Setting Goals - Revisited

So back before my surgery I set my Top 10 Goals for what I wanted to do after losing weight.  I thought I'd revisit them to see where I am at.  My original post can be seen here:  http://lessoflori.blogspot.com/2011/07/setting-goals.html.  Let's see where I am now.

1. Complete - Visited my brother and his family in April 2012, hoping to return again later this year.

2. Complete - When Chris and his family visited in April 2013, Harry, Caitriona and I visited Six Flags and I hopped right on the Dahlonega Mine Train.

3. Pending - One day I won't need the "large" cuff for my arms, but I'm not there yet!

4. Pending/Complete - I wear the capris and sandals without anxiety, but the sleeveless shirts still bother me, it's these dang arms with the bat wings.  I really need to use the shake weight!

5. Complete - Even though I am still in the "plus" size technically, I can buy right off the rack at Belk's and Khol's now, so I'm calling that a win!

6. Complete - Yep, I climbed the big rock at my one year mark.  Didn't do it at the two year anniversary, but that's because I was recovering from the hysterectomy - which seemed like a perfectly good substitute.

7. Pending - Next year, 2015, marks my 30 year high school reunion.  I plan to attend if we have one.

8. Pending - Clearly I need better friends, none of mine go dancing in swanky clubs.  Maybe it's because we don't know of any swanky clubs anymore! I did do the Macarena on the cruise.  Should I count that?

9. Pending - As soon as I can plan a trip I'm going...maybe these girls will go dancing!

10.  Complete - I had more pictures taken of me in 2013 than in the previous 5 years combined.  I even posed for Becky to take a picture of me in my bathing suit.  Now, that one I'm not sharing, but I am including one from our cruise in December.

So I'm halfway through my list.  I better start working on a new one!  Any ideas?

Shingles

I have shingles.  Not, not the kind that make your roof all pretty and waterproof.  I have the kind that produce a nasty rash full of blisters and red blotches that burn deep into your skin and make you want to rip your skin off.  Nice huh?

So much for a great start to the new year.  Thank goodness my HSA was preloaded with money from my employer, cause my medicines alone were over $77. 

Occupational Health cleared me for work since I don't have direct patient contact but I am not allowed to be around pregnant women, people with immune compromised systems or those who have not yet had chicken pox.  So how do I find that out...can you see me asking the 100+ people in my open-air office, "Are you pregnant, do you have HIV, are you undergoing chemo, or have you ever had chicken pox?"  Yeah, I should be a big hit around the office.

I think I'll just work from home for a few days.

New Year

Bring on 2014!  I'm so happy to be in a new year.  The year 2013 was a rough one for me.  It started with Matt's shoulder surgery followed by a completely messed up leave from Target for him, forcing him back to work too soon and an improper rehab.  Then Andrew totaled his car.  After that we had a couple of scares with tumors and lumps.  Then Matt totaled his car.  Then I had to have my gallbladder out.  And that was all before April was even over.  Moving on to the summer I had to replace my car battery - while on vacation, which was not in the budget!  Then Matt's new car was totaled again!  Ugh...enough already with the car issues!

I capped off last year with two big events I have been looking forward to for years.  First my hysterectomy in October and my very first cruise in December.  Believe it or not, both were my most favorite things of the year. 

I did manage to lose more weight and now I am just about 80 pounds from my goal weight.  I expect I'll gain some in February when the Girl Scout cookies arrive.  I wish those darn cookies were sold by Jehovah's Witnesses because I have no trouble closing the door in their faces when they knock, but the sweet little girl across the street and Andrew's girlfriend's little sister are just too cute to say no too.  I also got hit up at work and via an email from several folks.  I did manage to say no to those folks.  Here's the best thing I can say about the cookies as related to my obsession with them...I had two boxes still left from last year.  Now, it could be that I just ordered too many last year, or it could be because I didn't tell Andrew I had two left.  When it came time to order again I told him, and we finished those two boxes that same day.

I did, after all, have to make room for this years delivery.

A Suite Stay

As a hospital employee when you or a family member has to stay overnight you can request the "suite".  It's much like a hotel suite.  There is the patient's room with bed/bath/television, etc. and then an adjoining room for a guest with separate bed/bath/television.  You also have the benefit of room service for both the patient and guest.

At 5:00 p.m. the day of my surgery the nurse came by and told me to go ahead and order my dinner.  He handed me a menu and said I was on a soft diet to make sure I could tolerate it and then if so by morning I would be on a regular diet.  No problem.  I looked over the  menu decided on chicken salad and mac and cheese.  I called room service and here is how the conversation went:

"I'd like to order chicken salad and macaroni and cheese please."

"Sorry that is not on your menu."

"I've got the menu in my hand and it is on there."

"No, you have bariatric soft diet and that is not on there."

"Oh, okay, may I get a bariatric soft menu then?"

"No, we don't have any."

"Then how can I order?"

"I can tell you there is grilled chicken on the menu."

"Really?  Grilled chicken is on a SOFT DIET menu but chicken salad is not?"

"Yes."

"OK, please send me grilled chicken and mac and cheese."

"Mac and cheese is not on the menu."

I'm so frustrated at this point.  "OK, just send me whatever is on the menu."

My sister arrived at 6:00 p.m. and my dinner still had not.  I gave her the guest menu and she settled on Salisbury steak, green beans and mashed potatoes.  I was having dinner envy for sure.

I called back to room service, asked where my dinner was and was assured it was on it's way.  They had a new girl.  Sara ordered her dinner and we waited.

Sara's meal arrived about 6:20 p.m. and mine was still a no show.  I called room service again.

"I'm still waiting on my meal."

"They said they brought it to you already."

"No, it never arrived."

They said they would be right up.  A few minutes later the dietary manager came in my room and apologized.  Great, but did you bring any food?  Nope, she just wanted to apologize and take my order.  At this point my nurse was so angry he changed my menu to regular, no more bariatric, no more soft.  He told me to go crazy and order whatever I wanted.  I really wanted chicken salad and mac and cheese.  (Side note:  my hospital has outstanding chicken salad).  OK, the dietary manager said she get my order straight away.

About 6:45 she arrived back with my dinner tray finally.  Again another apology for the delay, apparently my grilled chicken was delivered to the room next door.  Hope that patient enjoyed it!  More apologies as they were now out of mac and cheese...well of course because it's been an hour and 45 minutes since I ordered it.  As a substitute I was given asparagus.  How does asparagus substitute for mac and cheese?  I mean, potato salad, macaroni salad, pasta salad maybe, but asparagus.  I like asparagus, but I only like it when it still has some crunch.  When it's so soggy it looks like trees from the swamp land I'm not interested.

Oh well, the chicken salad was delicious.

More Surgery

As excited as I was to have a gastric bypass, my decision and approval to get a laprascopic hysterectomy with the robot was even more thrilling.  I tried to do this in my late thirties and the doctor kept saying I was too young.  I knew I didn't want more children, anyone who has met my boys can understand why.

Anyway, I arrived at the hospital on October 11th at 7:30 a.m., got wheeled to the surgery room at 9:30 a.m. and was in my private room for the night by 12:30 p.m.  Everything was removed and the pathology report came back that all cysts and tumors were benign - no cancer of any kind - Hallelujah!

By 2:00 p.m. I had eaten my broth and jello and even managed to get dressed in spite of the catheter.  I was walking the halls and feeling great.  The only painful thing was my IV, they placed it on my hand at the base of my thumb, isn't that a weird place?  I didn't even ask for pain meds until 9:30 p.m. and then it was because I wanted to sleep.  I'm a stomach sleeper but that wasn't going to happen for a few days and I just could not get comfortable sleeping on my back.

My sister Sara came to stay with me for the night and we had the suite at the hospital, one of the perks of being an employee.  Dinner for us was quite an event, I'll post that shortly.

Where Has the Time Gone?

My goodness time does fly.  I think about writing on this blog every few days and then never get around to it.  I have so much to catch up on so here goes.

In August, after my iron infusion, I had a follow-up appointment with the hematologist.  My numbers were better but still below average (yes, it kills me to say I was below average).  I was strongly encouraged to seek a hysterectomy.

So I asked around the hospital and did some research.  Dr. Stephen Salmieri came highly recommended and he performs the hysterectomy laprascopically using the robot, which cuts the healing time in half.  I made my appointment with him to consult about surgery.

In September I arrived at Dr. Salmieri's office and was a bit nervous as his group practice is for Gynecology Oncology.  I was escorted in for the usual vital checks, height and weight.  Funny, I don't hate getting on the scale anymore at the doctor's office.  Then I met with his nurse.  While meeting with her Dr. S came in and shook my hand as he introduced himself and then told me what beautiful eyes I had.  Oh he was smooth...he was about to be all up in my girl parts and he was making sure I was going to be comfortable.  It worked, I was.

He did the pap and then asked if I would agree to a uterine biopsy.  I hadn't come prepared for that but sure why not, if it helps get the thing out then let's go for it.  I should have asked more questions because that freaking hurt!  Imagine someone sticking scissors inside and then randomly cutting a piece of an organ off.  Yeah, stupid me, but I got to go home for the rest of the day.

After my exam we met in his office and discussed my options.  He agreed with the heavy bleeding, iron deficiency anemia and my complete lack of desire to produce anymore offspring that I would be a great candidate for surgery with the robot.  It was scheduled for October 11th.

Iron Woman

I arrived on time for my iron infusion.  This was my first experience with anything at all like this.  I was told I could bring my laptop and work, magazines, my iPod with headphones, food, drinks, a blanket, etc.  Am I moving in?  Basically yes.  This was going to be a full day event.

See at first they have to give me a sample of the iron over 30 minutes to ensure there is no reaction to it.  Once that is done then I get Benadryl, some steroids, and something I can't pronounce or spell and that goes in over an hour.  Then I get the iron and that takes 4 hours to infuse.  Wow.  Yeah, I took my laptop and worked the whole time.

Now, where they do this procedure is in the same place all the cancer patients get their chemo.  Even though I was having a bad hair day, I felt super guilty because I was one of the few people in there with hair.  I also felt like a step-child because my IV bag was black and everyone else had a clear IV bag. 

Suffice it to say I was appreciative and grateful I was only there for iron and was not facing chemo.  Hopefully I will never have to go back.