Tuesday I could start to eat. My menu included chicken broth, apple juice, orange jello, some diabetic sugar free drink called Diabetashield and of course, water. One ounce every 15 minutes. As crazy as it sounds, that was hard to do. I just had to take small sips and do the best I could. I had gotten out of bed and walked three laps around the nurses station on Monday night. Tuesday I took several walks. Walking wasn't hard. Hauling all the IV stuff and putting on and taking off the leg things were a pain. (The leg things would inflate and deflate to help prevent blood clots. They actually felt good, they're just bulky.) Dr. Suh came in about 11am and then the nurse came in and took out my morphine drip. I haden't been using it for the last eight hours or so and was ready for the IV to come out too. I could tell that my digestive system was starting up again- lots of rumbeling noises. My catheter came out in the late morning so I felt like I was using the bathroom every 10 minutes and starting to pass gas. Evan brought the kids to see me and they stayed for about 90 minutes. It was great to see them, but Lucy was freaked out by the IV and all the medical equipment. They brought me my pillow from home so that night I was able to use the other pillow to prop up my tummy and sleep a little on my side. IT FELT SO GOOD! It still wastn't the worlds best night sleep, but it was better. They were still checking my temperature, blood pressure and oxygen every 4 hours and came in to take blood at 5 am again.

Wednesday morning my digestive tract woke up with a vengance! I thought I was passing gas, and got a LOT more than just gas!! I got myself into the bathroom, and it was everywhere! It was like there was an on/off spicket for my butt. I would sit down to go to the bathroom, and fluid would shoot out like a geyser. There was nothing solid about it. Part of it was that I had been on the IV for two days and was full of fluid. The wierd part of it was that its was sort of ....sticky. For lack of a better description I can only say it was very much like the mechonium a new baby poops for the first couple days. Black, oily, sticky and like tar. It felt like a tidal wave rolling through my intestines and I knew I only had a minute to get to the bathroom. I remember wondering if this is how I would poop for the rest of my life.

Dr. Suh cam in about 10 am and relased me to go home. It took until 1 pm for the nurse to get to me with the paperwork, take the IV out and wheel me down to the car. Upon getting home I took a hot shower and big nap. Dr. Suh suggested wrapping saran wrap around my middle to prevent the scars from getting wet until Thurs. The saran wrap didnt work. (maybe I should have put some tape along the top, just under my breast.) I propped myself up with all my pillows and was able to sleep comfortably on my side, although I was cold. About 5pm I came downstairs and walked a few laps around the downstairs, and then got situated in my comfy chair with my water and a movie. I spent the rest of the day making trips to the bathroom, drinking water, walking laps and watching movies.

Thursday proved to be more of the same. Lots of napping, drinking, resting and bathroom. I took another shower but this time used waterproof bandaids. Much better. I felt really good - like I want to jump back into my busy life, but won't let myself. After having each of my children I would bounce back very quickly and then a week later crash. I dont know if that had to do with the pregnancy hormones, but Im not taking any chances. Plus, I can't over do it and risk something pulling or ripping internally. Evan has been great about not having me pick up anything larger that my drinking cup. He also won't let me drive. The doctor said I could when I'm no longer taking pain medication. I havent been on pain meds since Tues in the hospital. Again, Im milking this for all I can. About 8 pm I had my first sugar craving. I had cut most of the sugar out of my diet before the surgery, but all of the sudden I wanted something sweet. I finally decided to make some jello and just drink the juice warm. It did the trick. Craving cured, and it warmed me up. One side effect I didn't expect was being so cold all the time. Before I was like a walking furnace, now I'm always cold.

By Friday I was ready to get out of the house for a while. Evan woke up slightly sick so he took the day off and we headed out to Wal-Mart. I took a protien drink and water bottle with and sipped them as we walked. The walking feels so good. It gets things moving and causes lots of burping and tooting, which is considered a good thing. The geyser pouring out of my butt had slowed and nearly stopped so I wasn't too worried about an accident in public. We just took it slow. Of course, it was payday Friday two days before Easter. Wal-Mart was packed. We were there for about an hour and a half.I became hyper-sensitive to all the food triggers around me and noticed what people were eating. The overhead music is interrupted by an advertisement to take home pizza today. McDonalds in Wal-Mart. People drinking soda and candy and crap. I wanted to say to some of them " Stop eating that our you'll end up looking like me!!" The Easter stuff was the worst. Some of the carts were so full of junk their kids didnt need. I didn't feel hungry or that I wanted to eat, just accutely aware of being slammed by food from every direction. By the time we got home, I was ready for some down time. I assumd my positin in my comfy chair with something to drink and a movie.

Today is Saturday, April 3rd. I got up early and went to my sons baseball game. His first one was on the Monday I had surgery. I took an Atkins protein drink and 2 bottles of water to sip on. I enjoyed watching the game and not worrying about what food was available at the snack bar. Again I became extremely aware of what people around me were eating. They must have gotten a really good deal on some donuts, because everywhere I looked that's what people were eaing. Donuts or nachos. I noticed one busy-body mom on our team who managed to inhale a nacho and large drink for breakfast. That very easily could have been me. A month ago that was me.

My scars are starting to heal and they itch. I've started putting neosporin on them and then next week will start using Mederma. I am noticing some weight loss. My pants feel a little looser through the hips. The fat roll under the sides of my bra seems a little smaller. Jordan says she notices it through my tummy. Maybe in my face a little too. I haven't weighed myself since my last doctors appt on March 25th when I tipped the scale at 290.4 pounds. The pound loss is a side effect. I don't care if I never weigh less than 150 pounds. I want to be able to have energy go do things with my kids. I want to be able to enjoy my children and go play soccer, or swim, or dance. I want to be here when they get married and have their children. I want to take a picture without dreading it. I want my children to see their mother take a weakness and over come it by setting a goal and following it through to accomplishment. This is for me, but its also for my family. I feel extremely grateful to live in a time that this procedure is available.