I am banded

Well the deed is done.

I am not sure how I feel about it. I am in a lot of pain and I have to say the liquid stage is crap. especially the liquid out part!

They moved the day from Thursday to Wednesday at 1pm. My husband and I were planning on a trip to an area just an hour south of where i live to spend the night and do a bit of wine tasting. Well we did it anyway. We left Tuesday morning and went to Dundee. We sampled a few wines. had a nice dinner. and then spent the night at a nice bed and breakfast place. The down side-I had to wake up and wash with disinfectant soap to get ready for the surgery and of course no breakfast because they cut me off of liquids at midnight.

We got up and left by 9 headed into the hospital. I got there early so we took a ride on the tram down to the doctors office in an attempt to fill out the survey they wanted me to do. No one was in from the research study people so we went back up to the hospital and checked in. I was checked in by 10:30 and called into the pre-op area by 11:30 and then the waiting began. Supposedly the doctor was put behind because of previous patients. tick tick tick tock-finally at 5pm (yes that is correct i sat on a bed waiting from 10:30 am to 5pm) I almost chickened out several times! they did have wireless internet and cable so that helped a little bit. Plus I read a book for some of the time.

at 5pm i was rolled into the surgery, put under and woke up in recovery at 10:30 pm (Goodness knows why that took 5 and 1/2 hours either!!) My husband got one call after about 1.5 hours telling him my surgery was done and that they were cleaning up (he wasnt sure if it was me they were cleaning or the room!). The next phone call he received was from me at 11pm when I finally made it up to the ward. for the most part this team was great. The person who rolled me up to my room was a bit of a bitch as she kept moaning about how big the bed was and how she couldn't onto the regular elevators with it (not sure if that was a slam at my largess or not!) I got wheeled into my room and my roommate was a lady who had the same surgery just before me. It was nice to talk to her during our very short recovery.

We were not allowed anything to eat or drink until Thursday evening and I was stuck with my catheter in until almost as long (despite my begging to have it removed from midnight Wednesday throughout thursday). It was a bit of a shock to be hamstringed with the catheter and them boom in the space of a couple of hours the catheter was out, we had been fed a liquid meal and xrayed with barium light to make sure stuff was moving through our stoma. and then bingo bango they cut me loose by 5pm. my husband drove me home and I collapsed on the couch-Bunny! How in the heck did you tour Bruges the day after this surgery????? I am toast! stomach hurts and tired on the drugs.

I took some pictures of me before surgery and will attach them as soon as I can get them uploaded.

wrapping up the old news and some new stuff-Postponed surgery AGAIN!!!

Ok to wrap up the whole girlscout camp experience-temporary crown fell out twice, bee sting on my stomach, ripped my pants open on a picnic table. Spent the night and sat on a wooden bench for 2 hours while mosquitos sucked my blood through my clothes!!!

On the good side of things-the girls were great I like aged 10. I can gimp (or boondoggle) or whatever name you prefer like crazy now! and it is OVER! and I can sleep in and stay up late and sit on my butt again.

ok now onto new-------

I went in for my pre-op appointment (yes again). I showed up at my scheduled time to be told that the doctor was running 30 minutes to 1 hour behind schedule-So thankfully I brought my laptop with me because i knew i would have a long break between the doctors visit and my anesthesiologist appt. So cool-i could sit and correct papers early instead of later. As soon as I sad down someone from the back came out and called my name. It was the scheduler who had to tell me that my surgery date would have to be changed for a week later because the surgeon has to go to a malpractice hearing (eeek did she just say malpractice???). There wasn't much point in saying no and It is actually ok because I was cutting out of teaching for two days so this freed me up to do my job. I went back to work on my laptop and they eventually called me into the office. I went in and the nurse pulled up my record. suddenly she got flustered and said---oh i forgot something ill be right back and then hurried out of the room. So i sat and looked at the ceiling, then counted tiles then finally got my laptop back out and went back to work (yes it took that long!!!) Finally the surgeon and nurse practitioner came into and started the 'meeting' not really an examination because it was just a chit chat and signing of paperwork. The nurse who left the room didnt come back and take my temp and blood pressure until after they left. It was very weird and I dont know why she left the room!

funnily enough-the first thing the doctor said was Im sorry but we are going to have to reschedule you-i told him i had already done so and it was fine. then he went on to talk about a court date for a malpractice case (I said back-are you sure you want to mention the malpractice word with me in the room?). he explained the whole thing-I guess a lady who weighed over 700 pounds ended up with a pressure sore that took a couple of months to heal and she was suing the nurses-but he had to testify because he did the surgery. anyhow-I finished my appointments and I am good to go for August 22. Please think good thoughts and keep your fingers crossed that something else doesn't happen to put it off yet again!!

Yin Yang or rama-

I cant think of a good title so that one works as well as any other. Today was ok. Way too early-I had to get up at 7am. the girls were mostly good. they entertain themselves much better than the brownies that I usually work with can. We only had to climb up to our camping area once. The rest of the time we cooked, made name badges, chilled out in the shade oh and They had to clean the Biffy (bathroom in the forest for you) NASTY and im very grateful that they clean it and not me.

After camp my Dd and carpool partners went to dinner at McDonalds ( I know, I know counter productive in a big way). we needed a nice greasy lazy reward for our day long efforts don't you think?

I need to have my head examined!

arghghg! I made the fatal error of volunteering! All next week I will be leading 10 girl scouts and 2 PA's (i don't know what the letters stand for but they are supposed to be the older girls who herd and lead the younger ones). Im not sure how good of a job the PA's will do...I had to chase one around during training on Saturday so im kinda worried. I will have the lovely pleasure of helping these girls earn an outdoor fun badge. to do so we have to HIKE! eek...one short and one long-up a trail called suicide hill (just the title has me shaking in my boots!). I walked up to our campsite and was panting and wheezing like crazy.

As usual I have managed to screw around and not get my work done this week or this weekend....I dont know if it is me or if I have too much work to accomplish. I think I go to too much effert on each project and need to let go and just get some of this stuff done. screw giving each student specific feedback-just give them a grade and move on!...Of course this work will not go away while I am spending all day at camp. I will have to come home and continue to work at night.

In addition to this I caught some stupid flu or cold thing that has been going around the house..sore throat, stuffy nose, constant nasal drip cold and then hot and then sweating argh...

I think I need to go to bed so that I can wake up with a better attitude. Maybe tomorrow...Ill check in and let you know of my day long torture!!

I Had a Dream

I'm not usually one of those metaphysical, lets see what my dreams mean kind of people but I have the most real dream about my surgery last night. I went in, had a whole conversation about how the surgery would proceed with the surgeon (my dream surgeon was way better looking than my real one!!), had the surgery and the spend the rest of the dream walking the halls of the hospital with a full feeling. I remember thinking to myself (while in my dream) how satiated I felt. Not full not hungry just not interested.

I hope that I eventually really get that feeling. Of course-i kinda doubt it given all of the posts from post banded people who talk about head hunger and the desire to eat a lot and fast again. I have less than one month to go...I can't wait to get this show on the road.

figuring it all out!

Well I took the post-doc position I was offered. I am still hot happy that I had to keep doing the same job for the next three years but I think it is the right decision for now. My boss has agreed to pay me more than what I asked for so tuition for my two older daughters at university will be doable.

My youngest daughter has been accepted at a local magnet school. It is all problem-based, students are arranged in ages 6-8, 9-12, 12-15 and 16-18. The focus is on getting kids active opportunities to learn! Classroom sizes are small and I am very excited to have her away at school for part of the day again.

We are going to make a big move to the town where this school is located (only 20 minutes away). It is a small town 1/2 agriculturally based and 1/2 home to a small private university. Our task now is to get our house finished and on the market so we can find and buy someplace new.

My 23 year old daughter, boyfriend and baby have decided to move home and we are looking for a place with another living space. Either two houses on a property or a duplex so that I can help and they can help us with house and yard care when we go out of town. We have even discussed the possibility of land, chickens, and even a horse. None of this is set in stone yet!!

If all of the above plans work out I am excited!

A New date: A new stab at lapband

I got a call two days ago from doctors office. I will now be having lapband surgery on August 15-3 months later than planned but hopefully in a more healthful place!

I will be missing 2 days of work but my boss says its ok. She is very supportive of the surgery and said to me: get it done with so you can get going!

The busy weeks of high school graduation are over. all of my daughters were home. It was great to see them and my new grandson. I am kicking myself that I did not get a picture of all of them as having them all together will probably happen only rarely from here on out. My oldest daughter is trying to transfer her graduate studies closer to home. I think she is realizing that having grandma close by to help babysit is a plus! My second daughter is back at college for the summer working on campus. my third daughter (the graduate) got a job at a local clothing store and is planning on working as much as possible this summer to save up for next year at university.

Soo starting next fall it will be just the three of us-my husband, 7 year old and I. I am still not sure if I will be working at a real job next year or another post doc position, if we will continue to live in this house, if i can afford all of the university tuition I need to pay, etc........I know i should just take the post doc and get used to having the lapband etc. I am just tired of my job and want something new!