ATook me 20 mins to type nothing! I wish I had something to say that could hep :-( my thoughts are with you and you're welcome to use my pm inbox as a punchbag :-)

Really hope things get better soon .

Gray

Oh, I'm so sorry!  Is this just a time thing - it will get better slowly, with rest?  I sure hope so.

Hang in there!

Liz

i understand the anger and the eating and the alone and the can't walk. and the doubt and the fear--

i thought about you so much yesterday--meant to ask how you are doing--now i know--

~~~~~oh sh*t!~~~~~

healing is like chocolate-- chocolate is ready when it's ready --you can't push chocolate--

so it's been almost three weeks-- and the extra hospital stay had to set the recovery back some--

i hate this for you but you have a ton of great fight in you--use it to your advantage--

go easy on the twinkies--i'd recommend the chocolate hostess cupcakes instead--real fresh--the little white squigglies on top of the ganache like substance--and the white stuff inside--be still my beating heart--OH JEN get some little debbies!  i think one box each of pecan twirls and  gingerbread men!! you can pull the arms & legs off every stinking one of 'em!!! hahaha then bite their freaking heads off--bwoowahahaha 

you can do this, jennifer--i hate it like h for you--give yourself a chance--you got this--one step one day at a time--one box of gingerbread men to mercilessly amputate...or maybe two boxes~~

♥

Hope you feel better soon.  Healing takes time and it's so difficult with a small child.  Eat some sugar, (unless you cannot.)  Prayers are being sent your way.

Hang in there and try to stay positive- and for sure don't eat any pillsbury frosting..that will really mess you up. 

ABest of luck to you on your recovery.

Regarding difficulty typing, you may want to look into voice recognition software. A few of the people I work with use it and it seems to work pretty well.

Man, don't you hate when you're suffering and people try to help you look on the bright side?

That sounds really scary and lonely - I'm sorry that everything sucks at the moment.

((gentle hugs))

I have no advice, but my hugs all the way from South Africa for you xxx

And yea, even though it could be worse, feel free to mope about how it IS now xxx when it gets better, you'll feel better :) (note I said "when" not if ;))

I feel awful for you.  If I was close I'd bring you some yummy sugary sugar substance to eat.   

Like the others said be gentle on yourself, give yourself time and try to be patient.   Healing takes time, sometimes lots of time. I also know from experience patience can be hard to find at these moments and being mad is normal, so be mad.  It's perfectly acceptable. 

I'm sending you gentle hugs, lots of love and prayers your way.  

Take Care & Get Well Soon.

Lots of Love

MsGF

Oh Jen, I'm so sorry things are rough right now.  I so get your anger which, quite frankly, you are entitled to. I hate that you're in this stage but I also know it will get better.  As I told you my sister had the same surgery just prior to yours.  She went through the same feelings of anger and feeling alone. Use your anger to push you through cause it WILL get better.  The fact that that you get to use a walker is really good.  My sister was ordered to stay bed ridden for two weeks.  Please, lady, hang in there - I know you're a tough cookie :)

Sending good thoughts,

Jeanne

So good to hear from you!  So sad to hear it isn't going well right now, but good, solid recovery does take time.  Personally, I've never gone through a surgery even slightly similar to what you've done, so I can't say I know how you feel.  My husband has gone through several surgeries and I know recovery can be slow.  If you feel like having some sugar, have a little, satisfy that sweet tooth.  We'll never tell!  Just remember that everyone at CC loves and misses you and we're all looking forward to your full recovery.  One step at a time, one day at a time, and one little girl to look forward to running and romping with before you know it!

Hi Jen, I'm sorry for how you're feeling now. We all go through bad times in life and right now, this is your time to say, life stinks. Jason has a great suggestion about using voice recognition. I began using it after my first (of five) hand surgeries. Did you read the book I sent you last year? It talks about my surgeries, dealing with pain, and how very depressed I was. Posters here are right, surgery takes a long recovery period but eventually you'll reach the other side. And you'll eventually figure out how to create a new path. In the meantime, eat whatever you feel like eating. Mimi

My mother had a spinal fusion done way back in 1952, she was in full body cast for about 9 months, then a back brace, and crutches, for several more months, off the crutches for the summer and back with them the following winter. She was about 39 years old at the time, She limped for several years after the surgery, but lived to be 92 years old, and worked until retiring at 60  and traveled a lot , went rock hunting, and basically enjoyed life  Lived alone after my stepfather died, until she had a stroke at 91.  Back in 1952 this was a new surgery and her recovery was actually quite remarkable..

Hang in there, I believe it will get better.

So sorry to hear that it's such a difficult time for you.  Hope you can see that there are so many people here who don't/kinda/hardly/really know you but wish you only the best!  Sometimes we need to scream This Sucks! and wallow a bit and eat bad food and sometimes just the ingredients to bad food (whole bag of mini marshmallows, anyone?).  Cursings good too though - know some good Italian curses?!?

You seem a determined and strong minded person who has shared so many tips and ideas with us all. I hope this feeling passes quickly for you and you start to feel better and stronger soon.   

Best

Theresa

I was just thinking about you the other day and was tempted to pm you to see how you were doing. I join all the others who are wishing you the best. I feel personally devastated that your surgery wasn't the immediate relief we'd hoped for, and I sure don't blame you for your anger and frustration, it's a normal reaction. I just wish there were something I could do or say to lessen it. If sugar helps, go for it. And that voice recognition software sounds like it might be worth a shot, although I doubt that it could get the nuances that your vocal shouting would accomplish. But if shouting and screaming helps, have at that also. I like Kate's suggestion of amputating gingerbread limbs. You can combine sugar and anger at the same time.

Everyone has had such good suggestions. At least you know that we all love you and are with you in this. It is a trite saying, and possibly not really appreciated at your stage of recovery, but really, time will help. It is a good healer, just hang in there. When you are able, try to think positive thoughts. You have a lot of living and giving to do. The best is yet to come.

Jan

I'm sorry that you're not recovering so well, that sucks. 

Maybe the sugar gods will smile on you and send you some delicious non-toxic goodies!

K8, I'm going to print your last post so I can refer to it if I ever have further surgeries or issues and need encouragement. What an uplifting menu that cafeteria offers! Good, concrete suggestions; a great plan if I ever saw one. I hope I would never need it, but in my book, you covered all the bases.

Jennifer, I hope that you are feeling a little better today, if it is even just a brighter outlook with the new day. Keep realizing that you are on our minds and in our prayers.

Jan

thank you, jan~~

ASo sorry you're having a difficult recovery. I hope you have the support of friends and family to help you get through it. I know you're tough, stubborn and determined - you're not a quitter - you'll get through this.

Best wishes, and virtual Ding Dongs to you. ;-)

Haven't heard anything from you so here's hoping that you are feeling much, much better now.  As tough as it probably was, also hope you had as wonderful a holiday season as you could have under the circumstances.  Having a precious little one always seems to make Christmas a little more special.  You are missed and there are still  wishes of a quick recovery for you.  You are being thought of and wished all the best.  K8Memphis has some very good info listed above.  Good luck!!!

I hope so.  She's such a wonderful, sharing person.  I miss seeing her posts.

Hi!!!  First thank you all for thinking of me, it's been very comforting to be stalking your posts but WAY too doped to comment or do much but read :D  My pain management guy WAY increased my meds which has made things so much better.  I look forward to my time in the Betty Ford Clinic in a few months.  I heard the coffee is good.  Hahahahaha

I am hoping my sous will re-sign her contract and get cooking for a delivery service we cook for.  If she does, then at least my brand will be producing some product.  But I personally can't step into the kitchen for a minimum of 6 more weeks, can't carry more then 10 pounds, can bend over, lift or twist.  I'm basically on the couch with my BFF Netflix all day and my meds next to me, and extremely proud I no longer have to use a walker.  I may have posted that FB message a little too soon because there are some other unrelated issues that have come up that may leave me kitchenless.  That's a whole other drama that frankly I have no energy to post.

My doctor today told me I was doing great so hopefully things will be "great" soon.  Right now I want to be meeting with brides and booking out my 2014 but every decline email I've had to send for consultations and every one of my fellow bakeries that have posted how booked 2014 is on Facebook had put me in more and more of a funk.  Sorry, I'm sour grapes!  Happy for you all but man, this sucks.  I just hope that 2014 turns out to continue to be the year of the "Last Minuit Bride" and I'm going to be that super baker that can actually say "yes" in June to some coordinator that needs a cake for 200 that looks like some RBI creation "next weekend" that has no budget.  HAHAHAHAHA

Or hey, maybe I'll turn out to be such an awesome teacher in April in Seattle I'll start traveling the world teaching.  Wouldn't that be awesome?  Yeah, right. LOL

Thank you all again!

So glad to hear from you!  Whatever you decide to do down the road (when you're off the pain meds - lol), I have no doubt things will be great.  You can't keep a good lady down for long

Jeanne

So glad you are slowly on the bend.     I'm sure things will work out for you.

I wish you a Healthy, Happy & Prosperous 2014.

All the best. 

this is kinda silly but--

i made way too much gingerbread this year--so i had all these g'gerbread peeps and i thought about my light hearted recommendation about ripping off their little legs and biting off their heads to relieve some angst--well first this happened:

which is kind of funny--

then i thought i should rip out a gingerbread heart --

then i thought i should color it red--

y'know just kinda getting into the spirit of attacking random foodstuff in an effort to bring about warped meaningless pain management justice --

then i knocked the dang large container of red powder color onto the floor--holy geez what a mess--

but i had fun with that too--

so there it is-- the whole gory story and surprisingly it was kinda cathartic...

till i had to clean it up  -- but i think aboutcha a lot and i'm glad you're doing better --

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

so take it easy on yourself--one step at a time--you probably need a slower schedule now anyhow--

hope all goes very very well and if all else fails bake some gingerbread men or maybe some 'little bride' cookies  bwooowahahaha

AOMG, Kate has finally flipped her lid. Does anyone know her daughter's or son's number??? I think it is time for an intervention!

they already know