I Have a Date...Wait, What?!?!?

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I had what was to be the first pre-surgery meeting with my Weight Management Specialist this week, post class. I was feeling less than successful too; Bill had a bad 'head' weekend last week, which resulted in being stuck in the house with a man with mixed mania/depressive episodes (think.... trampoline without any fun...boing..boing...boing). We were broke, so I wasn't able to stock up on 'OK for me' snacks for this time. The result was a lot of snacking and a couple pounds sneaking back. I hadn't quite finished flogging myself by the time I got to the group meeting.

We were expecting only our WMS to be present for the weigh in and check up on our progress. This meeting is a crucial step in the process to getting a date. We had to have 2 days' menu prepared for each of the three stages after surgery. We also had to have a good plan for fighting dehydration; the number one biggest cause of hospitalization and complication after surgery.

Mike, our WMS was there but Shannon, the program coordinator, was present as well. They told us they were splitting up the class because it was so large. Half of us went with Shannon, half stayed with Mike.

It turns out that I was in a group who had been determined as ready for surgery NOW and, against normal procedure, Shannon was ready to schedule us that day. She had cancellations and needed to fill them asap. I am so grateful to the other people in my group; they very graciously let me have the date I have.

Just so you're all aware, there's a higher power, there's a magic at work here. Repeatedly in my meditations, as I thought about, intended for my surgery to happen on the best possible day... one date appeared in my head. Hovering in my thoughts of the 'best possible' as far back as May; this date... is THE DATE she just so happened to have available.

July 22nd. *waits for it... first you'll say GREAT....then a couple seconds later you'll get a look on your face and say 'wait, what?!?!?! That soon?' I know this because that's what EVERYBODY who hears it does. Everybody except Bill but he doesn't count because he's insane anyway.

Yes, that soon. The Tuesday after next. I have 18 gozillian things to get done between now and then.

I feel pretty good about where I am in preparation where work is concerned: my FMLA and short term disability paperwork is done, my leave time is arranged and I have begun preparing my team to take over for me while I'm gone.

Home is another matter all together.

I woke up at 5:30AM today with the realization of just how much food is in this house that I'll have to get the kids to eat or something. It's stuff I buy for me now that I won't be able to eat for a few months (fresh fruit, fresh veggies, some low fat cheese etc). They'll be thrilled; they're always trying to sneak away with it anyway, which is maddening since most of the time they have something way better (and bad for you) available instead. I go on clear liquids for surgery prep next Saturday and won't get back to even 'mushy' foods for at least a month.

I wanted to bring someone in to do a top-to-bottom house-cleaning but now I think I won't be able to afford (or schedule) it beforehand. Guess we'll all be scrubbadubbing up until the date. Amanda is visiting her father in Gillette (and having a great time, I hear) but she'll need to be retrieved before the date. The original pick up date had to be rescheduled because now my pre-op appointment is on that day.

I need to pick up a bunch of tiny dishes and tupperware type items. The best way to make sure you don't overeat is to serve yourself the right size portions in the right size containers. Besides, it saves a LOT of wasted food when all you eat is a half (or less sometimes). We were waiting until we had a date to get them. Now we have the date but not the time we expected to prepare.

Finally, I have tried not to treat this time as a Feast of Defiance; eating everything I know I won't be able to have for a long time. I will someday be able to have those things again, in very very small doses, but I will have them. On the other hand, I have planned a treat or two into every week including a lot of these things. With the date so close, though... Well.. you tell me:

Do you think I can get Pizza, Wings, Cheesecake, Ice Cream, Death by Chocolate, Fried Rice, Sesame Chicken, Bagels with lox (and a TON of cream cheese), Cheese Fondue, Chimichanga and Corndogs into one week and still meet my 30 Weight Watchers points per day goal? Yeah. I didn't think so either. Oh well. I did plan a donut into Friday, and it was great!

It's SO SOON!! I'd stay to chat but, like I said, 18 gozillian things to do. I gotta go. BTW, I just found a new purpose for my photoblog. D'uh, what'dyou think?

I'll try to get time to blog before The Date but can't make promises. Wish me luck, please!