BYOC via Drazil

1. What’s your favorite smell? OK this one is going to sound about the strangest in the world... I love the smell of diesel fuel and rain together. When I was in high school, my parents lived overseas in Indonesia on a mountain in a rainforest. There were no vehicles other than the company owned ones which were all diesel. It also rained on average 365 inches of rain a year. Something about the mixture of those smells always takes me back there. Now, I didn't live there all of the time though... my parents and younger brother did... I went to boarding school in Hawaii!


2. What is your all-time favorite movie and why? Christmas Vacation. My family is nuts and it is a great reminder that our nuttiness is just who we are and we have fun doing it. I have a sign hanging in the doorway that says, "Our family puts the 'fun' in dysfunctional"

3. What’s your trigger food? I am currently addicted to freeze dried green beans.

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? Can I do anything to make this less painful for you?

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? I would have to say kagead getting insurance approval!

Still here!

I haven't posted in a few days as #1 I have been at a conference for work, and #2 I haven't really felt like dealing with any of this. This insurance hell is really getting to me and I have just found it better to cope by trying to forget about it all. I am still doing ok on my diet, not too bad. The food at the conference wasn't that good at all, so I ate big plates of broccoli and cauliflower. My blood sugar has been screwing with me and running really low. I guess it is because I am eating better. I started cutting my pills in half so that I don't tank. I will talk to the doctor about that at my appointment on Tuesday.

I sit and daydream about how my life will be different with the band. I just wish I wasn't in this horrible holding pattern. I did find a shining star of the whole thing. We are going on a trip the third weekend in May. I was thinking that I may be on pre-op diet at that time. I guess I won't be now!

I would like to thank all for the great comments about the wii fit. I think that I am going to wait a bit and see.

I need some comments on WII Fit

We had a great week last week. The family and I went on Thursday evening to a town hall meeting on underage drinking. I went for sheer curiosity as to what the town's ideas were as I am juvenile probation in town. At the meeting the incentive for coming prize was a Wii system. MY SON won! He was quite excited. I have been wanting the Wii fit for a while, but did not want to spend the money on the system and the balance board. I need some feedback as to how everyone who has it thinks of it and if they use it enough to justify the price or not. Thanks for any and all feedback!

Victories, Failures, and BYOC a day late

OK so good news this week and bad news too.

I will start with the bad well not bad just more frustrating. My surgeons office called and I got all excited. They said that they wanted me to go to one more appointment with my doctor before they sent everything in. :( I about had a high speed comeapart on the phone because I was under the impression that it would take them 2 weeks to look at my file again before sending to insurance. The lady promised that she was completing the letter of medical necessity and all would be prepared, they just wanted one more set of dr notes to send. OK well, I was very upset, but they promised that I will get approved they don't see any problems, and just want to cover all bases.

GOOD NEWS! I have made it to ONEDERLAND! I am so excited. I haven't seen 199 since my 4th month of my last pregnancy!

and Last by not least. BYOC a day late. Sorry ladies, my laptop died yesterday. My husband majically brought it back to life though!


1. Name a career you would NOT want to do and tell why.

Day care worker. I have enough trouble not going insane with my own kids. Also I have a major adversion to vomit.


2. What’s the best present you ever received for your birthday?

The best birthday present ever was for my 16th birthday. It wasn't really a monetary present, but more of an act of kindness. We were on a cruise to Alaska for my birthday. When we were walking in Juneau as that was our port that day. Everyone stopped me to say Happy Birthday. I had know idea how everyone knew, but then mom said they were all eating with us when the "really hot" waiters sang to me.

3. This is from Amy W. (I had a request to copy her question and ask it today in BYOC) (Hope that’s okay Amy!)

What do you hide behind?

I often hide behind my husband. I am the one who is more often then not barking the orders, but it is him that I always send in to do my dirty work.

4. Where were you born?

St. Charles, Illinois

5. A little twist on this one..usually we ask – what blog spoke to you the most, stuck with you, had the most effect on you this week? This week I’m adding to that which comment may have affected you greatly? Sometimes a blog can lead to amazing comments and they deserve their own claim to fame here in this question.

I would say my favorite had to be Amy W's call to all newbies. I made a lot of connections that I wouldn't have otherwise found. Thanks!

I had a victory today!

No my insurance didn't call, nor the surgeons office saying that they submitted, but I didn't go to lunch with my co-workers!

Now I know that sounds strange and all, but it being Secretaries day and all the office was going out to lunch at of all places Pizza Hut.  I looked last night at the nutritional information posted online and was apalled!  It was sickening to think that I would feed that to my family without thinking.  I was looking for something that I could order that wouldn't be too bad, but I really couldn't find anything that I could stomach and the salad bar there just isn't very nice.  I tore myself up about it all morning and finally told them at 11:30 to count me out and told them why.  They understood.  I never would have thought twice about this a few months ago. 

I did get to come home for lunch and save myself at least 700 calories and find that I have 40 followers who stay around to listen to my rants!  Thank you for being here for me it has been more helpful to me than anything and I know that I can come and ask any question (no matter how wierd) and someone is going to know and not be offended.  That is priceless. 

More rantings! I know everyone is tired of hearing them.

So I break down and call the surgeons office again,I am beginning to think that I have ADHD or something.   Or maybe more rightly, OCD.  Anyway, I call.  This time the different secretary answered and put me on hold several times.  I was beginning to think she was  a little scatterbrained as she kept forgetting who I was and why I called.  Next thing I know, the lady whose desk my file was supposed to be on for the last 2 weeks answers.  JACKPOT!  but no...  She gives me this sob story about how they have been short handed as 2 in the office are out right now and how she has been staying late working on medical necessity letters, but hadn't gotten to work on mine yet.  I was very nice about it and told her how I was really hoping to hear something soon as summer is quickly approaching and I really need to know where to put surgery in my schedule.  She said that the understood and would TRY to get to it.  She did tell me that she would call me when she faxes to insurance so I will know.  I know that everyone is probably tired of hearing me rant and complain.  I just want to get out of this holding pattern.  It feels like I am on a plane out on the tarmac and I have to pee, but the plane won't take off or go back to the terminal.  Just stuck and miserable...
I want to be skinny!

The frustration is mounting!

I have tried and tried to be patient with this insurance approval.  I broke down and called the surgeons office today.  The lady that I talked to (wasn't the one I usually do) said that my chart is still on the nurses desk (she didn't indicate if anything had been done with it) and that she was probably going to call me or something.  My file has been on the nurses desk for a week.  A WEEK!  If anything set on my desk for a week, my boss would have a fit and I work for the Courts where everything goes slow.  No phone call today.  I have called BCBS and they don't have anything from the surgeon.  Am I losing my mind!?  I don't want to be a pest, but I really hate this holding pattern.  My husband even asked me the other night if I knew when I was going to get skinny.  That is his way of showing that he is getting anxious. 

Any suggestions on how to pass the time?