so quick I didn't realize what hit me. I have been taking ineffective Tylenol and rubbing on the BenGay since my short 20 minute workout on Friday. Can't get in for cortizone shots until late October! Well, at least it's finally cooling off, so I guess I will get out and walk.
Work is rough going, but I am deciding the hell with everyone, I'm gonna be happy whether they want to include me in their conversations or not. It seemed to work. I had a real bad day yesterday, ended up upset with myself for letting things get to me, and just decided last night that that was IT. I guess it worked. Today was MUCH better!!
I have learned to not talk about my new 'issues' with people, even if they ask, as I already got a 'that was what you wanted, wasn't it' from someone I had thought was an office-friend.
I am seeing how things do change. I can only hope that my co-worker digs herself a deeper hole than I had dug for me before I left. She must be afraid of getting laid off as much as I am; I feel she's tried to bury me, so I am keeping a shovel on hand!! Why do people have to be so two-faced? All sweet and religious, spouting 'love everyone', then stab you in the back the minute you take a few days off.
Well, the pre-surgery drama still hangs in the back of my mind, but I have learned it does no good to try and explain anything to my boss. He won't listen or believe me anyway; it's too bad, because I found out what happened when I got back, and his perception of me is scewed by mis-understandings and cranky truck drivers. So, I wait. The other shoe will drop, or get kicked under the rug. I will have the energy to job hunt again, if I must, and with a thinner me I will get a better second glance than I would if I was still 220 (it's sad but true)!
And now it's time to try and get a meal in.

Well, only two 'pre-days' left. I'm starting to get nervous, I think. I believe a blowout this morning between my DH and I was totally stress-related. I'm not sure about these 'What-If' letters I keep hearing people mention. I was worried about the 'Hey, family, here's what's new with me' e-mail I was/am going to send out. Now I have to worry about what needs to be taken care of if I don't make it. Isn't it bad enough we have to complete the survivor directive from the hospital?
Oh, I don't know? I suppose I'll make a few notes. I really don't know what I'd want if something happened.
I just went shopping; some locally, lots on line. I hope I'm ready. I have my first couple of weeks covered; I have my Bullet; I have some protein powder here, and more on the way; I had a REAL HARD time grocery shopping for the family. I kept thinking, 'well, it'll be a long time or never before I can have that again'.  Dwelling will get me no where. I just need to get thru the next two days as busy as I can. Before I know it, it'll be Wednesday morning, and we'll be on our way to hospital.
I'm sip, sip, sipping in the back of my mind all the time. I want to get back on my feet fast. There are upcoming events at only 4 weeks out that I don't want to miss!