THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER

Dear Carol,
How are you?  Now that the cough has left, has anything else?  I hope - and pray - so.

Not much going on here.  That idiot ex-daughter-in-law of mine "said" her transmission on her vehicle went out so she kept "lit'l one" for 3 extra days and thought that we were just going to leave him there until she got her vehicle fixed - WRONG!  #1 son and I took that 3 hour drive into that bomb dive of a town she lives in, into the ghetto neighborhood she lives in, to pick "lit'l one" up and I did let her know in no uncertain terms that those 3 extra days would be made up at OUR discretion.  So, 3 hours there, 3 hours back, 6 hours round trip.. I was exhausted but not due to not feeling well, I'm actually feeling a lot better but because I stayed up waaaaayyyy too late and had to get up waaaaaayyy too early to get to the moron's house.

Remember my guy from h.s.?  Well, we finally connected.  Chatted for a couple of hours online and then he actually CALLED!  And we talked another 2.5 hours... He's still just as sweet as he ever was... So, let's see where this goes.  He lives in a part of town that I would never ever live in but I don't know that he'd leave his kids (grown) to come here.  We'll see.  In any event, it's exciting to have butterflies in my stomach once again.. Didn't think it would ever happen again.

Went to my dr. visit.  Did not do the whole sleep study thing since the Valium is helping tremendously.  Did tell the doc that I had to increase my dosage of Valium and then he increased it on my script.  Thought that was pretty nice of him.  I told him I'd like to be pill free by Christmas.  He said, barring any cancer issues, that it was an attainable goal.  Oh, and my weight loss tabs! 

So weird Carol, I told him I was concerned about my weight and that I knew if I could just get some of it off I would be able to at least walk.  I told him of my on going back pain that no previous dr. has ever addressed other than that idiot foreign oncologist who said that I probably had arthritis in my back - idiot. - Immediately my doc said, let's do gastric.  I was a little more than stunned because I thought that would be a last resort sort of thing but apparently when you're morbidly obese gastric is the number one choice.  So we discussed that a bit, I told him about the seminar you went to, we discussed the excess skin issue and he told me not to worrry about that.  It's removed by a plastic surgeon and I'm like but my ins. won't cover that and he said, they will if I tell them to.  So I was like cool but told him I didn't think I was really ready for the gastric, could we work our way up, so he prescribed Zenocal (sp) but he didn't know if it would be covered by my ins. - SURPRISE - it wasn't so he told me to get Alli instead, he said it's the same as Zenocal, so I did.  It was $50 for the start up kit but that sure as hell beats $415 NOT COVERED BY INSURANCE!  So, I'm on day 3 of Alli and it's wonderful.  First, no rapid heart beat, you don't feel like your scalp is crawling, it kills your appetite, sucks most of the fat out of your foods and excellerates your weight loss by 50%.  I've not had any of the side effects, i.e.; having to shit my life away or stand next to a bathroom just after eating or bloating gas.  However, when you do shit, you'll see all the fatty oils from your food floating on top of the water in the toilet, really gross.  The doc told me to keep my calorie intake below 1800 and at first I was shocked, I was like 1800 and he's like, that's not as much as you think.  Hell Carol on day one I ate around 1250 calories, haven't tallied yesterdays but I'm sure it's even less than that and today, well, so far all I've had is coffee.  I'm trying to do Weight Watchers - I already have all the books n' crap from when I was an actual member last year - while I do Alli but ya' know what the doc said?  He said the people who lose weight and keep it off only lose about 30-35lbs. a year.  I was like what?  He said, the weight didn't come on over night, it shouldn't go off over night. I really, really hope this continues to work.  I am so ready for this weight to be off and I was thinking, maybe my last 100lbs. I would do the gastric, what do you think.  100lbs. over weight is still morbid obesity. - And please know, I'm looking at this realistically, I'm thinking 2 yrs. down the road, ya' know?  Just in time for my class reunion too! =)  Ha!  Didn't think about that til just now.

So, to date, my daily meds are as follows:
MORNING - Cymbalta (60mg), 1 Tramadol (non-narcotic pain med.)
AFTERNOON - 1 Tramadol
EVENING - Valium (10mg), 1 Tramadol
THROUGHOUT THE DAY - 1 Alli capsule with breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Not too bad.  Now comes the oncologist and if all goes well with him I am home free Carol!  Still have the excruciating pain in my feet and groin area but the Tramdol helps somewhat and the Valium and Tramadol at night help tremendously.  I so want your pain to become managable as well.. Somewhere out there is a doctor who knows exactly how to help you and I am praying that you find him or he finds you! - I've been praying a lot lately and it's working!

THE KIDS -
#1 son is still busting his ass working at the lodge.  He had a date which ended horribly.  She told him she was still in love with her ex and that she really wasn't looking for a relationship.  I'm like, the bitch didn't know that BEFORE #1 took her lame ass out?!   So of course, #1 son does what every man does, goes out and gets a piece of ass from some other chick that drools over him every time he walks by..

My Princess is doing wonderfully well altho I do believe the shine has worn off the apple as far as her future in-laws are concerned.  Apparently they're good for cash flow but not much else.  She's going to school full time, in fact this Fall she'll be going to U of M, Flint, and of course she's working full time, hangin' with the fiance' and tending to "lit'l one #2."

#2 son finally got his s.s. card in the mail so he can now find himself a job AND go to school!  He's so excited Carol! - I told you the whole issue.  When he was adopted, a new birth cert. was produced reflecting his adoptive name but his social security card never got changed over. - He is just over the moon with happiness.  Now to find a job and apply for financial aid!

#3 son... The challenge of my life Carol.  I love him soooo much but he is so mouthy and so disrespectful.  We got into a doozie of an arguement the other night and I ended up ripping every piece of jewelry he was wearing, off of him and throwing it into the fireplace and then I made him go in and wash that guy liner off and I told him to get ready because I was going to get the clippers and shave that head of his. - I didn't shave his head, he's lucky. - Needless-to-say, he's grounded.  He has 6 classes and he's failing 3 of them.  He'll be going to Summer school and if that doesn't work he will be a "super senior" and I don't care.  He WILL graduate.

I still have all of my inside Christmas decorations up.  I think I'll start taking them down after "lit'l one" goes back on Sunday.  I'm totally ready to start some Spring cleaning!  Okay, maybe not quite but I definitely need these decorations down.. They're almost as big a pain in the ass to take down as they are to put up!

I have nothing on my agenda for the day except house cleaning.  #3 son is coming down stairs and he's going to ask for a ride to school and I for one am not doing it, it's too damn cold out there.  He can wake #1 son and get him to do it. - Hahahaha, #3 son comes into the living room and says, "never mind."  I was like, "never mind what?"  He says, "well I was gonna' ask "#1 son" to drive me to school today but he's with "lit'l one."  I was like, "so, you can ask."  Apparently #1 son said no.  #3 son is now lying on the couch.  He's going to ask me and I too am going to say no and then right up until he walks out the door all I'll hear is huffing and puffing.  Whatever, the bus stop is right down the road, he chooses not to go to that one, he chooses to walk across town.  Not my problem.  He could walk 2 houses down but he says they don't pick him up there.  I said, "yes they do, I called." - Silence.

Okay, I'm outta' here.  Luv you bunches and hope your pain subsides.. BTW, GREAT pic of your #2 girl child on FB.  She really is BEAUTIFUL..  As is "TaTa..." ; )  Luv U!
Your BFF