Shrinking Violets -- April 07 Bandsters

[Lap_dancer 8]

Hi all! How has everyone been. I've had a busy past few days. Well, I finally got my fill on Saturday. So here it goes:

My fill was scheduled at 9:30 a.m. so I figured I should skip Breakfast. No one told me to do it but I just went ahead and did it. I got there and she cleaned the area with alcohol. I did NOT lie down. It was standing. I stood behind the x-ray machine and lifted up my shirt and tucked it under my bra. I could see my port on the screen when they turned on the machine. She located the middle of the port by using a long metal rod and just moving it around my port area on my skin. Once she located the middle of the port she marked it with the tip of her marker. She then gave me a numbing shot. That didn't really hurt. Just like a little ant bite. Then I saw the fill needle. OMG it looked huge. I turned away while she inserted it. It miraculously did not hurt. So then she put in 2.5 cc's. She gave me a tiny little bit of barium and asked me to drink. You could see the liquid gathering in my little pouch! She timed how long it took to flow through and then she decided that 2.5 cc's was too much. She pulled some saline out and left 1.7 cc's. She then asked me to sip some more barium. She was satisfied with how long it took to get through. She then gave me 8 oz of Water to drink and she had me drink them while the needle was still sticking out of me!!! So I'm standing there with this huge needle sticking out of me! Too funny. Took me a little bit to drink all the water. I could feel the tightness. Finally when I was done drinking then she went to go remove the needle. OUCH! THAT HURT. That was the only part that hurt. I rode laying down all my way home because I felt sore in that area. I felt sore for the rest of the day but there was no bruising. I did warm or room temperature liquids for the rest of Saturday. Sunday all day I had mushies. I could feel some definite tightness. I felt like the third day out of surgery. On Monday I had an runny scrambled egg for breakfast and then I had one hamburger patty that I nibbled on for the rest of the day. This morning I had 4 oz of cottage cheese with a handful of rasberries. Also, Saturday and Sunday I did not get all my water in. I was having to take tiny sips and I only drank like 30 oz each day. Today I am doing good with my water. I will reach my 96 oz by the end of the day.

I noticed on Monday that if I don't chew very very well it fell like the food was going down like barbed wire. I had gotten used to being able to eat reguarly and then this brought me back to having to follow bandster rules! I will see what happens for the next few days and keep ya'll posted!

Thanks for this detailed post on a fill. I so need it! My first fill is next week. Now I know what to expect. I thought the needle would be pretty big and I expected the sipping water while getting filled. The other details were helpful.

[rho_z 0]

Kity,

I've been a high school Chemistry teacher for 25 years.

I teach at Kempner HS outside of Houston, TX.

We finished up last Friday and worked graduation Saturday.

WooHoo! SCHOOL'S OUT!! WooHoo!!!

Now I can spend the summer on ME...and doing some house remodeling.

What are your plans this summer?

The end is near...lol

[kity 2]

My fill update,

I posted yesterday that I was torn if I should get a fill or not tomorrow. Well, I half way chickened out. Me leaving on my prep period was very risky...we are not really allowed to go anywhere on our preps (especially for personal business) so I was going to sneak. I decided to wait and reschedule my appointment. At first they were like, the next opening we have is the 27th of June. I was a little pissed, and said, "you've bumped me 2 times, and now this is the soonest date?" Then they said, "oh, how about June 8th?" There it is, June 8th...set in stone. The doctor goes on vacation after that (like I am his last appointment), so I hope it is ok. He does have someone to help in emergencies. Anyway, there it is, June 8... Until then I will have to behave. Mostly:)

[kity 2]

rho z~I plan on sleeping, working out, relaxing, doing homework (trying to finish my doctorate degree), I have 1 week of school (doctorate) and 1 week of vacation (turning 40 in Vegas then off to Tahoe to go sailing and see my dad). I am so looking forward to summer, can't wait to take naps everyday.

Enjoy your summer, talk to you soon!

[Daisalana 33]

Sounds like the life of a teacher is a good one

That is, if you put up with the kids for 3/4 of the year!

I was in college to be an English teacher when I first started, and as time went on and I did some student teacher projects, I realized I didn't have enough patients for people.. or kids..

So then I turned to sociology with the intentions of working as an adoption social worker.. I got my degree, but haven't used it yet.. Decided to do what I'm doing now, working with the music and movie industry.. has a lot more fun people.. maybe one day I'll do the more meaningful job.

[GR8 1]

Good Afternoon, Violets!~~

MY BIG DAY!

I'll definitely check in before I leave tomorrow morning @5:30am Eastern time for my date w/destiny!

I can't believe that my day is here!!!!!!!

MDRAI -- How are you doing? We should be hearing from you any minute -- if I am correct - you had surgery at 7:30 and expecting to be released in the afternoon.

I had mine at 9:30 and was released at 2:15 ---

We have been thinking of you ALL day with positive vibes and thoughts and praying for a safe and quick surgery and recovery.

Gina :clap2:

[rho_z 0]

Lauraj23,

It gets harder and harder each year to be a teacher.

If teaching was just a 9-5 job, it would be great, but the amount of hours we put in after 5 pm and on Saturdays is unbelievable and without pay. If you ask, most teachers will tell you it takes at least a week to recover from the school year being over.

It takes a special person to stay with it until retirement.

Me...I've been fortunate to work in 2 very good school districts

over the past 25 years and my students have been let's say...less motivated each year, but pretty much well behaved. I can retire in 3 1/2 years, if I want to...WooHoo!

My plans this summer include a 2 week Pre-AP Chemistry course at University of Houston Downtown and a week long Chemistry course in

El Paso. Both at my expense. The rest of the summer is for ME and remodeling my house. School starts again for me August 20 with kids hitting the door Aug 27.

Oh and I have jury duty in June, too.

Sure we only work 187 days (1/2 a year), but we only get paid for working that number of days. Oh and divide that amount by 12 months.

Not much left after bills and taxes.

OK...I'll get off my soap box...

[Teachlady 3]

Hey Debra.. Welcome!!

Nice to have yet another teacher join us. I'm a retired Kindergarten teacher. I retired in June of 04 and have not looked back. I miss the kids and the colleagues, but all the rest of the stuff??.. nuh uh. I'm doing all sorts of stuff for ME now and loving it. I used to get up at 4:30 a.m. to make the 62 mile drive to work with 2 others in our car pool. We'd be at school at 7:10 a.m. and get home at 4:45 p.m. and then I had church and family committments. It was a hectic life and I lived for summers!! Now I get up when I want most days, do the things that I enjoy doing (though I LOVED teaching) and rest when I want to. And I save about $100 a week on gas alone!!! It's a good life!!

[Bubbles 0]

Hi all! How has everyone been. I've had a busy past few days. Well, I finally got my fill on Saturday. So here it goes:

My fill was scheduled at 9:30 a.m. so I figured I should skip breakfast. No one told me to do it but I just went ahead and did it. I got there and she cleaned the area with alcohol. I did NOT lie down. It was standing. I stood behind the x-ray machine and lifted up my shirt and tucked it under my bra. I could see my port on the screen when they turned on the machine. She located the middle of the port by using a long metal rod and just moving it around my port area on my skin. Once she located the middle of the port she marked it with the tip of her marker. She then gave me a numbing shot. That didn't really hurt. Just like a little ant bite. Then I saw the fill needle. OMG it looked huge. I turned away while she inserted it. It miraculously did not hurt. So then she put in 2.5 cc's. She gave me a tiny little bit of barium and asked me to drink. You could see the liquid gathering in my little pouch! She timed how long it took to flow through and then she decided that 2.5 cc's was too much. She pulled some saline out and left 1.7 cc's. She then asked me to sip some more barium. She was satisfied with how long it took to get through. She then gave me 8 oz of Water to drink and she had me drink them while the needle was still sticking out of me!!! So I'm standing there with this huge needle sticking out of me! Too funny. Took me a little bit to drink all the water. I could feel the tightness. Finally when I was done drinking then she went to go remove the needle. OUCH! THAT HURT. That was the only part that hurt. I rode laying down all my way home because I felt sore in that area. I felt sore for the rest of the day but there was no bruising. I did warm or room temperature liquids for the rest of Saturday. Sunday all day I had mushies. I could feel some definite tightness. I felt like the third day out of surgery. On Monday I had an runny scrambled egg for breakfast and then I had one hamburger patty that I nibbled on for the rest of the day. This morning I had 4 oz of cottage cheese with a handful of rasberries. Also, Saturday and Sunday I did not get all my water in. I was having to take tiny sips and I only drank like 30 oz each day. Today I am doing good with my water. I will reach my 96 oz by the end of the day.

I noticed on Monday that if I don't chew very very well it fell like the food was going down like barbed wire. I had gotten used to being able to eat reguarly and then this brought me back to having to follow bandster rules! I will see what happens for the next few days and keep ya'll posted!

Thanks for sharing! I'm scheduled to get my first fill on June 7. I know that I need it, but it sure is nice not having to worry about food getting stuck, etc. right now!

[GR8 1]

Thanks for sharing! I'm scheduled to get my first fill on June 7. I know that I need it, but it sure is nice not having to worry about food getting stuck, etc. right now!

I agree -- it's nice to know what is coming at our first fills. Mine is Thursday yes I am nerves - I hate needles -- I am one of those that get's light headed and close to passing out - just having my blood drawn - and I have this done at a miniimum of 2x a year, you would think I would get better.

I too can eat anything -steak, hamburger, bread, etc... I guess it would be better to say I haven't found anything I can't eat so far, I do limit intake -- but can't wait for the restriction -- so I can start losing.

I haven't lost anything to speak of since 2 weeks after surgery -- so very discouraging -- I was hoping to be much further along and closer to my mini goals.

Thanks for listening to me rant!!!! Have a good night everyone. Gina;)

[Kat817 19]

Oh Laura I am so sorry, let me look through and see if I can find it or not. I was going to look for it for you weeks ago! If I can find it, you can keep it, our new computer is Vista. Learning it slowly.....

Will look for the disc I promise!!! Don't worry about pushy---I am getting old...for heavens sake remind me!!!!!

As for the coordinator---I would tell her point blank, that you "accept" that she confused the appointment time, but it did however cost DF paid time off, and that you are confident it will NOT happen again, and is there in fact a penalty payment or credit, if either of you repeatedly misses scheduled appointments, since you will be dealing with so many 3rd parties? No need to go into Bridezilla mode...but no need to let her set the tone of the arrangement by walking all over you either. Makes me wonder if this is not how she guages her couples....whether they will be easy or difficult to work with. I would not give her the impression of being hard to deal with, but I also would not act like it was not an inconvenience when in fact it was! Bottom line....YOU paid HER---she works for YOU and she did not show up....better to find out early if you need to look for someone else. I agree, it is unprofessional! Besides another question hit me when she said she had people over....people over as in friends visiting? Other clients? Does she use up YOUR time with her answering other calls??? Sounds like something that would have set me off as well!!!

Ok---I will try to hunt down my old computer discs......then let you know.

Kat

[mdrai 3]

Good Tuesday Evening, FELLOW BANDERS!~~~

:biggrin1:

I did it! I did it! I did it!

Arrived @ Surgical Center @ 6:30am, signed in, etc... then while I was waiting for them to come get me I started crying... as I told my surprised DH, it was because I was sad that I had let myself get so out of control that this was necessary. But I got a grip pretty quickly, just a few mins really.

The nurse came & got me & prepped me... oh so lovely w/TOM visiting, ugh... she had probs getting the IV placed, so I have several bruise areas on my arms.

They wheeled me back @ 7:30 exactly! The sliding from the pre-op bed onto the surg table was not my most graceful moment, between the IV, the pad I'm holding between my legs, and the big gown getting caught up underneath me... entertaining visual, yes? Once I was situated, I looked up and saw the big surgi lights, and all the machines, and they're hooking me up to everything and the tears started a bit again... all the staff were really great tho... then I started getting loopy (as if I wasn't already!) and then out!

About an hour later I'm waking up, or rather they're trying to wake me up. Waking up is not my fav activity on a good day! So it took me awhile... little by little... they brought back my DH... said everything went great... I had a small hietal hernia but not big enough to have to repair... It turned out that the only patients at the center today were me & a little 7yo kid! So I had lots of attention. My mouth was dry, dry, dry (still is!) so I asked for an ice chip to just hold & let melt... man that felt good! I was so nervous taking those first sips of water... then I had to sip a Protein Shake, too! All went down fine. After a long time (a couple hrs??) they walked me to the bathroom and I took care of my personal issues + got dressed, etc... then went home (the pillow helped a lot!).

At home, I got into my nightshirt & got settled into the chair in my bedroom & dozed & walked & dozed & walked... pretty much my day so far. Finally came downstairs awhile ago and came straight to the computer & my wonderful violets!

Overall feel good! No "pain" really... more of a tightness across my chest... no shoulder pain... feel slow & loopy, but am attributing that to the pain meds... should take another now, but am waiting awhile longer so I can take 2 for "bed" -- or should I say "chair"?

Thank you all for your good thoughts & wishes & advice over these long weeks... now I'm with you in Band Land!

((hugs) & goodnight!

[Bubbles 0]

Good Tuesday Evening, FELLOW BANDERS!~~~

:biggrin1:

I did it! I did it! I did it!

Arrived @ Surgical Center @ 6:30am, signed in, etc... then while I was waiting for them to come get me I started crying... as I told my surprised DH, it was because I was sad that I had let myself get so out of control that this was necessary. But I got a grip pretty quickly, just a few mins really.

The nurse came & got me & prepped me... oh so lovely w/TOM visiting, ugh... she had probs getting the IV placed, so I have several bruise areas on my arms.

They wheeled me back @ 7:30 exactly! The sliding from the pre-op bed onto the surg table was not my most graceful moment, between the IV, the pad I'm holding between my legs, and the big gown getting caught up underneath me... entertaining visual, yes? Once I was situated, I looked up and saw the big surgi lights, and all the machines, and they're hooking me up to everything and the tears started a bit again... all the staff were really great tho... then I started getting loopy (as if I wasn't already!) and then out!

About an hour later I'm waking up, or rather they're trying to wake me up. Waking up is not my fav activity on a good day! So it took me awhile... little by little... they brought back my DH... said everything went great... I had a small hietal hernia but not big enough to have to repair... It turned out that the only patients at the center today were me & a little 7yo kid! So I had lots of attention. My mouth was dry, dry, dry (still is!) so I asked for an ice chip to just hold & let melt... man that felt good! I was so nervous taking those first sips of water... then I had to sip a Protein Shake, too! All went down fine. After a long time (a couple hrs??) they walked me to the bathroom and I took care of my personal issues + got dressed, etc... then went home (the pillow helped a lot!).

At home, I got into my nightshirt & got settled into the chair in my bedroom & dozed & walked & dozed & walked... pretty much my day so far. Finally came downstairs awhile ago and came straight to the computer & my wonderful violets!

Overall feel good! No "pain" really... more of a tightness across my chest... no shoulder pain... feel slow & loopy, but am attributing that to the pain meds... should take another now, but am waiting awhile longer so I can take 2 for "bed" -- or should I say "chair"?

Thank you all for your good thoughts & wishes & advice over these long weeks... now I'm with you in Band Land!

((hugs) & goodnight!

Congratulations! I hope that you have a very good rest. Remember to walk, take deep breaths and take your gas-X (hopefully you won't need it). You did it!!!!!:clap2:

[adorable 1]

mdrai,

CONGRATULATIONS!!! YOU DID IT!!!! Welcome to the "losing" side!!!!

[Daisalana 33]

So glad you're home and happy Mdrai!!

Sounds like it went well and wow you got to go home so quick.. I wished I got that, I was soooooooo bored and bugging the nurses every hour 'Can I go now? PLEASE?' and we were passing my 23 hour mark, I ended up being there 27 hours I think, but at 23 hours I thought I was on my way out and was sooo antsy.

Welcome to bandland!!!! Woowoo

Kat- LOL I didn't want to seem demanding.. I almost got a new computer, but dell only sold them with vista, and I refuse to go to vista.. people who know computers know it's a rotten deal (no offense intended, 90% of people don't know any better).. vista takes so much memory to run, it's hard to do much else on your computer because of it.. plus new systems are always full of bugs.. I like xp and want to fix this computer.. I talked to dell's customer service about getting xp instead of vista.. they said it can't be done and I flat out told them, then you just lost a customer. I'm not paying to have vista when I'll have to reinstall xp.. and a couple weeks later I found out they are offering xp again.. mmhm. And now I can't afford to buy a new computer, so just have to fix this one.