sharing stories......

[Guest guest]

Mel, I agree with you, if I let every problem others have had scare

me, I would never have had the ds to begin with! Hell, I was

terrified, but I had hope, faith, and the support of these wonderful

people in this group and THATS what got me to where I am today!

No, my ds was not exactly a textbook case, I had over a year of the

most horrible espohageal spasms and still get them once or twice a

week. I was readmitted several (4-5) times after my ds due to them,

but incision and surgery wise, I was very lucky, no infections, no

wound openings, no problems healing at all. The only thing I was not

prepared for was the incredible pain and long recovery period.

I heard so many horror stories of the Tummy tuck as well as the

hernia repair and I expected to have severe pain, a miserable

recovery, wound infections, etc....but instead I had very little to

no pain at all, and other than that damn seroma that needed to be

drained once a week for 7 weeks, I have healed perfectly! Again, no

wound openings, no infections, no complications. My c-section was 20

times more painful then the TT/HR was! But thanks to those who shared

their stories, I was prepared for the worst though I was blessed with

an easy surgery.

No, I wasn't a perfect patient, and my experiences were different

then others.....some had harder, tougher, and longer recoveries and

some had fast, easy, almost painfree and complication free

recoveries! But the wonderful thing is I know that I can come here

and find someone who has " been there " and can understand where I am

coming from! Yes, I ended up a size 6/8....though I would have been

thrilled to stop at a 14/16, but the ds did it's job and I did mine

and here I am. I am grateful that there are others here who have made

it to this size and can relate to MY experience because the mental

adjustent to the change is hard.

I love the way everyone here shares their stories, and even the

little things matter......sharing what gave you gas, what made it

better, what helped the pain, what helped you heal, what you could

eat, what you needed at the hospital, etc..... all these little

things help someone else who is either going through it, or about

to!

Sharing the reconstructive surgery pics was/is an AWESOME idea! I am

amzed every time I look at those pics and see the changes in the

patients who have posted their pics there and shared their stories as

well.

Good, Bad, and Ugly, we are all connected by the simple fact that we

are all survivors.....we have all been Morbidly Obese and we know the

pain, misery, and frustration of living that life. We come here to

talk, laugh, cry, share , and support each other through it all,

sometime off topic, sometimes right ON TOPIC, and always, always, I

have found the answers I am seeking and the words I needed to hear.

I need to hear about others rough times so I can better appreciate my

easy recovery and not take it for granted! This group is awesome, the

people here are awesome (except for those pesky monkeys that fly by

on occasion and crap on my keyboard) and sharing our stories is what

makes it so special. No one is right or wrong, we are all just

different! But we all share the same bond ....the ds..and we are

survivors of Morbid Obestity!

OK, thats all out of me for the night! Love you all and sending

prayers to all of those who are having rough times!

Cindee

Hanford

252 highest weight 3X size 26

238 preop weight 2X size 24

DS 10/15/02

TT/HR 1/09/04

Today 137 pounds - size 6/8

101 pounds lost!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If problems would have scared me off, then Jim's pump stories

> or Cindee's seroma stories would have done it. Always plan for the

worst but

> expect the best with the Ds or anything like it. I'm sorry your

having a hard

> time, but think how much better you will be able to help someone

later on down

> the road? The older people that remain on this baord are not like

other boards

> I'm on...they don't disappear a few months after surgery and then

leave

> others to find their way. That makes this group special.

> DO NOT hesitate to complain and bitch and gripe to me....If

something

> hurts by God tell me. I'm a big girl(Literally...LOL) I can take

it. Don't ever

> be afraid you'll scare me.... I will make my own way soon enough

right now my

> job is helping you through your way....Make sense? Cause I'm sure

gonna need

> you to lean on later. Comprende?

>

> in Bama

> VBG 1982 (lost from 433lbs to 270's)

> VBG -RNY1996 revision(Lost from 343 to 299)

> RNY-DS revision Dec 2002 -down 130 lbs (377.7 to 247.2 and still

going)

> BMI 39.4...No longer Morbidly obese!

> Homepage address-

http://hometown.aol.com/mdl1031/myhomepage/profile.html

> Many thanks to Dr. K willing to take on a 3rd timer....LOL

>

>

>