Just wondering how you were.

Congrats to you, and thanks for the tips----I'll keep all that in mind when I get to my date!

Mare

Hi Cira,

I'm typing as I sit in the BA lounge at the JFK airport wiating for my flight later tonight - and looking forward to falling aqsleep as soon as we take off!

The first appt went just fine and dandy and my next two are already set up.  I do have to go through the whole 6 months again, but that's OK with me --- it's great for getting your mind prepared along with your body.  My Kaiser friends have been working hard at making the program simpler and better while I've been gone, and I'm happy to see the changes...

First, I can choose my doc and hospital from three qualtity Baltimore programs --- St. Agnes, Hopkins, and GBMC.  Next, they are now fully integrated with each of the three programs, and I can pick the one I want and get enrolled with them before I finish the KP program completely, so I can basically get a date as soon as I finish the KP program.  Finally, they are now covering VSG in addition to RNY and Band.  I was on the RNY path before as no way did I want to fuss with the band, and on top of that, my doc back then said that RNY is generally more successful than the band in patients who caryy their weight all over ---- as opposed to just in their midsection.  But I'm curious about the VSG, and am researching all I can, because at first glance, it seems much simpler, and it gets rid of that excess/unused stomach --- something I was OK with, with RNY, but frankly I always thought it was a little odd to just leave it there.  In any case, I'm really happy with the changes.

As for what I do, I am a Sr. Project Manager for McCormick & Co. and I run all over the place to our worldwide locations.  I used to implement SAP, but now we are all implemented, so I'm in a business support role now --- helping the subsidiary companies improve their processes once they get used to the new way of life with SAP.  It can certainly be grueling (my last trip was 8 weeks) but I love it.

I'm always working a lot - during the implemenation phase that was 6 or 7 days a week, every week, but I try to sneak some time here and there to see where I am.  In 2009 I had a tiny apartment in Spain and ran all around on the weekends when I could --- from taking a sailing lesson in the Mediterranean Sea to taking the funicular as for as it would go, then climbing up up up to almost the top of Monserrat......I do have pics, but funny, not as many as you might think, especially considering when I'm not at my day job you may well find me in a church on Saturday doing a wedding ---- my other life is that I'm a pro photographer.

I'd be happy to post a couple of pics if I knew how, LOL.....I'm good on Facebook, but I have no clue how to post pics on this site, LOL....

This trip is a super quickie - I'm back on the 11th and heading right to my department's summer picnic.  After that I'm homebound for a while....it will be a nice change, LOL!

Finally, my other realization, which came quite out of the blue, was that even if my company drops KP next time, and I have to go with Cigna on Jan 1, 2012,  I can just COBRA my KP coverage for one, two three months, whatever I need.  Yes, COBRA is expensive, but my FSA covers it and I would be much better off than messing around trying to get hooked up with a new ins co who certainly will have different requirements from KP - everbody has a different way of handling it.

One of these days I'll get to a MD/PA OH event to meet you adn some other cool people here!

Cheerios!
Mare

Hey I’m curious about the protein pills as well, and that it Celsius? Can you send me info.

Thanks

Excellent Motto to have. :)   

If you don't have to go back to work just take the extra week to heal some more.

Take care!