A Lucky Day Indeed

Whoo-hoo!!!  I got a fill!!!  :-D  Yes, I forgot to ask how much....but enough he said "We'll get you tightened up."  I really don't feel any different....although I can feel the liquids going between my pouch and stomach.  It's a different sensation for sure.

I'm on clear liquids and protein shakes today and tomorrow, then purees for two days, then back to normal food.  My friend is a doll and lent me her blender since my "Magic Bullet" broke! :-(  Now, is a strawberry daquiri considered a clear liquid?  LOL

And here's where luck comes in...that "new patient administrative fee" was waived once she found out we'd only be here less than a year.  I mentioned my concern about having to pay it every time we moved and I had to find a new doctor.   She also gave me a referral for a local doctor to use as my pimary care, since I haven't found one yet.

So, I have to say the office staff were on par for the rest of the people I've met in Florida...very friendly.  While I'm still not thrilled to be in Florida, I can say when we leave, the friendliness and warmth of the people will be missed.

Let's get this weight loss (re)started!!!!!

As Luck Would Have It

The appointment I thought I cancelled in fact was still on the books.  So I am going today to get my second fill since surgery.  Yes, finally at almost 6 months post op, I am getting a second fill.   I wonder will there still be 3cc still there from my fill in May?  Will it have evaporated?  Is that why I quit losing weight and *gasp* started gaining back?  Will a fill today get me back on the road to weightloss?  How am I going to feel afterwards?  Have I screwed up my band, stretched my pouch?  Am I going to get a lecture for not following up? If so, I'll lecture back about needing to line his pocket with my $250 program fee (that only covers the pre-op stuff I've already done).

I  will admit, I'm kind of scared.  It's been so long since I've had any real restriction or survived on a cup of food or less at meals.  It's been ages since I've gone 4 hours without eating and not be hungry.  If I go 4 hours without food, I'm stomach growling hungry. 

Maybe I am having second thoughts about being banded . It's going to  get real expensive if I have to fork over these unnecessary program fees every time we move and I'm forced to find a new bari doc.  Around here those fees ranged from $250-$400.  And we all know those aren't covered by insurance and are on top of our co-pays.

Anyhow, here's a little graph on my weight loss adventure since being banded:

My Weight Chart:

It's still a long way down to goal!!

Speaking of appointments, I just scheduled a dentist appt. for Munchkin.  She has a tooth coming in on the top right side where her molars are.  The problem is she hasn't lost the baby teeth there so it has formed a huge lump on the side of her mouth there, since there is no room for it.  She goes in Tuesday at 11:00.  Honestly, I'm a little scared for her as it might mean they pull two....and I'm sure it means we're getting really close to the whole braces talk.  YIKES!

FML!!

I'm over Florida!  I wish I was Dorothy and could click my heels three times and be back in Kansas where I had a house I loved, a job that wasn't bad, and friends I could actually turn to.

I got some really craptacular news today.  The county called and rescinded the job offer because of a grudge an old supervisor has.  Funny thing is, I had a letter of recommendation from her supervisor!  However, the director above them said I'm a no-go because of it despite the letter of recommendation, great reviews from my last two employers, and other co-workers from the same place the begrudged still works.  So now I am stuck at the nursing home, which I was reluctant to go to in the first place but knew I could get a job.

I also finally went to the doctor for this headache I've had for a week straight.  He seemed to think it was sinuses, but I haven't felt stuffed up at all and it's been a couple weeks since my allergies really bothered me.  Maybe it's residual or maybe it's the mold in the walls at the nursing home I am stuck in....I know it's there because they had to move a resident out of that room.  It wasn't just the a/c in the room but it's in the walls too and so since they're remodeling they've made it the temporary med room...where we have to get our supplies and count our controlled injectibles.  The headache didn't start til after I was exposed to that area.  I guess we'll see if the antibiotics fix it.  I also got stuff for the nausea and the headache itself, as well as a nasal allergy spray.  Oh, and he gave me what for for  not having any band aftercare since being here.  I told him I had the appointment scheduled...but with the current situation (below) I may have to cancel again.

Well, I went to check our bank account to make sure there weren't any surprises and things were the way they should only to find out there's a large chunk of money  withdrawn we weren't expecting.  We thought that sum of money was the reason Hubster's pay may have been messed up because it was supposed to be set up as an allotment.  So now, not only his check screwed up but it's really screwed up and he can't do anything about it until at least the 24th when his end of month LES will be up.  But they won't fix it until sometime next month if they don't manage to screw it up again...his pay has been messed up since May.  We thought we finally got it fixed in July and then they messed it up last month.  He went to have it corrected, and now it's even more jacked up.  WTF?!  FML!!

I guess all I can do now is hope DFAS gets it's head out of it's ass and corrects Hubster's pay ASAP.   meanwhile, I'll pray the Air Force base calls back and offers me a job with them (they've called twice to see if I'm interested) otherwise I'll be looking for some local retail or restaurant work because the nursing home just isn't going to cut it.

The one flicker of light today...4 of the 6 pounds I gained are now gone and I'm back into One-derland.

No Mo' Status Quo

So much for being thankful I haven't gained...because I've managed to gain back 6lbs.  This my dearies, is what happens when you get a band and get zero aftercare.  Not that I haven't been trying.

I finally got a part-time job with the nursing home and I've been orienting and dreading every single minute.  I went to nursing school to get out of nursing homes!  Well, while I was at the first day of orientation, I got a call back with a job offer for the county health department.  I went in the day after Labor Day to do the fingerprints for the background check.  Unfortunately, it takes 2-3 weeks for the results to come back and I won't start until the first day of their new pay period following the receipt of the background results.  So knowing I have this other job, that's M-F, no weekends, no holidays, an hour lunch.....really makes it hard to continue on with the charade of orienting at the nursing home.  However, I continue because tthe bills still have to be paid.  It doesn't help that the Army has completely jacked up Hubster's pay and we can 't  do anything about it til the end of the month when he gets his LES.  That's where we can see what DFAS did with his check.  Right now, he's getting shorted about $300 a pay period.  How'd DFAS like it if I randomly removed $600 from their monthly budget with no explanation?!  Anyhow...there's just one more glimpse into the glamourous life of an army wife...dealing with DFAS!

So onto the band thing - Yes, I gained 6 pounds.  Of course, I gained weight.  Hubster is finally back home with us and as usual, all things healthy have disappeared from our house.  The man does not eat fruits or veggies.  His daily breakfast consists of a Snickers and a Monster energy drink.  The only way I get veggies into him is if I make a casserole...and I'm a kind of casserole cooker.  Less dirty dishes!  LOL  But I know this cycle and I should nip it in the bud and am trying to incorporate more veggies with our meals and buying fresh fruits for me and the kids.  When hubby is gone, there's always salad, apples, bananas, baby carrots, etc that we'll munch on and we're not ashamed to have a bowl of cereal for supper on occasion!  LOL

Well, now that I have a job, I tried rescheduling with the doctor in Pensacola.  I talked to them Thursday and they promised a call back Thursday afternoon.  I didn't hear anything on Friday but know many specialists are closed on Fridays...why?  Because they can be!!!  So I called back every day this week and still haven't gotten a return call.  It's quite frustrating because I need to get seen before I start the job with the county.

However, I know that once I get in, it's going to be like being a brand new bandster all over again.  Face it, I haven't had any restriction since surgery.  The only foods I really have issues with are breads, doughy pastries, bananas and sometimes chicken.  Anyone esle get stuck on bananas?   I'm going to have to relearn the stuff about chewing, eating slow, and reducing quantity.  I never really went through bandster hell, but have a feeling I'm about to.

Also now that I have a job, I'm looking forward to ordering the Zumba DVDs because I know I just won't have time for the gym and that's a monthly expense I don't want to add.

Hope you are all doing wonderfully and enjoy the BOOBs trip!