TGIF

Good morning everyone! Hope you have a terrific Friday! Any special weekend plans? A friend of mine that I haven't seen since 2002 is coming to visit tomorrow. It's going to be wonderful to finally meet his wife! And he'll finally be able to meet Bill as well. It's going to be fun watching his reaction when he sees me since he hasn't seen me post-op. LOL! Shoot...there's a girl at work..Mary...that I usually only run in to about every 3 months or so since she works nights & I work days. Every time I see her, she never recognizes me until I smile. Some things don't change with weight loss! LOL! I ran in to her this morning. Mary always starts laughing and acts like I was trying to see if she could recognize me as if I were incognito or in a Holloween costume or something. Today is mid-year review time here in Lilly-land. Ugh! I do what I do but I hate having to write about what I've done. You all have a great day! Sherri

gotta love it when people do not know right off who it is you are,, actually i am busy,,,,got the jewlery party tonight with peggy..(hope i get to see her son) and tomorrow goodwill day and then Verizon for montgmory gentry concert...anyone else going?????? my aunt won these tickets and asked me to go with her, then, she has to work, so asked if i would take her daughter in law... just a heads up....BOB SEGER has a new cd coming out i think in late summer...sure hope it is a done deal finally and he tours just one more last time so i can go cos nothing would stop me.......

Good Morning party people!! Still have not heard back from Amy to get confirmation on the voicemail. Hopefully today. This all somewhat mind boggling! I am going to take my papers to St. V's for my leave from work. I would ideally like to take two weeks off but I don't have that much time accrued for vacation and I can't lose two weeks pay. So I think I will do 4 weeks of partial pay leave and see if I can arrange a laptop to take home and do some work. I'm such a work-a-holic! I guess I better start making a list of everything I am going to need to buy...lordy this is still not settling in yet!! Hope everyone has a great weekend!! Sam

Sam, Maybe you already have, but before you start using your vacation time to cover being gone for your surgery, check with your HR at work on FMLA benefits and medical leave coverage. Since the surgeon (and your insurance) is deeming this surgery 'medically neccesary', many companies have 100% coverage (and 100% pay) for your being off up to a certain amount of time. For me, it's 3 months and then pay is reduced to 65% for the next 9 months. But due to the FMLA, my job itself is secure no matter how long I need to be off. Hate to see you use up all your vacation time if you don't need to. Sherri

I can use up to 12 weeks of FMLA however it is not paid at all. They would have to use my vacation/sick/personal time in order to pay me. Since I have only been here a year (almost July 11th) I don't have that much time available. The other option is to go out on disability and receive 60% of my normal pay. But I believe the minimum I can be out is 4 weeks. So we'll have to see what I can work out...I'll get all the paperwork etc. together and then turn it in and weight my options. I wish FMLA was paid!! Then I would be out less but it's probably better I take off longer so I can adjust to my new way of eating and digestive system. Sam

Sam, I think (if my memory serves correctly) that I had planned on being off for 3 weeks, but was off for 4...and wish I'd been off for 6. The 4th week was so I could get my energy up abit more. I hurt the 1st week, was very energetic & felt great the 2nd week..but going into the 3rd week, my butt was dragging. After 4 weeks, I could at least keep my eyes open. No, I wasn't in any pain but I think it was just my body trying to get use to the huge reduction of food intake. Alot all depends on the job you do, of course. For me, my work isn't stenuous, but I work with chemicals so I need to be very alert of what I am doing. And there are days when I am at the pc alot or reading alot so I have to be able to be able to stay awake as well. If I had a job that I walked around some but what I was doing couldn't potentially be dangerous (like working in the women's department at Walmart), I could have probably returned to work that 2nd week. It sucks that vacation time equates the same as personal time or sick days for you. Sherri

I don't have a very strenous job physically. I work as an administrative assistant in an executive office here in the State of Indiana. However I do deal with people who stress me out! My biggest fear is getting sick, levels getting low, or something happening during those first few weeks and being at work. I would much rather that happen at home where I can get someone I know to take me someplace instead of a co-worker etc. I will determine the time I am out...probably over estimate and say 6 weeks but try to be back in 4. Sam

That's what I wish I had done...but then, if I had, I probably would have stayed out the entire 6 weeks! LOL! It seems like it was Dr. Gupta who had wrote 3 weeks on my paperwork for work though so it will probably all depend on what your doc says.

Sam, Looks like we will be going to the same classes and walking the same halls all at the same time. I'll have to call u again and make sure amy schedules us to have surgery on the same day...lol Mariah

Oh My Gosh! Can you imagine how great that would be?!? I don't think St. Vincents would know what hit them! We'll definately have to arrange some things together! Sam