nightingale2u

Miss Betty... You know how excited I am for you!!!! You and me... in our leathers... but I'll just stand NEXT to the Harley....hehehehe. I am seriously considering getting a tattoo mostly because it is the last thing anybody would think I would do... wanna get one with me????? Seriously... I am so darned tickled that you are finally getting your band and if the next lapband get-together is at your place... I'll be there with bells...and leathers on! (((hugs))) Darcy

Janie janie Janie... of course we missed you! I think we all know what a busy little painting bee you are! I think you should drop by and help me put a little color on my walls! Darcy

Ummm.... A gentle nudge in the tushy????? Sounds pretty non-threatening to me!

I'm in! I hadn't been doing the usual exercising during my bout with pain... but am trying to get back on the wagon again! Saturday my hubby and daughter and I took a 10 mile bike ride and Monday night we walked 2.5 miles. Today I spent 2 hours mowing and raking and my hubby and I will take another 2.5 mile walk tonight. I'll hopefully throw the weights in sometime this week! Thanks for starting this challenge! Darcy

Katie, You are going to be so happy that you took those pictures ... seriously. I didn't take a pic until I had lost 12 pounds and wish I had one to compare at my heaviest. You are a cutie regardless and you are going to love seeing your transformation in pictures! Darcy

Sooo... exactly what have you been snipping with those little scissors of your sweetie pie???? I tell ya girl... it is time for something to be done... tis just not a good thing to have an open draining wound for this long. Gawd I feel horrible for you! (((hugs))) Darcy

Wt... 213... I wieghed several times this week hoping that the 2 days of starving followed by another day of pooping my brains out would amount to magically making me skinny...lol. I also started my monthly... but the result was 2lbs down. WTG Michelle and Lisa... I would imagine that fun and excitement and laughter all burn calories... all of which I'm sure you all had oodles of! Greg... congrats for staying off of the scale... tis a tough thing to do! Darcy

Reporting in after a day in the boonies! I feel SOOOOOO much better! Seriously... I haven't been able to take walks with my hubby... and bike rides at the cabin were out of the question d/t the pain. Today... we went on a 10 mile ride... it was wonderful to be able to move again! Guys... I can tell you how wonderful it is to feel the pain easing... pure joy! By the way... remember when I said I remembered part of the endoscopy procedure and how awful it was... I was gagging and trying to purge that darn scope out! I remember them try to tell me it was almost over ... hang on... it's almost over! Today... my husband said... "Holy Cow Honey... how'd you get that handprint bruise on your arm?" I guess they must have been hanging on pretty tight because the bruise is a real beauty! Anyhoo... I know I am supposed to be whining but feel like I already did my fair share! I feel so much better!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't know how people live with chronic pain... I just couldn't do it. Here is my latest before and after comparison... I don't have a before at my heaviest of 257... the before is at 244... the after is at 213. I finally see the difference! Darcy

Oy Yeah... I'm so hung over I can smell pity coming out of my pores! I keep going over to the Vegas pictures when I start forgetting how sorry I feel for myself! They probably aren't having THAT much fun... I mean... it's Vegas... how fun could that be????? LOLOLOL... OMIGOD... I am reaching here. TTFN Darcy

WOO HOO!!!! PARTAY... Looking good there Betty *wink* *wink* HEY!!!! Who da heck drank my beer???? Becky????? My cheese is gone two but Zoe probably ate that... dem der recovering cheeseheads are sneeky ones, yah hey. First one alseep gets their hand dipped in warm water ladies! Darcy

THis is cool... I almost feel like I'm there... well... not really... but it's cool just the same! You lucky puppies! Keep those pictures rolling in! Darcy

Yup... pretty good ideas ya have there Zoe! I think I'll... 1. I'll switch to my Lotta Rydleff persona and strip for my hubby... Hope he's a good tipper. 2. We'll dress up like Celine Dion and Wayne Newton and renew our vows in a cheezzzy homemade chapel. 3. Make Breakfast buffet style... all you can eat. 4. Pay the neighbors to turn on every outside light and walk up and down the "strip". That'll be a good start. Darcy

Hiya, Well Miss Lisa... I wondered about that 1 missing cc myself... Dr. Chua said it could have leaked out of the port when Deb was doing my fill and Dr, Valledares said they are not always able to extract all that they put in? Anyhoo... hope there is nothing left in it because my stomach really seems to need a break. As far as the gastritis... he wants me to take the gastric meds for now to hopefully decrease the symptoms... not sure if he intends for me to take them longterm or not. I may not have to take them at all if it turns out that the bacteria is present that causes ulcers. We'll see what the biopsy has to say. I bet your house is going to be shining and pretty for everyone! Have a wonderful weekend. Miss Betty... I'm still having the pain but that stands to reason... the problem is still there. Hopefully the meds and the lack of a fill will kick in soon. I think it's the Reglan that is giving me yucky ole diarrhea... should be a good weight-loss week...lol. Penni... I really was just a nervous wreck patient... I hate knowing what they are going to do next! I'll have to be in a straight jacket if they ever hope to admit me again! TIme for the Not going to Vegas Pity Party Girls! Darcy

You guys really are awesome... I seriously would have draged each and every one of you with me. Lisa... do get all hip about the service with a smile stuff... I didn't squeak... so no oil for me! Well... started off the trip by barfing at quick trip after calling the surgeon and begging him to do the testing on an outpatient basis.... hmmm... begging and tears did not work... so barfing followed. After I was admitted... Dr. CHua and Dr. Valledares stopped by for a friendly game of find Darc's port and suck it dry! They scheduled me for a CAT scan which occured at 1 am... ordered valium and Ambien (God Bless Them)... and hit the road. THis morning ... CAT scan normal... still NPO... Dr. V says our next ride will be the endoscopy... said... you won't remember a thing. WRONG... I remember gagging my ass off and huge amounts of air belching around the scope... remember thinking... OKAY... THIS SUCKS. I wasn't groggy after either... perky as a little puppy. THe end result... The endoscopy shows gastritis... he took a biopsy of the inflammed areas , will call me with the results and sent me home with Nexium and Reglan. I may have to go on an antibiotic too...depending on the biopsy results. I am just glad that the potential problem has been found and I am even glad that my band is empty. I just want a few weeks to feel normal and get back to walking and enjoying life before they try to put another fill in. Oh... out of the 2cc's put into my band.. only 1cc came out???? Love you guys... I swear... would have gone right over the edge without you! I'm exhausted... gonna go curl up in my sweet bed and hug my sweet pillows... heaven. Darcy

Lisa... you are gonna be waiting for a LOOOOONG time for those sweet little cookies! I am sitting here just a bawling my eyes out... the surgeon called... they want me to drive down to Milwaukee(1hr 45 min) and he is going to admit me for 23 hour observation... WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. I still cannot eat a damn thing and I am going to have to stay in yucky Milwaukee in a yucky old hospital OVERNIGHT... this sucks. He apparently has plans to suck the juice right outta my band and do a CAT scan... and poke me for a damn IV. Did I say I was feeling sorry for myself before??? Well I am really having a pity party now. Help. Darcy

http://www.drgreene.com/21_1193.html Lisa... try this link it will tell you more about staph infections. I hope they are able to get to the bottom of your alien invasion! It's time for you to have your belly all to yourself. The surgeon called to tell me... they are having puter problems and as soon as they are able to view the films... they will call me back... he told me I could have water. yay. I am so nauseated from hunger... water was nice... but it is almost fricking 4pm and as I told Penny... I could gnaw my right arm off at this point! Oh... an making dinner really helped... I can smell it cooking in the oven and I've tucked a drool cloth under my chin. I couldn't feel more sorry for myself... really. Darcy

OY... Dr. Valledares called me lastnight... said he was going to talk to Dr. CHua and call me first thing this mornning... told me not to eat or drink anything after midnight just in case they would want to do some more testing. Miss Betty you are such a sweetie for thinking of me! I finally called the office at 1pm and told them I was getting pretty darn thirsty and hungry... the person I tlaked to said she would call me right back... it is almost 2pm... I have a splitting headache... I'm thirsty and hungry and my stomach still hurts... AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Okay... venting does help. If he doesn't call in the next 5 minutes I am going to drink water and eat soup! Becky... so glad you are able to eat some regular food and that you are feeling a bit better! Hopefully they will figure out what is going on soon or at the very least the pain/spasms will resolve with time. It's one thing to cut down on read food... it's another to have to give it up entirely... messes with a person's head! Darcy (AKA hungry.. thirsty and frigging crabby)

Penni... totally understand your moment of frustration and I'm really glad you able to vent... let it go and let yourself see all of the wonderful positive changes... damn scales are nothin but trouble I tell ya! You and Lisa have made more positive changes than can be counted and I'm giving you both the prize bonk on the head! Betty... The doc just called... confirming what the folks told me at the hospital.... so far everything looks normal... they are sending the films to him and he will call me in the morning with the next step. I told him that I was in a cold sweat after a short trip to the grocery store this afternoon from the pain... and that I REALLY REALLY REALLY want to get back to my normal life. Lisa... I'm gonna try the heating pad tonight. I have to be NPO after MN again... so it'll give me something to snuggle against when I wake up at 2 in the morning. TTFN... Darcy

Well...so far... all of these exciting tests... and nuttin... notta darn thing. My band is right wear it is supposed to be... Fluid goes through it with some delay... but it goes through... nothing twisted or flipped... nuttin... I tell ya nuttin! So why am I up all night with pain... why?????? I'll be waiting for the doc to call... I'm sure he will have another exciting test in line. Yay. Now I can't eat anything that has any consistancy... PB hell if I do. Something isn't right... my stomach is pissy about something and hopefully I won't have to have many more tests cause those gowns look like crapola on me. NSV... I can wear a hopital gown and it now closes all of the way so that my hinder doesn't stick out. Okay... going to go lay down and take a nap as big as they take in Texas Betty... it'll probably turn out to be more of a Rhode Island nap... but hey... it's worth a try! Congrats on the weight-loss Lisa! Look at you closing in on the 60 lb lost mark! Darcy

Well... it's 3am... I've been up since 2 and figured I might as well get on the put to distract myself. You guys really are great... I think I'd be losing my mind if you weren't here to listen to me whine! I sure will be glad the tests over with and hopefully find out what is causing this. Becky... have a safe trip! You're right... the night is the worst especially when one is sitting up alone I bet you know exactly what it's like! Well... I do have three kitties jumping on me... so that helps! I don't think anybody was going to report on the x-ray until tomorrow... but I would hope they would call the doc if something freaky showed up! Betty... I know what you mean about the fear of hospitals... I went into nursing after my Dad died of cancer... my brother had a motorcycle crash and fractured skull (why I will never have an orange Harley) and my step-father had a stroke... all within a very short time of each other. I spent A LOT of time in the hospital and decided working in one might get me past all of the fears I was developing... dingy girl... just made them worse...lol. You are going to come through your surgery with flying colors! Michelle... No moooore gallbladder... all gone. I hear ya on the trapped gas thing... not at all pleasant! Thanks everyone... you've helped me so much! ((((hugs)))) Darcy

Okay guys... *rubbing my head cause it hurts from all of the bonking!* I talked to Dr. CHua's new associate... Dr. Valledares... he was AWESOME. He explained every test he was ordering and why he was ordering... he asked a bazillion questions and ordered all of the tests at my local hospital. He also offered for me to come down to Milwaukee if I preferred and he would admit me for a 23 hour hold (I'm assuming this would not be on the psych ward...lol). So... I went in for the abdominal x-ray this afternoon and blood testing and going in the AM for an upper GI and abdominal ultrasound. My stomach hurts so bad right now that I am wishing I had taken him up on the Milwaukee trip. If it gets worse yet during the night... my hubby may have to haul me down there in the middle of the night. Betty... I know that it was a bit frightening to hear of others complications before my surgery... but in a way... I felt more informed and felt I went into it without rose colored glasses on. I hope I haven't scared ya... cause we are going to be the banded sistas in leather! Gotta get up and walk around... Darcy

Lisa... Lisa... Lisa... The only thing left to say is this... your new bike Rocks and outshines your hubby's in a big way! I think you should charge for rides this weekend... that might help with November's mortgage payment! I am a weenie... I could never handle something that big and powerful... just put me in a side-car.

THere... I got emailed on these posts... yay??? Heck... who knows what's going on! Hey... I thought Miss Betty was having surgery on the 18th???? Did I miss something in my pain induced fog??? Lisa... it's maddening... I tell ya. I swear... we could call and say... "Um yes... I have hole in my head and part of my brain is protruding... do you think the Dr. could see me?" Answer... "Hmmm... hold on a second and let me check.... ummmm... yes... here we go... we can see you in two weeks... will that work for you?" Seriously... I feel terrible saying this... actually makes me want to vomit... but if I knew that removing the band would take away this pain and leave me feeling normal again... I'd hop on the table and intubate myself. Waiting for my bonk on the head. Darcy

Miss Lisa... I haven't tried a heating pad... I'll give that a try.

Miss Betty... your box is apparently full... lol... that sounded bad... but anyhoo... I tried to send ya a PM... and they shot it right back to me! Thanks for the career ideas Lisa... I'm sure all of the listed pay better than what I was making as an LPN! Okay... the phone was broken at my surgeon's office so I had to wait until a few minutes ago to get through. Same story... they will get back to me when they talk to Deb this afternoon... which is exactly how the process started last time. Hopefully that is where the similarity will end because I am not up for another run like that again. I feel like somebody has their fist embedded in my stomach. I also made an appointment with my GP for the AM in regards to the other pain that is in the lower left abdominal region. Maybe the two are related... maybe not... but at least I will be able to talk to somebody about this. In the meantime... I am still off of the AM coffee... herbal teas instead... and I probably should switch to a liquid diet... but not sure I can handle that mentally right now. I just want them to remove the fill... something in my pea brain thinks that is the answer. OH... and wow... there sure is a whole lotta bonkin of heads going on in here... lol. I will be expecting a head bonking picture from the Vegas gathering! (((hugs))) Darcy