Re: I'm home - SUSIE!

[Guest guest]

Susie, what a great story! I am so glad you are doing so well

and that you've made it to the other side!

Hugs!

Susie G. wrote:

>

> Dear Friends,

> Hi everyone, I had my MGB on July 12th, Barb Ivory and I were

> roomies.

> I will tell you that Barb really had a wonderful experience. Mine was

> not quite as easy, but as of today, which is one week post op I had my

> first wonderful day. I did need to hear from Dr R personally that my

> pain was normal and I was more than likely not harboring a leak. It

> was

> gas and I was quite sore on my tummy area.

> A little overview of my journey: I arrived at clinic on Tuesday

> morning

> with my son Bret. As I was waiting at the main desk for directions to

> the clinic room, I heard a man reeling in excitement as if seeing an

> old

> friend. I turned around to see what was going on and quickly

> realized

> that this man was probably Dr R. seeing a patient he had not seen in

> a

> year. It was apparent that she was bursting with happiness inside

> and

> out that she was unrecognizable to him. He fussed like a good friend

> you had not seen in years. It really got me. I even said to him " I

> sure do hope you greet me like that in a year from now, " and that was

> my

> unplanned introduction to Dr R. Apparantly he really does scan over

> the messages in his spare time and gets to know us to some degree.

> When

> I shook his hand I told him I was Sue Gordon. He said " Oh yea,

> Susie

> from New York! " that blew my mind. Clinic was wonderful, you get to

> meet

> your littermates, Barb and Debbie, post ops with and without problems,

> and future hopefuls who need and want this surgery just as badly as

> us

> all. Every name on this list has a face and an emotion and a

> desperation

> only we know. For those of you that I met that are working so hard to

> lose enough weight to have this surgery safely, it will happen! My

> love

> to you all.... So.. at clinic Barb ( who I adore) and Debbie who

> is a

> dol weighs you and measures your waist. I hopped on that scale

> for

> the first time in my life with total abandon. It read 320 and for the

> first time in my life I knew that It would be the last time I ever saw

> that number. Silently I said good bye to it and stepped off. Dr R

> speaks, as do guest speakers, and then your called out privately to

> speak to Dr R about your surgery. . He goes over your packet a bit and

> reassures you that all will be well. He will answer any of your

> private

> questions if you have them at this time.

> That evening, many of us went to the Cattleman for our " Last

> Supper " ,

> others just stopped by to say Hi, and was such a trooper, she

> even showed us her 5 band aids, from her surgery 2 days prior. WoW!

> she

> was doing great and allayed many of our normal fears.

> Wednesday morning we all showed up at the hospital at 7:00 am.

> This was

> our most fun and bonding time. Kandy J , Kandy B, Trudy, ita,

> Dena

> and myself with mommies, sons and hubbies. We carried on so,

> giggling

> and laughing others were looking at us . They must have been thinking

>

> " hey this is a pre-op area, a little decorum please " Who else would

> be

> so happy that they were hours away from surgery. They didn't get it,

> and

> that was even more fun.!

> They put us in private rooms to put on our roomie gowns and they

> put the

> white stockings on you. Then we ran amuck visiting each others rooms

> and

> turned the hospital floor into a dorm. As the stretcher would come up

> ,

> one of us would be taken with the support of all of us rooting them

> on.

> I was # 8 to go so the cheering team was weakening. Dr R did 9 that

> day... We were taken down to a holding pen where your IV is

> started,

> and they put the cap on your head. My nurse Sheila was wonderful, did

>

> not feel much of anything. The anesthesiologist comes to speak to you

> and looks down your throat to check your airway. Not too worry, we

> all

> seem to have a good one., even tho we may have chubby necks and

> throats.

> Now... they say that nothing is going onto your veins to make you

> relax,

> but I sware, I was very calm. I skooted over onto the operating table

> and everyone was busy around me hooking me up to things. Dr R came

> in

> all masked up and said " so... are you reafy to get skinny? Ahhh

> music to my ears. They put a little mask by my nose and said to

> breath in the oxygen. The next thing I remember was waking up in my

> room. No tubes, just my IV. I slept a lot. had no nausea (ever)

> but.. I

> did bleed a lot from one of my ports. The nurses were WONDERFUL. I

> did

> have terrible gas pain after the first day. If I could make one

> reccomendation it would be that we should be given something to try

> to

> dissipate the gas. A week out and that is still my major suggestion.

> Two nights later we all went out for egg drop soup. Some of us stayed

> in

> Durham and some did not. My suggestion in hind site is too stay to

> make

> sure all is well as a leak could occur days later. Most importantly

> is

> ; do not eat, only liquids and small amounts, and I mean that!!!!!!

> I

> stayed at the Faifield Marriot $39 a night with breakfast and pool.

> The

> room was very plain but clean. I would strongly sugest that your

> hotel

> has a * recliner* in it. You will be more comfortable. A little

> fridge

> would have been nice too. My room had neither. Too bad.

> Today one week later I have lost 13lbs I got dressed and

> friends came

> to take me out. I had my nails done and had a smoothie. It really

> was

> my first great day. My tummy pain has lessened greatly! So

> there

> it is friends... all my love and best wishes to all pre and post

> ops.

> It will happen! Luv Susie