Bev &

[Guest guest]

First -- Robyn, you're gorgeous!!!!!!! Not that looks are the

foremost

reason I'm doing all this -- but I do hope I look half as good as you

do by next year!

Bev & -- I'm due for surgery in six weeks and am having the

OMIGOD-what-have-I-done rehearsals. So I've been asking everyone I

can

about what to expect. In particular, I talked to my co-worker,

who had the surgery two years ago.

She said she was absolutely miserable for the first week or so after

the surgery, but then it got better, and she started losing weight.

She said, ultimately, the hardest part is relearning to eat. This

has

been said, time and again, by all the people in the waiting room at

the

Weight Center at MGH, where I'm having my work done. The people in

the

waiting room, in fact, have been a tremendous support system. Not

one

person has said they regretted doing the surgery but all have said

the first few weeks made them question their sanity...

also reminded me -- this is for -- that her sister, who

had

the surgery a year ago -- had a hard time with post-op complications

for a few months after her surgery (in her case, it was ulcers).

But, things seem to have

straightened out and she looks wonderful and healthy and seems very

happy with the decision to have had surgery.

I know that post-surgery, I personally will ignore everything I've

just said and

everything I've learned and will probably feel as if I should have

had

a lobotomy instead (if I didn't already feel like I've had one...),

as

I guess it's very tough. I'm keeping you both in my thoughts and

prayers

and hoping you both pass through the difficult times right away.

Eileen