I went in for surgery on August 27, 2001, at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. I weighed in at 375 pounds, but after 4 days on IV fluids, I was up to 385!! By 16 days Post-Op, I was down to 339!! I got scared that I had lost too much water, too fast, since I was back on my HCTZ when I got home and did not eat any bananas. I thought I was losing potassium and thought I would end up back in the hospital for potassium depletion with IVs hooked back up. I really hate IVs so I stopped taking my HCTZ. Bad thing to do. I started puffing back up. Where my ankles had become so nice and defined at the 16 day Post-Op appointment, they had puffed back out by the 1 month Post-Op. I had gone up by 3 pounds! How disappointing. I got back on my HCTZ and am hoping that water gain will go down along with my weight. The photos you see here are 1) August 27, 2001 in my hospital garb, just before surgery. 2)Me, my daughter and husband in NC, Sept. 23, 2001, just a couple of days before my 1 month Post-Op. Happy!! The weight is coming off!!