OH, and

I did walk several times this last week.
The pod however is not working?
I think I put it to sleep.
I also forgot the pod one day, numnutz!
Back on track oficially Tuesday night.
Can't tomorrow, I am driving 10.5- 12 hours.
G R O A N.

Leaving the Turtle tomorrow :(

It's always too short, the time I am here in SC.
Some sun, some pool, some beach, some shopping, some "fun".
Lots of showers and thunder.
Perhaps I will be down again sooner than September.
I plan to recuperate here after my 2 week post op Dr.s visit.
Tuesday it is back to the grind. Work and pre-op business.
I'm only just worried about the Stress Thallium test.
I get sick easily. Heard others got sick during the test.
Wish me luck.

Turtle

Landed at the Turtle (Myrtle, that is) Friday morning. Landed, HA! I mean, I finally got to the door. I DROVE, again.
Bag of pretzels and 4 Diet Cokes eaten during the drive. Two cat-naps at rest stops. One bathroom break and one gas refueling. The trip still took me nearly 11.5 hours.
Had a major detour somewhere in Baltimore(I think).
Off course about 10 miles....thank goodness 95 shows up everywhere sooner or later.
Got in and the house is warm, not hot but not cool either.
Had it set on the "away" temperatuere setting of 78 degrees.
I never heard the compressor kicking in and it sure was getting warm.
Was it broken again?
The mysterious HVAC guy wasn't just going to be in the neighborhood like liast time.
WTF was I going to do?
I check the fuse box. I actually was going to trip the fuse and as soon as I touched the switch it kicked in.
Note to self: BE PRESENT NEXT house build. The wiring is FOR SHIT!
[For shit seems to be coming out of my mouth a lot lately]
Anywho, the ceiling fan makes it really nice in here.
It actually felt a little too cool when I went to bed (which was around 4:30 AM). I turned it up a little and woke up to feeling like a roasted chicken.
I have fiddled with it a bit and have to get it pumping before the really hot weather comes.
Barring coming here for recuperation, I won't be back again until September! I have to have it set cool enough to keep anything from getting moldy and stale.
VERY mindful of not eating like a pig down here. Last trip I gained the 8 lbs I had previously lost back again with a friend or two.
Didn't eat healthfully last night or today except for breakfast which was weight control oatmeal.
I just had a mini DiGiorno (sp) supreme pizza.
Stocking up today from Kroger or the Pig.
It is actually nicer here, temperature wise than it was in NJ/NY the last few days.
Going to the pool and beach for some sun.
Ta'

Went to s&*t!

..the walk did today.
Freaking pissed me off I tell ya'!
The dip at the end of my horrible walk is when I had to ditch the Ipod and run for the bathroom!
Well, THAT never happened before....not during a walk.
I did get sick as a dog in the shower one day after I pushed over 4 miles.
I hadn't eaten too soon before. I was sipping water.
I guess I cannot exercise within 3 hours of eating?
I'll have to refine this because that would be ridiculous.

Head is going to explode!

Just waking up from a long long nap.

Home "ill" today. Head was exploding. Actually smelled smoke!

Full up on Advil and Diet Coke.

This is the 3rd day of headache.

Maybe PTH IS wacked and the second test was the for shit test.

GNC

Hot steamy mess......

Freaking hot in the NY/NJ area Sat and Sunday. The week coming looks worse.

Thank goodness I'm headed south Thursday...maybe I can cool off!

Sleeping Beauty drowning....

I begrudgingly went to my second night of the sleep study. I know they are screwing with me and i will be charged for this "2nd night".
[[Upon arriving to my first sleep study I was told that my insurance ONLY covers what is called a "split- night". If I had signs of needing CPAP I would be awakened halfway through the study, fitted with a mask and sent back to la la land. I woke up around 6 a.m. with NO MASK..hence, no CPAP needed.....right?? A week later I got a phone call telling me I had signs/episodes and I now needed a 2nd night...I smell a rat.]]
Anyhow, went and was pre fitted with the first mask, nose only...."Get it off of me"!
I felt like I was being smothered.
Second mask, went over nose AND mouth...."Nope, get it off of me"!
Ok, now I am being a PITA! Um, I couldn't breathe!
Ok, # 3 is what is called "nose pillows". Still feel very weird when I try to breathe with my mouth open...but we'll try it.
Woke up around 1 to pee.....no problems so far.....had a little bit of trouble getting back to sleep.
I was JARRED out of sleep my water being sprayed into my nose/throat and leaking on my head....I felt like I was choking. I was aspirating....I was dying.....
Ok, a little drama..but I was choking a bit...coughed it up and yelled for them to come get their equipment off me now please!
The tech said she put the humidity too high with the last adjustment. Ya' think!?
I was ten minutes shy of a full study required by insurance....it better be enough.
Took most of the goop out of my hair, threw my hair in a Novo hat and went on my way.
I didn't feel rested. I felt the same as I do every other morning I wake up at 5:30 a.m.
I'm a stubborn little shit when I want to be. I am not going to wear any apparatus. Nope, not doing it.

GI Jeff

Went to the hospital today, the Endo unit.
Had the EGD done.
Have the pics and report.
Mild "itis" both in the esophogus and stomach. Non erosive in the stomach.
Waiting for the results of the biopsies to rule out H. Pylori.
Although I LOVE Propophol I felt a little weird on the ride home.
Ate a little something then basically zoned out for a long nap.
Secong sleep study tomorrow night.
All that is left is Stress Thallium
Office visits with the Pulmo, Cardio and GI,
Venous Duplex........
Why am I doing this again?
You would think anyone could lose 60 pounds, no?
all of this after next weeks "vacation"!
I refuse to let anyone tell me I am on vacation.
Vacation does not consist of WORK.
Wherever I am, there I work...
Wasn't I supposed to be in Australia but now?
The house is gone :(.
We couldn't keep both.
What was the plan again?
Nearly three freaking years later.
Home home, and rental/friends retreat.
How I miss my bedroom.
I can't even fit my bed in the TH bedroom, not the way it should be!
I want my decade back!

Pushing through it .... Doc ... Ethicon

I used to know what pushing through it meant......I had forgotten.
I got to that place today in my WALK (yes, still only walking) where I thought I couldn't take another freakin' step. Thank God for Billy Joel! His few songs I have on the ole Ipod started playing and soon I was off again......Thank you Billy!
I used to run.....why the hell did I stop and where the fuck have I been?

I am in a running (me, only walking) challenge with an amazing woman I have never met. She had LB surgery and posts on a message board/forum I read. I have been following her story and many successes. She is truly an inspiration! Thank you Christine!

I got to see Doc after all Friday. I was scheduled to see her but her office canceled me mid week and I was just going to reschedule. Funny thing though...I was working with her Friday afternoon and asked what she was doing after the case. "Nothing" she said then promptly called the office to ask me be fit in again. Nice to know the boss!
Seeing her for my "consult" is being done out of order because I cannot fit a visit with her into my schedule. Also, I needed to bring a person with me(their rules). The four friends I asked worked, one had her daughters prom. A friend I work with came, so nice of her to do so on a Friday night! Thank you Justine!

Maybe the lagging timeline will work for me. The group will start doing the Realize band from Ethicon. I love their products. Everything we use from Ethicon works in a superior fashion to their competitors. We are even supposed to switch back to their suture...I HOPE SO!
The main differences in the band systems are Ethicons has a unique port placement system. It looks like a cross between a PPH and circular stapler with a dash of clip applier. All of their stapling devices are great so I expect no less from this device.