Gail's Weight Loss Journey

[GailyGail]

Julia -- thank you so much. The support you give me on this board is just fantastic and exactly what I need! It is so wonderful to check in and see kind messages, good advice and words of wisdom from my beloved low carb friends. I hope you and your husband and son are having a great weekend. Stay warm -- we are supposed to get another snowstorm and I imagine that Alabama must be a little bit chilly (even though you won't get any snow -- it may still be colder than usual).

Bella Rose -- you are so right about Virgos! We really do protect each other! Don't you love being a Virgo? I know I do -- even if we are the most maligned sign in the zodiac. Amber (Bejewel Me is her journal) is a Virgo too and I adore her as well. We are such modest, hard-working perfectionists who worry way too much -- but we are super loyal to the people we love. Thank you for your sage advice -- I will make it throught this weekend. I am up early this morning to get a presentation done for work and then I am going to the hospital to see Tony before the snowstorm hits. Tomorrow, I am going to clean the house from top to bottom and research Paleo recipes that are good for people with heart/kidney issues -- especially those featuring foods that people with high blood pressure should eat. See typical Virgo -- cleaning and researching!

I hope everyone has a GREAT weekend! xo xo xo to all!

[Bejewelme]

Gail I have been thinking about Paleo too, something is not working for me anymore, I cant budge a pound, so I am thinking about that and adding chia seeds to my smoothies apparently they are really high in Omega 3's that fight inflammation and cause so many problems!

Now about the surgery, Tony's step bother had his first heart attack at 42 had open heart surgery was doing well, at 44 diagnosed with colon cancer, had a second heart attack that night of the diagnosis, had open heart again! Then when that healed he had to undergo colon cancer surgery. Well he was coming up on almost 2 years clean of cancer and his cancer is back! He just had surgery 2 weeks ago, he is 46! The heart surgeries were not that bad according to him, he was worn down for a bit following, like it takes some time to get your strength back, but it is amazing what medicine can do! His entire chest was cut open and it has healed so well. As the other people said these heart procedures are getting so much more sophisticated and they have it down! It is very scary but he is in a great hospital with great doctors that know what they are doing, so just keep having faith and praying and it will all work out!!! And hey if he is in the hospital on his B-day you will make it special for him there!!

I am sure this is an incredible stress on you with all the worry, make sure you are taking really good care of yourself!!!!! You have a big job ahead taking care of him through this, so you have to be at 110% try to rest and take your vitamins and keep yourself mentally strong!!!

Thoughts and prayers!!!!
Amber

[Phranquie]

Gail, I have been out of town and just finished reading your posts about Tony. I am so sorry both of you are having to go through this. It must be quite overwhelming for you. My thoughts are with you and wishing a speedy recovery for Tony.

Paleo sounds like a great LC route to go. I like the blog from Nom Nom Paleo. She has some good recipes too.

Please take care of yourself while you are taking care of him. He's got a who team of medical people to care for him in the hospital and you'll need your strength when he goes home.

[GailyGail]

Ladies, thank you so much for your support -- your prayers and good wishes really helped because I just brought Tony home tonight! Yes, he is HOME and he does not need surgery! I am so happy that I am about to burst!

I love you guys so much and thank you for pulling for us. Your support made all the difference! I made him a nice healthy dinner tonight - grilled shrimp, fresh sauteed veggies, green salad, sparkling water -- and now he is relaxing on the couch. I am so grateful that he is home!!! Thank you ladies!!!

[cindym]

That is just the best news I have heard today. Woo Hoo

[trishthedish]

So happy for you both! I'm sure home never felt so good.

[BellaRose]

He doesn't need surgery..Yeah!

Know you will keep him healthy!

[Bejewelme]

Yeah and it's his B-day today right? Happy Birthday Tony!!! So glad he is home and you are taking care of him!!!! That is super news, it is so much easier to have him home versus running into the hospital!!!! yeah!!!!!!

[JMacB]

Such fantastic news! I am so happy for you!

[Portia]

Hooray!! So happy to hear this!

Don't make yourself nuts with the Paleo stuff I sent you, b/c Paleo people can be very hardcore and there are countless "plans" and variations. I would just start of by using it as a recipe resource. For me, it's both a taste preference plus the fact that the rest of my family is not LC so I can't feed them super high-fat anyway. I guess you could say I am on Atkins Induction, but Paleo or Primal "style" in that I use a light hand with cheese and dairy *most* of the time and serve lean or moderate fat meats.

[Garden]

Gail, I'm so sorry to hear about Tony's recent health issues. I know you must have been absolutely out of your mind with worry . Glad to see things are getting better!

I know you will keep him healthy with your awesome knowledge concerning the proper way to feed our bodies.

Sending prayers and well wishes your way !!!

[GailyGail]

Thank you, ladies! He is still very weak and tired but at least he is home. I took him to the doctor's yesterday and his blood pressure is great and he seems to be on the mend. So fingers crossed! Thank you so much for the good wishes and prayers!!!

[DairyQueen]

great that he's home gail! rehab is a lot better than trying to repair, i think.
I'm a virgo too, btw!

[Phranquie]

Gail, that really is wonderful news. I am sure Tony will recover much faster being home where he is comfortable and can actually get some rest and eat some great tasting on plan food.

[Portia]

Gail that's great news!

[JMacB]

A bunch of my friends are up in Haverhill for a conference this week, and hearing about what they are doing made me think of you. Hope you are doing well, and taking care of yourself while you are taking care of Tony.

[trishthedish]

Just wanted to pop in and say I'm sending you good vibes and hope all is well.

[Velvet]

Hoping you are ok! How is Tony?

Hope you have a great weekend?

[DairyQueen]

I am here sending you good thoughts too. Do you feel them???
But really, how are you and tony doing??

[GailyGail]

DQ -- yes, I did feel your good thoughts today. THANK YOU! Your good vibes made me feel so much better. I also felt good vibes from Frankie, Jes, Trish, Julia, Amber, Sannie, Bella, Cindy and Susan. Thank you, ladies. Even though Tony is home and resting, it is still hard. Don't get me wrong -- I am grateful that he did not die, grateful that he does not need surgery right away and very grateful that eventually he will be okay. It is just that no one really prepares you for the recuperation time -- Tony sleeps about 18 hours a day because he has to in order to heal. So I am a little lonely and out of sorts. I know I should not complain -- God knows I should be grateful and I am.

Nevertheless, I hope all of you ladies are okay. I miss all of you terribly but I just don't have the energy to full engage at this point. I am hoping that it will change next by next week. When the weather gets better and I will feel like exercising, eating properly and engaging with the world again. Right now, I don't.

[JMacB]

Take care of yourself and know that when you are ready, we are all still here. Sending good thoughts your way!

[Phranquie]

Gail, do what you have to to get through this trying time. Whatever it takes for Tony to heal and for you to stay sane with taking on the worry and care taking duties and all other life/home duties to boot. It is a lot of stress, so try to be kind to yourself each day. We are here if you just need to vent. Hang in there.

[Bejewelme]

Gail becoming a care giver after such a trying and scary ordeal is hard to deal with, your head is so full right now and so much you are taking in, try to find moments for you to take care of yourself, I hope you get to feeling your bubbly self again!!!! Give it time this is a huge adjustment for you all of you! Thinking of you and sending prayers your way!!!

[trishthedish]

Thinking of you and hope you are taking gentle care of yourself.

[Bejewelme]

Gail- I know you read about my Grandma, and I so know what you are going through, I was thinking of you so often this weekend as I was sitting in the hospital and worrying and praying it is such a hard thing to watch your loved one in stress, please know I am praying for you both, it is an ordeal and your whole world and schedule changes!!! I am thinking of you!!!!

[DairyQueen]

(knock knock) how are things?

[Phranquie]

Yup, I am wondering how you and Tony are doing too. I hope all is well and you are both hanging in there.

[trishthedish]

Thought of you and Tony in Boston this week. Hope you faired OK.

[DairyQueen]

Helllooooo! I know it must be tough for you!
Thinking about you though...

[GailyGail]

Ladies, I am finally back and I am sorry I have been away for so long! Lets just say that is has been a rough three months. As it turns out, Tony does need heart surgery -- he has an enlarged aorta. He is scheduled for surgery next Friday at Mass General. I have been out of my mind with worry because he was feeling very poorly from mid-March until now. He got checked out by a different cardiologist who recommended surgery fairly soon so that's where we are. I am ashamed to say that I fell off the low carb wagon in mid-March when things got worse. Fortunately, I was only off for five weeks -- but that's long enough! I have been back on low carb since mid/late April and staying strong!

We are going to Maine tomorrow because it is the one year anniversary of Tony's moms death and there is a memorial service for her. There will be a cookout following the service so I am armed and ready with jumbo shrimp, homemade low carb cocktail sauce, Barefoot Contessa's herb dip and fresh veggies and a nice cheese tray. This will be the last time Tony's family sees him before the surgery so everyone will be anxious.

After the surgery, he will need to stay in the hospital for two weeks and then he will come home to recuperate for two months. At least we live in a good area for recuperation -- our place is on the ocean with a pool -- so he can lay in the sun and relax - while I grille our low carb meals -- LOL!

It is great to catch up with everyone again and I see that you guys are all doing really well -- which is fantastic. With love, Gail