Livetothrive

***Sharing a recent surgery experience*** I had my gastric bypass surgery about 1 week ago and so wanted to share some of my experiences with you. I know before I went in, I was nervous, excited, anxious and would have loved to hear about someone one else’s experience – so I am sharing mine. For what it’s worth. <3 I tried to break it down into sections so you can scan and read what you want. SURGERY/RECOVERY ROOM My surgery was scheduled for 8:15am on August 28, 2018 at the University of Iowa Hospital; we arrived at 6am to get checked in. They did all the expected procedures, weighed me, asked medical questions, did a pregnancy test, change into hospital gown, and prepped the IV. At 8:15am, wheeled back to the surgical area. Where it felt like I was the car in a Nascar pit stop.  People checking with me, setting up IV fluids, other monitors, prepping for surgery. The last thing I recall is the oxygen mask and asking me to take deep breaths. The surgery started at 9:08am and lasted until about 12pm and I was in the recovery room until about 2pm. They checked on my pain levels and nausea. I was fortunate to not have nausea, but there was significant pain. From there I was wheeled into my room and was able to see my family. Remember, you just had surgery and you are going to be VERY tired. You will be pale and do NOT worry about any of that! <3 I was still linked to the IV for fluids and pain medicine; I could push the button every 8 minutes for a dose, which did help limit the pain. They also gave me anti-nausea medicine through the IV. DRAIN I had a gastric bypass so had a drain. I understand this isn’t the case for all surgeries. I had a plastic tube in my stomach that was connected to a small bulb. Every 4 hours, a nurse would empty it and they also sent a sample of the fluids to the lab to ensure what was coming out was ok. In my case, the drain did not hurt. It was just rather weird having a plastic tube sticking out of your tummy. At one point, my drain started to leak fluid so they just had to remove the bandages and replace and cover with more tape. (Just another reason to stick with the hospital gowns – got the stuff on their clothes not mine!  ) I will speak to the removal of the drain – since that is a question I had. When I was about to be discharged the next afternoon, they had to pull it out. There were two stitches adhering the drain to my stomach so they snipped those (no pain) and started to pull the drain out. It was minimal pain but mostly it felt really …weird… They are pulling a plastic tube out of your insides so you can imagine. Not terrible – just not something I would like to feel again. CATHETER I had a catheter after my surgery; I don’t know if this is standard for all surgeries. Every 4 hours, the nurse would empty and measure the amount of fluid. The main annoyance was trying to walk around with a long-ass tube between your legs. When they took it out, it just felt like a little pressure and it was done. It was no biggie. NURSES I want to take a moment and recognize the work of nurses. They work their asses off to take care of us and it is not a simple job. I was pretty lucky with my nurses; they were very kind and fun. I did have one that liked to complain a lot, but she was still nice to me. Please, do NOT act like a jerk to the nurses! I know you may be in pain and scared – but they are there to help you and support you. It IS ok to ask for help though. Use the call button and ask for assistance as you need. There were a couple of times I had to use mine and that is what is there for. On a side note, I do know there are a few nurses who really should leave the field. If you do come across such nurse, it is completely appropriate to advocate for yourself and get a reassignment. When my grandmother was in the hospital many years ago, I had to do this because of her negligence and the way she spoke to my grandma. ***Long story short: Be nice, ask for help, and advocate for yourself. PAIN I am known for sugar coating anything (just ask my kids, lol) Yes, you will have pain. You will also have medicine to assist you with this. Be honest with your caretakers about your pain level. If the medicine is not helping you – it is ok to discuss other options! It is your body! I developed an allergy to the pain medicine and became itchy ALL over! Since the allergy wasn’t dangerous, they reconciled this by simply giving me Benadryl. The second day, they started to wean me off the IV pain pump and gave me the same pain pills I would have at home. *PRO TIP: Take the pain pills (and any other ones) as prescribed, even if it means waking up from slumber to take them! For example, I was to take mine every 4 hours. I set multiple alarms on my cell phone to alert me to take them – even overnight. That way the pain meds remain in your system and you don’t wake up in immense pain! It is well worth it, I promise! NAUSEA I was relatively lucky with this and didn’t suffer with it too badly. I know some folks really have difficulties with this. I did have anti-nausea meds in my IV for a while and they sent me home with anti-nausea pills for home. The only time I did have a terrible moment of nausea was the evening of the surgery.,,but we had some interesting weather. We actually had a Tornado warning so all patients had to come outside their rooms. I had to go from laying down to sitting up ramrod straight in a chair. I thought for sure I was going to get sick – but I was able to hold it in. I couldn’t bear to get sick in front of all the other patients and upset them or cause more work for the nurses. After the warning was over, I got to go back in my room and lay down and l felt so much better. WALKING When I was in the hospital (and after I got home) I got up to walk about every 2 hours and it *significantly* helped with any gas pain. It was also just good to get out of the room and see other people. Yes, I am talking about overnight. In fact, my most fun walks were at 12am, 2am, and 4am because the overnight nurses were really sweet and funny. I know you will be tired and sleep is very hard to get at the hospital, but it will make you feel better to walk for a few minutes. <3 HOSPITAL ENVIRONMENT This is just my experience, but the hospital was not exactly a relaxing place. No surprise to most people.  There is constant noise: beeping from other rooms, people talking, some people have tv’s, etc. I recommend earplugs or headphones to help with the noise. You also will have folks coming into your room at all hours interrupting you sleep - to do different things (checking IV’s, vitals, catheter, pump, housekeeping) COMING HOME I was very happy to be able to come home. I was able to come home the afternoon after my surgery. They will get the meds you need and go over your discharge notes and instructions. (Do as they say!) I HIGHLY recommend bringing a pillow or having the person driving you home bring a pillow. It helps you hold your stomach from all the bouncing from the car ride. My ride home was a little rough. The roads in Iowa are not especially great so it did hurt. Just be prepared for that with a pillow and pain meds and you will be ok. <3 DIET Be sure to follow whatever diet your doctor/nutritionist. I know that different programs/hospitals have different protocols – so follow what you are given. Do NOT cheat immediately after your surgery! It is not worth it to possibly harm yourself. <3 WHAT TAKE TO HOSPITAL This is a question I see often and researched much as well. I will just list the items I found useful: • Comfy Robe (used for walks and as a blanket; it was much softer than the hospital blanket) • Slippers • Ponytail holders • Face wash wipes • Hair Brush • Toothbrush • Toothpaste • Phone and charger • Headphones • Comfy clothes to go home in (I wore a cotton dress. I didn’t want pants to touch my incisions) • Extra undergarments • Deodorant • Biotine (My mouth was SO dry! And it was heavenly when I could have ice chips!) • I did not wear the PJ’s I brought. I wore the hospital gown and was thankful I did due to a couple of drain leaks! **************************************************************** Well, that was my experience. Hope you found it helpful. If you have any questions – let me know and I am happy to answer! Best of luck to you! Stefanie <3

Had this same issue two days ago. I tried pureed ground turkey with refried beans and ended up getting sick for the first time since my surgery. It was pretty awful.
I am sticking with cottage cheese, unsweetened applesauce, yogurt, and some soups for a bit. Jello and sugar free popsicles are a nice treat too! I may need to become a vegetarian. lol
I have to make myself eat - food still kinda grosses me out for the moment.
I don't suffer from acid reflux, but my doctor prescribes a medicine to take for 3 months for acid for all patients.
Switching from liquid to pureed food takes time, I think. I am just thankful I tried pureed foods before coming back to work today! That would have been awful!

Had this same issue two days ago. I tried pureed ground turkey with refried beans and ended up getting sick for the first time since my surgery. It was pretty awful.
I am sticking with cottage cheese, unsweetened applesauce, yogurt, and some soups for a bit. Jello and sugar free popsicles are a nice treat too! I may need to become a vegetarian. lol
I have to make myself eat - food still kinda grosses me out for the moment.
I don't suffer from acid reflux, but my doctor prescribes a medicine to take for 3 months for acid for all patients.
Switching from liquid to pureed food takes time, I think. I am just thankful I tried pureed foods before coming back to work today! That would have been awful!

I just started my puréed diet....idk if it’s in my head or if it’s really happening but any time I try to eat anything other than liquids I feel like it’s stuck and end up getting sick...I’m an over thinker for sure but just wondering if anyone else has this problem

Refried beans
Cottage Cheese
Soft scrambled eggs with shred cheese (mashed very very small and soft)
Greek Yogurt
Blended Soups
Egg salad with Greek yogurt
Mash potatoes (if allowed on your plan)
Blended veggies
Very soft and blended meatloaf
I kind of blended the soft and purred stage together because I'm really affected by texture of things. But a lot of what you can eat can be blended or mashed to give the purred consistency. Don't be afraid to reach back out to your NUT if you are unclear about what your plan allows.

Just keep trying things and retrying things that were problems... lots of changes can happen while you are healing.

***Sharing a recent surgery experience*** I had my gastric bypass surgery about 1 week ago and so wanted to share some of my experiences with you. I know before I went in, I was nervous, excited, anxious and would have loved to hear about someone one else’s experience – so I am sharing mine. For what it’s worth. <3 I tried to break it down into sections so you can scan and read what you want. SURGERY/RECOVERY ROOM My surgery was scheduled for 8:15am on August 28, 2018 at the University of Iowa Hospital; we arrived at 6am to get checked in. They did all the expected procedures, weighed me, asked medical questions, did a pregnancy test, change into hospital gown, and prepped the IV. At 8:15am, wheeled back to the surgical area. Where it felt like I was the car in a Nascar pit stop.  People checking with me, setting up IV fluids, other monitors, prepping for surgery. The last thing I recall is the oxygen mask and asking me to take deep breaths. The surgery started at 9:08am and lasted until about 12pm and I was in the recovery room until about 2pm. They checked on my pain levels and nausea. I was fortunate to not have nausea, but there was significant pain. From there I was wheeled into my room and was able to see my family. Remember, you just had surgery and you are going to be VERY tired. You will be pale and do NOT worry about any of that! <3 I was still linked to the IV for fluids and pain medicine; I could push the button every 8 minutes for a dose, which did help limit the pain. They also gave me anti-nausea medicine through the IV. DRAIN I had a gastric bypass so had a drain. I understand this isn’t the case for all surgeries. I had a plastic tube in my stomach that was connected to a small bulb. Every 4 hours, a nurse would empty it and they also sent a sample of the fluids to the lab to ensure what was coming out was ok. In my case, the drain did not hurt. It was just rather weird having a plastic tube sticking out of your tummy. At one point, my drain started to leak fluid so they just had to remove the bandages and replace and cover with more tape. (Just another reason to stick with the hospital gowns – got the stuff on their clothes not mine!  ) I will speak to the removal of the drain – since that is a question I had. When I was about to be discharged the next afternoon, they had to pull it out. There were two stitches adhering the drain to my stomach so they snipped those (no pain) and started to pull the drain out. It was minimal pain but mostly it felt really …weird… They are pulling a plastic tube out of your insides so you can imagine. Not terrible – just not something I would like to feel again. CATHETER I had a catheter after my surgery; I don’t know if this is standard for all surgeries. Every 4 hours, the nurse would empty and measure the amount of fluid. The main annoyance was trying to walk around with a long-ass tube between your legs. When they took it out, it just felt like a little pressure and it was done. It was no biggie. NURSES I want to take a moment and recognize the work of nurses. They work their asses off to take care of us and it is not a simple job. I was pretty lucky with my nurses; they were very kind and fun. I did have one that liked to complain a lot, but she was still nice to me. Please, do NOT act like a jerk to the nurses! I know you may be in pain and scared – but they are there to help you and support you. It IS ok to ask for help though. Use the call button and ask for assistance as you need. There were a couple of times I had to use mine and that is what is there for. On a side note, I do know there are a few nurses who really should leave the field. If you do come across such nurse, it is completely appropriate to advocate for yourself and get a reassignment. When my grandmother was in the hospital many years ago, I had to do this because of her negligence and the way she spoke to my grandma. ***Long story short: Be nice, ask for help, and advocate for yourself. PAIN I am known for sugar coating anything (just ask my kids, lol) Yes, you will have pain. You will also have medicine to assist you with this. Be honest with your caretakers about your pain level. If the medicine is not helping you – it is ok to discuss other options! It is your body! I developed an allergy to the pain medicine and became itchy ALL over! Since the allergy wasn’t dangerous, they reconciled this by simply giving me Benadryl. The second day, they started to wean me off the IV pain pump and gave me the same pain pills I would have at home. *PRO TIP: Take the pain pills (and any other ones) as prescribed, even if it means waking up from slumber to take them! For example, I was to take mine every 4 hours. I set multiple alarms on my cell phone to alert me to take them – even overnight. That way the pain meds remain in your system and you don’t wake up in immense pain! It is well worth it, I promise! NAUSEA I was relatively lucky with this and didn’t suffer with it too badly. I know some folks really have difficulties with this. I did have anti-nausea meds in my IV for a while and they sent me home with anti-nausea pills for home. The only time I did have a terrible moment of nausea was the evening of the surgery.,,but we had some interesting weather. We actually had a Tornado warning so all patients had to come outside their rooms. I had to go from laying down to sitting up ramrod straight in a chair. I thought for sure I was going to get sick – but I was able to hold it in. I couldn’t bear to get sick in front of all the other patients and upset them or cause more work for the nurses. After the warning was over, I got to go back in my room and lay down and l felt so much better. WALKING When I was in the hospital (and after I got home) I got up to walk about every 2 hours and it *significantly* helped with any gas pain. It was also just good to get out of the room and see other people. Yes, I am talking about overnight. In fact, my most fun walks were at 12am, 2am, and 4am because the overnight nurses were really sweet and funny. I know you will be tired and sleep is very hard to get at the hospital, but it will make you feel better to walk for a few minutes. <3 HOSPITAL ENVIRONMENT This is just my experience, but the hospital was not exactly a relaxing place. No surprise to most people.  There is constant noise: beeping from other rooms, people talking, some people have tv’s, etc. I recommend earplugs or headphones to help with the noise. You also will have folks coming into your room at all hours interrupting you sleep - to do different things (checking IV’s, vitals, catheter, pump, housekeeping) COMING HOME I was very happy to be able to come home. I was able to come home the afternoon after my surgery. They will get the meds you need and go over your discharge notes and instructions. (Do as they say!) I HIGHLY recommend bringing a pillow or having the person driving you home bring a pillow. It helps you hold your stomach from all the bouncing from the car ride. My ride home was a little rough. The roads in Iowa are not especially great so it did hurt. Just be prepared for that with a pillow and pain meds and you will be ok. <3 DIET Be sure to follow whatever diet your doctor/nutritionist. I know that different programs/hospitals have different protocols – so follow what you are given. Do NOT cheat immediately after your surgery! It is not worth it to possibly harm yourself. <3 WHAT TAKE TO HOSPITAL This is a question I see often and researched much as well. I will just list the items I found useful: • Comfy Robe (used for walks and as a blanket; it was much softer than the hospital blanket) • Slippers • Ponytail holders • Face wash wipes • Hair Brush • Toothbrush • Toothpaste • Phone and charger • Headphones • Comfy clothes to go home in (I wore a cotton dress. I didn’t want pants to touch my incisions) • Extra undergarments • Deodorant • Biotine (My mouth was SO dry! And it was heavenly when I could have ice chips!) • I did not wear the PJ’s I brought. I wore the hospital gown and was thankful I did due to a couple of drain leaks! **************************************************************** Well, that was my experience. Hope you found it helpful. If you have any questions – let me know and I am happy to answer! Best of luck to you! Stefanie <3

***Sharing a recent surgery experience*** I had my gastric bypass surgery about 1 week ago and so wanted to share some of my experiences with you. I know before I went in, I was nervous, excited, anxious and would have loved to hear about someone one else’s experience – so I am sharing mine. For what it’s worth. <3 I tried to break it down into sections so you can scan and read what you want. SURGERY/RECOVERY ROOM My surgery was scheduled for 8:15am on August 28, 2018 at the University of Iowa Hospital; we arrived at 6am to get checked in. They did all the expected procedures, weighed me, asked medical questions, did a pregnancy test, change into hospital gown, and prepped the IV. At 8:15am, wheeled back to the surgical area. Where it felt like I was the car in a Nascar pit stop.  People checking with me, setting up IV fluids, other monitors, prepping for surgery. The last thing I recall is the oxygen mask and asking me to take deep breaths. The surgery started at 9:08am and lasted until about 12pm and I was in the recovery room until about 2pm. They checked on my pain levels and nausea. I was fortunate to not have nausea, but there was significant pain. From there I was wheeled into my room and was able to see my family. Remember, you just had surgery and you are going to be VERY tired. You will be pale and do NOT worry about any of that! <3 I was still linked to the IV for fluids and pain medicine; I could push the button every 8 minutes for a dose, which did help limit the pain. They also gave me anti-nausea medicine through the IV. DRAIN I had a gastric bypass so had a drain. I understand this isn’t the case for all surgeries. I had a plastic tube in my stomach that was connected to a small bulb. Every 4 hours, a nurse would empty it and they also sent a sample of the fluids to the lab to ensure what was coming out was ok. In my case, the drain did not hurt. It was just rather weird having a plastic tube sticking out of your tummy. At one point, my drain started to leak fluid so they just had to remove the bandages and replace and cover with more tape. (Just another reason to stick with the hospital gowns – got the stuff on their clothes not mine!  ) I will speak to the removal of the drain – since that is a question I had. When I was about to be discharged the next afternoon, they had to pull it out. There were two stitches adhering the drain to my stomach so they snipped those (no pain) and started to pull the drain out. It was minimal pain but mostly it felt really …weird… They are pulling a plastic tube out of your insides so you can imagine. Not terrible – just not something I would like to feel again. CATHETER I had a catheter after my surgery; I don’t know if this is standard for all surgeries. Every 4 hours, the nurse would empty and measure the amount of fluid. The main annoyance was trying to walk around with a long-ass tube between your legs. When they took it out, it just felt like a little pressure and it was done. It was no biggie. NURSES I want to take a moment and recognize the work of nurses. They work their asses off to take care of us and it is not a simple job. I was pretty lucky with my nurses; they were very kind and fun. I did have one that liked to complain a lot, but she was still nice to me. Please, do NOT act like a jerk to the nurses! I know you may be in pain and scared – but they are there to help you and support you. It IS ok to ask for help though. Use the call button and ask for assistance as you need. There were a couple of times I had to use mine and that is what is there for. On a side note, I do know there are a few nurses who really should leave the field. If you do come across such nurse, it is completely appropriate to advocate for yourself and get a reassignment. When my grandmother was in the hospital many years ago, I had to do this because of her negligence and the way she spoke to my grandma. ***Long story short: Be nice, ask for help, and advocate for yourself. PAIN I am known for sugar coating anything (just ask my kids, lol) Yes, you will have pain. You will also have medicine to assist you with this. Be honest with your caretakers about your pain level. If the medicine is not helping you – it is ok to discuss other options! It is your body! I developed an allergy to the pain medicine and became itchy ALL over! Since the allergy wasn’t dangerous, they reconciled this by simply giving me Benadryl. The second day, they started to wean me off the IV pain pump and gave me the same pain pills I would have at home. *PRO TIP: Take the pain pills (and any other ones) as prescribed, even if it means waking up from slumber to take them! For example, I was to take mine every 4 hours. I set multiple alarms on my cell phone to alert me to take them – even overnight. That way the pain meds remain in your system and you don’t wake up in immense pain! It is well worth it, I promise! NAUSEA I was relatively lucky with this and didn’t suffer with it too badly. I know some folks really have difficulties with this. I did have anti-nausea meds in my IV for a while and they sent me home with anti-nausea pills for home. The only time I did have a terrible moment of nausea was the evening of the surgery.,,but we had some interesting weather. We actually had a Tornado warning so all patients had to come outside their rooms. I had to go from laying down to sitting up ramrod straight in a chair. I thought for sure I was going to get sick – but I was able to hold it in. I couldn’t bear to get sick in front of all the other patients and upset them or cause more work for the nurses. After the warning was over, I got to go back in my room and lay down and l felt so much better. WALKING When I was in the hospital (and after I got home) I got up to walk about every 2 hours and it *significantly* helped with any gas pain. It was also just good to get out of the room and see other people. Yes, I am talking about overnight. In fact, my most fun walks were at 12am, 2am, and 4am because the overnight nurses were really sweet and funny. I know you will be tired and sleep is very hard to get at the hospital, but it will make you feel better to walk for a few minutes. <3 HOSPITAL ENVIRONMENT This is just my experience, but the hospital was not exactly a relaxing place. No surprise to most people.  There is constant noise: beeping from other rooms, people talking, some people have tv’s, etc. I recommend earplugs or headphones to help with the noise. You also will have folks coming into your room at all hours interrupting you sleep - to do different things (checking IV’s, vitals, catheter, pump, housekeeping) COMING HOME I was very happy to be able to come home. I was able to come home the afternoon after my surgery. They will get the meds you need and go over your discharge notes and instructions. (Do as they say!) I HIGHLY recommend bringing a pillow or having the person driving you home bring a pillow. It helps you hold your stomach from all the bouncing from the car ride. My ride home was a little rough. The roads in Iowa are not especially great so it did hurt. Just be prepared for that with a pillow and pain meds and you will be ok. <3 DIET Be sure to follow whatever diet your doctor/nutritionist. I know that different programs/hospitals have different protocols – so follow what you are given. Do NOT cheat immediately after your surgery! It is not worth it to possibly harm yourself. <3 WHAT TAKE TO HOSPITAL This is a question I see often and researched much as well. I will just list the items I found useful: • Comfy Robe (used for walks and as a blanket; it was much softer than the hospital blanket) • Slippers • Ponytail holders • Face wash wipes • Hair Brush • Toothbrush • Toothpaste • Phone and charger • Headphones • Comfy clothes to go home in (I wore a cotton dress. I didn’t want pants to touch my incisions) • Extra undergarments • Deodorant • Biotine (My mouth was SO dry! And it was heavenly when I could have ice chips!) • I did not wear the PJ’s I brought. I wore the hospital gown and was thankful I did due to a couple of drain leaks! **************************************************************** Well, that was my experience. Hope you found it helpful. If you have any questions – let me know and I am happy to answer! Best of luck to you! Stefanie <3

Thank you so much for posting this. I have not gotten my surgery date but it is soon. I was a little worried that I would over think it like I tend to do everything but your post really helps. It is refreshing the you are a recent patient because most of the patients I follow on youtube are years out but the experience is new to you. Thank you again. I can't tell you how much it helps.

***Sharing a recent surgery experience*** I had my gastric bypass surgery about 1 week ago and so wanted to share some of my experiences with you. I know before I went in, I was nervous, excited, anxious and would have loved to hear about someone one else’s experience – so I am sharing mine. For what it’s worth. <3 I tried to break it down into sections so you can scan and read what you want. SURGERY/RECOVERY ROOM My surgery was scheduled for 8:15am on August 28, 2018 at the University of Iowa Hospital; we arrived at 6am to get checked in. They did all the expected procedures, weighed me, asked medical questions, did a pregnancy test, change into hospital gown, and prepped the IV. At 8:15am, wheeled back to the surgical area. Where it felt like I was the car in a Nascar pit stop.  People checking with me, setting up IV fluids, other monitors, prepping for surgery. The last thing I recall is the oxygen mask and asking me to take deep breaths. The surgery started at 9:08am and lasted until about 12pm and I was in the recovery room until about 2pm. They checked on my pain levels and nausea. I was fortunate to not have nausea, but there was significant pain. From there I was wheeled into my room and was able to see my family. Remember, you just had surgery and you are going to be VERY tired. You will be pale and do NOT worry about any of that! <3 I was still linked to the IV for fluids and pain medicine; I could push the button every 8 minutes for a dose, which did help limit the pain. They also gave me anti-nausea medicine through the IV. DRAIN I had a gastric bypass so had a drain. I understand this isn’t the case for all surgeries. I had a plastic tube in my stomach that was connected to a small bulb. Every 4 hours, a nurse would empty it and they also sent a sample of the fluids to the lab to ensure what was coming out was ok. In my case, the drain did not hurt. It was just rather weird having a plastic tube sticking out of your tummy. At one point, my drain started to leak fluid so they just had to remove the bandages and replace and cover with more tape. (Just another reason to stick with the hospital gowns – got the stuff on their clothes not mine!  ) I will speak to the removal of the drain – since that is a question I had. When I was about to be discharged the next afternoon, they had to pull it out. There were two stitches adhering the drain to my stomach so they snipped those (no pain) and started to pull the drain out. It was minimal pain but mostly it felt really …weird… They are pulling a plastic tube out of your insides so you can imagine. Not terrible – just not something I would like to feel again. CATHETER I had a catheter after my surgery; I don’t know if this is standard for all surgeries. Every 4 hours, the nurse would empty and measure the amount of fluid. The main annoyance was trying to walk around with a long-ass tube between your legs. When they took it out, it just felt like a little pressure and it was done. It was no biggie. NURSES I want to take a moment and recognize the work of nurses. They work their asses off to take care of us and it is not a simple job. I was pretty lucky with my nurses; they were very kind and fun. I did have one that liked to complain a lot, but she was still nice to me. Please, do NOT act like a jerk to the nurses! I know you may be in pain and scared – but they are there to help you and support you. It IS ok to ask for help though. Use the call button and ask for assistance as you need. There were a couple of times I had to use mine and that is what is there for. On a side note, I do know there are a few nurses who really should leave the field. If you do come across such nurse, it is completely appropriate to advocate for yourself and get a reassignment. When my grandmother was in the hospital many years ago, I had to do this because of her negligence and the way she spoke to my grandma. ***Long story short: Be nice, ask for help, and advocate for yourself. PAIN I am known for sugar coating anything (just ask my kids, lol) Yes, you will have pain. You will also have medicine to assist you with this. Be honest with your caretakers about your pain level. If the medicine is not helping you – it is ok to discuss other options! It is your body! I developed an allergy to the pain medicine and became itchy ALL over! Since the allergy wasn’t dangerous, they reconciled this by simply giving me Benadryl. The second day, they started to wean me off the IV pain pump and gave me the same pain pills I would have at home. *PRO TIP: Take the pain pills (and any other ones) as prescribed, even if it means waking up from slumber to take them! For example, I was to take mine every 4 hours. I set multiple alarms on my cell phone to alert me to take them – even overnight. That way the pain meds remain in your system and you don’t wake up in immense pain! It is well worth it, I promise! NAUSEA I was relatively lucky with this and didn’t suffer with it too badly. I know some folks really have difficulties with this. I did have anti-nausea meds in my IV for a while and they sent me home with anti-nausea pills for home. The only time I did have a terrible moment of nausea was the evening of the surgery.,,but we had some interesting weather. We actually had a Tornado warning so all patients had to come outside their rooms. I had to go from laying down to sitting up ramrod straight in a chair. I thought for sure I was going to get sick – but I was able to hold it in. I couldn’t bear to get sick in front of all the other patients and upset them or cause more work for the nurses. After the warning was over, I got to go back in my room and lay down and l felt so much better. WALKING When I was in the hospital (and after I got home) I got up to walk about every 2 hours and it *significantly* helped with any gas pain. It was also just good to get out of the room and see other people. Yes, I am talking about overnight. In fact, my most fun walks were at 12am, 2am, and 4am because the overnight nurses were really sweet and funny. I know you will be tired and sleep is very hard to get at the hospital, but it will make you feel better to walk for a few minutes. <3 HOSPITAL ENVIRONMENT This is just my experience, but the hospital was not exactly a relaxing place. No surprise to most people.  There is constant noise: beeping from other rooms, people talking, some people have tv’s, etc. I recommend earplugs or headphones to help with the noise. You also will have folks coming into your room at all hours interrupting you sleep - to do different things (checking IV’s, vitals, catheter, pump, housekeeping) COMING HOME I was very happy to be able to come home. I was able to come home the afternoon after my surgery. They will get the meds you need and go over your discharge notes and instructions. (Do as they say!) I HIGHLY recommend bringing a pillow or having the person driving you home bring a pillow. It helps you hold your stomach from all the bouncing from the car ride. My ride home was a little rough. The roads in Iowa are not especially great so it did hurt. Just be prepared for that with a pillow and pain meds and you will be ok. <3 DIET Be sure to follow whatever diet your doctor/nutritionist. I know that different programs/hospitals have different protocols – so follow what you are given. Do NOT cheat immediately after your surgery! It is not worth it to possibly harm yourself. <3 WHAT TAKE TO HOSPITAL This is a question I see often and researched much as well. I will just list the items I found useful: • Comfy Robe (used for walks and as a blanket; it was much softer than the hospital blanket) • Slippers • Ponytail holders • Face wash wipes • Hair Brush • Toothbrush • Toothpaste • Phone and charger • Headphones • Comfy clothes to go home in (I wore a cotton dress. I didn’t want pants to touch my incisions) • Extra undergarments • Deodorant • Biotine (My mouth was SO dry! And it was heavenly when I could have ice chips!) • I did not wear the PJ’s I brought. I wore the hospital gown and was thankful I did due to a couple of drain leaks! **************************************************************** Well, that was my experience. Hope you found it helpful. If you have any questions – let me know and I am happy to answer! Best of luck to you! Stefanie <3

***Sharing a recent surgery experience*** I had my gastric bypass surgery about 1 week ago and so wanted to share some of my experiences with you. I know before I went in, I was nervous, excited, anxious and would have loved to hear about someone one else’s experience – so I am sharing mine. For what it’s worth. <3 I tried to break it down into sections so you can scan and read what you want. SURGERY/RECOVERY ROOM My surgery was scheduled for 8:15am on August 28, 2018 at the University of Iowa Hospital; we arrived at 6am to get checked in. They did all the expected procedures, weighed me, asked medical questions, did a pregnancy test, change into hospital gown, and prepped the IV. At 8:15am, wheeled back to the surgical area. Where it felt like I was the car in a Nascar pit stop.  People checking with me, setting up IV fluids, other monitors, prepping for surgery. The last thing I recall is the oxygen mask and asking me to take deep breaths. The surgery started at 9:08am and lasted until about 12pm and I was in the recovery room until about 2pm. They checked on my pain levels and nausea. I was fortunate to not have nausea, but there was significant pain. From there I was wheeled into my room and was able to see my family. Remember, you just had surgery and you are going to be VERY tired. You will be pale and do NOT worry about any of that! <3 I was still linked to the IV for fluids and pain medicine; I could push the button every 8 minutes for a dose, which did help limit the pain. They also gave me anti-nausea medicine through the IV. DRAIN I had a gastric bypass so had a drain. I understand this isn’t the case for all surgeries. I had a plastic tube in my stomach that was connected to a small bulb. Every 4 hours, a nurse would empty it and they also sent a sample of the fluids to the lab to ensure what was coming out was ok. In my case, the drain did not hurt. It was just rather weird having a plastic tube sticking out of your tummy. At one point, my drain started to leak fluid so they just had to remove the bandages and replace and cover with more tape. (Just another reason to stick with the hospital gowns – got the stuff on their clothes not mine!  ) I will speak to the removal of the drain – since that is a question I had. When I was about to be discharged the next afternoon, they had to pull it out. There were two stitches adhering the drain to my stomach so they snipped those (no pain) and started to pull the drain out. It was minimal pain but mostly it felt really …weird… They are pulling a plastic tube out of your insides so you can imagine. Not terrible – just not something I would like to feel again. CATHETER I had a catheter after my surgery; I don’t know if this is standard for all surgeries. Every 4 hours, the nurse would empty and measure the amount of fluid. The main annoyance was trying to walk around with a long-ass tube between your legs. When they took it out, it just felt like a little pressure and it was done. It was no biggie. NURSES I want to take a moment and recognize the work of nurses. They work their asses off to take care of us and it is not a simple job. I was pretty lucky with my nurses; they were very kind and fun. I did have one that liked to complain a lot, but she was still nice to me. Please, do NOT act like a jerk to the nurses! I know you may be in pain and scared – but they are there to help you and support you. It IS ok to ask for help though. Use the call button and ask for assistance as you need. There were a couple of times I had to use mine and that is what is there for. On a side note, I do know there are a few nurses who really should leave the field. If you do come across such nurse, it is completely appropriate to advocate for yourself and get a reassignment. When my grandmother was in the hospital many years ago, I had to do this because of her negligence and the way she spoke to my grandma. ***Long story short: Be nice, ask for help, and advocate for yourself. PAIN I am known for sugar coating anything (just ask my kids, lol) Yes, you will have pain. You will also have medicine to assist you with this. Be honest with your caretakers about your pain level. If the medicine is not helping you – it is ok to discuss other options! It is your body! I developed an allergy to the pain medicine and became itchy ALL over! Since the allergy wasn’t dangerous, they reconciled this by simply giving me Benadryl. The second day, they started to wean me off the IV pain pump and gave me the same pain pills I would have at home. *PRO TIP: Take the pain pills (and any other ones) as prescribed, even if it means waking up from slumber to take them! For example, I was to take mine every 4 hours. I set multiple alarms on my cell phone to alert me to take them – even overnight. That way the pain meds remain in your system and you don’t wake up in immense pain! It is well worth it, I promise! NAUSEA I was relatively lucky with this and didn’t suffer with it too badly. I know some folks really have difficulties with this. I did have anti-nausea meds in my IV for a while and they sent me home with anti-nausea pills for home. The only time I did have a terrible moment of nausea was the evening of the surgery.,,but we had some interesting weather. We actually had a Tornado warning so all patients had to come outside their rooms. I had to go from laying down to sitting up ramrod straight in a chair. I thought for sure I was going to get sick – but I was able to hold it in. I couldn’t bear to get sick in front of all the other patients and upset them or cause more work for the nurses. After the warning was over, I got to go back in my room and lay down and l felt so much better. WALKING When I was in the hospital (and after I got home) I got up to walk about every 2 hours and it *significantly* helped with any gas pain. It was also just good to get out of the room and see other people. Yes, I am talking about overnight. In fact, my most fun walks were at 12am, 2am, and 4am because the overnight nurses were really sweet and funny. I know you will be tired and sleep is very hard to get at the hospital, but it will make you feel better to walk for a few minutes. <3 HOSPITAL ENVIRONMENT This is just my experience, but the hospital was not exactly a relaxing place. No surprise to most people.  There is constant noise: beeping from other rooms, people talking, some people have tv’s, etc. I recommend earplugs or headphones to help with the noise. You also will have folks coming into your room at all hours interrupting you sleep - to do different things (checking IV’s, vitals, catheter, pump, housekeeping) COMING HOME I was very happy to be able to come home. I was able to come home the afternoon after my surgery. They will get the meds you need and go over your discharge notes and instructions. (Do as they say!) I HIGHLY recommend bringing a pillow or having the person driving you home bring a pillow. It helps you hold your stomach from all the bouncing from the car ride. My ride home was a little rough. The roads in Iowa are not especially great so it did hurt. Just be prepared for that with a pillow and pain meds and you will be ok. <3 DIET Be sure to follow whatever diet your doctor/nutritionist. I know that different programs/hospitals have different protocols – so follow what you are given. Do NOT cheat immediately after your surgery! It is not worth it to possibly harm yourself. <3 WHAT TAKE TO HOSPITAL This is a question I see often and researched much as well. I will just list the items I found useful: • Comfy Robe (used for walks and as a blanket; it was much softer than the hospital blanket) • Slippers • Ponytail holders • Face wash wipes • Hair Brush • Toothbrush • Toothpaste • Phone and charger • Headphones • Comfy clothes to go home in (I wore a cotton dress. I didn’t want pants to touch my incisions) • Extra undergarments • Deodorant • Biotine (My mouth was SO dry! And it was heavenly when I could have ice chips!) • I did not wear the PJ’s I brought. I wore the hospital gown and was thankful I did due to a couple of drain leaks! **************************************************************** Well, that was my experience. Hope you found it helpful. If you have any questions – let me know and I am happy to answer! Best of luck to you! Stefanie <3

***Sharing a recent surgery experience*** I had my gastric bypass surgery about 1 week ago and so wanted to share some of my experiences with you. I know before I went in, I was nervous, excited, anxious and would have loved to hear about someone one else’s experience – so I am sharing mine. For what it’s worth. <3 I tried to break it down into sections so you can scan and read what you want. SURGERY/RECOVERY ROOM My surgery was scheduled for 8:15am on August 28, 2018 at the University of Iowa Hospital; we arrived at 6am to get checked in. They did all the expected procedures, weighed me, asked medical questions, did a pregnancy test, change into hospital gown, and prepped the IV. At 8:15am, wheeled back to the surgical area. Where it felt like I was the car in a Nascar pit stop.  People checking with me, setting up IV fluids, other monitors, prepping for surgery. The last thing I recall is the oxygen mask and asking me to take deep breaths. The surgery started at 9:08am and lasted until about 12pm and I was in the recovery room until about 2pm. They checked on my pain levels and nausea. I was fortunate to not have nausea, but there was significant pain. From there I was wheeled into my room and was able to see my family. Remember, you just had surgery and you are going to be VERY tired. You will be pale and do NOT worry about any of that! <3 I was still linked to the IV for fluids and pain medicine; I could push the button every 8 minutes for a dose, which did help limit the pain. They also gave me anti-nausea medicine through the IV. DRAIN I had a gastric bypass so had a drain. I understand this isn’t the case for all surgeries. I had a plastic tube in my stomach that was connected to a small bulb. Every 4 hours, a nurse would empty it and they also sent a sample of the fluids to the lab to ensure what was coming out was ok. In my case, the drain did not hurt. It was just rather weird having a plastic tube sticking out of your tummy. At one point, my drain started to leak fluid so they just had to remove the bandages and replace and cover with more tape. (Just another reason to stick with the hospital gowns – got the stuff on their clothes not mine!  ) I will speak to the removal of the drain – since that is a question I had. When I was about to be discharged the next afternoon, they had to pull it out. There were two stitches adhering the drain to my stomach so they snipped those (no pain) and started to pull the drain out. It was minimal pain but mostly it felt really …weird… They are pulling a plastic tube out of your insides so you can imagine. Not terrible – just not something I would like to feel again. CATHETER I had a catheter after my surgery; I don’t know if this is standard for all surgeries. Every 4 hours, the nurse would empty and measure the amount of fluid. The main annoyance was trying to walk around with a long-ass tube between your legs. When they took it out, it just felt like a little pressure and it was done. It was no biggie. NURSES I want to take a moment and recognize the work of nurses. They work their asses off to take care of us and it is not a simple job. I was pretty lucky with my nurses; they were very kind and fun. I did have one that liked to complain a lot, but she was still nice to me. Please, do NOT act like a jerk to the nurses! I know you may be in pain and scared – but they are there to help you and support you. It IS ok to ask for help though. Use the call button and ask for assistance as you need. There were a couple of times I had to use mine and that is what is there for. On a side note, I do know there are a few nurses who really should leave the field. If you do come across such nurse, it is completely appropriate to advocate for yourself and get a reassignment. When my grandmother was in the hospital many years ago, I had to do this because of her negligence and the way she spoke to my grandma. ***Long story short: Be nice, ask for help, and advocate for yourself. PAIN I am known for sugar coating anything (just ask my kids, lol) Yes, you will have pain. You will also have medicine to assist you with this. Be honest with your caretakers about your pain level. If the medicine is not helping you – it is ok to discuss other options! It is your body! I developed an allergy to the pain medicine and became itchy ALL over! Since the allergy wasn’t dangerous, they reconciled this by simply giving me Benadryl. The second day, they started to wean me off the IV pain pump and gave me the same pain pills I would have at home. *PRO TIP: Take the pain pills (and any other ones) as prescribed, even if it means waking up from slumber to take them! For example, I was to take mine every 4 hours. I set multiple alarms on my cell phone to alert me to take them – even overnight. That way the pain meds remain in your system and you don’t wake up in immense pain! It is well worth it, I promise! NAUSEA I was relatively lucky with this and didn’t suffer with it too badly. I know some folks really have difficulties with this. I did have anti-nausea meds in my IV for a while and they sent me home with anti-nausea pills for home. The only time I did have a terrible moment of nausea was the evening of the surgery.,,but we had some interesting weather. We actually had a Tornado warning so all patients had to come outside their rooms. I had to go from laying down to sitting up ramrod straight in a chair. I thought for sure I was going to get sick – but I was able to hold it in. I couldn’t bear to get sick in front of all the other patients and upset them or cause more work for the nurses. After the warning was over, I got to go back in my room and lay down and l felt so much better. WALKING When I was in the hospital (and after I got home) I got up to walk about every 2 hours and it *significantly* helped with any gas pain. It was also just good to get out of the room and see other people. Yes, I am talking about overnight. In fact, my most fun walks were at 12am, 2am, and 4am because the overnight nurses were really sweet and funny. I know you will be tired and sleep is very hard to get at the hospital, but it will make you feel better to walk for a few minutes. <3 HOSPITAL ENVIRONMENT This is just my experience, but the hospital was not exactly a relaxing place. No surprise to most people.  There is constant noise: beeping from other rooms, people talking, some people have tv’s, etc. I recommend earplugs or headphones to help with the noise. You also will have folks coming into your room at all hours interrupting you sleep - to do different things (checking IV’s, vitals, catheter, pump, housekeeping) COMING HOME I was very happy to be able to come home. I was able to come home the afternoon after my surgery. They will get the meds you need and go over your discharge notes and instructions. (Do as they say!) I HIGHLY recommend bringing a pillow or having the person driving you home bring a pillow. It helps you hold your stomach from all the bouncing from the car ride. My ride home was a little rough. The roads in Iowa are not especially great so it did hurt. Just be prepared for that with a pillow and pain meds and you will be ok. <3 DIET Be sure to follow whatever diet your doctor/nutritionist. I know that different programs/hospitals have different protocols – so follow what you are given. Do NOT cheat immediately after your surgery! It is not worth it to possibly harm yourself. <3 WHAT TAKE TO HOSPITAL This is a question I see often and researched much as well. I will just list the items I found useful: • Comfy Robe (used for walks and as a blanket; it was much softer than the hospital blanket) • Slippers • Ponytail holders • Face wash wipes • Hair Brush • Toothbrush • Toothpaste • Phone and charger • Headphones • Comfy clothes to go home in (I wore a cotton dress. I didn’t want pants to touch my incisions) • Extra undergarments • Deodorant • Biotine (My mouth was SO dry! And it was heavenly when I could have ice chips!) • I did not wear the PJ’s I brought. I wore the hospital gown and was thankful I did due to a couple of drain leaks! **************************************************************** Well, that was my experience. Hope you found it helpful. If you have any questions – let me know and I am happy to answer! Best of luck to you! Stefanie <3

***Sharing a recent surgery experience*** I had my gastric bypass surgery about 1 week ago and so wanted to share some of my experiences with you. I know before I went in, I was nervous, excited, anxious and would have loved to hear about someone one else’s experience – so I am sharing mine. For what it’s worth. <3 I tried to break it down into sections so you can scan and read what you want. SURGERY/RECOVERY ROOM My surgery was scheduled for 8:15am on August 28, 2018 at the University of Iowa Hospital; we arrived at 6am to get checked in. They did all the expected procedures, weighed me, asked medical questions, did a pregnancy test, change into hospital gown, and prepped the IV. At 8:15am, wheeled back to the surgical area. Where it felt like I was the car in a Nascar pit stop.  People checking with me, setting up IV fluids, other monitors, prepping for surgery. The last thing I recall is the oxygen mask and asking me to take deep breaths. The surgery started at 9:08am and lasted until about 12pm and I was in the recovery room until about 2pm. They checked on my pain levels and nausea. I was fortunate to not have nausea, but there was significant pain. From there I was wheeled into my room and was able to see my family. Remember, you just had surgery and you are going to be VERY tired. You will be pale and do NOT worry about any of that! <3 I was still linked to the IV for fluids and pain medicine; I could push the button every 8 minutes for a dose, which did help limit the pain. They also gave me anti-nausea medicine through the IV. DRAIN I had a gastric bypass so had a drain. I understand this isn’t the case for all surgeries. I had a plastic tube in my stomach that was connected to a small bulb. Every 4 hours, a nurse would empty it and they also sent a sample of the fluids to the lab to ensure what was coming out was ok. In my case, the drain did not hurt. It was just rather weird having a plastic tube sticking out of your tummy. At one point, my drain started to leak fluid so they just had to remove the bandages and replace and cover with more tape. (Just another reason to stick with the hospital gowns – got the stuff on their clothes not mine!  ) I will speak to the removal of the drain – since that is a question I had. When I was about to be discharged the next afternoon, they had to pull it out. There were two stitches adhering the drain to my stomach so they snipped those (no pain) and started to pull the drain out. It was minimal pain but mostly it felt really …weird… They are pulling a plastic tube out of your insides so you can imagine. Not terrible – just not something I would like to feel again. CATHETER I had a catheter after my surgery; I don’t know if this is standard for all surgeries. Every 4 hours, the nurse would empty and measure the amount of fluid. The main annoyance was trying to walk around with a long-ass tube between your legs. When they took it out, it just felt like a little pressure and it was done. It was no biggie. NURSES I want to take a moment and recognize the work of nurses. They work their asses off to take care of us and it is not a simple job. I was pretty lucky with my nurses; they were very kind and fun. I did have one that liked to complain a lot, but she was still nice to me. Please, do NOT act like a jerk to the nurses! I know you may be in pain and scared – but they are there to help you and support you. It IS ok to ask for help though. Use the call button and ask for assistance as you need. There were a couple of times I had to use mine and that is what is there for. On a side note, I do know there are a few nurses who really should leave the field. If you do come across such nurse, it is completely appropriate to advocate for yourself and get a reassignment. When my grandmother was in the hospital many years ago, I had to do this because of her negligence and the way she spoke to my grandma. ***Long story short: Be nice, ask for help, and advocate for yourself. PAIN I am known for sugar coating anything (just ask my kids, lol) Yes, you will have pain. You will also have medicine to assist you with this. Be honest with your caretakers about your pain level. If the medicine is not helping you – it is ok to discuss other options! It is your body! I developed an allergy to the pain medicine and became itchy ALL over! Since the allergy wasn’t dangerous, they reconciled this by simply giving me Benadryl. The second day, they started to wean me off the IV pain pump and gave me the same pain pills I would have at home. *PRO TIP: Take the pain pills (and any other ones) as prescribed, even if it means waking up from slumber to take them! For example, I was to take mine every 4 hours. I set multiple alarms on my cell phone to alert me to take them – even overnight. That way the pain meds remain in your system and you don’t wake up in immense pain! It is well worth it, I promise! NAUSEA I was relatively lucky with this and didn’t suffer with it too badly. I know some folks really have difficulties with this. I did have anti-nausea meds in my IV for a while and they sent me home with anti-nausea pills for home. The only time I did have a terrible moment of nausea was the evening of the surgery.,,but we had some interesting weather. We actually had a Tornado warning so all patients had to come outside their rooms. I had to go from laying down to sitting up ramrod straight in a chair. I thought for sure I was going to get sick – but I was able to hold it in. I couldn’t bear to get sick in front of all the other patients and upset them or cause more work for the nurses. After the warning was over, I got to go back in my room and lay down and l felt so much better. WALKING When I was in the hospital (and after I got home) I got up to walk about every 2 hours and it *significantly* helped with any gas pain. It was also just good to get out of the room and see other people. Yes, I am talking about overnight. In fact, my most fun walks were at 12am, 2am, and 4am because the overnight nurses were really sweet and funny. I know you will be tired and sleep is very hard to get at the hospital, but it will make you feel better to walk for a few minutes. <3 HOSPITAL ENVIRONMENT This is just my experience, but the hospital was not exactly a relaxing place. No surprise to most people.  There is constant noise: beeping from other rooms, people talking, some people have tv’s, etc. I recommend earplugs or headphones to help with the noise. You also will have folks coming into your room at all hours interrupting you sleep - to do different things (checking IV’s, vitals, catheter, pump, housekeeping) COMING HOME I was very happy to be able to come home. I was able to come home the afternoon after my surgery. They will get the meds you need and go over your discharge notes and instructions. (Do as they say!) I HIGHLY recommend bringing a pillow or having the person driving you home bring a pillow. It helps you hold your stomach from all the bouncing from the car ride. My ride home was a little rough. The roads in Iowa are not especially great so it did hurt. Just be prepared for that with a pillow and pain meds and you will be ok. <3 DIET Be sure to follow whatever diet your doctor/nutritionist. I know that different programs/hospitals have different protocols – so follow what you are given. Do NOT cheat immediately after your surgery! It is not worth it to possibly harm yourself. <3 WHAT TAKE TO HOSPITAL This is a question I see often and researched much as well. I will just list the items I found useful: • Comfy Robe (used for walks and as a blanket; it was much softer than the hospital blanket) • Slippers • Ponytail holders • Face wash wipes • Hair Brush • Toothbrush • Toothpaste • Phone and charger • Headphones • Comfy clothes to go home in (I wore a cotton dress. I didn’t want pants to touch my incisions) • Extra undergarments • Deodorant • Biotine (My mouth was SO dry! And it was heavenly when I could have ice chips!) • I did not wear the PJ’s I brought. I wore the hospital gown and was thankful I did due to a couple of drain leaks! **************************************************************** Well, that was my experience. Hope you found it helpful. If you have any questions – let me know and I am happy to answer! Best of luck to you! Stefanie <3

***Sharing a recent surgery experience*** I had my gastric bypass surgery about 1 week ago and so wanted to share some of my experiences with you. I know before I went in, I was nervous, excited, anxious and would have loved to hear about someone one else’s experience – so I am sharing mine. For what it’s worth. <3 I tried to break it down into sections so you can scan and read what you want. SURGERY/RECOVERY ROOM My surgery was scheduled for 8:15am on August 28, 2018 at the University of Iowa Hospital; we arrived at 6am to get checked in. They did all the expected procedures, weighed me, asked medical questions, did a pregnancy test, change into hospital gown, and prepped the IV. At 8:15am, wheeled back to the surgical area. Where it felt like I was the car in a Nascar pit stop.  People checking with me, setting up IV fluids, other monitors, prepping for surgery. The last thing I recall is the oxygen mask and asking me to take deep breaths. The surgery started at 9:08am and lasted until about 12pm and I was in the recovery room until about 2pm. They checked on my pain levels and nausea. I was fortunate to not have nausea, but there was significant pain. From there I was wheeled into my room and was able to see my family. Remember, you just had surgery and you are going to be VERY tired. You will be pale and do NOT worry about any of that! <3 I was still linked to the IV for fluids and pain medicine; I could push the button every 8 minutes for a dose, which did help limit the pain. They also gave me anti-nausea medicine through the IV. DRAIN I had a gastric bypass so had a drain. I understand this isn’t the case for all surgeries. I had a plastic tube in my stomach that was connected to a small bulb. Every 4 hours, a nurse would empty it and they also sent a sample of the fluids to the lab to ensure what was coming out was ok. In my case, the drain did not hurt. It was just rather weird having a plastic tube sticking out of your tummy. At one point, my drain started to leak fluid so they just had to remove the bandages and replace and cover with more tape. (Just another reason to stick with the hospital gowns – got the stuff on their clothes not mine!  ) I will speak to the removal of the drain – since that is a question I had. When I was about to be discharged the next afternoon, they had to pull it out. There were two stitches adhering the drain to my stomach so they snipped those (no pain) and started to pull the drain out. It was minimal pain but mostly it felt really …weird… They are pulling a plastic tube out of your insides so you can imagine. Not terrible – just not something I would like to feel again. CATHETER I had a catheter after my surgery; I don’t know if this is standard for all surgeries. Every 4 hours, the nurse would empty and measure the amount of fluid. The main annoyance was trying to walk around with a long-ass tube between your legs. When they took it out, it just felt like a little pressure and it was done. It was no biggie. NURSES I want to take a moment and recognize the work of nurses. They work their asses off to take care of us and it is not a simple job. I was pretty lucky with my nurses; they were very kind and fun. I did have one that liked to complain a lot, but she was still nice to me. Please, do NOT act like a jerk to the nurses! I know you may be in pain and scared – but they are there to help you and support you. It IS ok to ask for help though. Use the call button and ask for assistance as you need. There were a couple of times I had to use mine and that is what is there for. On a side note, I do know there are a few nurses who really should leave the field. If you do come across such nurse, it is completely appropriate to advocate for yourself and get a reassignment. When my grandmother was in the hospital many years ago, I had to do this because of her negligence and the way she spoke to my grandma. ***Long story short: Be nice, ask for help, and advocate for yourself. PAIN I am known for sugar coating anything (just ask my kids, lol) Yes, you will have pain. You will also have medicine to assist you with this. Be honest with your caretakers about your pain level. If the medicine is not helping you – it is ok to discuss other options! It is your body! I developed an allergy to the pain medicine and became itchy ALL over! Since the allergy wasn’t dangerous, they reconciled this by simply giving me Benadryl. The second day, they started to wean me off the IV pain pump and gave me the same pain pills I would have at home. *PRO TIP: Take the pain pills (and any other ones) as prescribed, even if it means waking up from slumber to take them! For example, I was to take mine every 4 hours. I set multiple alarms on my cell phone to alert me to take them – even overnight. That way the pain meds remain in your system and you don’t wake up in immense pain! It is well worth it, I promise! NAUSEA I was relatively lucky with this and didn’t suffer with it too badly. I know some folks really have difficulties with this. I did have anti-nausea meds in my IV for a while and they sent me home with anti-nausea pills for home. The only time I did have a terrible moment of nausea was the evening of the surgery.,,but we had some interesting weather. We actually had a Tornado warning so all patients had to come outside their rooms. I had to go from laying down to sitting up ramrod straight in a chair. I thought for sure I was going to get sick – but I was able to hold it in. I couldn’t bear to get sick in front of all the other patients and upset them or cause more work for the nurses. After the warning was over, I got to go back in my room and lay down and l felt so much better. WALKING When I was in the hospital (and after I got home) I got up to walk about every 2 hours and it *significantly* helped with any gas pain. It was also just good to get out of the room and see other people. Yes, I am talking about overnight. In fact, my most fun walks were at 12am, 2am, and 4am because the overnight nurses were really sweet and funny. I know you will be tired and sleep is very hard to get at the hospital, but it will make you feel better to walk for a few minutes. <3 HOSPITAL ENVIRONMENT This is just my experience, but the hospital was not exactly a relaxing place. No surprise to most people.  There is constant noise: beeping from other rooms, people talking, some people have tv’s, etc. I recommend earplugs or headphones to help with the noise. You also will have folks coming into your room at all hours interrupting you sleep - to do different things (checking IV’s, vitals, catheter, pump, housekeeping) COMING HOME I was very happy to be able to come home. I was able to come home the afternoon after my surgery. They will get the meds you need and go over your discharge notes and instructions. (Do as they say!) I HIGHLY recommend bringing a pillow or having the person driving you home bring a pillow. It helps you hold your stomach from all the bouncing from the car ride. My ride home was a little rough. The roads in Iowa are not especially great so it did hurt. Just be prepared for that with a pillow and pain meds and you will be ok. <3 DIET Be sure to follow whatever diet your doctor/nutritionist. I know that different programs/hospitals have different protocols – so follow what you are given. Do NOT cheat immediately after your surgery! It is not worth it to possibly harm yourself. <3 WHAT TAKE TO HOSPITAL This is a question I see often and researched much as well. I will just list the items I found useful: • Comfy Robe (used for walks and as a blanket; it was much softer than the hospital blanket) • Slippers • Ponytail holders • Face wash wipes • Hair Brush • Toothbrush • Toothpaste • Phone and charger • Headphones • Comfy clothes to go home in (I wore a cotton dress. I didn’t want pants to touch my incisions) • Extra undergarments • Deodorant • Biotine (My mouth was SO dry! And it was heavenly when I could have ice chips!) • I did not wear the PJ’s I brought. I wore the hospital gown and was thankful I did due to a couple of drain leaks! **************************************************************** Well, that was my experience. Hope you found it helpful. If you have any questions – let me know and I am happy to answer! Best of luck to you! Stefanie <3

***Sharing a recent surgery experience*** I had my gastric bypass surgery about 1 week ago and so wanted to share some of my experiences with you. I know before I went in, I was nervous, excited, anxious and would have loved to hear about someone one else’s experience – so I am sharing mine. For what it’s worth. <3 I tried to break it down into sections so you can scan and read what you want. SURGERY/RECOVERY ROOM My surgery was scheduled for 8:15am on August 28, 2018 at the University of Iowa Hospital; we arrived at 6am to get checked in. They did all the expected procedures, weighed me, asked medical questions, did a pregnancy test, change into hospital gown, and prepped the IV. At 8:15am, wheeled back to the surgical area. Where it felt like I was the car in a Nascar pit stop.  People checking with me, setting up IV fluids, other monitors, prepping for surgery. The last thing I recall is the oxygen mask and asking me to take deep breaths. The surgery started at 9:08am and lasted until about 12pm and I was in the recovery room until about 2pm. They checked on my pain levels and nausea. I was fortunate to not have nausea, but there was significant pain. From there I was wheeled into my room and was able to see my family. Remember, you just had surgery and you are going to be VERY tired. You will be pale and do NOT worry about any of that! <3 I was still linked to the IV for fluids and pain medicine; I could push the button every 8 minutes for a dose, which did help limit the pain. They also gave me anti-nausea medicine through the IV. DRAIN I had a gastric bypass so had a drain. I understand this isn’t the case for all surgeries. I had a plastic tube in my stomach that was connected to a small bulb. Every 4 hours, a nurse would empty it and they also sent a sample of the fluids to the lab to ensure what was coming out was ok. In my case, the drain did not hurt. It was just rather weird having a plastic tube sticking out of your tummy. At one point, my drain started to leak fluid so they just had to remove the bandages and replace and cover with more tape. (Just another reason to stick with the hospital gowns – got the stuff on their clothes not mine!  ) I will speak to the removal of the drain – since that is a question I had. When I was about to be discharged the next afternoon, they had to pull it out. There were two stitches adhering the drain to my stomach so they snipped those (no pain) and started to pull the drain out. It was minimal pain but mostly it felt really …weird… They are pulling a plastic tube out of your insides so you can imagine. Not terrible – just not something I would like to feel again. CATHETER I had a catheter after my surgery; I don’t know if this is standard for all surgeries. Every 4 hours, the nurse would empty and measure the amount of fluid. The main annoyance was trying to walk around with a long-ass tube between your legs. When they took it out, it just felt like a little pressure and it was done. It was no biggie. NURSES I want to take a moment and recognize the work of nurses. They work their asses off to take care of us and it is not a simple job. I was pretty lucky with my nurses; they were very kind and fun. I did have one that liked to complain a lot, but she was still nice to me. Please, do NOT act like a jerk to the nurses! I know you may be in pain and scared – but they are there to help you and support you. It IS ok to ask for help though. Use the call button and ask for assistance as you need. There were a couple of times I had to use mine and that is what is there for. On a side note, I do know there are a few nurses who really should leave the field. If you do come across such nurse, it is completely appropriate to advocate for yourself and get a reassignment. When my grandmother was in the hospital many years ago, I had to do this because of her negligence and the way she spoke to my grandma. ***Long story short: Be nice, ask for help, and advocate for yourself. PAIN I am known for sugar coating anything (just ask my kids, lol) Yes, you will have pain. You will also have medicine to assist you with this. Be honest with your caretakers about your pain level. If the medicine is not helping you – it is ok to discuss other options! It is your body! I developed an allergy to the pain medicine and became itchy ALL over! Since the allergy wasn’t dangerous, they reconciled this by simply giving me Benadryl. The second day, they started to wean me off the IV pain pump and gave me the same pain pills I would have at home. *PRO TIP: Take the pain pills (and any other ones) as prescribed, even if it means waking up from slumber to take them! For example, I was to take mine every 4 hours. I set multiple alarms on my cell phone to alert me to take them – even overnight. That way the pain meds remain in your system and you don’t wake up in immense pain! It is well worth it, I promise! NAUSEA I was relatively lucky with this and didn’t suffer with it too badly. I know some folks really have difficulties with this. I did have anti-nausea meds in my IV for a while and they sent me home with anti-nausea pills for home. The only time I did have a terrible moment of nausea was the evening of the surgery.,,but we had some interesting weather. We actually had a Tornado warning so all patients had to come outside their rooms. I had to go from laying down to sitting up ramrod straight in a chair. I thought for sure I was going to get sick – but I was able to hold it in. I couldn’t bear to get sick in front of all the other patients and upset them or cause more work for the nurses. After the warning was over, I got to go back in my room and lay down and l felt so much better. WALKING When I was in the hospital (and after I got home) I got up to walk about every 2 hours and it *significantly* helped with any gas pain. It was also just good to get out of the room and see other people. Yes, I am talking about overnight. In fact, my most fun walks were at 12am, 2am, and 4am because the overnight nurses were really sweet and funny. I know you will be tired and sleep is very hard to get at the hospital, but it will make you feel better to walk for a few minutes. <3 HOSPITAL ENVIRONMENT This is just my experience, but the hospital was not exactly a relaxing place. No surprise to most people.  There is constant noise: beeping from other rooms, people talking, some people have tv’s, etc. I recommend earplugs or headphones to help with the noise. You also will have folks coming into your room at all hours interrupting you sleep - to do different things (checking IV’s, vitals, catheter, pump, housekeeping) COMING HOME I was very happy to be able to come home. I was able to come home the afternoon after my surgery. They will get the meds you need and go over your discharge notes and instructions. (Do as they say!) I HIGHLY recommend bringing a pillow or having the person driving you home bring a pillow. It helps you hold your stomach from all the bouncing from the car ride. My ride home was a little rough. The roads in Iowa are not especially great so it did hurt. Just be prepared for that with a pillow and pain meds and you will be ok. <3 DIET Be sure to follow whatever diet your doctor/nutritionist. I know that different programs/hospitals have different protocols – so follow what you are given. Do NOT cheat immediately after your surgery! It is not worth it to possibly harm yourself. <3 WHAT TAKE TO HOSPITAL This is a question I see often and researched much as well. I will just list the items I found useful: • Comfy Robe (used for walks and as a blanket; it was much softer than the hospital blanket) • Slippers • Ponytail holders • Face wash wipes • Hair Brush • Toothbrush • Toothpaste • Phone and charger • Headphones • Comfy clothes to go home in (I wore a cotton dress. I didn’t want pants to touch my incisions) • Extra undergarments • Deodorant • Biotine (My mouth was SO dry! And it was heavenly when I could have ice chips!) • I did not wear the PJ’s I brought. I wore the hospital gown and was thankful I did due to a couple of drain leaks! **************************************************************** Well, that was my experience. Hope you found it helpful. If you have any questions – let me know and I am happy to answer! Best of luck to you! Stefanie <3

***Sharing a recent surgery experience*** I had my gastric bypass surgery about 1 week ago and so wanted to share some of my experiences with you. I know before I went in, I was nervous, excited, anxious and would have loved to hear about someone one else’s experience – so I am sharing mine. For what it’s worth. <3 I tried to break it down into sections so you can scan and read what you want. SURGERY/RECOVERY ROOM My surgery was scheduled for 8:15am on August 28, 2018 at the University of Iowa Hospital; we arrived at 6am to get checked in. They did all the expected procedures, weighed me, asked medical questions, did a pregnancy test, change into hospital gown, and prepped the IV. At 8:15am, wheeled back to the surgical area. Where it felt like I was the car in a Nascar pit stop.  People checking with me, setting up IV fluids, other monitors, prepping for surgery. The last thing I recall is the oxygen mask and asking me to take deep breaths. The surgery started at 9:08am and lasted until about 12pm and I was in the recovery room until about 2pm. They checked on my pain levels and nausea. I was fortunate to not have nausea, but there was significant pain. From there I was wheeled into my room and was able to see my family. Remember, you just had surgery and you are going to be VERY tired. You will be pale and do NOT worry about any of that! <3 I was still linked to the IV for fluids and pain medicine; I could push the button every 8 minutes for a dose, which did help limit the pain. They also gave me anti-nausea medicine through the IV. DRAIN I had a gastric bypass so had a drain. I understand this isn’t the case for all surgeries. I had a plastic tube in my stomach that was connected to a small bulb. Every 4 hours, a nurse would empty it and they also sent a sample of the fluids to the lab to ensure what was coming out was ok. In my case, the drain did not hurt. It was just rather weird having a plastic tube sticking out of your tummy. At one point, my drain started to leak fluid so they just had to remove the bandages and replace and cover with more tape. (Just another reason to stick with the hospital gowns – got the stuff on their clothes not mine!  ) I will speak to the removal of the drain – since that is a question I had. When I was about to be discharged the next afternoon, they had to pull it out. There were two stitches adhering the drain to my stomach so they snipped those (no pain) and started to pull the drain out. It was minimal pain but mostly it felt really …weird… They are pulling a plastic tube out of your insides so you can imagine. Not terrible – just not something I would like to feel again. CATHETER I had a catheter after my surgery; I don’t know if this is standard for all surgeries. Every 4 hours, the nurse would empty and measure the amount of fluid. The main annoyance was trying to walk around with a long-ass tube between your legs. When they took it out, it just felt like a little pressure and it was done. It was no biggie. NURSES I want to take a moment and recognize the work of nurses. They work their asses off to take care of us and it is not a simple job. I was pretty lucky with my nurses; they were very kind and fun. I did have one that liked to complain a lot, but she was still nice to me. Please, do NOT act like a jerk to the nurses! I know you may be in pain and scared – but they are there to help you and support you. It IS ok to ask for help though. Use the call button and ask for assistance as you need. There were a couple of times I had to use mine and that is what is there for. On a side note, I do know there are a few nurses who really should leave the field. If you do come across such nurse, it is completely appropriate to advocate for yourself and get a reassignment. When my grandmother was in the hospital many years ago, I had to do this because of her negligence and the way she spoke to my grandma. ***Long story short: Be nice, ask for help, and advocate for yourself. PAIN I am known for sugar coating anything (just ask my kids, lol) Yes, you will have pain. You will also have medicine to assist you with this. Be honest with your caretakers about your pain level. If the medicine is not helping you – it is ok to discuss other options! It is your body! I developed an allergy to the pain medicine and became itchy ALL over! Since the allergy wasn’t dangerous, they reconciled this by simply giving me Benadryl. The second day, they started to wean me off the IV pain pump and gave me the same pain pills I would have at home. *PRO TIP: Take the pain pills (and any other ones) as prescribed, even if it means waking up from slumber to take them! For example, I was to take mine every 4 hours. I set multiple alarms on my cell phone to alert me to take them – even overnight. That way the pain meds remain in your system and you don’t wake up in immense pain! It is well worth it, I promise! NAUSEA I was relatively lucky with this and didn’t suffer with it too badly. I know some folks really have difficulties with this. I did have anti-nausea meds in my IV for a while and they sent me home with anti-nausea pills for home. The only time I did have a terrible moment of nausea was the evening of the surgery.,,but we had some interesting weather. We actually had a Tornado warning so all patients had to come outside their rooms. I had to go from laying down to sitting up ramrod straight in a chair. I thought for sure I was going to get sick – but I was able to hold it in. I couldn’t bear to get sick in front of all the other patients and upset them or cause more work for the nurses. After the warning was over, I got to go back in my room and lay down and l felt so much better. WALKING When I was in the hospital (and after I got home) I got up to walk about every 2 hours and it *significantly* helped with any gas pain. It was also just good to get out of the room and see other people. Yes, I am talking about overnight. In fact, my most fun walks were at 12am, 2am, and 4am because the overnight nurses were really sweet and funny. I know you will be tired and sleep is very hard to get at the hospital, but it will make you feel better to walk for a few minutes. <3 HOSPITAL ENVIRONMENT This is just my experience, but the hospital was not exactly a relaxing place. No surprise to most people.  There is constant noise: beeping from other rooms, people talking, some people have tv’s, etc. I recommend earplugs or headphones to help with the noise. You also will have folks coming into your room at all hours interrupting you sleep - to do different things (checking IV’s, vitals, catheter, pump, housekeeping) COMING HOME I was very happy to be able to come home. I was able to come home the afternoon after my surgery. They will get the meds you need and go over your discharge notes and instructions. (Do as they say!) I HIGHLY recommend bringing a pillow or having the person driving you home bring a pillow. It helps you hold your stomach from all the bouncing from the car ride. My ride home was a little rough. The roads in Iowa are not especially great so it did hurt. Just be prepared for that with a pillow and pain meds and you will be ok. <3 DIET Be sure to follow whatever diet your doctor/nutritionist. I know that different programs/hospitals have different protocols – so follow what you are given. Do NOT cheat immediately after your surgery! It is not worth it to possibly harm yourself. <3 WHAT TAKE TO HOSPITAL This is a question I see often and researched much as well. I will just list the items I found useful: • Comfy Robe (used for walks and as a blanket; it was much softer than the hospital blanket) • Slippers • Ponytail holders • Face wash wipes • Hair Brush • Toothbrush • Toothpaste • Phone and charger • Headphones • Comfy clothes to go home in (I wore a cotton dress. I didn’t want pants to touch my incisions) • Extra undergarments • Deodorant • Biotine (My mouth was SO dry! And it was heavenly when I could have ice chips!) • I did not wear the PJ’s I brought. I wore the hospital gown and was thankful I did due to a couple of drain leaks! **************************************************************** Well, that was my experience. Hope you found it helpful. If you have any questions – let me know and I am happy to answer! Best of luck to you! Stefanie <3

Just be on notice some vitamin deficiencies can take a few years to develop and you are only a few months out from bypass. A huge reason patches are not recommended is lack of evidence of efficacy.
The weight of a vitamin patch is far less than the weight of the vitamins and minerals they are stating are on the patch. There does seem to be evidence that the molecules of these vitamins and minerals may be too large to be passed through the skin transdermally.
It will be interesting to see if these patches actually do work. I do not enjoy my vitamins either and would like to switch to the patches but was advised by my surgical team not to.

I had a long conversation with my Dr. ex about this. He explained that transdermal medications take a lot of research and manipulation to allow the medication to pass through the skin's barriers. Prescription drug companies must invest in this because they are regulated by the FDA, but supplements and these patches are not. So it is safe to assume that Patch MD has probably not put the investment into research and molecular manipulation to sell patches at less than $1 each.
Also we spoke about how one of the main functions of the skin is to keep just about everything out. If it didn't, we could never go into the ocean, or else we would die of a sodium overdose, we couldn't use lotion, not to mention bug repellents like deet.

I made a big pot of soup with onions, carrots and puréed tomatoes and some herbs - kept in in my one pot slow cooker and had a cup whenever the hunger got too much! Helped with the liquid intake and not a lot of calories!

I'm post surgery 21 days and I also had a tough time getting it all the fluids. My daughter told me to set my apple watch to vibrate every 15 mins and drink water I don't reset the timer until I drink water, also every day you'll be able to take larger sips.

My surgery is today! I am currently freaking out. Anyways, if you know how to make beef soup, you can just drink the broth! I bet that is so much more delicious than the canned stuff. I love making broth soups like chicken and beef, but I was just too lazy!

Herbs & spices have little, if any, caloric content. However, they can pack a lot of flavor! Unless your surgical team tells you otherwise, feel free to use them liberally!
Good luck. You are not alone.

Every day offers a good chance to think about your relationships. You may think of your significant other first, and then consider other relationships such as those with friends and other family members. Unfortunately, that leaves out the most important relationship you can develop: the relationship you have with yourself.


It takes a lot of work for you prepare for and recover from weight loss surgery, and to continue to lose weight and get healthy. With all that focus on yourself, it sounds strange that you could be neglecting yourself, but it often happens. If you do not work on strengthening your self-respect, self-confidence, and self-love, you may not be as successful in your weight loss surgery journey. Here are some easy tips for building a little rapport with the most important person in your life: you.
Recognize Your Greatness
You would do everything you could to recognize the good things about someone else if you were building a relationship with them, and you can do the same for yourself to build your relationship with yourself. It can take some practice to get into the habit of recognizing your good qualities and your good choices, so get started! Don’t forget to appreciate:
Every milestone, whether a weight loss milestone or a non-scale victory. Each good decision you make, such as packing a lunch instead of leaving it to chance. How energized and proud you feel after eating right and exercising. Your new inner strength for recognizing what’s important – your health – and setting aside what’s not – a few moments of short-lived gratification when you visit the drive-through. Your efforts and resolution – because what you are doing is not easy! Reward yourself when you deserve it
Little gifts can make your appreciation seem sincerer, and motivate you to keep up the good work. Give yourself treats regularly to reward yourself for any progress you made, or “just because.” A night curled up with a box of pizza is no longer an option, but there are plenty of far better ways to show yourself “I love me!”
A massage or spa treatment. New workout clothes or other new clothes. A new app or fitness monitor to motivate you and show your progress. A morning sleeping in. Getting your house cleaned. A makeover or parts of one, such as a new haircut or different color nail polish. Be Your Biggest Supporter
Consider what a supporter does, and figure out how you can be your own biggest one. It can take some effort, such as planning ahead to pave the way for healthier choices, such as packing breakfast the night before so you do not go through the drive-through, keeping a pair of walking shoes in the car so you can grab a walk anywhere whenever you have time, and putting each of your surgeon appointments and support group meetings on your calendar so you cannot forget.
A supporter is also your biggest advocate. Speak up for yourself when needed, whether it is to tell the server at the restaurant that you need smaller portions and you would like the sauce on the side, or whether it is to tell your mother that you are doing this surgery for yourself because you need to. Your advocacy may include being firm with the surgeon about your preference for the surgery type you want.
Don’t Deprive Yourself
Telling yourself “no” constantly is no way to build a loving relationship! Grow the love by giving yourself treats. Just make sure they are on your diet. You might end the day with some Protein Cocoa or Chocolate Caramel Crispy Bites, sneak in some BBQ Zippers for an afternoon crunch, or greet the weekend with Protein Pancakes and a Protein Omelet. There are plenty of recipes online for healthy alternatives to favorite comfort foods from pizza and fried chicken to ice cream and brownies.
Balance Tough Love with Forgiveness
Honesty is the foundation for any strong relationship, including this one. Call yourself out when you make a decision you’re not proud of or you find yourself slipping into a slump where the scale starts creeping up or sweets start sneaking their way into your diet.
At the same time, realize that you will not be perfect, and accept that fact. Develop a plan for when you catch yourself off track. Your plan will probably include recognizing your mistakes, forgiving yourself forb them, considering what led you to make them, and resolving to fix them.
Build a stronger relationship with yourself, and you are setting yourself up for better success in the short and long terms. It takes some practice, but the results are well worth it.

Thanks dear!

You've been on on this site a while. I would expect you to be more supportive then attacking. I have no more energy for you darling.
- give advice next time instead of coming off as a miserable, jealous, old hag!
Best wishes

You notice I never called you any names, there is no reason for that type of thing....