Just startin' this for you, cause you're gonna have a lot to say... I can tell! Hope you're doing well, and let us know when you're home and feelin' up to it :hug:

Mandi

Ya, Ya, Ya Mookie, we need to hear how you are!!!!!!!!!

oooohhhh mmmmoooookiiieee! where are u?

what happened to Mookie???????

Spoke to Mookie (well, by email)... she's alive, but feelin' crappy with bronchitis! Can you imagine coughing so much, right after surgery?! Man.... not fun. That's all I know. Hopefully she'll be feeling better and posting herself, here, soon.

that sucks....

wishing all the best to Mookie! Speedy recovery from bronchitis AND the band! Leave it to her to be different!

All the best to you, and a fast recovery !

Thanks for the update, get well Mookie, we all are looking forward to a good laugh, we miss you!

Sherri

Get Well Mookie.We miss you.

Get well soon Mookie, looking forward to hearing from you again. :hug:

Maria

Ok...I'm back.

Had the surgery and then got bronchitis for crying out loud. When I cough it feels like my guts are going to fall out.

So, needless to say, the experience has been less than positive.

Stayed at Heritage House while in was in TO. I didn't do any sight seeing except for a trip to IKEA with J. bandster gal. She was staying at Heritage House too.

Met Dr. C the day before the surgery and he was very kind and reassuring. Went to the clinic the next am freshly cleaned and sterile from the surgical soap wash. I was taken to a small waiting room where I was told to put on a gown, socks and this cute little hat. Then the anesthesiologist came into the room to ask a few questions and I told him that I have had previous serious vomiting episodes after anesthetic. He marked something down in the file followed by a bunch of ++++++++++++++++++. I was then taken to the surgery room, where some nurses started attaching a bunch of monitors to my chest and the anesthesiologist started trying to find a vein in my left hand. It took a couple of attempts to find a vein that wouldn’t collapse. I remember feeling afraid and I told one of the nurses who said she promised to take good care of me. That’s the last I remember… The next time I was conscious I was being rolled over in the bed to put another sheet under me since I guess I peed the bed. NICE!! How lady like! I remember apologizing and being told it’s quite common (you still feel like a 6 year old though!J) Then from there, I remember one of the nurses bringing me the credit card receipt for the Codeine prescription, signing it and then walking out with one of the nurses from Heritage House. When I got back to my room, I went to sleep and woke up about 9:30 pm feeling fine, no pain whatsoever. I spoke with my husband and told him all went well.

The next day, I felt great and had a shower and went for a few walks in the hallway and went to visit J. who was doing well too. I had a little Soup and watched a movie and took my Codeine religiously. Friday was a little different…I called the clinic to see if I could have a check up since I was feeling pain and was almost out of my Codeine. I went for the appointment but didn’t see Dr. C but rather one of his nurses (Sue-she was nice). She had a look at my site, weighed me and told me to start taking my liquid Tylenol for pain. So off I went a little surprised that that was all there was to it. I flew home on Saturday… I don’t remember much of the flight; I think I was still stoned. Sunday the pain was horrible and I was out of the Codeine…had to switch to the liquid Tylenol. Freakin’ baby Tylenol! I had to drink the whole bottle to get any relief. The pain could be compared to severe cramps and getting kicked in the gut by a horse (okay maybe a small mule). And to top it all off, I got my period on Sunday!! Yahoo! Monday morning I’m hacking up a lung and trying to keep my incision from ripping open with every cough. I’m anxiously waiting for 9:00 am so I can call my Dr. to get in for more drugs. My doctor was shocked that I was given such a short prescription for pain and gave me another 2 weeks of Codeine. She listened to my lungs and confirmed my fear of bronchitis (I seem to get this once a year during the winter). Got antibiotics, inhaler and more Codeine…felt better 30 minutes after having my prescription filled.

Since then I’ve been recovering in bed with limited moving around. The long incision is quite painful and is oozing. I’ve been cleaning it and have applied a new second skin type bandage. The scar isn’t going to be some small thing…it’s already looking thick and gross.

As far as food goes, I’ve moved on to liquid mashed potatoes and Ensures. I’m dreading the fill since any pressure to my stomach hurts like a son of a bitch.

I’m trying not to be a pessimist about this whole thing but I’m not sure if this has been worth it. I know, I know…I have to give it some time. We’ll see… I haven’t lost a pound since I’ve been back but I think that’s normal. I’ve been fluctuating between 200-205 lbs. The fact that I have been disconnected from the board probably hasn’t been very good for my worries either.

Now I’m wiped out…more later. Hope all of you are doing well and thanks for the well wishes and happy thoughts. HUGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lots of love,

Mookie.

Mookie, Im so happy you've returned to us!!!

I feel terrible about your experience. Bronchitis, with stitches must suck!!

What's the chances.

Take Care of yourself, talk to ya later!

welcome back Mookie....glad u are feeling better but it sucks you had that type of experience (ie. with the bronchitis). Take are of yourself and remember this is time for healing, not weight loss anyways....so don't even think about that!

As for the pain meds....hmmmm....wow....does Dr. C's office only give codeine...? and for such a short time? Man, I got so much demerol, I still have a whole whack left despite taking it every day for several days (to pre-empt anything).

Anyways....the surgery itself is over now....concentrate on healing....and only once you are healed, on the weight loss!

Welcome back Mookie, sorry you had to such a nasty experience, but once you are healed and past the six week mark, the weight will start to come off and then you will know it was worth it.

Maria

Welcome back Mookie. I think you got the triple whammy, surgery, bronchitis and your period. Give it a few days and u will start to feel much better, honest! re; your long scar, mine broke open on one end, so it looks horrible ;all red and lumpy and uneven, with time it will fade tho! so dont worry about it.

Love you guys, thanks.

Had a better day today highlighted by the fact that Cicely (Newfie cross) went to the groomers for her quarterly bath and came back looking like a little foofie dog. I always wanted a dog that got all the ribbons and bows when they went to the groomer but up until today the most she got (or either of the other 2 dogs for that matter) was a little handkerchief. Chris picked her up and nearly fell over laughing! There she was all clean and sparkling with two little red bows attached to the top of her ears and a big red frilly handkerchief. She’s a big 100 pound tomboy of a dog who usually has remnants of snack or some drool fest stuck to her face!!

He brought her home and was howling for me to come and look. He took off her leash and she bolted to our bed. I caught a quick glimpse of her unexpected girliness before she started rolling around in a desperate attempt to get that crap off. (Once again my guts almost fell out but not from coughing but rather from a laugh that could only be compared to the laugh that arose as a result of the "zipper scene" from Something about Mary. Franks and Beans!!!!!!!)

Holding my guts in, I scrambled to get the camera but it was all to fast. She’s rolling around in the bed and making this horrid honking sound and then jumped off and ran to the back door and demanded to be let out. The other two dogs are running after her to see what all the fuss is about and she takes a head dive into a big pile of snow. Shows over, nothing to see, move along! The scarf and the bows are now locked in a snowy grave only to be seen again in the spring whereupon they’ll be promptly peed on, I have no doubt.

I’ll bring a camera next time to pick her and post the pictures of the before and after. Ah…good times.

Mookie