Hooray, Pam, I'm glad that itchy and annoying bandage is off, at least. Keep working on range of motion, it'll be better a bit at a time. And after you get the cataract surgery, you'll be able to see it too! (grin) Actually my mother, my stepmother and my Dad all had cataract surgery and they all said it was really quick and easy, so hopefully it really is quick and easy! I'll have to check with Ashley's new MIL about those shoes, she works at the local orthotic footwear store, the place that makes special shoes and sells stuff like Birkenstocks and Uggs. They might even be available here in the sticks! I especially like their advertisement about how if you are old and fat and your knees ache, they'll fix you up with shoes, LOL. Helene, I'm glad you are feeling so well. My doc says the same thing, that I can maybe recover faster with PT, but rehab is normally 4 to 6 months and I'll be fine without it if I choose not to participate. As for the stairs, heck, I'm still going down one at a time, so you're probably doing very well. I'm amazed you're getting around so quickly, I can tell you that. I'm doing pretty well too, I think. I'm back to walking to work, and I went to the farm and cut a big maple that had fallen onto the fence line during our last storm. That entailed crawling onto/into/over the tree to cut the ends of the branches that were lying on the fence, and I managed to at least not hurt myself further, balanced with each foot on separate limbs while sawing branches with a hand saw. If I were a REAL farmer I'd have a chain saw.... And I have no problem at all sneezing or laughing, thank goodness, so it appears that my problems are at least dry! Annie

Hi everyone. I thought I would stop in and share what has helped me. I had my Gallbladder removed Via single incision lappy about a month ago. my surgeon told me to stay away from spicy or fatty foods for a week and then after that I was allowed to eat whatever I wanted. I listened and as soon as that week was up I went for it! I was on a pretty much zero fat diet for a year due to horrible attacks almost nightly...So I was ready! I handled the food fine. They only thing I noticed at first was that I was rather constipated after the surgery ( I was always very regular) and also that I kept getting really bloated (couldn't even button my jeans) and I would get really bad gas pains. This was happening nightly since my surgery. The bloating and gas would wake me up in the middle of the night, I was so uncomfortable. I have had steak twice since surgery and both times I have had extreme gas pains that almost felt worse than my gallbladder attacks! Anyways, after some extensive web searching I found a couple of sites that said I should try digestive enzymes. Apparently since we no longer have gallbladders it is harder for us to digest proteins and fats...and just about everything. So after reading some reviews I went to GNC and bought their "Super digestive Enzymes." It was the best 14 dollars I have ever spent. I take one after breakfast, one after lunch and two after dinner. I have been taking them for a week now and I feel COMPLETELY better. after the second night I haven't had any gas pains or bloating. Last night I put it to the test and my husband made Pork chops, Cesar salad and baked potatoes with a ton of cheese and sour cream. I slept like a baby, no gas no bloating. If you are still having problems I suggest giving it a try. also I find it really irresponsible that Surgeons don't tell us how not having a gallbladder will affect our digestion. They make it sound like we will be 100% better after surgery. However, I am grateful I don't have attacks anymore...and I am VERY grateful I don't have to spend 300 dollars for an ER visit anymore! : ) Good luck everyone!

Both DH and I have had MOHS surgeries in the past few years, we are in our 60's. It is usually recommended for the face. It's great if you have a plastic surgeon lined up in case it's larger than anticipated. Mine was a tiny spot above upper lip, basal cell. I wish I had gone with the fluoricel cream(sp) as I ended up with a huge hole requiring skin grafting, stiches etc. Later on sympathizing with several other patients, who underwent the same procedure, we all felt this particular civilian, dermatology group pressured us to undergo the MOHS, because we had good insurance, and they were more concerned with profits. (I had mentioned to the dermatologist, that my husband had been prescribed cream by the military MD, for the basal cell, cancers on his face, the doctor's response was that the military used the cheapest methods available, and that if I didn't get the MOHS asap the cancer would continue growing at a rapid pace). The military doctors discovered a squamous cell on DH's earlobe about a year later. He was in and out of the hospital for a MOHS within a couple of hours. Granted the ear lobe is different than upper lip but his MOHS barely shows any scar unlike mine. As for the fluoricel cream, DH has been prescribed that many times over the years for his face and body. Yes it's uncomfortable, and for a couple of weeks unsightly but it does the same thing as MOHS without cutting chunks of flesh out and having to reconstruct! I would be very cautious about the dermatologist, the dermatology practice, and whether the skin cancer is basal or squamous cell, also the size/location and if you decide to go ahead with MOHS, make sure the reconstruction surgery is performed by a board certified, facial plastic surgeon who has a lot of experience and comes highly recommended!

My mom is 80 years old and is now going to a Skilled Nursing Unit for 10-14 days. She will spend one more night in the hospital. I talked to the surgeon yesterday and come to find out she did not have a twisted intestine but a tumor that was blocking the intestine. The surgeon felt like it was a cancerous tumor and that he got it all and that they are still waiting on pathology. My stepdad showed up at the hospital this morning prepared to take her home, but he was sent back home. Today I have been on the phone a lot with the case manager, a lady from the Skilled Nursing Unit and my step dad. My step dad thinks I am trying to run their lives. Somehow I ended up as the contact person instead of him and that has made him mad. I'm looking out for my mom though, not if I can please him.