Re: My Experience (Long)

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone!!!

Yes I am alive!!! I just returned from Durham yesterday and was so exhausted

I went to bed early. Today I actually went to work and all went well. I

also saw my PCP today, got my staples taken out........and have lost 10 lbs

in 6 days. I'm learning that I need to eat more often so I can have energy.

I was so scared to eat while I was in Durham, but am learning as I go. I am

eating broth soups, tomato soup, yogurt, saltine crackers and sipping on

Gatorade.

My surgery was on 11/8 and took approximately 25 minutes. I had " dry heaves "

for hours and finally the last shot (#3) took those away. I only used the

pain pump twice, but didn't really do much walking around right after

surgery. I tried to walk around 10:00 or so that night, but got dizzy and

the dry heaves returned. I decided to just rest and try walking in the

morning. I slept well that night and by 7:00 a.m. I was cruising the 5th

floor.

I want to tell all of the pre-ops that not everyone is up and going right

after the surgery. All of the emails I saw from post ops were saying that

they were walking at the mall, the fair, etc. right after surgery, and that

is what I expected to be able to do. I thought because I could not get up

and walk around, go to the mall, etc. that there was something wrong with me.

I experienced back pain and I could barely stand for a few minutes. I

called Dr. R and we talked for a while and I realized that I was just someone

who needed to rest. I also figured that my back pain was a result of lying

on the operating table, laying in the uncomfortable hospital bed, and also

sleeping on the hotel bed which was totally uncomfortable. I wish that the

post ops who had the experience I did of no energy and not being able to get

up and around as quickly as some would have posted their experiences so we

all could have a well rounded " visual " of what happens after surgery. A

couple of my littermates were also as tired as I was so I knew then that I

wasn't alone. On day 4 I was actually able to get up and go to the movies

with my husband and (from CA).

I was so lucky to have Rikki in the hospital with me. Of course, I told her

that if she continued to make me laugh I would have to stop visiting

her........thought my staples were going to burst........LOL.

Gwen and Glo also visited me in the hospital. I was coming alive at that

time.....LOL and Glo assured me that by 10pm or 11pm I would be feeling

better and she was right. Glo looks great and is full of energy. I talked

to Gwen for a while she is such a sweetheart. I felt so bad because I knew I

was drifting in and out, but she understood. My prayers are with her that

she will be able to have her surgery very soon. I wish I could be there in

Durham for her to give her the support that she gave to me and everyone else.

I also met Trudy (Judy stood me up and left to go home) LOL. I am so glad I

met Trudy and her husband. I even saw Trudy with her teeth!!! LOL I felt

like I knew her forever!!

I also got to meet Jenn and Cat. Jenn gave me so much information and helped

me out a lot on my way to Durham. I was so glad to be in clinic with her

when she learned that she had lost 14 lbs.......it was a great moment and I

am so proud of her.

I met Lara and she (and her husband and mother) are such wonderful people. I

was very lucky to have her as a littermate and wish her the best of luck.

I also met Doris and her husband. Doris is 1 year post-op, down 94 lbs and

looks wonderful. Her husband gave my husband a lot of tips on how to help me

in my new transition of eating. They are 2 wonderful people.

And then there was from CA (Sperb) and Debbie from CO (and Debbie's

mom) who were my littermates and stayed at the same hotel as me. We were

such a support for eachother and I don't know what I would have done without

them.

Sorry that this is so long, but this is an experience of a lifetime.

Everyone feels like family and I feel very close to you all. My husband was

surprised to see how close I felt to everyone when we went to lunch. It was

like we were all old friends just getting together to chat.

I will post as often as I can. I have been glued to this computer for the

last three months......LOL and I came home to 1000 emails.......YIKES!!!

Talk to you all real soon.

Love,

Christy

California POST-OP

MGB 11-8-00

DOWN 10 lbs!!!

[Guest guest]

Christy, Welcome back. Sooo happy to hear again from you! I felt just as

you did post-op. I had mine on 11-3, and I am still not 100%. But, I am me

and I will recover

just as I should. This is not a competition, and we all need to see the

variations of experience that people have.

After surgery, I dry-heaved a couple times, slept, felt better and began

walking at midnight. I was also the last OR of the day, going in around 1

p.m. It's been steady progress since then. I do think I've introduced some

foods too soon, and so am backing off to liquids again for a couple days to

stop the loose, reactive, poops. I eat, 15 minutes later, I'm on the Throne.

Feeling way too Regal, lately, if you get my drift.

But my energy is increasing, my tummy is healed, and if I could find that

damned sheet of paper with my pre-op measurements, I'm pretty sure the

numbers would show something cause my clothes are hanging differently, but

can I find it??? NO!

So, for the pre-ops, know that all sorts of experiences are possible.

Usually good, just different. Our goal is health, nothing more. Well, OK,

some good sex too. No? Not a goal? OK OK Thinness? That a goal? Trude,

help me out here.

My best to my MGB family, all y'all. And for those with sadness and

heartache this week, know that our love is wrapped around you and we carry

you in our hearts. PhillyJude MGB 11-3-00

[Guest guest]

Christy-

I am so happy and relieved to read your good news. I

was starting to worry when we didn't hear anything for

so long. I think it is good for us to know that it is

not unusual to have some of these " problems " during

recovery so we don't panic. We need to be prepared

for all this. Anything else you can think of, please

share.

I am going to take my Aero air bed with me to put on

top of the hotel bed. I am used to a water bed and

hate regular hard beds. The air bed is as comfortable

as you can get. Don't know what do to about the

hospital bed. Would they let us bring one of those

" egg crate " pads to go on top?? When I was in the

hospital for my heart the worst part of the whole

thing was the horrible hospital bed.

Dr. R's office received my PCP's fax of additional

info on Monday , so I am WAITING to hear if I am

approved.

Welcome home and congratulations on your progress!!!

Margaret in St. Louis

pre-op

--- PLegal4U@... wrote:

> Hi Everyone!!!

>

> Yes I am alive!!! I just returned from Durham on

> Monday and was so

> exhausted I went to bed early. I actually went to

> work yesterday and

> all went well. I also saw my PCP today, got my

> staples taken

> out........and have lost 10 lbs in 6 days. I'm

> learning that I need

> to eat more often so I can have energy. I was so

> scared to eat while

> I was in Durham, but am learning as I go. I am

> eating broth soups,

> tomato soup, yogurt, saltine crackers and sipping on

> Gatorade.

>

> My surgery was on 11/8 and took approximately 25

> minutes. I had " dry

> heaves " for hours and finally the last shot (#3)

> took those away. I

> only used the pain pump twice, but didn't really do

> much walking

> around right after surgery. I tried to walk around

> 10:00 or so that

> night, but got dizzy and the dry heaves returned. I

> decided to just

> rest and try walking in the morning. I slept well

> that night and by

> 7:00 a.m. I was cruising the 5th floor.

>

> I want to tell all of the pre-ops that not everyone

> is up and going

> right after the surgery. All of the emails I saw

> from post ops were

> saying that they were walking at the mall, the fair,

> etc. right after

> surgery, and that is what I expected to be able to

> do. I thought

> because I could not get up and walk around, go to

> the mall, etc. that

> there was something wrong with me. I experienced

> back pain and I

> could barely stand for a few minutes. I called Dr.

> R and we talked

> for a while and I realized that I was just someone

> who needed to

> rest. I also figured that my back pain was a result

> of lying

> on the operating table, laying in the uncomfortable

> hospital bed, and

> also sleeping on the hotel bed which was totally

> uncomfortable. I

> wish that the post ops who had the experience I did

> of no energy and

> not being able to get up and around as quickly as

> some would have

> posted their experiences so we all could have a well

> rounded " visual "

> of what happens after surgery. A couple of my

> littermates were also

> as tired as I was so I knew then that I wasn't

> alone. On day 4 I was

> actually able to get up and go to the movies with my

> husband and

> (from CA).

>

> I was so lucky to have Rikki in the hospital with

> me. Of course, I

> told her that if she continued to make me laugh I

> would have to stop

> visiting her........thought my staples were going to

> burst......LOL.

>

> Gwen and Glo also visited me in the hospital. I was

> coming alive at

> that time.....LOL and Glo assured me that by 10pm or

> 11pm I would be

> feeling better and she was right. Glo looks great

> and is full of

> energy. I talked to Gwen for a while she is such a

> sweetheart. I

> felt so bad because I knew I was drifting in and

> out, but she

> understood. My prayers are with her that she will

> be able to have

> her surgery very soon. I wish I could be there in

> Durham for her to

> give her the support that she gave to me and

> everyone else.

>

> I also met Trudy (Judy stood me up and left to go

> home) LOL. I am so

> glad I met Trudy and her husband. I even saw Trudy

> with her teeth!!!

> LOL I felt like I knew her forever!!

>

> I also got to meet Jenn and Cat. Jenn gave me so

> much information and

> helped me out a lot on my way to Durham. I was so

> glad to be in

> clinic with her when she learned that she had lost

> 14 lbs.......it

> was a great moment and I am so proud of her.

>

> I met Lara and she (and her husband and mother) are

> such wonderful

> people. I was very lucky to have her as a

> littermate and wish her

> the best of luck.

>

> I also met Doris and her husband. Doris is 1 year

> post-op, down 94

> lbs and looks wonderful. Her husband gave my

> husband a lot of tips

> on how to help me in my new transition of eating.

> They are 2

> wonderful people.

>

> And then there was from CA (Sperb) and Debbie

> from CO (and

> Debbie's mom) who were my littermates and stayed at

> the same hotel as

> me. We were such a support for eachother and I

> don't know what I

> would have done without them.

>

> Sorry that this is so long, but this is an

> experience of a lifetime.

> Everyone feels like family and I feel very close to

> you all. My

> husband was surprised to see how close I felt to

> everyone when we

> went to lunch. It was like we were all old friends

> just getting

> together to chat.

>

> I will post as often as I can. I have been glued to

> this computer

> for the last three months......LOL and I came home

> to 1000

> emails.......YIKES!!!

>

> Talk to you all real soon.

>

> Love,

> Christy

> California POST-OP

> MGB 11-8-00

> DOWN 10 lbs!!!

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Sorry.. Jude,

I wasn't listening for a few minutes..

my goal is

#1 to feel better

#2 good sex

#3 to look better

#4 good sex

#5 good sex

#6 (get the picture yet?)

LOL LOL

Trude

______________

OMGosh....this is soooooo very similar to my list Trudy cracks me up!!!

Cindy the PHAT chick

[Guest guest]

Sorry.. Jude,

I wasn't listening for a few minutes..

my goal is

#1 to feel better

#2 good sex

#3 to look better

#4 good sex

#5 good sex

#6 (get the picture yet?)

LOL LOL

Trude

Re: My Experience (Long)

Christy, Welcome back. Sooo happy to hear again from you! I felt just as

you did post-op. I had mine on 11-3, and I am still not 100%. But, I am me

and I will recover

just as I should. This is not a competition, and we all need to see the

variations of experience that people have.

After surgery, I dry-heaved a couple times, slept, felt better and began

walking at midnight. I was also the last OR of the day, going in around 1

p.m. It's been steady progress since then. I do think I've introduced some

foods too soon, and so am backing off to liquids again for a couple days to

stop the loose, reactive, poops. I eat, 15 minutes later, I'm on the Throne.

Feeling way too Regal, lately, if you get my drift.

But my energy is increasing, my tummy is healed, and if I could find that

damned sheet of paper with my pre-op measurements, I'm pretty sure the

numbers would show something cause my clothes are hanging differently, but

can I find it??? NO!

So, for the pre-ops, know that all sorts of experiences are possible.

Usually good, just different. Our goal is health, nothing more. Well, OK,

some good sex too. No? Not a goal? OK OK Thinness? That a goal? Trude,

help me out here.

My best to my MGB family, all y'all. And for those with sadness and

heartache this week, know that our love is wrapped around you and we carry

you in our hearts. PhillyJude MGB 11-3-00