Another BYOC for Drazil

Bring Your Own Crazy day...

Copy, paste and answer in your blog if you so desire. Share with anyone else who you want to get to know more!

1. What’s your favorite smell?

My parrot, Liberty, smells so delicious. I don't know what it is about the feathers on the back of her neck, but I just love to bury my nose in them. A close second is bread baking.

2. What is your all-time favorite movie and why?

Shrek. I saw it several times in the theater and I still watch it a few times a year. The message is so perfect, the animation and music are wonderful, and it just makes me feel good. My Kumba parrot even whistles the "exploding bird" song.

3. What’s your trigger food?

Cupcakes. Good lord, I can't resist a really good cupcake.

4. When someone you love is going through a difficult time – what are your go-to words to make them feel better – in just a sentence or two?

I have a hard time with this, but, "I'm here for you," seems to be the best I can come up with.

5. This one is always the same. Who is your nominee for the blog of the week for YOU? Which blog OR comment touched your heart, spoke to you, stuck with you all week?

Sherry's post about eye-bow wah made me laugh so hard I almost wet myself.

Gainfully Employed

I didn't want to say anything too soon because I didn't want to jinx it, but last week I interviewed for a job that I REALLY wanted, and then got called in for a second interview, and then...

I got the job!

I am very excited. It's a fabulous company that is making a real difference. The CEO is the guy who originally started the company I just left, after 12 years of working there, and he has a wonderful track record of being a very successful entrepreneur, as well as being exceptionally generous when things go well. My direct manager will be a man who I have worked with before, and I truly have the utmost respect for him. I'll be doing tech support, which I haven't done in a decade, but that's ok...with how tight the job market is, I am very pleased to have gotten a job so quickly.

And...this means I get to go to Chicago! I have already started shopping for a plane ticket and I will snap it up as soon as the price is right.

Due to the new job, I needed some new clothes that are not falling off. I'm at a weird in-between pants size right now, a 22 is a smidge too tight but it would be ridiculous to buy much in a 24. I did get one pair of really nice dark jeans that are a bit stretchy so they should fit for a little while, and I also got several tops. The office is business casual, and jeans and polos or blouses are allowed, so I'll just have to do a rotation of the few pairs of pants I have that still fit.

I had a nice NSV today. When I started going to the gym after surgery, my "normal" treadmill speed was 2.7 and I was "sprinting" up to 3.5 MPH. Today I did a half hour on the treadmill and my normal speed was 3.2 and my sprint speed was 5.5 MPH. That's not going to win me any speed records anytime soon, but it's definitely a personal best and it's fun to see an honest-to-goodness improvement.

First Fill Today

I feel like I am a real bandster now. I had my first fill today. Yay!

It was really easy. They had me lay down on the table with my jeans unbuttoned and my shirt pulled up. The doc poked around my stomach and said, "Oh yeah, that port is in a good spot. This will be a snap." He had me put my left arm over my head and lift my legs up to tighten my muscles, then he poked me with the needle (it didn't hurt AT ALL and I didn't even know the needle was in). He put 5 cc's in. He had me put my legs down and the nurse handed me some water to drink. I could feel it gurgling in the back of my throat (weird!) and he took out a little bit. The water was still gurgling, so he took out a little more and the water went down.

Long story short, I am the proud owner of 3 cc's in my 11 cc Realize band.

I have to stick to liquids for the rest of today, then slowly add some soft foods tomorrow.

They almost didn't want to give me a fill because I've lost 6 pounds since I was there last month (well within the 1-2 pounds per week average), but once I explained how the last week or so I am up 2 pounds from being able to and wanting to eat everything including bread, hot dogs, and fried clams (definitely not slider foods) the doc said that I know my body better than he does and if I was that sure I needed a fill he would do it.

I'm supposed to go back in a month for another checkup.

I have the bariatric support group tonight and I'm going to go, but I honestly feel that I get more support and good, solid information from everyone's blogs. I am so appreciative of all of my band blog sisters!

Fill Time

I do believe I am definitely going to ask (beg) for my first fill at my doctor appointment on Monday. I had dinner with my parents and some friends tonight and I ate:

Small handful of fried clams

5-6 onion rings

7 grilled shrimp

2 fried shrimp

1/2 of a hot dog with sauerkraut (including most of the bun)

probably 1/2 cup of cole slaw

Good lord.

I was full after all that, but not even close to uncomfortable.

Granted, I was helping my friends move all day and was feeling very hungry and probably burned off a ton of calories, but seriously...I didn't have weight loss surgery to be able to eat that much in one sitting. I also only lost about 1/2 pound last week.

Put that needle in my belly, doc. I'm ready.

On a good note, and with fingers firmly crossed and knocking on wood, it looks like I am going to probably be able to come to Chicago! I found a wonderful potential roommate in Sarah. We have lots in common, and I think we'll be a good match. I can't wait to meet her...and everyone else too!

Job Interview Today

I got the job! And I am about 98% sure that it was because I was wearing my Sisterhood pants and I had the good energy of all of my band sisters.

To make this band related, my port pain is ALL gone and I was even able to go for a walk with my parents tonight. I called the doctor's office and I'm supposed to take it easy (no weight lifting) and call the doc's cell phone if it gets worse than it was. Otherwise I'll go for a checkup next week to make sure everything is ok.

Port Pain Update and Other Stuff

I am so thankful for my fellow bandster bloggers who told me that this port pain thing was probably nothing. I remember reading somewhere that the newly banded get super paranoid that they're going to hurt their bands. I am guessing I have experienced just that. I slept with one of those ThermaCare heat patch things stuck to my belly last night (since I noticed that a hot shower helped a little) and I woke up feeling a lot better. I'm still babying it and I'll still call the doctor tomorrow, but it's a relief to not be constantly uncomfortable.

I am so thankful for the Sisterhood of the Traveling Clothes. I have a job interview tomorrow and I will be wearing a pair of pants that Nikki sent me. They are really nice and they fit perfectly. I'll try to have my husband take a picture of me in them in the morning. My tops still fit, so all I needed to buy was a pair of shoes.

As for the bandster trip to Chicago, I am bummed that I won't be able to join everyone but I definitely can't make travel plans since I'm not working. Hopefully next year will be in Florida!

Weigh In Day - 4/16/10

I somehow managed to lose 4 pounds this week.

Whoa.

I guess this "not a diet" mentality is going to work for me for now. I'm down to 256.6 - that's 24.4 pounds lost total so far at a month and a half out from surgery.

Also, I don't know what's up, but my stomach has been hurting since last night. The pain is right by my port, and it feels like a cramp like you'd get from running. Perhaps a pulled muscle. I was going to call the doctor's office, but they're closed on Fridays, so if it still hurts on Monday, I'll call then. It's not debilitating, just annoying.

I'm off to have lunch with a friend, and then go fight with the financial aid office at school about loans for the summer semester. Fun.