Date

Got my surgery date, having gastric bypass I decided: Jan 16, 2012. I start my two week liquid diet on the 2nd. Excited but also bothered that it's so far away (had hoped for a December date).

Gonna be a big Christmas here: got Chael a craviola and a bunch of accessories, a bunch of foods for his stocking (way more than it'll hold), and a bathrobe that should be huge on him.

I got my Cure concert, am getting jerky, some Lush, and a bunch of jewelry from Bodyartforms.

Once everything is here we'll probably have our Xmas early like always. We have a Tofurky in the freezer and just need to buy instant mashed potatoes.

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Nightmares

Doc upped my Risperdal dosage by 1mg and the pills arrived 3 days ago. For the past two nights I've had horrible nightmares and my "strange/paranoid" thinking is increasing.

Added am nervous about sleeping tonight and Chael has duty so he won't be home. Lights on, maybe won't sleep.

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Location:Home

Surgery date!

Just went on a two-week road trip to Hollywood and back to see The Cure perform their first three albums in a row, then random hits. We did two days of H-wood site seeing and on the way back saw the AZ meteor crater (very big and very cool), and the UFO museum in Roswell, NM.

Concert was great. Sites were cool. On last day driving we drove through a sand storm which was fuzzy and in some parts opaque. Scary.

Got approved for my surgery and got a date: January 16th, 2012. I have two days of pre-op testing: Dec 30th for a tests and labs, Jan 3rd to talk to the surgeon.

Excited but bummed it's so far away.


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Location:Home

Yongsan, Seoul, Korea

We had a chance to go to Yongsan but the military said, '"no, the requisition is filled". That and when we contacted Branch we were told my EFMP packet needed updating before we could be sent anywhere...

...so I'm getting to talk to the doctor to update the paperwork next week (or the week after that, if they say my other doctor needs to do it). Hopefully this will make it so that we can be sent there, as the major Army hospital for Korea is located on the Yongsan post, in addition to the fact that I've been doing overall well.

It will be the last time we have any say in where we go, as Chael gets out in a few years... as in, we may stay there for the rest of his time in, not just 2 years, if we like it.

I love going to and living in new places, countries even more so. Been reading up on Seoul via the internet, sounds really good. I love cities. It's somewhere I've never been so I want to go there, basically.

So wish us luck.

sleep study, apnea, bi-pap

Got put on a Bi-PAP machine after a sleep study last night for Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Basically, due to fatness I stop breathing once a minute. They also have to crank the thing up to an obnoxious level -24/19 if anyone is medically inclined. Basically, for those not, it means I have a tremendous air pressure being blown at me while I breathe with a mask on.

And I mean intense airflow. I was fine sleeping with it last night as they adjusted it up as I slept, but when getting my own machine today the lady put it on me at my level while I was awake and I almost scratched the thing off my face; I couldn't breathe and felt like someone was trying to drown me, it was so intense.

Thankfully the machine has a slow-increase function that she set for 45 minutes for me. Now it starts at a reasonable pressure and works its way up to the full level while I'm falling asleep.

I tested this out today during a nap and it worked awesome. I didn't notice the increasing and passed the heck out hard well before it got to the top intensity for me.

So yeah, BI-PAP, sleep apnea, mask wearing. Not pleased I need it, but love having it due to its lovely effects!

Microdermals

Where should I get them?

I have a few ideas but I can't decide between them:

Combo 1: One on each side, half way up, my neck; one inbetween my clavicles; one on the back of each wrist

Combo 2: In two circles of twelve, one below each clavicle (or as many as I can afford to start this design... may be waaay too pricey for me, gotta get a quote)

Combo 3: One 12 point circle placed just below the meeting of my clavicles

I'm definitely thinking I'll get the ones on the back of my wrists re-done... but what else? I don't often get up to Dallas to get such things done, so want to get a few at once while I'm up there.

Maybe I'll start small and get some that I can expand a design on later: back of each wrist, each side of neck, one under each clavicle, one between clavicles. That's 7 and pretty pricey, but they said they'll give discounts on multiples. As said, I gotta figure out what I want to get a quote.

Gastric Bypass and Other

I've read and looked and visited and decided to go with the Gastric Bypass surgery instead of the Lap-Band. Higher risk during surgery, lower incidence of long-term issues.

Am living in Copperas Cove with Chael, have been for several months. It's totally podunk, but it's nice to be with him and I have MUCH better VA care here than I did in Dallas.

Just got back recently from a trip to my parents' and Camp Crucible. Was great to hang out with all of my House, Delta Sigma, and to see the beauty of home again. Went wine tasting with mom and sister.

Step-father lost his mind on my sister's daughter one night, totally apeshit and abusive, yelling bad names at her, mocking her crying, etc. Unsure if I'll go back and stay with them again, at least not again without my car with me so that I have an out. As it was, I was trapped there... it ruined the entire rest of my trip, having to see him and act like nothing happened, since that's how my mom and sister handled it and I had no way to leave til they put me on a plane a week later.

I don't want to see him again. But have no current issues with mom and sister that would keep me from visiting, so is tricky.

Am going to see Transfomers 3 with Chael tonight, plus go by Sally's for hair bleach and dye. I'm feeling up to re-coloring my hair, finally, so need supplies.

Lap-Band

I love me and my body; I'm not a me-hater. I am beautiful now heavy as I was beautiful when I was underweight and then when I was ideal weight -but my body fat level is starting to impact my health. It is becoming limiting and uncomfortable.

So I'm looking into Lap-Band surgery. My sister had gastric-bypass and there is no way I will ever do that... not after seeing how it has changed her life (she lost the weight but can no longer eat healthy foods and has had a lot of side effects from the g-b). I want to go a route where I can continue to eat healthy, vegan meals; am not at risk for malabsorption issues (part of my sis's problem); and can be undone if needed for any reason.

On searching, it looks like Tricare Prime will cover it 100% for me. I just need to set up a PCP and get a referral through them. I'll work towards that starting Monday.

Wish me luck.