2/2/06

new logo! This one was created by the lovely and talented Bonnie. Thanks, Bonnie!

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Hi, all! Thank you so much for your nice comments and emails. I haven’t been much for responding to emails this week, but I promise I’ll get to it in the next few days! Today, I think I might actually start to feel human in the near future. I spent all of Tuesday (after we got home from the hospital) and Wednesday zoning out on the couch, getting up to move around a little and sipping broth, jello (if one can sip jello!) and apple juice. Not to mention the water. I had to be at the hospital at 6:30 on Monday, and they didn’t take me back for surgery until close to 10:00. I swear, I was so nervous, I was ready to run out the door by the time they finally came. My surgeon told Fred that it was a picture-perfect operation, that my liver looked fine, and that they didn’t look at my gall bladder, because it was behind scar tissue (from my c-section). He said “It couldn’t have gone better”, in fact! Except for the nausea I had all day Monday (after the surgery) and Tuesday, I’ve been having some gas pains in my gut, and my abdomen itself has been sore right across the middle – especially my belly button – but it’s been nothing the hydrocodone hasn’t been able to knock out. The only thing I hate about the hydrocodone is the dopey feeling it gives me, so I’ve been cutting back, which is probably why I feel semi-human today. Speaking of the nausea, I had three bouts of violent retching, two at the hospital and one not long after I got home Tuesday, which scared the hell out of Fred. It finally went away – THANK GOD – because I hadn’t been expecting the nausea, even though one of the prescriptions they gave me at the surgeon’s office was anti-nausea medicine. I was able to sleep laying down last night, and it was HEAVEN – it made me very, very happy to be able to sleep on my side and not in a reclining position, and I slept pretty well. So, that’s the state of things with me. I haven’t stepped on a scale yet, and in fact I don’t think I will until I see my surgeon at my 2 week appointment, because I can tell I’m still bloated up with liquids – at least, my fingers feel swollen – and if I step on that scale and see a gain, even if I know it’s not a “real” gain – I might have to get out the rifle and shoot the damn thing. I promise I’ll write a more detailed account of the day of surgery – and the night after – in the next few days, but I thought I’d get something posted here to let y’all know how I was doing. Thanks again for your comments and emails. You guys rock!
Spanky cracks me up, with his big pink lips. Tom Cullen, stowing away in the bag I took to the hospital.
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108 thoughts on “2/2/06”

  1. Thanks so much for putting up the entry to let us all know you are doing well. So glad to hear it!
    Just in case you doen’t decide to delete every busybody suggestion that comes your way — ginger tea is a great remedy for nausea. If you can’t have tea, ignore my advice.
    Hope your recovery continues to be uneventful, and that you will be back to your journal soon. Best wishes!!!!

  2. Robyn! How great to hear from you, and so glad you’re doing so well. You rock the Casbah, girl. Keep up the good recovery, take extra special care of yourself and stay AWAY from that damn scale! xoxo, Laurie 🙂

  3. so great to hear from you – I was wondering if today was too soon to email you – and now I dont have to. continue to do well with your recovery – you’re an amazing woman. xxx (best wishes to fred and spud too!)

  4. I’m so glad you’re doing well. I hope you’ve got plenty of tivo’d programs to occupy yourself during your recovery time. love the new feb logo btw…lol

  6. Hi Robyn! That wait would’ve driven me nuts too. But I’m glad you made it through with flying colors! The nausea sucks. I hope that passes quickly. I found that the pain meds made me feel kind of pukey, maybe you’ll feel better once you have that out of your system. I hope so! It’s so good to see the usual old notify from you, and an entry. Thanks for thinking of us from Loopyville! xoxo Kathy

  7. Glad you’re doing well and take care of you. Looking forward to seeing pics and hearing your story whenever you’re able.

  8. I am so happy to hear from you! I’ve been checking the site every 4 hours (seems like it) for an update….wondering how you are doing. Life just isn’t the same without our Bitchypoo! So glad you are doing well….Can’t wait for those “skinny pic” updates!

  9. No ginger tea! It’s too hard on the pouch! We don’t have stomachs anymore, we call them pouches. Makes us sound like a bunch of damn kangaroos! Heh. Robyn- you are doing great- I didn’t get out of the hospital for a few days and I couldn’t sleep on my side for almost two weeks! I had to sleep in a recliner and it sucked. Please feel free to use my standard line if someone (like a mother type person)makes comments about how you “took the easy route”. (CLEARS THE THROAT)It was a scalpel, not a wand. It’s still all about diet and exercise and this surgery is a tool and nothing more. Besides, how can being cut up and having stitches be thought of as easy?
    Take care and we are glad to hear you are doing well.

  10. Thanks so much for updating! You’ll feel better day after day. Looking forward to hearing about your adventure and the adventures to come…
    So proud of you!

  14. Wow! Glad to hear from you directly so soon after your surgery, I guess nothing can keep you away from the keyboard for more than a couple of days!!
    Best wishes for a speedy, smooth recovery – don’t overdo it!

  15. So glad your surgery went well and you’re recuperating nicely! If you don’t want that hydrocodone, by the way, you can totally send it to me. Hee!

  16. Thanks for posting an update. I think of you every time I see a kitty and wonder how you are doing, and that is a lot in any given day.

  17. SO glad to hear everything went well. You’re VERY smart not to step on that scale, but I can’t wait to hear how that first weigh-in goes!

  18. Thanks for the update. I’m so relieved everything went okay with your surgery!! I agree about the pain meds. I wonder how anyone every gets addicted to them…they make you feel weird. I had an ovary removed once and I stuck with tylenol. Get well soon!

  19. Glad to hear from you. Hang in there for the next few days. Can’t wait till you’re back on your feet again.

  20. So glad you’re home and doing well. While I was waiting for you to get home 🙂 I did some reading over at obesityhelp.com. It confirmed my suspicion that WLS is far from the easy way to go. But it left me wishing there were some really good writers talking about it. I look forward to your frank prose on this subject.
    Feel better.
    lulu

  21. Hey, thanks for the update! I was wondering how you were doing. Glad to hear that it went well. 🙂

  23. Wow, surprised to hear from you so soon, but supah excited as soon as I saw the new logo, I knew it would be a new entry too. Glad to hear everything went so well. You gotta go SHOPPING now!!! 😉

  24. Yay Robyn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!So happy to hear from you Glad everything went well ………..thank you for allowing all of us into your world.

  25. Hi there – glad you’re not feeling too bad, but you’re probably also putting on a brave face, if you were a guy, you’d be saying you felt you were ready to die!
    Am looking forward to watching this next chapter and the big changes that are going to happen for you! I’ve been reading both yours and Fred’s sites for 8 years? My god is this possible? But it seems that I started reading when I worked a certain job in Tokyo where I had quite a bit of free time. Anyhow, I could be wrong.
    So anyhow yes, best of luck and I hope you feel better and better.
    Linda

  26. Right on Robyn! Keep up the speedy healing and glad you are feeling somewhat human again. Can’t wait to read about it…you are an inspiration to many of us, girl!
    Sincerely,
    Brenda

  27. I’m looking forward to reading about your (hopefully swift!) recovery. I’ve been enjoying your writing for a while now (this is my first comment). Anyway, I’m sending you “get well” vibes from Russia, and I just hope they make it to you through the cold. 🙂

  28. Thank you for taking the time to update! It was reassuring. I hope your recoery continues to go well. Be nice to yourself in the next few weeks! Congratuations!

  29. YAY! You’re up and about and that rocks! So glad the surgery went well!!!
    I swear the Nausea afterwards and the “hurling” is horrible. That scared the bejeezus outta me when I was recovering from surgery, but you GO ROBYN!!!!

  30. So glad (and surprised!) to hear from you. I am happy to know it all went well for you. Hope you heal fast and start feeling more human soon. Take it easy!

  32. Glad to see you were up to posting only a few days “post-op.” I hate that word – “post-op” – how about “Life Upside Down Because of the Mean Doctor” – ok Post-Op is better.
    I absolutately love your Logo. Bonnie is just FAB!

  33. Thanks so much for letting all of us know how
    you’re doing. So much of “you” comes through
    your writing it’s easy to think of you as a
    neighbour or friend we know pretty well, so of
    course we all care how things go for you.
    I hope the nausea clears up soon — anesthesia
    can do that. When it finally clears your system
    you should be feeling much, much better.
    Looking forward to seeing you shrink. Best wishes
    for a very speedy recovery.

  34. Yay! Robyn! Welcome home. Watch that retching though. 3 months after my surgery, I went through a week of retching due to a stricture and subsequent kidney failure due to dehydration. Don’t wait as long as I did!
    Also, I sent you a little something from your wishlist. Please let me know when/if you get it. Thanks!
    Amy

  35. Robyn,
    When I first read your post saying you were going to the hospital for surgery, I thought you were messing with us — like when you said you were pregnant last year.
    But after a few minutes, I was so happy for you. I had WLS almost two years ago, and it was the second-best decision of my life. (The first was marrying my Most Patient Wife.)
    I know you’re going to do well. You’ve struggled and fought a good fight, and you’re going to kick some serious ass.
    Good luck, and just know that you’ve got friends who wish you well in Minnesota.
    And Bonnie’s logo is hilarious!

  36. YAY!!!! I am sooo glad you posted! Doing the happy dance all is well! Wishing you a speedy healing, but fake it so you can milk the hand and foot thing for as long as possible =)

  38. Haaa!! Love the new logo! I was so happy to see a notify from you. Glad you are recovering and the sleeping somewhat comfortably is always a good thing. Take care and don’t overdo. :))

  39. I’m so glad you updated, Robyn. At the risk of giving assvice, I’ll tell you that I had horrible gas and bloating the first week postop. My surgeon told me to use suppository laxatives. Not the most fun, but it worked. Anyway, I hope you continue to do great! I’ve enver heard of anyone getting to go home as quickly as you did, so I’m guessing you’ll continue to flourish! 🙂

  42. I am so glad to hear that you are feeling better Robyn. I was pretty worried about you, but the wls surgury seems to have gone very well. I can’t wait to see the “new YOU” in pictures soon. Jut do not overdo it and rest a lot and take it easy for awhile. I love your new Header. It’s grrrrreat and so are YOU…nm

  43. Wow! Hurray for you! I can’t resist a tip, though — next time (if there is one, and I hope there isn’t) that you have surgery, tell the doc that general anesthesia makes you sick. They’ll put a magic ingredient in the IV that will prevent it.

  44. So glad to hear all went well, that’s brilliant. I’m looking forward to reading your updates. Take care!

  45. Glad to hear you’re doing well. Keep getting better and congratulations on your decision!

  46. I must admit, I have been very worried about you. Funny how a person can feel as though they have become close to someone without ever having met or even spoken. I think of you often and I am so glad to hear that you are doing well. I so look forward to your updates..in all areas of your life.

  47. I’m just ASS-uming…. but if you had your surgery done laparoscopically, the bloating/crampy/achy can be caused (in part) by the gasses escaping your body. They pump you up with gas to lift your skin/fat away from your organs to perform the surgery, and when they stitch you back up, a lot of the gas is still trapped inside, causing discomfort. (What I’m saying is a good old fart just won’t do, in some cases!) My shoulders hurt like a bitch for about a week, merely from the surgery gasses.
    Also, my three “please I’m tired of hurling” tips:
    1) avoid soda (Diet Coke) like the PLAGUE.
    2) Stop eating a bite before you think you’re full… that last bite is a doozie!
    3) Never ever drink when you eat.
    Also? Throwing up ice cold water is the worst sensation in the world. Sip that water, don’t chug! (Sorry, that was four tips, not three.)
    I had surgery February 2000, lost 150 and gained 20 back. I’d still like to lose 50, but you know what? I’m fucking healthy, and that’s what the surgery was really worth to me. Best of luck to you!
    (and i love spanky!)
    !

  49. So glad everything went so well and your recovering nicely.
    I’ve been tossing around maybe having this surgery done too but not real sure at this point so I’m looking forward to hearing about it.

  50. Welcome back, Robyn. I’m so relieved that your surgery went so well. I’ve been thinking about you a lot in the past couple of days. You are a wonderful person. There are a lot of us who have been reading your journal for years and care about you and wish you the best! Take it easy.

  52. It was so exciting to see a post when I checked out your site!!! I thought we wouldn’t hear from you until next week. I am so glad to hear that it went well and you are on the road to recovery. I am so excited to read about your new adventure. Glad you are feeling okay and will continue to feel better. Take care!

  53. Robyn, glad to hear everything is going well. I hope you feel better soon. And the new logo is great! 😀

  56. Thank you so much, Robyn, for thinking of us and taking the time to fill us in. I was hoping that Fred would update us a bit more some time this week, but to hear directly from you is even better!
    Hope the post-op healing time is fast, and that you’re feeling 100% very soon!

  59. So glad that all went well and you are beginning to feel better! Thanks for updating so soon and thanks for Fred for keeping up updated on Monday. I love the new logo!!! 🙂

  60. Robyn, I’m sure there isn’t anyone who expects an e-mail back from you! I was surprised to hear that you were home so quickly. How is the care at home? Heh…
    Thanks for your update…you have been in all our thoughts!
    Take care….

  65. Robyn-
    Glad you’re feeling better already, and that things went so well. Thanks for updating for those of us fellow worriers 🙂

  66. Whew, Robyn, what a relief to hear from you! Delighted to hear you’re feeling better–sorry about the early days. Keep getting good sleep, and do what your best instincts tell you to do to keep yourself comfortable and calm (which may mean giving Fred and the Spud long lists of to-do’s, but they can handle it!) Looking forward to the descriptive postings–take care, and much love!

  67. Glad everything went well, and I can’t wait to read all the gory details! There will be gore involved, won’t there? 😉

  68. Robyn,
    So glad to hear you’re doing well. I’m looking forward to hearing how you get along over the next weeks and months. Thanks for sharing with us all.

  69. That’s great to hear that your surgery was “picture-perfect”!!
    Feel better and hope those felines of your don’t give you too much trouble! 😀

  70. I am a WLS success story (had surgery within weeks of Nance) and you’re gonna be AMAZED in a couple of months! Unfortunately, the first 4-5 weeks really suck. But after that….!!!!! Just hang tough, it’s about to get SO good!

  71. So glad you’re back! I’ve been perfecting my list of blogs to read, and many are on the list for a week, then deleted when they no longer interest me. Yours, however, stays. Not exactly sure why, except you remind me of myself and because I love cats. I’m an artist/illustrator/designer and even those kinds of blogs don’t last with me. Anyway, so glad you’re back, good luck to you — you’re a brave woman!

  74. Damn girl, you sure know how to keep a secret! Hope you’re feeling better every day. If you do have shoulder pain from the gas they use during surgery, stand up and try swinging your arms, it’ll help the gas move up and out.

  75. Welcome back, Robyn! I would like to add my best wishes for your speedy recovery. I too, think it’s little strange to feel I know someone whom I”ve never met, but I very much look forward to your updates every day. You never fail to make me smile — or laugh at loud, causing people at work to look at me strangely. But it’s so worth it! Take care. (and that picture of Spanky rocks!)

  76. Wow! Great to hear you’re doing so well! I thought the recovery would be SLOW! I can’t wait to follow your progress! Tom Cullen says, “That’s the last time your ass is leaving without ME!”

  79. Really I wasn’t expecting an update so soon, but so happy to hear from your mouth (fingers?) that all is well, not that Fred lied to us..hee.
    You keep taking care of yourself and if you get tired of the Hydro’s I will give you my address. DOUBLE HEE!

  80. So glad things went well and I hope you recover soon! Everyone here supports you and can’t wait til you’re back and can tell us all about it!

  85. Hey Robyn…
    Thanks for the update on how you are doing – you have been in my prayers for the last few days. I hope that each day finds you feeling more like your old self.
    I admire you for taking this step to improving your health. I wish I could somehow find the guts to do the same thing.
    Hugs to you – tell Fred and Spud to keep spoiling you!

  86. So glad to hear that your surgery was a success! I am so happy for you. You deserve this. Many blessings to you, and thanks for sharing with us so soon afterward.

  88. Robyn! So glad to hear that everything went well. I was thinking of you all day after I read the news, and wish you the best of luck with this new phase of your life. I know we’ll have millions of funny “Robynisms’as you recover and lose weight. Take care – wishing you a speedy recovery. (and I can only imagine how happy the ‘kids’ are to have the Momma all to themselves for a while. !)

  89. So relieved to hear all went so well! Make sure Fred and the Spud pamper you and take it easy ok? Looking forward to hearing how this all goes and hope you will be forthcoming Missy! All so exciting. Probably not for you at the moment but think of the future. A new chapter.

  90. Robyn,
    Glad to hear you are up and around. Thanks so much for the update. You have to know we are like mother hens and worry about ya. Take care!!

  91. YAY! Glad to hear from you! I’ve been checking this site so often. I’m a freshman in college and in my english course, we writing essays using articles related to “The Weight Debate.” When we’ve discussed whether Weight Loss Surgery is a last resort or a easy way out.. I’ve always always mentioned your story and I think some of the other students better understand WLS as a last resort. See? Bitchypoo = Educational!

  93. Woohoo!!! Glad to hear you are doing so good so soon!
    *whisper* When I was pregnant, I learned that urping grape juice makes urping not so terrible. Of course, everyone thought I was crazy because I said it almost tasted better the second time. heehee Our little secret… don’t tell anyone 😉
    Continue on your speedy recovery.

  94. Good to hear that you are doing so well Robyn. It looks like Tommy doesn’t want you to leave without him next time hehehe! BTW….just askin…but how much do you hope to lose? Remember darlin, baby steps at this point. I wish I had the courage that you do! You so ROCK!

  95. Whew, very happy to hear that you’re doing better.
    So glad you’re back, you’ve been missed terribly!!!
    but you aready know that 😉

  97. I am so glad you’re ok! Thanks for posting even when you feel a little under the weather. Be sure to keep us updated on how you feel and the whole process.
    🙂

  98. Yippee! Hurray! You’re back and all is right with the world. Sounds good so far, and I know I am looking forward to updates and details. My friend who had the WLS threw up so much she tore out some staples/stitches the day after her surgery, so maybe that is fairly common? But welcome home and take it easy!

  100. I am glad to hear that you made it through with flying colors! Get well wishes to you and i look forward to seeing your journey in print.

  102. Is it possible to love a complete stranger?? Cuz I am pretty sure I love you!! 🙂 I swear when I first saw the note about you leaving for the hospital to have the surgery I was blown away. I was so happy for you it brought tears to my eyes. I feel like a crazy stalker but oh well! 🙂 I am just excited for you and what is about to be the next amazing chapter of your life. Congratulations Robyn.

  103. Robyn,
    I’m so glad to hear that you are healing quickly! Hope that you continue to feel more human!

  104. Hi Robyn: I was wondering how you were doing – thanks for letting us know and I’m glad you are feeling better!

  108. Hope you are feeling better Robyn, recovering from surgery cannot be fun 🙁 But am so happy you did this for yourself and know you made the right decision. Love the new logo!

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