Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Just in case you are wondering

As of today, August 5 I have lost 99.5 pounds. I am no longer wearing the sling on my arm. I have just enjoyed a meal at the Asian Buffet. I had blood test taken this morning to follow up the medications, vitamins etc. that I take weekly. I will have the results of them when I go to my 6 month check up on August 13. I am back to the Y three days a week. I am able to do many rehab exercises in the pool. I have not returned to curves yet because I do not want to do the exercises in a dress and my shirt is too difficult to remove while my shoulder is so sore.
Love, Aunt Lois

Thursday, June 4, 2009

I went to the doctor yesterday, Wednesday. They took my stitches out. Dr. explained to us (Maureen Hall, Jim and myself) what had been wrong and the corrections he made. He is confident that it is and will continue to heal well. I had a tear in the tendon which he sewed back together. The tendon had been loose and he secured it with plastic screws. I have an ultrasling. It comes with a pillow to hold my arm. I had Sarah take some pictures of me.
I am thankful for your prayers and those of many others.
My weight when I went into the hospital was 256.7
Auntloissays

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

It is time to share again. I love reading other people’s blogs but do not feel comfortable writing my own. I am doing well with my new eating plan. You will know this by looking at my latest Curves Chart/Printout.



Curtis and Dodie were in Muskegon last Saturday. We had breakfast with them and Bill and Gerrie. I was able to have a nice piece of ham and brought left over ham home with me. Mother’s Day was very enjoyable. It was a beautiful day. I had called for reservations at White Lake Inn a resort on White Lake. We had to take a 4:30 dining time so I said to Jim we might as well go to breakfast also. We did. We went to Toast ‘N Jams. We had a Western Scrambled Egg. We shared the portion. I still brought home part of mine. At the Inn, I had prime rib and brought leftovers home from there.
Tom called to wish me Happy Mother’s Day. I talked to Connie and she will come take me for my shoulder surgery on May 28th.
Monday was a very busy day. I went to curves early. Came home and changed clothes.
Went to the hospital to have blood drawn for a consultation next week concerning my weight management.
I went shopping at Walgreens followed by a meeting at Dr. Glocks office with others to share our experiences.
I came home and got Jim. We went to the Wolf Lake area and delivered some corks I had to a friend. I picked up a friend from that area and we went to Pablo’s for lunch. I of course could not eat much of my Wet Baby King Burrito so I had it put in a box to bring home. I thought Jim picked it up and he thought I picked it up. Neither of us picked it up. After we took Barb home Jim asked me where it was. We did not go back after it as we were both upset and Jim said I had enough white boxes in the refrigerator anyway.
I am going to close this for now. Have to get ready to go to the Asian buffet for lunch.
Love, Aunt Lois

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Curves Report

I have just returned from Curves. Today was weight, size and body fat measuring day.


This is a very good report. I have lost 12.5 pounds, 8 total inches and 15.66 body fat pounds from the day I joined curves.

My weight is now 272 pounds. I started before surgery at 331.5 pounds. I have lost 59 pounds since that top weight.

I am still having problems with the amount of food I eat, when and the timing of the liquids I have.

Happy Easter to all!

Love, Auntloissays

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Three weeks since I blogged. Hard to believe but it must be true. Arlona said so. Each day goes by and I wonder what I should tell you about. The picture in this blog is of a gift I received from my granddaughters (Colleen and Susan) for having lost 50 pounds. The gift came before I had reached that goal but now I have.
Friday I went to see my physician's assistant concerning the pain I have in my left arm. She is referring me to an orthopedic surgeon. I decided I should weight myself and I did. My weight was 277#. I started at 331.5 pounds. The count now is: lost 54.5 pounds.
I think Curves is helping although I am not able to do all the machines. One of the machines bruised my inner thighs so I am not using that one. I have to stop on the arm ones when my arms begin to hurt. The assistant said that I should not continue on the machine when it starts to hurt as it will just make my pain worse.
Auntloissays

Friday, March 6, 2009

Exercise

It is time for me to start exercising more than twice a week. My deep water jogging is great for me but it is not enough. This morning I enrolled at "Curves". My first appointment is for 10:00 on Monday morning. I will try to do "Curves" on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Weight Loss

I stopped at Dr. Gluck's office this morning to weigh myself. My weight is now 284.5. Remember I started at 331.5 so I have lost 47 pounds. Yesterday I was very comfortable with the foods I ate. Thank you for your prayers concerning this.

Monday, March 2, 2009

Update

I have not been blogging because my computer has had two virus and I did not wish to pass them on.
Hi to my family, friends and prayer people,
It was a month ago today that I had my bariatric surgery. I did not have the surgery that was planned for me. I did not get the new small pouch for a stomach. I had too many adhesions from previous surgeries so I had “the sleeve” surgery. This means the doctor took part of my stomach away and stappled what I have left to make a smaller stomach. I have passed through the five weeks of liquids only. I am now trying to eat “real” foods such as egg, cottage cheese, canned chicken, tuna, and refried beans. I have not been as successful as I would like to be on this eating plan. I do not know when I have had enough food until I feel like I need a big burp or worse. Today I have just eaten ½ the portion that I think I should be able to.
OK, I know that all dames are dizzy. I am literally having a problem with light headedness and dizziness. I told Dr. Roy this, she said that it most likely is a lack of food so I try to take some of my protein or just go take a nap.
I had expected to have a wealth of energy by now. It is not happening. I am however now able to leave the pool, take a shower, spin my swim suit and go to my locker without having to sit and rest between each of these things. I am pleased with this.
I do not see Dr. Gluck again until next Tuesday, March 10 at this time he will be telling me how my blood is. I went this morning and had 8 – 10 vials of blood drawn.
Spot the things you think I need prayers for and back me up, please.
Love

Friday, February 13, 2009

Update





Pictures were taken night before my surgery. February 1, 2009

I have not done Friday Funnies for a while.

Actually I have not been blogging for a while.

My surgery was almost pain free. At my last check-up I
Weighted 302#. It is difficult having to monitor my drinking
by drinking 2 ounces at a time, usually with 15 minutes in
between to let my stomach empty for the next filling.

I was in the right place to have had a heart reaction. I am now taking
Blood pressure medicine. I am also taking cumidin to thin my blood.

Thanks for your prayers on my behalf.
A man stood on the side of the road hitchhiking on a very dark night in the middle of a storm. The night was rolling and no cars passed. The storm was so strong; he could hadly see a few feet ahead of him. Suddenly he saw a car come towards him and stop. The guy, without thinking about it, got in the car and closed the door, only to realize that nobody was behind the wheel. The car started slowly. The guy looked at the road and saw a curve coming his way. Scared, he started praying, and begged for his life. He hadn't come out of shock, when just before he hit the curve, a hand appeared through the window and moved the wheel. The guy, paralyzed in terror, watched how the hand appeared every time before a curve.
The guy gathered strength, jumped out of the car and ran to the nearest town. Wet and in shock, he ran into a cantina, asked for two shots of tequila, and started telling everybody about the horrible experience he went through. A silence enveloped everybody when they realized the guy was crying and wan't drunk. About half and hour later, two guys walked into the same cantina, and one said to the other, "Look, there's the character who climbed into the car while we were pushing it!"
Airline laughs
Airline attendants make an effort to make the in-flight "safety lecture" and their other announcements a bit more entertaining. Here are some real examples that have been heard or reported:
"Thank you for flying Delta Business Express. We hope you enjoyed giving us the business as much as we enjoyed taking you for a ride."
"As you exit the plane, make sure to gather all of your belongings. Anything left behind will be distributed evenly among the light attendants. Pleases do not leave children or spouses."
Heard on Southwest Airlines just after a very had landing in Salt Lake City: The flight attendant came on the intercome and said, That was quite a bump, and I know what y'all are thinking. I'm here to tellyou it wasn't the airline's fauld, it wasn't the pilot's fault, it wasn't the flight attendant's fault...it was the asphalt."

Friday, January 30, 2009

A nursery school teacher was delivering a station wagon full of kids home one day when a fire truck zoomed past. Sitting in the front seat of the fire truck was a Dalmation dog. The children started discussing what the dog's duties might be."They use him to keep crowds back," said one youngster."No," said another, "he's just for good luck." A third child concluded. "No silly, they use the dogs to find the fire hydrant!"

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Prayer Praise Update

Update
Just to let you know I am appreciating the prayers each of you are praying for me. I have evidence that prayers are being answered.
On August 14, 2008, my first visit to see the bariatric surgeon, I weighted 331.5 Pounds.
On January 15, 2009, my second visit to see the doctor, I weighted 327.0 Pounds.
Please note: these dates took me through the Thanksgiving and the Christmas Season.
On January 27, 2009, I needed blood work done and at the hospital I weighted 305.9 Pounds.
By my calculation I have lost 21.1 Pounds in preparation for this surgery. Praise God and thanks to all of you who are praying for me.
Lois

Friday, January 23, 2009

Another Friday Funnies

A Winter Poem of Michigan




WINTER Poem
It's winter in Michigan
And the gentle breezes blow Seventy miles an hour
At thirty-five below.
Oh, how I love Michigan
When the snow's up to your butt
You take a breath of winter
And your nose gets frozen shut.
Yes, the weather here is wonderful
So I guess I'll hang around
I could never leave Michigan
I'm frozen to the ground!
Lois
I have not blogged for a while. I have been busy not eating. I have started the count down for the day of my bariatric surgery. I am on a liquid diet, spending a lot of time eliminating the fluid. The purpose of this liquid fasting is to get protein into my body and to shrink the liver. The liver needs shrinking as the doctor will be moving it around when he makes the new stomach. I am on this eating plan for two weeks previous to the surgery and another two to three weeks after the surgery. Now it is time for some fun.
Finally It's Done!Something I have been waiting for has finally happened! You can expect to hear from me even more frequently now! I finally got the bathroom remodeled!

This gives new meaning to 'Going Online'...
May you be blessed with a good chuckle today.

Friday, January 16, 2009

Friday Funnies










Little House Behind the House
By Lee Stressman, Missouri Valley, Iowa
One of my bygone recollections as I recall the days of yore,
Is the Little House, behind the house, with the crescent over the door.
‘Twas a place to sit and ponder, with your head bowed down low,
Knowing you wouldn’t be there, if you didn’t have to go.

Ours was a three holer, with a size for everyone,
You left there feeling better, after your usual job was done.
You had to make these frequent trips whether snow, rain, sleet, or fog…
To the Little House where you usually found the Sears-Roebuck catalogue.

Often times in dead of winter the seat was covered with snow,
‘Twas then with much reluctance to the Little House, you’d go.
With a swish you’d clear the seat, bend low with dreadful fear.
You’d blink your eyes and grit your teeth as you settled on your rear.

I recall the day my granddad, who stayed with us one summer,
Made a trip to the shanty, which proved to be a “bummer”.
‘Twas the same day that my dad finished painting the kitchen green.
He’d just cleaned up the mess he’d made, with rags and gasoline.
He tossed the rags in the shanty hole, and went on his usual way,
Not knowing that by doing so, he would eventually rue the day.

Now Granddad had an urgent call, I never will forget!
This trip he made to the Little House, lingers in my memory, yet!
He sat down on the shanty seat, with both feet on the floor,
Then filled his pipe with tobacco and struck a match on the outhouse door.
After the tobacco began to glow, He slowly raised his rear,
Tossed the flaming match in the open hole, with no sign of fear.

The blast that followed, I am sure, was heard for miles around;
And there was poor ol’ Granddad, just sitting on the ground.
The smoldering pipe was still in his mouth, His suspenders he held tight;
The celebrated 3-holer was blown clear out of sight!!!
When we asked him what had happened, his answer I’ll never forget.
He thought it must be something, that he had recently’et!!

Next day, we had a new one, which my dad built with ease,
With a sign on the entrance door, which read: “No Smoking, Please”

Now that’s the end of the story, with memories of long ago
Of the Little House, behind the house, where we went ‘cause we had to go!!
Lois



Friday, January 9, 2009

Friday Funnies


I hope you enjoy this cartoon for today.
Lois

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Newsletter

I belong to an organization called Ol Hens. We are group of ladies who either worked for The S. D. Warren Company or their husbands did. We meet once a month for a noon luncheon. We also have a newsletter primarily for the purpose of reminding where I luncheons will be. I am the writer of the newsletter. We do not have very much news. The ladies like to have a two page letter. Most of them do not have a computer so they do not get the nice articles that we with computers get so I fill the extra space with these kinds of articles:
Cooking Tip: When substituting Splenda for sugar is to use a hair less Splenda than the sugar it calls for. For example: If a recipe calls for one cup of sugar, measure out a cup of Splenda (don't pack it!) and remove a tablespoon. The common mistake most people make is to add a little more Splenda than what the recipe calls for in sugar and that yields an artificially sweetened taste. So use a little less and you'll be just fine . I got this tip from Christy Jordan. [contact@southernplate.com]
Investment tips for 2009 With all the turmoil in the market today and the collapse of Lehman Bros. and acquisition of Merrill Lynch by Bank of America, this might be some good advice. For all of you with any money left, be aware of the next expected mergers so that you can get in on the ground floor and make some BIG bucks. Watch for these consolidations in later this year: 1.) Hale Business Systems, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Fuller Brush, and W. R. Grace Co. will merge and become: Hale, Mary, Fuller, Grace. 2.) Polygram Records, Warner Bros., and Zesta Crackers join forces and become: Poly, Warner Cracker. 3.) 3M will merge with Goodyear and become: MMM Good. 4.) FedEx is expected to join its competitor, UPS, and become: FedUP. 6. Fairchild Electronics and Honeywell Computers will become: Fairwell Honeychild. 7. Grey Poupon and Docker Pants are expected to become: PouponPants. 8. Knotts Berry Farm and the National Organization of Women will become: Knott NOW.
Ramblings of a Retired MindI was thinking about how a status symbol of today is those cell phones that everyone has clipped onto their belt or purse. I can't afford one. So, I'm wearing my garage door opener. You know, I spent a fortune on deodorant before I realized that people didn't like me anyway. I was thinking about old age and decided that old age is 'when you still have something on the ball, but you are just too tired to bounce it.' I thought about making a fitness movie, for folks my age, and call it "Pumping Rust." I have gotten that dreaded furniture disease. That's when your chest is falling into your drawers! I know, when people see a cat's litter box, they always say, "Oh, have you got a cat?" Just once I want to say, "No, it's for company!" Employment application blanks always ask 'who is to be notified in case of an emergency.' I think you should write, "A Good Doctor!" I was thinking about how people seem to read the Bible a whole lot more as they get older. Then, it dawned on me they were cramming for their finals. As for me, I know that Jesus has saved me!
Think of the money the U.S. citizens would save if all of our politicians were like:
Harry Truman, from Missouri, he was a different kind of President. He probably made as many important decisions regarding our nation's history as any of the other 42 Presidents. However, a measure of his greatness may rest on what he did after he left the White House.
Historians have written the only asset he had when he died was the house he lived in, which was in Independence, Missouri. On top of that, his wife inherited the house from her Mother. `
When he retired from office in 1952, his income was a U.S. Army pension reported to have been $13,507.72 a year. Congress, noting that he was paying for his stamps and personally licking them, granted him an 'allowance' and, later, a retroactive pension of $25,000 per year.
After President Eisenhower was inaugurated, Harry and Bess drove home to Missouri by themselves. There were no Secret Service following them.
When offered corporate positions at large salaries, he declined, stating, 'You don't want me. You want the office of the President, and that doesn't belong to me. It belongs to the American people and it's not for sale.'
Even later, on May 6, 1971, when Congress was preparing to award him the Medal of Honor on his 87th birthday, he refused to accept it, writing, 'I don't consider that I have done anything which should be the reason for any award, Congressional or otherwise.'
He never owned his own home and as president he paid for all of his own travel expenses and food.
Modern politicians have found a new level of success in cashing in on the Presidency, resulting in untold wealth. Today, many in Congress also have found a way to become quite wealthy while enjoying the fruits of their offices. Political offices are now for sale.
Good old Harry Truman was correct when he observed, 'My choices early in life were either to be a piano player in a whore house or a politician. And to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference.'
It takes a while to come up with some of this but the ladies seem to enjoy getting the letter.
Lois

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Celebration

Saturday, January 3 would have been my mother’s 100th birthday had God not decided to take her to Him three years ago. The past thirty years our family has been celebrating the life of our mother every five years. This year we decided to go ahead with our celebration. We used a church social room to have a lunch of mixed barbeque sandwiches, sauerkraut, a variety of chips, salsa, brownies, a chex mix dessert, fortune cookies, and fudge.







My mother enjoyed playing games. She always said she had as much fun as anyone if she was winning or loosing. [I personally like winning.] We had three tables of games being played at one time. Two games of Skip Bo and one of Rumicub.

I think we have decided that it would be a good plan to continue meeting every five years but calling it The Winter Toman Reunion. Lois

Friday, January 2, 2009

Friday Funnies

Hi,
This is my second try at doing this blog thing. I have been reading blogs for quite a while and do so enjoy them. I have wanted to take part in the Friday Funnies for many months.
So this is it for today.

Faced with hard times, the company offered a bonus of one thousand
dollars to any employee who could come up with a way of saving money.
The bonus went to a young woman in accounting who suggested limiting
future bonuses to ten dollars.

Aunt Lois Says

Thursday, January 1, 2009

First Time

Today, January 1, 2009 I am going to exercise my brain and try to do a post/blog.
We have had a quiet day. The we is my husband, Jim and I.
I made a delicious breakfast pizza which we did not eat until almost noon. We were up late last night. We did not get home from our neighbors until 1:00 a.m.
We had played "Mexican Train" with them until almost midnight. We stopped to watch the ball come down. I actually did not get to see it drop. I guess I blinked my eyes. We then had a piece of dump cake and came home.
We ordered gardening supplies for this coming season.
I think this will do for now. Aunt Lois Says.