Starting over again

Today was very frustrating.  I have decided to change bariatric doctors.  I wasn't totally thrilled with the original surgeon and the second surgeon has left the bariatric practice.  I hadn't been back to the doctor for at least six months.  So......I went to a new doctor.  He has taken over the bariatric center at Tucson Medical Center.  I went because I had been having problems with heartburn and pain.  I also felt like the port had dropped lower.  And the saga goes on.......
I really like Dr. Monash.  He had gotten my surgical records from all three surgeries and asked me  a lot of questions that made a lot of sense.  The end of the matter is that there was a hiatal hernia initially that was not repaired when they put the initial lapbands in.  Now there appears to be a larger hernia that the lapband is going through the area.  So.........I will be having surgery again when we figure out the financial side.  Right now, they may or may not be willing to pay for a revision of the lapband even though it was the surgeon that caused the problem.  I'm waiting to hear from the insurance person at the doctor's office.  My choices would be to do nothing and leave the band as it but without any solution in it or to have them take it out or to have them to repair the hernia and revise the lapband or to repair the hernia and do a bariatric sleeve.  Not sure what to do, Paul and I are talking about it.  He feels very strongly about the bariatric sleeve and doesn't want to go that way.  I need to do some research to decide.  What I'm not happy about is that I have to have surgery again.  I am praying for God to send us the right answer and the money if the insurance won't pay for it.
On a brighter note, I get to sing in the concert Let Freedom Sing again this year.  It will be a wonderful day on the 4th.  I hope you all have a wonderful day too.

Yes, I am still alive.  It has been almost six months (very busy months) since I wrote anything.  I kept thinking that I would post when I lost more weight but I'm still stuck.  Having a bit of a problem with throwing up too.  2 of the 3 doctors in the practice that I initially went to have left and the one who is still there is not my favorite.  I have an appointment with a new doctor who I have heard really good things about.  I'm not sure what the best thing to do will be but my eating habits have to get under control.  I've only gained back about five of the 45 pounds lost but I'm supposed to go the other direction so I need to figure out the best way to do this. Exercise is obviously a great idea but my knee is still disliking me and that is an issue.  I haven't decided when I'll have to give in and have the knee replaced but it will happen sometime.  I am very grateful that we have hired a new technical specialist and when she is trained, my life will be easier.  I am able right now to go and do some extra training and working with the account managers and their customers.  This is a part of my job that I have not been able to do much of until now.
I am also starting an online course that will cover everything that will be on the Specialist in Blood Banking exam.  I hope to take that exam in the fall of this year.  Small steps but I'll get there.
I hope to post a bit more often than I have been.  I was teaching an adult ladies class but have switched to the baby class again (it's what they needed) and so will get to play with the babies again for a time.  God is good and has allowed many things to happen in the past months.  He will always take care of us and love us.  I am so grateful for that knowledge and assurance.  God bless you all  as you go about all that you do.

Long Time, No Post

No, I haven't forgotten my blog, I've just been so busy I haven't had time or energy to update my brain or anything else for that matter.

My job is keeping me hopping, literally from one end of the west to the other.  I have been to Oregon, Montana, Idaho, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, San Diego, Brawley, Whittier, Anaheim, Ontario, Santa Barbara, Livermore and a few more I can't remember.  Everything from San Diego on is in California.  I still like my job and I really enjoy the people for the most part.  Our TAM's (Transfusion Account Manager) keep me busy with training people who either have new ProVues or gel systemss or with those who need refresher courses.  Soon I will also be trained to train customers in advanced maintenance.  This will save time and money for both the customer and the company.  I go to Atlanta for the National Sales Meeting week after this one and we will be trained there.  It's going to be fun.  I'll also get to meet the other TTS's (Transfusion Technical Specialist) in person.  We talk on the phone but this time I get to see a face :).
As to weight loss, I'm still about where I was.  I've gained five pounds as of two days ago but I had lost those last week.  I'm having problems staying away from the junk food in the hotels.  Still working on it and will continue to.
Having knee problems with my left knee primarily.  Came off the plane last week on Wednesday and could barely walk to pick up my luggage and get to my car.  The shuttle driver was a real sweet heart who put my luggage into my car for me.  The long term parking lot at Tucson International has a great group of people who drive their shuttles and are wonderful to the travelers.  So the doc put me on steroids to decrease the fluid and inflammation in the knee and I have an appointment with the knee (orthopedic) doc on Tuesday morning.  My customer was great, she said that Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were actually better days for her than Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, so I can go to the doc and then catch a flight to Albuquerque, drive to Gallup, stay the night and drive to Ft. Defiance the following day.  I'll stay in Gallup at night and go back and forth, about 30 minutes drive, while validation and training happen.  Will come home on Saturday evening.  Hopefully Paul can drive the truck to Albuquerque on Friday and pick up some of the furniture from Mother's house to bring back to Tucson on Saturday.  Like I said, it is a busy time.

God continues to work in wonderful ways. I find myself having interesting conversation on planes with people and many times I can encourage them or point them to someone in the city they are going to who can help them.  Last week, I attended a Wednesday night Bible study and afterward starting talking with a young mom with a teenage daughter who I was able to encourage.  She said that she thought that God sent me to her that night because she didn't know what to do and then there I was.  I feel encouraged and scared when people say that but I know that God will help me in those situations.

We had a wonderful thing today at church.  Paul baptized one of the deaf men who had started coming to church.  It was also slightly funny as it turns out that the water was really cold and the waders that Paul had on had a hole in them.  He had to go home and change clothes before we could go out to eat.  This deaf man is very sweet and I am so grateful that he has found the truth.

God bless you as you go through your week or at my rate of updating the next six months :).

Many new things in Life!

Life is going and going and going, faster and faster and faster but not fatter and fatter and fatter.  Lost a few more pounds but still have lots to go.  That's okay, I didn't gain this weight overnight :). 
My new job is really great in most ways although I think I'm making some of the sales people crazy with my lack of knowledge about where to find information.  I train the customer who has a question I don't know so I try to find the answer and sometimes end up feeling silly in the process.  Such is the life of a newbie.  It's been a long time since I was a newbie but I'm doing okay.  Have one more training that just fell through so am looking for another.  I've been to Albuquerque, Los Angelos, Montana, Rochester (New York), Ventura and Santa Barbara since I started.  Next week I visit the thriving metropolis of Silver City, New Mexico and the following week go to a District meeting in the San Diego area.  Then to Ontario, CA (following a trip to Abilene, Texas to see my children and grandchildren and celebrate Lily's 2nd birthday :)), Phoenix for driver training, Oregon and then probably Hawaii.  So far Paul and I doing okay with the time apart, I'm usually gone when he has meetings anyway so we are making the most of the time when I'm home.  It's been nice to make us a priority. 

I'll try to update more often and post pictures of beautiful places.  Have a great Labor Day and don't eat too much!

New Happenings

It's been a while since I posted anything mostly because I really hate to post when I'm not doing my best.  I'm off the path and need to get back on.  Started the new job and that is going well and I begin traveling next week.  This week we are in Albuquerque visiting my mom, and I will be working with another TTS at a hospital here to trian on making templates for the interface between the ProVue and the laboratory system.  So this is a working vacation.  Paul and I went to my 35th high school reunion last night at El Pinto restaurant .  It was so much fun.  Saw so many people I did not recognize but after a time knew who they were.  Talked with old friends and exchanged e-mails and phone numbers.  It was a great evening.  On Thursday we plan to go to the cabin and relax for a few days and then back to Albuquerque for a birthday party on Saturday.  Back to Tucson on Sunday. 

  On Friday I listened to a webanair from Johnson and Johnson, who I work for indirectly (through Ortho) about Taking Care of Yourself. They didn't just talk about physical but mental, spiritual and social health also.  It was refreshing.  They said to make just one goal and do that for 90 days.  So I am.  I have a goal to measure my food.  I have gotten out of the habit of it and when I measure, I can make sure I'm not eating more than the lapband can hold.  I know some of this I will have to just use my eyes for, since I will be eating out a lot but I can do it.  I was able to do it today so hopefully it will work.  So I have a goal and then we'll move to another one.   

I hope you all hve a great week and God bless.

Fourth of July 2011

What a blessing to live in a country like the United States of America!  I am grateful that I was born in this country and have the opportunity to change jobs as I please and especially as God gives me the opportunity. I have the opportunity to try to change my life and my body shape also.  Body shape is not much different than last time I posted but I'm holding my own. My doctor and I brainstormed last visit about ways to get past this plateau and I hope to begin one of those, exercise, this week.  With the new job, I can get up and walk before work, rather than trying to cram it in after work like I didn't do before.  So, a new plan, and hopefully some more weight lost. 

Today I get the opportunity to sing in a concert with 114 other people about our country and the people who live here.  Tucson experienced a tragedy this past year with the shooting of Gabrielle Giffords, our representative to the House in Washington DC.  Five precious lives were lost and a number of people were wounded and now live with those problems associated with that shooting, including Gabrielle Giffords.  Our city came together magnificently to support the victims and their families.  Part of our concert program will focus on this event.  A young man from the church we attend has written a song that can be found on U-tube about the shooting last January.  Go to U-tube and put in Matt Abney and watch and listen.  It shows our spirit pretty well.
Our troops in conflicts overseas are our second focus in the concert..  Without these men and women we could not truly be a free nation.  I pray God's blessing on each and everyone of them. 
I have been blessed to sing in this concert called Let Freedom Sing for several years and I am truly blessed every year I do this.  I get to sing with some people who have wonderful voices.  Those who direct and run this production are awesome and I'm grateful for them.  And we have the opportunity to raise funding for arts programs in the schools which are truly needed for our children.  Thanks to all who support Arts Express.

Thanks be to our Father who gives us these blessings of our country and those who live here.  We are truly blessed to live in the United States of America.

Things they are a-changing

Yes, things are going to be changing in my life and in Paul's life too.  I have been given the opportunity, by God's good grace, at a new job.  I will be working for a company that makes Blood Bank analyzers and reagents (as well as Chemistry analyzers and reagents, but since Chemistry and I don't really get along, that doesn't count today).  I will be traveling and helping transfusion services and blood banks to implement these analyzers and reagents.  I will be training their staff in the use of these items as well as be a resource for questions they may have.  I am very excited about this new job but also somewhat sad to leave the place I have worked for almost 14 years.  Most of all I will miss the people I currently work with but will see them from time to time as they will know be one of my customers. 
Paul and I have figured out that we will have more time together because I will not be working weekends, although I will be out of town three days a week, but not every week.  I will be working from a home office and primarily communicating by e-mail, phone and teleconference or audioconference.  My manager actually lives in Utah.  I know this will be a big adjustment but I definitely believe that God is giving us this opportunity to solve some debt problems as well as a chance for a new adventure in my career.  I plan on working on my Specialist in Blood Banking and hopefully taking that exam in early 2012.  It has been a long process but I know that this is a good company to work for with many benefits other than salary.  I praise God for this opportunity. 
As for the weight loss part of my life, it will be a challenge to be able to walk to the kitchen to get something to eat during the work time and be able to eat while I am working.  I will need to get on a schedule in that regard.  It will be nice to be able to have water at my work station though.  That could not happen in the lab (all those germs and such in the work place :)). 
God is most definitely in control and I know that all things will work together for good because I love Him with all my heart!