Hello

I'ts finally over, and I can't believe I did such a thing....WOW! For anyone who says this surgery is the "easy" way out, they have NO idea, and if they were in punching distance I may just level them. I'm not being negative about my experience, it's been pretty good. Just that after going through it...NOW I know what it requires for real. I'll be a week post-op on Tues. Gees seems like forever. Anyways, I'm doing good, I think....Drinking fluids, I like crystal light iced tea I got 32oz fluids in today (also had a CIB no sugar added). Taking it slow with the food, scrambled an egg white this morning with a tiny bit of melted cheese. Ate half, cause my daughter wanted some (of course!) and had a few bites of light yougart. I don't feel hungry, and Dr. Clough (opposing Dayna's opinion) advised me not to eat if I'm not hungry......so...THIS is what I need to "re-learn", to listen to my body, it knows best at this point! I imagine my sore little pouch needs some time to heal... The lion-like roars coming from inside me have quieted for the evening. Didn't encounter this in the hospital, thank heavens. My poor roomate would have sufferd! Never thought I'd ever out-do my husband's flatulence! Tonight I had some BM problems, in that they were explosive! I'm praying it's not from the milk(in the instant breakfast) and the yougart. I'll stay away from the milk for the time being though! Still very sore, body is just all out of sorts....It's hard to have a comfortable rest..... Ask me in 6 months if I'd do it again....I'm sure..(I hope) that the answer is a resounding YES! Thanks to all for your support and encouragement! Lauren

Lauren: You sound exactly the way I did five weeks ago! My lap surgery by Dr. Toder was done on Dec. 4th. I too felt the exact way---don't dare say this is "the easy way to diet". Could have killed anyone who made that statement. I am down 31 pounds which I am happy about. As for would I do this again, not sure--maybe in 6 months I can say that. I am much better but the surgery was worse than I thought it would be. I used to hear such glowing reports at support group that I thought, "well this won't be so bad". Oops---I too have been saying to folks that it was tough surgery and I've had an abdominal hysterectomy, breast reduction and tumors removed from my neck. Those were so easy---I would do all those again in a heartbeat---not wls! You will feel better soon. I had to be on liquids for two solid weeks(Toder prefers it when she has done laposcopic surgery) so I was thrilled to have my first srambled egg. Believe it from someone who is just a few weeks ahead of you--you will feel better, not as sore, hungry when you're hungry and you will adjust. I tried to pay attention to eating 3 meals a day with the fluids--some days I do it well--some days I just can't do anymore food. I do work on getting all the fluids in and take my vitamins every day. I do work on getting most of my protein from food too. The lifestyle this surgery requries takes time and just take it a day at a time--for me--it was sometimes a minute at a time. Good luck! Stay in touch. Jane

Hi Lauren Congrats on coming through surgery like a trooper! I had to laugh when I read the line "ask me in 6 months if i'd do it again...." because that's exactly what I say when anyone asks me if I'd have the wls again! Hang in there...I promise it gets better every day! Sue 10/14/03 open rny 306/236

Hi Lauren!! So glad to see you posting.. I thought about you the whole time, I know I called you but dammit I forgot all about the e-mail thingy. (All the e-mail everyone sent me in the hospital came to me about an hour before I left to come home.. After surgery on Friday, I got to my room to late to get it and the volunteers don't work on the weekends.. so I got it Monday).. When do you have your follow up with Dr. Clough? I am going Wed. to have my staples out then visit with dayna.... Take care.. Get the fluids in.. That is rough for me but I am managing..... (((((hugz)))))) Kell

Yeah!! Lauren is back with us!!! I can not believe how fantastic you sounded when I talked to you on the phone. Most said I sounded like that also but had a bit of a slur to my words. I forgot about the email thingy too, I am very sorry about that, but I WAS thinking of you. I can not believe you can Kelley, you get right on the PC. I really do not think I came near it the first week and maybe once the 2nd week. Those first 2 weeks for me were TERRIBLE! Never ever would I want to go through THOSE again. So you have staples? I was lucky and had the inverted stitch thingy. Do the staples hurt or do you feel them at all? Take care, can't wait for the Friday meeting in Feb, I am really really going to try to be there. Huggssss Theresa

Yep, I have 30 staples. (Kayla counted them this morning). lol. My incision looks great. it's healing up nice. I REFUSE to touch it though. Something about it grosses me out. I had surgery Friday and wouldn't look at it until Sunday. All the nurses kept checking it and saying "wow that looks great". I'm thinking "yeah fricken right, don't try and make me feel better".. lol. The staples do not hurt. They are just in the way of wearing pants and stuff. I keep my underwear and pants below my belly as to not rub on them.. AND I have been braless since surgery. lol. I am afraid of the bra rubbing on the staples. I have no clue what I will do on Wed when I see Dr. Clough, but I'm sure I will think of something. I was thinking of a sportsbra? Kell

Isn't that funny, we both said we'd be putting the ol' bra on as soon as possible.....Whatever...I don't mind too much now. I did try it on to go home but that didn't last too long...took it off in the car. Nope, the staples don't hurt......just get in the way! Let me know how the sportsbra works lol!

Lauren, I know just what you mean. I had to keep reminding myself that at some point I wouldn't feel so crappy and I would be losing weight. After some waiting that day did come. Sounds like you are doing well with your eating. And Dr Clough is right, don't eat unless you're hungry- same thing he said to me. It's better not to get sick. Of course the nutritionsit would cringe to hear him say that...but they're sticklers for eating right. Quite possible that the explosive number 2's are coming from some type of lactose intolerance...try soy or lactaid to see how that goes. So happy to hear you are doing so well...look forward to seeing you at a meeting sometime. Casey