Well, my first week back from work has been tiring and a bit of a challenge. We are having serious and mandatory Internet training for my job and I am at a hotel out by Disney. I was freaking out at first, but it is turning out to be OK (until lunch today - more later.) The breakfast they serve are all carbs - cereals, full fat yogurt, toast, bagles and stuff like that. But the hotel banquet staff is great. I went up to the banquet manager and told him that I had RNY and I needed 2 oz of scrambled egg. Well, every morning he brings me way to much, but I just eat the 2 oz and one slice of melon. Then, lunch yesterday was lunch meat and bread with potato salad and chips. So, here I go to the manager who brought me a way too big portion of chicken salad and another slice of melon. I ate a small amount and that was that. For dinner at the hotel last night I got the shrimp sauted with mushrooms, scallons and tomatoes served over linguini without the linguini. Insetead they gave me asparagus. Since I have a microwave and fridge in my room, I ate a small amount and have enought for the next two nights! I really thought the food would be a problem, but I am doing OK. 

Then, today at lunch they served pizza so the banquet manager brought me some dark meat chicken and green beans. I had only 2 bites of chicken when something got stuck. It has been hectic and I think I ate too fast and I experienced my first bout with the foamies. Yuck. But the pain was worse. I spent the rest of the lunch hour walking the halls - that is after I went to the bathroom to spit up the foamies. 2 hours later the pain was gone, but my pouchy is very grouchy! I am gonna just have a protein shake for dinner and some warm decaf tea. I tell you what - lesson learned to not go to fast with eating!

The hardest part of this week is missing Troy.

I go back to the doc on July 5th. Can't wait to see where I am. 

Well, I went ot see Dr. Kim yesterday..... 24.5 POUNDS GONE FOREVER!!!



I can't believe it! He said my scars look good and I am healing well. I am starting to get used to the idea that this time it is going to come off and stay off. I know it isn't "Magic" surgery and that I have to change my habits, and I am fully prepard to do that - I already have! But I am not hungry. I know that doesn't last forever, but I am going to take full advantage of that feeling while it lasts. 

Next week will be a challenge. I am going back to work and we have a huge mandatory training week at a hotel out by Disney. I am a bit anxious about not having a kitchen to prepare my own food, but I will have a fridge and microwave in my room (Thank you Roberta - our office manager - she has hooked me up!!!) and will bring a lot of my own food. I am also a bit anxious to be a week without Troy around, but it is only a 40 minute drive to my house if need be. I am doing well with my food. Chewing like crazy. I just hope I don't have any problems with blockage or anythng. *Knocks on Wood* Hey, at least I am close to Dr. Kim's office out there!

I go back to the Dr in 2 weeks. Can't Wait!!!!!

It has been a week, and the pain has greatly subsided! HOORAY! Troy went back to work today and I did OK making my own breakfast this morning. He has been wonderful. He took the week off work and has helped me do everything. And I mean everything. We joke that it is practice for when we are old and having to clean each other up! He gets in the shower with me and washed my hair and makes sure I am OK. When I couldn't lift my torso out of the bed he would get up in the middle of the night so I could go potty. This experience has make our love even stronger. I have never felt closer to him, and that is awesome.

It was a great weekend. Lots of visitors. Of course my mom came again, as she has done every day since I have been home. I could not do it without her. My dad came on Saturday and Sunday, my sister and her husband, my friend Joan, my friend Shelley all stopped by. My friend Pam is coming to pick me up tomorrow and take me to the bank so I can get some stuff done. Woo Hoo! Ride it the car!! (I sould like what my doggies think when they get to go for a ride! LOL) I am still taking the pain meds, so no driving for me. 

I have been getting in 5 walks outside a day. I feel stronger each time. But those daytime walks are HOT. Hello, Florida! I still don't go by myself. Even though I am sure nothing would happen, I take no chances. 

I can't wait to go to the Dr. on the 20th to see what my weight is!!

Its Friday. 4 days out. I am still in pain, but it has gotten a whole lot better. I can't say enough good things about Dr. Kim and the staff at Celebration Health. We arrived and I was taken back for pre-op stuff. I  have very small veins and it was super hard to get my IV in - the the nurse was awesome and got it in on one try. AWESOME!!! I remember being wheeled into the surgery room and there was music. I said something about loving Bon Jovi and they played Bon Jovi for me as I was going out. I think it was You Give Love A Bad Name, but I can't really remember. It was great. Next thing I know I am in my HUGE private room and my husband, my mom and dad and my sister are all there. I was on morphine and feeling great. I even went for my first walk that night. Troy, my husband, stayed with me that first night and it was very comforting. They were able to do the surgery laparoscopy, so that is great news. I slept off and on during the night, pushing my lovely morphine button every time I woke up. The night nurse was Everly and she kept checking on me an making sure I was OK.

The next morning I was introduced to my day nursed, a wonderful guy named Izzy. We have the same birthday. His mom's birthday is the same as my Grandmother's, and we have the same last hypenated name. It was too Twilight Zone! But I think God sent him to me to look out for me. It was not such a good day, day 2. My vein blew and my IV became infiltrated. They took it out, so that was good. But Bye Bye morphine. Little did I know just how much I would miss it later that night. They took me down for my upper GI and there were no leaks. Hooray! I would start on protein shakes in the morning. I had visits from my parents and my friends Pam and Diane. It was great to see them! That night was aweful. The pain was horrible. I broke down and cried, but Everly held my hand and rubbed my back and told me it would be OK. I had told Troy earlier, when I was still on morphine, to go home and get the house ready and take care of the dogs. I wish I had him spend the second night instead of the first. That is my advice to anyone considering the surgery, have your husband or family member spend the second night with you.

Dr. Kim checked me out on Wednesday and Troy took me home at around 1:00 PM. It was a bad bad night. The liquid pain medication that contained codein made me woozy and I dry heaved twice. It was like no pain I had ever known. We called Dr. Kim and Troy was ready to drive me right back to Celebration Health. But Dr. Kim told me not to drink anything else and try to get some rest. I slept most of the night. One great thing is that I had a bowel movement. Then another one. All that walking is paying off.

Dr. Kim called the next morning and changed my pain meds to Darvaset. Halajulia! It works MUCH better. Now it was Thursday. I think I am gonna try to get out of bed all by myself. Bad Idea. I slid my legs over and couldn't  lift my body. Troy runs around the bed and grabs my hands but it was too late. I slid to the floor. But I got back up. All is well. My mom came over for a few hours and we watched TV. We have been catching up on the Planet Earth series. She now wants to get a DVR and a Hi Def TV. I walked a lot. I have walked a lot every day. Still just water, protein shakes, and hot tea today.

Today - Friday - Today was a good day! I has an ounce and a half of scrambled eggs, an ounce of unsweetened apple sauce, an ounce of string cheese and an ounce of chicken salad. All at different times of course. Tonight Troy is making Salmon, and I plan on having an ounce and a half of that. I went for 4 outside walks today. I saw a few neighbors, and I look like shit, but I don't care. It was nice to be outside.

I am getting tired of sitting up now. I will write more later. Thank you to my family and friends and everyone on this site who have supported me so much! I go see Dr, Kim on the 20th. I am not weighing until then.

Today it is! We are leaving for Celebration Hospital in about 45 minutes. I would be lying if I didn't say I was a little scared. Not of the surgery itself, but of the pain I know will be there afterwards. I am such a baby! But I am still excited too. Thank you so much to all my wonderful family and friend swho have supported me! Thank you so much to all of you who have signed my surgery page - it means so much to me! Stop and say a little prayer for me today at 2:00 pm EST. 

Today would have been my Grammy's 99th birthday. She went to heaven 5 years ago and I know she is watching over me today. I miss her a lot. I know she would be really proud of me. I am so glad my Re-Birthday is the same day as my Grammy's birthday.