OK Here Goes!!

I have never created a blog in my life so this is a first for me!

My name is Diane and I live with my adorable husband John in Charlotte NC. John & I emigrated to the USA from the UK in 1996 with our then 16 year old son, Gareth and 10 year old daughter Aimee.

We settled in Wisconsin originally - in fact Gareth still lives there. We spent 2 years in WI then moved to Spokane WA for two years, following by a 4 year stay in Shelburne, VT before finally making our way to Charlotte, NC which is going to be our final destination God willing!

John & I became American citizens in 2006 and we are very proud of that fact. We love the lifestyle in the US, although our families are both still back in the UK we don't intend living there again.

I have struggled with my weight pretty much ever since my late teens (I am now 55).  I was a weight watchers leader from 1994 thru 1996 in Cambridge England.

I have various health issues, I have had surgery twice on a Pituitary tumor, the first in 1987 (in England) and then again in 1998 in Portland OR. The second surgery was followed by radiation and this pretty much wiped out all function of the Pituitary Gland.

I have hypothroidism which is secondary the the hypopituaritism. I am constantly visiting my Endocronogist who really my primary care physician.

I had cervical cancer a couple of years ago and had a complete hysterectomy including ovary removal.

Recently they discovered a lesion on my liver which they are monitoring this isn't giving me any trouble right now but I am unable to take any kind of female hormone treatment.

I have very high cholesterol levels and unfortunately I cannot tolerate statins.  I have also been diagnosed with metabolic syndrome. I have been referred to a Cardiac Prevention Center in Charlotte and they feel I am a very good candidate for a new drug therapy to reduce my cholesterol levels.  I am hopeful that I will qualify and that I get good results.

My weight today is 182 pounds. My endocrinologist this week prescribed me with a month of Phentermine and I am day on 2 of this.

A gym opened just two doors away from my office and I was given a month's free membership.

I am definitely an all or nothing personality. Either I am a couch potato or I am at the gym every day (right now I am at the gym every day). I am feeling very energized, in fact I was positively euthoric within a hour of taking the first phentermine. I hope that this is going to give me the leg up I need to lose weight for all of the above health issues.

My father suffered a stroke in February (he is recovering very well), my mother had a heart attack at the age of 60, she is doing great also. These incidences should have given me a wake up call and I am hopeful that I can turn my overall health around to live for many more years to come.

Sorry that this blog seems like a shopping list of ailments - I just wanted to get all my health baggage out of the way in one fell swoop.

I am looking forward to "meeting" others who are on the same journey as me.

Hello

Hi there, welcome to EP.

I'm fairly new on here too and am finding it very beneficial to write down what I'm feeling and going through and I love reading other peoples comments on my blog.

You certainly have had a rough time health wise, its good to see that you are not letting it hold you back. You have my utmost admiration on your positive attitude. Good luck.

Good luck

Hello and welcome to EP from me too!!  Good luck on the Phen and your journey.

I'm in Spokane, WA now - born n raised here ;-)

Hi Greenfae

Thank you for getting in touch with me - we are all on a journey which will have an end - a very good end. Stay positive and good things will happen to you!

Hi GCQ

So good to hear from someone from Spokane - we really enjoyed living there, the climate suited us very well. So different from Wisconsin where we lived prior to WA - in WI we could not eat outside in the summer as it was incredibly humid and there were lots of biting bugs which would attack us. I will never forget sitting out on our deck in Spokane every evening eating dinner for what seemed like months. It was very pleasant and we hardly ever saw an insect.

I hope that we can keep in touch

Hi Diane

And welcome to EP....I see you also found Nifty 50's!  I've found I really love this communtiy.....I've learn so much from other members....and so much about myself by basicall spilling my guts.....and blabbing about what's on my mind....almost everyday.  EP tip:  If you want to respond to someone who left you a response; you can click on their name and it will take you to their blog.  Another thing.....is to add people to your friends list, it will even let you know if they've posted something new.....then you start to build your own little community of support......look forward to seeing you around.

Hi Diane!!!

I came across your blog via the Body-for-Life support group.  Glad you joined us. 

Also glad you joined EP.  This was / is my first blogging experience too, and I am very happy I joined.  There are a lot of great people here.  And it's kinda like folks are told at WW.  "when your down, you need the meeting.  When your up, the meeting needs you."  (at least that's what my leader said for the brief time I was there)  I apply that same principle to EP.  "when your down, you need EP.  When your up, EP needs you!" 

So, blog away!!!  Bad, ugly, good, great...blog it all.  You will find the support is endless.

Sounds like you have a lot of things going RIGHT for you.  Gym just down the way, you are experiencing energy because you are going.  Those things are great.  Keep it up!!!  You can do it!!!

Again, WELCOME!!  Look forward to following your success!!!