Taking Care Of Business ...

Just some random things before I disappear for a few days!

First of all, thanks so much to everyone for their warm thoughts and wishes. I appreciate every single one of them. I’ll try to answer comments individually in a few days, but in the meantime, I wanted you to know that you are loved! I am really moved by how inclusive, encouraging and caring everyone is.

To those of you who have already been banded, thanks so much for sharing your stories. I feel so much more prepared for this than I would have been were it not for  your openness and honesty. YOU GUYS ROCK!

I’ve got laundry going on, hoping to kill time. I have to shower tonight with special soap, and then again in the morning. I’ll be up around 4:45 to make sure I get everything done in a timely fashion and get to the hospital in time. Hubby is out of town, as most of you know. I’m okay with him not being there for the surgery – but I sure do wish he was here with me right now! He has a great sense of humor and tells a good story, so I’m sure he could help distract me.

I have had a naval ring that had to be removed today. The surgeon’s PA told me that it could be replaced as soon as I felt up to it after I got home, but Dude at the tattoo place didn’t recommend that. I’ve had a couple of minor infections recently, so the piercing needs time to heal. I asked him about having the other side of my naval pierced but Dude recommended that I get to goal first. That’s right at two years away.

I’ll be honest with you – I cried a little bit on my way back from the tattoo place. I’ve had my naval ring for almost 16 years. I got it done in Arkansas for my 30^th birthday. I needed to shake things up a bit, do something that someone like me wouldn’t do. Sixteen years ago, in northwest Arkansas, a naval piercing was rare enough that I had to look for someone to do it; not all tattoo shops did piercings back then.

So, it was hard to say good-bye to my naval ring. However, I’m not terribly sentimental about stuff, so I didn’t ask to keep it since I didn’t need it. Right now, I’m kind of wishing I had it. Oh well …

Thanks again to everyone. Hope you have a great couple of days. I’ll see you on the other side!