OKAY PAM, OH PAM....are you okay????

Please check in and let us know how your doing. UNLESS i missed a post, you havent updated us. I hope life just has you busy and you havent gotten online! HUGS! do check in with your OH family lisa xoxox

Awww Lisa...thanks for thinking of me! I'm around. I've just been really tired and trying to recover. The whole not being able to use the arms for too much, not being able to drive or go anywhere thing.....I think it's made me depressed. I haven't been able to type too much...although yesterday and today have been better. My son took me out to Target yesterday and STARBUCKS! My mother-in-law took me to my 6-years olds school for "tea with mom"...and that flat wore me out....like falling asleep on the way home...worn out. Today, i got brave and tried driving for the second time. The first time I tried, my daughter had to steer the car all the way back home cuz I couldn't. But she doesn't have her license...so I worked the pedals. YIKES that was scarey! Anyway, I tried it again today..just about 5 miles but did okay. Still, wore me out. I can't wait to get back into my routine. I'm still on leave. My next doctor's appt is on next wednesday. I hope I'm fully recovered and can go back to work - I'm going nuts here. My incisions are closed in some places....but still alot to close. The arms are still very bruised. Very strange feelings in the arms. I have places that are numb, but yet, with the swelling if I touch one place on the arm it pushes that swelling into another area of the arm where I CAN feel it. Every so often they just kinda burn. I guess that is the nerves regenerating....or maybe it's phantom pains or something. It is very different healing from the wls. I can now put my arms almost all the way down. I can't lift them over my shoulders and I can't reach for something. I still have to wear the compression garments on my arms and chest. That helps with the swelling. Since I only have one garment for the arms, I have to wa**** everyday and air dry it....and my arms are sooooooo swollen and painful by the time I get that thing back on. The compression garments must hit me right where the pouch is because eating and drinking has been annoying my pouch. Wierd. I hope the pain medication I had to take last week didn't do anything to it. But the bottom of this bra does sit right on it and cuts in. Feels so much better when i take it off. The chest is healing a little better than the arms. I've got one "t" intersection on one of them that has a scab on it that oozes a little...but not bad. No pain involved in the chest at all. My skin is still very very tight. So my girls are still pretty high. I got worried today that I might end up with a uniboob because between the swelling and the tightness, the skin between my breasts is kinda "tenting". I'm hoping when the swelling is gone and the skin loosens up, I have a valley there! You bet I'm asking about it at my appt!! I'm thinking about starting some iron supplements tomorrow...but you know how I have such troubles....so if I start iron....I have to up the softeners. But I'm afraid that my iron might have gotten low through this. I had TWO TOMS in the two weeks prior to surgery....then another TOM this week. GEEZ! Bring on the CHANGE! I was doing great on protein because my sis hooked me up with some AcheivOne Vanilla nut drinks....OMG they are good! But I ran out So now I have to wait until payday and order some for myself. Trying to eat eggs, 1/2 eng muffin w/ peanut butter & banana, oatmeal w/ protein powder...but really, my appetite is suffering. I have days of no appetite at all...then BLAM a day where I eat all day long. All I know is this girl needs her freedom back! I need my starbucks! Some sunshine! Some fresh air! Some LIVIN! I just plain ole need my groove back! Pam

Ahhh Pam,,,(((((Hugs))))) I've been wondering how you're feeling!! All of this will go away soon, and you're going to be one smokin' hot mama!!! It will be soooo worth it. A little pain for a whole lot of gain!!! We're so proud of you! You'll have your life and freedom back in no time! Take care, Kerri the " I can't make it into onederland to save me life" girl

I came on this board looking for you and glad I found out how you are doing. Some folks are just "june 2005" folks and you are one of them. I pray for your successful recovery... and hope things are just the way you want them when healed.

Sorry to hear you are in so much pain, but girl you look so good. It'll be worth it!

OH PAM! thanks for checking in. SORRY to hear it wears you out. DRIVING IS hard but i got a bit worried of you big time. YOU know were all family. THANKS for the quick update and you keep resting knowing your recovering well. I guess last updates were with the cather, and i still worried. GLAD YOU okay ((((((HUG)))))))) LOVE YA lisa

Oh, I DID finally get that catheter out! Thank the good Lord in Heaven. I kept saying all along that it wasn't in right because it was hurting me so bad... and it WASN'T! That's why i hate to go to our local hospital. They can't even put a freakin catheter in right. When the nurse put it in, I almost came off the table. I felt the balloon in the end of it in my tube. I kept telling her "this isn't right" and she kept saying "it's okay, it's working"...My husband got mad and told her to get the ER doctor. So the ER doctor comes in and we told him that we didn't think this thing was in right because I could feel the balloon in my tube and it was killing me (I was crying my eyes out) and he just got ****y with us and said "Well, what do you want me to do - I can take it out, but you'll just be back tomorrow getting another one!" (he was yelling) I was so upset, that I told my husband just to get me home and left it that way because i knew I needed it. I thought if the pain got too bad, I would go to the next nearest hospital 45 minutes away. But i dealt with it. So when my surgeon's office took it out, it was barely up there...maybe 2" BARELY up there. He said "no wonder you were miserable!" Great care we have here in dee by gawd southern maryland. THAT is why we drove to Fairfax, VA for my RNY and to Clinton, MD (near Washington D.C) for my plastics. Thankfully, all my digestive systems are working now. I guess I'm just one of those people who when you knock em out - everything gets turned off or something...and doesn't know when to come back on. Something I will remember in the future! This was my longest time under anesthia, too. My RNY was less than 2 hours. This was 4 full hours. ******Ooooooo temporarily distracted by Barry Manilow on the Today show....*sigh*...God, i love that man.....********* Ok I'm back... Hugs, Pam 250/126

Pam, I am so glad to hear from you too! You will be so glad when the pain ends. As far as the ER doc, write the hospital administration a letter telling them your story. It will get attention, especially if you tell them that you are going to tell all of your friends and family and total strangers how you were treated in their hospital! Love and prayers, Wendy

Pam, you are a brave woman doing all those plastic procedures at the same time. Hope you get good news from the doc so that you can get outside more and get back to your routine - except for exercising! LOL. It's important that you take care of yourself first! Take care. Hugs, Lucy

OH BOY sorry that you had that awful cather experience! SHEESH! im glad that everything started working in time for you i have to admit i was scared for you a drop! GLAD your getting stronger everyday! HUGS! also here is a new pic of me and my youngest joshua...thought i would share it with you. GO figure im still hideing behind the kids in pictures. BUT what was brought to my attention today i am literally half the women i was a year ago having lost 141 pounds! [IMG]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y164/fr1endly2/momandjosh2.jpg[/IMG] GLAD your doing well! LISA