Old Email Excerpts

Wow... I am up late !!  I was going through cleaning out my inbox !!  It is a mess.  Just some excerpts from emails though out the past year !!

1/25/09 ~

I have had the stomach flu and diarrhea for a week.  I am going to physical therapy and I am using a walker to help from falling.  So, that is what is going on!!!!

 

2/20/09~
 Just remember, "they" say that:

Of all the thing you wear, your expression is the most important.
The pursuit of happiness is the chase of a lifetime
The heaviest thing you can carry is a grudge.

The best vitamin for making friends..... B1

The happiness of my life depends on the quality of my thoughts
One thing you can give and still keep...your word.
One thing I can't recycle is wasted time.

A mind is like a parachute...it functions only when open.

Friends are like balloons; once you let them go, you might not get them back

 3/6/09~

Dear Dawn:

 

I don't know if you're home or not, or at your mom's, but I wanted to

let you know how VERY SORRY I was and am to hear about your dad.  I know

this is a very sad and extremely stressful time.  Just wanted to touch

base and say I Love You, and hope you're taking care of yourself as

best you can.

 

2/27/10

I saw Dr. Schwartz on Friday.  I am very anemic.  Counts are extremely low.  I have CBC done in 4 weeks.  If they go lower, I will either get units of blood or see a hematologist or both.  I tell ya.  

 

5/13/10

How are you doing ?  I am doing ok.  I got a call from Dr. S's office (Pulmonary - methotrexate) and they will NOT change the dose or how often I take it.  (Once a week)  Too dangerous for the Wegener's to come back.  She said that the hematologist will have to do something else for me.  I see her in a week and a half.  Mom's knee is not doing very good.  She said she will be having it replaced this winter.  I will keep you posted, for sure !!

 

Just had a weird thing happen to me on FB.  I guy that I dated in STL... asked to be my friend.  I didn't do it.  I did click to see his picture (lol) and MY picture was there !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  He just started FB today and he had 30 friends.  I reported him and blocked him.  I don't like being stalked !!  At least I put my city as STL !!!!  I had to call the police when I lived in St. Peters, MO, and have him removed by the police because he fell for me so hard and wanted to marry me after a month !!  NUTS !!  I had just gotten divorced and wanted nothing to do with it!!  He bought a cell phone from me when I sold them in STL.  Of course, I was nice and friendly and got myself in a HUGE mess and then today on FB.... oh, the joys of life !!  lol

 

 517/10 ~

I see !!  Yep... those were my 'severe' maniac years when I would be up for nights and days making stupid tags !!  Have nothing to show for it today.  I don't even have paint shop on my computer anymore.  lol  My back gives me fits if I sit here too long.  Have a good afternoon and evening.... 'talk' to you later..... My back is killing me from sitting here for two hours.  lol

 

5/18/10 ~

Hey D!  Or maybe I should remember to call u “A”.  The pictures of you are great! Way to go!  I don’t remember the last time I saw you in flip flops.  You definitely have worked hard and you look marvelous!  Great job!  We just got home from the baseball game.  Patriots won 12 to 2!  A Forest Park kind of day planned for tomorrow…..a picnic, the zoo, science center and another baseball game at  7:40 should fill up our day tomorrow!!! 

5/13/10

I have an Ativan withdraw headache from hell.  I can hardly see straight or think straight.  UGH !!  It will go away in a couple of days.  I will come up with something to write today or tomorrow.  I hate decreasing medicine !!

6/5/10

Ok... here goes !!

About me.... I will be 47 the end of this month.  25 years ago I was diagnosed with Wegener's Granulomatosis.  It is very rare.  The life expectancy with this auto immune illness is five years.  I keep going !!  For the treatment... I have to take steroids and chemotherapy.  I take the chemotherapy by mouth.  I am now on a regimen of taking it on Saturday's.  It wipes me OUT !!!!  It has effected my lungs.  I was really sick for 6 months.  I could of had cancer, rocky mountain spotted fever... or this really rare disease.. and I had the really rare disease.  I live with it every day of my life.

 

I have struggled with my weight for a long time.  I have been on steroids for the Wegener's for 25 years.  I am only on 2.5 milligrams daily.  My highest was 70 milligrams daily.  That really made me gain my weight.

 

When I lost my weight... I weighed over 400 lbs.  I was a sad sad case!  I fell a lot.  I couldn't hardly stand for a long period.  Showers were hard on me.  I had to get pedicures because I couldn't cut my toe nails.  I had to have a raised toilet seat... I couldn't get off of the toilet.  I walked with a walker and/or a cane.  I had no muscles.. it was ALL fat!!  I tried to have gastric bypass surgery.  My husband's insurance covered it... but I was denied... I hadn't been followed on an exercised program for a year.  I couldn't exercise.... I couldn't move.  I finally broke my ankle... We were going to see my Mom last year... a couple months after my Dad died.  We were leaving a restaurant.. and when I got into the car, I didn't raise my leg high enough.  My ankle got caught in the car and I broke it.  I was in a cast.. I couldn't use crutches.  My arms weren't strong enough to hold me.  When I would get up from tables when we would eat out.  My hubby had to hold the table up, so I wouldn't tip it over.  I would REALLY have to push myself up to get up.  When we would get in the elevator or something... I would think I would fall... I could hardly stand.  A lot of the time, when we would go to hospitals for my hubby's cancer.  We would have to valet park.  He would then push me around in a wheelchair.  It was really sad !!

I got hold of myself.  I can move.  I can dress myself.  I was in a 6X.  Now I am in 1X in tops.. because of my boobs.  In an 16 - 18 for my bottoms.  I have been big breasted ALL my life.  I went from a training bra to a DDD cup almost overnight.  I 'was' a 52II.  Now, I am a 40FF.  I am a prime candidate for breast reduction surgery.  I stand by the mailbox everyday waiting for the mail to come to see if I get anything from the insurance company.

 

Going back to the chemotherapy.  I am bald.  I wear wigs.  I lost my hair a long time ago.  Talking about different hair styles and colors.  I wish I could get a human hair wig.  They cost over $200 and we can't afford it.  I am happy with my wigs.  They do get very hot in the summer.

 

My husband, Roy, and I will be married 10 years on June 19.  We both have been married before.  I wasn't able to have children.  The chemo cooked my ovaries.  I have twin nieces and two nephews.  I treat them like they are my own when I see them.

 

Roy was diagnosed with sebaceous cell carcinoma two years after we were married.  It started on his lower eye lid.  Long story short... he lost his eye... he has a prosthesis.  He had radiation.  He had surgery and had a total neck dissection and his lymph nodes removed at Barnes Jewish hospital in St. Louis.

 

He remains in remission and he is 5 years out !!  YAY !!

 

That is a lot !!  lol  If you have any questions.... ask away....

 

When you have time, I would like to know more about you!

6/13/10~

I still have the bipolar, but I am only on a mood stabilizer.  I take sleeping meds, but that is it.  My doctor is really pleased with me.  I am not on any anxiety medicine or anything.  My weight loss has really helped my over all well being. 

 

I was a diabetic.  I went off all of my diabetic medicine.  My last A1C was 7.9.  I couldn't believe it.  I am back on medicine.  I was disappointed.  But, I have to be watched very closely.

 

I wished my white count was higher.  But, it isn't.  I see my hematologist in 10 days.  I will see what she wants to do. 

 

I am glad we have reconnected.  I am missed you!!

 

9/10/10~

 

My primary care doctor put me on Vitamin D.  I was put on 20,000 IU's for 20 days.  Today I take 4,000 IU's a day.  You can buy it over the counter when it come's time for you to be on it.  It should help you!  Remember, I told you!!  Do you take a multi-vitamin??  Go to Wal-Mart or somewhere and just get any generic vitamin... it would be good for you and Chuck, too. 

 

Don't know anything about the Epstein Barr virus.  I hope you start to feel better. 

 

I had my breast reduction surgery last Wednesday, September 1.  I am doing great.  I am teeny weenie now !!  LOL  I am really little... but I am so happy.  I still have my nipple protectors on and I am wearing a compression bra.  My thingies on my nipples are sewn on and will probably come off next Tuesday.  My nipples are a skin graph and they have to be protected for an extra while.  He doesn't want anything rubbing against them.  

 

9/14/10 ~

Thanks for the email.  I am very interested in Juice Plus+.  Right now, I am on dial-up.. cough.. cough.  We are getting high-speed this Wednesday.  So, I can't watch your video at this time.  I did take Juice Plus+ about 5 - 6 years ago.  A friend of mine last week and just told me that I needed to take it.  But, to be honest, I don't trust her.  Isn't that awful.  She just wants my debit card number. 

 

I have a series of health problems.  I am auto immune.  I was diagnosed with Wegner's Granulomatois back in 1985.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wegener%27s_granulomatosis  http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/wegeners-granulomatosis/DS00833

http://www.medicinenet.com/wegeners_granulomatosis/article.htm

A few articles for you to read.  It is very rare.  I got really sick and they couldn't figure out what was wrong with me.  My doctor's finally did a chest x-ray and found that I had over 20 lesions in my lungs.  I had an open lung biopsy.  I was diagnosed with Wegners Granulomatosis.  It is treated with chemotherapy (orally) and prednisone.  I take Methotrexate only on Saturday and prednisone 2.5 mgs everyday.  I have been in remission for over 20+ plus years.  I never had kidney involvement.  You wouldn't know anything was wrong with me, by looking at me. 

 

I did gain a lot of weight.  I used to weigh over 400 lbs.  In October of this year, I will have maintained my 200 lb. weight loss for a year.  Something I am very proud of.  I had to walk with a walker, have a raised toilet seat and have help to get dressed.  I was a mess.  I tried for gastric bypass but I was denied.  My primary physician didn't follow me on a exercise program for 6 months.  I couldn't exercise.  I couldn't move.  My legs wouldn't support my body weight.  I could hardly walk.  I got hold of myself.  I started taking little walks.  I started out from walking from the couch to the front door.  I would do that twice a day.  I had to start moving.  I started slowly.  My refrigerator was my best friend.  My husband would have to help me in the shower because I couldn't stand.  We had a shower bench, but, then I couldn't get up. 

 

Well, I started moving !  I got hold of myself.  It was HARD.  I had to struggle.  I tried so many diets.  From Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, Dr. Atkins, The South Beach and more..... Nothing worked.  But today, I am at 200 lbs.  I am 5'8".  I would like to loose 30 more lbs.  I just had a breast reduction surgery two weeks ago.  I feel so much better about myself.  I got myself going to the gym.  I was 'doing' the treadmill, the bicycle and the elliptical machine.  I was really toning up.  But, my skinny friends told me that I looked so good that I didn't need to go.  So, I stopped.  Let me tell you that I need to get back.  I have gained weight and feel so sluggish. 

 

I am back to being a borderline diabetic.  My cholesterol was up and my doctor wanted to put me on medicine, but I never had it filled.  I think my cholesterol was 195.  I don't remember what it was 3 months ago. 

 

I was an insulin dependent diabetic when I was over 400 lbs.  My triglyceride's were over 700.  I am really lucky to be alive today. 

 

I am also bipolar.  I have never been depressed, but I seem to be more maniac.  My bipolar is so much more controlled since I have lost my weight.  I am only on a mood stabilizer.  I also take sleeping medicine. 

 

As far as some measurements in my bust.  I was a 52 II.  Before my surgery I was a 40FF.  I think I am a 38B cup now.  I will know more tomorrow after I see my plastic surgeon.  I use to wear in tops a size 6X.  My tops are now a 1X.  But now that I have had my surgery, I think an XL will fit fine.  When I was over 400 lbs., I could only find sweatpants.  They were size 8X.  I am now done to a 18/20.  I have so much extra loose flab from weighing so much in my tummy area.  Although since my breast reduction surgery, I now *giggles* see a roll of fat that I didn't see before.  My boobs covered it up!  LOL  Now, I want to get back to the gym to work on that.  Any suggestions?!?

 

9/16/10 ~

Thanks so much for the caring call and the lovely card and gifts. You're a lovely, sweet and caring woman....

 

9/28/10 ~

AHA!!!  I saw the truck and all those trees; no wonder I couldn't see
your house LOL  This is so cool!!!!  Your area looks really
peaceful... and I can see why you were blown away at all the houses
and roads around mine.  Very cool!!  This was taken on either a
Thursday evening or Friday because the garbage cans are out (one
recycle).  I used to park in the side car port before Mom sold her
Blazer.  Then when I was home from work, and took my parents to most
of their appts, I convinced them it was better to put my car in the
garage because I had a bigger car and front seat *snicker*  it is
really, but I got the garage YAY!  LOL