It's been a big week so far. I went to Spokane for my grad school interview at Gonzaga. I feel very positive about the program, positive about my interview, and cautious because the entire pool of applicants was impressive. Only 8 out of the 26 there will be offered a position. But it was a good experience and even if I don't get in, I feel it was absolutely worthwhile to go.
I also got my new "big" torch set up today for my glass beads. Whoa, that makes a big flame! I'm going to have to get used to how soft glass reacts in a much hotter flame. It's a lot of fun, though. Making beads is very relaxing and meditative. I wanted to be sure to have an enjoyable setup so I can have a few more options of things to do instead of emotional eating. I'm just getting started with the beads...a mere 5 years after my private class with bead gu
ru Kim Miles (http://www.kimmiles.com/) in Taos, NM. I can't believe I've used a hothead torch all these years! That does have a lot to do with why I've only made beads in fits and starts. Now I have all the tools I need. Check out my new torch, the Nortel Midrange Burner! http://www.sundanceglass.com/midranger.htm
Today I had my first appointment with the surgeon at Oregon Weight Loss Surgeons. My surgeon will be Dr Dennis Hong. He's the affable, slightly glib surgeon who presented at the seminar I went to in December. He seems trustworthy. He has a surgical fellow working with him, an Arabic gentleman whose name did not stick with me after he said it. I was less impressed with him, primarily because he had a major body odor problem (deodorant is your friend) but also because he didn't ever really look me in the eye and seemed quite uncomfortable. This I can chalk up to cultural differences and language barriers, probably, but it still left me a little uneasy. Hopefully he will just assist with the surgery (I'm sure he's a fine surgeon, it's difficult to get into these fellowships) and I won't have to deal with him a lot one-on-one. Anyway, the biggest news for me was that my insurance might cover the lap band. Could it be true? I'm waiting to hear the final word, and I'll call my insurance myself on Friday to be sure, but it is a possibility. I'd love to have the slower weight loss (so I probably wouldn't need plastic surgery, losing about 5 lbs a month) and fewer pills to take for the rest of my life. Plus I like the fact that it is reversible and less drastic. But if I find that Regence will only cover the GB, that's what I will do. That has its advantages too; most notably an instant gratification of quicker weight loss and less likelihood (I think) of regaining the weight. Dr Hong seemed to think even if my BMI went below 40 I would still be covered, but everything else I have heard from the rest of the staff says that it wouldn't. Anyway, my dictation goes out tomorrow to Regence and hopefully the approval would be given soon and I can schedule this surgery. Whew!
Getting ready for all this is a great mental challenge. It's difficult for my husband too, and he seems to have a hard time hearing me talk about it so frequently. I find it hard to shut up about it, since it's such a big deal for me. I think out loud a lot, and I think that might be driving him a little bit crazy at times. But I have so much going on in the immediate future, I find myself babbling on about it just to make sense of it all in my own head.
At any rate, in 1 month, I will know if I got into Gonzaga (I'll actually know that on Friday) and I'll have my OHSU interview, and I'll probably have a surgery date as well. In 2 months, I should have had surgery and have decided where to go to school (if I get accepted to both programs, that is, otherwise the decision will be made for me). There's a lot going on around here and that is just for me... hubby has a whole other set of things changing and moving and shaking, which are not mine to blog about in this forum.
All change is a miracle to contemplate; but it is a miracle which is taking place every instant.
- Henry David Thoreau
I also got my new "big" torch set up today for my glass beads. Whoa, that makes a big flame! I'm going to have to get used to how soft glass reacts in a much hotter flame. It's a lot of fun, though. Making beads is very relaxing and meditative. I wanted to be sure to have an enjoyable setup so I can have a few more options of things to do instead of emotional eating. I'm just getting started with the beads...a mere 5 years after my private class with bead gu
ru Kim Miles (http://www.kimmiles.com/) in Taos, NM. I can't believe I've used a hothead torch all these years! That does have a lot to do with why I've only made beads in fits and starts. Now I have all the tools I need. Check out my new torch, the Nortel Midrange Burner! http://www.sundanceglass.com/midranger.htmToday I had my first appointment with the surgeon at Oregon Weight Loss Surgeons. My surgeon will be Dr Dennis Hong. He's the affable, slightly glib surgeon who presented at the seminar I went to in December. He seems trustworthy. He has a surgical fellow working with him, an Arabic gentleman whose name did not stick with me after he said it. I was less impressed with him, primarily because he had a major body odor problem (deodorant is your friend) but also because he didn't ever really look me in the eye and seemed quite uncomfortable. This I can chalk up to cultural differences and language barriers, probably, but it still left me a little uneasy. Hopefully he will just assist with the surgery (I'm sure he's a fine surgeon, it's difficult to get into these fellowships) and I won't have to deal with him a lot one-on-one. Anyway, the biggest news for me was that my insurance might cover the lap band. Could it be true? I'm waiting to hear the final word, and I'll call my insurance myself on Friday to be sure, but it is a possibility. I'd love to have the slower weight loss (so I probably wouldn't need plastic surgery, losing about 5 lbs a month) and fewer pills to take for the rest of my life. Plus I like the fact that it is reversible and less drastic. But if I find that Regence will only cover the GB, that's what I will do. That has its advantages too; most notably an instant gratification of quicker weight loss and less likelihood (I think) of regaining the weight. Dr Hong seemed to think even if my BMI went below 40 I would still be covered, but everything else I have heard from the rest of the staff says that it wouldn't. Anyway, my dictation goes out tomorrow to Regence and hopefully the approval would be given soon and I can schedule this surgery. Whew!
Getting ready for all this is a great mental challenge. It's difficult for my husband too, and he seems to have a hard time hearing me talk about it so frequently. I find it hard to shut up about it, since it's such a big deal for me. I think out loud a lot, and I think that might be driving him a little bit crazy at times. But I have so much going on in the immediate future, I find myself babbling on about it just to make sense of it all in my own head.
At any rate, in 1 month, I will know if I got into Gonzaga (I'll actually know that on Friday) and I'll have my OHSU interview, and I'll probably have a surgery date as well. In 2 months, I should have had surgery and have decided where to go to school (if I get accepted to both programs, that is, otherwise the decision will be made for me). There's a lot going on around here and that is just for me... hubby has a whole other set of things changing and moving and shaking, which are not mine to blog about in this forum.
All change is a miracle to contemplate; but it is a miracle which is taking place every instant.
- Henry David Thoreau
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