Written at 8:32 PM 9/8/01

I wanted to let you all know I am doing fine.
I am really weak right now, due to liquid diet for over a week now..
I won't be online very much though since I am feeling tired and weak.
I go to my Dr Thursday to have the abdominal drain removed and
my diet may be increased to pureed foods for 2 weeks.
I am only able to eat 60 cc of food at a meal and it is filling..
At least the liquids are..
I should take stock in Popsicles and Jell-O. hehe
It hurts to lol right now.. hehe.

Anyway, I will be fine, just off-line and resting...
I just may not be answering a lot of email or updating my health journal for
a few days or weeks ?? I will be playing it by ear from now.
I have already lost at least 15 pounds and feel it coming off..
So, get ready for the before and after pictures... *G*
I am not able to take my arthritis medicine or my muscle relaxers
for my fibromyalgia so I have been pretty stiff and sore.

Baby, my cat is well and active and enjoying her new pain free
life after a tooth removal and a change in her diet that has helped
so far with her stomach distress. She seems to be allergic to fish.
She was seen by a Chiropractor and x-rayed last Monday as well
as having her tooth pulled. The Chiropractor (at the Vets) gave us
some really hopeful information on her arthritis.
It is not as bad as thought.
She also told us about her diet possibly being an allergy.
So we can avoid fish and give her IAMs Chicken and Beef.
Well, so far she is loving them..

September 7,2001

I have learned a lot from this experience of having Gastric Bypass Surgery.
For my first 8 days I had nothing but 60 cc of liquids per half hr.
I ate sugar free popsicles and jello. I also sipped 60cc of fat free broth
or pulp free orange juice. I found this to be a filling diet too.
I had originally had some thoughts of all the good foods I saw on TV
and couldn't eat but with mind control I said to myself
someday I will be able to eat a piece of pizza..
I envisioned my chicken or beef broth as being a chicken or beef meal
with mashed potates and gravy. Yummy it worked and I lost 12 pounds
from Day after surgery to Thursday which was one week.
Yesterday, Sept 6th the day after my granddaughter's 8th birthday,
I went to see the surgical nurse to have my abdominal drainage tube removed.
I am so glad that is over and done with. She advised me I could now go to soft foods.

Step 2 of my diet which is really pureed or well chewed egg,
cottage cheese, fruits without skins and other things.
Today I ate a little bit of a scrambled egg for lunch. One whole egg
scrambled will not bode well on the stomach of a baby.
I have a stomach the size of a baby now and it has to grow up
all over again in the digestive department. lol.
Yesterday i found out what it felt like to eat 3/4 of a scrambled egg
with skim milk in 1 hour. My tummy hurt.. :-( I got a really full
feeling and I pushed it a little too much and found it was
uncomfortable for a while after the egg incident.
So, I learned the reason why my Son 30 yrs ago would not
eat a whole jar of baby food.

You see, I found out that if I eat too soon after having a small
drink of water or any liquid that my stomach feels full
and thus I have no room for food. So, I have to stop drinking
approxiamately 30 mins before my 1/2 cup
total meal begins or I won't eat..
So, today went a little better than yesterday since I handed my husband
the water glass and asked him to please put this away so
I feel hungry when you finish making lunch.
Well, at 4:30 PM he came in from working out side and took my water
glass from my desk and made supper.
Yes, my husband can cook if he wants to.... Yippee!!
For supper I had 1/4 c Mashed potatoes with 1/2 tsp low fat margarine
and 1 small 2.5 oz jar of baby food (beef with broth fat and sugar free).
This was my roast beef dinner. !!! That was the most flavorful meal
I have had so far!! I enjoyed it and it filled me up and
I think this is really the best thing that has ever happened to me.
This is so important to my life today that I would recommend it to
any of my friends or acquaintances if they are obese and have a
health problem made worse by their obesity.
There I said it, I have obesity.
I hated that word right up until today.
I have decided that it is through my obesity that I have
been made a better person.. I hope to never again
fear that word.!! This has been a major turning point in my life..

Sept 12, 2001

Thanks to everyone who has sent me prayers, cards and get well wishes.
I am still feeling quite weak and I am not online much however I do
try to read my email daily if able. There were a few days that I wasn't
able to be online. I am taking it real easy for now..
My husband hid my scale on me so I do not know how much more I lost..

I am too weak right now to add a page in memory and prayer
for those whose lives were lost in the terrorist attack on America
Sept 11, 2001, so I added something to this page to let you know
I am praying for all the victims, families and rescue workers.
Please read and Pray with me for all of America, the beautiful

My problems are small in comparison to Sept 11, 2001 in the USA.

In Memory 9/11/2001
May we never forget!
Please visit my Memorial Tribute to the lives lost
in the Attack on America on Sept 11 2001 by clicking on the above link.
Thanks also go to the many rescue workers and the military protecting our Great Country.
God Bless America!
I will be writing more as soon as I feel well enough.