This is SO much better than being pregnant at the same time!

Ok, so one of my favorite people and I had a fun little email exchange today and it was suggested I put it on my blog. I tried to delete any information that would incriminate my pen pal. Don't ask who it is. I won't tell. I won't. My email is in this font, the pen pal in the other font. The first email is at the top and the last at the bottom.


From: *********************************>To: Jenny Steele <jennaysteele@yahoo.com>Sent: Monday, July 20, 2009 2:08:24 PMSubject:

Re: surgery blog

Jenny, I am SO happy for you! And bless your brave soul! What courage that must have taken to embark on such an exciting, life changing goal!! (I am so glad you did all the research and devoted time to making certain you were making a safe and educated decision! I am also glad you didn't tell me about it until AFTER, so I didn't worry that my sweet ***************** was in any pain!!)I love your blog! You did such a great job updating us all! I will create a shortcut to my desktop and keep up with your progress!You know, you and I touched on the subject of weight loss at ***********. You eluded to the fact that you had a special plan brewing, and we were going to revisit the topic, but never got the chance. Again, I am kind of glad I didn't know beforehand. I also have a plan, tho! I joined Weight Watchers last Tuesday. My work is providing it at NO CHARGE! I didn't know I needed a pass code, so I attended the meeting, but will not become an actual member until this week. So many of my coworkers have been wonderfully successful, and nearly all of them say it was easier that they expected. I will have a huge support group, and am already reminding myself, "Nothing TASTES as good as it FEELS to be THIN". I am the worlds WORST dieter. In fact, it seems the harder I try to "watch" what I eat, the worse I do and the bigger I keep getting. I absolutely FAIL at restrictive diets, they just aren't my style at all. I am pretty hopeful I can succeed at W.W., but I have an unspoken (until now!) fear that I will fail at this too. I CAN'T have that attitude, I know, but I am just so bad at diets, and SO bad at not eating whatever, whenever and however much I want to. I AM going to succeed at this tho. I am hoping to even get back to the gym that I pay, and have been for nearly two years, $26.00 a month to belong to. Jen, I haven't even been on a scale for probably five years. When I go to the doctor, I make it very clear I do not want to know my weight. Is that a pathetic case of denial, or what! When I weigh in next week, it is going to be a nice dose of reality. I am VERY excited about it. And I am VERY determined. But I ate a donut this morning at work.? I'm pretty sure, and wonderfully hopeful, that when I know how many POINTS that donut costs me, I will SAVE those points for something a hell of a lot more satisfying and less damaging to my goal.Wow! That was some rambling!! : )I am so excited for both of us tho! This is SO much better than being pregnant at the same time!I love you, Jen!!


>>> Jenny Steele <jennaysteele@yahoo.com> 2:18 PM Monday, July 20, 2009 >>>

I am so excited for both of us tho! This is SO much better than being pregnant at the same time!

I love it! You crack me up! I am so glad that I have someone doing this with me. Keep checking my blog, I'm going to be exercising soon as well, I'll start with walking, but soon will be running again. I hope to be able to complete another full marathon.
So my weight goal is 150 (healthy weight) and my fitness goal is running a marathon. I can't wait to see how sexy we look at the next wedding (hopefully it will be mine)....Love you!

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From: ************************************>To: Jenny Steele <jennaysteele@yahoo.com>Sent: Monday, July 20, 2009 2:27:18 PM
Subject: Re: This is SO much better than being pregnant at the same time!

awww.... hopefully it WILL be yours! : )
But YES, we are doing this together! I don't have a fitness goal as valiant as yours, but I would like to look sexy in short shorts and a tank top WATCHING you run your marathon!! : ) Truly, Jen, I want to feel good in a swimsuit. I know I'll never have the body of my youth, but for pete's sake, I don't have to sabotage the package I have at my youthful age of **! How are you feeling now? Are you still sore? Do you feel a significant decrease in appetite? Do you get full a lot faster (full of LIQUID, that is!)? How has it changed how you feel in general, if at all? And how long is the expected full recovery? ***************************************************************************************************************

>>> Jenny Steele <jennaysteele@yahoo.com> 2:54 PM Monday, July 20, 2009 >>>
I feel good, I had my surgery and came home on Monday. Wednesday I was getting restless so I went to the store that evening to buy milk. Driving was no problem.Thursday and Friday I was feeling fine, working around the house, and running errands.Saturday I was out and about most of the day as well.Sunday I stayed home cleaned house and worked on work stuff on the computer.Today I feel great too.
As for soreness I still can't sleep fully laying down, so I sleep in the recliner or propped up on the couch. I slept in bed for about 2 hours last night, but had to go back to the recliner because I got uncomfortable. My largest incision is about 2 inches across. That is where my "port" is (how they tighten or loosen my band). The surgeon attaches your port to an abdominal muscle so it is sore for a while. It has improved daily. The first day it was sore to touch. Today, a week later not a bit sore to touch but I can't lay flat on my back or on my side because the muscle just pulls enough to make it a bothersome hurt. Not really painful, just annoying if that makes sense. If I push on that spot a little it doesn't really hurt, but I haven't really tried to do more because why would I want to cause myself pain on purpose? The full recovery varies for everyone. I anticipate being pretty much 100% within a month from surgery (I can't lift anything over 10lbsfor this first month). I can feel it when I sneeze or cough at the incision site, but it doesn't hurt.I have had a pretty big decrease in my appetite, but I think it is mostly from surgery/recovery. However, when I eat I definitely have gotten full faster. On Sat. I ate 1/2 a container of yogurt and was full. Like almost uncomfortable full when you ate half the turkey and went back for seconds on the mashed potatoes full. Today so far I've had a protein shake for breakfast and I just had about 3/4cup of tomato soup with 4 Ritz crackers for lunch. I'm full. I don't have any fill in my band yet; most of this restriction has come from my stomach being swollen still from the surgery. I'll probably be able to eat more in the coming weeks (I get my first fill August 10th). I'm trying to train myself now to eat filling good for me stuff so I can continue loosing between now and my first fill.I don't know yet that it has changed how i feel in general other than excited to have this help I have needed for so long. I feel like the same person inside and out. Physically the same, mentally it has lifted me out of a fog. I feel more determined to use this tool to get healthy. Once and for all! So I hope that answered your questions, I'm feeling good physically, clear and motivated mentally. Be sure to share with your mom. I miss you guys and I can't wait for my next visit to Oregon!Love you!

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wow, thank you so much for such a wonderful response! (you should copy/paste most of that to your blog!) How good to hear you feel you have been lifted out of a mental fog. I can only imagine the determination this procedure will drive into you! What a wonderful boost... a wonderful helping hand to a journey of a lifetime! I am just so proud of you and so excited for you!! : )I can't wait to see you again! Perhaps it will be in YOUR state this time around!! : )