THE QUEEN HAS BEEN IN THE HOSPITAL......

Now, always take any offer I make seriously! I spent Monday from about 8 am until last night about 8 pm at the hospital with Sherry Penn. If I threaten to stay with you don't you think I won't!!! Sherry did great! Prolly the best I have ever seen anyone do! And I was pretty nervous about her experience since Tams had such a rough time. She was acting last night like she'd never had surgery. Up walking around, farting, pooping, sipping - doing it all!!!! We spent alot of time talking and I really enjoyed it. Sherry has had a bit of nausea, but not too bad. The nurses were very, very slow to get to her but I would go back and ask again and again until we got what we needed. The worst thing was they brought her meds dissolved in SPRITE!!!! The nurses did not know she couldn't have carbonated drinks!!!! I had the nurse stir the sprite until most or all of the fizz was gone. We had to stay after them about clean gowns, but I guess they got tired of us because they brought in a pillowcase full of them and told me to keep them in the room so she could have a fresh one everytime she needed or wanted one. If you are hospitalized, you must squeak to get the grease you need!!!! I came home last night cause I was tired and homesick and Sherry was doing so very good!!! Also I saw Tammy yesterday at her checkup. She won't be posting again until she is herself - which is a great change from the "I am NEVER going back to the board." She has lost 36 pounds and was quite friendly and glad to see me! I went over expecting my head to get chopped off!!!!! In a couple of days, she will be back on her meds - she refused to take them crushed for some reason - and hopefully she will feel better and quit hating us all! She only semi-hated us yesterday! FOLKS REMEMBER THAT THIS SURGERY CAN PLAY HAVACK WITH YOUR EMOTIONS AND THOUGHTS ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE NOT ON YOUR PSYCO MEDS! Trust me, I came out of the operating room crying and hating the world. But I went back on my meds as soon as I passed the leak test and didn't hate the world for very long..... ALSO, UMC is losing Sarah as the bariatric nurse . She is such a sweetie, but has been working at St Dominics as well as UMC - full time at both!!! So she has given up her UMC job. UMC is getting a great new nurse named Lori. I threatened her that she best be good to all us and I think she will. She is gorgeous and looks quite promising to be as loving and caring as Sarah. So that's where I bin and whut I dun. I missed you guys! and the Queen is beginningto think all may be right in the world again! See ya Saturday!!!! Smoochies Arlies PS Hang in there, these hard times tend to come and go....but no matter what I will always love you!

So glad to hear Sherry's doing well and that Tams is getting better. And aren't you just the sweetest Queenie in the world going and staying with Sherry like that! Keli

Believe me, it was my pleasure! I wasn't in any pain and my mouth was flapping the whole time!!! Sherry slept alot, but I jes kept a-talkin'!!!! Thank you! Smoochies Arlies

My Queen, Extra bows, for your bravery, commitment, and being a forgiving person. I love you Arlies and want to be just like you WHEN I grow up. Tomanip

Aren't you the sweetest thing! Thanks so much! But what is funny is that if I ever decide I wanna grow up, I wann be a Tomanip!!!!!! That's a really good thing to be!!! Smoochies Arlies

Arlies, I'm sure glad you were able to stay with Sherry and she is getting what she needed thanks to you. There are mixups in hospitals sometimes, even my hospital that was otherwise perfect, brought me wrong food one time, they brought me grape juice !! Loaded with sugar, the very first day I was able to get food at my stay, where I was only supposed to have had broth and jello and water !! I know it's hard those first weeks, mine wasn't so much the pain, my breakdownpoint was the head hunger. The hormones and medications just flowing thru them veins racing and competing for attention, I also cried and thought what the hell did I do to myself, so I know that Tammy was talking under the influence. Nobody who hasn't gone through surgery can understand what truly goes thru our minds that first week or two, and it makes it so much harder if you have problems with it afterwards. If you see her again, please tell her we're not going to let her quit and she is still one of us, hopefully her meds ( yeah, I think a LOT of us are on them by the way! ) will straighten her a bit and get her back on track. Chemical imbalances are the pits and this surgery ain't no walk in the par****ep her and Sherry in prayer and just know they'll both end up just fine once they're all healed up and good to go. See ya Saturday!! Maybe you can talk Tams into coming too!! And her alter ego as well.. we'll just have to charm the heck out of Sybil so she can't be mad at us any longer ~Andie~

I don't think Tams is up to the whole day, but would love it if she would come by for a bit to see us all. I think it would do her (and us) alot of good. That girl has given me quite a few more gray hairs!!!!! Smoochies Arlies

I am sure Sherry was not farting?!?! Hahaha... Hell, I have that problem from time to time. Sometimes I just cant help it. I am thrilled she is doing so well. I hope she continues in that direction. I am sure she will. I am so happy for her-- I know this was a long time coming. THANK YOU for staying with her. I bet it was a relief for her and some quiet time for you (even though you talked to the wall). Glad you saw Tammy and yall werent fighting. I do hope she is feeling back to herself soon. I wish her the best and hope she is feeling better soon and recovering painlessly. Thanks for the update... Tell Sherry we love her.

Let me tell you somefin, them froggies that Sherry was a-steppin' on died a L-O-N-G S-L-O-W P-A-I-N-F-U-L death!!!! (my 86 year old aunt calls it stepping on frogs!) I think she holds the world's record for doing good after surgery! She was supposed to go home yesterday, but she called me last night and Dr. S hadn't been by and she had no orders to go home. I told her to tell them to page him and tell him she wanted to go home!!!! They wouldn't page him so she spent another night.....The extra nights costs would come out of Dr. S's salary if'n it was me.....cause I think he just forgot! Smoochies Arlies

Arlies, when you get to heaven, a long long time from now, there will be many stars in your crown!!!! You are so positive and helpful! I don't know how all of us could have made it without you. This surgery is not a walk in the park, it is a struggle to get a new stomach under control, and your hormones also. I still feel a bit crazy at times and also most people who are friends don't realize that they go a bit crazy too and are not as supportative as they should be either. Their perceptions of you change as you get smaller and sometimes they even will admit that they thought you as a fat jolly person were comforting to them.... Having you as a friend is the most valuable treasure I can think of.... Tammy should be very grateful for such a wonderful gift as you! Love, Cheryl