Re: First post!

August 17, 2000

Michele, Sounds like your doing pretty well. Welcome to the group. My surgery

is next tursday. I will being posting for the next few days. I will look for

your posts. Congrats!

Kathie265

August 18, 2000

Welcome Michele! We are happy to have you on the list. Please keep us

informed as to how you are doing. Please don't hesitate to ask for

help, as this group is wonderfully supportive, and we all need to be

there for one another. We are really a unique group of people in the

world, as a unique doctor, and surgery unites us.

Warm Welcome

Marjory Sumlin

8/30/00

> Hi Everyone!

>

> This is my first post on e-groups. I had my surgery 8/9/00. I'm

> getting better everyday. The best thing that happened to me in

> Durham was meeting Beth from Florida. She was my hotel neighbor and

> now lifelong friend. I couldn't have gone through all of this as

> well as I did without her help and support! She had surgery the

day

> after I did. My wounds are healing well and I'm feeling better.

> Yesterday I felt very weak, " drunk " feeling, sweaty and shaky. I

> thought I might faint. I think I may have had low blood sugar.

I've

> never had anything like that before but orange juice helped. I

> hadn't been taking in very many calories. Now I'm trying to get

more

> juices, yogurt and some type of protein drink slowly throughout the

> day. Along with my meds of course. I'm feeling stronger today. I

> have felt depressed some days when I think about what I've had to

do

> to my body and why. But I truly thank God for Dr. Rutledge and

hope

> he truly knows how much his work means. I look forward to getting

my

> life back again. Four years ago I was 185-190 pounds and a size

> 14/16. And I thought I was fat then! Today I am off the scale and

a

> size 28/30! Dr. Rutledge has given me hope and given me a chance

to

> live again. I can't wait to send him my post-op picture!

>

> Michele

> (from Illinois)

August 18, 2000

In a message dated 8/17/00 8:22:56 PM Pacific Daylight Time,

MLHansen11@... writes:

<< Hi Everyone!

This is my first post on e-groups. I had my surgery 8/9/00. I'm

getting better everyday. The best thing that happened to me in

Durham was meeting Beth from Florida. She was my hotel neighbor and

now lifelong friend. I couldn't have gone through all of this as

well as I did without her help and support! She had surgery the day

after I did. My wounds are healing well and I'm feeling better.

Yesterday I felt very weak, " drunk " feeling, sweaty and shaky. I

thought I might faint. I think I may have had low blood sugar. I've

never had anything like that before but orange juice helped. I

hadn't been taking in very many calories. Now I'm trying to get more

juices, yogurt and some type of protein drink slowly throughout the

day. Along with my meds of course. I'm feeling stronger today. I

have felt depressed some days when I think about what I've had to do

to my body and why. But I truly thank God for Dr. Rutledge and hope

he truly knows how much his work means. I look forward to getting my

life back again. Four years ago I was 185-190 pounds and a size

14/16. And I thought I was fat then! Today I am off the scale and a

size 28/30! Dr. Rutledge has given me hope and given me a chance to

live again. I can't wait to send him my post-op picture!

Michele

(from Illinois)

>>

Hey Friends,

This is the sweet Michele I was telling you about! She had the surgery the

same day as Chris.

Michele, I'm so glad you have joined the list--I think it will help with the

depression. We are all in this together!

Regards,

Debbie in IL

MGB 8/10 Cigna approved as " in network "

August 18, 2000

Michele,

Well here is wishing you continued luck in your weight loss. Congratulations

on doing the dance with DR. Rutledge.

With Love,

Lara M. Akin (BMI 61)

Getting my weight down

to do the dance with Dr. Rutledge.

423/417/413

Waist 51/47

August 18, 2000

Hi Michele,

So glad that you decided to post! I had my surgery on 8/11/00, and I

sure can relate to the things that you are saying. I am still a

little weak an shakey, too, but I remember that even before surgery

when I would crash diet, I'd get the same way. I remember waking up

from surgery thinking " what have I done??? " . All of the guilt of not

being able to follow diet programs sucessfully in the past came

flooding back and I felt like a failure having to do something as

drastic as permanantly changing my anatomy. I knew that the feeling

would pass, but I was suprised that I felt that way after having

fought to get this surgery for a year. My next thought was that I was

a little grossed out by knowing that my old stomach was just floating

around in there somewhere. I'm still not 100%, but feeling better

with each new morning. I know that with time, I will stop focusing on

the changes to my anatomy, and will feel " normal " . It is very

emotional having to make such a serious decision as obesity surgery.

Even though I am still sore from my surgery, I am feeling so much

better. My blood pressure is normal for the first time in years. My

skin looks better. My acid reflux that bother me all day every day

has been gone since I woke up from surgery. I'm sure that I am losing

weight, too, but have not weighted yet. I'm glad that you met a

friend through this! I've met so many nice people through this list

and I know that you will, too. Best wishes.

Stormy