Re: My Updated Contact Letter

[Guest guest]

Beth:

Thanks for the post of your great progress. It really helps us pre-op's who

are waiting.......so patiently.....to cross over to the other side.

Christy

California

Pre-Op

[Guest guest]

Hey Beth !

I wanted to give you a call tonight if its ok...I need to talk to you ..I

dont think my posts are posting ...cuz I dont see them at all.

I have your numbers...I think its just the Fla group post for some

reason...Hopefully this will go thru. Can you give me a good time to call

you tonight?

Your Friend,

>From: TooEnable@...

>Reply-To: MiniGastricBypass (AT) egroups (DOT) com

>To: MiniGastricBypass (AT) egroups (DOT) com

>Subject: My Updated Contact Letter

>Date: Thu, 5 Oct 2000 23:55:12 EDT

>

>Hello Pre-Ops!

>My name is Beth Brown and I am almost Two months post op. I wanted to

>send

>all of you newbies my updated contact letter. Use it if you need it! Best

>of luck!

>

>Pre Op stats: 39 yrs old, 5'2 " , 357 Lbs

>Submitted Packet: July 18, 2000

>Scheduled Surgery: One week later, July 25, 2000

>MGB: August 10, 2000

>The surgery went off without a hitch and I have had the model recovery. I

>had no nausea and little pain. I never filled my post op PAIN meds and

>never

>needed them. My five, one inch incisions closed wonderfully.

>The pain I felt went away in about a week. It was located underneath my

>left

>breast. I felt pain with each breath and it was days before I could take

>in

>a deep breath. Coughing, sneezing and laughing made me grab my chest.

>However, it was NOT miserable or stabbing pain. The only reason I point it

>out is that it scared me. I had heard so many post ops say that there was

>no

>pain. Therefore, for the first week, I lived in fear that the pain I was

>feeling was not normal and maybe it meant I had a leak. The key to leak

>pain

>is that it gets worse and this pain was slowly getting better.

>I finally relaxed about the pain and began worrying about leaking from

>drinking/eating to much. The patient manual says that you can or should

>eat

>about 2 tablespoons full. I seemed to eat a bit more than that.

>This fear quickly passed when at 2 weeks post op, I ate too much......and

>boy

>did I pay! I threw up violently. So hard that I pulled a muscle in my

>chest. I try very hard to never let that happen again.

>Even with all the fear of a leak, I found it much harder to stay on liquids

>than I ever dreamed. I wanted food! Real Food! And I am the one who swore

>she would go 2 months on liquids only. I thought other post ops were weak

>for whining about food. Oh I had no trouble " eating my words. " I would

>have

>eaten anything at that point!

>So as soon as my first two weeks post op passed, I ate mashed potatoes, mac

>and cheese and (I could not help myself) a small Mc's hamburger and 5

>fries. I had no problem with any foods as long as I ate slow and chewed

>well. However at this stage, my tastes have changed and I am finding that

>although I may still crave foods that I loved before surgery, when I eat

>those foods they just don't taste as good post op. For example, I rarely

>eat

>fast food and for me that is a huge change! I no longer drink coffee and

>can't stand the thought of drinking anything carbonated. Pre-MGB, I had at

>least 2 cups of coffee every morning without fail and averaged at least one

>soda a day.

>The hardest part of the MGB has been dealing with what post ops call " head

>hunger " . It took me 3 weeks post op before I really felt as if I had

>control

>and now I eat what I want, when I want it and never (I really mean NEVER)

>do

>I wish I could have something, or never do I feel deprived of something I

>want. And I am still losing weight! Ahhh the freedom I feel is almost

>euphoric! I love eating like an itty bitty skinny person!

>My advise to kick head hunger is to be kind to yourself and eat a little

>bit

>of anything you crave then sit back and observe the reaction. Maybe you

>won't crave it anymore or maybe you will find that you still love it and

>can

>eat it in little amounts. Worst thing that can happen is that it makes you

>sick and you vow never to let it cross your lips again!

>Regardless of any pain or food discomforts I would have the MGB again! I

>have lost 43 pounds as of this morning and I could not be happier.

>I have had my first check up with my PCP. He is thrilled! I completely

>trust and respect his medical opinion. He has been in email contact with

>Dr.

>Rutledge and fully supports the MGB.

>As for advice I have for Pre-Ops, here goes:

>1. Expect a hard time with head hunger for the first two weeks.

>2. Stay in a hotel with a refrigerator and a microwave.

>3. Spend your 2nd day post op at the Life and Science Center in Durham.

>It

>offers you the opportunity to walk a lot but unlike the mall it has a lot

>of

>sit down exhibits to make it easy for you to pace yourself. It has a

>Butterfly House that I felt symbolized what we are going through. Slowly

>wiggling out of your fat cocoon to spread our wings.

>4. Get on the Egroups MGB list.

>5. Organize a Littermates and Post ops last supper. Seeing post ops eat

>made

>me much more relaxed! And having the before pictures in your hand and the

> " After body " standing right there in front of you makes you rest well the

>night before your MGB!

>6. Have all your pre-op and post op medications filled and handy for the

>trip. Try and get your PCP to give you samples.

>7. Organize and learn your medication schedule and supplement requirements

>so that it is second nature.

>8. Remember to measure your legs, arms, chest, hips, neck, and waist.

>There will be times when the scales will not move but the inches are

>falling

>off. I know that first hand! I lost 30 pounds the first month and 3

>inches

>off my waist, 2 inches off my thighs. The second month I only lost 13

>additional pounds but I lost 4 inches off my waist and 4 inches off my

>thighs

>for a total of 43 LBs, 7 inches off my waist and 6 inches off each thigh!

>Apparently, by working out, I added muscle and it weighs more than the fat,

>therefore, my clothes were loose and the inches were gone but the weight

>lose

>slowed. Be prepared and careful not to let this natural phenomenon derail

>your progress!

>9. RELAX it is not as hard as it looks and it is well worth any trouble you

>have to go through.

>Self Pay:

>I fought my insurance company all the way to the top. No luck. So my

>husband and I investigated many loan options. We ended up going for a Home

>Equity Loan. Not only was it the best interest but it also is tax

>deductible. We borrowed $16,000. Here is the breakdown:

>Anesthesiologist $926

>Hospital Deposit $11,000; Total hospital bill $6005. I was unable to have

>surgery at because of my weight. If you can go to it is a flat

>rate of $7,000.

>Dr. Rutledge: $3455

>Hotel $37.50 per night....$285 for the week plus 1 day Extended Stay

>America:

>To get a view of the rooms, the locations and to make reservations:

>http://www.exstay.com. We stayed at the Tower Blvd. location. It was

>right

>across from a large mall, movie theater, lots of restaurants and easy

>highway

>access. The rooms are very clean, have a refrigerator, microwave and most

>importantly a recliner. I found it much easier to sleep in a recliner

>because of the incisions. Rolling to my side in a bed was very

>uncomfortable

>and sitting up from one was even a bit painful.

>Pre-Op Medications TIP: Persuade your PCP to give you all the samples they

>can. Especially the Pre-op antibiotic. This one pill would have cost me

>$15.85 had I not gotten it from my Dr. as a sample! And I have insurance!

>Have all your post op meds filled before leaving for North Carolina. You

>will need some of them immediately after leaving the hospital and if you

>have

>insurance and have them filled at your local pharmacy then you will only

>have

>to pay your co-pay. If you wait until you get to NC, then you may not be

>covered.

>

>I hope this has helped you in your research! I send you all my good

>thoughts

>and positive vibes for a speedy recovery!

>

>Beth Brown

>MGB 8/10/00

>357/314

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hey Beth !

Great Post !!!!

I wanted to give you a call tonight if its ok...I need to talk to you ..I

dont think my posts are posting ...cuz I dont see them at all.

I have your numbers...I think its just the Fla group post for some

reason...Hopefully this will go thru. Can you give me a good time to call

you tonight?

Your Friend,

>From: TooEnable@...

>Reply-To: MiniGastricBypass (AT) egroups (DOT) com

>To: MiniGastricBypass (AT) egroups (DOT) com

>Subject: My Updated Contact Letter

>Date: Thu, 5 Oct 2000 23:55:12 EDT

>

>Hello Pre-Ops!

>My name is Beth Brown and I am almost Two months post op. I wanted to

>send

>all of you newbies my updated contact letter. Use it if you need it! Best

>of luck!

>

>Pre Op stats: 39 yrs old, 5'2 " , 357 Lbs

>Submitted Packet: July 18, 2000

>Scheduled Surgery: One week later, July 25, 2000

>MGB: August 10, 2000

>The surgery went off without a hitch and I have had the model recovery. I

>had no nausea and little pain. I never filled my post op PAIN meds and

>never

>needed them. My five, one inch incisions closed wonderfully.

>The pain I felt went away in about a week. It was located underneath my

>left

>breast. I felt pain with each breath and it was days before I could take

>in

>a deep breath. Coughing, sneezing and laughing made me grab my chest.

>However, it was NOT miserable or stabbing pain. The only reason I point it

>out is that it scared me. I had heard so many post ops say that there was

>no

>pain. Therefore, for the first week, I lived in fear that the pain I was

>feeling was not normal and maybe it meant I had a leak. The key to leak

>pain

>is that it gets worse and this pain was slowly getting better.

>I finally relaxed about the pain and began worrying about leaking from

>drinking/eating to much. The patient manual says that you can or should

>eat

>about 2 tablespoons full. I seemed to eat a bit more than that.

>This fear quickly passed when at 2 weeks post op, I ate too much......and

>boy

>did I pay! I threw up violently. So hard that I pulled a muscle in my

>chest. I try very hard to never let that happen again.

>Even with all the fear of a leak, I found it much harder to stay on liquids

>than I ever dreamed. I wanted food! Real Food! And I am the one who swore

>she would go 2 months on liquids only. I thought other post ops were weak

>for whining about food. Oh I had no trouble " eating my words. " I would

>have

>eaten anything at that point!

>So as soon as my first two weeks post op passed, I ate mashed potatoes, mac

>and cheese and (I could not help myself) a small Mc's hamburger and 5

>fries. I had no problem with any foods as long as I ate slow and chewed

>well. However at this stage, my tastes have changed and I am finding that

>although I may still crave foods that I loved before surgery, when I eat

>those foods they just don't taste as good post op. For example, I rarely

>eat

>fast food and for me that is a huge change! I no longer drink coffee and

>can't stand the thought of drinking anything carbonated. Pre-MGB, I had at

>least 2 cups of coffee every morning without fail and averaged at least one

>soda a day.

>The hardest part of the MGB has been dealing with what post ops call " head

>hunger " . It took me 3 weeks post op before I really felt as if I had

>control

>and now I eat what I want, when I want it and never (I really mean NEVER)

>do

>I wish I could have something, or never do I feel deprived of something I

>want. And I am still losing weight! Ahhh the freedom I feel is almost

>euphoric! I love eating like an itty bitty skinny person!

>My advise to kick head hunger is to be kind to yourself and eat a little

>bit

>of anything you crave then sit back and observe the reaction. Maybe you

>won't crave it anymore or maybe you will find that you still love it and

>can

>eat it in little amounts. Worst thing that can happen is that it makes you

>sick and you vow never to let it cross your lips again!

>Regardless of any pain or food discomforts I would have the MGB again! I

>have lost 43 pounds as of this morning and I could not be happier.

>I have had my first check up with my PCP. He is thrilled! I completely

>trust and respect his medical opinion. He has been in email contact with

>Dr.

>Rutledge and fully supports the MGB.

>As for advice I have for Pre-Ops, here goes:

>1. Expect a hard time with head hunger for the first two weeks.

>2. Stay in a hotel with a refrigerator and a microwave.

>3. Spend your 2nd day post op at the Life and Science Center in Durham.

>It

>offers you the opportunity to walk a lot but unlike the mall it has a lot

>of

>sit down exhibits to make it easy for you to pace yourself. It has a

>Butterfly House that I felt symbolized what we are going through. Slowly

>wiggling out of your fat cocoon to spread our wings.

>4. Get on the Egroups MGB list.

>5. Organize a Littermates and Post ops last supper. Seeing post ops eat

>made

>me much more relaxed! And having the before pictures in your hand and the

> " After body " standing right there in front of you makes you rest well the

>night before your MGB!

>6. Have all your pre-op and post op medications filled and handy for the

>trip. Try and get your PCP to give you samples.

>7. Organize and learn your medication schedule and supplement requirements

>so that it is second nature.

>8. Remember to measure your legs, arms, chest, hips, neck, and waist.

>There will be times when the scales will not move but the inches are

>falling

>off. I know that first hand! I lost 30 pounds the first month and 3

>inches

>off my waist, 2 inches off my thighs. The second month I only lost 13

>additional pounds but I lost 4 inches off my waist and 4 inches off my

>thighs

>for a total of 43 LBs, 7 inches off my waist and 6 inches off each thigh!

>Apparently, by working out, I added muscle and it weighs more than the fat,

>therefore, my clothes were loose and the inches were gone but the weight

>lose

>slowed. Be prepared and careful not to let this natural phenomenon derail

>your progress!

>9. RELAX it is not as hard as it looks and it is well worth any trouble you

>have to go through.

>Self Pay:

>I fought my insurance company all the way to the top. No luck. So my

>husband and I investigated many loan options. We ended up going for a Home

>Equity Loan. Not only was it the best interest but it also is tax

>deductible. We borrowed $16,000. Here is the breakdown:

>Anesthesiologist $926

>Hospital Deposit $11,000; Total hospital bill $6005. I was unable to have

>surgery at because of my weight. If you can go to it is a flat

>rate of $7,000.

>Dr. Rutledge: $3455

>Hotel $37.50 per night....$285 for the week plus 1 day Extended Stay

>America:

>To get a view of the rooms, the locations and to make reservations:

>http://www.exstay.com. We stayed at the Tower Blvd. location. It was

>right

>across from a large mall, movie theater, lots of restaurants and easy

>highway

>access. The rooms are very clean, have a refrigerator, microwave and most

>importantly a recliner. I found it much easier to sleep in a recliner

>because of the incisions. Rolling to my side in a bed was very

>uncomfortable

>and sitting up from one was even a bit painful.

>Pre-Op Medications TIP: Persuade your PCP to give you all the samples they

>can. Especially the Pre-op antibiotic. This one pill would have cost me

>$15.85 had I not gotten it from my Dr. as a sample! And I have insurance!

>Have all your post op meds filled before leaving for North Carolina. You

>will need some of them immediately after leaving the hospital and if you

>have

>insurance and have them filled at your local pharmacy then you will only

>have

>to pay your co-pay. If you wait until you get to NC, then you may not be

>covered.

>

>I hope this has helped you in your research! I send you all my good

>thoughts

>and positive vibes for a speedy recovery!

>

>Beth Brown

>MGB 8/10/00

>357/314

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hello, sweet littermate!

Great post!!! Might I suggest that you update your page at Obesityhelp.com? I

have

gotten quite a few people who have contacted me from the info I had on my page

there.

You have a wonderful story to share...so why not broaden the audience??

You are looking mahvelous, dahlink!!

Tricia in IL = )

TooEnable@... wrote:

>

> Hello Pre-Ops!

> My name is Beth Brown and I am almost Two months post op. I wanted to send

> all of you newbies my updated contact letter. Use it if you need it! Best

> of luck!

>

> Pre Op stats: 39 yrs old, 5'2 " , 357 Lbs

> Submitted Packet: July 18, 2000

> Scheduled Surgery: One week later, July 25, 2000

> MGB: August 10, 2000

> The surgery went off without a hitch and I have had the model recovery. I

> had no nausea and little pain. I never filled my post op PAIN meds and never

> needed them. My five, one inch incisions closed wonderfully.

> The pain I felt went away in about a week. It was located underneath my left

> breast. I felt pain with each breath and it was days before I could take in

> a deep breath. Coughing, sneezing and laughing made me grab my chest.

> However, it was NOT miserable or stabbing pain. The only reason I point it

> out is that it scared me. I had heard so many post ops say that there was no

> pain. Therefore, for the first week, I lived in fear that the pain I was

> feeling was not normal and maybe it meant I had a leak. The key to leak pain

> is that it gets worse and this pain was slowly getting better.

> I finally relaxed about the pain and began worrying about leaking from

> drinking/eating to much. The patient manual says that you can or should eat

> about 2 tablespoons full. I seemed to eat a bit more than that.

> This fear quickly passed when at 2 weeks post op, I ate too much......and boy

> did I pay! I threw up violently. So hard that I pulled a muscle in my

> chest. I try very hard to never let that happen again.

> Even with all the fear of a leak, I found it much harder to stay on liquids

> than I ever dreamed. I wanted food! Real Food! And I am the one who swore

> she would go 2 months on liquids only. I thought other post ops were weak

> for whining about food. Oh I had no trouble " eating my words. " I would have

> eaten anything at that point!

> So as soon as my first two weeks post op passed, I ate mashed potatoes, mac

> and cheese and (I could not help myself) a small Mc's hamburger and 5

> fries. I had no problem with any foods as long as I ate slow and chewed

> well. However at this stage, my tastes have changed and I am finding that

> although I may still crave foods that I loved before surgery, when I eat

> those foods they just don't taste as good post op. For example, I rarely eat

> fast food and for me that is a huge change! I no longer drink coffee and

> can't stand the thought of drinking anything carbonated. Pre-MGB, I had at

> least 2 cups of coffee every morning without fail and averaged at least one

> soda a day.

> The hardest part of the MGB has been dealing with what post ops call " head

> hunger " . It took me 3 weeks post op before I really felt as if I had control

> and now I eat what I want, when I want it and never (I really mean NEVER) do

> I wish I could have something, or never do I feel deprived of something I

> want. And I am still losing weight! Ahhh the freedom I feel is almost

> euphoric! I love eating like an itty bitty skinny person!

> My advise to kick head hunger is to be kind to yourself and eat a little bit

> of anything you crave then sit back and observe the reaction. Maybe you

> won't crave it anymore or maybe you will find that you still love it and can

> eat it in little amounts. Worst thing that can happen is that it makes you

> sick and you vow never to let it cross your lips again!

> Regardless of any pain or food discomforts I would have the MGB again! I

> have lost 43 pounds as of this morning and I could not be happier.

> I have had my first check up with my PCP. He is thrilled! I completely

> trust and respect his medical opinion. He has been in email contact with Dr.

> Rutledge and fully supports the MGB.

> As for advice I have for Pre-Ops, here goes:

> 1. Expect a hard time with head hunger for the first two weeks.

> 2. Stay in a hotel with a refrigerator and a microwave.

> 3. Spend your 2nd day post op at the Life and Science Center in Durham. It

> offers you the opportunity to walk a lot but unlike the mall it has a lot of

> sit down exhibits to make it easy for you to pace yourself. It has a

> Butterfly House that I felt symbolized what we are going through. Slowly

> wiggling out of your fat cocoon to spread our wings.

> 4. Get on the Egroups MGB list.

> 5. Organize a Littermates and Post ops last supper. Seeing post ops eat made

> me much more relaxed! And having the before pictures in your hand and the

> " After body " standing right there in front of you makes you rest well the

> night before your MGB!

> 6. Have all your pre-op and post op medications filled and handy for the

> trip. Try and get your PCP to give you samples.

> 7. Organize and learn your medication schedule and supplement requirements

> so that it is second nature.

> 8. Remember to measure your legs, arms, chest, hips, neck, and waist.

> There will be times when the scales will not move but the inches are falling

> off. I know that first hand! I lost 30 pounds the first month and 3 inches

> off my waist, 2 inches off my thighs. The second month I only lost 13

> additional pounds but I lost 4 inches off my waist and 4 inches off my thighs

> for a total of 43 LBs, 7 inches off my waist and 6 inches off each thigh!

> Apparently, by working out, I added muscle and it weighs more than the fat,

> therefore, my clothes were loose and the inches were gone but the weight lose

> slowed. Be prepared and careful not to let this natural phenomenon derail

> your progress!

> 9. RELAX it is not as hard as it looks and it is well worth any trouble you

> have to go through.

> Self Pay:

> I fought my insurance company all the way to the top. No luck. So my

> husband and I investigated many loan options. We ended up going for a Home

> Equity Loan. Not only was it the best interest but it also is tax

> deductible. We borrowed $16,000. Here is the breakdown:

> Anesthesiologist $926

> Hospital Deposit $11,000; Total hospital bill $6005. I was unable to have

> surgery at because of my weight. If you can go to it is a flat

> rate of $7,000.

> Dr. Rutledge: $3455

> Hotel $37.50 per night....$285 for the week plus 1 day Extended Stay America:

> To get a view of the rooms, the locations and to make reservations:

> http://www.exstay.com. We stayed at the Tower Blvd. location. It was right

> across from a large mall, movie theater, lots of restaurants and easy highway

> access. The rooms are very clean, have a refrigerator, microwave and most

> importantly a recliner. I found it much easier to sleep in a recliner

> because of the incisions. Rolling to my side in a bed was very uncomfortable

> and sitting up from one was even a bit painful.

> Pre-Op Medications TIP: Persuade your PCP to give you all the samples they

> can. Especially the Pre-op antibiotic. This one pill would have cost me

> $15.85 had I not gotten it from my Dr. as a sample! And I have insurance!

> Have all your post op meds filled before leaving for North Carolina. You

> will need some of them immediately after leaving the hospital and if you have

> insurance and have them filled at your local pharmacy then you will only have

> to pay your co-pay. If you wait until you get to NC, then you may not be

> covered.

>

> I hope this has helped you in your research! I send you all my good thoughts

> and positive vibes for a speedy recovery!

>

> Beth Brown

> MGB 8/10/00

> 357/314

>

>