Sunday, June 29, 2014
Ron's last day of vacation.
He goes back to work tomorrow.
It was pretty much a normal ol' day, except he stayed in the house and watched TV all day, going between watching the TV and watching movies on DVD, and I stayed in bed, with periods of getting up and doing dishes and getting on the pute.
So...it wasn't very exciting, and we decided to go over to Felicity to have supper at the FeedMill to celebrate this last night. We went at 7, so most of the so-called supper crowd would have already gone home by then. Unfortunately, it was one of the worse meals we have ever had over there. It didn't taste all that bad, it just wasn't the joyous occasion we kinda were expecting, so we were a little let down, but that's the way it goes sometimes, isn't it?
So, now, we are back home and he's back to watching TV, and here I am on the pute once again, although I am getting ready to go back to bed and do up our bills for the week so he can mail them in the morning.
Fun, fun, fun.
Sunday, June 29, 2014
A repeat of Thursday! How funny!
Saturday, June 28, 2014
Shopping day! I love shopping days!
We have goals today: to buy Ron new boots, and to get groceries. We also have to deliver a bike, and to get ourselves a good meal at Crackhead Barrel (my choice!). While Ron doesn't like shopping, he is very picky about his boots, and it just might take hitting quite a few stores to find what he wants - mostly because the last couple of times we've been to WalMart, they haven't had what he wanted, just like the toilet paper.
I get up, do my weigh-in, and am pleasantly surprised and pleased to find that I have lost a teensy bit of weight - less than a pound, but still a loss. What with eating good, full suppers and not really watching what I was eating this week, I didn't think that was possible!
Then I took my shower, got dressed, Ron closed the house down and we went out to hit the road at 11. Ron and Corgan tried to put the bike in my car, but it didn't fit, not with my seat being reclined and Corgan being in the back seat, so we had a Change of Plans and had to take the truck. That was unfortunate, because there wasn't a lot of gas in the truck, and its seat doesn't recline quite as far for me. Oh, well, nothing that can't be dealt with. We finally hit the road only ten or fifteen minutes later than we expected.
Our new first stop was for gasoline up in Bethel (ugh!), then on over to drop the bike off in Williamsburg. Now the trip from Williamsburg to Milford. There's not much of a shortcut from one to the other, so we just go down 32, thinking to hit 275. But then I thought to tell Ron of the shortcut that I was going to tell him to come back up, why not go down that way also?, so I had him turn onto Old 74 and we turned right when we got to Summerside, then kept going straight until we got to Milford, coming out right behind Quaker State restaurant, which is basically right where we wanted to go - and we didn't have to get on the interstate at all! I was tickled that I knew a shortcut here in Clermont County that Ron didn't - I thought he knew them all!
We got to Crackhead Barrel. They were full, but not packed, and we got right in. I got us a table, and took a pain pill while waiting for the fellers. Corgan had gone to the bathroom, and Ron was making a phone call to a buddy out in the truck before coming in. I ordered our drinks, but was waiting for the fellers to order their own food. I got breakfast - Momma's French Toast Breakfast, with eggs and bacon - while the fellers had lunch - Ron the campfire chicken meal and Corgan chicken-n-dumplings with extra dumplings and green beans for his sides. We all enjoyed our meals very much!
Afterward, Corgan and I walked through the store while Ron went to the bathroom, and we understood that he would find us when he was done. We walked and looked and walked and looked, and I finally sent Corgan into the bathroom looking for him. Ron walked up to me while Corgan was gone! I told him that just sent Corgan into the bathroom looking for him, and he said 'I've been sitting out in the truck waiting for you' so we all had our wires crossed somehow! Geez. Finally, Corgan and he went outside to sit while I paid, and we all went out to go, so he could get started on his shopping adventure.
We stopped at the Target store right there, and the fellers went in, while I stayed in the truck. They were soon back out, telling me that they couldn't even find the Shoe Department. Men!
We went over to the WalMart in the same vicinity, and again the fellers went in, and I stayed in the truck. With this being a WalMart, we were all hoping for better results, and they were certainly in there long enough, and, when they came out, he was carrying a boot box. Hooray!
We were now able to cross Eastgate WalMart and Meijer's off the 'shopping' list, as well as Beechmont K-Mart and Target, so that's all to the good - according to Ron, anyway!
We headed back up to the Amelia WalMart to do our grocery shopping, and we stopped to get the week's worth of gasoline in the truck at a decent price on the way. I got my groceries, and my tape (I like the 'skinny' tape, not the 'fat' tape that is so easy to find nowadays), we got Corgan a pair of basketball-type shorts (white) to wear as pajamas at our house, and we got Ron a new pair of jeans for work, so it was a very successful trip to the store.
On the way home, I texted Josh and told him that we are on our way home from shopping, so they can come up now. He texted back 'ok,' but when we pulled into our driveway, they were already there!
So much for my plan to lay down and rest my back for a little while...
I let Ron and them carry in all the groceries, then we started cooking and making supper. We had bought pork chops and stuff for salads - veggies that needed chopped up - so Ron got to work on the pork chops, and we got to work chopping veggies. I took green peppers and sat in my recliner to cut them up. Everyone else worked out at the table. Josh peeled potatoes, and we just boiled them for our side. We all worked together, and we got supper done! It was delicious, too!
After supper, Josh, Jean, and I played Jeopardy on the Wii. Josh bet - and lost all his money on a Daily Double, so Jean - who won - and I kicked his ass!! WhooHoo!!
They went home soon after that, and I played on the pute for a bit, but I didn't feel up to writing all this out, so I didn't, and I went to bed early, although I took another pain pill around 10, turning off my light at 11:30 and letting myself go to sleep.
Shopping day! I love shopping days!
We have goals today: to buy Ron new boots, and to get groceries. We also have to deliver a bike, and to get ourselves a good meal at Crackhead Barrel (my choice!). While Ron doesn't like shopping, he is very picky about his boots, and it just might take hitting quite a few stores to find what he wants - mostly because the last couple of times we've been to WalMart, they haven't had what he wanted, just like the toilet paper.
I get up, do my weigh-in, and am pleasantly surprised and pleased to find that I have lost a teensy bit of weight - less than a pound, but still a loss. What with eating good, full suppers and not really watching what I was eating this week, I didn't think that was possible!
Then I took my shower, got dressed, Ron closed the house down and we went out to hit the road at 11. Ron and Corgan tried to put the bike in my car, but it didn't fit, not with my seat being reclined and Corgan being in the back seat, so we had a Change of Plans and had to take the truck. That was unfortunate, because there wasn't a lot of gas in the truck, and its seat doesn't recline quite as far for me. Oh, well, nothing that can't be dealt with. We finally hit the road only ten or fifteen minutes later than we expected.
Our new first stop was for gasoline up in Bethel (ugh!), then on over to drop the bike off in Williamsburg. Now the trip from Williamsburg to Milford. There's not much of a shortcut from one to the other, so we just go down 32, thinking to hit 275. But then I thought to tell Ron of the shortcut that I was going to tell him to come back up, why not go down that way also?, so I had him turn onto Old 74 and we turned right when we got to Summerside, then kept going straight until we got to Milford, coming out right behind Quaker State restaurant, which is basically right where we wanted to go - and we didn't have to get on the interstate at all! I was tickled that I knew a shortcut here in Clermont County that Ron didn't - I thought he knew them all!
We got to Crackhead Barrel. They were full, but not packed, and we got right in. I got us a table, and took a pain pill while waiting for the fellers. Corgan had gone to the bathroom, and Ron was making a phone call to a buddy out in the truck before coming in. I ordered our drinks, but was waiting for the fellers to order their own food. I got breakfast - Momma's French Toast Breakfast, with eggs and bacon - while the fellers had lunch - Ron the campfire chicken meal and Corgan chicken-n-dumplings with extra dumplings and green beans for his sides. We all enjoyed our meals very much!
Afterward, Corgan and I walked through the store while Ron went to the bathroom, and we understood that he would find us when he was done. We walked and looked and walked and looked, and I finally sent Corgan into the bathroom looking for him. Ron walked up to me while Corgan was gone! I told him that just sent Corgan into the bathroom looking for him, and he said 'I've been sitting out in the truck waiting for you' so we all had our wires crossed somehow! Geez. Finally, Corgan and he went outside to sit while I paid, and we all went out to go, so he could get started on his shopping adventure.
We stopped at the Target store right there, and the fellers went in, while I stayed in the truck. They were soon back out, telling me that they couldn't even find the Shoe Department. Men!
We went over to the WalMart in the same vicinity, and again the fellers went in, and I stayed in the truck. With this being a WalMart, we were all hoping for better results, and they were certainly in there long enough, and, when they came out, he was carrying a boot box. Hooray!
We were now able to cross Eastgate WalMart and Meijer's off the 'shopping' list, as well as Beechmont K-Mart and Target, so that's all to the good - according to Ron, anyway!
We headed back up to the Amelia WalMart to do our grocery shopping, and we stopped to get the week's worth of gasoline in the truck at a decent price on the way. I got my groceries, and my tape (I like the 'skinny' tape, not the 'fat' tape that is so easy to find nowadays), we got Corgan a pair of basketball-type shorts (white) to wear as pajamas at our house, and we got Ron a new pair of jeans for work, so it was a very successful trip to the store.
On the way home, I texted Josh and told him that we are on our way home from shopping, so they can come up now. He texted back 'ok,' but when we pulled into our driveway, they were already there!
So much for my plan to lay down and rest my back for a little while...
I let Ron and them carry in all the groceries, then we started cooking and making supper. We had bought pork chops and stuff for salads - veggies that needed chopped up - so Ron got to work on the pork chops, and we got to work chopping veggies. I took green peppers and sat in my recliner to cut them up. Everyone else worked out at the table. Josh peeled potatoes, and we just boiled them for our side. We all worked together, and we got supper done! It was delicious, too!
After supper, Josh, Jean, and I played Jeopardy on the Wii. Josh bet - and lost all his money on a Daily Double, so Jean - who won - and I kicked his ass!! WhooHoo!!
They went home soon after that, and I played on the pute for a bit, but I didn't feel up to writing all this out, so I didn't, and I went to bed early, although I took another pain pill around 10, turning off my light at 11:30 and letting myself go to sleep.
Friday, June 27, 2014
Accomplishments! Small, but I did 'em!
Friday, June 27, 2014
Today was pretty basically a 'normal' day - a long, boring, laying-in-bed day, with periods of getting up. However, it was different because we had Corgan already, and I tried doing a bit more the times I was up.
Ron (and Corgan) went uptown on the motorcycle and got stuff for our lunch, and, supposedly, supper. I sat with them as they ate lunch, but I didn't eat.
Today was a 'do work' day, and tomorrow is 'shopping' day. I came up with a job that Corgan and I could do, but Ron complained and complained that he didn't think I should be out trying - TRYING - to do things, and I finally just gave up. So, Corgan did what he does 'helping' Grandpa - what a joke - and I did some piddling around inside the house, where Ron couldn't see me.
I actually ran a sink full of water, and did some dishes today. Only the silverware and the plates, but, by God, I did them, not Ron, and that made me feel good.
Around 6, I came out to start supper. Lo and behold, they had forgotten to buy the french fries to go with our supper! So, off they went again, and I went and laid back down to wait til they got back. When they got back, I got supper going - we had Manwich and fries. Ron likes the shoestring fries, while I like the crinkle cut, so we had both. I put the fries in the oven, and cooked the hamburger. Ron helped me add the Manwich, because he doesn't like the whole can added, and he can be very picky about that. I told him what time the fries were going to be done, and I went back to bed. He brought me my plate, and there were even a few of my fries left so I could have half a sandwich and more fries for a second helping. I was happy about that - by then I was pretty hungry!
Corgan is not watching his Most Stupid shows tonight - he has found some new show named The Science of Stupid, which is basically the same thing, but they explain the science behind the stupid act, so it's all brand-new, don't you know. Sigh. I'm going back to bed.
Shopping tomorrow. I'm going to enjoy putting these fellers through some hell. Hahahahahahaha.
Today was pretty basically a 'normal' day - a long, boring, laying-in-bed day, with periods of getting up. However, it was different because we had Corgan already, and I tried doing a bit more the times I was up.
Ron (and Corgan) went uptown on the motorcycle and got stuff for our lunch, and, supposedly, supper. I sat with them as they ate lunch, but I didn't eat.
Today was a 'do work' day, and tomorrow is 'shopping' day. I came up with a job that Corgan and I could do, but Ron complained and complained that he didn't think I should be out trying - TRYING - to do things, and I finally just gave up. So, Corgan did what he does 'helping' Grandpa - what a joke - and I did some piddling around inside the house, where Ron couldn't see me.
I actually ran a sink full of water, and did some dishes today. Only the silverware and the plates, but, by God, I did them, not Ron, and that made me feel good.
Around 6, I came out to start supper. Lo and behold, they had forgotten to buy the french fries to go with our supper! So, off they went again, and I went and laid back down to wait til they got back. When they got back, I got supper going - we had Manwich and fries. Ron likes the shoestring fries, while I like the crinkle cut, so we had both. I put the fries in the oven, and cooked the hamburger. Ron helped me add the Manwich, because he doesn't like the whole can added, and he can be very picky about that. I told him what time the fries were going to be done, and I went back to bed. He brought me my plate, and there were even a few of my fries left so I could have half a sandwich and more fries for a second helping. I was happy about that - by then I was pretty hungry!
Corgan is not watching his Most Stupid shows tonight - he has found some new show named The Science of Stupid, which is basically the same thing, but they explain the science behind the stupid act, so it's all brand-new, don't you know. Sigh. I'm going back to bed.
Shopping tomorrow. I'm going to enjoy putting these fellers through some hell. Hahahahahahaha.
Our running-around day...and I ate TWO meals!
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Today is our running-around day - we have so many errands to do today!
1) Go pick up Ron's check (Georgetown)
2) Have lunch with friends (Mt. Orab)
3) Take Ruth all the books I've read (Winchester)
4) Go to Orthopaedic doctor (Eastgate)
5) Pick up my winnings from the Biggest Loser contest while in Eastgate
6) Go to Eastgate Mall for Ruth
7) Go to bank
8) Stop and get a bag of ice before going home
Whew!
We head out the door at 10, and promptly have to turn around because I forgot something, so we really got on the road about 20 after. We weren't meeting our friends until 11:30, and were leaving that early just in case Ron ran into some buddies up at work and had a chance to chat - you just never know about that - so we wanted to have plenty of time, and it was a good thing, because me being forgetful used up 20 of those minutes.
We got up there just as the checks were arriving, so it took a few minutes until he could get his, and, yes, a few minutes for chatting, then we were on our way to Mt. Orab, with a stop for gasoline thrown in there, also. We got our gasoline at the station right on the corner in Mt. Orab for only $3.57 by paying cash! WhooHoo! Then we went on to Country Inn to meet our friends. I took a pain pill when I got there, thinking that would help me be able to sit there longer, even though I was really stoked to be able to do this. I couldn't wait to have my chicken-n-dumplings! Ron was going to have fried chicken, but then changed his mind, and had liver instead. Strange man.
We had a wonderful, wonderful time sitting there visiting with Harry and Donna. We have not been able to do that for quite a while (as you know), and it was great. They have been having some problems, and have been keeping them close 'to the vest' and it was good for all of us to be able to talk to each other without fear of any other well-meaning people overhearing, or giving advice. All four of us needed this day! I think it was good for all four of us. I know I sure felt better inside!
We left the restaurant around 1:30, and we headed up to Winchester to give Ruth all these books. You wouldn't believe the bin FULL - and I mean full - of books I had for her. It started out as a paper grocery bag full, then it overflowed, then it was more stacked around that bag, then it was more stacks in the bedroom, where I stack them as I get done with them, then it was old Guideposts magazines, too, then Ron moved my stacks into beside the bag, and I made more stacks in the bedroom. There were probably a good 75-100 books, if I'm not mistaken. I am down to less than 50 in the cabinet where I keep the books I haven't read yet. Ron is gonna crap when he finds out I need more books - I hope I can drive by that time!
We get to Ruth's house, and my niece comes flying out to greet us - in her bra top and a pair of lounge pants. I about shit! She has gained 50-75 pounds since she lived with us, and she still thinks she is the IT teenager! I was so totally dumbfounded, it was amazing. I know that she doesn't live in the real world, but Jiminy Christmas. As we were standing in Ruth's kitchen visiting a little, the subject came up, and, yep, Tracy believes that she doesn't eat very much and that she is losing weight. Okay, well, I certainly cannot do anything about that, and so am not going to worry about it, or her. I probably didn't look much better than her at that age (24), but I didn't flaunt it like that and I was married and had had a child and a couple of miscarriages by then. But - it's her life, not mine, and I will not say anymore than I have and I will not let it bother me.
It was so good seeing Ruth for those few minutes and being able to give her a quick hug when we got there - I know she's glad to be working, but working is putting her body through all kinds of hell because she hasn't worked for so long and she's got to get used to it again. It certainly takes time, and sometimes time isn't an option. Unfortunately.
We were back on the road by 2:15, because I had to be in Eastgate by 3 or so, because my doctor appointment was at 3:15, and they like you to be early so that THEY can make you wait. (that's my story, and I'm sticking to it!)
We made it to Eastgate, and it was 5 til 3, so we went ahead and went to the bank, since it's basically right across the street from the doctor's office. Dodging traffic is easier for Ron than it is for me, evidently - he had no problem - NO problem at all - going from the bank over to Applebee's (the easiest reference) when we were done. Zip. Right straight across. Damn man! I would have sat there forever and a day, then probably had to turn and go around the block or something to get into the other side.
The doctor appointment went very well, although much different than any other appointment there. First off, the nurse did her thing. Then, the PA came in and asked much of the questions the doctor asked me the last time (the time we butted heads), then, finally, he came in. In and out - pouf - he was gone again in 5 minutes. I did ask him a couple of questions, and he did answer them, but I think he had sent the PA in as 'interference' shall we say. I think he still doesn't believe that I wasn't in 'pain' and that the steroid shot has only helped 30% - it can only help when I'm up - and is kinda dumbfounded that I don't want a second shot next week. He did say that the fractured disc should be healed enough that I don't need the BIG brace, but I should continue wearing the brace to support the degenerated disc - that was good news (I can wear clothes over the brace, but not with the back support on it). The two questions he answered for me? When can I drive? Now, he said, if I felt able. If it hurt, stop. And - how much can I do, what can I do? Whatever I want, he said, if it hurts, stop.
Like I said, I don't think he realizes quite how I hurt when I hurt. I don't think he ever understood that.
So, I suppose I can start making myself do a bit more every day, and see how it goes. Yay!
When we left the doctor's office, we went over to the mall to pick something up at Time Warner for Ruth. She needed this to complete her package, but Eastgate is a long way from Winchester, and with her working the overnight shift, it's definitely hard for her to get there, and we were going to be right there, so it was no biggie to stop in and get it for her. She didn't really need it, she just needed it picked up, so we did that for her.
Then we went on over to Dawn's to pick up my winnings. I got $125.00!! How about that! You sure you don't want to join this go-round of our Biggest Loser contest? You can win in one of three categories: Most Pounds Lost, Most Inches Lost, or Most Percentage Lost. The cost is $20.00 for the 12-week period, and the prize money is divided three ways. $125.00!!! I am so totally thrilled!! I put $100.00 away (hopefully for our October trip, if not, maybe my Gatlinburg trip!) and have a little spending money.
Then, finally, we headed for home.
One last stop scheduled. I let him run into IGA and I stayed in the car. I was exhausted! He was hoping to get pork chops for supper, but, you know, this is IGA...
He came out with the ice, and no pork chops. He got lunchmeat instead. HA.
We went on home, and a little while later, knowing Josh was going to bring us Corgan tonight, I texted him and asked him to stop and bring us some munchies, too. My God, I am getting terrible and eating way too many potato chips again!
When Josh and Chelle brought Corgan, they brought me some Ruffles and Corgan a bag of Doritos (just as I had asked). We paid them back, and we visited a bit, then they left. I made me a lunchmeat sandwich, and ate gobs of Ruffles with it.
Chicken-n-dumplings with mashed potatoes and a small salad for lunch and a lunchmeat sandwich with Ruffles for supper. TWO meals! I haven't done that in quite a while - I guess I was celebrating or something.
I took a sleeping pill at 10, and turned my light off at 11:30. I was so tired.
Today is our running-around day - we have so many errands to do today!
1) Go pick up Ron's check (Georgetown)
2) Have lunch with friends (Mt. Orab)
3) Take Ruth all the books I've read (Winchester)
4) Go to Orthopaedic doctor (Eastgate)
5) Pick up my winnings from the Biggest Loser contest while in Eastgate
6) Go to Eastgate Mall for Ruth
7) Go to bank
8) Stop and get a bag of ice before going home
Whew!
We head out the door at 10, and promptly have to turn around because I forgot something, so we really got on the road about 20 after. We weren't meeting our friends until 11:30, and were leaving that early just in case Ron ran into some buddies up at work and had a chance to chat - you just never know about that - so we wanted to have plenty of time, and it was a good thing, because me being forgetful used up 20 of those minutes.
We got up there just as the checks were arriving, so it took a few minutes until he could get his, and, yes, a few minutes for chatting, then we were on our way to Mt. Orab, with a stop for gasoline thrown in there, also. We got our gasoline at the station right on the corner in Mt. Orab for only $3.57 by paying cash! WhooHoo! Then we went on to Country Inn to meet our friends. I took a pain pill when I got there, thinking that would help me be able to sit there longer, even though I was really stoked to be able to do this. I couldn't wait to have my chicken-n-dumplings! Ron was going to have fried chicken, but then changed his mind, and had liver instead. Strange man.
We had a wonderful, wonderful time sitting there visiting with Harry and Donna. We have not been able to do that for quite a while (as you know), and it was great. They have been having some problems, and have been keeping them close 'to the vest' and it was good for all of us to be able to talk to each other without fear of any other well-meaning people overhearing, or giving advice. All four of us needed this day! I think it was good for all four of us. I know I sure felt better inside!
We left the restaurant around 1:30, and we headed up to Winchester to give Ruth all these books. You wouldn't believe the bin FULL - and I mean full - of books I had for her. It started out as a paper grocery bag full, then it overflowed, then it was more stacked around that bag, then it was more stacks in the bedroom, where I stack them as I get done with them, then it was old Guideposts magazines, too, then Ron moved my stacks into beside the bag, and I made more stacks in the bedroom. There were probably a good 75-100 books, if I'm not mistaken. I am down to less than 50 in the cabinet where I keep the books I haven't read yet. Ron is gonna crap when he finds out I need more books - I hope I can drive by that time!
We get to Ruth's house, and my niece comes flying out to greet us - in her bra top and a pair of lounge pants. I about shit! She has gained 50-75 pounds since she lived with us, and she still thinks she is the IT teenager! I was so totally dumbfounded, it was amazing. I know that she doesn't live in the real world, but Jiminy Christmas. As we were standing in Ruth's kitchen visiting a little, the subject came up, and, yep, Tracy believes that she doesn't eat very much and that she is losing weight. Okay, well, I certainly cannot do anything about that, and so am not going to worry about it, or her. I probably didn't look much better than her at that age (24), but I didn't flaunt it like that and I was married and had had a child and a couple of miscarriages by then. But - it's her life, not mine, and I will not say anymore than I have and I will not let it bother me.
It was so good seeing Ruth for those few minutes and being able to give her a quick hug when we got there - I know she's glad to be working, but working is putting her body through all kinds of hell because she hasn't worked for so long and she's got to get used to it again. It certainly takes time, and sometimes time isn't an option. Unfortunately.
We were back on the road by 2:15, because I had to be in Eastgate by 3 or so, because my doctor appointment was at 3:15, and they like you to be early so that THEY can make you wait. (that's my story, and I'm sticking to it!)
We made it to Eastgate, and it was 5 til 3, so we went ahead and went to the bank, since it's basically right across the street from the doctor's office. Dodging traffic is easier for Ron than it is for me, evidently - he had no problem - NO problem at all - going from the bank over to Applebee's (the easiest reference) when we were done. Zip. Right straight across. Damn man! I would have sat there forever and a day, then probably had to turn and go around the block or something to get into the other side.
The doctor appointment went very well, although much different than any other appointment there. First off, the nurse did her thing. Then, the PA came in and asked much of the questions the doctor asked me the last time (the time we butted heads), then, finally, he came in. In and out - pouf - he was gone again in 5 minutes. I did ask him a couple of questions, and he did answer them, but I think he had sent the PA in as 'interference' shall we say. I think he still doesn't believe that I wasn't in 'pain' and that the steroid shot has only helped 30% - it can only help when I'm up - and is kinda dumbfounded that I don't want a second shot next week. He did say that the fractured disc should be healed enough that I don't need the BIG brace, but I should continue wearing the brace to support the degenerated disc - that was good news (I can wear clothes over the brace, but not with the back support on it). The two questions he answered for me? When can I drive? Now, he said, if I felt able. If it hurt, stop. And - how much can I do, what can I do? Whatever I want, he said, if it hurts, stop.
Like I said, I don't think he realizes quite how I hurt when I hurt. I don't think he ever understood that.
So, I suppose I can start making myself do a bit more every day, and see how it goes. Yay!
When we left the doctor's office, we went over to the mall to pick something up at Time Warner for Ruth. She needed this to complete her package, but Eastgate is a long way from Winchester, and with her working the overnight shift, it's definitely hard for her to get there, and we were going to be right there, so it was no biggie to stop in and get it for her. She didn't really need it, she just needed it picked up, so we did that for her.
Then we went on over to Dawn's to pick up my winnings. I got $125.00!! How about that! You sure you don't want to join this go-round of our Biggest Loser contest? You can win in one of three categories: Most Pounds Lost, Most Inches Lost, or Most Percentage Lost. The cost is $20.00 for the 12-week period, and the prize money is divided three ways. $125.00!!! I am so totally thrilled!! I put $100.00 away (hopefully for our October trip, if not, maybe my Gatlinburg trip!) and have a little spending money.
Then, finally, we headed for home.
One last stop scheduled. I let him run into IGA and I stayed in the car. I was exhausted! He was hoping to get pork chops for supper, but, you know, this is IGA...
He came out with the ice, and no pork chops. He got lunchmeat instead. HA.
We went on home, and a little while later, knowing Josh was going to bring us Corgan tonight, I texted him and asked him to stop and bring us some munchies, too. My God, I am getting terrible and eating way too many potato chips again!
When Josh and Chelle brought Corgan, they brought me some Ruffles and Corgan a bag of Doritos (just as I had asked). We paid them back, and we visited a bit, then they left. I made me a lunchmeat sandwich, and ate gobs of Ruffles with it.
Chicken-n-dumplings with mashed potatoes and a small salad for lunch and a lunchmeat sandwich with Ruffles for supper. TWO meals! I haven't done that in quite a while - I guess I was celebrating or something.
I took a sleeping pill at 10, and turned my light off at 11:30. I was so tired.
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
A BRACEless day (may not have been a good idea...)
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
I woke up this morning around 9. I'm not sure why - I got up to go pee, and just didn't fall back asleep like I usually do. It was kinda weird, and I am starting to get tired already. I am hoping to go to sleep without the help of sleeping aids again tonight, like I did last night, but if I'm not asleep by 10, I will take one sleeping pill, cause that alarm will be going off at 9 in the morning to get us on the road by 10! We have a full day on schedule for tomorrow! We might get home by 5, if we're lucky. And then we're gonna get Corgan tomorrow night, so we'll need to rest up before he gets here!
I got up to get on the pute around 12:30, and I just thought 'you know what - I don't feel like futzing with that brace today' so I didn't. I stayed up, mostly on the pute, for just over an hour, then it was back to bed for me - I had had enough! I got back up around 3, same thing, then again around 6:30, making supper in between bouts on the pute. I made bacon and sausage, which I zapped in the microwave, and macaroni and cheese, which I made the 'real' way - on the stovetop - for our supper. Ron had been out in the garage all day, with one small break to make himself some lunch, and I called him in to eat supper. He couldn't believe that it was 7 already! I told him he was nuts.
I ate my supper while laying in on the bed, as usual, because by the time it was done, between the sitting at the pute and standing at the stove, I was done.
Now I am back up, writing my blog and checking my games one last time before bed.
And that's my day.
I'm not sure if it was a smart idea to go brace-less all day, because my back is now nagging me - a low solid ache that is not easing. I guess I'll have to ask Dr. Stupido tomorrow if that's really a good idea or not...
I truly must rest up for tomorrow. I am really looking forward to tomorrow - lunch with friends! That's going to be a REAL test!
I woke up this morning around 9. I'm not sure why - I got up to go pee, and just didn't fall back asleep like I usually do. It was kinda weird, and I am starting to get tired already. I am hoping to go to sleep without the help of sleeping aids again tonight, like I did last night, but if I'm not asleep by 10, I will take one sleeping pill, cause that alarm will be going off at 9 in the morning to get us on the road by 10! We have a full day on schedule for tomorrow! We might get home by 5, if we're lucky. And then we're gonna get Corgan tomorrow night, so we'll need to rest up before he gets here!
I got up to get on the pute around 12:30, and I just thought 'you know what - I don't feel like futzing with that brace today' so I didn't. I stayed up, mostly on the pute, for just over an hour, then it was back to bed for me - I had had enough! I got back up around 3, same thing, then again around 6:30, making supper in between bouts on the pute. I made bacon and sausage, which I zapped in the microwave, and macaroni and cheese, which I made the 'real' way - on the stovetop - for our supper. Ron had been out in the garage all day, with one small break to make himself some lunch, and I called him in to eat supper. He couldn't believe that it was 7 already! I told him he was nuts.
I ate my supper while laying in on the bed, as usual, because by the time it was done, between the sitting at the pute and standing at the stove, I was done.
Now I am back up, writing my blog and checking my games one last time before bed.
And that's my day.
I'm not sure if it was a smart idea to go brace-less all day, because my back is now nagging me - a low solid ache that is not easing. I guess I'll have to ask Dr. Stupido tomorrow if that's really a good idea or not...
I truly must rest up for tomorrow. I am really looking forward to tomorrow - lunch with friends! That's going to be a REAL test!
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Here's a story......
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Today was pretty much a normal boring day. Ron let me sleep until noon, while he got started working on his garage. I just hung around in bed, as I do every day, with periods of getting up and getting on the pute, until it was time to go weigh in at my TOPS meeting. Much to my surprise, I had lost 2 more pounds! I didn't think that I would have, what with eating better suppers and our big cookout and all, but I did, so I was happy about that. After that, we went up to Arby's and got sandwiches - me a Pecan Chicken Salad Wrap, Ron a Reuben Sandwich - and baked potatoes for our supper. We came home, doctored the potatoes up with more butter and re-zapped them, and that was supper, and that was our big thrilling day.
The Story
Ron went out Monday morning to open the windows on the car before we left to go to the doctor's, and he discovered that the driver's side door on both our vehicles were open. One was backed in, the other wasn't, so the driver's side doors were beside each other. Now, the doors were latched, not wide open, but they were definitely shut firmly the night before. We aren't that bad! We've lived here for 25 years, and we've never, ever locked our cars here in our own driveway. Hell's afire, we've left the garage open on occasion! We are right here on the highway, and we've never had any kind of a problem. Never.
Evidently, all that has changed.
Ron noticed that the console in his truck was knocked askew, but nothing seemed to be missing out of the truck. It was broken when we bought the truck, but that isn't common knowledge. The only thing that was missing out of my car was his motorcycle jacket - his leather jacket - that he had received for his 50th birthday from our dear friend Teresa (she had also gotten Corgan a matching one!). He had put his jacket into my car when he drove his bike to church on Sunday, thinking he might need the room in his saddlebag if he went to the store after church. But he hadn't taken the jacket back out of the car, because he's on vacation this week and there wasn't a need to put it back in/on/with the bike.
Ron fretted and fretted over this all day Monday, while we were out (driving me crazy) even though we weren't going to do anything about it - we certainly had no kind of proof and had no plans of calling the cops. When we got back home, he did get to talk to the next door neighbor a little bit, and calmed down a little more. I joined them outside for a little bit, meeting the neighbors for the first time, and we all stood around talking for quite a while, until my back started hurting too bad, and I came back in.
The neighbors told us that their son and his girlfriend had gone outside to smoke around 1:30 in the morning and that those two had seen someone in our driveway, around and in our vehicles. Someone called to "him" from the road in front of the house, which is empty right now, on the other side of them and "he" went high-tailing down the road carrying a black jacket toward the dude who called "him." Hmmmm.
Well, I guess that little mystery is solved. What a crock, though. Was this just two dudes walking from Felicity who decided to try their luck on the cars they passed, or was this part of something bigger? Should we be worried now? Should we start being way, Way, WAY more paranoid about 'around our house'?
THEN the electricity went out, for seemingly no reason!! No thunder, no lightning, no rain, just - poof - two short bursts, and it's out. For good. Seemed like good, anyway. It was two and a half hours before it came back on.
During that time, Ron and I went outside again for a while - it was much nicer outside than inside - and after it got dark, I came in because I couldn't read any longer and Ron stayed outside.
I was sitting in my recliner and he was in the front yard, around his motorcycle, when suddenly BOOM there was a tremendous gunshot. I was so frightened - I was sure that someone had shot Ron right in our front yard! - that I made myself wrench the footrest down of my recliner and hurried out to find out what the hell just happened. Luckily, it was just the neighbor shooting a "warning shot" to let people know the people around here are watching out for each other now.
So, Ron and I and the neighbors were talking again, and they told us that the neighbor in the brick house - 3 houses down from us - had been hit, too, Sunday night/Monday morning. This brick house is on the other side of the empty house I mentioned earlier. Evidently, not only was her car unlocked, but she had left her debit card in her car, and these guys got it. Somehow, they got a car and got up to Bethel - the BP (Lykin's) right on the corner - and used the stolen debit card for around $500 worth of stuff. What, exactly, of course we don't know. How and why this was not questioned by the employees at this time of the morning is another thing, too!! I just can't believe that. I was stunned as they were telling us that.
Maybe we do have a little more to worry about....
Yes, we have at least started locking our vehicles, even though there really isn't anything in them.
Today was pretty much a normal boring day. Ron let me sleep until noon, while he got started working on his garage. I just hung around in bed, as I do every day, with periods of getting up and getting on the pute, until it was time to go weigh in at my TOPS meeting. Much to my surprise, I had lost 2 more pounds! I didn't think that I would have, what with eating better suppers and our big cookout and all, but I did, so I was happy about that. After that, we went up to Arby's and got sandwiches - me a Pecan Chicken Salad Wrap, Ron a Reuben Sandwich - and baked potatoes for our supper. We came home, doctored the potatoes up with more butter and re-zapped them, and that was supper, and that was our big thrilling day.
The Story
Ron went out Monday morning to open the windows on the car before we left to go to the doctor's, and he discovered that the driver's side door on both our vehicles were open. One was backed in, the other wasn't, so the driver's side doors were beside each other. Now, the doors were latched, not wide open, but they were definitely shut firmly the night before. We aren't that bad! We've lived here for 25 years, and we've never, ever locked our cars here in our own driveway. Hell's afire, we've left the garage open on occasion! We are right here on the highway, and we've never had any kind of a problem. Never.
Evidently, all that has changed.
Ron noticed that the console in his truck was knocked askew, but nothing seemed to be missing out of the truck. It was broken when we bought the truck, but that isn't common knowledge. The only thing that was missing out of my car was his motorcycle jacket - his leather jacket - that he had received for his 50th birthday from our dear friend Teresa (she had also gotten Corgan a matching one!). He had put his jacket into my car when he drove his bike to church on Sunday, thinking he might need the room in his saddlebag if he went to the store after church. But he hadn't taken the jacket back out of the car, because he's on vacation this week and there wasn't a need to put it back in/on/with the bike.
Ron fretted and fretted over this all day Monday, while we were out (driving me crazy) even though we weren't going to do anything about it - we certainly had no kind of proof and had no plans of calling the cops. When we got back home, he did get to talk to the next door neighbor a little bit, and calmed down a little more. I joined them outside for a little bit, meeting the neighbors for the first time, and we all stood around talking for quite a while, until my back started hurting too bad, and I came back in.
The neighbors told us that their son and his girlfriend had gone outside to smoke around 1:30 in the morning and that those two had seen someone in our driveway, around and in our vehicles. Someone called to "him" from the road in front of the house, which is empty right now, on the other side of them and "he" went high-tailing down the road carrying a black jacket toward the dude who called "him." Hmmmm.
Well, I guess that little mystery is solved. What a crock, though. Was this just two dudes walking from Felicity who decided to try their luck on the cars they passed, or was this part of something bigger? Should we be worried now? Should we start being way, Way, WAY more paranoid about 'around our house'?
THEN the electricity went out, for seemingly no reason!! No thunder, no lightning, no rain, just - poof - two short bursts, and it's out. For good. Seemed like good, anyway. It was two and a half hours before it came back on.
During that time, Ron and I went outside again for a while - it was much nicer outside than inside - and after it got dark, I came in because I couldn't read any longer and Ron stayed outside.
I was sitting in my recliner and he was in the front yard, around his motorcycle, when suddenly BOOM there was a tremendous gunshot. I was so frightened - I was sure that someone had shot Ron right in our front yard! - that I made myself wrench the footrest down of my recliner and hurried out to find out what the hell just happened. Luckily, it was just the neighbor shooting a "warning shot" to let people know the people around here are watching out for each other now.
So, Ron and I and the neighbors were talking again, and they told us that the neighbor in the brick house - 3 houses down from us - had been hit, too, Sunday night/Monday morning. This brick house is on the other side of the empty house I mentioned earlier. Evidently, not only was her car unlocked, but she had left her debit card in her car, and these guys got it. Somehow, they got a car and got up to Bethel - the BP (Lykin's) right on the corner - and used the stolen debit card for around $500 worth of stuff. What, exactly, of course we don't know. How and why this was not questioned by the employees at this time of the morning is another thing, too!! I just can't believe that. I was stunned as they were telling us that.
Maybe we do have a little more to worry about....
Yes, we have at least started locking our vehicles, even though there really isn't anything in them.
A most satisfying day....til evening came around
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Monday. June 23, 2014
6/22
Another plain ol' boring day. Ron went to church, came home, we had cookout leftovers for lunch, and then he put his brand-new Armor-All to good use. His truck is now detailed, inside and out, top to bottom - the man is nuts! I stayed inside in the A/C. I like to think I have the better brain - hahahahahha. I did not eat any supper, still being full from my lunch, but I did finish off my little container (it costed a whole dollar!) of cotton candy for a snack.
Yep, another plain ol' boring day for me. A fun day for Ron!
6/23
I woke up this morning next to my husband! Do you know how wonderful that is? It sure doesn't happen very often! He is on vacation this week, and he stayed up til 11:30 last night - he watched the news, he claims - and so, he was still sleeping when the alarm went off at 9. Actually, he had gotten up at his 'normal' time and had come back to bed, so he was back asleep, but...whatever. He was there, in the bed beside me, when the alarm went off!
The alarm was set because we had doctor appointments today - him for his blood pressure, me for my diabetes. We both, of course, needed showers and time to dress before leaving, and we managed to get on the road 5 minutes before our expected leave time, how about that?
Our doctor visit went very well.
Ron's blood pressure was 117/79, which is excellent. 'Normal' is 120/80, so we really couldn't ask for much better than that!
My HbA1c, which is my glucose level over the last few months, and should be under 7.0 - last time it was taken, it was 8.0 - was 7.4! I was so glad, I was worried the steroid shot would have really messed it up, even though it was just last week.
So both Ron and I are doing something right with our respective health problems, and that is certainly good news. We also talked with Doc about other things going on with me and my back, and he and Ron always talk about motorcycles and stuff like that. It was a very good visit.
When we left Doc's, since he is in Milford, we went to Crackhead Barrel for lunch (Cracker Barrel Old Country Store for you purists), even though it was peak lunch hour. We don't get over there that often, so that's a rare treat for us. He had one of their summertime chicken meals - it came in aluminum foil like it was cooked over a campfire - with carrots, whole little red potatoes, and stuff like that all in the pan. I had a 'special' chicken-n-dumplings dinner, with three sides. I got green beans and hashbrown casserole for me, and the cucumber, tomato, & onion salad for him. I could barely finish my meal, and even brought a big hunk of chicken home, along with the salad that he couldn't eat. Oh, man, were those meals good!
And, get this, I did NOT go shopping in the store when we were done eating! I sat during the whole meal, and my back was telling me to get back out into the car, onto that reclining seat pronto. I was sad about that - I love, love, love to wander through those stores!!!
When we got home, I went to bed and stayed there the rest of the afternoon. Ron stayed out here in the living room and watched TV.
Around 8, I got up to get on the pute, and he went in the kitchen to make himself some supper (I didn't want anything). No sooner had he started the microwave than the electricity went out! I asked him, "what did you do?" and it came back on. Just a few seconds later, it went back out again and stayed out. Great.
The electricity was out. It stayed out. And stayed out. And stayed out.
For TWO AND A HALF HOURS. No A/C. No pute. No fans. No TV. No nothing.
We went outside to sit - me to read, him to play on his DS - for a while, until it got too dark. I came back in then, while he stayed out for a bit longer.
We did get to know our new neighbors in this small crisis - and there is another story I'll tell you tomorrow - we were so glad when the electricity came back on just after 10:30, so we would have the A/C to sleep in.
Yes, I think we are spoiled.
Monday. June 23, 2014
6/22
Another plain ol' boring day. Ron went to church, came home, we had cookout leftovers for lunch, and then he put his brand-new Armor-All to good use. His truck is now detailed, inside and out, top to bottom - the man is nuts! I stayed inside in the A/C. I like to think I have the better brain - hahahahahha. I did not eat any supper, still being full from my lunch, but I did finish off my little container (it costed a whole dollar!) of cotton candy for a snack.
Yep, another plain ol' boring day for me. A fun day for Ron!
6/23
I woke up this morning next to my husband! Do you know how wonderful that is? It sure doesn't happen very often! He is on vacation this week, and he stayed up til 11:30 last night - he watched the news, he claims - and so, he was still sleeping when the alarm went off at 9. Actually, he had gotten up at his 'normal' time and had come back to bed, so he was back asleep, but...whatever. He was there, in the bed beside me, when the alarm went off!
The alarm was set because we had doctor appointments today - him for his blood pressure, me for my diabetes. We both, of course, needed showers and time to dress before leaving, and we managed to get on the road 5 minutes before our expected leave time, how about that?
Our doctor visit went very well.
Ron's blood pressure was 117/79, which is excellent. 'Normal' is 120/80, so we really couldn't ask for much better than that!
My HbA1c, which is my glucose level over the last few months, and should be under 7.0 - last time it was taken, it was 8.0 - was 7.4! I was so glad, I was worried the steroid shot would have really messed it up, even though it was just last week.
So both Ron and I are doing something right with our respective health problems, and that is certainly good news. We also talked with Doc about other things going on with me and my back, and he and Ron always talk about motorcycles and stuff like that. It was a very good visit.
When we left Doc's, since he is in Milford, we went to Crackhead Barrel for lunch (Cracker Barrel Old Country Store for you purists), even though it was peak lunch hour. We don't get over there that often, so that's a rare treat for us. He had one of their summertime chicken meals - it came in aluminum foil like it was cooked over a campfire - with carrots, whole little red potatoes, and stuff like that all in the pan. I had a 'special' chicken-n-dumplings dinner, with three sides. I got green beans and hashbrown casserole for me, and the cucumber, tomato, & onion salad for him. I could barely finish my meal, and even brought a big hunk of chicken home, along with the salad that he couldn't eat. Oh, man, were those meals good!
And, get this, I did NOT go shopping in the store when we were done eating! I sat during the whole meal, and my back was telling me to get back out into the car, onto that reclining seat pronto. I was sad about that - I love, love, love to wander through those stores!!!
When we got home, I went to bed and stayed there the rest of the afternoon. Ron stayed out here in the living room and watched TV.
Around 8, I got up to get on the pute, and he went in the kitchen to make himself some supper (I didn't want anything). No sooner had he started the microwave than the electricity went out! I asked him, "what did you do?" and it came back on. Just a few seconds later, it went back out again and stayed out. Great.
The electricity was out. It stayed out. And stayed out. And stayed out.
For TWO AND A HALF HOURS. No A/C. No pute. No fans. No TV. No nothing.
We went outside to sit - me to read, him to play on his DS - for a while, until it got too dark. I came back in then, while he stayed out for a bit longer.
We did get to know our new neighbors in this small crisis - and there is another story I'll tell you tomorrow - we were so glad when the electricity came back on just after 10:30, so we would have the A/C to sleep in.
Yes, I think we are spoiled.
Sunday, June 22, 2014
A mighty fine day, ending with a mighty fine celebration
Saturday, June 21, 2014
I got up this morning, right before the alarm went off at 9, which was good because my 2 handy-dandy 'we get up with the break of dawn' fellers were both still sleeping! I quickly (yeah, right) got my shower, got dressed - with a lay-down in-between to rest my back - and we got on the road.
I got over to Dawn's and got my final weigh-in done for this go-round of the Biggest Loser contest. I didn't do so well in the 'inches' department, only 2 or so overall, but I did lose 20.1 pounds, and that should work out good in the percentage department, too. We shall see.
After that, we decided to go to breakfast, and finally decided to go to Golden Corral. We got there right around 10:30, and breakfast is until 11, so that was pretty good timing, and the fellers were in oh, seventh heaven or thereabouts...men are so easy to please. I did pretty well, sitting in the booth to eat my food this time, although I did pull a chair over and lay across the bench/booth and the chair when I was done and waiting for the fellers to finish up. I surely did lament forgetting my book! This not-carrying my purse is for the birds!
As soon as we were fortified, it was time for the fun to begin - shopping!
First stop: Kroger. Ron needed more tonic water. Last time we were there, they only had 2 bottles, so he needs more. While he and Corgan went after that, I went to look for toilet paper. WalMart has been out the last 2 times we've been there, and we're getting a bit desperate! (Yes, I'm a toilet paper snob...) Luckily, Kroger did have what I wanted and they were even 10-for-$10, and since I share my niece's card, I could get them for that price. So now we have enough toilet paper to last us til September - I hope.
On to Walgreen's, where I have to go in to get other things along with the prescriptions I am picking up. The fellers stay in the car, and I get this done rather quickly, but I still had to walk through the store.
Now on to WalMart, for groceries. I get the groceries, while Ron went to look for boots. Of course, Corgan went with Grandpa. Did you expect anything different? We met back up and I let Ron talk me out of going out to the garden department and buying flowers (petunias or geraniums) for the squares on both sides of our driveway. That's something I usually do in May, but, of course, it kinda went by the wayside this year...
I am very glad for the long-ish trip on to Bethel because my back is letting me know it is not happy with this treatment now, and it wants to be home resting. Only one more stop, and it will get its wish...
Bethel IGA. They have the meat (hamburger) that is 5-for-$20 and we are having a cookout tonight, in celebration of Father's Day and Jean's birthday, so we definitely need hamburger! WalMart didn't have any cheese weenies (cheese metts), either, which was weird, they had every other kind but no cheesy ones, so I must get those at IGA, too.
We get the stop at IGA over with, and on home we go. We did make one last stop at Family Dollar, and the fellers ran in to see if they had a Slip-n-Slide, so Corgan would have 'something' to play with while we were all outside this afternoon and evening, and I stayed in the car, so I didn't count that as a stop for me.
I let the guys carry everything in, and I go hide in the bedroom. I took half a pain pill, and just relaxed.
After a half hour or so, I got up and finished making the devilled eggs for tonight, just so I wouldn't have to mess with them later, and went back to bed. Ron had peeled the eggs for me, and all I had to do was cut them, mix the stuff up, and re-stuff the whites and put them in/on the pretty dish, then into the fridge they went (with a cover). I went back to bed, and let myself get lulled to sleep.
Next thing I knew, my sister was shaking me to let me know they were there!
I got up, put on 'play' clothes, a T-shirt and a pair of shorts, and went out and joined the family. I tried just sitting at the picnic table and all, but soon asked if the guys could carry my recliner out so I could really enjoy being outside with them. They grumbled, but they did it, even though they had to carry it out the front door and around, and soon I was ensconced as Queen of the Backyard in my recliner. It felt so good to be such a part of the festivities! So close to them all, right there with them, and not feeling so invalid-ish!! A little weird to be in a recliner outside, but, hey...
I wish you could still get (affordable) chaise lounges, but you know what they say about wishes.
They all did the carrying of the food and all that, although I did get up to make my own plate (and take pictures!). I have enough strength in my upper body now to work the side thingy while someone pushes down the footrest to get me out of the chair. I just can't work the footrest by myself. I still need rescued out of the chair...sigh.
As we were eating, a deer wandered into the neighbor's yard, and it was a beautiful thing to watch. Our voices and laughter didn't even chase it away - it was awesome. I got some really cool pictures of it, and I think Chelle did, too. What a highlight!
After we ate, we had our Father's Day celebration. Josh opened his gifts, then Ron opened his.
Then it was time for Jean's birthday celebration. We may have spoiled her a bit, I think. But isn't that what birthdays are for?
We used the wrapping paper under the wood to have a fire in the fire pit, when it started to get dark, and then we roasted marshmallows. The great big pillow marshmallows, too, not the regular ones. Everyone but me and Josh had marshmallows. Chelle likes hers burnt to a crisp - flaming! - while everyone else just likes them browned.
As it started getting dark, I had them bring in my chair before the night dampness could get to it, and we didn't stay out too much after that. We divvied up the leftovers, and they left around 10.
It was such a great day, and an even better evening!
My back lived through it all, even though it didn't like me very much after the shopping.
I got up this morning, right before the alarm went off at 9, which was good because my 2 handy-dandy 'we get up with the break of dawn' fellers were both still sleeping! I quickly (yeah, right) got my shower, got dressed - with a lay-down in-between to rest my back - and we got on the road.
I got over to Dawn's and got my final weigh-in done for this go-round of the Biggest Loser contest. I didn't do so well in the 'inches' department, only 2 or so overall, but I did lose 20.1 pounds, and that should work out good in the percentage department, too. We shall see.
After that, we decided to go to breakfast, and finally decided to go to Golden Corral. We got there right around 10:30, and breakfast is until 11, so that was pretty good timing, and the fellers were in oh, seventh heaven or thereabouts...men are so easy to please. I did pretty well, sitting in the booth to eat my food this time, although I did pull a chair over and lay across the bench/booth and the chair when I was done and waiting for the fellers to finish up. I surely did lament forgetting my book! This not-carrying my purse is for the birds!
As soon as we were fortified, it was time for the fun to begin - shopping!
First stop: Kroger. Ron needed more tonic water. Last time we were there, they only had 2 bottles, so he needs more. While he and Corgan went after that, I went to look for toilet paper. WalMart has been out the last 2 times we've been there, and we're getting a bit desperate! (Yes, I'm a toilet paper snob...) Luckily, Kroger did have what I wanted and they were even 10-for-$10, and since I share my niece's card, I could get them for that price. So now we have enough toilet paper to last us til September - I hope.
On to Walgreen's, where I have to go in to get other things along with the prescriptions I am picking up. The fellers stay in the car, and I get this done rather quickly, but I still had to walk through the store.
Now on to WalMart, for groceries. I get the groceries, while Ron went to look for boots. Of course, Corgan went with Grandpa. Did you expect anything different? We met back up and I let Ron talk me out of going out to the garden department and buying flowers (petunias or geraniums) for the squares on both sides of our driveway. That's something I usually do in May, but, of course, it kinda went by the wayside this year...
I am very glad for the long-ish trip on to Bethel because my back is letting me know it is not happy with this treatment now, and it wants to be home resting. Only one more stop, and it will get its wish...
Bethel IGA. They have the meat (hamburger) that is 5-for-$20 and we are having a cookout tonight, in celebration of Father's Day and Jean's birthday, so we definitely need hamburger! WalMart didn't have any cheese weenies (cheese metts), either, which was weird, they had every other kind but no cheesy ones, so I must get those at IGA, too.
We get the stop at IGA over with, and on home we go. We did make one last stop at Family Dollar, and the fellers ran in to see if they had a Slip-n-Slide, so Corgan would have 'something' to play with while we were all outside this afternoon and evening, and I stayed in the car, so I didn't count that as a stop for me.
I let the guys carry everything in, and I go hide in the bedroom. I took half a pain pill, and just relaxed.
After a half hour or so, I got up and finished making the devilled eggs for tonight, just so I wouldn't have to mess with them later, and went back to bed. Ron had peeled the eggs for me, and all I had to do was cut them, mix the stuff up, and re-stuff the whites and put them in/on the pretty dish, then into the fridge they went (with a cover). I went back to bed, and let myself get lulled to sleep.
Next thing I knew, my sister was shaking me to let me know they were there!
I got up, put on 'play' clothes, a T-shirt and a pair of shorts, and went out and joined the family. I tried just sitting at the picnic table and all, but soon asked if the guys could carry my recliner out so I could really enjoy being outside with them. They grumbled, but they did it, even though they had to carry it out the front door and around, and soon I was ensconced as Queen of the Backyard in my recliner. It felt so good to be such a part of the festivities! So close to them all, right there with them, and not feeling so invalid-ish!! A little weird to be in a recliner outside, but, hey...
I wish you could still get (affordable) chaise lounges, but you know what they say about wishes.
They all did the carrying of the food and all that, although I did get up to make my own plate (and take pictures!). I have enough strength in my upper body now to work the side thingy while someone pushes down the footrest to get me out of the chair. I just can't work the footrest by myself. I still need rescued out of the chair...sigh.
As we were eating, a deer wandered into the neighbor's yard, and it was a beautiful thing to watch. Our voices and laughter didn't even chase it away - it was awesome. I got some really cool pictures of it, and I think Chelle did, too. What a highlight!
After we ate, we had our Father's Day celebration. Josh opened his gifts, then Ron opened his.
Then it was time for Jean's birthday celebration. We may have spoiled her a bit, I think. But isn't that what birthdays are for?
We used the wrapping paper under the wood to have a fire in the fire pit, when it started to get dark, and then we roasted marshmallows. The great big pillow marshmallows, too, not the regular ones. Everyone but me and Josh had marshmallows. Chelle likes hers burnt to a crisp - flaming! - while everyone else just likes them browned.
As it started getting dark, I had them bring in my chair before the night dampness could get to it, and we didn't stay out too much after that. We divvied up the leftovers, and they left around 10.
It was such a great day, and an even better evening!
My back lived through it all, even though it didn't like me very much after the shopping.
Friday, June 20, 2014
Not much of a day today...
Friday, June 20, 2014
I actually fell asleep last night around 11! I was really surprised that I felt that I could turn off the light that early, but I did and I fell pretty much right to sleep. I slept good, too, all night - I don't even remember Ron leaving for work this morning! I woke up around 10:30, and my day started, such as it is.
Around 12:30-1:00, I got up and got on the pute for a while (a little over an hour), after I put away the dishes that Ron had done last night, then back to bed for the afternoon. That was my thrilling day...
Ron and Corgan got here around 5:30, and they didn't bring any supper home with them this week. We decided to make one of my favorite suppers and use up the rest of the potatoes we have, which were getting old - fried potatoes with smoked sausage! If you remember me talking about this before, it's a one-pan dish with fried potatoes, sausage, and corn. Onions optional, but we remembered them tonight, and I put salt and pepper and celery seed on the potatoes as they cooked, and I left the rest for Ron to cook.
He brought me in a plate, which I greatly enjoyed, and then I ventured out to see if there was any left, and I emptied the skillet onto my plate for a second helping! Oh, man, that stuff is good...
Big day ahead tomorrow. My final weigh-in for this go-round of the Biggest Loser Contest, shopping, and our combo Father's Day/birthday get-together in the evening. Gonna be a big workout for my back!
I actually fell asleep last night around 11! I was really surprised that I felt that I could turn off the light that early, but I did and I fell pretty much right to sleep. I slept good, too, all night - I don't even remember Ron leaving for work this morning! I woke up around 10:30, and my day started, such as it is.
Around 12:30-1:00, I got up and got on the pute for a while (a little over an hour), after I put away the dishes that Ron had done last night, then back to bed for the afternoon. That was my thrilling day...
Ron and Corgan got here around 5:30, and they didn't bring any supper home with them this week. We decided to make one of my favorite suppers and use up the rest of the potatoes we have, which were getting old - fried potatoes with smoked sausage! If you remember me talking about this before, it's a one-pan dish with fried potatoes, sausage, and corn. Onions optional, but we remembered them tonight, and I put salt and pepper and celery seed on the potatoes as they cooked, and I left the rest for Ron to cook.
He brought me in a plate, which I greatly enjoyed, and then I ventured out to see if there was any left, and I emptied the skillet onto my plate for a second helping! Oh, man, that stuff is good...
Big day ahead tomorrow. My final weigh-in for this go-round of the Biggest Loser Contest, shopping, and our combo Father's Day/birthday get-together in the evening. Gonna be a big workout for my back!
Thursday, June 19, 2014
Second day post-shot is a pleasant one
Thursday, June 19, 2014
I didn't go to sleep last night. I guess the 'restlessness' and 'sleeplessness' side effects of the steroid shot are definitely true in me. Of course, I have troubles in that department anyway, so that's not really a surprise, is it? Anyway, I got up at 2 and took a sleeping pill (a Tylenol PM) - just one - not a dose of two, hoping to help, but I was still awake when Ron got up to go to work. Ugh!
Finally, at 5, I thought 'okay, I'm turning off the light and giving this a try' and so I did. I did go to sleep, but it was one of those restless sleep with weird-ass dreams that run rampant here and there and made no sense whatsoever. One of those nights where you're glad you can't remember the dreams! I slept until 11, though, which was really weird, because I usually sleep way longer than 6 hours, and I couldn't believe that I was waking up already. But that was it - I was up for the day.
I got up around 1, 1:30 to come and play on the pute and I actually stayed up - sitting here at the pute - for just about an hour and a half. My back didn't really hurt, but was really nagging me, so I gave it up and went back to bed. I was very pleased with that! An hour and a half - what an improvement!
I am guessing that the steroid is starting to do its thing, then, and I am - at this point - pleased with my decision to get that damn shot! We shall see in the next few days, what with the weekend and all, will be the test, I'm thinking. Shopping, a cookout with the family, my final weigh-in, and various errands will tell the tale. We shall see.
I get back up with Ron after he gets home, since he was going to stand and do the dishes and other housewife-y stuff that I can't do yet, and make my own supper - my shit-on-a-shingle (potato soup with tuna) and carried it off to the bedroom to eat, and 'relax' for the evening.
We'll see how tomorrow goes. Now, I'm taking a dose of Tylenol PM so maybe I'll be asleep by midnight!
I didn't go to sleep last night. I guess the 'restlessness' and 'sleeplessness' side effects of the steroid shot are definitely true in me. Of course, I have troubles in that department anyway, so that's not really a surprise, is it? Anyway, I got up at 2 and took a sleeping pill (a Tylenol PM) - just one - not a dose of two, hoping to help, but I was still awake when Ron got up to go to work. Ugh!
Finally, at 5, I thought 'okay, I'm turning off the light and giving this a try' and so I did. I did go to sleep, but it was one of those restless sleep with weird-ass dreams that run rampant here and there and made no sense whatsoever. One of those nights where you're glad you can't remember the dreams! I slept until 11, though, which was really weird, because I usually sleep way longer than 6 hours, and I couldn't believe that I was waking up already. But that was it - I was up for the day.
I got up around 1, 1:30 to come and play on the pute and I actually stayed up - sitting here at the pute - for just about an hour and a half. My back didn't really hurt, but was really nagging me, so I gave it up and went back to bed. I was very pleased with that! An hour and a half - what an improvement!
I am guessing that the steroid is starting to do its thing, then, and I am - at this point - pleased with my decision to get that damn shot! We shall see in the next few days, what with the weekend and all, will be the test, I'm thinking. Shopping, a cookout with the family, my final weigh-in, and various errands will tell the tale. We shall see.
I get back up with Ron after he gets home, since he was going to stand and do the dishes and other housewife-y stuff that I can't do yet, and make my own supper - my shit-on-a-shingle (potato soup with tuna) and carried it off to the bedroom to eat, and 'relax' for the evening.
We'll see how tomorrow goes. Now, I'm taking a dose of Tylenol PM so maybe I'll be asleep by midnight!
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
I did it! I got up and made supper!
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Today started out as most of my days have been - just laying in bed, reading and all. I didn't really feel all that much different. I had woken up around eleven, and by noon it seemed like I was going crazy laying there, so I got up and got on the pute for a bit.
When I was done with that, I made myself a peanut butter and jelly (orange marmalade) sandwich, which I went back to bed and enjoyed with the rest of the bag of Ruffles. Then I just stayed there in bed all afternoon reading and playing the DS, as usual.
Ron didn't get home until after 6:30, and then he decided to go out and play around with the tires on Josh's car. Once he gets fixated on something, he's GOT to get it done! So, silly me, I thought ' why don't I get up and see if I can get supper started and surprise Ron?' and that's what I did.
I had to grit my teeth and get pans out of the drawer on the bottom of the stove, but I did it, and I made cheese weenies, which are really cheesy metts, along with my Mother's Day mac n' cheese and a can of mixed veggies, which I picked half of the carrots out of so they were truly mixed veggies, not a can of carrots with a little bit of other stuff thrown in. Egads, that drives me crazy!
The pans were a little heavier than I remembered once they were filled with water and I had to move them over to the stove, but I did okay. This is the first meal I have made - or even helped with - since this happened on May 4th, so I felt pretty damn proud of myself!
I did take my plate back in to bed to eat, and I've been back in bed ever since. I just came out now, at 10:30, to shut down the pute, and thought - why not go ahead and write my blog on the correct day for a change? Let's get back to where I should be!
I am starting to think that this shot has helped some - I still can't sit for a long, long time, but I am moving much better and I feel like I can do stuff, and that makes me feel better! - so I think I made a good decision to get the shot, but I will still reserve judgement for a few days.
Today started out as most of my days have been - just laying in bed, reading and all. I didn't really feel all that much different. I had woken up around eleven, and by noon it seemed like I was going crazy laying there, so I got up and got on the pute for a bit.
When I was done with that, I made myself a peanut butter and jelly (orange marmalade) sandwich, which I went back to bed and enjoyed with the rest of the bag of Ruffles. Then I just stayed there in bed all afternoon reading and playing the DS, as usual.
Ron didn't get home until after 6:30, and then he decided to go out and play around with the tires on Josh's car. Once he gets fixated on something, he's GOT to get it done! So, silly me, I thought ' why don't I get up and see if I can get supper started and surprise Ron?' and that's what I did.
I had to grit my teeth and get pans out of the drawer on the bottom of the stove, but I did it, and I made cheese weenies, which are really cheesy metts, along with my Mother's Day mac n' cheese and a can of mixed veggies, which I picked half of the carrots out of so they were truly mixed veggies, not a can of carrots with a little bit of other stuff thrown in. Egads, that drives me crazy!
The pans were a little heavier than I remembered once they were filled with water and I had to move them over to the stove, but I did okay. This is the first meal I have made - or even helped with - since this happened on May 4th, so I felt pretty damn proud of myself!
I did take my plate back in to bed to eat, and I've been back in bed ever since. I just came out now, at 10:30, to shut down the pute, and thought - why not go ahead and write my blog on the correct day for a change? Let's get back to where I should be!
I am starting to think that this shot has helped some - I still can't sit for a long, long time, but I am moving much better and I feel like I can do stuff, and that makes me feel better! - so I think I made a good decision to get the shot, but I will still reserve judgement for a few days.
The Much Anticipated Day has come and gone....
Monday, June 16, 2014
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
6/16
Just another ol' boring day here. Laying around in bed all day, with periods of getting up. I didn't eat anything today except some potato chips. I know, not a wise choice, but man, were they good! I ate them around 3 or so, and then I wasn't hungry for any supper.
I took a 'sleeping pill' (a Tylenol PM) - just one, not a normal dose of two - at 8, because I wanted to get a decent night's sleep and I have to get up at 9 to be ready for my big procedure. Ai-yi-yi!
6/17
The Big Day!! I have been wary, apprehensive, almost dreading, but still looking forward to this day for so long, it doesn't seem possible that it is here. I am glad to be able to get this done, but since it's totally unknown to me, I am not sure what to expect. I sure hope it does some kind of good!
I get up before the alarm goes off at 9 - not a surprise, right? - but stay in bed until 9, so as to not upset the little schedule in my head. I get my shower, lay back down to rest my back, then get dressed and lay back down to wait for my sister (and grandson) to show up to carry me off (God, how I hate being dependent on other people!!) to this appointment. They get here just a couple of minutes later than planned - just enough to make me jittery - and off we go. I have a couple of errands to stop and do on the way, and we get those done, and get there right exactly on time. Yay, planning!
I do my thing at the sign-in window and they finally call me back, and, as usual, it takes more time for all the pre-op stuff than anything. One of the things they tell me in pre-op is that someone needs to be with me for 4-6 hours after I get home - oh, my God, not again! - and my brain seems to freeze. Why in the name of God don't they tell us this crap BEFORE we are here? I can't believe this! I hope I am not lying when I tell them my sister will be able to stay with me, even though I know damn well that none of us had planned for that, especially after that fiasco last week. And I have NO idea what her reaction will be when it is brought up to her, either. Oh, my. Well, we'll work it out.
Finally, the doctor arrives and I am taken back to the OR - I was first on the list, hurray! - and things moved pretty fast then.
It was not fun. It was not pleasant. It was not easy. It was not something I ever want to do again, although I could change my mind if it helps considerably. But, once started, it was over rather quickly, and it didn't really hurt like pain, but oh, Lord, was it pressure, pressure, pressure! Almost like going to the dentist and getting a tooth removed and they keep telling you it doesn't hurt, it's just pressure, but it's the back, not in your mouth. Like that, times a thousand or ten thousand or so. Not really describable, but my, my, my...
Not unexpectedly, Jean was not in a very good mood when I was discharged. Not only over the 'news' she had received about my after-care, but her hearing aid battery had also died, so she was floundering with hearing, or not hearing, what was going on, too, as well as dealing with a 9-year-old sitting around waiting for 2 hours plus in a public setting. Since it was so late, and I didn't really feel any different coming home, we stopped at Bob Evans for lunch, and I got to have a 'picnic on the bench' for some lunch. I did manage to eat about half of the Chicken Salad Plate, while Jean got the Broasted Chicken dinner, and Corgan got a Sirloin Steak dinner. Those dinners for 10 bucks are great! I am glad to be able to say 'thanks' for being my driver in some small way, too, even if it is just buying a 10 dollar lunch.
As we were leaving Bob Evans to come on home, sitting at the traffic light, a big ol' roll-off garbage truck went by blowing his horn like crazy - Ron!! He doesn't go down 125 very often, so that was a nice surprise for us all, even him. Very good timing, too! We passed him a little way further on down the road - of course, those trucks are slow once stopped at a traffic light - and if I hadn't had this stupid brace on, I would have flashed him my boobs, but I did and I couldn't. The windows are shaded on my car, anyway, and it probably wouldn't have worked...sigh.
We got here, and I went to the bathroom, got undressed and got back into bed and told Jean to go ahead and go home. It had been a couple of hours since the procedure at that point and I hadn't had noodly legs yet, and I wasn't going to be getting up for any reason, so there was no sense in her staying. We argued a bit, as sisters do, and she and Corgan finally left for their home. My books kept me company, as they do every day, until Ron got home - around 6.
I talked him into taking me up to weigh in at TOPS. He wasn't happy about it, but finally capitulated. I was glad I went - I lost 1.2 pounds according to them! I was a bit apprehensive about my weigh-in, remember last week, I hadn't lost (or gained) anything. And I had gained a pound on Saturday morning, according to the Wii. So I was happy to see that I had lost. I wanted to go to the grocery store while we were uptown, also, but I let Ron talk me out of that. He said he can live without bananas this week, and while I think he should have his bananas, I let him talk me out of it, because I really didn't feel like walking through the store, even though we could have used the things I had listed in my brain. We can get them this weekend, and hopefully, I will be moving a bit better.
We got back home, and I got my to-go box out of the fridge for my supper, and went back to bed.
I think that the injection site is a bit swollen because I can feel it touching the bed, and that's a little weird, and when I stretch my legs out, it hurts a bit more than it usually does in my lower back, but other than that, there isn't any change in how I feel. I take a pain pill at 9, and at midnight finally turn off the light to try to get some sleep. (One of the side effects of this shot is sleeplessness. Great!) I remember looking at the clock and it was almost twenty minutes later, and I was thinking about turning the light back on, and then Ron's alarm was going off, so I guess I really did fall asleep!
The day was nowhere near as bad as my 'worst case scenario' thought, and, except for the procedure itself, and the trip over and back, was pretty much just a normal day in the neighborhood!
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
6/16
Just another ol' boring day here. Laying around in bed all day, with periods of getting up. I didn't eat anything today except some potato chips. I know, not a wise choice, but man, were they good! I ate them around 3 or so, and then I wasn't hungry for any supper.
I took a 'sleeping pill' (a Tylenol PM) - just one, not a normal dose of two - at 8, because I wanted to get a decent night's sleep and I have to get up at 9 to be ready for my big procedure. Ai-yi-yi!
6/17
The Big Day!! I have been wary, apprehensive, almost dreading, but still looking forward to this day for so long, it doesn't seem possible that it is here. I am glad to be able to get this done, but since it's totally unknown to me, I am not sure what to expect. I sure hope it does some kind of good!
I get up before the alarm goes off at 9 - not a surprise, right? - but stay in bed until 9, so as to not upset the little schedule in my head. I get my shower, lay back down to rest my back, then get dressed and lay back down to wait for my sister (and grandson) to show up to carry me off (God, how I hate being dependent on other people!!) to this appointment. They get here just a couple of minutes later than planned - just enough to make me jittery - and off we go. I have a couple of errands to stop and do on the way, and we get those done, and get there right exactly on time. Yay, planning!
I do my thing at the sign-in window and they finally call me back, and, as usual, it takes more time for all the pre-op stuff than anything. One of the things they tell me in pre-op is that someone needs to be with me for 4-6 hours after I get home - oh, my God, not again! - and my brain seems to freeze. Why in the name of God don't they tell us this crap BEFORE we are here? I can't believe this! I hope I am not lying when I tell them my sister will be able to stay with me, even though I know damn well that none of us had planned for that, especially after that fiasco last week. And I have NO idea what her reaction will be when it is brought up to her, either. Oh, my. Well, we'll work it out.
Finally, the doctor arrives and I am taken back to the OR - I was first on the list, hurray! - and things moved pretty fast then.
It was not fun. It was not pleasant. It was not easy. It was not something I ever want to do again, although I could change my mind if it helps considerably. But, once started, it was over rather quickly, and it didn't really hurt like pain, but oh, Lord, was it pressure, pressure, pressure! Almost like going to the dentist and getting a tooth removed and they keep telling you it doesn't hurt, it's just pressure, but it's the back, not in your mouth. Like that, times a thousand or ten thousand or so. Not really describable, but my, my, my...
Not unexpectedly, Jean was not in a very good mood when I was discharged. Not only over the 'news' she had received about my after-care, but her hearing aid battery had also died, so she was floundering with hearing, or not hearing, what was going on, too, as well as dealing with a 9-year-old sitting around waiting for 2 hours plus in a public setting. Since it was so late, and I didn't really feel any different coming home, we stopped at Bob Evans for lunch, and I got to have a 'picnic on the bench' for some lunch. I did manage to eat about half of the Chicken Salad Plate, while Jean got the Broasted Chicken dinner, and Corgan got a Sirloin Steak dinner. Those dinners for 10 bucks are great! I am glad to be able to say 'thanks' for being my driver in some small way, too, even if it is just buying a 10 dollar lunch.
As we were leaving Bob Evans to come on home, sitting at the traffic light, a big ol' roll-off garbage truck went by blowing his horn like crazy - Ron!! He doesn't go down 125 very often, so that was a nice surprise for us all, even him. Very good timing, too! We passed him a little way further on down the road - of course, those trucks are slow once stopped at a traffic light - and if I hadn't had this stupid brace on, I would have flashed him my boobs, but I did and I couldn't. The windows are shaded on my car, anyway, and it probably wouldn't have worked...sigh.
We got here, and I went to the bathroom, got undressed and got back into bed and told Jean to go ahead and go home. It had been a couple of hours since the procedure at that point and I hadn't had noodly legs yet, and I wasn't going to be getting up for any reason, so there was no sense in her staying. We argued a bit, as sisters do, and she and Corgan finally left for their home. My books kept me company, as they do every day, until Ron got home - around 6.
I talked him into taking me up to weigh in at TOPS. He wasn't happy about it, but finally capitulated. I was glad I went - I lost 1.2 pounds according to them! I was a bit apprehensive about my weigh-in, remember last week, I hadn't lost (or gained) anything. And I had gained a pound on Saturday morning, according to the Wii. So I was happy to see that I had lost. I wanted to go to the grocery store while we were uptown, also, but I let Ron talk me out of that. He said he can live without bananas this week, and while I think he should have his bananas, I let him talk me out of it, because I really didn't feel like walking through the store, even though we could have used the things I had listed in my brain. We can get them this weekend, and hopefully, I will be moving a bit better.
We got back home, and I got my to-go box out of the fridge for my supper, and went back to bed.
I think that the injection site is a bit swollen because I can feel it touching the bed, and that's a little weird, and when I stretch my legs out, it hurts a bit more than it usually does in my lower back, but other than that, there isn't any change in how I feel. I take a pain pill at 9, and at midnight finally turn off the light to try to get some sleep. (One of the side effects of this shot is sleeplessness. Great!) I remember looking at the clock and it was almost twenty minutes later, and I was thinking about turning the light back on, and then Ron's alarm was going off, so I guess I really did fall asleep!
The day was nowhere near as bad as my 'worst case scenario' thought, and, except for the procedure itself, and the trip over and back, was pretty much just a normal day in the neighborhood!
Monday, June 16, 2014
A wonderful Sunday!
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Father's Day (officially)
We had already decided that we would do our Father's Day celebrating next Saturday, because of Chelle's work schedule, so today was supposed to be a nice lazy day for me and Ron. And it was, to a certain degree - he finished his mowing and weed-eating, and I lazed around here in the house, as usual for me in this new life.
Then - we got a text in the late afternoon from Josh. They have decided, for some strange reason, to drive all the way to East Fork to go swimming and did we want to go with them? Well, Ron was hot, tired, and headachy from mowing and said 'no' and I thought it best not to, not with walking so much yesterday and not sure about walking down to the beach and all. So we replied no, but asked them to stop in for supper and visiting on their way home. They were gonna drive right past our house, so why not?
A little bit later, we got a text that the bad tire on their car had finally blown. Wonderful! Just what every parent wants to hear! I asked if they needed Dad to come help, but finally got the reply that the donut was fine, and they were on their way again. But, as most people know nowadays, those donuts are most certainly NOT meant to be driven on, not very far anyway, so guess who does not have her car once again? Yep, that would be me. While we have been lazily looking for a tire to fit Josh's car, I guess that this tire search will now turn very serious. It's a very strange size, and is hard to find, so they tell me, and I just don't know if or where one can be easily obtained. Or how expensive it will be, new or used. Sigh.
When they came back from swimming, they texted us and we got on the ball making supper. Ron made his fabulous Ronburgers and I zapped potatoes in the microwave for baked potatoes in my handy-dandy potato zapper bag. The last bag of potatoes were in the microwave and the first batch of burgers were done when they got there, so the timing all worked out very well!
We had a very pleasant couple of hours after that, just eating and enjoying each other's company. It kinda freaks them out, the way I can recline in my chair and rest my plate on my chest and eat, but what's a kid sposta do? I can't hardly go take my plate and hide in the bedroom, can I? And I sure can't sit at the table or my desk.....it's a rough life, people!
So, even though we didn't really celebrate Father's Day, I'm glad Ron got to spend some time with his family.
Father's Day (officially)
We had already decided that we would do our Father's Day celebrating next Saturday, because of Chelle's work schedule, so today was supposed to be a nice lazy day for me and Ron. And it was, to a certain degree - he finished his mowing and weed-eating, and I lazed around here in the house, as usual for me in this new life.
Then - we got a text in the late afternoon from Josh. They have decided, for some strange reason, to drive all the way to East Fork to go swimming and did we want to go with them? Well, Ron was hot, tired, and headachy from mowing and said 'no' and I thought it best not to, not with walking so much yesterday and not sure about walking down to the beach and all. So we replied no, but asked them to stop in for supper and visiting on their way home. They were gonna drive right past our house, so why not?
A little bit later, we got a text that the bad tire on their car had finally blown. Wonderful! Just what every parent wants to hear! I asked if they needed Dad to come help, but finally got the reply that the donut was fine, and they were on their way again. But, as most people know nowadays, those donuts are most certainly NOT meant to be driven on, not very far anyway, so guess who does not have her car once again? Yep, that would be me. While we have been lazily looking for a tire to fit Josh's car, I guess that this tire search will now turn very serious. It's a very strange size, and is hard to find, so they tell me, and I just don't know if or where one can be easily obtained. Or how expensive it will be, new or used. Sigh.
When they came back from swimming, they texted us and we got on the ball making supper. Ron made his fabulous Ronburgers and I zapped potatoes in the microwave for baked potatoes in my handy-dandy potato zapper bag. The last bag of potatoes were in the microwave and the first batch of burgers were done when they got there, so the timing all worked out very well!
We had a very pleasant couple of hours after that, just eating and enjoying each other's company. It kinda freaks them out, the way I can recline in my chair and rest my plate on my chest and eat, but what's a kid sposta do? I can't hardly go take my plate and hide in the bedroom, can I? And I sure can't sit at the table or my desk.....it's a rough life, people!
So, even though we didn't really celebrate Father's Day, I'm glad Ron got to spend some time with his family.
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Putting my back through a workout...and paying for it
Friday, June 13, 2014
Saturday, June 14, 2014
6/13/14
Friday was a pretty normal slow boring day for me - just layin' around, nothing happening all day long.
When Ron came home from work, he had Corgan with him, and they brought pizza home with them for our supper. It was damn near 7 - they just had to send him out one last time at quarter after 4 - and he didn't want to have to cook after he got here, so that seemed the simplest solution. We hadn't had pizza in forever, so it worked for me, too! I got 3 slices of the pepperoni and mushroom pizza. The guys shared the rest of that one and most of the olive and banana pepper one, too, saving what was left for their breakfast....ugh.
6/14/14
When I got up this morning, I did my weigh-in (I GAINED a pound!!! GAINED!!), took a shower, took my time getting dressed, took a pain pill, and then, after the fellers closed down the outside, we all went shopping! We had a full day planned, and added to it as we went along, and got many things done that were - and had been - hanging over our heads. We stopped and got gasoline, then went to Jungle Jim's, where I stayed in the car, Meijers, Kroger, where I stayed in the car, and WalMart. We also went to lunch at Steak-n-Shake, where they have that long bench along that back wall and I could lay down to eat my lunch. Oh, man, I got a peanut butter and banana shake when we left and it was scrumdiddlyicious!!!! I was very proud of Ron - he actually used the debit card (with Corgan's help) at the gas station and Jungle Jim's. If you know Ron, you know that this is a very big deal. We may get him into this century yet!
We got home just after 5, and while the fellers got all the stuff carried in, I went and changed my clothes. Then Ron changed his clothes and we were off again. Our destination? A wedding/10-year renewal and reception that we (okay, I) had been looking forward to going to. Hey, it's part of the real world! I'm so tired of not being part of the real world...
We meet with Josh and Chelle and get Corgan dropped off to them, then go on to the festivities. I wasn't sure how well I would be able to do, but, by golly, I was gonna try. I lined up 3 chairs at the 'family' table and sat on the middle one for a bit, then had to lay down, which I did on one side, then the other. I soon had to get a fourth chair, though, and felt a bit funny doing that, but - what can I say? I did spend most of the rest of the night laying across the chairs, but if people couldn't see my back brace, I figured it was their problem, not mine. At least I was there.
The renewal, which was carried out just like a wedding, was absolutely beautiful. I am so glad we were there, because it was so beautiful and we missed so much of things like that on his side of the family for so many years, it felt good to be a small part of it now.
During the reception part, when we got our food, I tried to eat sitting up, but didn't last long and soon had to lay back down (on my belly) and had Ron put my plate on the chair in front of me, and went on from there. I didn't even make Ron do his 'duty dance' - he usually has to dance one slow dance with me before we can leave - tonight. I figured I could let him wiggle out of this one.
We left a little early - 9 - but oh, was my back hurting by then. I had a really good time, and even 'danced' to YMCA, but I was ready - oh, so ready - to go. By the time we said 'bye' to everyone and walked out to the car, it was even more so! But it was oh, so worth it!! We got home, I took another pain pill and went to bed.
This exciting day is gonna have to last me for awhile!
Saturday, June 14, 2014
6/13/14
Friday was a pretty normal slow boring day for me - just layin' around, nothing happening all day long.
When Ron came home from work, he had Corgan with him, and they brought pizza home with them for our supper. It was damn near 7 - they just had to send him out one last time at quarter after 4 - and he didn't want to have to cook after he got here, so that seemed the simplest solution. We hadn't had pizza in forever, so it worked for me, too! I got 3 slices of the pepperoni and mushroom pizza. The guys shared the rest of that one and most of the olive and banana pepper one, too, saving what was left for their breakfast....ugh.
6/14/14
When I got up this morning, I did my weigh-in (I GAINED a pound!!! GAINED!!), took a shower, took my time getting dressed, took a pain pill, and then, after the fellers closed down the outside, we all went shopping! We had a full day planned, and added to it as we went along, and got many things done that were - and had been - hanging over our heads. We stopped and got gasoline, then went to Jungle Jim's, where I stayed in the car, Meijers, Kroger, where I stayed in the car, and WalMart. We also went to lunch at Steak-n-Shake, where they have that long bench along that back wall and I could lay down to eat my lunch. Oh, man, I got a peanut butter and banana shake when we left and it was scrumdiddlyicious!!!! I was very proud of Ron - he actually used the debit card (with Corgan's help) at the gas station and Jungle Jim's. If you know Ron, you know that this is a very big deal. We may get him into this century yet!
We got home just after 5, and while the fellers got all the stuff carried in, I went and changed my clothes. Then Ron changed his clothes and we were off again. Our destination? A wedding/10-year renewal and reception that we (okay, I) had been looking forward to going to. Hey, it's part of the real world! I'm so tired of not being part of the real world...
We meet with Josh and Chelle and get Corgan dropped off to them, then go on to the festivities. I wasn't sure how well I would be able to do, but, by golly, I was gonna try. I lined up 3 chairs at the 'family' table and sat on the middle one for a bit, then had to lay down, which I did on one side, then the other. I soon had to get a fourth chair, though, and felt a bit funny doing that, but - what can I say? I did spend most of the rest of the night laying across the chairs, but if people couldn't see my back brace, I figured it was their problem, not mine. At least I was there.
The renewal, which was carried out just like a wedding, was absolutely beautiful. I am so glad we were there, because it was so beautiful and we missed so much of things like that on his side of the family for so many years, it felt good to be a small part of it now.
During the reception part, when we got our food, I tried to eat sitting up, but didn't last long and soon had to lay back down (on my belly) and had Ron put my plate on the chair in front of me, and went on from there. I didn't even make Ron do his 'duty dance' - he usually has to dance one slow dance with me before we can leave - tonight. I figured I could let him wiggle out of this one.
We left a little early - 9 - but oh, was my back hurting by then. I had a really good time, and even 'danced' to YMCA, but I was ready - oh, so ready - to go. By the time we said 'bye' to everyone and walked out to the car, it was even more so! But it was oh, so worth it!! We got home, I took another pain pill and went to bed.
This exciting day is gonna have to last me for awhile!
Friday, June 13, 2014
Nothing like a bit of excitement to start the day...
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Today was off to a slow start, as most of them are, when the phone rang and it was a local number so I answered it, even though it's usually some spiel about my energy bill. It was the Surgery Center doing their 'pre-op' questions/registration, and I answered all the questions that are already in every computer in the universe. As we were winding it up (down?), she said something to the effect of having someone with me for 48 hours after coming back home, and that took me by surprise. I said, "What?" and she went on with blah-blah-blah about my instruction sheet and I told her that I didn't get an instruction sheet, everything was done over the phone, and she replied that I was told this, then - and I was not told anything of the sort. We went back and forth for a bit, and she stuck to her guns about it, and I was not happy, not at all. This had not been mentioned before, just that I would need a driver, nothing about needing care for 48 hours and this is not good - I need to get this set up! It's only a few days away, and with work and all, it's not an easy task.
As soon as I hang up with her, I call the orthopaedic doctor's office, and let the answering machine have it - why wasn't I told this before, this is pretty important information to know and to set up beforehand! I left a pretty blistering message that I was NOT happy about finding out about this today, etc. and then just had to wait for them to call back with an answer. According to the message, it could take up to 24 hours for a return call, but I sure hoped it didn't take that long - and it didn't, thank God - it only took about half an hour! She explained that that must be a Surgery Center thing, it's not theirs or she would have told me when we set it up. I can resume my 'normal daily activities' the day after my shot as far as they are concerned, so she was very interested and, may I say, concerned about them telling me that. I was very relieved after talking to her, and I felt much better about it.
I may have started something, though!
The rest of the day passed quietly, and when Ron got home, we decided to have a real supper - I was hungry! - so we made pork chops, potatoes, and green beans for our supper. I even helped him peel the potatoes, and I cut them into chunks to put into the pot of water for him. Then I played on the pute until it was all done, and I made my own plate, then went back to bed to eat. I didn't get back up until 8:30 or 9, then played on the pute a bit more, then shut the pute down and back to bed for the night.
Ah, the life of leisure.........sucks! It's boring as all get-out!
Today was off to a slow start, as most of them are, when the phone rang and it was a local number so I answered it, even though it's usually some spiel about my energy bill. It was the Surgery Center doing their 'pre-op' questions/registration, and I answered all the questions that are already in every computer in the universe. As we were winding it up (down?), she said something to the effect of having someone with me for 48 hours after coming back home, and that took me by surprise. I said, "What?" and she went on with blah-blah-blah about my instruction sheet and I told her that I didn't get an instruction sheet, everything was done over the phone, and she replied that I was told this, then - and I was not told anything of the sort. We went back and forth for a bit, and she stuck to her guns about it, and I was not happy, not at all. This had not been mentioned before, just that I would need a driver, nothing about needing care for 48 hours and this is not good - I need to get this set up! It's only a few days away, and with work and all, it's not an easy task.
As soon as I hang up with her, I call the orthopaedic doctor's office, and let the answering machine have it - why wasn't I told this before, this is pretty important information to know and to set up beforehand! I left a pretty blistering message that I was NOT happy about finding out about this today, etc. and then just had to wait for them to call back with an answer. According to the message, it could take up to 24 hours for a return call, but I sure hoped it didn't take that long - and it didn't, thank God - it only took about half an hour! She explained that that must be a Surgery Center thing, it's not theirs or she would have told me when we set it up. I can resume my 'normal daily activities' the day after my shot as far as they are concerned, so she was very interested and, may I say, concerned about them telling me that. I was very relieved after talking to her, and I felt much better about it.
I may have started something, though!
The rest of the day passed quietly, and when Ron got home, we decided to have a real supper - I was hungry! - so we made pork chops, potatoes, and green beans for our supper. I even helped him peel the potatoes, and I cut them into chunks to put into the pot of water for him. Then I played on the pute until it was all done, and I made my own plate, then went back to bed to eat. I didn't get back up until 8:30 or 9, then played on the pute a bit more, then shut the pute down and back to bed for the night.
Ah, the life of leisure.........sucks! It's boring as all get-out!
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Another boring day here.....how about you?
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Today was just another long boring day for me. Just another day of laying in bed, with getting up every now and then to get on the pute or wander around the house, just trying to build up strength.
I am now able to be on the pute for about an hour at a time - when I am wearing the back brace, and about 15 minutes when I am not. It helps a lot to scoot the chair back so my back is stretched but it feels funny (and I'm sure I LOOK funny, too) and I can't stay in that position for long, so I am usually always changing my position. It's certainly different from when I used to get up, sit here and stay here all day!
When Ron got home, he made us both salads for our suppers, although I just had a small one along with chicken noodle soup - he had his normal 'big' salad.
Then, believe it or not, around 11, I got ferociously hungry, so I got up and made myself 6 slices of buttered toast with a small glass of milk for a snack. I know - amazing! After that, I fell asleep rather easily and slept very, very well all night long.
Today was just another long boring day for me. Just another day of laying in bed, with getting up every now and then to get on the pute or wander around the house, just trying to build up strength.
I am now able to be on the pute for about an hour at a time - when I am wearing the back brace, and about 15 minutes when I am not. It helps a lot to scoot the chair back so my back is stretched but it feels funny (and I'm sure I LOOK funny, too) and I can't stay in that position for long, so I am usually always changing my position. It's certainly different from when I used to get up, sit here and stay here all day!
When Ron got home, he made us both salads for our suppers, although I just had a small one along with chicken noodle soup - he had his normal 'big' salad.
Then, believe it or not, around 11, I got ferociously hungry, so I got up and made myself 6 slices of buttered toast with a small glass of milk for a snack. I know - amazing! After that, I fell asleep rather easily and slept very, very well all night long.
Getting caught up.....Yay!
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Monday, June 9, 2014
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
This is written starting on June 11, 2014. I am caught up!
Sunday 6/8
Today, after Ron got home from church, I told him that I wanted to go to Amelia - for him to get his oil changed in his truck, since he weaseled out of it yesterday, and to do a bit of grocery shopping at WalMart - since both things needed done. He was not a happy camper, but grudgingly agreed that, yes, they did need done. After some discussion, I called my friend Bert and asked her if she'd come with us so that she could shop with me (she called it 'babysitting') while he went on down to get the oil change done, and she said she could, as long as she was home by 3:30-3:45, so we left right around 1 or so, as soon as I could get dressed, which doesn't really happen all that fast anymore. Certainly not as fast as it used to, anyway!
So Ron drops us off at WalMart and goes on. We go through the grocery section, luckily I didn't need to go over to the other side of the store although I could have used new pillows if I had thought about it. We didn't need a whole lot, just enough that a trip to the store was called for. I thought Ron would be back before we were done, seeing how slow I am right now, but he wasn't, so we started through the parking lot up toward Bob Evans since I can't just sit on a bench and wait. Bert and I did sit on the bench for a few minutes, but it was extremely uncomfortable with that brace on - it just didn't contour with the bench at all! But we headed through the parking lot, and here came Ron, so the timing was real good.
We went to Bob Evans to eat - and to tell Bert 'thanks' for helping us today, but we couldn't get that booth in the back with the bench, so I had to curl up in a regular booth, and then sit up to eat. Boy, was I ready to go by the time everyone else was done eating, or 3:30, which came first. Bert did have that time limit. I was SO glad that I had remembered to take a pain pill before going!
No sooner had we gotten home and was putting away the groceries, then Ron was telling me that we needed both his mayonnaise and my Miracle Whip. "Ron! You've GOT to tell me these things BEFORE I go to the store!" I tell him. He just gave me a sheepish grin and said he didn't think of it. Men! What can you do with them?
Monday 6/9
Today wasn't anything too spectacular - pretty much a 'normal' day. Just layin' around, doing nothin'. Hahaha. The only thing different about today was that it was a friend of mine's Girl Scout troop's fundraiser day up at Gold Star. I was hoping that I'd be better enough to go, but (of course) I'm not. And Mr. Whiny Butt Ron didn't want to drive uptown to pick up our supper for carryout, either. Mondays are his roughest day, though, so I didn't really expect he would want to go. Luckily, Tina drives by here on her way home, and she offered to drop us off whatever we wanted, and I was surprised that Ron actually agreed to that - it was after 8 before she could get here - so we did end up having coneys for our supper that night, and we did get to help out with the fundraiser. Yay, us!
Tuesday 6/10
Today wasn't anything much to write home about, either, until I went to my TOPS weigh-in. And guess what, folks? I didn't lose any weight according to this weigh-in! NONE at all. Wow. I guess eating these good suppers are now having a payoff. The few times I'm up in a day, I may have to start incorporating that evil E word into my day - noooooooooo! I don't wanna! But, seriously, I'm going to take that as a good sign that I am eating much better and that things are improving. I think it's a very good sign.
I go home from the weigh-in and have a bowl of chicken noodle soup for supper and go back to bed.
Monday, June 9, 2014
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
This is written starting on June 11, 2014. I am caught up!
Sunday 6/8
Today, after Ron got home from church, I told him that I wanted to go to Amelia - for him to get his oil changed in his truck, since he weaseled out of it yesterday, and to do a bit of grocery shopping at WalMart - since both things needed done. He was not a happy camper, but grudgingly agreed that, yes, they did need done. After some discussion, I called my friend Bert and asked her if she'd come with us so that she could shop with me (she called it 'babysitting') while he went on down to get the oil change done, and she said she could, as long as she was home by 3:30-3:45, so we left right around 1 or so, as soon as I could get dressed, which doesn't really happen all that fast anymore. Certainly not as fast as it used to, anyway!
So Ron drops us off at WalMart and goes on. We go through the grocery section, luckily I didn't need to go over to the other side of the store although I could have used new pillows if I had thought about it. We didn't need a whole lot, just enough that a trip to the store was called for. I thought Ron would be back before we were done, seeing how slow I am right now, but he wasn't, so we started through the parking lot up toward Bob Evans since I can't just sit on a bench and wait. Bert and I did sit on the bench for a few minutes, but it was extremely uncomfortable with that brace on - it just didn't contour with the bench at all! But we headed through the parking lot, and here came Ron, so the timing was real good.
We went to Bob Evans to eat - and to tell Bert 'thanks' for helping us today, but we couldn't get that booth in the back with the bench, so I had to curl up in a regular booth, and then sit up to eat. Boy, was I ready to go by the time everyone else was done eating, or 3:30, which came first. Bert did have that time limit. I was SO glad that I had remembered to take a pain pill before going!
No sooner had we gotten home and was putting away the groceries, then Ron was telling me that we needed both his mayonnaise and my Miracle Whip. "Ron! You've GOT to tell me these things BEFORE I go to the store!" I tell him. He just gave me a sheepish grin and said he didn't think of it. Men! What can you do with them?
Monday 6/9
Today wasn't anything too spectacular - pretty much a 'normal' day. Just layin' around, doing nothin'. Hahaha. The only thing different about today was that it was a friend of mine's Girl Scout troop's fundraiser day up at Gold Star. I was hoping that I'd be better enough to go, but (of course) I'm not. And Mr. Whiny Butt Ron didn't want to drive uptown to pick up our supper for carryout, either. Mondays are his roughest day, though, so I didn't really expect he would want to go. Luckily, Tina drives by here on her way home, and she offered to drop us off whatever we wanted, and I was surprised that Ron actually agreed to that - it was after 8 before she could get here - so we did end up having coneys for our supper that night, and we did get to help out with the fundraiser. Yay, us!
Tuesday 6/10
Today wasn't anything much to write home about, either, until I went to my TOPS weigh-in. And guess what, folks? I didn't lose any weight according to this weigh-in! NONE at all. Wow. I guess eating these good suppers are now having a payoff. The few times I'm up in a day, I may have to start incorporating that evil E word into my day - noooooooooo! I don't wanna! But, seriously, I'm going to take that as a good sign that I am eating much better and that things are improving. I think it's a very good sign.
I go home from the weigh-in and have a bowl of chicken noodle soup for supper and go back to bed.
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
An almost 'normal' Saturday! How about that?
Saturday, June 7, 2014
This is written starting on June 10, 2014. Getting closer to being caught up...
Josh texted me this morning, saying that they were going to bring biscuits & gravy for supper tonight. Biscuits and gravy! Yum! I love breakfast for supper!
Ron and Corgan were gone, and I was in the middle of my weigh-in, but I paused and texted Ron to go buy some bacon and some sausage links (nothing like more protein, right?) to add to supper. Then I finished my weigh-in, and I was kinda shocked with my number today.
According to the Wii, I am within a pound of being BELOW 200!! BELOW!! Do you know how many years and years and years it has been since I've been below 200? Quite a few, I can guarantee. Guess maybe now I can quit saying I still have my baby fat...and, yes, I know that my baby will be 35 this year.
So, anyway, I just quietly bask in the knowledge of being so close to 200, and start wondering how soon I will start gaining some of this weight back. My brain works funny, I know. I just can't believe that I am so close to this SUPER DUPER goal already - I thought it would be months and months before I was here! At least the end of September, my birthday, and here I am now. I still wouldn't recommend this severe diet plan to anyone else on this earth, though. Never, never, never.
I stay in bed all day, so that when the family gets here, I can get up and stay up with them. Ron started cooking the bacon at 6, so it would be done and out of the way when they got here. They are supposed to get here between 6 and 7 - Chelle had to work today - and I got up at quarter after 7, asking Ron and Corgan if they had heard from them yet. They said 'no' but then they pulled in while I was in the bathroom, which was a good thing, because I was going to start bugging them when I got out! So our evening got started, with me in the recliner and them taking over the kitchen. My house sure smelled good!
Chelle cooked the biscuits and gravy, and then we all got plates and ate wherever we wished. Some were in the kitchen, at the table, and some were in the living room, watching TV. We were watching Family Feud and we had a lot of fun.
At 9, even though Corgan was urging us to go out earlier, we all went out to sit around a fire in the firepit. It was a nice evening - not too hot - and I went out with them to lay on my porch swing out there. Even though I had urged Corgan to break up the branches out there in piles, it hadn't been done (what 9 year old boy is gonna mind his grandmother?) because him and grandpa had better things to do all day, don't you know? So Ron was sitting there, breaking up the branches and throwing them into the fire, and Corgan was leaping around, running around, dancing around, and just generally jumping around as he usually does, breaking branches occasionally and throwing them in the fire, 'smoking' the dry roasted peanuts at the end of his torch, and just being a little boy, but the night was not as quiet as it is when it's just the three of us becaue Corgan's mother was there - and you know how mothers are, especially when their children are jumping, running, and poking around fire. Yep, she kept telling him to be careful, to not do that, to don't fall in the fire, and all those things. We all had a great time, just sitting - okay, me laying over there - around the fire, talking about this and that, just enjoying each other's company like we hadn't been able to do for many weeks. It was super! One of the things we talked about was the possibility of having a 4th of July something, if this steroid shot thing works out okay for me. I am hoping so - I am starting to feel very 'left out' of things!
After a couple of hours, we put the lid on the firepit, they all left, and I went back to bed.
It was a GREAT evening, and I'm glad I was up to it - with NO pain pills!
This is written starting on June 10, 2014. Getting closer to being caught up...
Josh texted me this morning, saying that they were going to bring biscuits & gravy for supper tonight. Biscuits and gravy! Yum! I love breakfast for supper!
Ron and Corgan were gone, and I was in the middle of my weigh-in, but I paused and texted Ron to go buy some bacon and some sausage links (nothing like more protein, right?) to add to supper. Then I finished my weigh-in, and I was kinda shocked with my number today.
According to the Wii, I am within a pound of being BELOW 200!! BELOW!! Do you know how many years and years and years it has been since I've been below 200? Quite a few, I can guarantee. Guess maybe now I can quit saying I still have my baby fat...and, yes, I know that my baby will be 35 this year.
So, anyway, I just quietly bask in the knowledge of being so close to 200, and start wondering how soon I will start gaining some of this weight back. My brain works funny, I know. I just can't believe that I am so close to this SUPER DUPER goal already - I thought it would be months and months before I was here! At least the end of September, my birthday, and here I am now. I still wouldn't recommend this severe diet plan to anyone else on this earth, though. Never, never, never.
I stay in bed all day, so that when the family gets here, I can get up and stay up with them. Ron started cooking the bacon at 6, so it would be done and out of the way when they got here. They are supposed to get here between 6 and 7 - Chelle had to work today - and I got up at quarter after 7, asking Ron and Corgan if they had heard from them yet. They said 'no' but then they pulled in while I was in the bathroom, which was a good thing, because I was going to start bugging them when I got out! So our evening got started, with me in the recliner and them taking over the kitchen. My house sure smelled good!
Chelle cooked the biscuits and gravy, and then we all got plates and ate wherever we wished. Some were in the kitchen, at the table, and some were in the living room, watching TV. We were watching Family Feud and we had a lot of fun.
At 9, even though Corgan was urging us to go out earlier, we all went out to sit around a fire in the firepit. It was a nice evening - not too hot - and I went out with them to lay on my porch swing out there. Even though I had urged Corgan to break up the branches out there in piles, it hadn't been done (what 9 year old boy is gonna mind his grandmother?) because him and grandpa had better things to do all day, don't you know? So Ron was sitting there, breaking up the branches and throwing them into the fire, and Corgan was leaping around, running around, dancing around, and just generally jumping around as he usually does, breaking branches occasionally and throwing them in the fire, 'smoking' the dry roasted peanuts at the end of his torch, and just being a little boy, but the night was not as quiet as it is when it's just the three of us becaue Corgan's mother was there - and you know how mothers are, especially when their children are jumping, running, and poking around fire. Yep, she kept telling him to be careful, to not do that, to don't fall in the fire, and all those things. We all had a great time, just sitting - okay, me laying over there - around the fire, talking about this and that, just enjoying each other's company like we hadn't been able to do for many weeks. It was super! One of the things we talked about was the possibility of having a 4th of July something, if this steroid shot thing works out okay for me. I am hoping so - I am starting to feel very 'left out' of things!
After a couple of hours, we put the lid on the firepit, they all left, and I went back to bed.
It was a GREAT evening, and I'm glad I was up to it - with NO pain pills!
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Another week passes...
The week of June 2 - 6, 2014
This was written starting on June 9, 2014. The LAST catch-up week!
I am going to tell you of another phenomena that is occurring because of the positional labyrinthitis - I am hearing things. Not just things, but symphonic music. You know, the big swelling music at the end of westerns or during epics like Gone With the Wind. Music like that. Symphonic, orchestral - whatever you want to call it. I'm pretty sure it's happening inside my head, but it sounds like it's coming from outside the bedroom - down the hallway, even, and I know damn well there's none of that type of music playing in the house! It has to truly be inside in head, it has to.
Anyway, I hear it when I am laying on my back the worst (the most?), then to a certain point when I am on my stomach, and only rarely when I lay on either one of my sides, which is how I know it's the positional thing causing it, and it's driving me crazy on top of going crazy just laying in bed!
At first it was just the crescendo-type of music, eventually I came to realize that it was actually songs, and I started recognizing them. First, it was patriotic songs - the Star Spangled Banner or America the Beautiful (you know 'amber waves of grain' and all that), then also Amazing Grace and How Great Thou Art are mixed in there, too. How weird is this? My brain hates me, I think.
I am making myself get up 2, 3, and 4 times a day now. Sometimes I get on the pute, where I can sit for longer amounts of time, because I can scoot my chair back a little (stick my butt out) and stretch my back out a little more. Sometimes I watch TV with Ron in the evenings for an hour or so, then he rescues me from the recliner. I am eating good suppers, and that other problem seems to have worked itself out, thank God! I sure didn't want to have doctors poking around down there!
On Tuesday, Ron takes me up to weigh in at TOPS, and I have lost another 2.8 pounds according to their scale, which puts me - in my TOPS book - at exactly a 50 pound loss since I have joined TOPS! I joined them 7/9/13, so that's 50 pounds in not quite 11 months. Not too shabby, huh? (My total weight loss is through my Biggest Loser contest, whose weigh-in is on Saturdays.) Between the Biggest Loser contest and TOPS, with myfitnesspal and this blog keeping me accountable, I think I've done a pretty good job. The BL contest was the first big step in the right direction, and TOPS gave me the smarts - the right ways - to get the job done, and the accountability helped SO much (more than anyone will know!), and here I am!
The rest of the week passes, and then Friday! Ah, Friday! A big adventure day for me. We are getting new tires for the car. Josh and Chelle are helping us with this, because they are going to use the car on vacation this summer, or it could never happen (Thanks, guys!) because we could sure use the money other places -- but vehicle maintenance is very important, also. So, this is happening, and it's happening now.
We chose Tire Discounters because we've dealt with them before and they are close enough. We were going to drive the car down on Friday night and go back and get it on Saturday, but we forgot about needing another driver on Saturday, so it ended up being Chelle, Jean, and I (with Corgan) on Friday afternoon.
Chelle drove Ron's truck as the second vehicle, while Jean drove my car and off we went. We got down there, and I hobbled in to talk to them. The manager ended up being an old friend that we hadn't seen since he was 13 or 14 - man, time flies! - and we visited as well as doing the business that needed done. I stood for MUCH longer than I expected to while we were talking, and I was glad, glad, glad that I took a pain pill before we left the house! When we finally left TD, we went to Bob Evans to kill the 2 hours requested and got that table in the back with the long bench again. So I had a 'picnic at the bench' with my chicken salad plate - I"m so glad it's summer! - again while they all had the 'new' broasted chicken, except Corgan, who got a country fried steak and then complained about it because it had white gravy on it. I don't know what he expected, because the menu had pictures, plus he's seen ME order it at other places plenty of times! Oh, well, there's always something, right?
We were all done eating a little over an hour later, and we discussing what to do, and it was decided to go over to WalMart. Corgan and I sat in the truck, while Chelle and Jean went in. The seat in the truck does not recline quite as far as the one in my car does, and my back started hurting, so I went to text Chelle to shop faster, and I couldn't find my phone! Oh, no! I had to keep rearranging until they finally came out (it only seemed like forever, it really was just a few minutes) and Corgan and I explained about my phone. We both talk too much, so it must have been quite a babble to them! Finally, they understood, and Chelle tried calling my phone to make sure it wasn't in the truck somewhere and it wasn't. She drove back up to Bob Evans and Jean went in and found it. It had slipped out of my pants pocket while I was on the bench eating, and was stuck in the back of the seat - kinda like down in the couch cushions - but, yay!, we found it. What a relief that was!
We went back to TD, spent too long standing in there talking some more, then Jean and I got the car and came back home, where Chelle and Corgan already were. I collapsed into the recliner - there were people here to rescue me!
Josh came here after work, Ron came home after work, and we all had a nice long visit. We even made plans for them to come up tomorrow - Saturday - for supper because we haven't done that for a long time. They've been doing other things to pick Corgan up, and we can finally do that again. We agree to make final plans for the meal tomorrow, and they all go home, and I go to bed.
I had been up - out of bed, even though at the last I was in the recliner - for over 6 hours. I was exhausted!!!!
I slept GOOD that night!!
This was written starting on June 9, 2014. The LAST catch-up week!
I am going to tell you of another phenomena that is occurring because of the positional labyrinthitis - I am hearing things. Not just things, but symphonic music. You know, the big swelling music at the end of westerns or during epics like Gone With the Wind. Music like that. Symphonic, orchestral - whatever you want to call it. I'm pretty sure it's happening inside my head, but it sounds like it's coming from outside the bedroom - down the hallway, even, and I know damn well there's none of that type of music playing in the house! It has to truly be inside in head, it has to.
Anyway, I hear it when I am laying on my back the worst (the most?), then to a certain point when I am on my stomach, and only rarely when I lay on either one of my sides, which is how I know it's the positional thing causing it, and it's driving me crazy on top of going crazy just laying in bed!
At first it was just the crescendo-type of music, eventually I came to realize that it was actually songs, and I started recognizing them. First, it was patriotic songs - the Star Spangled Banner or America the Beautiful (you know 'amber waves of grain' and all that), then also Amazing Grace and How Great Thou Art are mixed in there, too. How weird is this? My brain hates me, I think.
I am making myself get up 2, 3, and 4 times a day now. Sometimes I get on the pute, where I can sit for longer amounts of time, because I can scoot my chair back a little (stick my butt out) and stretch my back out a little more. Sometimes I watch TV with Ron in the evenings for an hour or so, then he rescues me from the recliner. I am eating good suppers, and that other problem seems to have worked itself out, thank God! I sure didn't want to have doctors poking around down there!
On Tuesday, Ron takes me up to weigh in at TOPS, and I have lost another 2.8 pounds according to their scale, which puts me - in my TOPS book - at exactly a 50 pound loss since I have joined TOPS! I joined them 7/9/13, so that's 50 pounds in not quite 11 months. Not too shabby, huh? (My total weight loss is through my Biggest Loser contest, whose weigh-in is on Saturdays.) Between the Biggest Loser contest and TOPS, with myfitnesspal and this blog keeping me accountable, I think I've done a pretty good job. The BL contest was the first big step in the right direction, and TOPS gave me the smarts - the right ways - to get the job done, and the accountability helped SO much (more than anyone will know!), and here I am!
The rest of the week passes, and then Friday! Ah, Friday! A big adventure day for me. We are getting new tires for the car. Josh and Chelle are helping us with this, because they are going to use the car on vacation this summer, or it could never happen (Thanks, guys!) because we could sure use the money other places -- but vehicle maintenance is very important, also. So, this is happening, and it's happening now.
We chose Tire Discounters because we've dealt with them before and they are close enough. We were going to drive the car down on Friday night and go back and get it on Saturday, but we forgot about needing another driver on Saturday, so it ended up being Chelle, Jean, and I (with Corgan) on Friday afternoon.
Chelle drove Ron's truck as the second vehicle, while Jean drove my car and off we went. We got down there, and I hobbled in to talk to them. The manager ended up being an old friend that we hadn't seen since he was 13 or 14 - man, time flies! - and we visited as well as doing the business that needed done. I stood for MUCH longer than I expected to while we were talking, and I was glad, glad, glad that I took a pain pill before we left the house! When we finally left TD, we went to Bob Evans to kill the 2 hours requested and got that table in the back with the long bench again. So I had a 'picnic at the bench' with my chicken salad plate - I"m so glad it's summer! - again while they all had the 'new' broasted chicken, except Corgan, who got a country fried steak and then complained about it because it had white gravy on it. I don't know what he expected, because the menu had pictures, plus he's seen ME order it at other places plenty of times! Oh, well, there's always something, right?
We were all done eating a little over an hour later, and we discussing what to do, and it was decided to go over to WalMart. Corgan and I sat in the truck, while Chelle and Jean went in. The seat in the truck does not recline quite as far as the one in my car does, and my back started hurting, so I went to text Chelle to shop faster, and I couldn't find my phone! Oh, no! I had to keep rearranging until they finally came out (it only seemed like forever, it really was just a few minutes) and Corgan and I explained about my phone. We both talk too much, so it must have been quite a babble to them! Finally, they understood, and Chelle tried calling my phone to make sure it wasn't in the truck somewhere and it wasn't. She drove back up to Bob Evans and Jean went in and found it. It had slipped out of my pants pocket while I was on the bench eating, and was stuck in the back of the seat - kinda like down in the couch cushions - but, yay!, we found it. What a relief that was!
We went back to TD, spent too long standing in there talking some more, then Jean and I got the car and came back home, where Chelle and Corgan already were. I collapsed into the recliner - there were people here to rescue me!
Josh came here after work, Ron came home after work, and we all had a nice long visit. We even made plans for them to come up tomorrow - Saturday - for supper because we haven't done that for a long time. They've been doing other things to pick Corgan up, and we can finally do that again. We agree to make final plans for the meal tomorrow, and they all go home, and I go to bed.
I had been up - out of bed, even though at the last I was in the recliner - for over 6 hours. I was exhausted!!!!
I slept GOOD that night!!
Monday, June 9, 2014
A looked-forward-to DAY OUT
Sunday, June 1, 2014
This is written on June 9, 2014. Only a week to go!
Today is the day of the fundraiser for our church down at Campbell's Barn. We like going to Campbell's Barn, anyway, and on the day of the fundraiser(s), we see more people that we know and it's much more of a social event and a lot of fun.
With this happening to my back, though, I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to go or not - because I can't sit and eat a meal - but after my 'picnic on the bench' the other day, I figured I could do the same sort of thing and enjoy my meal, and my day out, today. The Barn doesn't have any benches, though, so I'm gonna have to lay across three or four chairs, so it won't be quite as comfy, but I can live with that. I can put up with anything for an hour or so, right? Especially if I take a pain pill first...
We still had Corgan - he decided to stay again because HE likes the Barn, too - and after church, Ron came home and picked us up, and off we went.
When we got there, some people from church were there, right up front and I stood a few moments (not long, trust me) and talked to them. They had noticed that I hadn't been in church recently, but hadn't heard the story of 'why,' and were very surprised about the news. They were also, or at least said they were, glad to see me. Then I went to one of the long tables in the back to spread out for my meal. Of course, I had to repeat my story for the owner and the waitress, too, since we know them real well from going there so often. I was on the one side of the table, across the four chairs, and Ron and Corgan were on the other side. It was kinda funny, the three of us at such a long table, but, oh well.
I got the chicken wrap and french fries that I like, although I gave most of the fries to Corgan and I only ate one half of the wrap. Ron got his fried chicken, and Corgan got an order of chili cheese fries (the silly boy had made himself some food around 11 and wasn't really hungry....what is it with fellows?), so we all had some good food!
When we got our check, I said something about the fundraiser and Corgan wanted to figure out how much our portion was going to be, so I helped him get the calculator up on my cell phone and helped him punch the correct numbers and symbols in and he was sooooo proud of himself for figuring that out! Ron and I didn't particularly care, but evidently he did, and if it lets him use his brain, why not? (And, by the way, he did make all-A honor roll again this year, earning four certificates, and will be going into the 4th grade this Fall. He's growing up so quickly!)
When we left, we met Josh, Chelle, and Jean at East Fork - back by the dam/spillway - to drop Corgan off with them. It's been a long, long time since I was back there and it's grown up a lot and sure is beautiful. They left to go to the beach to swim, and we came home.
I went to bed. That trip did kinda wear me out - being up on my elbows all that time, not on my back, was weird - and when they stopped to pick up Corgan's stuff, he came in to give me a 'bye' hug, but none of the adults even stuck their head in the bedroom door! They thought I was asleep, because they didn't hear me, and I didn't holler out at them because the air conditioners were on in both the bedroom and the kitchen and I knew they wouldn't hear me anyway. Chelle texted me later and I teased her and she said that they thought I was sleeping and I said, 'you didn't even look!' and told her about the A/Cs being too noisy. So everything was cool, but I thought it was funny.
I ate the other half of my wrap for 'supper' that night - I was surprised, I think that's the first time I've eaten twice in one day in this whole ordeal.
All in all, it was a real good day.
It sure did feel good to get out somewhere that wasn't a doctor appointment or the grocery store!
This is written on June 9, 2014. Only a week to go!
Today is the day of the fundraiser for our church down at Campbell's Barn. We like going to Campbell's Barn, anyway, and on the day of the fundraiser(s), we see more people that we know and it's much more of a social event and a lot of fun.
With this happening to my back, though, I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to go or not - because I can't sit and eat a meal - but after my 'picnic on the bench' the other day, I figured I could do the same sort of thing and enjoy my meal, and my day out, today. The Barn doesn't have any benches, though, so I'm gonna have to lay across three or four chairs, so it won't be quite as comfy, but I can live with that. I can put up with anything for an hour or so, right? Especially if I take a pain pill first...
We still had Corgan - he decided to stay again because HE likes the Barn, too - and after church, Ron came home and picked us up, and off we went.
When we got there, some people from church were there, right up front and I stood a few moments (not long, trust me) and talked to them. They had noticed that I hadn't been in church recently, but hadn't heard the story of 'why,' and were very surprised about the news. They were also, or at least said they were, glad to see me. Then I went to one of the long tables in the back to spread out for my meal. Of course, I had to repeat my story for the owner and the waitress, too, since we know them real well from going there so often. I was on the one side of the table, across the four chairs, and Ron and Corgan were on the other side. It was kinda funny, the three of us at such a long table, but, oh well.
I got the chicken wrap and french fries that I like, although I gave most of the fries to Corgan and I only ate one half of the wrap. Ron got his fried chicken, and Corgan got an order of chili cheese fries (the silly boy had made himself some food around 11 and wasn't really hungry....what is it with fellows?), so we all had some good food!
When we got our check, I said something about the fundraiser and Corgan wanted to figure out how much our portion was going to be, so I helped him get the calculator up on my cell phone and helped him punch the correct numbers and symbols in and he was sooooo proud of himself for figuring that out! Ron and I didn't particularly care, but evidently he did, and if it lets him use his brain, why not? (And, by the way, he did make all-A honor roll again this year, earning four certificates, and will be going into the 4th grade this Fall. He's growing up so quickly!)
When we left, we met Josh, Chelle, and Jean at East Fork - back by the dam/spillway - to drop Corgan off with them. It's been a long, long time since I was back there and it's grown up a lot and sure is beautiful. They left to go to the beach to swim, and we came home.
I went to bed. That trip did kinda wear me out - being up on my elbows all that time, not on my back, was weird - and when they stopped to pick up Corgan's stuff, he came in to give me a 'bye' hug, but none of the adults even stuck their head in the bedroom door! They thought I was asleep, because they didn't hear me, and I didn't holler out at them because the air conditioners were on in both the bedroom and the kitchen and I knew they wouldn't hear me anyway. Chelle texted me later and I teased her and she said that they thought I was sleeping and I said, 'you didn't even look!' and told her about the A/Cs being too noisy. So everything was cool, but I thought it was funny.
I ate the other half of my wrap for 'supper' that night - I was surprised, I think that's the first time I've eaten twice in one day in this whole ordeal.
All in all, it was a real good day.
It sure did feel good to get out somewhere that wasn't a doctor appointment or the grocery store!
Sunday, June 8, 2014
...and so another week passes
The week of May 25 - 31, 2014
This is written starting on June 5, 2014. Almost caught up! Almost.
We start the week with a big adventure on Sunday with a trip to WalMart after Ron gets back from church. We are out of a lot of stuff now, and it's better for me to try to get out and about, and if I can't, then I can't. We shall see what happens.
I send him back for milk and butter as I go up and down the grocery aisles as needed - no true WalMart Walk today - and we get what we need. Then it's over to the HBA because we need deodorant and a couple other small things over there. Ron goes out to see if they have a lawn mower blade (he bent one while mowing the other day) so we don't have to drive all the way down there when we're done - just to find them closed on a Sunday, knowing our luck. He finds me in HBA, then it's time to find a checkout line (yeah, right) and get done. I am really feeling it - I should have taken a pain pill before we left the house, but I didn't, and I am so ready to be done! We tell the cashier that we have a case of water on the bottom of the cart, but she forgot and didn't get it, and as we were walking away, I remembered and asked her and she admitted that she didn't get it. Well, I didn't want to get stopped on the way out DING DING DING DING over a case of water, so we were standing there, but she had already started on the lady behind us, and what could we do? Finally, I asked that lady if we gave her 5 bucks could she add our water to her order because I just had to go, I had to go get in the car, I can't stand - literally I can not stand any longer to wait - and she said ok. Then she was asking how much was it after the cashier rang it up and telling Ron she didn't have change and didn't want to take our money, and I just walked away pushing the cart. It was worth the little extra to be able to GO!! I'm not sure how he resolved it, but I had to go - I was hurting bad by then. He caught up to me, loaded up the car and all and we came home. I took my last good muscle relaxer and a pain pill (I even thought about taking two, but didn't) and took a nap. Oh, what a bad decision that was. But - I did it! I paid for it big time, but I did it.
Even though we had plenty of groceries in the house again, I wasn't very hungry that night. I just had chicken noodle soup for my supper.
We get a phone call from a friend, wanting to know if we would like some 'leftovers' from their family get-together - some ribs, brats, and potato salad. She knows my weakness for potato salad, especially hers (she makes wonderful potato salad) and Ron is gonna stop at their house on his way home tomorrow for this yumminess, so even though we're not going to a cookout this holiday, we will have cookout food! Thank God for good friends!
The week goes on, the days running together as they do now because they are all the same. I had to call the doctor about the other problem, and I had to take/use/do a Fleet Enema - which I had, luckily, even though they were old - but Ron did his husbandly duty and helped with this, and it did help (hurray!!) and that little problem seems to be solved.
Tuesday night, I go to TOPS and weigh in and I have only lost 2.8 pounds this week. Someone else lost 4 pounds, so I wasn't Loser of the Week this week, but I was Loser of the Month - imagine that. I guess those better suppers have some sort of result, huh?
Wednesday when I get up, I get a tremendous wave of dizziness as I rise to go to the bathroom. Wonderful! Just what I need - positional labyrinthitis. This has happened before when I have had to lay in bed too long with an illness, usually bronchitis. Something to do with inside the ear. I guess as one part of me is healing, another part of me is protesting the laying in bed too much. Well, guess what? A LOT of me is protesting the laying in bed too much! Hahaha. There's nothing I can do about it, though, so I must just deal with it.
Thursday - my appointment day! I get to find out my MRI results! Yay!
This visit was so different - the doctor himself seemed different - than my last visit. I'm not sure if it was because I refused his help to sit up and move around, or if I was asking more questions than most patients do, but the doctor and I were soon at loggerheads with each other. As soon as I stood up off the exam table he told me that I wasn't wearing the brace high enough and I came back with the fact that I wasn't given instructions and I am wearing it where it hurts and where it helps me. (I'm sure that didn't help the situation much, either). Then, I'm asking him questions that he's not answering and he's telling me that I'm in PAIN and I'm telling him that I'm in discomfort and can move and ease the discomfort, thus it's not pain. Finally, he tells me that I'm not letting him get a word in edgewise - I was dumbstruck! I guess he's just used to people wanting pain pills to ease the pain and that's it, but Jiminy Freaking Christmas, I want to know WHY I can't sit, and WHAT is going to help me be able to sit again and WHEN. I am not stupid, and I am not a lemming. Talk to me, Mr. Educated Man. But he doesn't. He just keeps telling me that I'm in pain, that's why I can't do anything.
The gist of the visit comes down to: I have a fractured (broken) disc - the L1, and I have a degenerated disc - either the L4 or L5 (by this time, I don't remember). They both look nasty on the MRI picture. He says the degenerated one is like a pebble in a shoe, just rubbing and annoying until it heals. He wants to give me a steroid shot in it to help with inflammation, but because of the diabetes, we must get clearance from my other doctor. I also try to ask him about the other problem, but he says he only deals with the spine, so he doesn't know about anything like that. It's not caused from the fall (what??!!) and I need to ask my regular doctor about it.
I leave this appointment very frustrated and very upset. How can a doctor not know that one happening causes others, and what they are? I know he specializes in bones, more specifically spines, but he has to know that other things occur down there, too. I mean, come on...
And how can he not know the difference between pain and discomfort? I mean, do that many people really live off of pain pills? I can understand, especially at the beginning of the occurrence - right after the accident - YES, definitely, but I after a while if one can move to ease the 'pain' it's not pain, it's discomfort. To my way of thinking, anyway. Maybe I'm just a stronger person. I HOPE I'm a stronger person!! I do know I have a pretty high pain threshold, so maybe I'm just weird. (no comments, please)
As soon as I leave his office, I call my doctor about the steroid shot, and I text and call my family and friends to get their reactions and advice, and all I get back are smart-ass responses, so I'm on my own to do some research over the next couple of days.
My friend Bert, who had driven me, and I go to Bob Evans for a very late lunch or a very early supper, depending on how you look at it, and we get the booth in the back that has a long bench. I lay on the bench and enjoy the Chicken Salad Plate that they have now that it's summer. Bert says that I had my own little picnic on the bench. She brought me home, and Ron got here not too long after us. I went ahead and went back to bed, I was worn out! She visited with Ron for a bit (yeah, my ears were ringing!) then she came in and said bye.
Between the devastation of the news (I have a BROKEN back, ye gods!!) that I never in a million years expected and the rude treatment of the doctor, I just stayed in bed on Friday. The only bright - if you want to call it that - spot was when my doctor's office called and said that it was okay for the steroid shot, just keep an eye on the numbers and don't let them get terrifically high (in other words - watch what I eat (yeah, okay, even though I'm eating good suppers now, that's ALL I'm eating - suppers) and take my meds correctly - don't skip any! Yes, I am skipping at least one every day now because I am not eating very much. Yeah, yeah...)
One doctor down, one to go! Since I don't even want to think about this right now, I'm not even gonna call the cardiologist until Monday...sigh.
Saturday morning, I get up and do my weigh-in while the guys are outside, and I have lost over 4 more pounds.
Seriously.
Yikes.
This is written starting on June 5, 2014. Almost caught up! Almost.
We start the week with a big adventure on Sunday with a trip to WalMart after Ron gets back from church. We are out of a lot of stuff now, and it's better for me to try to get out and about, and if I can't, then I can't. We shall see what happens.
I send him back for milk and butter as I go up and down the grocery aisles as needed - no true WalMart Walk today - and we get what we need. Then it's over to the HBA because we need deodorant and a couple other small things over there. Ron goes out to see if they have a lawn mower blade (he bent one while mowing the other day) so we don't have to drive all the way down there when we're done - just to find them closed on a Sunday, knowing our luck. He finds me in HBA, then it's time to find a checkout line (yeah, right) and get done. I am really feeling it - I should have taken a pain pill before we left the house, but I didn't, and I am so ready to be done! We tell the cashier that we have a case of water on the bottom of the cart, but she forgot and didn't get it, and as we were walking away, I remembered and asked her and she admitted that she didn't get it. Well, I didn't want to get stopped on the way out DING DING DING DING over a case of water, so we were standing there, but she had already started on the lady behind us, and what could we do? Finally, I asked that lady if we gave her 5 bucks could she add our water to her order because I just had to go, I had to go get in the car, I can't stand - literally I can not stand any longer to wait - and she said ok. Then she was asking how much was it after the cashier rang it up and telling Ron she didn't have change and didn't want to take our money, and I just walked away pushing the cart. It was worth the little extra to be able to GO!! I'm not sure how he resolved it, but I had to go - I was hurting bad by then. He caught up to me, loaded up the car and all and we came home. I took my last good muscle relaxer and a pain pill (I even thought about taking two, but didn't) and took a nap. Oh, what a bad decision that was. But - I did it! I paid for it big time, but I did it.
Even though we had plenty of groceries in the house again, I wasn't very hungry that night. I just had chicken noodle soup for my supper.
We get a phone call from a friend, wanting to know if we would like some 'leftovers' from their family get-together - some ribs, brats, and potato salad. She knows my weakness for potato salad, especially hers (she makes wonderful potato salad) and Ron is gonna stop at their house on his way home tomorrow for this yumminess, so even though we're not going to a cookout this holiday, we will have cookout food! Thank God for good friends!
The week goes on, the days running together as they do now because they are all the same. I had to call the doctor about the other problem, and I had to take/use/do a Fleet Enema - which I had, luckily, even though they were old - but Ron did his husbandly duty and helped with this, and it did help (hurray!!) and that little problem seems to be solved.
Tuesday night, I go to TOPS and weigh in and I have only lost 2.8 pounds this week. Someone else lost 4 pounds, so I wasn't Loser of the Week this week, but I was Loser of the Month - imagine that. I guess those better suppers have some sort of result, huh?
Wednesday when I get up, I get a tremendous wave of dizziness as I rise to go to the bathroom. Wonderful! Just what I need - positional labyrinthitis. This has happened before when I have had to lay in bed too long with an illness, usually bronchitis. Something to do with inside the ear. I guess as one part of me is healing, another part of me is protesting the laying in bed too much. Well, guess what? A LOT of me is protesting the laying in bed too much! Hahaha. There's nothing I can do about it, though, so I must just deal with it.
Thursday - my appointment day! I get to find out my MRI results! Yay!
This visit was so different - the doctor himself seemed different - than my last visit. I'm not sure if it was because I refused his help to sit up and move around, or if I was asking more questions than most patients do, but the doctor and I were soon at loggerheads with each other. As soon as I stood up off the exam table he told me that I wasn't wearing the brace high enough and I came back with the fact that I wasn't given instructions and I am wearing it where it hurts and where it helps me. (I'm sure that didn't help the situation much, either). Then, I'm asking him questions that he's not answering and he's telling me that I'm in PAIN and I'm telling him that I'm in discomfort and can move and ease the discomfort, thus it's not pain. Finally, he tells me that I'm not letting him get a word in edgewise - I was dumbstruck! I guess he's just used to people wanting pain pills to ease the pain and that's it, but Jiminy Freaking Christmas, I want to know WHY I can't sit, and WHAT is going to help me be able to sit again and WHEN. I am not stupid, and I am not a lemming. Talk to me, Mr. Educated Man. But he doesn't. He just keeps telling me that I'm in pain, that's why I can't do anything.
The gist of the visit comes down to: I have a fractured (broken) disc - the L1, and I have a degenerated disc - either the L4 or L5 (by this time, I don't remember). They both look nasty on the MRI picture. He says the degenerated one is like a pebble in a shoe, just rubbing and annoying until it heals. He wants to give me a steroid shot in it to help with inflammation, but because of the diabetes, we must get clearance from my other doctor. I also try to ask him about the other problem, but he says he only deals with the spine, so he doesn't know about anything like that. It's not caused from the fall (what??!!) and I need to ask my regular doctor about it.
I leave this appointment very frustrated and very upset. How can a doctor not know that one happening causes others, and what they are? I know he specializes in bones, more specifically spines, but he has to know that other things occur down there, too. I mean, come on...
And how can he not know the difference between pain and discomfort? I mean, do that many people really live off of pain pills? I can understand, especially at the beginning of the occurrence - right after the accident - YES, definitely, but I after a while if one can move to ease the 'pain' it's not pain, it's discomfort. To my way of thinking, anyway. Maybe I'm just a stronger person. I HOPE I'm a stronger person!! I do know I have a pretty high pain threshold, so maybe I'm just weird. (no comments, please)
As soon as I leave his office, I call my doctor about the steroid shot, and I text and call my family and friends to get their reactions and advice, and all I get back are smart-ass responses, so I'm on my own to do some research over the next couple of days.
My friend Bert, who had driven me, and I go to Bob Evans for a very late lunch or a very early supper, depending on how you look at it, and we get the booth in the back that has a long bench. I lay on the bench and enjoy the Chicken Salad Plate that they have now that it's summer. Bert says that I had my own little picnic on the bench. She brought me home, and Ron got here not too long after us. I went ahead and went back to bed, I was worn out! She visited with Ron for a bit (yeah, my ears were ringing!) then she came in and said bye.
Between the devastation of the news (I have a BROKEN back, ye gods!!) that I never in a million years expected and the rude treatment of the doctor, I just stayed in bed on Friday. The only bright - if you want to call it that - spot was when my doctor's office called and said that it was okay for the steroid shot, just keep an eye on the numbers and don't let them get terrifically high (in other words - watch what I eat (yeah, okay, even though I'm eating good suppers now, that's ALL I'm eating - suppers) and take my meds correctly - don't skip any! Yes, I am skipping at least one every day now because I am not eating very much. Yeah, yeah...)
One doctor down, one to go! Since I don't even want to think about this right now, I'm not even gonna call the cardiologist until Monday...sigh.
Saturday morning, I get up and do my weigh-in while the guys are outside, and I have lost over 4 more pounds.
Seriously.
Yikes.
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
MY OH MY OH MY! I JUST REALIZED.......!!!!!
Saturday, May 24, 2014
I did my weigh-in this morning, once again while Ron and Corgan were outside messing around, and I FINALLY realized:
I HAVE PASSED MY FIFTY-POUND GOAL!!!!!!
Not only that, but I have also passed a SIXTY pound loss at this point! My, my, my!
While I am very proud of this, I certainly would not recommend the diet plan that has lost me these last twenty or so pounds. And, I certainly hope I don't gain them back once I am back on my feet and eating halfway correctly. I am hoping not, because I will also be exercising and stuff, too, which I am not now, either. I am hoping, hoping, hoping it all balances out.
If I could, I would either be dancing a jig or doing cartwheels.
I did my weigh-in this morning, once again while Ron and Corgan were outside messing around, and I FINALLY realized:
I HAVE PASSED MY FIFTY-POUND GOAL!!!!!!
Not only that, but I have also passed a SIXTY pound loss at this point! My, my, my!
While I am very proud of this, I certainly would not recommend the diet plan that has lost me these last twenty or so pounds. And, I certainly hope I don't gain them back once I am back on my feet and eating halfway correctly. I am hoping not, because I will also be exercising and stuff, too, which I am not now, either. I am hoping, hoping, hoping it all balances out.
If I could, I would either be dancing a jig or doing cartwheels.
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
...and on we go
The week of May 18 - 24, 2014
This is written starting on June 3, 2014. I am getting caught up!
Thanks to the 'better' drugs the ER gave me, the days are starting to run together. I am starting to move a bit better, although I still can't move all that well, and I still can't sit for any length of time, even with the back brace I got from the orthopaedic doctor, which is very hard to get used to. I am so tired of laying in bed, but there is no other choice at this point. I can't sit, so I must lay. Period. Super big sigh.
On Sunday afternoon, after Ron had gone to church and come back home, Corgan gathered up his stuff and we went to meet his parents at SaveALot - they were gonna walk through with us, just in case - and I DID IT! I managed to walk through the store, well, back the first aisle, across by the meat, and up the last aisle, with Ron and Corgan going after things down the other aisles if I remembered something. Josh and Chelle stayed right beside me the whole time. Oh, God, it was hard, but I was so thankful I took a pain pill before we left the house! It was the hardest just standing in the checkout line, I guess because I was just standing still and not really moving. But, I did it! I came home and took a nap. Hahahaha.
I call the doctor's office on Monday about the other problem that had come to mind, and on top of the stool softener, I now am to take a laxative every day, too. Yippee! More pills!
I have decided to MAKE myself get up every day and start trying to sit, with the back brace on, to try my damnedest to start getting back to 'normal' so I get up and get on the pute for a few minutes. If I remember correctly, I made it about 10 minutes this first time. When I got back to bed, I felt good that I had done it, but at the same time, I felt like such a failure.
On Tuesday, Ron took me to my TOPS meeting and I have lost more weight - another 3.8 pounds. That's 14 pounds altogether. Should I worry? I decide not to - don't worry about what you can't control is what was pounded into my head after both the stroke and the heart attack. So...
The week passes, and I eat good suppers all week. Not just soup and stuff like that, but Ron is making real suppers again, and I am eating a plate of food. Not all of it every time, but most of it most every night, and most of the time, I am hungry when he brings it in! Still no results at the other end, though. Still worried about that, no matter what they say.
On Friday, it's time for my MRI. Chelle and Corgan come to take me for that. Corgan because he will just stay with me afterward because it's Friday, even though sitting in a hospital isn't going to be that much fun for a 9 year old, but that's the way it goes sometimes. He will enjoy being at Grandpa's on Friday night, and he'll be glad to be there!
We get over to the hospital, and (of course) I have to sit to sign in/register, which luckily doesn't take too long, and when I get back to x-ray, I can lay down on a bench seat until called. They finally call me back and off I go. Oh, my heavens - why do these tables HAVE to be so hard? The technician is super nice, though, and it's done much sooner than I expect, and he shows us a shortcut way out of the hospital and we are outta there.
Ron and Corgan go fishing that evening, and we have fresh fish - catfish - for our supper. Oh, it was so good!! I think I"ll keep those fellers.
Even though it's now officially the Memorial Day weekend, we all know that we won't be doing anything - going to cemeteries or cookouts - like we usually do. Just a normal weekend for us. Without Rita at the helm, this ship floats with no direction. (Hey, I like that!)
This is written starting on June 3, 2014. I am getting caught up!
Thanks to the 'better' drugs the ER gave me, the days are starting to run together. I am starting to move a bit better, although I still can't move all that well, and I still can't sit for any length of time, even with the back brace I got from the orthopaedic doctor, which is very hard to get used to. I am so tired of laying in bed, but there is no other choice at this point. I can't sit, so I must lay. Period. Super big sigh.
On Sunday afternoon, after Ron had gone to church and come back home, Corgan gathered up his stuff and we went to meet his parents at SaveALot - they were gonna walk through with us, just in case - and I DID IT! I managed to walk through the store, well, back the first aisle, across by the meat, and up the last aisle, with Ron and Corgan going after things down the other aisles if I remembered something. Josh and Chelle stayed right beside me the whole time. Oh, God, it was hard, but I was so thankful I took a pain pill before we left the house! It was the hardest just standing in the checkout line, I guess because I was just standing still and not really moving. But, I did it! I came home and took a nap. Hahahaha.
I call the doctor's office on Monday about the other problem that had come to mind, and on top of the stool softener, I now am to take a laxative every day, too. Yippee! More pills!
I have decided to MAKE myself get up every day and start trying to sit, with the back brace on, to try my damnedest to start getting back to 'normal' so I get up and get on the pute for a few minutes. If I remember correctly, I made it about 10 minutes this first time. When I got back to bed, I felt good that I had done it, but at the same time, I felt like such a failure.
On Tuesday, Ron took me to my TOPS meeting and I have lost more weight - another 3.8 pounds. That's 14 pounds altogether. Should I worry? I decide not to - don't worry about what you can't control is what was pounded into my head after both the stroke and the heart attack. So...
The week passes, and I eat good suppers all week. Not just soup and stuff like that, but Ron is making real suppers again, and I am eating a plate of food. Not all of it every time, but most of it most every night, and most of the time, I am hungry when he brings it in! Still no results at the other end, though. Still worried about that, no matter what they say.
On Friday, it's time for my MRI. Chelle and Corgan come to take me for that. Corgan because he will just stay with me afterward because it's Friday, even though sitting in a hospital isn't going to be that much fun for a 9 year old, but that's the way it goes sometimes. He will enjoy being at Grandpa's on Friday night, and he'll be glad to be there!
We get over to the hospital, and (of course) I have to sit to sign in/register, which luckily doesn't take too long, and when I get back to x-ray, I can lay down on a bench seat until called. They finally call me back and off I go. Oh, my heavens - why do these tables HAVE to be so hard? The technician is super nice, though, and it's done much sooner than I expect, and he shows us a shortcut way out of the hospital and we are outta there.
Ron and Corgan go fishing that evening, and we have fresh fish - catfish - for our supper. Oh, it was so good!! I think I"ll keep those fellers.
Even though it's now officially the Memorial Day weekend, we all know that we won't be doing anything - going to cemeteries or cookouts - like we usually do. Just a normal weekend for us. Without Rita at the helm, this ship floats with no direction. (Hey, I like that!)
Monday, June 2, 2014
....and this 'new life' continues, and it sucks
The week of May 11 - 17, 2014
This was written starting on May 28, 2014. Catching up a little bit at a time!
I must apologize to you all - I forgot to tell you about the doctor calling me with the x-ray results on Friday. Of course, I missed her call and when I called back, the nurse read me the doctor's note which said "the hip x-rays are fine, and the back x-ray shows an 'old wedge compression.'" That was it. Well, okay, I'm thinking - what the hell does that mean? But she only reads it again. No new news, no new diagnosis, no new orders, nothing. Ta-da.
Sunday 5/11/14 Mother's Day
Josh and I were going to go out on Friday night for Mother's Day - to beat the crowd, ya know - but we decided to shelve that for at least a week, seeing that it's kinda hard to go to dinner and a movie when one of the participants can't even sit for a five-minute span. We will get to celebrate, and when we do, we will know that it's our Mother's Day celebration, even if it's late. Who cares what the rest of the world thinks?
Ron went to church without me, of course, this morning. He brought me home an envelope - my Altat Society raffle tickets - that was on the table in back of church (good for him!), but when I talked to my friend Bert later, she said something about the plant that was sitting on the table for me, probably from my Secret Pal. He had totally missed that one! Silly man! Oh, well, he tried...
The rest of the day was spent in bed, reading and playing the DS as I've been doing. I am now only taking the drugs every 12 hours, because they don't do much for me, and since they gave me so few, they are running out fast. I have decided that I must call the doctor's office again tomorrow morning and see if there is something else to be done. This NOTHING is not working, and I've had enough.
I don't remember eating anything today.
Monday 5/12/14
When I woke up from my restless sleep this morning, I knew, just knew I couldn't stand it any more and was gonna have to take the step I didn't want to take - go to the ER. I put it off, though, by calling the doctor's office once again and telling them that nothing has changed, nothing is improving, the meds aren't helping, what ELSE can be done? I get back a message - nothing. I can call some orthopaedic doctors, and am given some numbers, and I can go to the ER. Oh, I don't want to do this!!!!! Not at all!! I call the ortho doctors - Wellington, I've been there before - and the soonest they can get me in is JUNE THIRD. June third!! Are you kidding me?? Three weeks? I call the doctor's office back and tell them this - they can't believe it, either, and offer to call to see if they can do something. I thank them, and tell them that I am going to go to the ER because I have to do something NOW - this is getting to where I just can't stand it, and she said that she completely understood that (which I wonder about, but...oh, well).
I text my sister and ask if she felt up to sitting in the ER all day and she sent back "NO." Well, howdy doody. I never like to either, but...damn. (Not putting my sister down - I know her and didn't really expect her to, but it put me in a quandry.) Luckily, my daughter-in-law was off work and willing to come and take me. So, off we went.
ERs are so much fun...especially when you can't sit. They wanted me to sit in the waiting room (of course, after standing and/or sitting to do the signing in). I just found a couch-like place and laid out while letting Chelle sign me in. She had to keep bringing papers over for me to sign and stuff, but we finally got it done, and they did (for a hospital) get me back into a room and onto a real bed rather quickly. After a million years, an aide finally came in, asks a zillion questions that have already been asked by others at different places and said they can't do anything for a while because of the x-ray I had the other day and they can't - aren't allowed to (!!!) - order MRIs from the ER any more, so I have to wait until the doctor comes in and
makes a decision. They do give me a steroid something (a pill) and some Valium - muscle relaxer - as I am laying there. While I'm laying there, the Wellington people call back (I'm assuming they got my cell number from my doctor's office because I didn't give it to them - I don't give it out) and tell me that they can get me in on Thursday. Well, how about that!! I happily agree to that. After another million years, the ER doctor comes in and tells me that they can't do anything for me. (Wonderful!) He does give me prescriptions for better drugs and tells me to follow up with the orthopaedic doctor as soon as I can.
Chelle and I leave, to go to Walgreens and get my better drugs, and then go home, but why in the hell can't anyone give me a straight answer about why can't I sit? I am so confused about this. I mean, I understand that I fell and that I hurt myself - muscles, and all that - but why can't some supposedly educated person explain it to me a little better? I just don't understand and it makes me want to scream!
I get back home and go back to bed. WhooHoo.
Tuesday 5/13/14
After a decent sleep - the first one in DAYS - getting up this morning was almost a pleasure. I can truly only say almost. I don't do much today, except turn over every once in a while.
Ron brought home sandwiches from Subway for our supper. We just love those seafood and crab sandwiches and haven't had them in a long time! He actually got home at a decent time today, too, so I ate half of my footlong before he took me up to my TOPS for my weigh-in. I have lost 4 more pounds. That makes over 10 pounds now. Wow. We come back home, and I go back to bed.
Wednesday 5/14/14
The only thing is that the prescriptions I got were for only enough for 3 days, if I take them as prescribed every time. Ai-yi-yi. That will never do! I am made of tougher stuff than that! I make up my mind that I will only take the muscle relaxers as needed, and the pain pills at night. I have already taken over half of both and I want them to last, by God! They WORK and give me some relief, as well as good sleep, which I need desperately to help my body heal.
I eat about half of the rest of my Sub for lunch today.
Today is our 37th anniversary. Both of us forgot. Everyone forgot. No calls, no cards, no texts. Can't be such a big deal when you forget, too, can it? Definitely a very small thing in our now-a-day world. We made it, though! We made it!!
Thursday 5/15/14
My sister came up and took me to Wellington. She knew where that was - it's right beside where she went for her hearing tests - so she was secure in driving over there, and she was okay with sitting in a doctor's office.
Once there - once again - I could only stand so long, then had her finish signing me in while I found a place to 'sit' and do know, there was only one bench/couch seat in the whole place? I couldn't believe it! (They did offer to get me a wheelchair, but what good does that good when I can't SIT?) Surely they have other spine patients who have trouble sitting. Surely. Whatever, man. Anyway, I went to that ONE, way across the room, and laid on it and starting filling out papers. They finally called me back and I walked a mile or two before getting to the exam room, then gratefully laid on the exam table while waiting for the doctor.
After he comes in, and does his exam, which mostly comprises of his feeling around the middle of my back - which doesn't hurt - and asking over and over, "Does this hurt at all?" and me telling him over and over, "NO," he decides that I need an MRI to discern what exactly this 'old wedge compression' is (especially since I"m telling him it doesn't hurt) and, once again, the fact that I cannot sit is just briefly touched upon and dismissed. The MRI is set up for next Friday, and my follow-up appointment, to get the results, for the following Thursday, so it's going to be another two weeks before I know anything. Good grief!! I do remember to ask him about more medicine, and he gives me a prescription for pain pills, but not muscle relaxers - he only gives prescriptions for the ones I already have at home (the ones that didn't work), so I don't need that, thank you very much.
We drive through and get sandwiches on the way home, after getting the prescription filled, and that was that.
Friday 5/16/14
Nothing today. I layed in bed all day, turning over when I had to.
Ron made me eat some supper - chicken noodle soup.
I am so out of stuff - I need to go to the grocery store. After talking about it, we decide that we will go to SaveALot on Sunday. It's a small enough store, and since we mostly need meat, that's what we will do. I will do what I can, and we'll go from there. I have my walking stick and my pain pills - I can do this!
Saturday 5/17/14
I'm not sure what Ron and Corgan did Saturday morning, but at one point, they were both busy outside, mowing and weed-eating and all, so I made myself get up and do my weigh-in on the Wii (when Corgan had come in for a potty break, I had asked him to set it up for me) and I have lost another 4+ pounds. Now, I know the Wii and TOPS weigh me differently, but still.....
I also know that I am not losing this weight 'correctly' but by not hardly eating at all. This just is not right. I mean, I like losing the weight, but I don't like losing it this way. Once I'm back to myself, I'll probably gain it all back, and I will hate that!!
Sometime along in through here, it has also come into my mind that I've not had a bowel movement in all this time, either. Now, guarateed, I'm not eating much, but I am eating, so it should be coming out the other end. I guess I'm gonna have to call the doctor again on Monday. Jiminy.
We have breakfast for supper. I have 2 sausage links and an egg, and half a slice of bread. It was good!
This was written starting on May 28, 2014. Catching up a little bit at a time!
I must apologize to you all - I forgot to tell you about the doctor calling me with the x-ray results on Friday. Of course, I missed her call and when I called back, the nurse read me the doctor's note which said "the hip x-rays are fine, and the back x-ray shows an 'old wedge compression.'" That was it. Well, okay, I'm thinking - what the hell does that mean? But she only reads it again. No new news, no new diagnosis, no new orders, nothing. Ta-da.
Sunday 5/11/14 Mother's Day
Josh and I were going to go out on Friday night for Mother's Day - to beat the crowd, ya know - but we decided to shelve that for at least a week, seeing that it's kinda hard to go to dinner and a movie when one of the participants can't even sit for a five-minute span. We will get to celebrate, and when we do, we will know that it's our Mother's Day celebration, even if it's late. Who cares what the rest of the world thinks?
Ron went to church without me, of course, this morning. He brought me home an envelope - my Altat Society raffle tickets - that was on the table in back of church (good for him!), but when I talked to my friend Bert later, she said something about the plant that was sitting on the table for me, probably from my Secret Pal. He had totally missed that one! Silly man! Oh, well, he tried...
The rest of the day was spent in bed, reading and playing the DS as I've been doing. I am now only taking the drugs every 12 hours, because they don't do much for me, and since they gave me so few, they are running out fast. I have decided that I must call the doctor's office again tomorrow morning and see if there is something else to be done. This NOTHING is not working, and I've had enough.
I don't remember eating anything today.
Monday 5/12/14
When I woke up from my restless sleep this morning, I knew, just knew I couldn't stand it any more and was gonna have to take the step I didn't want to take - go to the ER. I put it off, though, by calling the doctor's office once again and telling them that nothing has changed, nothing is improving, the meds aren't helping, what ELSE can be done? I get back a message - nothing. I can call some orthopaedic doctors, and am given some numbers, and I can go to the ER. Oh, I don't want to do this!!!!! Not at all!! I call the ortho doctors - Wellington, I've been there before - and the soonest they can get me in is JUNE THIRD. June third!! Are you kidding me?? Three weeks? I call the doctor's office back and tell them this - they can't believe it, either, and offer to call to see if they can do something. I thank them, and tell them that I am going to go to the ER because I have to do something NOW - this is getting to where I just can't stand it, and she said that she completely understood that (which I wonder about, but...oh, well).
I text my sister and ask if she felt up to sitting in the ER all day and she sent back "NO." Well, howdy doody. I never like to either, but...damn. (Not putting my sister down - I know her and didn't really expect her to, but it put me in a quandry.) Luckily, my daughter-in-law was off work and willing to come and take me. So, off we went.
ERs are so much fun...especially when you can't sit. They wanted me to sit in the waiting room (of course, after standing and/or sitting to do the signing in). I just found a couch-like place and laid out while letting Chelle sign me in. She had to keep bringing papers over for me to sign and stuff, but we finally got it done, and they did (for a hospital) get me back into a room and onto a real bed rather quickly. After a million years, an aide finally came in, asks a zillion questions that have already been asked by others at different places and said they can't do anything for a while because of the x-ray I had the other day and they can't - aren't allowed to (!!!) - order MRIs from the ER any more, so I have to wait until the doctor comes in and
makes a decision. They do give me a steroid something (a pill) and some Valium - muscle relaxer - as I am laying there. While I'm laying there, the Wellington people call back (I'm assuming they got my cell number from my doctor's office because I didn't give it to them - I don't give it out) and tell me that they can get me in on Thursday. Well, how about that!! I happily agree to that. After another million years, the ER doctor comes in and tells me that they can't do anything for me. (Wonderful!) He does give me prescriptions for better drugs and tells me to follow up with the orthopaedic doctor as soon as I can.
Chelle and I leave, to go to Walgreens and get my better drugs, and then go home, but why in the hell can't anyone give me a straight answer about why can't I sit? I am so confused about this. I mean, I understand that I fell and that I hurt myself - muscles, and all that - but why can't some supposedly educated person explain it to me a little better? I just don't understand and it makes me want to scream!
I get back home and go back to bed. WhooHoo.
Tuesday 5/13/14
After a decent sleep - the first one in DAYS - getting up this morning was almost a pleasure. I can truly only say almost. I don't do much today, except turn over every once in a while.
Ron brought home sandwiches from Subway for our supper. We just love those seafood and crab sandwiches and haven't had them in a long time! He actually got home at a decent time today, too, so I ate half of my footlong before he took me up to my TOPS for my weigh-in. I have lost 4 more pounds. That makes over 10 pounds now. Wow. We come back home, and I go back to bed.
Wednesday 5/14/14
The only thing is that the prescriptions I got were for only enough for 3 days, if I take them as prescribed every time. Ai-yi-yi. That will never do! I am made of tougher stuff than that! I make up my mind that I will only take the muscle relaxers as needed, and the pain pills at night. I have already taken over half of both and I want them to last, by God! They WORK and give me some relief, as well as good sleep, which I need desperately to help my body heal.
I eat about half of the rest of my Sub for lunch today.
Today is our 37th anniversary. Both of us forgot. Everyone forgot. No calls, no cards, no texts. Can't be such a big deal when you forget, too, can it? Definitely a very small thing in our now-a-day world. We made it, though! We made it!!
Thursday 5/15/14
My sister came up and took me to Wellington. She knew where that was - it's right beside where she went for her hearing tests - so she was secure in driving over there, and she was okay with sitting in a doctor's office.
Once there - once again - I could only stand so long, then had her finish signing me in while I found a place to 'sit' and do know, there was only one bench/couch seat in the whole place? I couldn't believe it! (They did offer to get me a wheelchair, but what good does that good when I can't SIT?) Surely they have other spine patients who have trouble sitting. Surely. Whatever, man. Anyway, I went to that ONE, way across the room, and laid on it and starting filling out papers. They finally called me back and I walked a mile or two before getting to the exam room, then gratefully laid on the exam table while waiting for the doctor.
After he comes in, and does his exam, which mostly comprises of his feeling around the middle of my back - which doesn't hurt - and asking over and over, "Does this hurt at all?" and me telling him over and over, "NO," he decides that I need an MRI to discern what exactly this 'old wedge compression' is (especially since I"m telling him it doesn't hurt) and, once again, the fact that I cannot sit is just briefly touched upon and dismissed. The MRI is set up for next Friday, and my follow-up appointment, to get the results, for the following Thursday, so it's going to be another two weeks before I know anything. Good grief!! I do remember to ask him about more medicine, and he gives me a prescription for pain pills, but not muscle relaxers - he only gives prescriptions for the ones I already have at home (the ones that didn't work), so I don't need that, thank you very much.
We drive through and get sandwiches on the way home, after getting the prescription filled, and that was that.
Friday 5/16/14
Nothing today. I layed in bed all day, turning over when I had to.
Ron made me eat some supper - chicken noodle soup.
I am so out of stuff - I need to go to the grocery store. After talking about it, we decide that we will go to SaveALot on Sunday. It's a small enough store, and since we mostly need meat, that's what we will do. I will do what I can, and we'll go from there. I have my walking stick and my pain pills - I can do this!
Saturday 5/17/14
I'm not sure what Ron and Corgan did Saturday morning, but at one point, they were both busy outside, mowing and weed-eating and all, so I made myself get up and do my weigh-in on the Wii (when Corgan had come in for a potty break, I had asked him to set it up for me) and I have lost another 4+ pounds. Now, I know the Wii and TOPS weigh me differently, but still.....
I also know that I am not losing this weight 'correctly' but by not hardly eating at all. This just is not right. I mean, I like losing the weight, but I don't like losing it this way. Once I'm back to myself, I'll probably gain it all back, and I will hate that!!
Sometime along in through here, it has also come into my mind that I've not had a bowel movement in all this time, either. Now, guarateed, I'm not eating much, but I am eating, so it should be coming out the other end. I guess I'm gonna have to call the doctor again on Monday. Jiminy.
We have breakfast for supper. I have 2 sausage links and an egg, and half a slice of bread. It was good!
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