I think an update is in order ...long overdue. Thank you for your well wishes rose friends :-) I am doing so well weight wise - have lost 110 pounds and I am getting in better shape every month, by running, biking, swimming and weight training. I have had no complications from the surgery what so ever (Yet?) - I take my vitamin supplements and I eat very healthy - smaller portions than before. I just do not tolerate sugar - it makes me really sick (metabolic dumping syndrome - heart races - I sweat and get nausea - so I stay clear of foods with too much sugar). But loosing weight has also made me regain myself or discower new sides of myself. I have had to work hard on healing years of sexual and physical abuse as a boy - since I have become more in touch with my feelings - my core self - and it has been rough and not always pretty as roses in may. I was assaulted and it retraumatized me and gave me anxiety problems and the court case was tiresome ...to have him sent to jail. For a while I coped by drinking way too much - so I had to bite the dust and admit - that I had to quit drinking - that it was no way to cope with emotions running up and down ... it has taken and still take some therapy ...but I feel better and stronger and more grounded. I am looking for a bigger house ... so I am in between gardens - At least I will be able to keep my rented allotment gardens I use for cutting roses, propagation and veggies/herbs. It is spring so I work my butt off preparing the soil, building raised beds - but it is nice. Most new roses I buy this year I will grow in pots - so I can take them with me to the new house and garden (When I find one I can afford) and I hope that the garden will not be too shaded ...since it will limit the number of roses I can grow. I really look forward to the spring flush - 8 weeks and the roses will start blooming and 10 weeks - peak bloom! Ahh ... (hope the weather behaves the 3-4 weeks they peak!). I do the last pruning and weed these days ... I have not blogged about roses and gardening ... I have had to prioritize and work on the issues I mentioned. Roselvr: Yes - it is important to find a good surgeon that specializes in WLS surgery. And yes there is a risk of complications - but the chances of of improwing life quality is much better - and far out-weighs the risk of complications - most of which can be managed. But all surgery has risks of complications ... Doug - How blessed I was - to be able to meet you in Iowa. I often think of you and your wife and hope you are doing well - and that your rabbits do not eat all your roses. Hugs! Ingrid: If you have read this far - you probably understand why I have not posted much - but just read and lurked here on the forums the last year. The reason you have not seen pictures of me as a big guy - was that I was very good at avoiding camera lenses :-) I will post a before and after picture - this summer. Alida - Sure I remember you! I hope you and Gerbe are doing well - even though I must say that rose does not repeat well - I still love the scent of the flowers.

Another update. I went down for the day today. We live about one hour away. Met the surgeon. The plan now is to do surgery on Wednesday morning. Learned that it will be a triple bypass. DH has had some chest pains today, so they put him on a nitro drip. If the pains continue they will do surgery earlier, as in this weekend. I planned to stay home tomorrow to do laundry and catch up on other things. Going down on Sunday with my son and SIL. Will be good to have company. While I was there today I met numerous people. All were very nice and willing to answer any questions. DH's neurologist for his sleep apnea came by as did the cardiologist for his pacer replacement that occurred in January. On my way home I stopped at our local Ethan Allen store and ordered a recliner for DH. We had been there recently and he had sat in one he liked. It's available in their quick ship program, so we could have it in 2-4 weeks. They have the exact chair on their floor so we were talking about getting that until the new one came in. I've never purchased furniture on a whim like this, but he kept mentioning today he would like a recliner. Their sale ended today so that sealed the deal.

This is one operation I can see in my future. Right index finger beginning to turn left. But, I'm waiting until the pain gets to be unremittingly painful due to prior experience. first operation: Opened up back of left hand from mid hand at wrist to just below the thumb and across right index finger large nuckle. This was to clean out the gunk produced by inflammation from RA. Waste of time but doctors would not get more drastic until damage was more extensive. Second operation: Carpal Tunnel Synovectomy, both hands. Did the most to relieve the pain in my hands and lasted several years. Third operation: Wrist fusion, both wrists. Still pain free in wrists. RA beginning to become active in finger joints. First two provided some limited relief for a period of time but was definitely not a cure. They allowed me to put off the final wrist fusion oh, probably 10 or 12 years. The carpal tunnel syn. reduced the level of pain to something I could live with for awhile. There is some limit of motion now but nothing I can't live with. One or two personal hygiene things I had to find a different way to accomplish and I have to be aware of the fact that the joint doesn't bend so care has to be taken in situations where bending the wrist would be necessary. You will find that the stiff joint will be awkward sometimes. You can put this off but if you are in pain this operation will relieve that and the joint won't further deteriorate. The surgeon will have a better joint to work with and this joint will not get better with time. I hope this helps. Good luck.

Yes JP- Start rockin that knee ASAP!! I'm preaching here from a downstairs bedroom! Damn spring cold!!! Missed work yesterday, & today is the normal day off. OSP- I KNEW it! Should'a had my surgery in JH!!! That way, I could've done my rehab at the Four-Seasons there....;-) DW & I walked through there in July 2013. Were staying in West-Yellowstone, but drove thru YNP one day, then down to JH. MIMI- I bet you've got lotsa rehab stories you could tell!!? My CPM-Machine was on when I woke up...I THINK... If not, it was on soon afterward! You also reminded me that I had started "Pre-replacement" exercises 2 months b4 surgery too! "Go in stronger" was kinda their mantra... Faron