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When my customer said he had a gift for me, I knew it had to do with goodies.  The box had to weigh 2-3 pounds.  I told him I really appreciated it, gave him a hug, then told him I just had weight loss surgery and if it would be okay, I'd share the box with the office.  Turns out his mom had the lap-band procedure a few months ago, I told him my mom had the RNY a few years ago...so we had moment to share about our moms. 

Tomorrow I have post-op appointments.

Nothing too exciting today.  Maybe tomorrow someone will offer me cake?  hA!

-Traci

I didn't make it past 1:00 p.m.

When I got into the office this morning I was feeling pretty good.  I grabbed the high-back chair out of the computer room to try to assure some comfort sitting at my desk, but it became clear as the morning drew on that it wasn't going to work.  Leaning, moving, reaching, getting up, sitting down, walking around the office...everything just irritated the main incision.  By the time I talked to the owner about heading home, I was having a hard time standing up straight.  I wrapped up my cash transactions, gave the gals a heads up about my bank bags from store 6 which were en-route, then went home. 

Mom checks in everyday.  Monday we got into a bit of a tift on the phone, which constisted of "Listen to me...No...YOU listen to ME....No...listen....UH-UH...".  Now, if you know me and you know her, we're both standing in our homes over two thousand miles away from each other tossing hips and throwing the "No" finger in the air.  Yes mom, I do love you.

Anyhoo...I tried taking regular Tylenol today and it did nothing.  I can't find regular liquid Tylenol, and I discovered from the manufacturer that it's on backorder (now, read that sentence again and tell me if that makes any sense at all??).  So tomorrow I'm going to take the stuff the doctor prescribed to the office, and I'm very happy it doesn't make me loopy or overly friendly to strangers and weird pets.  If the pain can be kept under control I will have no problem making it through the day.  Pray, hold your breath and keep your fingers crossed!

Macbit:  Last night I had promised Becky I'd call to let her know how the day ended up (whether I stayed or not at the office) and while we were on the phone a massive crack of thunder exploded over the top of my head.  I jumped, the dishes rattled and I instantly praised Jesus.

Toodles!
-Traci

I feel like Mz. Popular all of a sudden.  Beth came over late this morning.  She was my "hang out" person so I could take a shower...which was more to make sure someone was here to call 911 if I fell out of the tub.  We had a nice visit before and after.  Although I'm fairly certain she got a little bit more than she had bargained for over the band-aid mishap.  Thank you again from the bottom of my heart for being here today during that whole moment.

Christine had me out walking this evening, we made it to CVS and back.  It's just under a half mile each way.  By the time I got home though I was totally winded.  I shot her a text message and asked if we could make tomorrow's walk a wee bit shorter.  It was my second trip out of the house today.  The first time was mid-afternoon to check the mail.  Tomorrow night her and Liam are coming over.  Soup and a movie.  Don't tell Liam, I'm itching for a hug from his stinky teen-aged self.  I just adore him. 

Nancy, one of my landlords, came by a little while ago and brought me all my mail from earlier in the week.  We visited for a bit too.  She's excited for this adventure I'm on.  Stuffed in the mail was a card from her, and it's covered in flowers.  If you knew Nancy, it's totally her.  She's the perennial lady.

I'm happy to be home, extremely happy to have my own bed and no psycho roommate.  Healing is "okay".  I'm trying to be careful with what I eat because I honestly can't tell where full starts and ow begins.  My main incision is right "there" where my little pouch is and it's all sensitive, irritated, and just not too happy at the moment.  Time will take care of that.  I've already had my first "oh crap" moment by accidentally consuming too much water.  Trust me, that won't happen again.

Anyways, I have six incisions across my abdomen.  Nancy said they look a little like stab wounds...which they kind of do.  The smallest one is about half an inch.  All the others are between that and about two inches (give or take, I'm not using a ruler).  I'm bruising there already and have bruises on my arms from IV's and tape.  Yes, I said tape.  I have an adhesive allergy, and it doesn't matter what kind of adhesive.  I even have marks from the heart monitor leads and those were that gelly-gooey junk.

Nothing fabulous to report...other than I'm alive and have had it pointed out my text messages from the hospital were interesting.  Thank you all for your prayers, well wishes, and continued prayers, phone calls, etc. (etc. encompasses the stuff I'll remember after I hit "publish post").  The first hurdle has been jumped!

Much love,
-Traci

P.S.  My wish list for this summer is as follows:

Renew my "O" Magazine Subscription since the renewal is less than a day at McDonalds.
Get bike at Trekk (I think that'll be in June...The Bike Fund is open for donies!  :P)
Acquire a Nook (end of summer).

Toodles!

>My surgeon's nurse called me back this afternoon and said she spoke to the Collector.  Who told her side of the story, which the nurse did not repeat.  I piped in with the acknowledgement that the Collector probably thinks I was giving her a line of bunk, but I also made it clear that at no time did I ever say I would not pay.  So the nurse tells me she told the Collector the surgery would not be delayed, that "the patient" offered to make payment arrangements, etc.  I find out then why the Collector didn't call me.  Her supervisor (um...yeah...not the director, go figure) is out until Monday.  The nurse asked me to reconsider having the financial department review my finances to reduce the amount of the bill.  She went to bat for me, how could I say no?

We are on for the 17th. 

Thank you for your prayers and encouraging words.  I was really in the dumps this morning.  Amazing how much I perked up after spending my lunch break listening to a Bible study. 

Tid Bit For the Day:

I told Matthew today I wanted chocolate.  Then I envisioned myself  going into CVS, wandering down to the freezer aisle, opening the door,  popping the lids off some of the ice cream containers to give them all a long lick.  Then I'd haul myself out of there as fast I could.


It'd be the first annual Lick 'n Run.

This might be repeating some of yesterdays blog.

I presently have insurance.

In 2009 I was 2 weeks from having insurance when I landed in the  hospital for a week's vacation with a major infection.  I had thought  the bill had been taken care of through an organization who works with  low income people.  I have not any statements from the hospital, have  been there for tests, labs, etc. over the past two years.  They have all  my information, including work digits. So I haven't been avoiding them.  I  received a couple of small bills last year and paid them.  

Registration called me yesterday to confirm everything for the 17th and said I  had quite the balance.  Still convinced the bill had been taken care of,  I contacted billing, who sent me to financial services.  This woman is  tough, not very friendly.  I have learned and  confirmed the debt was in fact not paid, and now I owe a balance in excess  of 11k.  I was denied assistance because they said I made too much  money.  I make more now, not  much more.  I offered up a payment plan of 150.00 per month and  she all but said no and basically I got cornered into 256 a month, which  I'm still not sure I can pull off.  That's a lotta dough.

She's still hinting at not allowing my surgery to go through.  Again, it's  covered by my insurance, has been approved and they've acknowledged so.   However, I feel she's dancing me around the flag pole with "I have to  present this to my supervisor, and he's taken it to the director".   Oddly enough, she was much chipper with that statement.

Sue at the surgeon's office is in a thither about it. She said it's the most ridiculous thing she's heard of, that she's never heard of such a thing.  She said she'd speak with Dr. Krause and would be getting back with me.  I'm expecting to hear from her in the morning.  She's pretty lit up.  Unfortunately, the hospital can refuse to allow me to have my surgery.

Part of me feels like I should be laying on the floor uttering magnanimous prayers into the carpet.  Part of me feels defeated and can only muster up small prayers, thanking God for who He is and can He help me out with all this junk.  They really only come out smaller because...well...they just do.  "Help me" translates the same whether I tell God what I really think of my self, or just repeat those two little words (with loud sighs of PLEASE) over and over again. 

It's horribly stressful.  Totally exacerbates the insomnia...I'm not getting to sleep until 1a.m. most nights and for some redumbtive reason (yes, I spelled it like that on purpose) I have been waking up between 5 and 6a.m. 

I had my pre-op with Dr. Doyle and Nannette the nutritionist today.  Went fairly well.  I have to pop in the day before my surgery, that's to make sure I haven't "gained" any weight in the middle.

What I wasn't prepared for was the call from someone in billing from the hospital.  Long story short-there's a balance from my week long vacation there back in July of 2009.  I had applied for assistance with the bill, faxed my life over (seems to be a recurring theme lately) to the representative and in September (I believe it was September) I had received a note in the mail stating they were going to be covering the balance remaining.  The original balance was a rediculous amount of money, then the hospital "discounted" for not having insurance, so the balance was to be picked up through this organization.  I had call the rep back in October because I received another statement, higher than the first, and when I had spoken with the hospital they hadn't done anything with the letter and the organization.  Two years later, and 13 days from when I'm supposed to have surgery, I'm still having the same conversation with the billing department.

Except now they're indicating they could prevent my surgery from happening.

I was incredibly disappointed, then I got mad.  The lady who contacted me tonight as I was getting into the Jeep stated she wanted to help since I was supposed to have a procedure (but made numerous mentions of how she was supposed to be out of the office at 4:30 and here she was calling me at 6:35....after the fourth mention of that fact I wanted to throw the phone).  So I again relayed my story of assistance through this organization.  There are notes in their system that I've called, but now mysteriously there's notes stating nothing was covered by any outside agency and my responsibility is a really ridiculous amount of money.

I just wanted to cry.  Actually, I did cry.  Half way home down Crooks from Troy, then I called my mom and jumped up and down in my seat like a crazy woman (none of that conversation would have been pleasing to the Lord).  So now I have to scramble and do it all over again.  Banking statements, pay stubs, id and social security card (now, they have those on file, so I have no clue), taxes...AND I have to provide a letter about why I'm having this procedure on the 17th.

After I apologized to my mom for venting in the most unattractive manner, I went home and pulled out my little filing cabinet.  I have found everything I faxed to this place, including the stuff I spoke to the rep about in October of 2009 because the hospital sent another bill...I can not find that stupid letter.  I left her two messages tonight.  And I'm calling again in the morning.

With other events from this week, it's been really discouraging.

Until tomorrow....

>Two weeks from tomorrow.  Fourteen days.  That's only 336 hours.

I know, neurotic, huh?

So I'm a little more freaked out than I had thought.  No, not in the "I think it's time to change my mind" because I have no hesitation about having the surgery.  It's other things.  You know...such as family and friends who can't be here, who I really wish were here.  I have support, yet I kind of feel like I'm a little out there on the raft, by myself.  And yes, I know God is with me. God's awesome.  Hugs and literal hand holding is awesome, too.

I got home from work and fixed dinner (yeah, dumped a can of chicken noodle into a pan...well-a.  Soup.).  The mailman didn't bring me anything exciting (actually, it sort of added to my mini-panicohmygodmylifeisgoingtochange-attack), the news...um...no need to say anymore.  So after a couple of phone calls I cracked open my homework for small group and tossed on Raul to go with it (some would call that "cheating"...I, however, find it very insightful and a HUGE tool...okay...yeah...cheating, but it's really good!).  In Colossians 3:15, Paul talks about the peace of God.  Then Raul said, "Make sure the peace of God rules over your life...it's the opposite of anxiety.  Be anxious for nothing...you need the peace of God in your lives to rule over your hearts.  Be thankful for everything He has given us."

Well, there was the spiritual elbow to the ribs.  I'm flipping out about things I have no control over (grocery prices, gas hikes, teeny tiny paycheck) when I should just do what I've been doing - diving into the one thing that brings me great comfort and warms my heart.  Studying the Bible.

Note to all my pals:  I will still take hugs and hand holding ANY time!