Ideas Needed...

I need a few on how to keep myself busy. My mind seems to be bouncing off the walls lately thinking about June 26th... and twice in the past three days I have fought back tears. Tears that seem to come whenever I am alone or there seems to be a quiet moment to think. I really am not a basket case kinda girl... but these emotions are just weird! I did not know I was wired this way! For all you post-ops out there... what did you do to "pass the time"? I did make myself a "To-Do" list... but that list is almost done! Thanks in advance, Brandee

Sounds familiar. Here goes- Read profiles Look at before/after pics Walk Try different protein powders Look for places to walk when you are on the other side Make a wish list of things to do after Make a wish list of clothes you will want at half goal and at goal Join a support group Go visit/make friends with a new post op Go visit/make friends with an old post op Rearrange your furniture they way you will want it when you are on the other side If I think of more I will send them. kp

Clean the cabinets of all the bad stuff Fill the cabinets with the good stuff kp

Hey Brandee! I can completely relate to how you are feeling. I am due to have surgery on July 17th and I go through the same thing you are talking about. KP had some really good idea's. When I start to freak out I jump on here and do what KP said. I go through profiles, look at pics. and make posts. LOL you are doing the right thing. Another thing that helps me is I pray! And I play music REALLY LOUD!!!!!!!!!! And sing even louder> LOL cause no one can hear me. It is AMAZING what a stress relief that is. I usually listen to modern christian music so in doing that I am also worshiping at the same time so it gives me some sort of peace. I don't know where you are in your walk with faith but I can tell you prayer helps. I hope this helps. I will keep you in my prayers on your day of surgery. I hope all goes well for you! Diane

I am going crazy too and I don't even have insurance approval yet. I hate this waiting game. "Call back in a week!" and "I can't get you in until three weeks from now." are the things I am dealing with. Why can't my PCP just hand me the files and I could take one day off from work and go hit up all the Doctors I need to see in one day???? Sorry, I needed to vent a little. It has been really nice here at the OH. I have learned a lot and I love looking at the before and after pictures. I think if I had a date, I would clean everything in site and throw myself into my work. Lots of luck!

Well... looks like I have some work to do! Thank you all for your ideas! My husband informed me he is playing cards Saturday night - which means I have some time to myself. I am planning on cleaning my office, the pantry (GOOD IDEA, KEVIN!!), doing some work in the flower beds... and if I get that all done, organizing the dreaded linen closet and moving all towels to the lower shelf so that post-op I don't have to reach and stretch to get a clean towel. Diane, prayer indeed has been my saving grace throughout this entire journey. I would not be where I am today had I not opened my heart and listened to what the Lord was telling me. Dispite my strange emotions recently, I have never felt so at peace and humbled to be where I am today. (Speaking of Christian Music, have you ever listened to Casting Crowns? AWESOME Stuff!) Tammy, I was fortunate that all of my doctors were awesome to work with. I requested records from my psych eval, sleep apnea doctor, infertility specialist, orthopedic doc (broken foot in 2004 was SLOW to heal), PCP, chiropractor, and life insurance company (copy of the denial for extra policy due to my weight). I took a day off work to pick up records. I shocked my home/auto/life insurance agent - he had never had someone request a denial letter for surgery approval... same with my chiropractor, who was thrilled that I wanted HIS professional opinion on how weight loss would benefit me. It took me about a week and a half to two weeks to get everything to Renee at Hurley. Maybe it was too much information as no one told me I needed documentation from all those sources - but hell, I did not care. I made a list of all the things that had happened to me in the last four years health and happiness wise and then went to those entities to get records. The key for me was to be persistant. I called almost every day to check on the status of paperwork. I love Renee, Lynn and Jill at Hurley. They were key to putting everything together for me, and for that I will forever be grateful! You are in very good hands if you have them on your side! Well friends, I really need to get my butt to bed. Tomorrow is my pre-admissions appointment at Hurley. I have to check in at 7:30 a.m. My mom is going to the nutrition classes tomorrow afternoon with me since my husband has a date with the Dentist. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement... I'll post after I get home and let you all know how the pre-admission stuff went. Brandee

Hi, Brandee. I had my surgery with Dr. Farhan in August of last year. He was awesome, as was my whole experience through Hurley. I've had absolutely no problems with my surgery. I pray that things will go smoothly for you as well. It is hard waiting. Last summer, Dr. Farhan was on vacation for the month of July. I got my surgery date sometime in June last year. I was hoping for a July date while my hubby was off work, but that didn't pan out. Regardless, everything worked out for the best and I wouldn't change a thing. Having to wait that extra month, I thought, would be torture. But as it turned out, it just enabled me to really enjoy my life. I had no choice but to wait, so I made the most of my time because I LIVE FOR SUMMER and didn't want to wish my summer away. I did a lot of the things others have mentioned. I exercised as much as I could before surgery. I got myself into a good routine of walking and lifting some weights...nothing big, just to tone. I cleaned the house top to bottom, knowing my mother in law would insist on coming over to help, even though my hubby took the week off to stay with me. I looked at LOTS of before and after pics. I read as much as I could about the surgery. I swam in my pool as much as I could, too. I knew that after surgery, I wouldn't be able to swim for a while. Since my surgery was in August, by the time I could swim again, it was time to close the pool. Luckily, I could swim at the gym all winter. I went through the emotional thing, as well. I decided at the beginning that the outcome was out of my hands and whatever will be will be. I knew my part in the whole situation. But I put it in God's hands, which really helped me relax. One more thing that I did that someone on OH suggested.....Close your eyes and imagine yourself, one year from now, after surgery. How will you feel? What will you look like? What kind of clothes will you be wearing? What will you be able to do in one year that you can't do now? Now, after imagining yourself 1 year post-op, close your eyes and imagine yourself in one year WITHOUT having surgery. That may help put it into perspective. Sorry this ended up kinda long. Take care! The time will be here before you know it! Tina