Dates been set...yet I feel like crying

I had anticipated be over the moon when I was to recieve my date, instead I have gotten off the phone with Tina feeling rather put out.

My date for the DS is scheduled for August 1st. (Yay and boo!) This is one day following the arrival of my step-daughter from the UK. I had been hoping to have my surgery within the first half of August, as I was wanting to spend time with my family. Sadly, I will be stuck in a hospital the first half of her visit, and too ill with recovery for the remainder.

Rather than a happy day i feel frustrated and sad.

Whilst i'm sure Tina is a nice girl, i know so many of you sing her praises. My frustrations with dealing with the office and calling every day this week, and never getting a returned phone call, can be irritating. On the off chance, i happened to get ahold of Tina on Monday, and was told Dr. Greenbaum's schedule hadn't been released yet, and that I would recieve a call when she found out his schedule. Noone called me. So, i placed another call today, and managed to get ahold of Tina this time (gasp!, typically its straight to voicemail) as i was told they only book 6 weeks out, and now i find out he's booked for Aug 8th (which would have given me time to spend with my step-daughter and be healed in time for in-laws who arrive in Sept.) So the only date that was  available to me was Aug 1st. Of all the summers, this one turned out to be the year all relatives have booked their summer to stay at our house.

Ugh.. this blue will pass. Perhaps the NJ grey weather isn't helping. I know i should be jumping for joy, i'm on the verge of a major life change. But I am saddened that I will not be spending time with my loved ones during their visit.

A soon to be happy, Alex.

In my experience it is very unlike Tina not to call back.  I won't make excuses for anyone but I can shed some light onto it for you.  I spoke with her last week through email and know she was at the OC conference all week and so just like any of our jobs coming back to it after being gone for a week is hectic to say the least.  I was also there yesterday and I had to pry her from her paperwork to ask a few questions.  She definitley seemed frazzled.  

You also have a little bit of say so on your surgery date.  Would it make sense for you to wait until next week to schedule it?  Did you ask her about any later dates in August?  Either way though try not to be down about it.  You have a DATE!!!!  That is sooooooo very exciting!  I understand your cir****tances make it hard to jump for joy, but I promise you will at some point.  After all your loved ones will be close by for your transformation :)  It might put their minds at ease a little bit to know how close they will be to you while your healing :)

I wish you the best, keep us updated!  and most of all CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

Thanks for the info and the upbeat take. I am feeling better, and am truly happy to have my date! :) 

I think it was just shock that he was booked and frustration. This too will pass, i have to remind myself. And thankfully it did, quickly.

Yay!! I have a date! :) 

Bidet has been ordered, new super duper blender and scale sits on the kitchen counter, saw my hemotologist yesterday, started my recipe box this week, so... everything is lining up. My hormones got the best of me this morning i guess.

Thanks again for the support!

I really understand how you are feeling!  Get Tina's e-mail and try to "talk" with her that way.  If your date stays the same then you have all of July to get your body in the best shape for healing by walking, geting in protein and vits. I know that makes a big difference with healing from any kind of surgery.  You will still be able to visit with your family, just warn them that they will need to help around the house .  If you need your date changed, I hope you are able to do that. 

If the sky is dark that can sure make you feel blue!  It can also be the big build up of all of the work you did to get to this point and then bam you get a date and it is not what you wanted. You are so close now!  Does this mean all of your clearances and education are out of the way and you have a month to enjoy life? That would be a great thing!

 She has email!! OMG I wish I had known this earlier. :) I'll get right on that! 

That's great advice to start getting fit for surgery. I've been diligent these past few months with taking supplements, as I had plenty of deficiencies that required attention. I start every morning with a Chocolate Protein Shake, though now that I have my Kitchen Aid blender, i'm ready to try the Vanilla Protein Shakes with fruit and ice as recommended by one of the guys at the GNC who has been helping me along this journey as my knowledge of vitamins was nil prior to this process. And i have tonnes to learn, i believe this will be a life long process of educating myself. Heck, since my surgery back in March, i've been getting regular labs. It's been a good experience so i can start making sense of these. Thank goodness for all the useful references I've found on these forums! 

I feel I have a good start to being prepared. Perhaps I need to add meditation onto my list, as I've been feeling anxious of late with preparing for all the guests that are staying with us this summer AND the upcoming surgery. 

Deep breathe, and chill... :) 

Thanks for the great advice and support, i truly appreciate it!
Alex

 You'd be surprised - you might not feel as "ill" with recovery as you think.     I came home on day three, feeling pretty darn perky.     My kids came up from downstate a few days later, and it was nice just to be able to kick back, have everybody wait on me for a bit, and have time to visit with them.   Usually, I'm running around like a chicken with my head cut off cooking, serving, picking up after everybody, etc.

You give me hope Julie! 

It would be a change to have the whole family at my house and I get to relax! I too have a tendency to act as a headless chicken when family/company is over. There's always something to do, food to cook, entertainment to be coordinated. Sitting on the front port chatting or lounging on the back deck was rarely an option.

I'm definitely more update than I was this morning. Thanks for your encouraging words, and thank goodness my morning blues/grumpies passed. :) 

 Was it an option to do it sooner, before she gets there, maybe? Or is he literally booked and that's the only available date- period? 

 This is a hectic summer for me, I don't ever remember having such a busy schedule at the house in the summer. There were 3 weeks where I wouldn't have had company staying with us. My sister and her kids who live in Belgium are staying with us for the month of July. As my sister will be attending a conference in Boston, during part of her trip, I'll get to spend time with my nieces whom I haven't seen in almost 2 years, as they'll be staying with me and the hubby!

So July wasn't an option. 

My step-daughter who lives in the UK, has her visit staggered with my sister and leaves mid-August. And then, come Sept. my husband's parents arrive from the UK. This is the downside of having family overseas, as we don't get to see one another as frequently as we'd like. 

Thus my stresing getting the right window, when I can give my husband and his daughter some 1-on-1 time, and I can have some with Joanna as well before I go for surgery. But alas it wasn't meant to be, and so I have to remind myself that i am not always in control, and i just need to relax and go with the flow. 

Thanks for your comments. 
Alex :)

 Geez! You are a busy girl! 

But, it does sound like the August 1 date is the least of the evils after all and maybe it'll be nice for everyone in different ways anyhow!

(I've been looking for a reason to use that smiley. Forgive me, but he's adorable.)