A Smaller Target

Oscar Blog Post 2: More Good Times

Current passing thought:  I'm sad that PL didn't win Best Foreign Language, but Clive Owen is smoking hot.  And so is Penelope Cruz.  Stunning!

Yesterday afternoon was the SCADS February lunch.  It was amazing fun as Sandy wrote here with 20 people showing up for delicious Cuban food and fantastic company.  I don't think anyone flaked (an amazing thing in itself) and we were quite a rowdy crowd.  I was just sorry not to have had more time to talk to everyone. 

Lunch was wonderful.  Lisa R and I split a pork and chicken combo with extra garlic sauce.  There was plenty, even given that the breast part of the chicken was too dry for either of us.  The waiter who took care of us did an excellent job despite much moving around and many special orders.  He even did separate checks for everyone (!!!) for which he won many extra credit points from me.

Laurie and her husband took pictures during and after (carefully avoiding those who were camera shy).  Can't wait to see how I managed to smirk at the camera this time!

 

There seemed to be a general feeling that the next lunch should be in Orange County.  It might be a bit tricky for me to get there (though I seem to be lucking out on kind people being willing to drive me) but I can see the point.  Besides, word about our noisy crew may be getting around!

All About SCADS

SCADS -- stands for "Southern California Duodenal Switch" or something like that.  Anyway, what it means isn't important and we don't really have members.  Anyone who happens to be in SoCal and is interested in or has had the DS can come to any events.  Partners are welcome too.

The last event, as you may recall from this entry, was a January lunch at Claim Jumper.  This weekend will be at Versailles Cuban Food located at:

10319 Venice Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90034 (CULVER CITY)
(310) 558-3168

Map / Directions can be found here.

Since celebrating is such a fun thing to do we will be celebrating Leslie being a post-op (Her surgery was Jan. 26.) and Sandy's  upcoming surgery. (March 9, 2007).  With so many of us showing up at the January lunch (Yay!) it was a really good thing we had reservations.  If you plan to attend this luncheon - and who wouldn't? - please leave a comment here or on the SCADS site so that a good head count can be obtained.  As always, pre-ops, post-ops, those considering DS, partners and interested friends are welcomed.  You do not have to be from Southern California or had your surgery in Southern California to attend.

See you there!

What Mama Says OR Entitlement Anyone?

Weight 168

The other day over on her blog Melting Mama, Beth wrote about the belief by some weight loss surgery patients that they shouldn't have to pay full price for meals anymore when they eat out.  How do they get out of paying, you ask?  They ask /demand that their doctor's offices offer a card they can use to explain to restaurants that they should be able to get a half or child's price for their meal because they now have a really small stomach. 

Wanna know what I think of this?  Oh please, gag me.

I've watched this discussion happen a few times on weight loss surgery boards and it always, ALWAYS strikes me way more as about people wanting attention (see everyone, look at me, I can't eat very much) then being about saving money.  Trust me, if it was about saving money, I'd be all over these cards  -- I'm totally thrifty and we're pretty broke.  But that's not the issue of course.  Because pre-op they would have paid without question. 

This is the way it works for me.  If I can't afford the cost of a meal out, I don't go.  Or I go and just have coffee or a cup of soup.  There's honestly no law, even here in America, requiring us to dine out.  I have asked a few times to order something off the child's or senior's menu, explaining that I'm not very hungry, but always offering to pay an adult price.  Why you ask?  Because I'm a grown up. 

The fact is, going out to eat isn't and shouldn't be about the food.  If it was, we could all save a bundle and just stay home and cook. The quality and selection would be a lot better too.  Going out to eat is about being served, about -- well, going out. 

If you're really feeling like you're being taken at an "all you can eat" buffet (hint: perhaps not the best post-op choice), why not just take some 16 or 17 year old boy with you?  They can eat twice your and their weight and everything will even out.

Seriously, I've got a better and fairer idea for those who think that not being able to eat as much as they used to entitles them to a ticket to ride.  How about if the restaurants / buffets just weigh them going in and then coming out and charge based on the difference? 

No?  Then how about we who've been fortunate enough to have our lives saved by RnY or DS or LapBand surgery pay our money like everyone else.

And A Good Time Was Had By All

The lunch at Claim Jumper this past Saturday was such a blast!

I'm so glad I got to go and so grateful to StefanieP from the DS OH board for giving me a ride. Thanks too to Jennifer who both gave me an update on her sister (yay, Michelle sounds like she's recovering nicely from her lower body lift) and who split lunch and dessert with me.

It was wonderful seeing old friends, meeting new ones and getting to know folks in person who before this I'd only known from on-line.  I also really enjoyed hearing from Maria what life was like working for UCLA's Bariatric Program and to be invited to attend her new support group (see here for more information).  She's such a star -- those patients are very lucky to have her.  And don't think they won't be told. 

A special shout-out to Leslie who is having her duodenal switch surgery on Friday with Dr. Crooke at USC Hospital!  Go Leslie, go!

As we parted (after much picture taking), there was total agreement that this must happen again and soon.  Houston's and Versailles were both mentioned.  (I'd go for Versailles because their garlic chicken makes me swoon, but Rocke and StefanieP made the hamburgers at Houston's sound amazing). 

Wandering Around LA

Weight: 238.6  (This is so cool!  This is lower than I've dieted down since the early 1990s!)

I've spent the last couple days wandering around Los Angeles (well, actually Southern California) with my parents and brother (my family).

On Friday I took a Santa Monica Big Blue Bus to meet my mom at LAX.  I also learned an important lesson.  Namely, it's better to wait for the express bus, even if the other comes by first.  I got there on time to meet her at baggage claim (isn't it sad not to be able to go to the gate anymore?) and then went with her to rent a car.  We hung out at a nearby Starbucks until it was time to meet my dad who was flying in from Florida (he'd had meetings there).  Event though they last saw me a few weeks ago and I've lost almost no weight on the scale since then (and I sure haven't been working out aside from walking) they both claimed to be able to see a lot of weight loss.  I dunno.  There's a little, I think, because my clothes are fitting differently, but it was great to hear.

It was still really early in the day still.  My dad took us for a great breakfast/lunch at Pacific Dining Car (the original, not the newer Santa Monica one).  This was exciting for me because it's a really historic LA restaurant and I'd only been there once before.  It was a wonderful meal.  I had a scramble of smoked Salmon, eggs and goat cheese, with tomatoes instead of potatoes and loved it.  I could only eat about a third, but that was cool.  My mom only ate half of hers and we both had ours boxed with the thought that my brother would (and did) eat both our leftovers.  What I realized is that I don't need to feel self-conscious about not eating "enough" or ignoring the toast or whatever.  No cares and no one should care. 

We went to my brothers and then the four of us went thrift store combing (my brother wanted to find a good/cheap end table for their place).  I found a pile of clothes (shirts) at Out of the Closet in sizes ranging from 14 to XXL to L.  It was so weird, everything I tried on, including a navy silk shirt (size 14) from DKNY, fit.  My mom helped me thin to pile to things that fit and looked good... which sadly didn't include the DKNY silk (it felt nice, but navy just isn't my color).  I got quite a happy pile of shirts for $30 -- less than I was spending per shirt frequently when I was a 4X.  It was neat to realize I could look in thrift shops now and find things that fit.  That's definitely going to be on my agenda from now on. 

Then we picked up my brother's girlfriend and all went out for Mexican food (my parents being sadly deprived in Portland).  Again, I was able to eat about 1/2 a side of refried beans and most of a biggish bowl of abondigas soup.  I didn't feel deprived, but I didn't end up sick either.  One of the waitresses at the restaurant stopped us to say she almost hadn't recognized me (we've been going there since I needed a high chair) that I'd lost so much weight.  Very cool. :)

Yesterday we all went to a family party at my mom's cousin's.  She's selling the house that was her grandparents (my great-grandparents) and wanted to have one last time we all were there to say goodbye to it.  I'm sad to see it leave the family in a way, but then again, I don't want to move to Oxnard myself to live in it and it's way too big for one person to keep up.  It was the first time most of these people had seen me since surgery.  No one in my mother's family really has a weight problem (in fact, my cousins are generally on the naturally too thin side of things).  Everyone asked me how I was feeling and told me I looked great.  That felt really good.  After a half hour of chatting with one of my cousins on the patio, I realized I'd been sitting in a semi-flimsy plastic chair with arms.  And that I'd fit, no problem and not even worried about it being sturdy enough.  That's definitely a wow moment.

I also seem to have inherited a sterling silver tea service.  Ooo, shiny shiny.  :) Thank heavens for my reputation for liking to polish silver. 

And that's what I've been doing these few days. 

Brunch Bunch

Yesterday a group of five of us, plus two of our spouses, from the USC DS mailing list went out to brunch at C&Os at Venice Beach.  It was a great day for it -- sunny with a good breeze but not too too much wind. Plus, HWLBO and I even lucked into a parking meter almost right across the road.

I had a great time! It was interesting to hear how everyone was feeling about different issues at however far they were out.  Plus the food was great too.  I had scrambled eggs and lox and a bit of fruit.  But it was great seeing what everyone could eat.  Definitely a lot more than me.  But the amounts were still less than someone who hadn't had surgery, I think.   Oh and the lovely Cassandra decided to treat us and pay for the whole brunch.  How sweet was that?

One of the women there had had DS surgery with a non-USC doctor in Southern California.  The DS had failed and she'd had a revision (and very successful too!) with Dr. Crookes at USC.  What was interesting was that someone else there was in the same situation -- having had a failed (or at least not as successful) DS with the other doctor and is consulting with Dr. Crookes about revising her surgery.  Listening to them make comparisons and tell stories about their first doctor, I felt thankful for whatever smiling hand of fate landed me at USC on the first go.  The sisters were both looking into tummy tucks (Jennifer got approved last week) and I was still reeling at the idea of having another surgery, ever.  Though that said, it's becoming clearer to me that in the long term I'll have to do something about my breasts and maybe my arms.  Even with as much as I still have to lose, the extra skin is getting painful.

Afterwards we went for a walk along the Venice walk near the beach and an all-too-brief stroll down to the water.   Then we said our goodbyes with promises to do this again (hope so) only to meet up (well, 5 of us anyway) at Cold Stone for some after brunch ice cream.  I had their sweet cream mixed with coconut.  As ever, I marveled that I was full after half of a small scoop.  I commented that it was only a few months ago that a pint of Ben & Jerry's barely seemed like enough!

I left feeling inspired, my face a little tan and remembering to be excited about what this coming 12 months will bring. 

Cheers!

I Got It!

Okay, remember that job that my mom helped me outfit shop for, that l interviewed for twice, did a mock role play and ended up being runner-up for? 

Well the one open position has apparently become two and, at noon today I got an email (and an informal phone call from a friend telling me to check my mail) offering me the job!  So after a sleepless night obsessing (okay and playing Final Fantasy X-2) about being a huge failure, having no job, no money and no funding for the coming academic year, I've got a job and funding.  I still don't have any money, but that will come at the end of August when I'll get paid. 

I can't tell you how happy I am.  Very very just barely covers it.

This wasn't what I was going to write about today.  I was going to tell you about the awesome and generous friend who, after reading my Macy and Old Navy woes, took me to Salon C at Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills on Sunday and treated me to two pairs of new interview slacks, helped me pick out a bra that fit (42DD!) and then took me for a manicure / pedicure.  And I will write about this because it was the most amazing and girlie day I've had in forever. 

But the big news of today is that I HAVE A JOB! 

I suspect I'll start training sometime at the end of the month. 

Really, I think what I'm feeling is totally thrilled, but I feel like I'm about to burst into tears.  I know part of that is the lack of sleep but the other part is that I can't use carbs to numb my emotions.  Is this what feelings are like?

HWLBO, that's HE WHO LIKES BEING OBEYED aka my husband Paul (it's a joke) in case you came in late, took me for coffee and to share a late breakfast at Anastasia's Asylum to celebrate.  I think I talked his ear off for 90 minutes.  Poor man.  It's all just too much for me.  I'd go have a nap but I need to de-grime the apartment as my dad is coming for a fly-through visit that I  just found out about yesterday.   

So anyway, thanks for keeping your fingers crossed for me.  And tonight, raise your glass of whatever.  Because we're celebrating!