So you think you can dance?

Since my last post I have been using the Wii to exercise, so I thought I would review the video/games I have used. I feel like a few were wasted money and I hate to see anyone waste money, so here goes.

Gold's Gym Cardio Workout: Uses the normal Wii controller, Nunchuck and balance board. $18.04 Amazon.com

I love this one! It is boxing! Lots of fun and a great arm workout. I have some shoulder issues, so they were on fire after this, but I still loved it. I think its a great price and a fun arm workout.

Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010: uses the normal Wii controller and balance board. $14.07 Amazon.com

Save your $15! I absolutely hated this workout! The premise is you are in an exotic location and you use the controller to pick your location, mountains, dock, beach front, etc. I thought great we can work out on the beach, nope each location is one, yes ONE exercise. So after you do these exercises in the location you have to stop, let the Wii do it's thing and pick another place, load the exercise, etc. Such a waste of time! Also, the exercises using the balance board where you get on the floor, I feel like you do not get enough time to get into position before she starts. The only thing I liked is the run, but you will see later the game that came free with the balance board also offers this exercise. Again save your money!

The Biggest Loser Challenge: Uses normal Wii controller and balance board. $27.98 amazon.com (I got it at Target and I *think* it was on sale for $19.99).

I loved this one! I did not think I would because I am not a fan of the show. You pick the trainer (either Jillian or Bob). I chose Bob. They make the person working out with the trainer look like you. You pick facial features, height, weight etc. so I thought that was nice. You pick the length of your workout and the trainer (Bob) takes you through everything. It was a good workout. I was sweating (but I did during all these games as I can sweat like a man just walking through a room, blech!) Sometimes Bob says the same thing over and over and sometimes things he says make no sense. Such as the gauge on the side of the screen used to tell you how well you are executing a move, is on great, but Bob is saying something like, "Come on you got to try harder!" Other than that I really liked it and will continue to use it.

Gold's Gym DANCE Workout: Uses both normal Wii controllers, $19.96 (I got it at Target for $19.99)

I just finished doing this one for the first time. It is similar to the Wii Just Dance games, except it tells you the calories you are burning for your weight and you can make a workout up. You can pick the length and go through the various dances, pick them and that makes your workout out. I made a 25 minute workout and burned 275 calories. It was fun, but lord I am uncoordinated. I can not dance, nor move my feet and hands at the same time. I learned I could basically just move my feet any way and bounce my hands around to the beat of the music and get "great" points. But I was up and moving, I did break a sweat. All in all a nice, fun workout.

Wii Fit Plus: uses normal Wii controller, nunchuck and balance board. $18.47 amazon.com.

This game is great. I did Yoga, which I never would have and enjoyed it. It has hula hoop, running, step aerobics, etc. I really enjoyed all them and found I just kept exercising because I wanted to try something new. It has a strength training too, but I have not used that section as of yet. It monitors your weight loss, calories burned and time exercised and keeps it all in a bank, which is a nice feature. I also, think this one is great for a family because there are things on there that the kiddos may enjoy.


I will say I thought many of these games were too easy, so last Friday I did the Gold's Cardio Workout in the morning then went out and bought The Biggest Loser Challenge. So that afternoon I did that one. Holy crap I was so sore this weekend, so maybe they do more than I thought.

Kiddo just woke up so no time to edit, enjoy the typos!

Blog spoofing: Rehab Day 10

So just some quick Rehab updates and then a blog entry unrelated.
Current weight 233
New favorite exercise thing: The shake weight (yes it works your arms will hurt!)

Now for the unrelated:

I love to read other peoples blogs and I recently came across one called Sex, Lies and Bacon. It's a "diary" of a single mom. She basically writes a great deal about her vagina, how crappy her ex-husband is and her sexcapdes. Some of it's funny, but it all made me think, how would my daily life fit into her recipe. So I decided to write a blog post trying to fit my blog into her life. Here goes:

Too tired for sex, "Mommy, it wasn't me" and M&Ms

Today was an awesome day in my world of SAHM hood. (Not sure what SAHM means, man you are sooo uncool). This morning I woke up at 6am because my sons foot was shoved literally up my ass! Why? Because we were up until 2am. Wait did I say we, I meant me. No power lead to both kids in bed with me. My husband due to snoring got to sleep in my sons double bed sans kids. It's hard to fall asleep with a curly mop of 2 yr old hair going in your mouth and up you nose. And every time I would open my eyes, these big hazel eyes would stare at me and say, "Hi Mommy, you sleeping!" Then there was the echos of "It's dark!" etc etc etc. We finally fell asleep only to wake up at some point because all the lights came on, so 2 yr old to crib, 5 yr old smashed next to me and daddy back in bed. Lots of action in the sack last night!

Today between my deep obsession with the Casey Anthony trial, cleaning bathrooms and potty training above 2 yr I never left the house. Exciting. I made a dinner that only the adults ate and bribed my kids to pee with M&M's. I might cruise through Ashland in a bit, going 25 MPH in my Mommy mobile to hit up the Wal-Mart for another pack of Princess Pull-ups and some kids bath wash. If your lucky I'll Foursquare it and just to show the gen-y crowd that I still got it, I might even search my Twitter for a coupon! Bitches!

***I am in no way trying to start a single moms/married moms battle. Everyone's life is hard, I totally get it. I jumped into the breast milk/formula battle on-line once I learned my lesson then!*********

The Joy of Cooking: Rehab Day 3

Things are going very well!  I have done the things I said I would and I am feeling great! I am doing some hard analyzing of things and one thing I realized is I LOVE to cook! I already knew this, but I looked one step deeper into it.  I don't necessarily love to eat, but I love the process of cooking.  I find it cathartic. Chopping the veggies, mixing sauces, playing with textures and tastes.  It just makes me happy. So I peeled the onion one layer deeper and realized that cooking is no different that creating with paper or paint.  No different than designing or decorating. Even really no different than photography.  These are all things that I adore and make me happy.  They all use creativity, thinking, art and tools.  Cooking does evoke the use of another sense that some of these do not and that is the sense of smell.  Maybe that is why cooking ranks at the top of my list of favorite hobbies.  It uses all of the senses.   I am going to do some baking this weekend.  It's been years since I have baked bread.  I found my favorite yeast at the local Martin's and grabbed it.  So instead of Peter heading to Whole Foods weekly for their fresh Italian bread and then spending more money on impulse items only found at Whole Foods, I decided to try and make him some.  I found am Italian bread recipe that calls for the use of a biga, so Saturday I will make that first. Then 5 hours later its time to start the process of creating the bread.  I will let you know the results.  I do not eat bread in general.  I will take a tiny taste and usually it has to be toasted to not cause Cybil a problem.  But I will surely taste a smidge to see how I did!

I have not weighed myself since Sunday. I am trying to hold off until Friday, but I am a scale addict!  My hardest challenge so far has been drinking enough water.  I just don't do it.  It's not that I don't like water, I am just not a big drinker.  Add in not drinking 30 minutes before a meal (I follow that rule loosely), during a meal and for an hour after and it makes getting in your daily amounts hard!

Accomplishment of the day:  I am wearing a size 18 sundress as I type this!  It's been a loooonnngggg time since my size did not contain a "2"!

Joie de vivre. Joy of life. Live it, love it and if you    don't, then change it! 

Absence of Malice: Rehab Day 1

Try -
–verb (used with object)

1.to attempt to do or accomplish: Try it before you say it's simple.

2.to test the effect or result of (often followed by out ): to try a new method; to try a recipe out.

3.to endeavor to evaluate by experiment or experience: to try a new field; to try a new book.

You try a great deal of things in life.  You try to do well, be upstanding, live life to it's fullest and be as good or better as the generation before you. You also do simple things like trying a new sport, new foods, new hairstyles, etc.  In trying new things one thing is inevitable, failing.  If you do not realize that failing could be an option, even though no one wants it, then you quite possibly are setting yourself up for a great let down.  You start all new things with a gun-ho vigor that could take down the biggest obstacles. Things are great, you are the Guru of your new found "try" and then it happens.  Life, old habits, monotony, etc and the "try" becomes a fail.  

In the past I have been known to turn a "try" into a fail on numerous occasions.  I love to try new things, projects and tasks, I just hate following through.  I find another new thing to "try" and never finish the first one.  It's a pattern I am attempting to correct.  Today is the restart of Rehab.  I have had fun, taken my eye off the goal and now I am once again focused.  

Like any good Rehab, mine is starting with detox!  Whats that entail? Well the downloading of  a calorie counting app (I am using a free one called Calorie Counter by FatSecret) was my first step this morning.  I will use it to manage exercise, calories and protein used in a day.   My second step this morning was filling a 20oz water bottle with water and drinking it (after a mug of coffee).  Third, eating breakfast, which I combined with step 4 drinking a protein shake.  Step 5, planning a lunch and eating what was planned.  

So far so good.  Want to know what I have eaten today so far:

Breakfast:

8oz 2% milk w/ sugar free Carnation Instant Breakfast added and a tsp of instant expresso

Snack:

Dannon DanActive Immunity Yogurt Shot (blueberry)

Lunch:

1/2 large Pink Lady Apple

1/2 serving of Oscar Meyer Deli Express Grilled Chicken mixed with:

1 Hard Boiled Egg &

1 tbsp Ken's Steakhouse lite Honey Mustard Dressing (yeah, it was kinda gross)

So far so good.  I am hungry (I need a fill badly, but keep forgetting to call maybe I should do that now, LOL).  The big test will be dinner and after. I have/had been in a bad habit of eating nothing all day, then eating a big (big for me) dinner, then having a Margaritta or glass of wine and snacking.  One thing I am planning to do to stop the snacking is drinking a decaf coffee, and if I need to snack having veggies dipped in FF dressing.  I wanted to add to that I feel with any huge thing in your life, by that I mean something that takes a great deal of effort and a lot of time, you need to reinvent it and refresh it every so often. 

I also plan to exercise at night.  My parents gave me the fit board thingy for our Wii.  I ordered Julian Michaels (barf, I can not stand her, but obviously I need her) and Golds Gym Wii games.  I hope they show up today.  I will *try (read above to see that I lose interest quickly, LOL) to write a blog daily.  I think it will be helpful, but boring for you guys.  Maybe you will enjoy seeing what I eat everyday, maybe it will help you!  

The other thing I did over the last week is rid my life of a toxic relationship that was causing some stress.  I am a stress eater and I just don't need malice in my relationships.  Friendships should be rewarding and fulfilling for all people involved, not hurtful and stressful.  

 

So guys here we go again! Who's with me?

Current weigh 235

Damn you Cybil!

Cybil, Cybil, Cybil oh the problems you cause.  I am tired of chewing my food to oblivion only to watch you do the esphogial tango with it!  The throwing-up, the pain, really Cybil is it necessary?  I ask you, have I not been good to you? I have eaten Hot and Sour soup for 5 dinners in a row to give you a break, was that not enough?  Let me remind you that I am uncertain of half of the things that were floating in that soup dear Cybil.  Now Cybil my husband is bringing me a Mediterranean wrap from Jason's Deli in about an hour.  Can you please please please let me digest it.  I have eaten only a 1/4 of a Smart One's lunch today and a skinny Starbucks, I cut all the grass, I took care of 2 kids, I need some damn calories!!!!! So please don't get your panties in a wad when you see tiny pieces of turkey and humus!  I am strongly thinking about making  an appointment dear Cybil to have some fluid removed from you if you do not straighten up!

Now that I have spoken to Cybil, I will speak to you guys!  (OK I feel a tad Charlie Sheen with that)  Things are good.  Dear Cybil digests carbohydrates very well (baked potatoes, crackers, cereal), which lead to a bit of higher calorie eating  (still in small amounts).  This caused me to loss and gain the same 2 lbs for about a month, but I made Cybil my bitch and got it back to where it needs to go.  I think I am in a rhythm again and feel like the weight will start to come off again. The great news is this last month did not completely freak me out.  I was OK with it.  I feel like such a tremendous weight loss done this fast needs a break every once in a while.  My poor skin sure thinks so, as it is definatly showing the effects of this last 8 months.  I would still like to be at 100lbs lost by July 29th, so I better get my butt into the gym!  I feel like every morning something comes up, the house needs cleaning, a kid is sick, I am sick, I have something to do with the search for a new house, etc. (Oh yeah, did I mention we are trying to get out of suburban hell?  Makes you want to rent my house right?)  But I know I will find my rhythm with the gym too.  Once I do I tend to turn into a gym junkie.  It will happen! 

Tonight I did the arduous task that starts every Spring, cutting the grass.  My allergies hated it!  But I love the way the yard looks when it is cut.  I decided today to don a pair of pre-weight loss shorts.  I put them on and they were very loose but stayed up so I went for it, they were all I had.  Well, I had to stop the lawn mower a million times to pull them up.  The weight of my iPhone in my pocket was pulling them down.  I felt like one of those kids my mother was describing to me today over the phone.  She was sitting in the Wal-Mart parking lot waiting on my dad, and said " This kid just got out of his car and I can see his underwear."  I told her that is how kids wear their pants now a days.  Two minutes later she said " I can see his ass, I swear his jeans are around his hips."  Now if you know my mother, those are not direct qoutes!  But I did feel like that, so I just headed over to Land's End and ordered some clothes for Spring/Summer. I cleaned out the closet this weekend and gave away 3 bags of clothes that were too big!  Happy Spring Ya'll!  18 days until I head to Vegas!

Tigers and warlocks and gods, Oh My!

So after a few tempestuous weeks, I can gladly say, "I am back!" I am not only back but I am better than ever.  Now I will not say I am a warlock, or drinking tiger blood or that I even have Gods living with me, but I do feel new and improved.  Lots of loose ends in my life are coming together, my family is on the road to health and healing and man it feels good! 

I have committed myself back to weight loss, not that I ever really forgot about it.  I just realized other aspects of my life were more pressing.  I am happy to say I hit 239 this morning!  Can I get a collective WHOOO HOOOO! That's a total of 73lbs! I love seeing the scale drop down to a new set of 10's! It's like a new goal starts every time that happens, now I am on a push to see the 220's.  My band that was way too tight has now simmered down and I am able to live with it.  I will say I do throw up more now (TMI I know but hey this blog is honest) but I am learning the triggers that cause it.  I am eating slower, smaller bites now.  I think I finally got how to eat with this band.  It was a struggle, but one I am happy I kept with. 

Wow what a crazy 7 months!  I am ready for Spring, why? Because none of my pants fit!

My basket is full...

Just a quick update, well not really but.......  Lots of stuff going on in my life that is putting weight loss to the back burner.  I have not updated here, because well, I have literally not had the mental energy.  I will be back soon with hopefully everything in my life somewhat in place. 

MJ Tourettes?

My friend just sent me this link, because it reminded her of me.  I think its true, I have pre-surgery Michael Jackson Tourettes syndrome. 

Brazilian Taxi Driver Contracts Michael Jackson Tourette’s Syndrome

By Michelle Collins

A new disease is spreading in the Southern Hemisphere of this Earth. A disease so debilitating, it can strike up without warning and take hold of even the most innocent of humans. And once it gets hold of you, that’s it. There is no cure. I refer of course to Michael Jackson Tourettes Syndrome. The latest victim? An innocent cab driver found in Brazil.
Take a look at this home video footage and pray that you and your family aren’t infected:

Some ways that you can prevent catching Michael Jackson Tourette’s? Stay indoors after sundown. Wash the hands of your children when they get home from school. Train your dogs to make inside the house. Get your car washed – Shamone! Come on ya! – oh God, sorry, hold on a second — Hee-heeeeee*cough* — Oh no, God, SHAMONE, God no. It’s happening… It’s — Whoo! — I — SHA.. SHA… Call 911. It’s here. *RIPS VEST OPEN* *JUMPS ON CAR* *GLASS BREAKS* *MACAULAY CULKIN STARTS TO RAP* 
******taken from www.bestweekever.tv**********

Is that a Seroma on your port or are you just happy to see me......

Cybil Cybil Cybil!  (that's it's name, the band that is). Today I went in for my first post op fill.  I requested it happen under floroscope due to the pain that I am having that is literally keeping me up at night.  I was sure Cybil's counterpart, the port, had flipped.  But no the problem is a seroma and a hematoma.  I guess around the port is a large pocket of fluid (seroma) and a larger bruise (hematoma).  So I was able to get a fill!  Yay! After the needle was removed, a large amount of the seroma's fluid drained too.  So hopefully tonight will be better.  I am supposed to take it easy until Monday, lots of liquid ibuproben and heating pads. 

I am back on the *dun dun dun* dreaded liquid diet. I wish I had the Soup Nazi nearby! But I am excited about this in a way, because starting Sunday when I advance to the soft mushy stage I am going to start measuring in my little 4 oz cup.  I NEVER measured before (shhhhhhh don't tell). Hopefully this will lead to more weight loss as I have basically been at a stand still for a month and half trying to get Cybil fixed.   I found this great blog today, http://www.bandfriendlyrecipes.com can't wait to try some of their recipes and tips. 

That's about it for now.  I will let you know when I lose some more!

Grow up little girl!

You know things, life,people etc we are all funny.  In your 20's you think you own the world.  You know more than anyone else, you DESERVE everything, you WANT everything, and no one can tell you anything differenet.  You come into your 30's learning more about yourself.  At least I have.  I figured out my temper and how to more or less control it.  I know my fears, my boundaries, some of my limitations, lots of my short comings, things I soar at accomplishing and in general what I want out of this period in my life.

  I am able to wake up and say I am thankful for my children, which I am  literally brought to tears when I think of how strong my love is for them and what they mean to me.  I am thankful for a husband who for all my faults lets me be me and loves me for just that.  Parents who have an undying love for my children and WANT them around constantly.  My friends who are amazing, fun and loving.  I truly can say I have my best friend now and I know we will still be causing trouble together in our 80's! There really and truly is nothing to complain about in my life and for that I am thankful.
I guess what I am trying to say is looking back over the last year, I have learned a lot about Liz and I really do like the Liz that is here now. 

I have thought about all of this a great deal lately but today I decided to write about because of 3 strangers.  Today is the first day I could drive! (Yay!) and the first day of very little pain (Yay! again).  So I was out in Short Pump at Home Goods looking for stuff for our dining room redo.  While loading the couple of things I found into the back of my car a girl pulled up beside me and said, "Excuse me, I just have to tell you I love your boots!  Where did you get them?" I told her and then she said, "You are just so put together, your whole ensemble, I can just tell you love to shop and you look great!"  I thanked her and we went our separate ways.  I was floored!  I left the house today wearing a dress I was going to return because its too big.  I wore it thinking it would be comfy on my tummy.  My hair in my eyes, looked bad.  Yes, I do think my boots are cute, but in general it was an "I feel gross day".  So her saying that got me thinking, wow people really do see me differently then I see myself. So off I went to Trader Joe's.  As I was getting a cart there was a worker straightening them and he said.  "I love your boots, you look great!" I thanked him and said "Wow twice in 20 minutes!"  Then while shopping a lady was walking by me and tapped me on the shoulder and said "Great dress". I literally could have skipped through the store on clouds!
But besides these 3 strangers making my day, they also taught me a big lesson.  People really do look at me differently then I look at myself!  I need to realize I no longer look like the Liz of 5 months ago and 63 lbs heavier!  (Yep, guys I lost the 5lbs pounds I gained over the holiday and with the band not working.! Woot woot I am back to pre-holiday weight even with the surgery swelling)

So pay a stranger a compliment, you never know how much you will make their day!

P.S here is the boots and dress

but my dress is chocolate brown

If I knew then what I know now.......

I might have just tried a bit harder to be happy with Liz.  I mean how bad was I? I really only did things that hurt myself, no one else.  I in general made people laugh, took care of my family, left no debt on society, I was just fat.  But I could not deal with that, so I went and did this radical surgery, which is now kicking me in the butt.  It really has me thinking now that I sit here in pain, 2 surgeries  within almost exactly 5 months. 

Here were my reasons for doing it:
*I was at my biggest ever, super uncomfortable and in pain nightly from planter fascitus, back, knee and hips.  It was getting to the point of needing a cane.  I was 33 stuck in what felt like a 70 year old's body.
*Diets have never worked for me, and I felt like I would always eat my way back from any weight loss, I had proven that to be true my whole life.
*I wanted to fit into society better, dress better, enjoy life more.

Most of those reasons seemed justified, and most of those have been rectified with just the loss of 60lbs.  Which is wonderful!  I am highly greatful and still astonished daily by it.  But.....

I am very mad at myself for putting my body through utter hell.  Lets face it I have lost 60lbs, but also 1/2 of my hair (no joke it still comes out in handfuls), my liver hates what I am doing to it (which I suspect my alcohol consumption does not help), I have now put my body through 2 major surgeries.  I mean the whole thing is just ridiculous.  So here we go again.  3rd chance to do this, I really hope I  can grasp this thing and do it right.  I have decided to look into over-eaters anonymous, there is a meeting at Retreat hospital weekly so I think once I am up and moving better I will go.  I mean lets face it, I got a problem.  At this point I feel its no different than and alcoholic or heroin addict, except I have to eat to live.  That last part makes this whole thing a bit harder. 

So here is my plan for success:

*keep writing in my blog, being honest on here keeps me accountable
*Attend meetings for over-eaters anonymous
*I drink way too much in my eyes, so I am putting it down.  Special occasions only, Birthday, Holiday etc.  Not any night I feel. 
*Slow down and enjoy every bit of food, not inhale it.
* Understand I am not entitled to anything, everything is a gift and should be treated that way

Hopefully I will solve this problem once and for all.


Now I wanted to address a question I get asked a lot. "Should I/my friend/my relative have this surgery?"  That is so hard to answer.  I will say, it is not a magic bullet.  You have to work with it and it is very easy to work against it.  Research your surgeon! You may honestly (excuse the pun) feel like their cash cow.  Know your options! Realize that yes you will more than likely lose you hair, and that trust me is harder to deal with than it seems.  Go to a support group or find one on-line.  I only heard sunshine and roses until I started looking on-line and at that point it was too late.  I did not look on-line because I was specifically told by my surgeon not too!  Flashing neon light now! But when you are desperate you will do things.  Also, if anyone wants to talk to me about it, PLEASE feel free to send them my way.  While I thankful for this surgery I have learned a lot since the first incision!

Overview of Thursday 12/30

I was told to be at the hospital at 7:30 for surgery.  Which after many phone calls to make sure it was correct was supposed to be a port revision and diagnostic exploratory surgery done under a scope.  I get into pre-op and the orders are written wrong, port revision open.  Meaning no finding out what was causing so much pain and no laproscopic surgery.  After somewhat arguing with the Dr and insurance I was taken in at 8:30 for the CORRECT surgery.  I explained to the nurse I could be her easiest or hardest patient.  It all depended on if they did the right one.  I ended up being her easiest!  I will say that I was much more subdued this time, no Jesus Christ superstar, no highly inappropriate comments.  It might have helped that a childhood friends mother was one of my nurses and I was *trying* to be good.  I do however seem to think of Michael Jackson while on Operating tables.  The last thing the Anesthesiologist said to me was you may experience chest and arm pain but it will go away and you will fall asleep.  I remembered watching a 20/20 where the reporter was put under using the same "milk" MJ preferred.  He has really bad pain, but did not remember it.  I remember thinking I should speak up and tell them "no milk", but then I was asleep before I could say anything.

I woke up to my first thoughts and words being of pain.  I remember telling them that I was in a great deal of pain, and getting a good deal of morphine.  I went into recovery and literally was in our car within 1 1/2 hours.

What they found:  yes the port was completely flipped and floating around, that was fixed.  I also had a lot of "adhesion's" or scar tissue.  Some of that was attached to the tubing causes pulling and tenting.  Which was probably the cause of my pain.  Also, they did another liver biopsy.  I could not really get a straight answer about this except that he did not like the way it looked, and was/is somewhat afraid my liver is not handling the rate of weight loss well.  Makes sense to me since it seems the rest of me really is not either.

This surgery has been by far the worst surgery I have ever had.  The pain is intense and hard to deal with.  I normally do not take pain killers once I get home from surgery, but with this one I am taking double doses.  They used most of the same incision points as last time, except they also went into my belly button, lovely! I am as expected very swollen and where my stomach had become very fleshy and soft it is not rock hard and swollen.  I have graduated from liquids to soft and mushy foods, and the scale is showing me that even though I am swollen and water logged, I believe I have lost the holiday/port not working weight.  Honestly not too much of a concern to me right now.  The Dr. left my band open with no fluid.  He told me I could come in this week and he would fill it, no thanks.  Stick a needle in there right now and I might sock you! So I will call later in the week to make my 2 week follow up and go from there.  Honestly I am not that hungry and it really is not bothering me much.

Pain currently is awful, but it really is not from an incision, it is from the CO2 they fill your abdominal cavity with to give the scopes room to move.  It gets trapped in your back, abdomen and shoulders and it hurts like hell.  I am trying to walk around and do light cleaning as this is supposed to help, but I can't see where it does.  This by far is the worst part of laproscopic surgery in my eyes.

So that's where I stand, I am going to write another post now about other things.......