Valerie!

I hope your surgery went well today. Actually, I asked at Dr Rumbaut´s office and was told it was fine. It was a pleasure meeting you here in Monterrey. I will be home by the time you are released to the hotel so I wanted to say good-bye and good luck and we´ll keep in touch! Bridget

Hi Bridget! I made it! I´ve been really sore the past few days, so this is the first chance I´ve had to go to the computer room. I was spitting out the pain drops instead of swallowing them because Dr. Rumbaut had said they don´t work if you swallow them, but that was a old medicine. They switched to a new kind two weeks ago, so it was like I wasn´t on any at all. Then I couldn´t reach anyone from the hotel, and no one checked on me or called for a day and a half, so I was hurting pretty bad. Finally the lady from the Dr.´s office came to the hotel and gave me a shot, which helps. It´s Sunday today. Thank you for the cooler and soup, that was a nice surprise! It was so nice meeting you and your husband, I can only hope I will feel as well as you in the next few days! I know it will get better with time. I hope you and your husband are doing well, and I´ll write more later on. Talk to you later...Valerie

Valerie, I did the SAME thing with the pain drops! I had a horrible night and then found out the next morning you were supposed to swallow them, duh! I'm glad you got the cooler, I wasn't sure if it would get to you. It helps to keep your drinks cold in the hotel room. Remember, if you ever need to reach someone at Dr Rumbaut's office, you can just call the hotel desk and they will have someone call you. That's what I did when Steve had his accident with the drain tube. I've been 'OK'. Friday I was feeling really weak and I laid down. When I got up, my eyes were so swollen, I could only see out of one, so I went to the ER. My blood pressure was really low 91/59 and I was having heart palps, so they admitted me. Turns out I was having a severe allergic reaction, either to the antibiotic or to a cream I got from a dermatologist while I was in Mexico. They released me yesterday and I feel much better now. Yikes! I was so happy to get home to my kids Thursday, only to be back in the hospital by Friday. I bet your feeling much better by today. Update us and let us know how you're doing! Bridget

Yikes! Sorry to hear you had a bad reaction, do you think it was the drops. Question mark won´t work on this keyboard! Well, it´s Monday and I asked for another pain shot, it works pretty well. The drops don´t do too much to help me. I was able to do a little shopping, and only have a few other people to shop for. If I can get a shot tomorrow morning I may go to the Indian market. I have to go back to Dr. Rumbauts tomorrow to have the staples out, I hope it won´t hurt too bad! I was able to get a phone card and talk to my daughter, so that was nice. I met the man from Jamaca 'Terry' and his wife a little while ago, but not too many other people. How is your husband doing_What are you both doing for the liquid diet_I´m sick of tea and Crystal light! I can tolerate the light yogurt though, so I might see if I can get one tonight. Well, I´m going to go back to the room and rest. I´ll talk to you later!

Are you home yet? If you are, I bet your so happy to be home. You are one brave chicka to have gone to Mexico and done this all by yourself! I didn't tell you that while you were there but I have to give you a lot of credit. We've been starting to incorporate some soft solids. My husband made some runny scrambled eggs the other day and they were the most delicious things I've ever eaten! Also steamed veggies mashed up and oatmeal. It feels good to have something thicker in my tummy. We're both doing good. Steve is taking is week off from work also, and I admit I am ready to have him out of the house already! Bridget

Hi Bridget! I'm home, got here last night after a long, tiring two airplane flights. My flight out of Houstan was delayed because of bad weather, so I was late getting to Tallahassee. Just before I was supposed to leave Monterrey for the airport, I was picking some of that yellow junk off my belly and I guess I pulled too hard on my belly button and it started to bleed. So I went into the bathroom and started to blot it with a wet tissue. Dr. Olivia was due any minute to give me my last pain shot and blood thinner shot, so I wasn't too worried. Anyway, all of a sudden I got nausious, dizzy, my skin on my face got ice cold and clammy and I had to sit down on the toilet. I almost passed out, Olivia said I would have if I hadn't sat down. She said it was something to do with a nerve, and fluids and such. Not sure exactly, but I sure hope that never happens again!! I've felt tired, but ok today. My first day with no pain shot! Well, have to try to get some sleep. Talk to you later! Valerie

Hey Valerie. I bet your happy to be home. That's scary about almost passing out. I hate feeling that way, espically when I'm alone. Of course I've never passed out, so maybe what I occasionally feel isn't what you felt at all. We're doing good. Just regular life in the way. Steve is having trouble with his business. One of the TV techs that works for him quit when he got home from Mexico and he hasn't replaced him yet, so he has a ton of work but not enough people to do it. And we're behind on the bills since both of us missed work. Bleh. Just regular stuff. I miss the foods I can't eat yet. Salad, steak, meat that's not the consistency of baby food. ick. I also have a little problem getting my protien in. Today was a bad day. I'm going to ask Steve to make me one of the dreaded protien shakes when he gets home. They taste icky but I admit they give me that energy boost I need. I'm also falling into the kiddie meal nosh trap. I can't seem to make something for my kids without tasting a bite. Just a small bite is no problem, but my kids like things like mac & cheese, hot dogs, chips & dip. I think I'm just going to stop buying the really bad stuff. I have no will power. Bridget

Yeah, I know what you mean! If it's not in the house, you can't eat it. I watched a ribeye steak cookoff contest last night, and I swear I could SMELL those darn things hot off the grill! I feel afraid to eat though, not because I'm afraid it will get stuck though. I've spent my life dieting, and only when I starved (like now, with 1-200 calories) I would loose weight. As soon as I ate ANYTHING, even a salad, I would gain a pound or two the next day! Now I know they say a pound =3500 calories, but no salad has that much! Yesterday I had 1/2 a light yogurt, around 2 tablespoons 2% cottage cheese, I chicken vienna sausage, a protien shake with a piece of banana, and only lost 1/2 a pound. What happens when I can eat more solid food? I'm so afraid this won't work for me. I know I need to drink more too, I'm trying with that, but it's awful forcing yourself to drink when you don't want it! Other then that I've been feeling ok, just a little pain on the left side but I understand that's normal. Sorry to hear about your husband's job problems, that guy should have at least gave 2 weeks notice. Is there any way of privately exchanging phone numbers (if you want too that is!) I'm not much of a typist, hunt and peck!

Bridget, haven't heard from you in a while, are you and your husband doing ok? Thinking about you guys! Valerie

I emailed you. Let me know if you didn't get it. Bridget