1/28/11 Simple Addition

1.

('THE BEAST')

+

(Snowblower Virgin)

=

Can someone please tell me if it's even possible to use one of these without it all blowing back into your face?


2.
(Teething Kitten...I thought only puppies chewed shoes)


+
(Asparagus Fern)
=
(What greets me every morning)
My plants will all be bald soon.

3.

+
=
'The Fill that Wasn't' (or 'Goal Limbo Revisited'):

Apparently the doc's my hospital were getting to take over the practice have been changed before they arrived. They called to cancel my long awaited fill appointment and promised they would call me with new availability very soon (they mentioned a few days)...

...that was three weeks ago...

...still holding onto (by my fingernails...make that my LB) 160-165...

:-(

Have I mentioned lately how important the Sweet Spot is?

12/8/10 Life Isn't Always Fair

First, thanks for the notes noticing I've been away. I started today's blog just wanting to post some Christmas decoration pics, but I've found I need to begin first with letting some things go. I'm realizing that I've probably been working hard keeping myself too busy, because I didn't want to talk about, or even think about it anymore this (maybe I've been avoiding coming here because I knew I'd have to)…I've lost to much sleep already. I've been trying to uplift myself with Christmas (I LOVE Christmas). As an optimist, I'm not a worrier and can always find the bright side of things, but when it comes to my kids being hurt...it's a different story.

I'm still embroiled in the several craptastic life things I mentioned earlier. One of them took a turn last week and I'm just realizing now that I've been avoiding really dealing with my feelings about it. 

*Portion of Post Deleted For Lap Band Blog
Anyway...sorry this post was a downer. I AM having fun getting ready for Christmas, crafting (I made a whole mini tree this weekend), and decorating (except for the d@mn Christmas lights that I've spent day's restringing this year...I swear they are just taunting me…flickering a new line out each day, but who the heck likes dealing with the lights?!)...I'll post some pics next! As DD said again this year 'It looks like someone threw-up Christmas on our tree and all over our house!' I'm hoping to about finish the decorating today and we've got DS2's band concert tonight…Fa-la-la-la-la!

10/29/10 Downs and Ups

*Portions of Post Deleted For Lap Band Book

DH got a new (used) car finally (his was sucking us dry with repairs the last few months)...picking it up in Ohio now (my brother is in the car biz)!

The neck/back is finally much better (thanks for your help)...some trouble sleeping still.

I'm officially depressed...my Surgeon's receptionist called and my Surgeon is leaving the state (remember his partner left for another hospital in town a few months back)...I was wondering why he was acting aloof at my last visit and didn't talk to me about the pics for his website that he'd asked me about. So much for getting him to vet the book. I'm going to miss him. Two new Docs will be starting in January...no fills before the holidays...*sigh*.

My project all week has been organizing the loose holiday stuff into bins (Mom gave us each some boxes of her things with the move...yes, boxes...I'm blaming her for my holiday decoration illness)...fun project...not.

I got an email from someone running an OCD website asking me to post a link here...OCD?!! ME? I didn't say I 'had OCD', I said I was 'almost OCD' (and lest I'm offending anyone that has it; it's a serious disease). I just think I'm VERY organized and I don't like re-work...everything in it's place and all that. Hmmm... I do have a label maker that gets a lot of use...actually the most labels are in the area I'm now working on...OK, you decide...Here are my holiday shelves...yes seven shelving units of just holiday stuff (and yes, I'm working on those bins today where the holes are)...but I'll tell you right now I didn't even look at her OCD website...I don't even want to know that I've got something else wrong with me...I'm still working my way through the first list of health issues LOL.
You're all on your way to my house for an intervention aren't you?

10/21/10 Health Advocate and NSAIDs

Well, I went off to the PCP Monday. Apparently the pain in my neck is not my DH (LOL), but is definitely from the ladder fall...in fact, it was 'right on schedule' for inflammation.

*Portion of Post Deleted For Lap Band Book

BTW, The PCP gave me the same anti-spasmodic drug (Flexeril) I hijacked from DH…yes, I'm a SPAZ! My range of motion in my arm is better, but not my head…so I'm walking around like Frankenstein with my head bolted to my body…make that a SPAZ FRANKENSTEIN…Hey, I've got my costume!…Just in time for Halloween!

10/12/10 5th Fill...Chasing the Sweet Spot

*Portion of Post Deleted for Lap Band Book

OH, and can I just say...WHAT THE HECK WOMEN??!!! I tried on about 4 outfits before finding one that fit OK this morning...yes, I'm having fat days again. I wore a new top, no coat over it. Do you know how many women I passed today...in the parking lot, in the ladies room, in the stairwell, in the waiting room (where I was called to the window three times), three different nurses during my appointment. I was wondering why I was getting stares and was starting to take it personally that I look like a stuffed sausage in these jeans.


COULD ANY OF YOU HAVE TOLD ME THAT I HAD TWO LOVELY *SHINY* TAGS WITH THE SALE STICKER HANGING ON MY BACK?!!! *sigh* ...and I'm guessing some of you were fellow banders...*double-sigh*

7/29/10 Tough Love

*Post Deleted for Lap Band Book

7/27/10 The Bookmobile

Thanks again to those two who offered to loan me their LB Books (emails sent)...I didn't even think about asking all of you to borrow them...so thank you once again for being so much smarter than me...I can always count on you guys...and you can always count on me to do things the hard way so you can see the error of my ways, especially with the Band LOL...as one of my LB friends, Diane, keeps telling me 'I think all these things keep happening to you so that you can write about them and help others.' Hmm...that sounds SO much nicer than 'I'm an unlucky-idiot who doesn't listen the first time, likes to test things, and is always looking for a better way to do things...which 9 times out of 10 means an epic FAIL (read, cover your ears...'DIETS').'

Anyway...I digress (it doesn't take much does it). Anyone else having LB books they'd let me borrow, I'd appreciate the loan!

*Portion of Post Deleted for Lap Band Book

Mom called this morning. Her 'herb event' (Guest speaker/chef she hosted) went really well over the weekend (at the downtown conservatory -large greenhouses/park). Her surgery was yesterday (sinuses/outpatient) and my middle sis kept me informed all day as to how things were going...Mom sounds great today, which is amazing as I expected her to at least sound all stuffed up from the packing that's still in...they found a lot of infection and had to remove some bone even and I'm surprised she's doing this well the day after as they said she'd be really sore (Mom's a nurse and is always 'fine' and never complains). I read her the riot act several times about not overdoing it with the rest of the move/boxes...I hope she takes it easy, but I know her too well to think that will happen!

Well, I'm off to get ready for the LB Doc...I'm sure this will be an interesting visit...if it's not, it didn't go as planned (like most of my plans)...stay tuned!

6/30/10 Enquiring Minds Want To Know

*Post Deleted For Lap Band Book

6/29/10 I'm Deflated

*Post Deleted for Lap Band Book

6/29/10 A Little Scared

*Post Deleted for Lap Band Book

5/5/10 Pre-Op Process (Dr. Clearance & Testing)

*Post Deleted for Lap Band Book

4/22/10 HEY WORLD!

*Post Deleted for Lap Band Book

4/19/10 Book; Why you chose LB?

*Post Deleted for Lap Band Book

4/7/10 The Black Hole

OK, after grossing you all out (sorry about the Sunkist Amy, really I am...I know how much you enjoy them) and freaking out about what everyone said about their gauze experiences, I decided to 'take matters into my own hands' (6 words that get every Dr. grimacing...I'm a Dr's. worst nightmare). I got out my surgical tools and with a shout of 'I'm comin' in!' and after an hour of yanking and cutting (the gauze, not me...*sigh* I should have married a Dr.) I finally got all the gauze that isn't permanently attached, detached...with only a few drops of blood. The steri strips are still there...as well as a few other (as Camille said) 'gnarly' things that trust me, no one wants to see (your eyes would fall out and then we'd just have chasms everywhere). I have decided to rename this body part the 'Black Hole'...'Belly Button' just isn't fitting anymore. The chasm is deep and wide...it ain't pretty. Let me show you...

Oh, there's that last Easter egg we couldn't find!

No I am not laying down for this pic...I'm standing upright...and the egg does not stick out past the hole at all...and trust me, the egg is NOT in as far as it can go at all...It's a Black Hole, that's why! If I put it all the way in I may never get it out again! (Dr's worst nightmare, remember)...well that and it's too sore for me to push it in. In fact, let me show you that it doesn't stick out.


Ain't nothing cute about this swollen belly Draz. I'm going to need a mighty big diamond to fill this hole (thank you Lori for the suggestion...diamond is the gemstone for April birthdays after all)...I think I'll give the egg to DH to take to the jeweler for sizing...naw, the smartazz knows I'm the Holiday Queen (although Judi is giving me a run for my money) and will just go buy some more 'holiday decorations' for every holiday to decorate my Black Hole.

*sigh* I DO have all the weirdest things happen to me!

*Portion of Post Deleted for Lap Band Book

**Update**
As if this day couldn't get any better than getting the gauze out of the black hole...my GF dropped in and look what she brought me (just guess which one is for the kids...I'm still deciding too). She was in Virginia when I had my GB surgery and I think I mentioned hers just came out and I was doing sleepovers with her kids...whe was in the hospital all week for hers (see, things can always be worse!). Oh and she brought me a whole bag of her too big pants to boot YAY!

4/7/10 The Chasm That Is Now My Belly Button

*Post Deleted for Lap Band Book

4/5/10 The Secret to Weight Loss

*Post Deleted for Lap Band Book

4/2/10 My Crossover Addiction

*Post Deleted for Lap Band Book

3/31/10 Bitch and Whine

*Post Deleted for Lap Band Book

3/30/10 A Bouncing Baby GB

*Post Deleted for Lap Band Book

3/29/10 Surgery Update

This is BG's DH.
The surgery went fine. We are at home dealing with the pain. They were able to do a single incision through her belly button and it looks good. She asked the doctor to keep it an "innie" intead of an "outie" and he did it.