Bahama bound next

Yea for the drains I know your glad. Im not yelling you know your body best. And as long as your not driving w/ paim meds and lifting you should be great your the boss applesauce!!!! Hope to see you real soon girle.

I have not taken ANYTHING for pain since 5 days post-op...can you believe it!!! Before PS I was LIVING off of Flexeril and Vicodin....since the skin has been removed and the muscles tightened up....NO PAIN...life is really wonderful now!!! I'm still not lifting, pulling, or pushing anything heavy..and I have a bunch of questions when I see him tomorrow to make sure I stay on track with what I should be doing...I don't want to take a chance on screwing this up...ya know!

Hey girlie! Hope you are feeling much better by now. Shannon

Hi Melinda!  I was watching a show on the Travel Channel the other night about cruises. I am so jealous! What a wonderful time you are going to have. The one tip that I remember from the show was do not over pack. But how do you not over pack???? Shoes alone... I would need at least 5 pair. A nice dressy pair, a pair of sneekers , and a pair of sandals in black, brown and at least 2 other colors. I  usually make the mistake of being an over packer myself for any time I go away from home... One never knows!  Have fun dear... You really deserve this vacation. cath

Melinda--Have a wonderful time. Relax, take photos, take a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. This is my favorite tip--For the first day of your cruise, pack a small carry-on bag with your travel documents, a  change of clothes, bathing suit, maybe workout clothes, and any medications you may need.     This will allow you to begin enjoying your vacation immediately, because you won't have to     wait for your bags to arrive at your stateroom. They can be delayed.  Enjoy!

Melinda,  I only took with me 3 pairs of pants and shirts I could coordinate with them . One Dress , and one suit . One bathing sui****er shoes, deck shoes , tennis shoes and my dress shoes .  You want to keep it simple . And not have to worry about luggage and clothing issues. Like Jen said .. pack small carryone bag .. so you can enjoy your trip right away .  Nat

If you have a balcony room I found that if you take 2 bungee cords you can sleep with the door open (if you're comfortable with that).  We did on our cruise and it was WONDERFUL to have the fresh sea air and hear the ocean. :-)  A great site for cruise people is: www.cruisecritic.com It's where I got all my good info. before my first (only!) cruise.  Other than that, like the others said, relax, take lots of pictures, enjoy....and only do the things that really interest you otherwise you'll be running all over the ship and exhausted!

One thing I packed for our cruise was a disposable UNDERWATER camera!  I'm so glad I did too.  I got some terrific shots of the most gorgeous, brightly-colored fish. They will take your picture constantly but you are NOT obligated to buy any if you don't choose to.  The ones we bought were when we first boarded, 2 "formal" photos on the 2 days we "dressed" for dinner in the big dining room, & arriving at each of our ports.  That's it! The carry-on bag is an excellent idea because when you first arrive on board you are asked NOT to go to your stateroom straight away because your bags aren't there yet  & sometimes the rooms aren't ready from the previous cruisers. I also recommend you keep one of those bottles of hand santizers in your bag or pocket at all times & use it often. If you have ANY problems at all, talk to the Purser.  We had a big problem with one of the wait-staff.  I think my complaining got him fired, but he brought it on himself by being so rude & a total a**hole!  We didn't see him for the rest of our cruise & when we got back to our room that evening there was a HUGE fruit basket waiting for us with a letter of appology from CORPORATE as well as the onboard Purser AND a certificate for 25% off our next cruise!  So they go waaaay out of their way to put a good foot forward & to please you. Since you're going to the Bahamas, DO go the Atlantis...it's worth it!!! Finally, just have a ball & don't worry about gaining a bunch of weight.  I wasn't even trying to lose any back then but managed to drop 15 lbs just from all the walking on board ship! Can't wait to see your pictures when you get back!

I almost forgot one more thing.  It's highly encouraged that you only drink BOTTLED water while out in town.  They usually have a guy on the ship, right at the door as you are about to disembark, that's selling the water.  Or you can purchase it in town. Just make sure it's bottled, even in the restaurants in town.

Have a great time Melinda and enjoy every minute of it.  We will miss you terribly.