Date: Sat, 9 Dec 2000 20:00:01 -0800 Subject: RNY Digest #106 - 00/12/09 From: "Northern Cal RNY" To: "Northern Cal RNY" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable Sender: Precedence: Bulk List-Software: LetterRip Pro 3.0.7b1 by Fog City Software, Inc. List-Subscribe: List-Digest: List-Unsubscribe: RNY Digest #106 - Saturday, December 9, 2000 Re: Pre Op Meeting Time by "Cathie Reichstein" RE: Re: Pre Op Meeting Time by "Chris Chapman" Pre Op Meeting Time by "Sally Jo Engstrom" Kathy's Angel report by "Chuck Rice" Meyerowitz / Flu Shot by "Sally Jo Engstrom" Chris's recovery by "SUSAN WHITEHOUSE" Re: RNY: Pre Op Meeting Time by "Cathie Reichstein" Re: RNY: RE: Re: Pre Op Meeting Time by "Cathie Reichstein" Re: Marge and Rachel's Angel Report by "emmurdock" Re: RNY: More questions by "emmurdock" Re: thoughts beore my srugery/plesae respond by "emmurdock" Re: RNY: Re: thoughts beore my srugery/plesae respond by "Kari Ann Owen" Re: RNY: Re: thoughts beore my srugery/plesae respond by "emmurdock" ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Re: Pre Op Meeting Time From: "Cathie Reichstein" Date: Thu, 07 Dec 2000 20:30:43 -0800 Hello Everyone! Can someone tell me what time the Pre Op Meeting is this Saturday and where it is held? Nadia told me to go but I didn't get = anything in the mail so I don't know the time or place. Oh, my surgery date was = moved from January 3rd to January 4th. Thanks Cathie R. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: RE: Re: Pre Op Meeting Time From: "Chris Chapman" Date: Thu, 7 Dec 2000 21:07:36 -0800 Its 9:30am in the Cafeteria at SSF Kaiser -----Original Message----- From: RNY@WildRice.com [mailto:RNY@WildRice.com]On Behalf Of Cathie Reichstein Sent: Thursday, December 07, 2000 8:31 PM To: Northern Cal RNY Subject: RNY: Re: Pre Op Meeting Time Hello Everyone! Can someone tell me what time the Pre Op Meeting is this Saturday and where it is held? Nadia told me to go but I didn't get anything in the mail so I don't know the time or place. Oh, my surgery date was moved from January 3rd to January 4th. Thanks Cathie R. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Pre Op Meeting Time From: "Sally Jo Engstrom" Date: Thu, 7 Dec 2000 21:13:02 -0800 (PST) Hi Cathie, All of the Saturday meetings are from 9:30am to 12:30pm. Glad to hear your surgery date was only changed by one day. Talk to you soon. Take care. Sally Jo __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Shopping - Thousands of Stores. Millions of Products. http://shopping.yahoo.com/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Kathy's Angel report From: "Chuck Rice" Date: Thu, 7 Dec 2000 23:39:08 -0800 I just called ICU and spoke with the nurse. Kathy is doing well. She walked a little, but got a bit light headed. Her BP is a bit high, but not overly so. She is sleeping now. I will check back in tomorrow. -Chuck- -- __________________________________________________________________________ Chuck Rice ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Meyerowitz / Flu Shot From: "Sally Jo Engstrom" Date: Fri, 8 Dec 2000 05:38:37 -0800 (PST) Dolores, You will be happy to know that Dr. Meyerowitz came back to our dept. yesterday & we were able to have the vaccine available for him at that time. You also will be happy to know that me, the dept. secretary, pushed for our new NP to give him his shot then. The NP had a patient in her exam room already & was asking Dr. Meyerowitz to come back later. I asked her to please not do that to our #1 doctor, that he needed to stay well for everyone concerned. He was on his way to Mills-Peninsula & was anxious to have his injection then. He thanked me afterwards and was on his way. Well, Dolores, take care and I will be thinking of you on January 17. Good luck. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Shopping - Thousands of Stores. Millions of Products. http://shopping.yahoo.com/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Chris's recovery From: "SUSAN WHITEHOUSE" Date: Fri, 8 Dec 2000 11:13:38 -0800 (PST) Hello everyone, Chris is doing well. He saw Dr. Meyerwitz and all is going well. I am going to visit him tomorrow after school. Susan _______________________________________________________ Tired of slow Internet? Get @Home Broadband Internet http://www.home.com/xinbox/signup.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Re: RNY: Pre Op Meeting Time From: "Cathie Reichstein" Date: Fri, 08 Dec 2000 17:09:14 -0800 Hi Sally, Will you be there? Thanks for the information! Cathie. Sally Jo Engstrom wrote: > Hi Cathie, > All of the Saturday meetings are from 9:30am to > 12:30pm. Glad to hear your surgery date was only > changed by one day. Talk to you soon. Take care. > Sally Jo > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Shopping - Thousands of Stores. Millions of Products. > http://shopping.yahoo.com/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Re: RNY: RE: Re: Pre Op Meeting Time From: "Cathie Reichstein" Date: Fri, 08 Dec 2000 17:09:33 -0800 Thank you. Cathie Chris Chapman wrote: > Its 9:30am in the Cafeteria at SSF Kaiser > > -----Original Message----- > From: RNY@WildRice.com [mailto:RNY@WildRice.com]On Behalf Of Cathie > Reichstein > Sent: Thursday, December 07, 2000 8:31 PM > To: Northern Cal RNY > Subject: RNY: Re: Pre Op Meeting Time > > Hello Everyone! Can someone tell me what time the Pre Op Meeting is = this > Saturday and where it is held? Nadia told me to go but I didn't get > anything > in the mail so I don't know the time or place. Oh, my surgery date was > moved > from January 3rd to January 4th. Thanks Cathie R. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Re: Marge and Rachel's Angel Report From: "emmurdock" Date: Sat, 9 Dec 2000 01:06:44 -0800 Hi Dawn, You were such a good angel. Thanks for being there for me and Rachel. BTW, you were right about our discharge. We did not get out of the hospital = until 2:30 PM Tuesday. A lot of the tips you gave me were right on so I am = hoping that getting the staples out will be another milestone as I have been feeling a little better and stronger every day. Marge http://www.Sanddancr.com/SandCastleFarm -----Original Message----- From: dawn bost To: rny@wildrice.com Date: Sunday, December 03, 2000 10:24 PM Subject: RNY: Marge and Rachel's Angel Report >Well I finally got to meet Marge because of course >when I went there yesterday she was sleeping soundly. >She could of gone home today when Dr. Myerowitz came >in but they didnot have the catather or I.V. out yet. >He said she definitely will go home tomorrow. We >walked twice when I was there. She is feeling great. > >Rachel got to go home after her shower today. She was >so happy. She was feeling fine. > >I guess I am done spreading my wings this time. If >you have anybody else that needs an angel please let >me know. > > Dawn > >__________________________________________________ >Do You Yahoo!? >Yahoo! Shopping - Thousands of Stores. Millions of Products. >http://shopping.yahoo.com/ > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Re: RNY: More questions From: "emmurdock" Date: Sat, 9 Dec 2000 01:25:32 -0800 Hi all, Finally got to my computer and have had tons and tons of e-mails to go through. I came home from the hospital on Tuesday evening to a monumental mess as we had some problems with plumbing before I went into the hospital and even more when I got back. I have my computer set up temporarily in my dining area so it is not comfortable to sit and type too long. I am so frustrated that I can't clean up the mess right now that I am on an emotional roller coaster. I am having lots of trouble sleeping. I just am not feeling sleepy. I walk = 3 to 4 times per day plus I am up and down a lot. Another thing, I can't tolerate the milk products or the sugar free stuff or the chemical = cocktails (ever read those broth labels carefully?). Even the pain medication they sent me home with makes me nauseous, It also tastes like artificial sweetener. Thank goodness the water never tasted bad to me like it has to others. Has anyone else experienced this? On the whole I am doing real = well and am very glad to be through the pre-op anxiety and the surgery. I am looking forward to getting the staples out and spending Christmas with my grandchildren. Marge P.S. How is Chris doing? Sounds like he needs to award himself the best walker certificate (grin). Marge http://www.Sanddancr.com/SandCastleFarm -----Original Message----- From: Cathie Reichstein To: Northern Cal RNY Date: Sunday, December 03, 2000 8:01 PM Subject: Re: RNY: More questions >I have some questions/concerns. >> >>1. Hydration: After surgery I'm worried about being able to drink >>enough water to keep hydrated. I realize that I will have to sip all >>day, but during the summer when I am active and I get hot, I'm >>concerned that if I need more than a sip, I may get into trouble. >> >>What about when I'm a senior citizen, I'm concerned about hydration >>during that time of my life too. >> > >Vivienne: Regarding water, this is a must, and unfortunately after we = have >been on medication water does not taste good. So I put a piece of lemon, >tried it with lots of ice, no ice, room temperature, flavored water, tea, >and last but not least suger free gatorade. I carried my body with me at >all times and eventually I would get some down. > >Now I'm drinking at least 9-10 glasses a day and am doing fine, the awful >taste will pass but it's so crucial for us. > > >> >>2. Spices: I understand that spices will upset/irritate my stomach >>after surgery. Now, I am talking about after I am healed - why would >>the spices bother me when they haven't bothered be prior to the >>surgery? >> >>Because of where the staples are? Because of the location where the >>intestine was attached to my new small stomach? >> >> >I'm still in stage III, but I have added a little hot sauce to an egg. = It >was okay, didn't taste the same, but it did spice it up a little. I miss my >Mom's chili... but I can have that later. I'm having tofu with an oyster >flavoring (checking that sugar is at least fifth of the ingredients) and = it >was pretty tasty... Don't worry here, we can get really creative when it >comes to food. > > > > >>3. The Saturday meetings: Will someone please remind me what the >>topic of the meetings are for the four Saturdays of the month? (It's >>the same every month - right?) I know there is a different topic for >>each Saturday, but I have forgotten how it is planned. >> > >I asked for clarification on this last Saturday from Nadia: > >First Saturday - Orientation >Second Saturday - Pre-ops for the following month >Third Saturday - Post-ops >Forth Saturday - Diet (I understand that there will be no meeting due to >Thanksgiving). > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Re: thoughts beore my srugery/plesae respond From: "emmurdock" Date: Sat, 9 Dec 2000 01:35:12 -0800 Hi Kari Ann, Those pre-op jitters are truly normal IMO. I also had a hard time controlling myself before the surgery. Why else would we want the surgery = if it was easy to do it on our own? So far I have found my emotions rather = raw after surgery but it may be because I have not gone back to the Prozac and hope that I don't have to but will talk about it with Dr. M when I get my stitches out. One thing I have experienced is that without much food I am much more apt to be my authentic self with others. Since the food is no longer there to hide behind, I tend to say what is on my mind more = readily. I guess that is a good thing unless you are the person I am delivering the message to (grin). I think the best advice I have to offer is that you = keep a good sense of humor and don't take yourself too seriously. "Life is = short, make merry while ye can"! Angel hugs to you, Marge http://www.Sanddancr.com/SandCastleFarm -----Original Message----- From: Kari Ann Owen To: RNY@Wildrice.com Date: Sunday, December 03, 2000 9:06 AM Subject: RNY: thoughts beore my srugery/plesae respond I am having weight loss surgery on December 14, which is 11 days from now, and still have the degrading compulsion of sometimes eating food which is unhealthy in too great quantities. I do not binge constantly, but have an obsession with Carl=92s Jr. cheeseburgers, (small order) French fries and a chocolate chip cookie. I don=92t eat this every day, but eat it too often, and anytime is too often since I once got sick for three days after eating it. Why have I gone back to Carl=92s Jr. after getting that sick? Why does food have such an irrational hold over me? I still cling to food as a drowning person would a life preserver: as a rock of certainty in a chaotic world. Even though Silas and I have a beautiful relationship, and there are many other wonderful things about my life, I still feel something missing that was never there, for when I face myself inside, I still feel a deep and childhood-rooted fear and sense of terror, and my impulse is still to run and hide. And every normal problem Silas and I face -- car breakdown, change of job, health challenges -- frightens and threatens me to a greater internal degree than the situation calls for and deserves. The internal terror I feel is probably the first emotion I ever felt: belief that I could die in the next minute or second, and that my continuing existence was solely dependent on luck -- not my family, which was hostile and rejecting from the beginning; not other people, whose rejection I was terrified of whether it occurred in reality or not (and it frequently did or seemed to because of my weight), and not my own body, for I had celiac disease and then was diarrhetic and chronically nauseous for the first five years of my life. Yet, in spite of all that and much more, I have survived and shown great strength in many areas: sobriety, artistic accomplishment, friendship and marriage. Yet, I still eat food that is destructive and I still eat other foods destructively. Why? Are my internal terrors and my body=92s apparent lack of a satiety mechanism unalterable? And will the weight loss surgery do for me what it has done for others -- provide a satiety mechanism? If it does, and it almost certainly will, how will I face the howling cave inside? The howling cave consists of the emptiness only parental love and protection could have filled, and they are dead and can do nothing about it, which they were neither able nor willing to do when they were alive. Nothing can replace what they never had to give. I am willing to allow the surgery to give me the satiety mechanism and normal eating ability I do not presently have. I am willing to stop berating myself for lacking that =93enough is = enough=94 factor. I am willing to be a partner in physical and emotional healing and spiritual healing with all who have helped me and are continuing to help me heal. -- Web Site: http://pwp.value.net/penomee/penomee.html Latest Dramatic Production and Art Exhibit! http://www.resourcesforbears.com/NEWS/ARTICLES/V02A0028/ Latest Articles! http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/hojoy/mag9/mag9.html#kao http://www.bridleup.com/The%20Creator's%20Victory.htm Service Dog! http://www.golden-rescue.org/success/misha/misha.htm ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Re: RNY: Re: thoughts beore my srugery/plesae respond From: "Kari Ann Owen" Date: Sat, 09 Dec 2000 08:07:10 -0800 Marge, I have read your emails and would like to know since so much is tasteless and nauseating to you, what are you eating? I also want to say how wonderful it was of you to write to me with so many other messages to answer. What did you eat in the three days prior to surgery, what was your hospital stay like, when did you get to bathe after the surgery, how long were you in intensive care and how adequate was the pain medication? Are you on pain medication now or Tylenol caplets? Please write, with hugs, Kari Ann -- Web Site: http://pwp.value.net/penomee/penomee.html Latest Dramatic Production and Art Exhibit! http://www.resourcesforbears.com/NEWS/ARTICLES/V02A0028/ Latest Articles! http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/hojoy/mag9/mag9.html#kao http://www.bridleup.com/The%20Creator's%20Victory.htm Service Dog! http://www.golden-rescue.org/success/misha/misha.htm ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Re: RNY: Re: thoughts beore my srugery/plesae respond From: "emmurdock" Date: Sat, 9 Dec 2000 09:41:12 -0800 Kari Ann, Dr. M told me I could substitute yogurt and cottage cheese for the milk products and there are a few of the jello's that I can eat (Jolly Rancher seems to go down okay). The cream of wheat is okay also. I can't eat any = of the frozen Popsicle's or fruit things but I can tolerate the sugar free fudgesicle. Thank goodness the natural apple juice and applesauce are okay also. Even the decaffeinated coffee I have used for years tastes nasty to me. Unfortunately I feel like I'm hungry quite a bit but get full quite easily after two or three bites of food so I am doing okay. I guess I had hoped that the monkey (food) on my back would be totally gone and that I could treat food like it was just fuel. So far, that is not the case but I am still going through the highs and lows of the mental picture right now. This is something that was discussed at some of the meetings so I knew = that it was "normal" to feel this. I think if you know that you will be dealing with this, you can be better prepared and you can always ask Gitty for support on this. She is such a loving, dear lady as is that wonderful = little Nadia. I must say how impressed I am with Nadia not being judgmental even though she has (I'm guessing here) never known what it is like to live in = a fat body. If you will re-read your instructions on eating, you will see that they = want you to start the stage one a few days prior to surgery. Dr. M. told me I could have a more normal light meal the night before as long as I had finished by 6:00 PM so I had some shrimp & fillet of sole with veggies at Red Lobster and it was delicious. I did have the tube in my throat when I awoke from surgery in the ICU and = I think it stayed in till the next morning? I am not sure. Don't panic if = this happens, just breathe and let the morphine help you sleep through it. I = got up pretty soon after surgery and walked about twice as far as they thought = I could and I was surprised how well that went. I am not taking much pain med since I have been home since the liquid vicodin tastes suspiciously like they have a chemical sweetener in it. I'd rather have the pain which is not that bad than to have to taste that disgusting flavor. You could be completely different from me though so = don't think you will automatically have the same aversions. While I was in the hospital, I always got pain med whenever I asked for it. Since I have Fibromyalgia, my response to pain is different from someone who does not have a chronic pain condition to deal with. Kari, do keep in mind that my reactions to all of this could be quite different from yours, but there seems to be a common thread running = through the different reports from others who have gone before you. Keep your eye = on the fact that, yes there will be lots of change, but a few short weeks or possibly months from now, you will be well on your way to re-inventing who you want to be. Concentrate on the positive and surround yourself with positive people who help you do this. I know you can be successful if you let go of the past and embrace the future with hope. This can be your best Christmas present ever!! Marge http://www.Sanddancr.com/SandCastleFarm -----Original Message----- From: Kari Ann Owen To: Northern Cal RNY Date: Saturday, December 09, 2000 8:10 AM Subject: Re: RNY: Re: thoughts beore my srugery/plesae respond >Marge, I have read your emails and would like to know since so much is >tasteless and nauseating to you, what are you eating? > >I also want to say how wonderful it was of you to write to me with so >many other messages to answer. > >What did you eat in the three days prior to surgery, what was your >hospital stay like, when did you get to bathe after the surgery, how >long were you in intensive care and how adequate was the pain >medication? Are you on pain medication now or Tylenol caplets? > >Please write, > >with hugs, >Kari Ann > >-- >Web Site: http://pwp.value.net/penomee/penomee.html > >Latest Dramatic Production and Art Exhibit! >http://www.resourcesforbears.com/NEWS/ARTICLES/V02A0028/ > >Latest Articles! http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/hojoy/mag9/mag9.html#kao >http://www.bridleup.com/The%20Creator's%20Victory.htm > >Service Dog! http://www.golden-rescue.org/success/misha/misha.htm > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- End of RNY Digest