Today is our anniversary.  I’ve spent most of it sleeping on the couch.  No we’re not fighting.  We’re sick.

This nightmare of a week started Tuesday when I was teaching.  I had the “got a bit of a tickle cough” going on.  Only to wake up Wednesday with a heck of a temp.  We’re talking 102 when I left early from the office.  After a nice nap on the couch I went to my psych follow-up (part of the lap band program) and didn’t feel well at all there then it was off to the walk in clinic my primary care dr office offers.  I was so not happy with this experience.  Let’s just say that for people who are not feeling well sitting ALONE in a waiting area for two flipping hours makes you feel so much better.

Anyway, once I was seen by the triage nurse she told me to talk to the lap people.  Um, ok.  Let me word this carefully.  Getting my nostril pierced hurt less than getting my nasal passage swabbed.  Then because that went so well the lab lady decided that my throat should be swabbed as well.  Yippee.  At least these tests were of the rapid variety.  Both came up negative for flu and strep respectively.  Back to the exam room.  Dr comes in.  Dr says “well the tests were negative so looks like it’s viral.  Want a note for work?”  I really think that my eye was starting to twitch after that one.  So two hours waiting and about five minutes being seen I get a note for work and an order to call them if it gets worse and I can come back in (for another copay).  Not happening.  I went straight to bed only to wake up at about 2am with a temp of 103.2 and seeing sparkly things.  Good times.

Cool shower and sleeping on the couch helped to pull that temp down to a more manageable 100 or so.  Only to have to go to the surgeon’s office to get my first fill.  I waited five weeks for this I was going come hell-or-high-water.  Yeah, did attempted to do that.  Apparently the port where they inject the saline into the band has shifted somehow and I have to get my fill under x-ray.  But the lady that schedules these isn’t in until Monday.  Just getting better isn’t it.  Going back home to bed.

Silly me thought that I could teach that night.  HA!  Ok, it’s not like I could call and get a sub so I went in.  Got home and you betcha… 102 again.  Ugh.  See a pattern yet?  Stayed in bed Friday.  All day.  It would have been nice except now in addition to the fever I’m producing enough green garbage to sink a small barge.  Fast forward to today.  Sunday.  Anniversary.  Yeah, right.  He got a mini quiche breakfast because it was super easy and I felt bad about not doing anything else for the poor man… and back to bed.  I’ve got to go into work tomorrow.  Not sure how that will go but it will be done.  Prayer heals, right?  Yeah, let’s try that.

My friend Shelly over at the world according to eggface made a statement the other day and I can SO see myself saying this.  So let’s call this a warning.  Now, let’s just see how long it takes for me to spit this little jewel out.

So yeah every once in awhile I start channeling Martha Freakin’ Stewart and shit like this happens…

I really love Shelly’s site.  It’s a super fun read with great recipes for bandies and non-bandies alike.  I’m saving up the protein ice cream recipes for when I finally get the ice cream maker attachment for my kitchenaid mixer.

18 pounds gone

So it’s been about three weeks since my lap band surgery.  I’ve lost the equivalent to the cat in the picture above.  Now all but two of those pounds were gone the first two weeks and it’s been slow since then.  But I guess that is why the time between the surgery and the first saline fill is known as bandster hell. 

Currently I don’t feel any restriction when I eat.  Which is really tempting to slide back into my old ways.  Let me tell you how good pizza sounds.  Not that I can’t eat it but that I want to eat the whole stinking thing.  Stilly willpower. 

I get my first saline fill November 5.  Hopefully after that I’ll be able to start to actually live the lifestyle I know that I need to.  Can you say hello negative reinforcement? 

On a different topic.  Teaching is really quite fun.  I just administered the first test last night so we’ll see how well what I’m saying is actually sticking.  Should be interesting.

I don’t know if it’s because I take calls all day from people in their seventies, eighties, and nineties or if there is a different reason for so many calls closing with “have a blessed day”.  Not that I mind when people tell me that.  It just makes me think.  “Of what,” you ask?  Well, for starters what is an unblessed day like?  How do I know if I’ve had a blessed day?  Who is blessing my day?  Who decides how many people will have a blessed day verses an unblessed one?

I’m not complaining about total strangers “blessing” me.  Goodness knows I’m probably in need.  My issue is when it isn’t sincere.  Just like when someone asks how you’re doing.  Very few people say things like that and really mean it.  I know I’m guilty of it as well.  Just another thing I need to work on I guess.

Here’s to everyone having a blessed day… whatever that means to you.

A few updates.  First, lap band surgery went “better than textbook” to quote my surgeon.  My staples came out and I’m back to eating almost real foods.  An almost real food would be things like cottage cheese, jello, potatoes, shrimp, fish steaks, and protein shakes of course.  I’m about jello’d out.  But it paid off… with….

16 pounds down

So I’m super happy there.  I get to go back to work next Tuesday and things will finally be back to normal.

The next big change is I’m officially an adjunct professor at a local community college.  I teach a pharmacy technician class twice weekly for a very fun group of adults.

So far this is fun.  Have to grade papers now so we’ll see if I still think it’s so fun after I’m finished. 

In a little less than twenty-four hours I will be going into my lap band surgery.  I will be a “bandie”.  Today I’m stuck with broth, jello, yogurt, water, and popsicles.  So basically a two year old’s diet sans cookies and mac n’cheese. 

I’ve got a bit of a constant headache but I’m not sure if that is from the construction in our office or the lack of real food.  However I know that my days here are numbered and that makes it worth the hassle.  Is it bad that I’m looking at the next two weeks as more of a vacation from work and not as recovery?  Oh well.  It will be a nice bit of both I think. 

I’ll let you all know how tomorrow goes.  Wish me luck!

9 days left and counting

As I’ve said before in other posts I’m a worrier.  Since my divorce I’m much better but it’s still there.  Nothing that will stop me from functioning during the day but it’s there when I try to sleep.  Usually my anxieties are manifested in my dreams.  I’ve got some pretty vivid dreams to start with but the anxiety variety are especially strange. 

My latest is about my surgery.  Not about the surgery not going well or that I’ll be scarred or anything like that.  More about being awake during the surgery and no one noticing.  Yeah, I know it’s a risk but a super tiny one.  So logically I know I should be fine.  Does that stop the crazy dreams? Nope.  Do I still feel panicked?  You bet.  Oh well.  It’s all part of the process.

It’s official.  I’m losing my mind.  It seems that with all of the prep going into having this upcoming surgery I’ve become really lost.  I can be sitting there struggling with what I’ve forgotten to do for the day.  The sad part is that I rarely come up with what I’ve forgotten.

Enter the to do list.  As I’ve said before I’m not a list making schedule following kind of person.  However for the next two weeks I fear I have no choice. 

I’ve got all of my appointments written down as well as all of my pre-surgery dinner dates with friends.  I realized that I totally forgot that my grandmother will be in town next week so I had to add time for visiting with her so I wouldn’t forget again.  Ugh.  Overwhelmed doesn’t even begin to cover what I’m experiencing. 

So, please if I’m snapping at you or I’ve forgotten something important forgive me.  Pretty please?  I promise I will be back to my only-sort-of scatter-brained self after surgery.

It’s official.  I have insurance approval for the surgery!  For those that are unaware the nightmare of an insurance company it is very much like trying to make a phone call on a phone that has no battery.  You do a lot of talking but no one hears you.  So for this to not only have worked in my favor but in such a short time is about as mind blowing as the government actually functioning well. 

I was told that the paperwork would be submitted on 9/3/09 (the Thursday before Labor day) and I received my approval letter dated 9/8/09 (the day after Labor day).  I’m still stunned. 

So now my little to do list looks like this…

1. Attend bariatric seminar/ info session
2. Fill out 9 pages of history and mail to surgeon’s office
3. Arrange five years of medical records to be mailed to surgeon’s office
4. Meet with surgeon
5. Meet with psychologist
6. Meet with Dietitian — appointment 9/23
7. Follow up meeting with psychologist — appointment 9/23
8. Surgeon’s office sends in approval paperwork to insurance — APPROVED
9. Second meeting with surgeon – appointment 9/22 
10. Have labs drawn — appointment 9/17
11. Take a bariatric class on what to expect at hospital and shortly after surgery — appointment 9/17
12. SURGERY — 9/30

This still doesn’t seem real yet.  I liken it to planning a wedding.  You work hard to pull it all off only to sit back after it’s finished to say “wow, I’m actually married.”

The surgeon’s office called me today with and official surgery date.  Not the November date we were thinking… not even October… Nope!  I’m going to be banded September 30.  That’s a measly 26 days! 

If you remember from my post the other day there are just a few things I have to get done before progressing. 

1. Attend bariatric seminar/ info session
2. Fill out 9 pages of history and mail to surgeon’s office
3. Arrange five years of medical records to be mailed to surgeon’s office
4. Meet with surgeon
5. Meet with psychologist
6. Meet with Dietitian — appointment 9/23
7. Follow up meeting with psychologist — appointment 9/23
8. Surgeon’s office sends in approval paperwork to insurance — TODAY
9. Second meeting with surgeon – appointment 9/22 
10. Have labs drawn — appointment 9/17
11. Take a bariatric class on what to expect at hospital and shortly after surgery — appointment 9/17
12. SURGERY — 9/30

As you can see the surgeon’s office staff are super at what they do.  I didn’t have to make any of these appointments.  I do, however, have to worry about getting the leave worked out at my office.  I’m hopeful that will be just as easy as the rest of this process.  I just keep thinking that I will never again be this heavy.  It’s a great thought!

“Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb.”  Winston Churchill