FOR CHRISTINE!

AS WE ALL (WELL SOME OF US) SHOULD KNOW CHRISTINE (AKA PRINCESS CHRISTINE) IS HAVING SURGERY TOMORROW!!! HOW EXCITING! SHE WILL BE IN SENTARA NORFOLK GENERAL. I WILL BE GOING TO VISIT BRIGHT AND EARLY SAT MORNING IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO GO WITH ME. OR MEET ME UP THERE. IF EVERYONE CAN THINK BACK WHEN THEY GOT THERE SURGERY..... WHAT WOULD BE SOME GOOD TIPS TRICKS OR OPINIONS YOU WISHED SOMEONE SHOULD HAVE TOLD YOU THAT THE DR AND HIS STAFF "FOR GOT" TO TELL YOU!?! OR JUST GOOD OLD ADVISE TO HER FOR HER JOURNEY. SO EVERYONE LETS PRAY FOR HER TO GET THROUGH THIS WITH OUT HAVING A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN.... AND HAVE A SPEEDY RECOVERY! MINE IS: WALK WALK WALK WALK AND WHEN THEY SAID THAT'S GOOD WALK WALK MORE! GOOD LUCK GIRL I WILL SEE YOU SAT MORNING!!!!! AND IF YOUR I WILL WAKE U UP TO WALK!

Hey There........ Dana and I are trying to coordinate a time to go up to see her on Saturday. Maybe we will meet you there. Jill

Sounds like we're fixin to have a party in Norfolk General...Who's bringin' the ?? And by the way, please don't invite the sweaty armpit guy...not enough morphine in the world for that!!! Christine

WOO-HOO..............PAR-TY!!!!! Hey, I thought you invited him the last time you saw him You too seem to have some sort of "connection". See ya this weekend! Jill

Cheryl . How great it is she will have you there Saturday , I wish I could come , but I am on call this weekend . Here are some tips to ponder . 1. Yes ... Get your butt up and walk .. I do not care how bad you think it hurts .. JUST DO IT ... your life depends on it .. 2. The Leak Test to me was the worse thing .. I was not prepared for it all . But I did get to see my little pouch .. so if they let you look at the camera .. look at it .. and wave to her .. or him .. this is your new best friend . And just get through the test .. the worse was the stuff you had to drink . 3. USE THE PAIN BUTTON ... do not be shy .. if you feel you do not need it .. let it go .. but if you do .. Push that Sucka .. 4. Do not take crap from any of the nurses ... There are great nurses out there .. but I have found that some tend to ignore us .. or do not hear our needs .. just make sure that you are respected in all counts . I had told my nurse the night of surgery that my epideral was working way to heavy and that I could not feel my legs .. she got me up to walk anyway .. and they dropped me on my face .. LOL .. you should have seen them trying to get a 310 pound woman back up and into the big blue bus wheel chair .. it took 6 of them .. LOL 5. REST ... when you can . This surgery takes a toll on you .. so when you are not up walking ... REST .. 6. Do not lay there plotting how many pounds you have lost .. or start setting goals . This is no time to do that .. this is your time to heal .. just keep it real.. start the thinking and plotting when you get home and are feeling 100 % . The weight loss will happen .. it is a GIMME ... kapesh ! 7 . Know that this is the best decision you have ever made .. that you are to be respected for your decision to take your life back .. and to never let ANYONE undermine all that you are doing .. THIS IS NOT THE EASY WAY OUT !!! You matter .. and now is the time for YOU ... !!! 8. Know that we love you .. and will be here for you .. always. OK .. enough from me ... Is this not exciting .. !!! Let her know .. and I am sure she will see this that I love her .. and can not wait to welcome her to the loosing side of life . Always .. your Tinkerbelle

Thanks Tink for always giving so much good advice and for thinking of the things that I never would have thought of otherwise! Love ya back!! See ya on the other side! Christine

G'morning sweet stuff (thank you for the Birthday post and wishes!!) Hmmmm... advice to share, huh? Well, if there was two things I wish I could go back and redo, it would be. 1) Take and log my measurements. I opted to be lazy and didnt, only charted the weight aspect of losing. I think if I'd tracked the inches TOO, I wouldn't have been so anxious when the scales didn't move, because the inches did. 2) I woulda' done something FUNNY for the OR visit. You know, a sticky note on my stomach saying something totally stupid like.... "No, this is not your Vasectomy patient" ...or "Cut along the dotted line" ... or "Who brought the donuts?" Christine, you're gonna do GREAT, wish I could come see you in the hospital - but it's that TESTOSTERONE overload thingie - and my brother needs to learn to time his trips to VaBeach better! Not to worry, I'll be sure to kick him for you, it's the least a girlfriend can do, love you! Hugssssssssssssssss - Lei

Hey Lei! I'm planning to do the measurement thing tonight and thanks to YOU I have before pictures...thanks! I'm digging that sticky note thing...and SERIOUSLY considering it. My doc has a sense of humor and I think he would get a kick out of it! Anyway to sanitize a post-it after you scrub your belly with betadine??? Please, please, please kick him for me! Make sure you pay attention to your cell because my mom will be calling you to give you the update...Love ya!! Talk to ya soon! Christine

Morning Cheryl!!! I would love to meet ya at the hospital to see Christine. I live abt 5 mins from Norfolk General. So just let me know when you are going and i could meet ya. My tip is the same as yours: walk walk, the more the better. I will email ya with my phone numbers. Hugs, Kelli

Thanks Kelli, I'm getting worn out and I haven't even started all the walk, walk, walkin' Hugs! Christine