Sue's Surgery Thread

[PretzelGirl]

Done....

[JanePeterson]

I will be rooting for you and thinking happy thoughts your direction... Talk about an enormous week/month! So much change and for the better :)

[Barbara Dugan]

Definitely will be thinking of you, wishing you all the best Sue:hugs:

[Badtranny]

Man there sure are a lot of Posties around here lately. I hope it's not contagious.

:tongueout

See ya soon!

[Brooklyn]

Good luck Sue! I know you will be in good hands.

[tgirlamc]

Will be sending many good thoughts Sue!!! Drinking the gallon of bowel prep is the hard part!!!

[PretzelGirl]

Done....

[arbon]

Really happy and excited for you you Sue :)

Looking forward to your return. LV

[grace7777]

Sue,

I hope that everything over the next week goes real well for you.

[becky77]

Good luck Sue I'll be thinking of you all the way.



Arbons LV sign off to be discussed later 😊

[Marcelle]

Hi Sue,

Good luck and my thoughts are with you and a speedy recovery so you can snuggle the grand-baby.

Marcelle

[pamela7]

sending best wishes for good luck and success.

xxx Pam

[Lauri K]

Good luck Sue !! I hope you have a speedy recovery!!!

[stefan37]

Very ambitious schedule. Especially visiting your mother so soon after surgery. This surgery will take more out of you than you realize. The recovery is a long arduous process. Speedy recovery,

[PretzelGirl]

Done....

[I Am Paula]

Keep us up on what's happening, and I wish you nothing but the best. While you're sitting on the can, just think good thoughts about seeing a new granddaughter!

[Eringirl]

Good luck Sue!! Will be thinking of you for sure! Don't over due it, and take care of yourself.

Chat soon....

Erin

[Jennifer-GWN]

Sue... Time to focus on you and do some solid quiet time ... Digital activity will be accepted no actually expected but really take it easy and recoup well. Last mile they say is a bitch but I know you're ready

I'll be thinking about you!!!

[PretzelGirl]

Done....

[Cindy J Angel]

Thinking of you Sue be safe. And don't over do it. Lv Cindy

[Starling]

Congratulations, Sue. You're about to become eligible to join Native Daughters of the Golden West!

:) Lallie

[KymberlyOct]

Best wishes Sue !!! I hope everything is the best possible. Such a great step in your life. Please get the rest you need.

[Bria]

I hope that you have a speedy recovery with out complications!

Hugs, Bria

[PretzelGirl]

Done....

[becky77]

I can't quite believe how quickly this date had arrived.

[tgirlamc]

Yup! The AM slot is where it's at!!! Safe Travels Tomorrow!!! Good weather awaits you!!!

A:)

[PretzelGirl]

Done....

[Nigella]

... My outie will be an innie before I know it.

Just be careful sneezing :rofl:

Seriously, will hold you in my thoughts and hope you have a speedy recovery

[Cindy J Angel]

Yes mornings are the best starting get out on a good note. We are here for you. So happy for you. Lv Cindy

[PretzelGirl]

Done....

[Sue Too]

Good Luck Sweet Lady----------I wish you the best for a speedy recovery.
Susan

[Lorileah]

was I supposed to have a leg photo? I never get the memos

Sue, it will be great, it will be awesome. Enjoy the pre-sx touring, and you will probably have time for post-sx touring. Digital stuff should not be a problem. I drove to my mom's the weekend after to see her...the trip up...not bad...the trip back...almost 3 hours. You can do it but taking a break isn't a terrible idea.

I am sure it will go well and you will be happier. Best of luck.

Oh and the sneezing part...there is also a thing about coughing, but it's a good thing ;)

[PretzelGirl]

Done....

[Kris Avery]

Sue,

It was so incredibly nice to finally get to meet you.

What a week. First, Kim and I get to meet Allie and Suzanne for dinner on Tuesday.
I was so wiped out and scared you didn't miss much. 22 hours of uptime on me doesn't work too well.

Then, my own GRS on Thursday morning with Satterwhite..... OMG thanks for the ride to CPMC Suzanne!

I do think I set the record for shortest time in recovery before a full spaghetti dinner after GRS. (90 min flat)

Followed by meeting up with Suzanne, Allie, you, and Jane Peterson Friday night.
Talk about everyone being so beautiful - except for the ugly frazzled chick in the bed.......


We will be thinking of you on Wednesday morning for sure.

Kris and Kim

[PretzelGirl]

Done....

[tgirlamc]

Have a great pre op Sue!!! Followed, I'm sure by a trip to the Burlingame CVS for your meds!... Make sure they give you the lemon "flavor packet" with your bowel prep!!!! Mmmmmmm ..... Flavor!!!! :)

[Lorileah]

:thinking: my bowel prep was lemon flavored to start. I wanted tequila with it but...noooo.

Kris, glad it went well. Don't over do it but it wasn't bad for me either. Love Suzanne and Allie. They took great care of me.

SUE! Best of luck with the surgery, you'll do great. Like Groucho said "Time flies like an arrow, Fruit flies like bananas" It will be a blur. Don't push it, listen to your body...and NPR, it's great for falling asleep

[Sara Jessica]

Best wishes Sue, I'll be thinking of you.

Much love,

Sara

[Jenniferathome]

Best wishes Sue

[Heidi Stevens]

My thoughts will be with you Wednesday, Sue! Hope your recovery is as good as Kris' was. Good Luck!

[Starling]

Just a few hours now, Sue. Happy landings!

:) Lallie

[Eringirl]

Hope the prep meeting goes well Sue!! The countdown is on.....my thoughts are with you.

[Juanita O]

best wishes

[jentay1367]

Best of luck to you tomorrow, Sue. My heart is with you as well as my hopes for a perfect outcome on every level. See you on the other side! Lisa

[PretzelGirl]

Done....

[tgirlamc]

Onward Sister! Our good wishes and hearts are with you!!! :)

[steftoday]

Best wishes for a safe surgery and a speedy recover Sue.

[Melissa Rose]

Sue, you will be in my thoughts and best wishes. I hope your recovery is as event free and painless as possible.

[tgirlamc]

The BIG Morning!!!! Good thoughts and Love surround you sister!!!!

[PretzelGirl]

Done....

[tgirlamc]

So good to hear Sue!!!! Rest up and enjoy the feeling that you jumped the hurdle!!!... The night nurses are great and the breakfast selections too!!!... Keep us posted!!!

Hugs!!! :)

[AllieSF]

Congratulations Sue! I am so happy for you. May your recovery be fast and without issues.

[Heidi Stevens]

Congratulations Sue! So glad you came through with great results. So did you get a spaghetti dinner, like Kris got last week, for your first meal?

[Jennifer-GWN]

My vote is for another bowl of lil Mel's peanut butter ice scream ....

[Starling]

Spaghetti, ice cream, manna from heaven--Hallelujah! Congratulations, dear Sue, on this lovely day to be reborn.

:) Lallie

[Barbara Dugan]

Congratulations Sue:)

[KymberlyOct]

Sue, I was thinking of you this morning, and I am so glad to know that it went well. So Happy for you !!!!

[Marcelle]

Congrats Sue . . . rest up.

Cheers

Marcelle

[GretchenJ]

Best wishes Sue to a continued recovery!

[PretzelGirl]

That ice cream was amazing Jennifer!

So far, everything is feeling great! Will see Marci somewhere in the next couple of hours. Other than constantly having an urge to pee, everything else is doing well. Drains are not seeing much. Did find out the catheter wasn't draining and got distended and very uncomfortable real quick. That was an easy fix though. Should be on my feet starting tomorrow. Getting visitors, which is amazing, and my daughter is watching over me like a hawk. On a great path to this point.

[Eringirl]

Good for you Sue!! So happy...! I must say I was thinking of you all day...Glad it all went well. Now, rest up, and do what the Dr tells you!! ;)

[I Am Paula]

I could not be happier for you. I hope Ms. Bowers gives you a clean bill of health.

[Cindy J Angel]

Ya so happy. For u������ so get your rest you go girl

[becky77]

Congrats Sue, look at all this attention you are getting!

[Brooklyn]

Happy Birthday, Sue!

[Nigella]

Welcome Sue to the first day of the rest of your life :hugs:

Hope that your recovery is comfortable, take it easy

[Eryn]

Wonderful! Now follow instructions and don't be too ambitious with activities. Some ladies feel great, overdo, and regret it later!

[Jennifer-GWN]

Would love to be there to see you up and about. Please take it easy and not rush things. Did read through the users manual yet... Too soon I guess.

[PretzelGirl]

I have seen some push it when they feel good and regret it. I haven't seen anyone push it when they felt good and say it was a good thing. So I will be taking it easy.

I have 55,000 miles on my car and haven't read the manual yet. We have a problem here Jennifer....

I don't think I will call it a birthday, but I remember all the key dates and times:

HRT - April 11, 2014 4:00 PM
Name Change - August 14, 2014 9:15 AM
Full Time - October 2, 2014 6:30 PM
GRS - Juiy 27, 2016 7:45 AM (the start anyway)

[Starling]

Sue, you had a sex change* before you had an oil change!

:) Lallie

* archaic term for GRS, used purely for comic effect

[Jannis]

Sue, I am so very happy for you and wish you a speedy and perfect recovery. You are living the dream so many of us wish we could experience. All the best.

[PretzelGirl]

And the dressing is off. Looks better than I expected this early on. Removing this dressing; another pain pill dose, and a nap and I feel a ton better. Time to go slow and easy...

[Lauri K]

Sue, so glad to hear you are on the healing side of all this now.

Take it slow and easy, best wishes to you for a fast recovery !!!

[Angela Campbell]

I feel for ya girl, it can be quite uncomfortable for a while, but it gets better. Glad to hear things are going ok for you.

[PretzelGirl]

Checked out of the hospital today. Was an interesting spike in emotions as I got text messages that my seventh grandchild had been born and was looking at the first picture, when Marci walked in. So now a few days of hanging around the hotel room then I go to Marci's office to get the catheter taken out (yes, I still leave the seat up) and start dilation. A lot came together today as I started the day feeling rough, but then had the drain taken out and showered and felt a ton better afterwards.

So Marci has been fantastic. No surprise, one of the best, if not the best, in the business. Her staff has guided every step of the way perfectly. The hospital was great and the nurses were wonderful (I am used to overworked nurses just trying to keep up). A really great experience to this point. I have very little pain and it is mostly discomfort from swelling and a little around the stitches. Things are really looking good so far!

[Rogina B]

You are doing great for sure !:hugs:

[Suzanne F]

So happy for you!
Suzanne

[Janelle_C]

I'm so happy for You! What a wonderful time in your life!

[AllieSF]

Wonderful news Sue. I hope all continues to go that well.

[docrobbysherry]

Hi, Sue. I've been out of the country an unable to get on line. Missed all of the excitement!

Sounds like you're doing as well as can be expected? Hope you're back to being Sue with a normal life ASAP. Of course, that means whatever "normal" IS for u from now on.:heehee:

Must keep us posted on the final results of the surgery down the line. I'm sure others r just as curious as I am!?:battingeyelashes:

[PretzelGirl]

Time to cap the trip. I went to my post-op appointment yesterday and had the catheter and packing yanked while learning to dilate. Felt pretty good afterwards. Today, went shopping but was pushed around in a wheelchair. Although I feel better, I want to be safe on the healing. One thing I want to emphasize to anyone doing this in the future, you need to heal. It isn't just about listening to your body, you need to do that, but also don't jump the gun when you feel good. I hear about far too many slow recoveries or popped stitches. You put a lot of time, effort, and dreams into this; do it right!

But I walk away fulfilled at this point. In no particular order:
- I am spending quality time with my daughter, who I have a strong bond with. She saw it all through this trip and has been my caretaker.
- I am finally complete, minus the rest of the recovery time. I clean up a little more paperwork when I get home (my state requires surgery for the birth certificate change) and just move on with life.
- I was able to physically meet many friends, both local and *three* that flew in. These are some very special people to me and seeing everyone helped the friendships grow deeper. The surgery I knew was going to happen but in a way, I seriously looked forward to this as the time was approaching and was given a surprise of one that flew in unannounced. I love you all!

So now I will leave on Friday and will continue to take it totally easy for another 2 1/2 weeks at my daughters. Then another month at home before I go back to work and I can use this time to gradually build my stamina back up.

My one piece of advice is what I already said. Rest, Rest Rest!!! It is like everyone gets the result they wanted and they want to be off and running. This is a huge intrusion to your body. Let it heal right. Life is waiting on the other side and it is better enjoyed being done rather than having an extended convalescence.

[Starling]

Sue, it sounds as if you're really serious about letting yourself heal properly. I bet you'd much rather be bouncing around and experiencing how wonderfully a little subtraction can add to your body!

:) Lallie

[PretzelGirl]

LOL. I would like to subtract more from my body, but the rest is fat. No, I have always been big about listening to doctors. I want 10 days healing now and be done instead of 7 day now, 4 days next month, 6 days in six months.... You can really cause continuing issues if you push it. In this case, you can also mess with the cosmetic result. There is time for me to do things later (I hope).

[Nigella]

Glad the follow on is going well. As you have said, take it easy, you don't want to rush things, besides the rest of your new life is ahead of you, there is not rush :hugs:

[Michelle_CD]

Congratulations Sue! Good luck with recovery.

[PretzelGirl]

Hi Michelle! Long time no see! We need to fix that.

It is going quite well. There is an education on self care and as I go along, I have to keep adjusting it. But the outcome of the surgery is looking great and I am healing well, so I am quite pleased. I am not used to being laid up and having others help me, so that is tough. But I need to be lazy and let everything take its course. I have heard of too many people who said they wish they had taken it easy more. I have been blessed with my daughter going to San Fran with me and then I flew to her home for an additional 2 1/2 weeks. I am still there for a while. Many friends who have helped including one who cooked in San Fran and brought food to our hotel room. I certainly feel loved an blessed.

[Kris Avery]

Sue,

Congratulations on yours going so well. I expected nothing less.

It was so nice meeting you, sorry - ummm - I was 'on drugs' at the time ;)
Glad to hear all is well with the lovely daughter too. She is a keeper - I can tell.
I can tell you out of the 4 of mine I would only place odds on 2 of mine being helpful.

Hope to see you again soon. I'm actually planning a 6 month check-up in person - perhaps we can plan a reunion where you can actually meet me rather than just 'see me'. You were not catching me at my best - far from it.

Kris

[PretzelGirl]

It all seems it is going well until it comes undone. So I am not counting my chickens yet. Lots of rest to come.

I don't know if I will be ready to travel again again in six months, there will be things to catch up on after the down time. We will see.

My daughter is a keeper. Still at her house convalescing for another 8 days.

[Eryn]

It isn't chicken-counting time yet, but you are doing all the right things. I'm so happy for you! Enjoy being a couch potato for a while longer!

[Lorileah]

you should be running marathons by now...count those damn chickens!

OK, not really, let your body tell you when you are ready. :) Congrats again!

[PretzelGirl]

Hey, I feel great that I went two days without a nap! Progress!

[I Am Paula]

Sue. I would be the walking dead if I went two days without a nap. Congratulations sister!

[Donna Joanne]

Hi Sue. Can't wait to get back to SLC to see you again! Love you sister!

[PretzelGirl]

Donna, how are you feeling? I imagine you have to be doing quite well before tolerating your job.

[Donna Joanne]

I am feeling great, can't wait to get back to work. My surgery was an amazing success, and my recovery has been almost perfect! How are you doing?

[PretzelGirl]

Pretty good. I am feeling better each day and getting more feeling back regularly. Have one concern that I have sent to Marci, it shouldn't be major, but one I just wanted to check on. The biggest problem is that I have always had a small hernia and it may be aggravated. We will see over time.