ROLL CALL!

In the tradition of Stalker Val, Princess Spenda and many others on the main page, I thought I would try to call roll each day! If we do nothing but and , that is fine but at least daily we can be active! I can only do this during the week (from work shhh don't tell anybody). Anybody wanna play Princess Splenda to my Stalker Val? I dare ya!!! I also dare ya to go back and answer Oprah ...uh I mean Heather's great questions!!! Heather great job getting DEEP! I am going to spend my lunch hour today posting a reply. I need a lot of editing!!! Kisses!!! Leisa

I'm in Leisa - but you may not hear from me for a little while after tomorrow. My surgery is Friday and I am sooooo nervous, excited, etc. etc....... See you on the losing side!!!! Susann

YIPPEE! What time is your surgery? We are all waitin' on you ...over here...in loserville!!! Leisa

HOPE THESE THINGS WILL HELP, MS SUSANN .. BE SURE TO TELL THEM IN THE PRE-OP WARD IF YOU HAVE BACK/LOWER BACK PAIN. THEY WILL PUT A PILLOW(s) UNDER YOUR KNEES DURING SURGERY & YOU WILL BE AMAZED AT HOW MUCH THAT HELPS. I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO BACK PAIN WHEN I WOKE UP. I CAN'T STAND TO LAY ON MY BACK EVEN IN A COMFY BED, SO IMAGINE ON A STEEL TABLE FOR HOURS. HAVING AN OPEN, YOU MAY BE A BIT SORE. WITH MY LAP, I HAD NO PAIN, JUST A DISCOMFORT ... &, A FEELING OF "PULLING" WHEN I WOULD MOVE. NO PAIN, NO MORPHINE. THEY HAVE THE MORPHINE ALL SET UP ON THE IV POLE SO YOU JUST HIT THE BUTTON WHEN YOU NEED PAIN RELIEF. BUT, IF YOU HAVE ADVERSE REACTIONS TO MORPHINE, LIKE HEADACHES OR NAUSEA ... ASK MS CAREN ABOUT THE FOLLOWING AS A SUBSTITUTE ... I HAVE TREMENDOUS JOINT PAIN & MY TORSO & BACK & HIPS HURT, ESPECIALLY WHEN CONFINED TO A BED. THEY SENT ME HOME WITH HYDROCODONE LIQUID & IT IS THE ABSOLUTE BEST STUFF FOR RELIEVING JOINT PAIN & I MEAN RELIEVING IT COMPLETELY. IT ALSO ALLOWS YOU A RESTFUL SLEEP. YOU ARE ALLOWED TO TAKE 10-15 ML EVERY 4-6 HOURS, BUT I TAKE ABOUT 3/4 - 1 TEASPOON BEFORE BED & I SLEEP LIKE A BABY & WAKE UP WITH ABSOLUTELY NO JOINT OR TORSO MUSCLE PAIN. I BELIEVE IT'S A NARCOTIC SO EASY DOES IT. I FOUND LESS IS BETTER AS YOU STAY ASLEEP OR GROGGY IF YOU TAKE MORE THAN YOU NEED. DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE CRUSHED PILL ISSUE ... I JUST SAW DR MORGAN & TOLD HER THERE WAS NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO WAY I COULD GET SEVERAL OF MY PILLS DOWN WHEN CRUSHED. THE NASTY TASTES MADE ME START RETCHING IMMEDIATELY. SHE SAID THAT WE CAN TAKE SMALL PILLS WHOLE - I TAKE THEM WITH HOOD CARB COUNTDOWN MILK DRINK BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO COAT THE WAY DOWN FOR THE PILL. AS FOR THOSE BIG PILLS, JUST CHOP THEM INTO SMALL PIECES & TAKE THEM THAT WAY (PER DR MORGAN) INSTEAD OF CRUSHING THEM. ALTHOUGH THEY SUGGEST YOU START OUT WITH CHEWABLE FLINTSTONES, THERE IS ALSO CHEWABLE CENTRUM. B-12 COMES IN SUBLINGUAL (MELTS UNDER THE TONGUE) & LIQUID. I GOT BOTH. I USE THE SUBLINGUAL ON A DAILY BASIS & IF I FIND I'M DROPPING ENERGY, I'LL USE THE LIQUID FOR A INSTANTANEOUS BURST OF B-12. CALCIUM CITRATE COMES IN CHEWABLES BUT I HAVEN'T FOUND THEM. I DID FIND IT IN POWDER FORM AT THE VITAMIN SHOPPE & WILL TRY IT IN THE HOOD MILK DRINK. ATTITUDE WILL CARRY YOU THROUGH, MS SUSANN (+ OUR PRAYERS!) WALKING REALLY DOES MAKE YOU FEEL SO MUCH BETTER & IS THE BEST MEANS TO EXPELL GAS & GAS PAIN. YOU HAVE TO DRINK 3 THINGS FOR THE SWALLOW TEST. THE 1st 2 ARE SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO NASTY TASTING. TRY TO "THROW" THEM DOWN YOUR THROAT BYPASSING YOUR TONGUE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. THE 3rd IS JUST NASTY BUT AFTER THE 1st 2, YOU'LL BE GLAD FOR THE 3rd ONE. ASK THE TECHNICIAN TO SHOW YOU YOUR FILMS ... THEY ARE SO INTERESTING ... THERE'S JUST THIS TINY HICCUP OF A POUCH & THAT'S IT. IF YOU HAVEN'T GOTTEN A FLU SHOT, THEY WILL OFFER YOU ONE RIGHT BEFORE YOU CHECK OUT TO GO HOME. DON'T BE SCARED IT YOU GET A FEVER A COUPLE HOURS LATER. MINE WENT TO 100.5 ... & IT BROKE SEVERAL HOURS LATER AFTER SLEEPING IT OFF. BUT, IF WORRIED, CALL SOMEONE. WE CALLED MS CAREN, THE DAY HEAD NURSE TO MAKE SURE. EVERYONE COMPLAINS ABOUT THE FOLEY BUT I HAD NO PROBLEM WITH IT & IT WAS A BLESSING IN THE BEGINNING NOT TO HAVE TO DASH TO THE RESTROOM. ONCE IT WAS OUT, I WAS FEELING STRONG ENOUGH TO GO TO THE RESTROOM, BUT WIPING IS TOUGH BECAUSE OF HAVING TO BEND FORWARD. DON'T BE EMBARRASSED TO ASK SOMEONE TO HELP YOU CLEAN UP ... HUBBY OR THE NURSE. IT'S BETTER THAN HURTING YOURSELF. DON'T BE SURPRISED OR CONCERNED IF YOUR BOWELS DON'T MOVE IN THE HOSPITAL ... THEY WILL CHECK YOUR TUMMY WITH A STETHASCOPE (sp?) TO HEAR DIGESTIVE NOISES. IF YOU HAVE THAT, YOU'RE OK. YOU WILL BE SURPRISED AT HOW EXCITED THE STAFF GETS WITH YOUR FIRST EXPULSION OF NOXIOUS GAS ... IT MEANS YOUR BOWELS HAVE AWAKENED. GO AT YOUR OWN SPEED BUT DON'T ALLOW PAIN TO STOP YOU ... THE WALKING & MOVING ACTUALLY HELPS EVERYTHING ... EVEN IF IT'S JUST A SHORT WALK LIKE MY FIRST ONE. YOU'VE PROBABLY ALREADY READ MY SILLY POSTS ABOUT MY PRE-OP EXPERIENCES ... FLASHING & FLYING. DON'T WORRY, THERE IS NOTHING SCAREY ABOUT GOING TO SURGERY ... YOU WON'T EVEN REMEMBER LEAVING THE PRE-OP ROOM. I SPIT UP A LITTLE FOAM IN RECOVERY BUT THAT WAS ALL. I HAD A SMALL HEADACHE FROM THE ANESTHETIC - NOTHING MAJOR. YOU'VE GOT THE BEST SURGICAL STAFF & THE 6TH FLOOR STAFF IS FANTASTIC ... YOU'LL COME OUT OF THIS WITH FLYING COLORS & SO HAPPY TO BE ON THE HEALTHY SIDE OF LIFE! REMEMBER, YOU'RE IN ALL OUR PRAYERS DAWN & NICK

I'm here....better late than never!!!

I am finally here. It's been a busy week for some reason. Britt