-44 lbs

Got weighed today during my "annual exam" and I couldn't believe the scale. I'm down 44lbs! I was banded on 9/19. I lost 16lbs before surgery (8/1-9/19). I get my third fill tomorrow and hope *that* scale is as kind as my GYN's scale!

Darr

"Amazing"

I wore a button-down shirt on Sunday. My daughter took one look at me and said, "Mom, you look amazing."

Did you hear that? I looked amazing! In a shirt I bought awhile back, but had never worn because it didn't fit "right."

And today at the day job, one of the staff said, "You're wearing a button-down shirt! Wow! Feels good, doesn't it?"

My efforts are starting to pay off in compliments. Oy vey. Such a treat!

Darr

Mirepoix rocks

My new best friend is canned tuna.

White meat chicken gets "stuck."

I do OK with dark meat, however.

Must be the "moistness" of dark meat over white.

My current favorite dish is mirepoix (ready made at Trader Joe's)with lentils and tuna or smoked trout and some crumbled blue cheese. Everything is already chopped very tiny and nothing gets stuck.

All I can say to that is: hooray.

Darr

A second trip to the filling station

I have now 5cc in my 14cc band. It took three pokes, too. My "port" apparently has a "bubble" around it which my body will "absorb" eventually. Ewwwww...

I'm on soft foods for a few days. The nurse gave me some input into my difficulties eating meat. Use sauce! A little gravy. A little BBQ sauce. A dash of ketchup. Anything to help smooth the protein down my gullet.

My hormones have been totally whack lately, and she says that is also a normal reaction to being banded. Hooray.

She said once I start losing belly fat (Oh, God...please...) my port will be easier to find and I won't have to endure so many needle sticks to find the little sucker.

My clothing is getting large--though I've lost only 37lbs.

Today, I get to have the rare treat of smashed potatoes for lunch! I generally avoid spuds, corn, bread, rice and pasta. But today is a "soft foods" day. Such a treat. Oy vey.

Darr :)

My ad at The Romance Studio this month :)

I actually have two. One for my books and one for the readings I do.

Darr :)

Am I chicken to eat chicken?

Cooked some lovely chicken thighs this morning, all nice and chopped up...

Popped a piece in my mouth as I packed a cup of it away for lunch. Yummo!
Popped a second piece into my mouth, swallowed, and PB!

Ate too fast!

Darr

10/18 -- 1 month post surgery

One year ago October, 2007

The end of steak...

Sunday I made carne asada for dinner. Thin slices of beef spiced with "Mexican" flavorings. Yummo.

I had one bite--and it was a small bite--I chewed. I chewed some more and I swallowed. It got stuck.

I had a golf ball in my chest for 24 hours. Right when I knew I was "stuck" and the "slimes" started, I did try to get it to come back up, but it wouldn't. I was miserable for 24 hours until that little morsel of steak finally went down. I drank some acidic juice in little sips to break down the meat and was able to eat some oatmeal on Monday. By the time the food passed my band at 7:00 p.m., I was ravenous. I ate a couple pieces of string cheese and went to bed.

The fill nurse told me to "eat foods that will stay above my band for awhile." I don't think she meant 24 hours of time above my band.

I ate some steamed garbanzo beans and tomatoes w/ black pepper and a little Parmesan cheese this morning for breakfast. About 1 cup. I can tell they are sitting "above my band" but hopefully not for 24 hours.

The "golf ball" thing hurts and I am going to miss steak! Oh, well. I'd rather have my band be my best friend than a steak.

Darr

Another NSV (non scale victory)

I did something yesterday I have not done in...forever.

It was a dark and stormy night. And I'm not kidding. The weather was most foul. Cold, cold, cold, biting hard rain and wind. We took the kids (the daughter and her boyfriend) to a movie last night, deciding to have dinner at a Mexican place first. I was looking forward to carne asada or some kind of soup. I had already prepared my "no rice no chips" mindset. The wait would have been too long, so we decided to head up the street (about 2-3 blocks) to Round Table Pizza.

Somehow, by the grace of the weight I've lost and my ever-increasing ability to walk upright, I literally dashed up the street. I did not waddle. I did not amble. I did not whine and ask my husband to get the car. My ankles did not hurt. My hips did not hurt. I felt so good pushing through that nasty weather I actually felt like running. Holy cr*p! I WANTED to run!

I could hear my daughter and husband behind me going, "Mom's running! Look at mom go!" I made it into the restaurant before any of them. My husband was so proud of me he gave me a hug and let me catch my breath in his arms. It took only a few moments for my body to return to normal (no hard breaths, racing heart) and I made it through the dinner eating a personal-size extra crispy crust chicken garlic pizza. Comparing my itty bitty four pieces of pizza to "regular" size pizza slices, I think I had about 1.75 slices. Nothing got stuck. I had no trouble because I CHEWED and took little bites.

I had a huge snack at the theater. Three Milkduds. Not a whole box. Not two boxes. Three. And I was done. It was wonderful to taste a little chocolate and caramel again. A little goes a long way!

Saw "30 Days of Night." Both the daughter and I are hankering for more back story on the vampires. They were wicked little beasties!

Darr

My first "fill"

10/17, 4pm, I had my first "fill." I'm not going to go into the specifics of what a fill is. That can be looked up via a Google search--and apparently the doctor left "3cc of primer" in it, which means I've been working with a slight fill since being banded. I knew that. I've had cold salmon and noodles get "stuck."

The nurse had me lay down on a table top and lift my legs with knees straight after asking me numerous "banding" questions.

She scolded me for not getting in enough "chewy" protein (like chicken) and for not drinking milk. I'm also supposed to add a high fiber cereal to my yogurt. I am "off" smooth things and need to eat solids that will "stop at the band." I thought I was doing that, but apparently not!

As I lifted my legs she poked around to find my port, than jabbed me with a needle and withdrew the 3cc of saline already in my band. She then added 2cc more. I sat up and drank some water. The water got "stuck." My band, filled to 5cc was too tight. I had to endure another poke so that the nurse could remove 1.5 cc, leaving me with 4.5 in my band.

I got the water down, went home and ate dinner, did fine with breakfast and then had my "snack" at 10:30 a.m. I couldn't eat my 10 grapes. I made it through 7 of them (chew chew chew) and was "finished." I waited awhile, then ate the last three. I was ravenous at 11:40, so I ate my handful of spinach leaves, salsa and garden burger. Everything went down OK. I made it through the day, cooked dinner and didn't run into a problem until I popped some Ibuprofen to get rid of a headache and STUCK! I think I need to get smaller pills!

It took awhile, but the pill went down and my evening snack of a handful of blueberries has been fine.

My fill hurt. It bled and I had an allergic reaction to the adhesive on the bandaid and have a rash. I suppose it will get easier and easier to be filled--but hopefully my sweet spot will be found right away and I won't have to be poked once a month for the next year!

I weighted 324 fully clothed with clogs at 4:00 p.m. at the "fill" clinic. I weighed 333 fully clothed the day of my banding. That's 9lbs lost or 3lbs a week, which is exactly what I'm suppose to be doing. My starting weight was 347 on August 1st. Last time I weighed myself without clogs, in the morning wearing lighter clothing, I was 320.

I'm on my way!

My next fill is 11/7. I'm going to increase my walking from 10-20 minutes per day to 30, too.

Is that me?

I know it's not a huge difference--but damn, I think the weight I've lost shows. I'm almost inclined to say I've lost one chin. Three to go...

Darr :)

Another night of sleeping for hours

I'm wondering when the exhaustion will pass? I felt really funky after lunch yesterday, skipped walking, and went to bed. I slept for about four hours, got up, watched CSI then went back to bed.

I swear I feel like I'm still drugged! And my surgery was 21 days ago!

All my clothes are feeling loose, as is my watchband.

Darr

320

I hit the postal scale on a drive-by last week.

3 2 0

full clothed.

That's a good thing!

I ate three 2-inch squares of extremely crispy pizza last night. Just like eating a cracker with cheese, onions, peppers and beef on it. I was full after that, and I stopped.

I had a chai this morning and know I need to put some "real" food into me before I toddle off into my day. Not sure what. Beans and salsa sounds good!

Darr

Exhausted!

All righty then....I am back at the day job and by 1:00 in the afternoon, I am done. Stick a fork in me D O N E. I've been getting up to walk around the interior of the building around 11:00, and continue to write on my lunch hour.

I ate an egg today. It is a banner day for Darragha! I had about 1/4 cup of polenta and an egg for breakfast! I got to chew!

Darr

Whoohoo!

7:30 a.m.

322 fully clothed, no clogs

Darr :)

October 1st

Minus about 25lbs

My first dinner out

My dad took the family to Black Angus tonight for dinner. Happy Birthday, dear step-mother!

I had one crabcake and 3/4 of my garlic mashed spuds and I was done. Done! I brought the rest of the food home, with a custard creme brule, for later.

The daughter couldn't have dinner with us tonight because she had to work. We drove out to the stable to pick her up from work after dinner and the husband jumped on Henderson (a bay gelding), went three steps and slid off. And here the daughter is riding her pony (a gray arab gelding) at a canter around the arena....

I'm going to weigh myself tomorrow for sh*ts and giggles.

Darr :)

Walking Steady or Walking Shakey

Went to Lowe's and Wal-Mart today to pick up a few things. I'm not a big Wally-World shopper, but I purchased some work pants for my daughter there several weeks ago and they did not pass muster. Return city, baby.

The beloved husband accompanied me. By the end of our 2-hour jaunt, I was sore, tired and feeling all shaky. I needed to eat!

I drank some water in the car and we went through the drive-through at Taco Time. Got home, and I ate the insides of a meat burrito, sans the tortilla. There was nothing in there except the meat and probably a pinch of shredded cheese. No cabbage or lettuce or tomatoes, etc.

The meat was really finely chopped and definitely could be added into a "mushy stage" food category. I think it was about 3 oz of meat. I ate 3 teaspoons of my refried beans and I was done, man! I know to stop before I get "over-full." I'll just save the beans for later and I tossed the tortilla. Now I want to drink some water, but I have to wait 30 minutes so that I don't "wash" all the protein away.

Got the walking in. Got to eat meat! My tummy is happy! Unlike yesterday when I ate a bite of salmon too fast and had my very first PB! I slimed and everything. Very nasty.

Darr

9/28 = 325

Fully clothed, end of the day, with clogs.

3 2 5

I am a happy camper!

Darr

Tuna

I ate a tuna scramble today and I dare I say, "It was freakin' heavenly!"

Tuna, eggs, tomato, onion and dill. I made enough for 3 servings. Ate one serving and felt all happy inside like I hadn't eaten in weeks. Oh, wait! I haven't!

Trade Joe's opens up a block away from my house tomorrow. Hummus, here I come!

Darragha :)

Oh, oh

I overdid it yesterday.
Cause I drove and cause I ate mushies a day early, I suffered ALL FREAKIN' night with HORRENDOUS gas pains and incision-site pains. I thought I was going to die!

Today I had 1 protein drink, some milk and that's about it. I pulled out a yogurt, but needed to take a nap before eating it, so I never did.

I slept all day today.

Darr

On an upswing

I feel better today. Less pain. More awake. Overall, I'm doing pretty darn good. I've found that a juice drink called "winter tonic" made with garlic and cayenne totally rocks my world. It is better than chocolate. It's full of carrot, parsley, beet and other lovely squished veggies and I like it. Having this juice has made this "last day" of liquids bearable.

330 fully clothed at the end of the day.
minus 2lbs for the clogs (have weighed them before)
minus 1lb for the clothing (t-shirt and cropped jeans)
minus 1lb for swelling and whatever liquids were in my system.

333 on the day of surgery
330 to 325 5 days later.

I "look" better, too. I have eyes again--not just black orbs surrounded by a sea of fat.

Darr

Five days out

The swelling is going down.
I ate sugar free Jel-O today.
I never want to see another cup of soup as long as I live.
I get hungry at 1am.
I would like to weigh myself, but don't have the energy to drive yet. (I go to the postal scale)

I have a 14cc band. Just found that out this morning. My first fill is 10/17.

Hooray.

Darr :)

A brief Banding of Darragha story

I have dieted all my life. Diets do not work. On 800 calories a day plus exercise, I lost only 16lbs in one month's time. It was time to take back my life. I decided to go the surgical route. Not a gastric bypass, but a lap-band.

I started the process last April, 07, hoping to have the surgery in July when I have 5 weeks off from the day job. As it turned out, I had the surgery September 19th. I parents and step-parents paid the 17,000.00 for me to have the surgery as my insurance doesn't cover it. I guess insurance companies would rather pay for the treatment of co-morbidities (diabetes, high cholesterol, etc.) than a fairly routine surgery that has nearly a 100% success rate for weight loss and the improvement of one's health.

I had the surgery done in Everett at the Northwest Weight Loss Surgical Center. What bloody fantastic people they are down there! One of my nurses used to be a member of Romance Writers of America and my surgeon's wife used to practice the same Buddhism I do now (for 25 years).

The before-care was almost spa-like. I had a nice robe and a heating/vibrating chair to relax in as I was hooked up to various IV fluids. Everything was explained to me, and I had lots of one-on-one time with the surgeon and anesthesiologist to have my questions answered.

I had only two real concerns. I didn't want to bite my lips or tongue when the breathing tube was removed (and I didn't) and I had issues with the gas mask in the surgical suite. It made me feel terribly claustrophobic, so the nurse held it above my face. I think I took two or three deep breaths and I was out. I'd been reading my Romantic Time Book Review right before going into surgery and I believe, though I was trying to mentally chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as I went under, for some reason I couldn't get the name of Woodiwiss (a deceased author) out of my mind. Maybe her spirit was hovering about protecting me.

I awoke in the recovery room about an hour later--though I don't recall waking up the first time. I do recall "coming around" to my daughter asking me questions like, "What's your bosses name?" "Do you like the 12 new teachers in your school." And they were rubbing my feet. I liked that!

I spent about 3-4 hours in recovery. I felt desperate to sit up, walk around and stretch out in my own bed. When I tried to walk, I fell--but Nurse Galloway was right there with me. The gorgeous Melissa Smart (the insurance and scheduling person at the clinic) came and saw me, too. These are the nicest people down there!

It is now two days post surgery. My throat is really sore, and the right side of body (where the port is) is still swollen. The left side is way less swollen. The Lortab elixir for pain gives me insomnia, so I'm taking that for the pain, or Ibuprofen and benadryl to make me nap. I've been walking back and forth in the house 5-10 minutes at a time and since I am on liquids only, I'm making lots of trips to the lew.

Thank you all the people who purchased my book in lieu of sending me flowers. Thank you to my family for your financial and loving support, and thank you to all my friends who have been providing food for my husband and daughter while I recover.

Darr

The day I joined the band

In the OR

One of the nurses tells me about the trolley debockle in Seattle.

LOCALS in the US city of Seattle have enthusiastically embraced an unfortunate acronym for a new tramline, even if officials insist on ignoring it.

Work on the light-rail line in Seattle has almost been completed for what officials call the South Lake Union Streetcar (SLUS), but locals have taken to using the word “Trolley”.

According to seattlepi.com, more than 100 people have brought “Ride the S.L.U.T” t-shirts from one coffee shop.














Getting an injection in my leg. Ouch.
Dr. Abrams, the anesthesiologist saying, "My what a large neck you have." Hooray.

Me, catching up on some industry reading :)










I'm a bit too groggy to write the text for this right now, but I will! Please check back later. I'll post the "monitor photo" of my internal band, too. You lucky people.

Darr

I'll take my leave to Mooncusser Cove, now, darling

The official banding of Darragha takes place on 9/19/07 at 12:45 p.m. in Everett, Washington.

In lieu of cyber-flowers and well-wishes for my speedy recovery from tomorrow's surgery, please feel free to rock my world and yours, by buying my new release!

Buy your copy here.
Now. Please.

Thank you,

Darragha :)

48 hours away

I'm feeling a tad bit anxious this morning. My banding is two days away. This is my last day at the the "day job" for two weeks. I'm way overbooked with things for a Monday...and I am so glad I know how to chant.

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

Darr

6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...BAND BLAST OFF

I am 6 days away from being banded. I've lost 16lbs since August 1st. My liver must be very happy to be smaller.

I am beginning to mourn the loss of:

toast

meats rolled up in pasty sold on sidewalks in Argentina (should I ever go to Argentina, of course. Damn that Tony Bourdain and his foody travel shows, any way)

I think that's about it.


I am beginning to kvell about:

getting there, getting it done and getting home
my first sip of chicken stock after being banded
the first time I slip my undies on and they fall off
having two weeks off from the day job to recover, heal, chant and "learn my band"
having two weeks off to recover, heal, chant, nap and write!

Band day approacheth. Eegads and little fishes, I'm excited!

Darr

Nope, this isn't me. I'm just using this spot as a place-holder for a n avatar on a character blog


This is the face of "Vesper" from Mooncusser Cove, available at Liquid Silver Books on 9/17.

:)

The Last Supper

My last supper--and in fact the first "big" meal I've had in 30 days, was chicken fried steak and eggs. Couldn't eat it all, either. Way too much food.

I think my new shipment of Medifast should be here by the 5th, which is the date I'm going to make every attempt to go "liquid" in full to drop 5-10 more pounds before my surgery. I can do anything for 2 weeks. I hope. If I start gnawing on car tires, I'll eat a chicken breast or a head of lettuce.

I walked farther and quicker than I've walked previously, too. Damn. I'm getting so fit. (insert laughter here).

Darr

15lbs!

It took 30 days of 800-900 calories a day, no pizza, no milkshakes and more willpower than I've mustered ever before...but I am pleased to announce that I've lost

15bls of the necessary 20-25lbs lost before surgery.

17 days out. Can I lose 5 more pounds in 17 days? Bets are now being taken.

Darr

Of Brains and Hands and Open Gobs

I really want to have the surgery and my wanting is bad enough to literally STOP ME dead in my tracks from overeating. This may be the first time in my life I've actually thought about what is going into my hand before it reaches my gob.

I posted this over at LapBandTalk, and yanno...it's true! My brain is now officially tied to my hand and mouth.

Something to look forward to :)

"Okay, Mom! When you get skinny we're going to dress like sluts and rock out at a Shakira concert! I want people to mistake us for sisters!"

So sayeth my 15.5 year old daughter.

I have so much to look forward to.

Darr

Bulk mail

All righty then. I admit to having a day job. It's not the job of my heart, but I enjoy it and it has rad benefits. If I could have those benefits writing, man...that would be the life.

However, that said, I had to do a bulk mailing for le day job today. I loathe the whole bulk mail scenario. The only thing that makes it worthwhile are the incredibly helpful, happy, smiling POSTAL WORKERS of the Bellingham bulk mail office. They are so freakin' nice!

That said, I bent and stopped and hauled and schlepped for about 3.5 hours today. Sweated, panted, got all hot and sticky and am somehow going to figure out how to count that into my calorieking exercise points!

I'm pretty sure I've lost closer to 15 lbs, too. If I could hit that bulk mail scale at 5:00 a.m., nekkid and shoeless, then we'd know for sure :)

Darr

889

Since August 9th I've averaged 889 calories per day. I've walked 120+ minutes per week and since some of my shirts "fit better," I'm pretty sure I've lost weight.

My step-mother showed me a really cool exercise to combat my lower back pain when I walk. It worked like a charm. I am completely without lower back pain tonight. Now, how to get rid of the tightness above my ankles when I walk...

I am another day closer!

Bread

Bread. The staff of life. Or perhaps the staph of life.

I ate a sandwich today. Two slices of Rudi's Organic Flax bread (no flour) and about 2 tblsp of organic peanut butter. I have not had two slices of bread with a filling in between them for a long time. Nearly three weeks. It did curb my hunger. It did make me feel funky and bloated, too. Thereafter, I needed a nap. Bread. Bread. Bread.

It is not my friend.

Darr

Another day, another 690 calories

I am maintaining an average caloric consumption of less than 1000 calories today. A cricket rubbing its legs together makes more energy than that.

I walked like a little trooper today. I am about one month away from joining the band.

I need a turkey sandwich. I'm not getting it--but I want it.
I wanted a cookie today when we were at the Food Co-Op. I didn't buy it.

I ate a peach today. Whoohoo! I'm in the sugar now!

Darr

Chair removal surgery?

I hang at a lapband forum for support. Very helpful place. One "on the fence" poster who *did* go through with the surgery posted some questions that I've had as well. I replied to this poster's questions with a bit of tongue-in-cheek. My bad. Well...not that bad.

are you able to have a normal life? Normal is only one hat we all wear depending upon circumstances. Enjoy life more than being fat? Yes. Have a life, in general? Yes. Weight loss = better health. Better health = longer life. In general. Statistically speaking.

can you sit down to dinner with your family? What? After a lapband surgery you have no chairs in your house any longer? You can do everything with your family you did before. Only better.

can you eat out with friends? From attacking and chewing on cattle in the fields to dining at a five-star joint, yes. Having a lapband does not prevent you from enjoying the company of friends, ordering food away from home or eating in general.

Are you constantly thinking about food and how/what to eat? Probably. If you don't use the tool you just put inside you by thinking ahead, planning and learning the tricks, you will puke. Hopefully not in front of the friends, as noted above.

I walked for 20 minutes and did some stairs a couple of days ago. I am still amazingly exhausted. My hips feel "out" and are screaming for me to phone the chiropractor.

I have managed to stay around 1000 calories a day for exactly one week. It seems much longer. It might be longer than I am aware since I started my "pre-op" diet on August 1st without tracking my food intake via CalorieKing, which I purchased on the 10th.

Do I feel like my liver is smaller? Oh, yeah. Everything is getting smaller.

Darr :)

Upping the caloric intake a tad bit

Walking for 30 minutes on 610 calories isn't working for me. I felt like a total WASTOID yesterday. I had to sleep for a few hours. I then ate half a head of ice-berg lettuce and a package of peanut butter crackers. Goodness...a little protein, a few carbs...and the cramps in my legs went away and I didn't fee so "foggy."

I upped my calories today to 1200. I am hungry--but not "foggy" or ravenous. I'm going to drop back down to 1000 on the nose tomorrow. 800 may be too low for me right now. 610 is bad. Bad, not good.

Chanted for 1.5 hours today. Chanted about having elastic skin, a perfect surgery and recovery and to be a "poster child" for lapband success. Chanted about lots of things. :)

Walking again tomorrow. Will bring a snack with me to eat beforehand.

Darr

Like, I walked, man!

I did an additional 500 steps tonight. Didn't stretch out beforehand. My calves are mooing and I am exhausted.

Darr

A garden of earthly delights

I am on the 800-calorie pre-op diet. Tonight I made meatball soup with organic ground turkey, almond meal, roasted carrot soup as the base and the rest of it consisted of vegetables that I grew and picked this morning. Patapan squash, zucchini, red onion, tomatoes, leeks, peas. I chopped everything up and tossed it into the pot.

I had 2 meatballs and 1 cup of soup broth tonight for dinner. I am at a grand total of 690 calories for the day, minus 211 for my exercise. CalorieKing rocks, huh?

I am hungry!

I'm weighing tomorrow on the postal scale (I get applause from the bulk mail clerks).

Some of the veggies I grew (offered at our Buddhist altar) are pictured. I am pleased with my semi-green thumb :)

Darr

Another day...8/11/07

I walked today. I took a total of 2500 steps during a 30 minute walk through a nature area. Of course, this is the same nature area where my husband and I wet 17 years ago.

I sweat. I panted. I got to play kissy-face on the bridge where the vows were read.

I ate about 900 calories today and avoided writing. And here I even had a "sign and wonder" appear to me that I should be writing!

I'm driving home from dropping the daughter off at her babysitting job tonight, returning to an empty house and I'm thinking, "I don't wanna write. (I've written myself into a corner). It sucks (because I've written myself into a corner). It's never going to work (because I've written myself into a corner). The Orca King, II is as lame as the first story! (TOK has been my biggest seller). Why did I ever pick albino deer? (Don't ask)."

And right then what do I then need to stop for? A deer. It popped out from the bushes, stood in the road looking at me for a moment, then bounded away into the bushes on the other side.

A sign, perhaps? A reminder from the gods to go home and write and not allow the demons of self-depreciation to bite me on the ass?

I'm writing. I guess I take it as a sign.

These slip-on tennies were made for walking

Kind of. I did 2500 steps today. Not as in "up and down a staircase" but I walked for about 35-40 minutes and we figured that was 2500 steps. I now need a nap.

Darr :)

Post One. Not Day One.

I knew I wanted to have lapband surgery--definitely knew--in July of 2007. How many times can one woman lose and gain the same 60lbs, huh? To cut to the chase, without using flowery euphemisms or delicate, exotic prose, I am obese. In a more subtle and sexy manner of speaking, I am a rockin' big, beautiful woman.

I am fat. I am also phat. But to be fat and phat could eventually leave me being phat and dead. Dead is not an issue. I have too many great loves to leave behind. My husband, my daughter. My characters. The miniature dachshund! Love is worth fighting for and worth fighting against a growing tide of ill-health for. One of my great loves needed to leave. I chose F O O D.

I have long been a low-carb proponent. Giving up starchy foods such as bread, pasts, spuds and rice to be successful after having a lapband surgery isn't that big of a deal to me. All right...I like bread. I love bread. But I gave it up long ago for Lent. Even though I'm not Catholic and I did not end my fast in celebration of Easter. My second coming is at hand, however.

I am having lapband surgery on September 19, 2007. I've been hiding behind several layers of fat for some time. No longer. In the immortal words of The Terminator: I'll be back.

Darragha is coming back. To the world. To airline seats. Booths in restaurants. Clothing off the rack at Value Village.

Keep a weather eye on the horizon--

Darr

N O T E: I would like to take this forum to publicly thank my parents and step-parents for their financial support for the lapband surgery.


826 calories consumed today
zero exercise
that bites

must try harder tomorrow