Archive for April, 2010

I thought I needed to do some blogging today to catch you up on the latest, not necessarily the greatest….  but, here it goes!

Tim started the remodeling on the bathroom!  Yippee…  that means tile from the 1970s (salmon pink & cream) has come off the wall…  It was so ugly!  I purchased the vanity, medicine cabinet that I wanted.  Still working on finding “the perfect paint color”.  I know what I want, but when I see all those color swatches, I can’t seem to differentiate one silverish blue from another silverish blue!  They all just look like “brighter” or “lighter” shades of  the same!

I am still living with the suture abscess on my tummy tuck scar.  I called the plastic surgeon’s office Monday and set up a Tuesday appointment.  Meanwhile, I got brave…  and the temptation was so very strong, I caved in to it.  Yes, I did pick at my abscess.  It hurt so bad, and was filled with pus.  Actually my underwear band rubbed it and caused it to burst a little.  I happened to “help it along”.  I squeezed and squeezed on it.  Lots of gick came out!

In his office, guess what he did?  He broke it open and squeezed the heck out of it!  That’s the exact same thing I did…  it was very sore this week.  Recommendations:  put antibiotic cream on it.  Next Tuesday if it is not better, he is going to open it up and go in to search for a stitch.  He said that it could be a sebaceous cyst, but because he did not see it from the onset of its debut, he was not quite certain.  I am glad, he didn’t charge me for either of the 2 office visits.

My nephew lives with me.  He’s 19, and has started his own business.  It’s been slow going but it seems to be picking up for him now.  I hope that he is able to get it off the ground and make it successful.  I offered to help him get organized (in other words, set up a filing system).  He seemed to already have an organization on his computer which also has back ups.  I was impressed.  He is very talented when it comes to computer languages, a gift he just seemed to find one day about 4 years ago.   He thinks I am so computer illiterate…  I can’t figure out how to add plug ins, do graphics, etc. and always ask him questions…

Well, my dear friend, Tammy (T2Nashville) is here to meet me at lunchtime.  We’re off to purchase some Celebrate Vitamins and Bariatric Advantage RTDs from our hospital pharmacy.  I’ll check back in with ya’ll later!

Early last week, I noticed on my bikini tummy tuck scar that there was a hard knot.  I couldn’t see the knot, only feel it.  As the week progressed, so did the size and coloration of the knot.  Saturday it was red, Sunday it was the size of a quarter, today it is the size of a half dollar.  And, very red, swollen.

I contacted the plastic surgeon who performed my abdominoplasty in August 07.  As I spoke with the scheduler, I advised that I really wasn’t sure which physician to see for this problem:  the plastic surgeon, or my Primary Care Physician.  She said that I really needed to come in to see the plastic surgeon and it should not wait.  She called me later in the morning and asked if I could come tomorrow morning.  Of course, I accepted the appointment slot because…  well, because I’m scared that my guts might be falling out!

I was talking to a few co-workers who are nurses, and they asked if it was a hernia.  It ‘could be’ an incisional hernia I suppose…  I did a little bit of research on Google (don’t you love how we diagnose ourselves, and play doctor by using Google?!).  I hope its nothing urgent.  Maybe it’s a stitch working out.  I’ll keep you posted.

All I can say right now is:  It’s a good thing I’m on a new medication.  It saved a customer service representative from the wrath and fury of Melinda!  I am agitated, however not to the point of cussing and throwing a temper tantrum on the telephone as I did in March with the Vegas hotel we were to stay in.

The graphic I’ve placed on this post is SIMILAR to the store of which I speak…  so as not to break copyright laws of the large department store chain…  I’m using a graphic that I found on Photobucket when I typed in the store name.  Let’s just say that another word for the store could also be:  bullseye.

Here’s what happened.  I’ve been doing lots of shopping lately.  I purchased a black ruffle skirt at (insert store name) for $24.99.  A few days later, I found one just like it at TJ Maxx but it was navy.  I liked it better, it fit nicer, and so I just picked up another basic skirt in black.  I took the other skirt back to (insert store name) and gave my receipt at the customer service desk.  They told the lady in front of me that they had to put the refund money back on her debit card.  This caused me to have my debit card ready.  I received my original receipt AND the receipt showing the correction (crediting my checking for $27.30). This was on April 10th.

I’ve been watching the online banking all week long to make sure my money was credited.  It wasn’t so I called the local (insert store name) and asked “How long will it take to credit my bank account on a refund?”  The clerk said it could take up to 7 days.  She also said to call my bank.  She also gave me a toll free number for Guest Relations should I need to speak further about it. I then called my bank when I hung up from the clerk.  They stated that they had no record of (insert store name) crediting my account, and nothing pending or scheduled.

Today, I checked online banking again without a favorable result.  I called the toll free number, and a rep (kudos to “Warren”… yeah you really helped me there bud!) said that there was nothing he could do.   He advised me to call the bank where my debit card is from and file a dispute with them, and the bank would then turn around to file a dispute with Target.  Of course, it seemed too good to be true so I questioned him.

“The bank told me to call Target.  They have no records.  How can they file a dispute if the people at Target didn’t do something correctly and its their fault?  The bank can’t do anything about that.”

“I have no further information to provide; you will need to call your bank.”

“What if the bank does not want to file a dispute?  Then at that point, what else do I need to do in order to get my money back?  Should I return to the store that this occurred and show them my original receipts?”

“I’m sorry, I don’t have any further information.”

“You mean to tell me that if my bank won’t assist me, after they have informed me to call YOU, then you can’t give me any more information as to what to do?”

I’m getting mad…  but I finally said, “OK, Let me call my bank…  I might call you back if I can’t get some help.”

The bank said that they don’t do disputes under $50.  She could not believe that the store corporate office would not give me any information on how to get reimbursed for the ruffle skirt THAT I LEFT AT THE STORE.  Now daggonnit, I want my $27.30 or I want a black ruffle skirt…  the bank teller suggested that I get upset about it and perhaps the store manager would give me my money back.  Not only did they take my skirt back…  they took my money too!

I’m going to Target tonight in an effort to get my $27.30