Re: To Colleen

[Guest guest]

Colleen, sorry to hear that you have been sick. I hope

you feel better real soon. You know the best medicine

for healing is rest but it does not sound like you

will be able to do that with the new promotion/job

thingie. I hope you feel better and know that I am

thinking about you.

Pam Marsh

--- Donna Jordon wrote:

> Colleen

> Sorry to hear you've been so sick. I don't know

> anyone post op who has the virus, but some of my

> daycare children and parents have had it. One child

> had to go to ER due to dehydration. It was bad for

> them, the children got over it faster than the

> parents. Hope your well soon. Take care. Donna J.

>

> Colleen Garner wrote:

> Francisco

> wow good story to read, and i needed one, yours

> are always so refreshing and mindful, gives on

> thoughts to ponder and think about. I am glad you

> were the bright spot in Dons day and made the effort

> to welcome him. Its gods hands working through yours

> i think.

>

> I havent been writing lately just busy with work a

> promotion and new job duties and family

> life.............as of late i have had a bad virus a

> stomach one , its been ongoing since Sunday and i

> have already had one trip to the er for medication

> for extreme nasuea and dehydration. saw the dr on

> friday the fever is down he thinks it is all a

> resolving virus, the severe abdominal pain is

> lessening, but i worry about m gallbladder and

> things like that..................any one else go

> through anything like this post op ? I cant get the

> protein in, I have had watered down gaterade and

> chicken noodle soup and

> saltines...................couldnt do yougurt or

> protein shakes, but tomorrow is another day, hell of

> a way to loose 6 pounds.......................lol

> anyways just wanted to say hi and wonder if anyone

> else had a flu type attack like this and how they

> got through it ?

> Colleen

>

> manisodream wrote:

> Another reason why I'm sooo glad I had gastric

> bypass surgery.

>

> Today I did my 9-mile recovery run, and it was

> fantastic fun as usual.

>

> We had an addition to our group, a guy I'd seen

> before. Before my

> transformation, I would have been so shy that I

> wouldn't have

> welcomed him to our group. But now, I want newbies

> to be

> acknowledged so that they don't feel the discomfort

> that I always

> felt in a new situation. I'm now like the welcome

> wagon, and it

> didn't hurt that the new guy is adorable, and do I

> mean adorable:

> about 5'6 " , early to mid forties, light brown hair,

> blue eyes, cute

> smile, angular face, broad shoulders, big biceps,

> narrow waist, and

> he's got those runners legs and nice rear end. YUM!

>

> Anyway, right before our run, I asked if he was

> joining our pace

> group, and at that point he motioned to me that he

> was deaf. I

> asked, pointing to my lips, if he read lips, and he

> indicated that

> he's bad at it. We smiled at each other and

> laughed. Everyone else

> was busy chatting away, and the fact that the new

> guy was deaf kind

> of made him, for lack of a better term, an outsider.

>

> I know all too well what it is like to be an

> invisible outsider.

> Because of my morbid obesity, I was the invisible

> outsider for most

> of my life. I was the fat kid that no one wanted on

> their team. I

> really hate to see others in that position, and I

> now take action,

> when I can, to bridge those gaps.

>

> No one acknowledged his presence, and no one said

> hello. And in no

> time, we had started our run. Part of the reason to

> be in pace

> groups is to listen to the pace group leader who

> calls out the pace

> and indicates when we should be taking walk breaks

> (to minimize

> injury). We also call out warnings and directions

> like, " Car on the

> left! " Or " Time to refuel. " Well, the new guy

> obviously couldn't

> hear any of that so I made sure that I got his

> attention and made

> sure that he understood what was going on. He began

> to run at my

> side.

>

> After the first mile, I thought to myself, " Well,

> there is a language

> barrier, but I might as well get his name and tell

> him mine. " This

> is the huge change in my life post-op. I didn't

> think for a

> moment, " I'm such a fat pig. Why even try to talk

> to him? He won't

> want to talk to me. " That was my old tape, and I'm

> just realizing it

> as I write this that it didn't even play. I didn't

> even have to

> counteract it at all. Wow! I just dove right in,

> and introduced

> myself.

>

> I mouthed, " What's your name? " He mouthed back,

> " Dan. " " Dan? " I

> repeated. And he shook his head and spelled out " D

> – O – N " in the

> sign language alphabet. I can't believe that I

> remembered the sign

> language letters that I haven't seen since learning

> the sign language

> alphabet in high school. I repeated, " Don, " and he

> smiled and

> nodded. I told him my name, and he looked confused.

> Then I spelled

> it on my palm, and he made a circular motion like he

> was outlining

> the city that I understood to mean, " ...like San

> Francisco, " and then

> he mouthed, " Francisco. " I said, " Yes. " And then

> we shook hands,

> and I said, " Nice to meet you, Don. " He mouthed

> back, " Nice to meet

> you too. "

>

> We ran shoulder to shoulder for the rest of the

> course, and at the

> end of the run, I introduced Don to the rest of the

> group. We headed

> on over to the post-run food table, and Don stayed

> at my side, and I

> asked him if he was going into the Bay for the

> post-run soak. He

> shook his head and faked a shiver. Then, I think,

> he asked if I was

> going to be there next week, and I said no. I

> wasn't sure if that's

> what he was asking, and so after the run I emailed

> him to explain

> that I'd be at a men's retreat.

>

> He motioned that he was leaving so I stuck out my

> hand to shake his.

> Then he took my hand and pulled me close and hugged

> me. And then as

> he was walking back to his car, he turned back,

> smiled and waved.

> Cute. Really, really cute.

>

> Mike said, " So, another guy, eh? I noticed you were

> keeping him to

> yourself. " I fake punched him on the arm and said,

> " It's not like

> that. I have a boyfriend. " The Betta said, " I

> think he's really

> interested in you. " I looked are her with an

> expression of

> disbelief. She continued, " I can tell. He was

> looking at you the

> entire run, and bravo! He's really cute. "

>

> So, while I'm not planning on acting on any of this,

> I have to say

> that I still find it amazing that things like that

> could happen to

> me. It certainly makes me feel alive that someone

> who looks that

> athletic and manly could find me attractive. And

> introducing myself

> to him and connecting despite the language barrier

> was fun and life-

> affirming. It's nice not to be so self-conscious

> anymore. I didn't

> care if I stumbled over my attempts at

> communication.

>

> But the greater theme that this represents is that

> I'm no longer

> isolated from life. I'm out there running, talking,

> laughing,

> dancing, flirting, living. How wonderful is that?

>

> Life is grand. And I'm so glad I had gastric bypass

> surgery.

>

>

=== message truncated ===

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Yup, Hawaii is almost here and I'm so excited. I'm a little nervous

about the diving certification classes (that start tomorrow). I love

to swim but I'm not quite sure how I'll do with the diving. I'm sure

it'll be fine...it's just something new so it's a little scary.

I'll take lots of photos while diving when I'm in Hawaii. We've

never been before so we have lots of site seeing to do!

Are you feeling better these days?

Tina

>

>

> Wow Tina

> I cant believe it is almost Hawaii time for you ! you will have

so much fun there, my husband loves so scuba dive and for me i find

it to claustrophobic or something but i love to snorkel ! the last

time we were in hawaii the instructor on the boat was so impressed

with Rons knowledge that he let him start suiting up and helping the

others so they could spend more time in the ocean ! I think you

will enjoy it

> Colleen