Sharleen P.

Send Message

Block

Add Friend

Becca K. 21 years, 6 months ago

Happy TWO Year Anniversary to You! I hope that this post finds you healthy and happy. Please remember to drop by and update your profile from time to time. It's important for others to be able to see how we post-ops do on our journeys. You never know who you might inspire. Have a great day.

Sharleen P. 23 years, 2 months ago

Well here i am! Since my surgery September 27th, a week ago i weighed in down 62 pounds! Yeah!!! I am totally off my B/P meds and am really starting to have more energy and getting to know what i can and cant eat! I still have a hard time with milk, as it upets my tummy, and i cant eat pasta or rice or very much in the way of bread, and no flour tortillas either. They usually jsut come back up or make me feel like they want to anyway. ;oP I am haveing some hair loss, but i think i do need to increase the protein as well. It is hard to remember to take my vitimins and minerals every day and i am eating only about 2 meals a day so i know i dont get it in my food. I will try harder to take better care of myself. My clothes are really getting baggy and strange. It is a good thing though! ;o) I am happy and i know i am on my way! Oh, also, i have not had one bought of Colitis or reflux or ulcers either!! Wonderful surgery!! I would do it again in a heartbeat! Take Care! Write me if you need anthing answered! I am kind of busy right now but knew i needed to update this! TTFN Shar

kal H. 23 years, 6 months ago

Well, I'm about 3000 miles away from my sister, but I just wanted to write and tell her that she is great and I am excited for her. I have always been amazed at how positive she has stayed even when she had pain or no energy (before her surgery) and had to try and be a mom to three young boys. I just want her to know that I love her and wish her the best. If you haven't ever met her....you should! :O) Shar's Brother, Kalle

Teresa R. 23 years, 6 months ago

Hey, Shar! We made it through the surgery! I wanted to talk to you more in the hospital, but was not feeling very good. I hope that you are doing great. I am here whenever you need support or encouragement. Thanks for being such a sweet friend!

blank first name B. 23 years, 6 months ago

Sharleen, I hear you are a wonderwoman?? My thoughts and prayers are with you as you recover and i hope that it only gets better from here.. Ya Looser.. (i mean that in the positive way you know!!!) keep it up.. and BEst WISHES!!

Sharleen P. 23 years, 6 months ago

UPDATE: Well i am finally home and up a little bit walking now and then! I want to thank several very special people who helped me so much through the emotional and physically trying times. The first is Helen! who's name you will see in my postings. She is so sweet! She snuck in the hospital and like a little tooth fairy left me the most beautiful bouquet of flowers! Then unwanting to disturb me she crept out again! ;o) She called me and checked up on me both before and after my surgery and just the sound of her voice was enough to lift my spirits! I hope all of you will be blessed with such a caring person to support you. The second is a sweet lady named Jilda who is just a petite size 6 now who lives in San Francisco. She has writen me every day and night and given me such good advice and kept my hopes up for success. She has made such a total life change and is a real inspiration to me! I also met a lady who lives here in the West Valley and she had her surgery the day before me. Her name is Terri and she is a real sweetheart as well! We were both kind of out of it when we were there but i hope when we are more healed to be able to spend some time with her and get together! I also met another sweetie named Janet who had her surgery right after mine the same day and she lives in Phoenix and we talked just a little but i also hope to hear how she is doing and get together with her later on and share experiences! It just amazes me how many people are having this surgery these days! Also while i was walking in the wing of the hospital, i met at least 3 other people who had this surgery through my doctor days before me! They were all in good spirits and walking the same day as they had surgery! I felt i was all in all, in very good company! Thank you all for all the sweet and caring letters you have sent to me and for keeping in touch with me. i will update a little more each week as i have the energy and let you know how the weight is doing. Ok, now, ~The surgery went ok! Better than i thought even i guess! I did have my Gallbladder taken out and an umbilical hernia repaired and i guess Helen, who was also an RN in the hospital a few years ago where i was, and helped patients in recovery told me that they blow air in you to move things or lift things aside to see other body parts. of course i don't understand it all, but i do know that the air left in there is very painful! So my back was the worst part of my pain. Actually it still is! I am sure it doesn't help that i have Degenerative spinal arthritis but if it wern't for the pain in my back i think i could do alot more than i can! I am on mushy all blended food for now and am keeping it down well and learning not to drink when i eat and to measure my food so i dont over eat, because it is true when they tell you, when your full, your FULL! and it doesn't take much now!!! ;o) It is a nice feeling to know i am not eating like a pig anymore! i swear i could eat a whold med pizza alone! ;o( One for my kids and one for me! Not anymore though! LOL I also kind of had to force myself to eat the first few days as i had no feeling of hunger! Thirst yes. Hunger no. I seem to like potatoes the best with a little cheese in them and a little cooked carrots for my veggie mixed in! You really don't taste them but the color is nice and the cheese is wonderful! I still have to check with the doc on a few foods but i think i am choosing better things to eat and have no desire to eat sugary or junk foods. I do like a little sugar free jello on the side. I think that got started in the hosptial! ;o) It just tasted so yummy when i was able to eat and drink at last! It was cold and went down easily! ;o) I got so darn thirsty, i thought i would die for a sip of water, ;oP and my throat ached from the NG tube! They took it out the next day but still it was real sore. Everyone else agreed with me there. Sorry. But i found since i couldn't drink if i got them to give me a glass of ice water and i just gargled way back and swished real often and then spit it out, it made a world of difference! So please, please remember this when you have yours done and do it often! It is yucky and seems to want to prevent you from even speaking! LOL The cold is so soothing when you hurt and are dry in there! I know there is alot more i need to say but my tummy is aching from sitting here so long and i need to go rest a bit and not over do. So i will stop for now and do this again later. Thanks again for all your letters! Feel free to ask me anything you want and i will try to answer and check back often as i can! Also any food sugjestions out there would be greatly appreciated as well!! I am on my way and very excited! ;o) TTFN Shar

Helen B. 23 years, 6 months ago

Update-I talked with Shar this evening and she is unbelievable!!!! I even yelled at her for overdoing it!!!! She is 5 days postop and is WONDER WOMAN and doing it all and only taking her pain med at night to help her sleep. I tried to explain to her she had major abdominal surgery and she needed to slow down a bit to let her body heal but she is just soooo happy and full of excitement for the future. I don't think anything is going to hold her back now. Watch out world, Shar made it to the other side and she's raring to go!!!!

Helen B. 23 years, 6 months ago

I just got off the phone with Shar, she sounded fantastic!!! She had just finished walking around all the four stations on her floor!!! She lost her IV's by the next day after surgery and hates needles so has been occasionally using liquid pain med but for the most part has just been doing without the pain meds!!!!!!!She said when she hurts she just gets up and walks around. She is doing so good she might be able to go home today!!!! she said the gas pains from them taking her gallbladder out hurts more than her incision. Her family is eager to get her home. She has done just beautifully, I applaud her.

Helen B. 23 years, 6 months ago

I talked with Shar's mom. Shar is feeling good, and still thrilled she had the surgery, the pain is tolerable ( she's had worse! ). Her mom said they also took out her gallbladder and fixed a hernia while they were in there. She is expected to come home Sunday. Her family is on cloud nine along with Shar.

Helen B. 23 years, 6 months ago

I went to the hospital today to check on Shar, she was sleeping soundly, good sign. I talked with her nurse and she said she was doing fantastic, her NG tube came out this am. From the way the nurse was talking Shar has been up walking and doing great. Sounds like she's on her way!!! I just want to know how she got the private room? I've never been that lucky.