So tired. It's been quite the week, but I am grateful beyond words. Hubster went in for gallbladder surgery on Thursday. It was only supposed to have been a 45 minute surgery, but we'll get back to that in a sec.
This was Hubster's first surgery ever. And he was a bit nervous. He wasn't nervous about the pain. He wasn't nervous about how it would turn out. But he's a bit on the claustrophobic side after a near-drowning incident years ago, and the thought of being intubated was concerning him. He was afraid he'd wake up with the breathing tube down his throat and become violent, if he panicked. He didn't want to hurt anyone.
Thankfully, the anesthesiologist assured him that he'd make sure Hubster was completely asleep before placing the tube and still asleep when he removed it. By the time he was headed back, Hubster was feeling good about the surgery and just ready to get it done. I felt much better about all of it myself and prepared myself to wait.
While The nurse was escorting me back to the waiting room, I confirmed that the surgery should last 45 minutes or so. She said it was, but if I wanted to get anything to eat or drink at the cafeteria, I should go now and probably be back in 20 to 25 minutes, so I didn't miss the doctor coming out to talk to me. So I ran to the bathroom and proceeded through the maze to the cafeteria in the hospital next door.
Of course, the cafeteria was closed, so I got a couple bucks out of my purse and grabbed a breakfast bar and some peanuts out of the vending machine. They were the only thing that had any potential nutritional value in them, but I needed something. I called his folks to let them know he'd gone in and headed back, stopping at a little book sale they were having at the hospital. I found a couple things for the girls, called Mom to let her know he'd gone in and went back to the waiting room.
A good 45 minutes had gone by while sitting there, and I still hadn't heard from the surgeon, so I asked the receptionist, if she could see, if I'd missed talking to the doctor. I figured I'd been gone for at least 25 minutes, so I thought I'd just missed the doc. The receptionist came back and said that they'd gotten started late, (at 11:00), and that the surgeon said he'd be done in the next 15 minutes. I knew they hadn't started at 11:00, though, because I'd called his folks at 10:47, and that was after the restroom break, the long trek to the cafeteria, and playing with the vending machine. Clearly something wasn't right.
I sat there silently praying that he'd be alright and playing with my phone. A few minutes later, the surgeon made an appearance. He said that Hubster was doing well. He'd just talked to him, even, but his gallbladder was, and he thought for a moment to come up with the least offensive way to put it, "rotten. Just plain rotten", as he shook his head at the memory. He didn't go into much detail other than that. Told me I could see Hubster in an hour or 2, so if I needed to go anywhere, now would be the time. So I called his parents and Mom with an update and hung out until they came and got me. It's funny. That wait didn't seem nearly as long as the wait for the surgery was, yet it was half again as long. Funny how time works that way.
Thankfully, Hubster looked great when I saw him. He was very relieved the surgery was over and especially relieved he didn't have to have the big surgery instead of the laparoscopic surgery he ended up with. Apparently, his gallbladder was "very diseased", and the surgeon was struggling to get it all out. He'd actually had the nurse call the hospital to tell them to expect Hubster to be admitted. That he was going to have to open him all the way up. But thankfully, right after he'd had the nurse make the call, he was able to finagle the rest of the gallbladder loose.
The doc said that as diseased as his gallbladder was, Hubster had been having problems with it for years and just didn't realize it. Sounds like things could have gone badly for him, if he hadn't gotten it out when he did. I'm anxious for him to feel better. To feel what life without gut aches and pain feels like.
For life without his rolling stones.
Showing posts with label surgery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label surgery. Show all posts
Monday, March 24, 2014
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Busy. Busy. Busy.
I can't believe it's been 2 months since I've posted on my blog. I remember when I first started blogging I thought I'd never be one of those bloggers who waited so long to write a post. Ha. It's funny how life can get in the way of blogging.
Thankfully, I just have a really sensitive sense of smell, and my blood sugar was not very elevated back in August when I had it checked. My fasting glucose test was totally normal, and my A1C was at borderline pre-diabetic levels, and I'm sure it's gone down since then. Still, it was a much-needed wake-up call! We've made drastic changes to our diet because of it, and we're starting to see some really positive results.
While my asthma still is not under control, it is finally responding to the new medicines I'm on, and I've been able to start tapering the steroids. I am so very thankful! I'm down to half the daily amount I started on back in June, and I'm hoping to be off them entirely by Christmas. And the number of breathing treatments I've needed has dropped by more than half. At the peak of the fires this summer, I was doing 7 a day. I'm now down to 3. It's progress for which I'm very grateful!
We've been busy with medical appointments for the girls. We've averaged 3 to 4 appointments a week since the last blog entry. The only break we had in appointments was after Hopper had surgery a couple of weeks ago. It doesn't look like things are going to slow down much on the medical front before the end of the year. We've already got another surgery scheduled and another one that we'll be scheduling next week. I'm glad the girls are getting the medical treatment they need, but I'm looking forward to a break in the action. I'm tired.
I haven't done a lot of active dehoarding in the last few months, but I have no doubt that will come in time. I've had bigger things on my mind. The whole blood sugar scare, along with one surgeon wanting Hopper to lose some weight, so she can have a major surgery sometime next year has really opened our eyes to the way we were eating. We're now making a very concentrated effort to eat as healthily as we can. As a result, we've all lost a little weight. I'm down 15 pounds to date, Hubster is down 18, Hopper has lost 5 and Scooter has lost a couple, although she had the least amount to lose. And the best thing is that we've all been healthier than typical for this time of year. Yay for fruits and veggies!
Speaking of which, I've got about 40 pounds of tomatoes from the garden that need to be processed. I already canned several pints of Tomato Basil Sauce that is amazing, but now I need to make some salsa and can it, some more sauce and some whole tomatoes to use this winter. Even though our tomatoes didn't do as well as they did last year, I'm thrilled that we'll have such yummy goodness from the garden all winter long!
I'm hoping to get back to some serious dehoarding one of these days as life slows down a little. I'm also hoping to get back to more regular blogging. I miss it. And now that we no longer need to have the air conditioner on, (it is just feet away from the computer), I can actually sit at the computer without freezing.
There's something to be said for good weather blogging.
Thankfully, I just have a really sensitive sense of smell, and my blood sugar was not very elevated back in August when I had it checked. My fasting glucose test was totally normal, and my A1C was at borderline pre-diabetic levels, and I'm sure it's gone down since then. Still, it was a much-needed wake-up call! We've made drastic changes to our diet because of it, and we're starting to see some really positive results.
While my asthma still is not under control, it is finally responding to the new medicines I'm on, and I've been able to start tapering the steroids. I am so very thankful! I'm down to half the daily amount I started on back in June, and I'm hoping to be off them entirely by Christmas. And the number of breathing treatments I've needed has dropped by more than half. At the peak of the fires this summer, I was doing 7 a day. I'm now down to 3. It's progress for which I'm very grateful!
We've been busy with medical appointments for the girls. We've averaged 3 to 4 appointments a week since the last blog entry. The only break we had in appointments was after Hopper had surgery a couple of weeks ago. It doesn't look like things are going to slow down much on the medical front before the end of the year. We've already got another surgery scheduled and another one that we'll be scheduling next week. I'm glad the girls are getting the medical treatment they need, but I'm looking forward to a break in the action. I'm tired.
I haven't done a lot of active dehoarding in the last few months, but I have no doubt that will come in time. I've had bigger things on my mind. The whole blood sugar scare, along with one surgeon wanting Hopper to lose some weight, so she can have a major surgery sometime next year has really opened our eyes to the way we were eating. We're now making a very concentrated effort to eat as healthily as we can. As a result, we've all lost a little weight. I'm down 15 pounds to date, Hubster is down 18, Hopper has lost 5 and Scooter has lost a couple, although she had the least amount to lose. And the best thing is that we've all been healthier than typical for this time of year. Yay for fruits and veggies!
Speaking of which, I've got about 40 pounds of tomatoes from the garden that need to be processed. I already canned several pints of Tomato Basil Sauce that is amazing, but now I need to make some salsa and can it, some more sauce and some whole tomatoes to use this winter. Even though our tomatoes didn't do as well as they did last year, I'm thrilled that we'll have such yummy goodness from the garden all winter long!
I'm hoping to get back to some serious dehoarding one of these days as life slows down a little. I'm also hoping to get back to more regular blogging. I miss it. And now that we no longer need to have the air conditioner on, (it is just feet away from the computer), I can actually sit at the computer without freezing.
There's something to be said for good weather blogging.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
What's a girl to do?
When the plumber came out initially and gave us an estimate on the repairs that needed done, he asked, if we wanted to schedule it in a couple of weeks. All we could think of was what might happen in those two weeks while we waited, so we asked him to make it happen as soon as possible. He did. He came the very next day. At the time, I had no idea where he came up with suggesting a 2 week waiting period.
Now I know.
He was thinking of me and the recovery I would need from my surgery. I have no idea why I didn't think of that. I'm sure it had to do with the untold troubles we've had with the sewer in the past and how I didn't want to add any more stories to the list. I'm thinking I maybe should have waited. Either that, or maybe Hubster should have taken a week of instead of the 2 days that he did. It's been a bit much for me, and it caught up with me this weekend.
Scooter tested positive for strep when Hubster took her to the doctor on Wednesday. Thursday, Hopper woke up with a fever and a sore throat. Her doctor put her on antibiotics for strep, assuming she has what Scooter has. And although I was not tested, I am certain that I have it as well. I first called my doctor's office Wednesday, after I got the news about Scooter. Unfortunately, I didn't get a call back after I'd spoken to the nurse, because my doctor was in surgery all day and didn't get the message. So Thursday morning, I called in again. I finally got an answer that the doctor was having the nurse call something in.
Except that the nurse called in something I'm highly allergic to. Sigh. I called and explained that I can't handle that antibiotic, and I mentioned that they should have a list of my allergies in the system. I'd actually printed out a list and brought it in with me when I was in for my pre-op the week before. I don't know how it happened, but she said that it wasn't listed, and that she'd call something else in.
So I waited. And waited. And waited. And nothing.
I called the pharmacy to see, if anything had been called in. Yes. It had. Bugster ran up to the pharmacy to pick it up for me, and I almost cried when I opened the bag. The pharmacy, (which has known about this allergy for years now!), didn't have the allergy listed, and filled the antibiotic that was initially called in. I immediately called and explained the situation. Had anything else been called in for me, besides the one I'm allergic to?
No.
Crap.
So I called the doctor that was on call for my doctor's office. I felt horrible calling him, but I also knew that I needed to be on antibiotics. I could tell that the pain I was having had to do with more than just having surgery. He called on in to a 24 hour pharmacy, and Hubster picked it up for me on his way home from work. Then first thing Friday morning, after I'd taken 2 doses of the antibiotic that had been called in by the on-call doc, I got a call from the pharmacy.
Sure enough, there *had* been a script called in for me the day before. It had somehow been saved on the fax machine and hadn't been filled. It isn't the antibiotic the on-call doctor prescribed, though, it was a different one. Great. I wasn't sure what to do. So I just asked them to hold onto it and not fill it. If I need it, I'll at least have access to it later on.
Did I mention that I'm sure that I have strep? After taking the antibiotic for about 36 hours, the pain in my throat was *much* better. It still hurt. I did have my tonsils removed, after all, and I still had strep on top of things, but, it really was better. Still, by the time Saturday rolled around, I was exhausted.
I realized that I'd been on my pre-surgery schedule here at home, even though I really should have been getting extra rest and sleep. I probably would have gotten the extra rest I needed, if the plumbers weren't here, but we needed the stuff to get done. No doubt about it. I also know I can't go on without getting a little extra TLC, so I've spent the majority of the weekend resting. I need to get my strength up for tomorrow and Tuesday when the plumbers return to finish things up.
I just have to remind myself that I only have to make it through 2 more days...
After that, I'll be able to nap while Scooter's at school. I can do this...
Now I know.
He was thinking of me and the recovery I would need from my surgery. I have no idea why I didn't think of that. I'm sure it had to do with the untold troubles we've had with the sewer in the past and how I didn't want to add any more stories to the list. I'm thinking I maybe should have waited. Either that, or maybe Hubster should have taken a week of instead of the 2 days that he did. It's been a bit much for me, and it caught up with me this weekend.
Scooter tested positive for strep when Hubster took her to the doctor on Wednesday. Thursday, Hopper woke up with a fever and a sore throat. Her doctor put her on antibiotics for strep, assuming she has what Scooter has. And although I was not tested, I am certain that I have it as well. I first called my doctor's office Wednesday, after I got the news about Scooter. Unfortunately, I didn't get a call back after I'd spoken to the nurse, because my doctor was in surgery all day and didn't get the message. So Thursday morning, I called in again. I finally got an answer that the doctor was having the nurse call something in.
Except that the nurse called in something I'm highly allergic to. Sigh. I called and explained that I can't handle that antibiotic, and I mentioned that they should have a list of my allergies in the system. I'd actually printed out a list and brought it in with me when I was in for my pre-op the week before. I don't know how it happened, but she said that it wasn't listed, and that she'd call something else in.
So I waited. And waited. And waited. And nothing.
I called the pharmacy to see, if anything had been called in. Yes. It had. Bugster ran up to the pharmacy to pick it up for me, and I almost cried when I opened the bag. The pharmacy, (which has known about this allergy for years now!), didn't have the allergy listed, and filled the antibiotic that was initially called in. I immediately called and explained the situation. Had anything else been called in for me, besides the one I'm allergic to?
No.
Crap.
So I called the doctor that was on call for my doctor's office. I felt horrible calling him, but I also knew that I needed to be on antibiotics. I could tell that the pain I was having had to do with more than just having surgery. He called on in to a 24 hour pharmacy, and Hubster picked it up for me on his way home from work. Then first thing Friday morning, after I'd taken 2 doses of the antibiotic that had been called in by the on-call doc, I got a call from the pharmacy.
Sure enough, there *had* been a script called in for me the day before. It had somehow been saved on the fax machine and hadn't been filled. It isn't the antibiotic the on-call doctor prescribed, though, it was a different one. Great. I wasn't sure what to do. So I just asked them to hold onto it and not fill it. If I need it, I'll at least have access to it later on.
Did I mention that I'm sure that I have strep? After taking the antibiotic for about 36 hours, the pain in my throat was *much* better. It still hurt. I did have my tonsils removed, after all, and I still had strep on top of things, but, it really was better. Still, by the time Saturday rolled around, I was exhausted.
I realized that I'd been on my pre-surgery schedule here at home, even though I really should have been getting extra rest and sleep. I probably would have gotten the extra rest I needed, if the plumbers weren't here, but we needed the stuff to get done. No doubt about it. I also know I can't go on without getting a little extra TLC, so I've spent the majority of the weekend resting. I need to get my strength up for tomorrow and Tuesday when the plumbers return to finish things up.
I just have to remind myself that I only have to make it through 2 more days...
After that, I'll be able to nap while Scooter's at school. I can do this...
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Just call me, 'Patches'.
Zero dark thirty came and went just like I knew it would.
Way too early.
The surgery went well. Both tonsils had decided to make a reappearance. Granted, they weren't very big, but it was a good thing I got them yanked. The abscess was still there. It didn't surprise me. I told Hubster a few weeks ago that I didn't think it had cleared up completely. My throat felt a little different the last few days, but it didn't hurt, so I didn't think much of it. Now I think that I'd have likely been back on antibiotics by the end of the week, if I hadn't had surgery.
I'm sort of hoping the surgery will result in increased energy and focus. Walking around with a low-grade infection all the time can't be good for a person. So there it is. They're out.
Not only are my 2nd pair of tonsils out now, but something equally similar in greatness happened today. Today, I was introduced to a motion sickness patch that is going to revolutionize my life!
I get nauseated at the simplest things. If someone walks on a loose floorboard, and it causes the floor to buckle even the slightest, I feel like I'm going to get sick to my stomach. Forget about watching anything that spins - ferris wheels, carousels, camera angles where they decided to get creative and swoop 360 degrees around a couple who is smooching. I can't handle it. I should have known what lay ahead when I was in 5th grade, and Fantasia was playing in the classroom. I ended up throwing up when the scene with all the numbers swirling came on the screen.
Drugs and alcohol affect me much the same way. I would never make a good drunk or drug user. I can't stand the way either makes me feel. So I really don't do well with pain medicines or anesthesia after surgery. I don't think I've ever had a surgery before today that I haven't gotten sick to my stomach multiple times.
Keywords: before today.
Normally, I have to have all sorts of anti-nausea medicine administered all sorts of uncomfortable ways to try to get it under control when I've had surgery in the past. Shortly before they wheeled me back today, the nurse put a motion sickness patch behind my ear. Oh. My. I cannot believe the difference it made!! Not only did I not get sick, my mouth didn't even water! What a foreign concept!
As a result of the patch, I not only did not get sick, but I was home a few minutes after noon. My surgery was at 7:30. The nurses all figured I'd have to spend the night because of my asthma and mild sleep apnea and tried to prepare me for the eventuality before I was wheeled back. They were very happy for me, when I didn't have to stay. There is no doubt in my mind that I would have had to stay overnight, if I had traveled my typical surgery path. I liked being discharged at 11:30 a.m. instead of staying overnight.
A lot.
I made a decision shortly after coming out of surgery that I will never, ever go without a motion sickness patch when it comes to being 'sliced and diced', as my friend, Ami. Mental., puts it.
Never. Ever. Ever.
Amen.
Way too early.
The surgery went well. Both tonsils had decided to make a reappearance. Granted, they weren't very big, but it was a good thing I got them yanked. The abscess was still there. It didn't surprise me. I told Hubster a few weeks ago that I didn't think it had cleared up completely. My throat felt a little different the last few days, but it didn't hurt, so I didn't think much of it. Now I think that I'd have likely been back on antibiotics by the end of the week, if I hadn't had surgery.
I'm sort of hoping the surgery will result in increased energy and focus. Walking around with a low-grade infection all the time can't be good for a person. So there it is. They're out.
Not only are my 2nd pair of tonsils out now, but something equally similar in greatness happened today. Today, I was introduced to a motion sickness patch that is going to revolutionize my life!
I get nauseated at the simplest things. If someone walks on a loose floorboard, and it causes the floor to buckle even the slightest, I feel like I'm going to get sick to my stomach. Forget about watching anything that spins - ferris wheels, carousels, camera angles where they decided to get creative and swoop 360 degrees around a couple who is smooching. I can't handle it. I should have known what lay ahead when I was in 5th grade, and Fantasia was playing in the classroom. I ended up throwing up when the scene with all the numbers swirling came on the screen.
Drugs and alcohol affect me much the same way. I would never make a good drunk or drug user. I can't stand the way either makes me feel. So I really don't do well with pain medicines or anesthesia after surgery. I don't think I've ever had a surgery before today that I haven't gotten sick to my stomach multiple times.
Keywords: before today.
Normally, I have to have all sorts of anti-nausea medicine administered all sorts of uncomfortable ways to try to get it under control when I've had surgery in the past. Shortly before they wheeled me back today, the nurse put a motion sickness patch behind my ear. Oh. My. I cannot believe the difference it made!! Not only did I not get sick, my mouth didn't even water! What a foreign concept!
As a result of the patch, I not only did not get sick, but I was home a few minutes after noon. My surgery was at 7:30. The nurses all figured I'd have to spend the night because of my asthma and mild sleep apnea and tried to prepare me for the eventuality before I was wheeled back. They were very happy for me, when I didn't have to stay. There is no doubt in my mind that I would have had to stay overnight, if I had traveled my typical surgery path. I liked being discharged at 11:30 a.m. instead of staying overnight.
A lot.
I made a decision shortly after coming out of surgery that I will never, ever go without a motion sickness patch when it comes to being 'sliced and diced', as my friend, Ami. Mental., puts it.
Never. Ever. Ever.
Amen.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Nesting. Huh?
I have this weird quirk where I act like I did in my last week of pregnancy whenever we go on a trip or there's a surgery.
I can't stop cleaning.
So in honor of my surgery tomorrow, I spent the day cleaning. Not normal, daily cleaning, though. Well, some of it was - like mopping the floors and making sure the dishes were all done, so it will be easier for Hubster since he'll be handling meals for the first couple of days. But who feels it's necessary to clean under the stove and refrigerator right before surgery???
Apparently me.
:::insert eye roll here:::
I tell myself I'm doing it to make things easier for Hubster, but if I'm honest with myself I have to admit that I do it, so I can relax and not have it hanging over my head while I'm recuperating. In reality, I should probably have gotten a bit more rest today or at least stopped a little earlier than I did. I'm wired and might have a little bit of a problem sleeping, although the way this heating pad is starting to relax me, I should be fine.
I figured that, if I got enough rest today or went to bed early enough I wouldn't have to fight quite as hard to wake up after surgery. I know that I've been looking forward to catching up on my sleep as I recover, but I don't want to do it at the hospital. The sooner I wake up and can function, the sooner I can go home. And I really want to be at home with my family.
So I'm going to go crawl into bed and hope to nod off quickly. Zero dark thirty is going to come soon enough!
I can't stop cleaning.
So in honor of my surgery tomorrow, I spent the day cleaning. Not normal, daily cleaning, though. Well, some of it was - like mopping the floors and making sure the dishes were all done, so it will be easier for Hubster since he'll be handling meals for the first couple of days. But who feels it's necessary to clean under the stove and refrigerator right before surgery???
Apparently me.
:::insert eye roll here:::
I tell myself I'm doing it to make things easier for Hubster, but if I'm honest with myself I have to admit that I do it, so I can relax and not have it hanging over my head while I'm recuperating. In reality, I should probably have gotten a bit more rest today or at least stopped a little earlier than I did. I'm wired and might have a little bit of a problem sleeping, although the way this heating pad is starting to relax me, I should be fine.
I figured that, if I got enough rest today or went to bed early enough I wouldn't have to fight quite as hard to wake up after surgery. I know that I've been looking forward to catching up on my sleep as I recover, but I don't want to do it at the hospital. The sooner I wake up and can function, the sooner I can go home. And I really want to be at home with my family.
So I'm going to go crawl into bed and hope to nod off quickly. Zero dark thirty is going to come soon enough!
Friday, February 1, 2013
When toilet paper sticking to your shoe takes on a whole new meaning.
I'm feeling cooped up and I've got a bit of Spring Fever, even though we're nowhere close to Spring.
I was supposed to have my tonsils removed a couple of weeks ago, but because of a medical condition I have they had to reschedule it. Apparently I will never be allowed to have surgery at a surgery center and instead this and any future surgeries need to be performed at the hospital. I go in next week to have the work done, and I'm just ready to get it over with.
I've been trying to stay away from the germs that are in public places as much as possible, because I didn't want to come down with anything that would stop me from going in. For the most part it's been easy, but I have to admit the last couple of weeks have dragged on. The day before I was scheduled to go in, they broke the news to me that it needed to be done in the hospital. So just when I was just about to see the light of day I had 2 weeks added to my sentence. I'm ready to be paroled! I want to take the girls shopping and not be concerned that I'll catch something that will postpone the surgery once again, if I run to the store for a gallon of milk.
I have to admit that things haven't been exactly boring here at home while waiting though. Last week when I was getting ready for a doctor's appointment, things got a little exciting. Have I mentioned that not all excitement is the same? If not, let me tell you now that excitement is not necessarily a good thing...
After giving Hopper her shower, I jumped in, so I'd be ready for my doctor's appointment. I'd been shaving my legs and was finishing up when I noticed the shower drain cover was starting to float. I was immediately filled with a sense of dread. The dread turned to horror, as I was scrambling to rinse off my legs and noticed black stuff coming back up through the drain.
Crap.
Literally and figuratively both.
I jumped out as fast as I could and stretched each foot up to the sink and washed them as best I could before drying off and getting dressed. I slathered my feet with hand sanitizer before putting on my socks and shoes. It was the best I could do under the circumstances, and it made me feel marginally better, but I was still grossed out.
Thankfully, we didn't have to leave for the appointment for a couple of hours, so Hubster got the snake out and snaked the drain. The water in the shower and on the floor of the laundry room subsided, and he did get a small clump of roots out, so we were hopeful all was well. It wasn't. As soon as I flushed the toilet upstairs, the toilet downstairs started backing up. In the split moment confusion of watching the toilet water rise, Hubster flushed it hoping it would go down. It did. All over the floor.
We were back to square one, but it was time to head out the door for the appointments at this point, so Hubster and Scooter had to skip their showers. We called the plumbers on the way to the car and asked, if they could meet us back at the house once we were done across town. Thankfully, it all worked out, and the drain was snaked once again with a gigantic snake that is much more powerful than our industrial one. The roots he got out of the drain looked like a small volleyball in the plastic bag.
Gross.
But at least we don't have to worry about black stuff floating up through the shower drain when we're showering again. The bad thing is that we do have things to worry about.
A few years ago, we were told we needed to replace the drain outside from the outside of the house all the way to the street. We put it off, because it was going to cost anywhere from $7,000 to $10,000. We're now wishing we had done it. The price has gone up to almost 25 grand! Apparently one of the permits that is needed is almost $6,000, and there is more than one permit needed in order to complete the work.
Crap.
If we couldn't afford $10,000 a few years ago, I can absolutely promise we can't afford $25,000 today.
Crap.
So we're looking into a different solution. It involves putting in a 'clean out'. They can replace about 10 feet of the outside drain and put two pipes shaped like a U. If they use the side of the U that is closest to the street, the can snake things out into the house, and if they use the part of the U that is closest to the house, they can clean everything out toward the street, and they never have to bring the filthy snake down our stairs again. So it's definitely an option. It's a $7,000 to $10,000 option, but at least it isn't $25,000. And at this point, we need to get it done, so we don't keep having these horrible sewer problems.
Crap.
On a good note, I got the router replaced the other day, so I'll be able to finally get online and write a blog post without being bumped.
I'll take it.
Monday, March 12, 2012
1, 2, 3......375, 376, 377........793, 794, 795....
Praising God and counting my blessings tonight.
Mom is out of immediate danger with her heart, and the surgery has been delayed for the foreseeable future. I have been weak with relief all day and so very, very grateful. Thank you to all of you who have had us in your thoughts and prayers. They have been very much appreciated!
I spent much of the day working in the laundry room and making some decent progress. I'm hoping to finish up in there tomorrow.
The laundry room is huge. It's approximately 1/4 the square footage of the basement. Granted, it has the hot water heater, the furnace and the washer and dryer in it, but there is still a lot of room for storage. There's a double utility sink, an upright freezer, a small closet with our outdoor Nativity scene stored in it, a small dresser with a hutch on top, the 6ft long credenzas we just put in there over the weekend, and a couple of closets at the end of the room that contain roughly 3 dozen plastic totes of holiday decorations.
Like I said. It's big.
I had to do some rearranging in order to get the everything in its place after bringing in the credenzas for storage. Part of the reorganizing was back near the holiday decorations where we had a bit of miscellaneous stored. The wrapping paper has been stored back there, but I haven't really simplified it in years. Last year when Mom was here helping out, Hubster brought a huge plastic tub in from the garage that had most of our wrapping paper in it. It kept the paper clean, but it was a major pain in the backside, because it stored the paper horizontally instead of vertically.
It was one of the things I decided to tackle today. I gave myself permission to throw a lot of small scraps of paper today that I'd hung onto for little gifts. I also threw out paper I'd saved thinking I'd use it again, because it was pretty. I haven't used it in all these years, and I realized I never would, so out it went. I sorted what was left into 2 plastic wrapping paper holders using 1 for Christmas wrap, and the other for everything else. It is so nice to have it all upright and easy to see.
When I was trying to get thing put away in the laundry room yesterday, so I could get to the washing machine to do laundry, (it was torn apart before we knew about Mom, and I had to get some semblance of order in there, so I could get clothes washed, in case we headed out of town), I had to sort through what I had left of school supplies. I'd had them stored on a small bookshelf, so I'd have access to them when we needed something, but when I started going through things again to put them in the credenza, I realized I still had way too much stuff, in spite of having gotten rid of so much already.
Since I started dehoarding, I can't even count the number of packages of theme paper I'd give away. Yet when I was rearranging things in the laundry room yesterday, I counted over 50 packages still on the shelf, because I'd put it there as I came across it while dehoarding in different areas of the house. I have to admit that I was shocked I still had that many. It was obvious to me the hoarding still had a pretty strong hold over me when I was going through the theme paper a year ago, or I wouldn't still have that much left.
I packed up over 25 packages of 200ct notebook paper, (I didn't actually count them), for Bugster, Bubster and Frank to use for school, so they don't have to buy any for awhile.
In fact, the stash may actually take them all the way through school. If they can't use it all, Bugster will take donate it. I also gave them a couple packages of pencils, since they're always needed for school. I did keep just under 25 packages of 150ct theme paper for us, so I ended up getting rid of well over half of what I had on the shelf. All of the school supplies fit in one area of the credenza, and I love having the perfect place for them to call home.
Mom is out of immediate danger with her heart, and the surgery has been delayed for the foreseeable future. I have been weak with relief all day and so very, very grateful. Thank you to all of you who have had us in your thoughts and prayers. They have been very much appreciated!
I spent much of the day working in the laundry room and making some decent progress. I'm hoping to finish up in there tomorrow.
The laundry room is huge. It's approximately 1/4 the square footage of the basement. Granted, it has the hot water heater, the furnace and the washer and dryer in it, but there is still a lot of room for storage. There's a double utility sink, an upright freezer, a small closet with our outdoor Nativity scene stored in it, a small dresser with a hutch on top, the 6ft long credenzas we just put in there over the weekend, and a couple of closets at the end of the room that contain roughly 3 dozen plastic totes of holiday decorations.
Like I said. It's big.
I had to do some rearranging in order to get the everything in its place after bringing in the credenzas for storage. Part of the reorganizing was back near the holiday decorations where we had a bit of miscellaneous stored. The wrapping paper has been stored back there, but I haven't really simplified it in years. Last year when Mom was here helping out, Hubster brought a huge plastic tub in from the garage that had most of our wrapping paper in it. It kept the paper clean, but it was a major pain in the backside, because it stored the paper horizontally instead of vertically.
It was one of the things I decided to tackle today. I gave myself permission to throw a lot of small scraps of paper today that I'd hung onto for little gifts. I also threw out paper I'd saved thinking I'd use it again, because it was pretty. I haven't used it in all these years, and I realized I never would, so out it went. I sorted what was left into 2 plastic wrapping paper holders using 1 for Christmas wrap, and the other for everything else. It is so nice to have it all upright and easy to see.
When I was trying to get thing put away in the laundry room yesterday, so I could get to the washing machine to do laundry, (it was torn apart before we knew about Mom, and I had to get some semblance of order in there, so I could get clothes washed, in case we headed out of town), I had to sort through what I had left of school supplies. I'd had them stored on a small bookshelf, so I'd have access to them when we needed something, but when I started going through things again to put them in the credenza, I realized I still had way too much stuff, in spite of having gotten rid of so much already.
Since I started dehoarding, I can't even count the number of packages of theme paper I'd give away. Yet when I was rearranging things in the laundry room yesterday, I counted over 50 packages still on the shelf, because I'd put it there as I came across it while dehoarding in different areas of the house. I have to admit that I was shocked I still had that many. It was obvious to me the hoarding still had a pretty strong hold over me when I was going through the theme paper a year ago, or I wouldn't still have that much left.
I packed up over 25 packages of 200ct notebook paper, (I didn't actually count them), for Bugster, Bubster and Frank to use for school, so they don't have to buy any for awhile.
 |
| Notebook paper for Bugster's family. |
In fact, the stash may actually take them all the way through school. If they can't use it all, Bugster will take donate it. I also gave them a couple packages of pencils, since they're always needed for school. I did keep just under 25 packages of 150ct theme paper for us, so I ended up getting rid of well over half of what I had on the shelf. All of the school supplies fit in one area of the credenza, and I love having the perfect place for them to call home.
 |
| What's left of our notebooks and paper. A shelf sits right above them with the rest of the school supplies like markers, pencils, crayons and glue. I love that we will know at a glance what we have, so we won't buy anymore! |
I'm hoping to finish up the rest of the laundry room tomorrow. I don't have too many loads of laundry left to wash, but I do have some I need to fold or bag up for donation. It will be nice to get all of it out of there and put it where it goes. And it feels really good to be making progress once again.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Prayer request.
I don't want to go into much detail, as I want to respect Mom's privacy, but prayers are greatly appreciated.
Mom was admitted the ER last night. It appears she's going to have to have heart surgery soon.
I'm doing my best to get things together, so we can get in the car and leave as soon as we know when it will happen.
It's times like this that I really wish we lived closer to family.
Like I said, prayers are greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Mom was admitted the ER last night. It appears she's going to have to have heart surgery soon.
I'm doing my best to get things together, so we can get in the car and leave as soon as we know when it will happen.
It's times like this that I really wish we lived closer to family.
Like I said, prayers are greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Friday, June 24, 2011
No hopping for Hopper. At least not for awhile...
All things considered, Hopper is doing quite well after her surgery.
She was able to get about 6 hours of sleep straight through the night following her surgery, but that's about it. The poor little thing has always fought sleep when she's in the hospital or on a road trip. I think she's afraid she's going to miss out on something, so her eyes will be drooping, her head will be nodding, but she won't allow herself to relax enough to drift off. Normally, the different pain medicines she's been on would knock a person on their butts, and they'd have a hard time staying awake, but it's been a real struggle for her.
The night of the surgery, The Hubster and I both stayed with Hopper at the hospital. The charge nurse was nice enough to block off the other half of the semi-private room, so we'd have a place to sleep. It's the first time she's been in a non-pediatric ward after surgery, so the nurses were more than happy to have us both there. They weren't sure how to handle the situation, and I think she intimidates them a bit. Where she has difficulty communicating, says 'yes' when she means 'no' all the time (and vice versa), and she can't put into words how much she hurts (the pain scale along with the little faces is worthless for her), they were just happy to have someone there to help them bridge the gap. It just happened to work out very well for us, and we are very, very thankful.
Hopper was able to get out of bed with the help of the physical therapists yesterday, but even though all she did was sit in a wheelchair, it was rough on her. She was in the chair for a couple of hours, while the staff changed her bedding, I gave her a sponge bath and braided her hair, and she ate lunch. Unfortunately, she needed morphine to get back into bed. She having difficulty understanding how not to put weight on her foot, and as a result we had to increase her pain medicine after her excursion out of bed.
This is not going to be easy for Hopper.
Hubster is at the hospital with Hopper right now. He stayed with her overnight. I'll be going up later today, but I am home with Scooter right now. I'm hoping to be able to get the house a bit closer to being ready for her to come home. I was so far behind before she got hurt that I'm really feeling the pinch now. I'm hoping I can get something done while I'm home, so it won't be as overwhelming when she comes home.
Plus, we're worried about her slipping into a depression. She's realizing everything she's not going to be able to do for several weeks...go to her day program, bowling, hiking, swimming, walking.... She apparently fell apart and cried really hard last night after Scooter and I went home. The poor thing. My heart breaks for her. Needless to say, I don't want the condition of the house to add to her concerns.
I was able to get a little bit of sleep last night, and Scooter waking me up came entirely too early for me this morning. All things said, though, I'm thankful she woke me up. I can sleep later. I need to get some more laundry in the washing machine, get Scooter's room ready for Hopper to move in (it will be awhile before Hopper will be able to navigate the stairs well enough to sleep downstairs), and get something else done as quickly as possible in the rest of the house. The way it is, Hopper will really struggle getting around.
She's likely going to need a walker, a wheelchair or crutches to get around, and right now there's not room for any of them.
On that note...I need to get busy before I fall asleep. My eyelids are feeling rather heavy about now.
Thanks to all for your thoughts and prayers. They're much appreciated.
She was able to get about 6 hours of sleep straight through the night following her surgery, but that's about it. The poor little thing has always fought sleep when she's in the hospital or on a road trip. I think she's afraid she's going to miss out on something, so her eyes will be drooping, her head will be nodding, but she won't allow herself to relax enough to drift off. Normally, the different pain medicines she's been on would knock a person on their butts, and they'd have a hard time staying awake, but it's been a real struggle for her.
The night of the surgery, The Hubster and I both stayed with Hopper at the hospital. The charge nurse was nice enough to block off the other half of the semi-private room, so we'd have a place to sleep. It's the first time she's been in a non-pediatric ward after surgery, so the nurses were more than happy to have us both there. They weren't sure how to handle the situation, and I think she intimidates them a bit. Where she has difficulty communicating, says 'yes' when she means 'no' all the time (and vice versa), and she can't put into words how much she hurts (the pain scale along with the little faces is worthless for her), they were just happy to have someone there to help them bridge the gap. It just happened to work out very well for us, and we are very, very thankful.
Hopper was able to get out of bed with the help of the physical therapists yesterday, but even though all she did was sit in a wheelchair, it was rough on her. She was in the chair for a couple of hours, while the staff changed her bedding, I gave her a sponge bath and braided her hair, and she ate lunch. Unfortunately, she needed morphine to get back into bed. She having difficulty understanding how not to put weight on her foot, and as a result we had to increase her pain medicine after her excursion out of bed.
This is not going to be easy for Hopper.
Hubster is at the hospital with Hopper right now. He stayed with her overnight. I'll be going up later today, but I am home with Scooter right now. I'm hoping to be able to get the house a bit closer to being ready for her to come home. I was so far behind before she got hurt that I'm really feeling the pinch now. I'm hoping I can get something done while I'm home, so it won't be as overwhelming when she comes home.
Plus, we're worried about her slipping into a depression. She's realizing everything she's not going to be able to do for several weeks...go to her day program, bowling, hiking, swimming, walking.... She apparently fell apart and cried really hard last night after Scooter and I went home. The poor thing. My heart breaks for her. Needless to say, I don't want the condition of the house to add to her concerns.
I was able to get a little bit of sleep last night, and Scooter waking me up came entirely too early for me this morning. All things said, though, I'm thankful she woke me up. I can sleep later. I need to get some more laundry in the washing machine, get Scooter's room ready for Hopper to move in (it will be awhile before Hopper will be able to navigate the stairs well enough to sleep downstairs), and get something else done as quickly as possible in the rest of the house. The way it is, Hopper will really struggle getting around.
She's likely going to need a walker, a wheelchair or crutches to get around, and right now there's not room for any of them.
On that note...I need to get busy before I fall asleep. My eyelids are feeling rather heavy about now.
Thanks to all for your thoughts and prayers. They're much appreciated.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
That which changed our Life Before. Part 8. Or...Meet my leetle friends!
The weeks following our trek to Virginia for Scooter's cleft palate surgery were a blur.
We took Hopper in for developmental testing, which absolutely drained our mental reserves. Instead of scheduling the testing over the course of several days, they had us bring her in for hours upon hours of testing in one day. What would have been a long day for an adult was torturous for a 2.5 year old, and she made sure to show her displeasure every chance she got. We'd do it differently and insist on staggering the tests, if we had the chance to do it again.
Some of the tests were absolutely ridiculous. It wasn't the tester's fault. She did the best she could under the circumstances, but the people who wrote the test...well, let's just say they did a bang up job. Most of the questions were pass/fail, so the child didn't get credit, if they didn't do complete the task exactly as it was written.
Let's just say that caused some problems. Some of the problems had a hint of humor while being absolutely maddening. For example, Hopper was tested to see, if she could put a raisin in a tube. She could put cereal in the tube. She could put little chocolate candies in the tube. But for the life of her, she could not bring herself to put a raisin in the tube. In her little mind they were gross! The texture freaked her out, and she adamantly refused to pick them up.
So while it was somewhat funny that she had such an aversion to raisins, it was incredibly frustrating that she wouldn't get credit for putting a small object in the tube. According to the test, it was a complete and utter failure, if the child didn't put a raisin in the tube.
You would think that since these tests are compiled by doctors who understand child development that they would take into consideration that children may have aversions to certain things. Considering that the point of the test was to see, if the child had the fine motor skills to put the raisin in the tube, and to see, if they understood the concept of 'in', the raisin itself should not have been the hold up. There is no doubt in my mind, my husband's mind or minds of testers around the world that the tests should be written with the ability to substitute raisins for cereal for chocolate candies, etc. Children who need to have these tests in the first place have enough going against them. The testing shouldn't be one of them.
To add to the stress of Scooter's surgery and Hopper's various tests, we were dealing with Hubster's separation from active duty with the United States Marine Corps.
It only made sense to get all dental work caught up for each of us, all prescriptions refilled, final medical and veterinarian appointments completed, and all medical records copied to bring with us to our new lives without the USMC. We also had to arrange for the movers to come and pack our household up and get the house cleaned for the military inspection.
The last major detail was to get the all clear from Scooter's plastic surgeon in Norfolk, so we set out for Virginia once. Dr. Magee was happy with her progress and felt it was safe for us to move cross country with our little girl. The cleft palate repair had gone well, and it was such a weight off our shoulders!
The stress had caught up to us a bit, so when Bugster brought home a respiratory bug from school, she and I ended up with walking pneumonia and bronchitis. We were advised to rest, which was easy enough for Bugster to do, but nearly impossible for me. I had too much to do.
Like clean the room we stayed in before leaving town shortly after I'd cleaned it in the first place...
We were staying in a small motel on base while we waited to be released from base housing, and for Hubster to finish up the last of the paperwork with his military unit. We'd spent the majority of the evening packing and squeezing the necessities in the car that we needed as soon as we got to Colorado, and we were tired and hungry. After I fixed something for us to eat in the little kitchenette and cleaned up, I set off to get the girls bathed, so we didn't have to do it in the morning before we set out.
Bugster bathed first, and then I went in with Hopper and Scooter to get them bathed and in their jammies, so they could go to bed. When I came out of the bathroom, exhaustion had set in, and I nearly lost it. I couldn't believe my eyes as I watched Bugster singing, dancing around and joyfully crumbling crackers all over the freshly washed counter and table top.
It didn't take long for the shock to wear off and for me to yell, "What are you doing??!!" to our oldest daughter. She looked like she was ready to cry when she explained that she was just trying to feed her 'friends'.
Her friends?
Yeah. Those would be the cockroaches that inhabited the base motel, and that we did not want to bring with us to Colorado!! Laughing and crying at the same time, I hugged her and dragged my weary body into the kitchen area to vacuum and scrub again before crawling into bed. Cockroaches totally freak me out, so needless to say, my sleep was fitful with dreams of them crawling all over our girls and into the crevices of our suitcases.
In the morning, still exhausted, we packed up the car, went to our friends' house to say our goodbyes.
Just a short 6 weeks after Scooter had her cleft palate surgery, we left the USMC, our good friends, and North Carolina behind.
We took Hopper in for developmental testing, which absolutely drained our mental reserves. Instead of scheduling the testing over the course of several days, they had us bring her in for hours upon hours of testing in one day. What would have been a long day for an adult was torturous for a 2.5 year old, and she made sure to show her displeasure every chance she got. We'd do it differently and insist on staggering the tests, if we had the chance to do it again.
Some of the tests were absolutely ridiculous. It wasn't the tester's fault. She did the best she could under the circumstances, but the people who wrote the test...well, let's just say they did a bang up job. Most of the questions were pass/fail, so the child didn't get credit, if they didn't do complete the task exactly as it was written.
Let's just say that caused some problems. Some of the problems had a hint of humor while being absolutely maddening. For example, Hopper was tested to see, if she could put a raisin in a tube. She could put cereal in the tube. She could put little chocolate candies in the tube. But for the life of her, she could not bring herself to put a raisin in the tube. In her little mind they were gross! The texture freaked her out, and she adamantly refused to pick them up.
So while it was somewhat funny that she had such an aversion to raisins, it was incredibly frustrating that she wouldn't get credit for putting a small object in the tube. According to the test, it was a complete and utter failure, if the child didn't put a raisin in the tube.
You would think that since these tests are compiled by doctors who understand child development that they would take into consideration that children may have aversions to certain things. Considering that the point of the test was to see, if the child had the fine motor skills to put the raisin in the tube, and to see, if they understood the concept of 'in', the raisin itself should not have been the hold up. There is no doubt in my mind, my husband's mind or minds of testers around the world that the tests should be written with the ability to substitute raisins for cereal for chocolate candies, etc. Children who need to have these tests in the first place have enough going against them. The testing shouldn't be one of them.
To add to the stress of Scooter's surgery and Hopper's various tests, we were dealing with Hubster's separation from active duty with the United States Marine Corps.
It only made sense to get all dental work caught up for each of us, all prescriptions refilled, final medical and veterinarian appointments completed, and all medical records copied to bring with us to our new lives without the USMC. We also had to arrange for the movers to come and pack our household up and get the house cleaned for the military inspection.
The last major detail was to get the all clear from Scooter's plastic surgeon in Norfolk, so we set out for Virginia once. Dr. Magee was happy with her progress and felt it was safe for us to move cross country with our little girl. The cleft palate repair had gone well, and it was such a weight off our shoulders!
The stress had caught up to us a bit, so when Bugster brought home a respiratory bug from school, she and I ended up with walking pneumonia and bronchitis. We were advised to rest, which was easy enough for Bugster to do, but nearly impossible for me. I had too much to do.
Like clean the room we stayed in before leaving town shortly after I'd cleaned it in the first place...
We were staying in a small motel on base while we waited to be released from base housing, and for Hubster to finish up the last of the paperwork with his military unit. We'd spent the majority of the evening packing and squeezing the necessities in the car that we needed as soon as we got to Colorado, and we were tired and hungry. After I fixed something for us to eat in the little kitchenette and cleaned up, I set off to get the girls bathed, so we didn't have to do it in the morning before we set out.
Bugster bathed first, and then I went in with Hopper and Scooter to get them bathed and in their jammies, so they could go to bed. When I came out of the bathroom, exhaustion had set in, and I nearly lost it. I couldn't believe my eyes as I watched Bugster singing, dancing around and joyfully crumbling crackers all over the freshly washed counter and table top.
It didn't take long for the shock to wear off and for me to yell, "What are you doing??!!" to our oldest daughter. She looked like she was ready to cry when she explained that she was just trying to feed her 'friends'.
Her friends?
Yeah. Those would be the cockroaches that inhabited the base motel, and that we did not want to bring with us to Colorado!! Laughing and crying at the same time, I hugged her and dragged my weary body into the kitchen area to vacuum and scrub again before crawling into bed. Cockroaches totally freak me out, so needless to say, my sleep was fitful with dreams of them crawling all over our girls and into the crevices of our suitcases.
In the morning, still exhausted, we packed up the car, went to our friends' house to say our goodbyes.
Just a short 6 weeks after Scooter had her cleft palate surgery, we left the USMC, our good friends, and North Carolina behind.
Monday, April 18, 2011
That which changed our Life Before. Part 7.
Time seemed to fly by and drag at the same time while we waited for the surgery date to arrive.
I did what I could on my end to be prepared. I called the Ronald McDonald House that was located across the street from the hospital to see, if we could stay there when Scooter had her surgery. They said they wouldn't know until the night before. Talk about nerve-wracking. So I called the hotel we typically stayed at that was on the bay's edge made reservations. I explained that the Ronald McDonald House may be available to us, but that we wouldn't know until the last minute. Thankfully, they said we could cancel the hotel reservations, if the RMH came through, so at least we had a back up plan.
I've always had to expect the worst and pray for the best in situations like this. That way, I would be prepared for anything in between. But sometimes, it's easier said than done, and my mind would get caught in a pattern of just imagining the worst. Considering I was still experiencing the imbalance of hormones that results from giving birth, I was a mess. I was just plain scared. No amount of planning could actually prepare me for what I felt.
I was in a fog. I dared not give into the helplessness I was feeling. I had The Hubster, Bugster, Hopper and Scooter relying on me being able to stay strong. Before we knew it, the time for the fretting and worrying and running worst case scenarios through our heads was coming to an end.
When we got to Norfolk, we drove immediately to the Ronald McDonald House to see, if we could stay there. Thankfully, a room had opened up when another family left that morning. I called the hotel and canceled, and we got settled in the RMH.
We were briefed on the rules. We had to make our beds daily and wash our bedding before we checked out. We could eat anything in the kitchen area, but if we cooked anything, we were expected to clean up after ourselves by doing our dishes and putting them away and wiping down the counter. The girls could not be left alone at anytime. And only one parent could sleep at the RMH each night. They expected the other parent to be sleeping the night at the hospital with the child who was ill. It was all very reasonable, and it worked out perfectly, since the doctor wanted Scooter admitted the night before her surgery, so she would be ready to go first thing in the morning.
After checking in, we headed over to the hospital to Scooter's pre-op appointment, got the necessities out of the way and spent the rest of the afternoon trying to keep our minds off things and keep Hopper and Bugster happy and occupied. Before we knew it, it was time to check Scooter in for the evening, so we walked over to the Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters as a family, and Hubster walked back to RMH with the older girls to get them settled for the night.
At the hospital, I tried finding something on TV that would take my mind off things, but I couldn't even concentrate enough to pay attention to what was on. So I held little Scooter in the rocking chair and attempted to sing to her. I tried remembering the words to songs I'd sung to Bugster and Hopper, but I couldn't think straight, so I did what any mom would do. I followed my own mom's example and made up nonsensical little songs about what was happening.
At some point, some of the words stuck, and I came up with a little song that we've sung many times over the years with no regard to how corny it sounded to others.
Mama's little girl
Has a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead
Scooter O'Shea* is her little name
And bein' Mama's baby
Is her little game
It calmed her to hear my voice, and it calmed me to know she was finding comfort considering I can't carry a tune in a bucket with the lid taped shut. Plus it gave me something to do to keep my occupied with things other than imagining the worst.
Imagining the worst was easy for me when I first saw her after her surgery. The nurses brought me back before they cleaned the dried blood off her little face, and I thought I was going to faint when I saw her. I was terrified that the dried blood meant things didn't go well. Logically, I knew it didn't mean that at all, but when you're only 6 weeks past a major surgery yourself and dealing with hormones and the stress of your baby just having undergone a fairly intense surgery, you're not thinking logically.
I asked the nurses, if I could wash her face off, or if it would hurt her, because her mouth would be sore. They said it would be fine and brought me a couple of washcloths and a small basin of water. And even though the nurses assured me that I wouldn't hurt Scooter, if I washed the dried blood from her face, I was even more gentle than normal. I couldn't stand the thought of seeing her with the blood on her face anymore, and I couldn't handle the thought of causing her anymore discomfort.
I don't recall how many days Scooter was hospitalized after she had her surgery, but she did very well, and we couldn't wait to go home. We were all more than ready to live together as a family again, even though we only lived a football field or so apart when she was in the hospital.
We had realized a long time ago that we drew strength from one another, and we needed to recharge.
*Of course her real name isn't Scooter O'Shea!
I did what I could on my end to be prepared. I called the Ronald McDonald House that was located across the street from the hospital to see, if we could stay there when Scooter had her surgery. They said they wouldn't know until the night before. Talk about nerve-wracking. So I called the hotel we typically stayed at that was on the bay's edge made reservations. I explained that the Ronald McDonald House may be available to us, but that we wouldn't know until the last minute. Thankfully, they said we could cancel the hotel reservations, if the RMH came through, so at least we had a back up plan.
I've always had to expect the worst and pray for the best in situations like this. That way, I would be prepared for anything in between. But sometimes, it's easier said than done, and my mind would get caught in a pattern of just imagining the worst. Considering I was still experiencing the imbalance of hormones that results from giving birth, I was a mess. I was just plain scared. No amount of planning could actually prepare me for what I felt.
I was in a fog. I dared not give into the helplessness I was feeling. I had The Hubster, Bugster, Hopper and Scooter relying on me being able to stay strong. Before we knew it, the time for the fretting and worrying and running worst case scenarios through our heads was coming to an end.
When we got to Norfolk, we drove immediately to the Ronald McDonald House to see, if we could stay there. Thankfully, a room had opened up when another family left that morning. I called the hotel and canceled, and we got settled in the RMH.
We were briefed on the rules. We had to make our beds daily and wash our bedding before we checked out. We could eat anything in the kitchen area, but if we cooked anything, we were expected to clean up after ourselves by doing our dishes and putting them away and wiping down the counter. The girls could not be left alone at anytime. And only one parent could sleep at the RMH each night. They expected the other parent to be sleeping the night at the hospital with the child who was ill. It was all very reasonable, and it worked out perfectly, since the doctor wanted Scooter admitted the night before her surgery, so she would be ready to go first thing in the morning.
After checking in, we headed over to the hospital to Scooter's pre-op appointment, got the necessities out of the way and spent the rest of the afternoon trying to keep our minds off things and keep Hopper and Bugster happy and occupied. Before we knew it, it was time to check Scooter in for the evening, so we walked over to the Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters as a family, and Hubster walked back to RMH with the older girls to get them settled for the night.
At the hospital, I tried finding something on TV that would take my mind off things, but I couldn't even concentrate enough to pay attention to what was on. So I held little Scooter in the rocking chair and attempted to sing to her. I tried remembering the words to songs I'd sung to Bugster and Hopper, but I couldn't think straight, so I did what any mom would do. I followed my own mom's example and made up nonsensical little songs about what was happening.
At some point, some of the words stuck, and I came up with a little song that we've sung many times over the years with no regard to how corny it sounded to others.
Mama's little girl
Has a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead
Scooter O'Shea* is her little name
And bein' Mama's baby
Is her little game
It calmed her to hear my voice, and it calmed me to know she was finding comfort considering I can't carry a tune in a bucket with the lid taped shut. Plus it gave me something to do to keep my occupied with things other than imagining the worst.
Imagining the worst was easy for me when I first saw her after her surgery. The nurses brought me back before they cleaned the dried blood off her little face, and I thought I was going to faint when I saw her. I was terrified that the dried blood meant things didn't go well. Logically, I knew it didn't mean that at all, but when you're only 6 weeks past a major surgery yourself and dealing with hormones and the stress of your baby just having undergone a fairly intense surgery, you're not thinking logically.
I asked the nurses, if I could wash her face off, or if it would hurt her, because her mouth would be sore. They said it would be fine and brought me a couple of washcloths and a small basin of water. And even though the nurses assured me that I wouldn't hurt Scooter, if I washed the dried blood from her face, I was even more gentle than normal. I couldn't stand the thought of seeing her with the blood on her face anymore, and I couldn't handle the thought of causing her anymore discomfort.
I don't recall how many days Scooter was hospitalized after she had her surgery, but she did very well, and we couldn't wait to go home. We were all more than ready to live together as a family again, even though we only lived a football field or so apart when she was in the hospital.
We had realized a long time ago that we drew strength from one another, and we needed to recharge.
*Of course her real name isn't Scooter O'Shea!
Monday, December 20, 2010
Progress.
Not sure where to start.
Things are going well, though.
The pod on the driveway?
It's not there anymore. It was picked up last Wednesday. We are all so very thankful it's gone, and of course the neighbors are thrilled! The yard, the entire street, even, looks so much bigger with that thing gone! And do you have any idea how wonderful it is to be able to park in the driveway for the first time in 20 months? Let's just say we'll never take it for granted again.
Last week, Mom helped me go through 20 boxes in the basement. Of the 20 boxes we sorted through, I only kept 4, and I'll eventually be going through them again and getting rid of more stuff. I just didn't want to take the time to do it now. Too much going on. So, like I said, Mom helped me sort through 20 boxes. I kept 4. For now. I'm looking forward to being well enough to sort through the rest of the boxes downstairs.
I feel like I'm healing well. I feel well most days and had gotten to the point I wasn't needing the stronger pain medicines like I had early on. Then I wasn't thinking and was pushing the shopping cart this weekend when The Hubster and I were shopping. I was doing fine until I tried turning a corner. I felt it then and I'm still feeling it tonight. I haven't done much of anything yesterday or today. I'm trying to take it really easy, so I can heal up from it, but it really irritated me that I did it without even thinking about things.
I really am feeling well overall, though. Much better than I expected to feel, and much, much better than I did after I had my c-sections. I am thrilled I had the surgery, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. I just need to stay away from the shopping carts for awhile, so I don't overdo. I can do that.
I'll be here sporadically while Mom is still visiting. I've never felt like I've gotten enough time with my parents as an adult, because we've always lived so far apart. Now that Mom's here, I want to spend every moment I can with her. It's been amazing having her here, and we're making lifelong memories. I want to be present for them, so I can store them in my heart.
So. That's what's going on in my life. I'll be back as I can.
I hope each and every one of you is doing well!
Things are going well, though.
The pod on the driveway?
It's not there anymore. It was picked up last Wednesday. We are all so very thankful it's gone, and of course the neighbors are thrilled! The yard, the entire street, even, looks so much bigger with that thing gone! And do you have any idea how wonderful it is to be able to park in the driveway for the first time in 20 months? Let's just say we'll never take it for granted again.
Last week, Mom helped me go through 20 boxes in the basement. Of the 20 boxes we sorted through, I only kept 4, and I'll eventually be going through them again and getting rid of more stuff. I just didn't want to take the time to do it now. Too much going on. So, like I said, Mom helped me sort through 20 boxes. I kept 4. For now. I'm looking forward to being well enough to sort through the rest of the boxes downstairs.
I feel like I'm healing well. I feel well most days and had gotten to the point I wasn't needing the stronger pain medicines like I had early on. Then I wasn't thinking and was pushing the shopping cart this weekend when The Hubster and I were shopping. I was doing fine until I tried turning a corner. I felt it then and I'm still feeling it tonight. I haven't done much of anything yesterday or today. I'm trying to take it really easy, so I can heal up from it, but it really irritated me that I did it without even thinking about things.
I really am feeling well overall, though. Much better than I expected to feel, and much, much better than I did after I had my c-sections. I am thrilled I had the surgery, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. I just need to stay away from the shopping carts for awhile, so I don't overdo. I can do that.
I'll be here sporadically while Mom is still visiting. I've never felt like I've gotten enough time with my parents as an adult, because we've always lived so far apart. Now that Mom's here, I want to spend every moment I can with her. It's been amazing having her here, and we're making lifelong memories. I want to be present for them, so I can store them in my heart.
So. That's what's going on in my life. I'll be back as I can.
I hope each and every one of you is doing well!
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Just checkin in...
I'm feeling much better than I expected to feel 11 days post-op. I am just so relieved to have the surgery out of the way and to be feeling the way I am. I definitely feel better than I did at this point in the recovery after my c-sections, so I'm quite happy about that.
When I went in to get the staples out last week, I asked the doctor, if it was okay for me to go through the boxes that The Hubster was bringing in from the pod on the driveway. She said that it was as long as I rested, if I felt tired. So I've been sorting and resting as needed. I've gotten through quite a bit so far, and I couldn't be happier.
We're about halfway through the pod at this point. Things have either been tossed in the trash, cleaned for donation, set aside for someone else, or kept for our use. So far, we're keeping very little except the craft stuff. And we're on such a roll that decisions are coming easier for me all the time.
We're about halfway through the pod at this time. Tomorrow, we're going to get it emptied. We want it off the driveway. Granted, that means we'll have to put what remains where it will fit, and it will take up quite a bit of room downstairs and in the garage, but I'll continue to work on sorting as many boxes as possible, so we can get the basement cleared as quickly as we can.
We're hoping to completely clean the pod out tomorrow and call the company on Monday to come and pick it up. The company has up to a week after we call to pick it up. That being the case, we will be able to park in the driveway before Christmas! We are SO thrilled with that! The driveway is going to look so naked once it's gone.
That's okay.
Nudity has it's place.
When I went in to get the staples out last week, I asked the doctor, if it was okay for me to go through the boxes that The Hubster was bringing in from the pod on the driveway. She said that it was as long as I rested, if I felt tired. So I've been sorting and resting as needed. I've gotten through quite a bit so far, and I couldn't be happier.
We're about halfway through the pod at this point. Things have either been tossed in the trash, cleaned for donation, set aside for someone else, or kept for our use. So far, we're keeping very little except the craft stuff. And we're on such a roll that decisions are coming easier for me all the time.
We're about halfway through the pod at this time. Tomorrow, we're going to get it emptied. We want it off the driveway. Granted, that means we'll have to put what remains where it will fit, and it will take up quite a bit of room downstairs and in the garage, but I'll continue to work on sorting as many boxes as possible, so we can get the basement cleared as quickly as we can.
We're hoping to completely clean the pod out tomorrow and call the company on Monday to come and pick it up. The company has up to a week after we call to pick it up. That being the case, we will be able to park in the driveway before Christmas! We are SO thrilled with that! The driveway is going to look so naked once it's gone.
That's okay.
Nudity has it's place.
Friday, December 3, 2010
What does a snail say when it's riding on a turtle's back?
The netbook wouldn't work at the hospital last night. It was quite frustrating. I wasn't going to post much, but I was going to post something. And who knows? Maybe it was just Blogger that wasn't working. I couldn't get it to work from my phone, either. It may have been a drug induced post, but it would have indeed been a post. Oh well. I gave myself permission to miss a post or two, right?
I'm home now, so Blogger is working. Yay Blogger!
I'm a bit souped up on Percocet right now. It works wonders for the pain, but I hate what it does to my head. I would not be a good drug addict at all. Good thing, considering I've been on so many different pain meds recently.
I have to say that I am so thrilled that Susan from Ami.Mental. tie dyed a night gown for me. Those hospital gowns are horrid and horribly cold, and I was able to put my night gown on and keep my shoulders and neck warm. It helped so much! I will forever be grateful! Oh. And the walks around the floor I was on were much more comfortable with the nightie versus one (or even even two) of those gowns. I loved that it went so far down my legs that I didn't have to worry about flashing anyone! It made for a much more comfortable stay, and I appreciate the love that went into making it. The other patients and the staff loved it, too.
I am at the point I'm having a rough time staying awake again. It's rather frustrating, but I'm so thrilled to be home. I think I'm going to go take a nap.
Oh. You're wondering about about the answer to the riddle?
Scroll down...
A little bit further now....
And a little bit further than that...
Come on. You can do it......
"Wheeeeeeeee!"
My life as a snail may be a bit slower paced than others, but I कैन, and दो, still have fun. :)
I'm home now, so Blogger is working. Yay Blogger!
I'm a bit souped up on Percocet right now. It works wonders for the pain, but I hate what it does to my head. I would not be a good drug addict at all. Good thing, considering I've been on so many different pain meds recently.
I have to say that I am so thrilled that Susan from Ami.Mental. tie dyed a night gown for me. Those hospital gowns are horrid and horribly cold, and I was able to put my night gown on and keep my shoulders and neck warm. It helped so much! I will forever be grateful! Oh. And the walks around the floor I was on were much more comfortable with the nightie versus one (or even even two) of those gowns. I loved that it went so far down my legs that I didn't have to worry about flashing anyone! It made for a much more comfortable stay, and I appreciate the love that went into making it. The other patients and the staff loved it, too.
I am at the point I'm having a rough time staying awake again. It's rather frustrating, but I'm so thrilled to be home. I think I'm going to go take a nap.
Oh. You're wondering about about the answer to the riddle?
Scroll down...
A little bit further now....
And a little bit further than that...
Come on. You can do it......
"Wheeeeeeeee!"
My life as a snail may be a bit slower paced than others, but I कैन, and दो, still have fun. :)
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Keep it simple, stupid.
So. This is it.
I am not sure, if I'll keep up with the blog every day, or if I'll take a day or two off when I need it in the next couple of weeks. I'm giving myself permission to miss a day here and there, if I need one, but I am hoping either The Hubster or Bugster will do a quick post tomorrow night, but I'm okay, if they don't.
I'm tired tonight. A bit on the chilled side, (not chilled in a sick way, but chilled in a my body's decided it's time for me to crawl under the covers for the night way), but that happens when I get tired. I've got to go shower with my special soap tonight before I can go to bed. I'd really rather just go to bed, but I'll be a good girl and shower.
I've got to pack a quick bag. I won't be taking much. My nightie. The netbook...just in case I'm feeling well enough to post. My phone. Other than that? Not much. It seems I always take way too much to the hospital and never get around to even 1/4 of what I take, so this time I'm not going to do it. If I need something from home, I'll ask my husband to bring it up with him.
If there's one thing I've learned since that cold day last January, when I learned I am a hoarder, it's that there's a lot of good to be found in the saying, "Keep it simple, stupid."
I'm learning.
I'm learning.
Hope to see y'all soon!
I am not sure, if I'll keep up with the blog every day, or if I'll take a day or two off when I need it in the next couple of weeks. I'm giving myself permission to miss a day here and there, if I need one, but I am hoping either The Hubster or Bugster will do a quick post tomorrow night, but I'm okay, if they don't.
I'm tired tonight. A bit on the chilled side, (not chilled in a sick way, but chilled in a my body's decided it's time for me to crawl under the covers for the night way), but that happens when I get tired. I've got to go shower with my special soap tonight before I can go to bed. I'd really rather just go to bed, but I'll be a good girl and shower.
I've got to pack a quick bag. I won't be taking much. My nightie. The netbook...just in case I'm feeling well enough to post. My phone. Other than that? Not much. It seems I always take way too much to the hospital and never get around to even 1/4 of what I take, so this time I'm not going to do it. If I need something from home, I'll ask my husband to bring it up with him.
If there's one thing I've learned since that cold day last January, when I learned I am a hoarder, it's that there's a lot of good to be found in the saying, "Keep it simple, stupid."
I'm learning.
I'm learning.
Hope to see y'all soon!
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Yeah. That's the ticket.
When I woke up this morning, I called my doctor's office to see, if they knew of a different surgeon for me to see, or if there was any way she could do the appendectomy. I got a call back from my doctor's nurse. She said my doctor wouldn't be back in until Monday, and she wasn't sure what other surgeon to refer me to, so I just told her what happened and that I wouldn't be having the appendectomy. She asked, if I had talked to the surgeon's office yet, and I told her that I was planning on calling them as soon as I hung up and thanked her for her help and got off the phone.
When I called the surgeon's office, I told the woman who answered the phone that I needed to cancel the appendectomy. She asked me why, so I told her what the doctor did, and that I wasn't
comfortable having him do the surgery, where he filled the consent form out for me and didn't give me the choice about having the student in the room. Then, I asked her to please cancel the post-op appointment for me, since I'm obviously not going to be coming in for it, since I'm not having the appendectomy.
What she did next blew me away. I almost laughed, because she sounded so haughty, but I just shook my head. In a very irritated and gruff voice, she said, "Well. I'm going to have to tell Dr. Soandso about this!" It was like she was tattling to the principal or something. Like she wanted to get me in trouble. I told her not to worry about it. That I'd already called my doctor's office and told them. She didn't have much to say after that. I think I deflated her balloon of indignation.
But the thing that blows me away is this: If I felt the surgeon was being too pushy and trying to be intimidating, did she really think that talking to me like that was going to make me change my mind and say, "Oh! You know, I made a mistake! I really do want the jerk to do my surgery after all!"
Yeah. That's the ticket.
When I called the surgeon's office, I told the woman who answered the phone that I needed to cancel the appendectomy. She asked me why, so I told her what the doctor did, and that I wasn't
comfortable having him do the surgery, where he filled the consent form out for me and didn't give me the choice about having the student in the room. Then, I asked her to please cancel the post-op appointment for me, since I'm obviously not going to be coming in for it, since I'm not having the appendectomy.
What she did next blew me away. I almost laughed, because she sounded so haughty, but I just shook my head. In a very irritated and gruff voice, she said, "Well. I'm going to have to tell Dr. Soandso about this!" It was like she was tattling to the principal or something. Like she wanted to get me in trouble. I told her not to worry about it. That I'd already called my doctor's office and told them. She didn't have much to say after that. I think I deflated her balloon of indignation.
But the thing that blows me away is this: If I felt the surgeon was being too pushy and trying to be intimidating, did she really think that talking to me like that was going to make me change my mind and say, "Oh! You know, I made a mistake! I really do want the jerk to do my surgery after all!"
Yeah. That's the ticket.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
What would you do?
I need to write this before the pain meds kick in, and I'm in LaLa Land.
Had the pre-surgical appointment at the hospital today. Everything went fine, but I almost didn't make it to the appointment. I use the alarms on my cell phone every day. Several alarms every day, even. But something happened to my phone last night, and the battery didn't charge. And the battery had died. Thankfully, I happened to wake up 15 minutes before I had to leave the house, and I was able to make it across town and get to my appointment with 2 minutes to spare.
My second appointment happened a few hours later at the general surgeon's office. I was hoping to get a scar fixed on my arm while I'm already in surgery, but he said he didn't feel the surgery would do anything to help with the pain I have in it, and that he felt it bordered on 'unnecessary surgery'. He made me feel like he thought I was trying to scam the insurance company.
Then, we talked about the appendectomy I had asked about. I figured that since I'm already going to be out for surgery the way it was, that maybe it would be a good time to get my appendix out. It makes a lot of sense as far as being cost effective. It would be cheaper for the insurance company and cheaper for us, if I had it done at the same time. And while he said he would do it, he also wrote down on the consent form that the reason for the appendectomy was that the 'patient requested it'.
He didn't say that the patient requested it, because she's having other surgery that day. Just that the patient requested it. I don't know, if I was just oversensitive or what, but it came across to me like he thought I was just asking for the sake of wasting money, and it made me uneasy.
Then, he gave me the consent form to sign. At the bottom of the consent form there are 4 things you have to give or deny consent for or mark as not applicable...1) Do you consent to a student being present and helping perform the surgery? 2) Do you consent to a graft, if a graft is needed. 3) Do you agree to have a blood transfusion, if necessary? and 4) Do you consent to have anesthesia in spite of the risks.
I filled out the same consent form at my gynecologist's office yesterday. When it came time to answer the 4 questions, she checked off that the graft was not applicable and told me she'd give me a minute to read through things and check the boxes I felt comfortable with. But she gave me the choice. And the only one I even had to think twice about was having a student present during surgery.
However, the surgeon today had checked the boxes that he wanted checked. Not the ones wanted. Granted, 2 of the 3 questions were answered the way I would have answered them, but he just assumed I was okay with having a student in the OR. I wasn't. And I explained that I wasn't okay with it, and that I had specifically checked the box that said I did not want to have a student in the room while I had surgery at the other doctor's office.
He got a little irritated with me. He proceeded to try to guilt me into accepting a student in the room. He said, "You mean you don't even want Jamie, the girl that was just in here helping you and taking your history in there with me? She'd be observing me." But the thing is, if I agreed to have her in the room, that I was agreeing to her helping with the surgery itself. I again said that I wasn't comfortable with it. So he scribbled out the check mark on the 'agree' line and checked the 'do not agree' line.
I felt very uncomfortable with it all. I felt like he was trying to pressure me, to guilt me, into doing what HE wanted. Not what I wanted or was comfortable with. And the only time he asked me about it was after I said I wasn't comfortable with it, and then I felt pressured to go along with what he wanted.
Tonight when I sat down to the computer, I looked him up online. He only has a rating of 1.5 out of 5 stars for satisfaction with patients. Granted, there were only 5 ratings, but that also means that not even one person gave him a 5 overall. I mean, those are some really low ratings. If not even 1 out of 5 patients can give you a 5, you're not the surgeon for me.
I'll be calling my gynecologist (whose rating is 4.5 out of 5 based on 4 reviews, and whose ratings I totally agree with) to let her know that I will not be going with him as a surgeon. I will skip having an appendectomy rather than put my life in his hands.
I doubt I'll have time to get into another surgeon between now and next Wednesday, so I will probably only have one surgery and one surgeon in the room. I'm much more comfortable with that than having him touch me.
I will definitely let someone in his office know why I've chosen not to utilize his services. I think I'm also going to let someone at the hospital know that I felt he was trying to coerce me into having the student in the operating room.
I'm not sure who I need to tell, but I'm know I need to tell somebody.
Had the pre-surgical appointment at the hospital today. Everything went fine, but I almost didn't make it to the appointment. I use the alarms on my cell phone every day. Several alarms every day, even. But something happened to my phone last night, and the battery didn't charge. And the battery had died. Thankfully, I happened to wake up 15 minutes before I had to leave the house, and I was able to make it across town and get to my appointment with 2 minutes to spare.
My second appointment happened a few hours later at the general surgeon's office. I was hoping to get a scar fixed on my arm while I'm already in surgery, but he said he didn't feel the surgery would do anything to help with the pain I have in it, and that he felt it bordered on 'unnecessary surgery'. He made me feel like he thought I was trying to scam the insurance company.
Then, we talked about the appendectomy I had asked about. I figured that since I'm already going to be out for surgery the way it was, that maybe it would be a good time to get my appendix out. It makes a lot of sense as far as being cost effective. It would be cheaper for the insurance company and cheaper for us, if I had it done at the same time. And while he said he would do it, he also wrote down on the consent form that the reason for the appendectomy was that the 'patient requested it'.
He didn't say that the patient requested it, because she's having other surgery that day. Just that the patient requested it. I don't know, if I was just oversensitive or what, but it came across to me like he thought I was just asking for the sake of wasting money, and it made me uneasy.
Then, he gave me the consent form to sign. At the bottom of the consent form there are 4 things you have to give or deny consent for or mark as not applicable...1) Do you consent to a student being present and helping perform the surgery? 2) Do you consent to a graft, if a graft is needed. 3) Do you agree to have a blood transfusion, if necessary? and 4) Do you consent to have anesthesia in spite of the risks.
I filled out the same consent form at my gynecologist's office yesterday. When it came time to answer the 4 questions, she checked off that the graft was not applicable and told me she'd give me a minute to read through things and check the boxes I felt comfortable with. But she gave me the choice. And the only one I even had to think twice about was having a student present during surgery.
However, the surgeon today had checked the boxes that he wanted checked. Not the ones wanted. Granted, 2 of the 3 questions were answered the way I would have answered them, but he just assumed I was okay with having a student in the OR. I wasn't. And I explained that I wasn't okay with it, and that I had specifically checked the box that said I did not want to have a student in the room while I had surgery at the other doctor's office.
He got a little irritated with me. He proceeded to try to guilt me into accepting a student in the room. He said, "You mean you don't even want Jamie, the girl that was just in here helping you and taking your history in there with me? She'd be observing me." But the thing is, if I agreed to have her in the room, that I was agreeing to her helping with the surgery itself. I again said that I wasn't comfortable with it. So he scribbled out the check mark on the 'agree' line and checked the 'do not agree' line.
I felt very uncomfortable with it all. I felt like he was trying to pressure me, to guilt me, into doing what HE wanted. Not what I wanted or was comfortable with. And the only time he asked me about it was after I said I wasn't comfortable with it, and then I felt pressured to go along with what he wanted.
Tonight when I sat down to the computer, I looked him up online. He only has a rating of 1.5 out of 5 stars for satisfaction with patients. Granted, there were only 5 ratings, but that also means that not even one person gave him a 5 overall. I mean, those are some really low ratings. If not even 1 out of 5 patients can give you a 5, you're not the surgeon for me.
I'll be calling my gynecologist (whose rating is 4.5 out of 5 based on 4 reviews, and whose ratings I totally agree with) to let her know that I will not be going with him as a surgeon. I will skip having an appendectomy rather than put my life in his hands.
I doubt I'll have time to get into another surgeon between now and next Wednesday, so I will probably only have one surgery and one surgeon in the room. I'm much more comfortable with that than having him touch me.
I will definitely let someone in his office know why I've chosen not to utilize his services. I think I'm also going to let someone at the hospital know that I felt he was trying to coerce me into having the student in the operating room.
I'm not sure who I need to tell, but I'm know I need to tell somebody.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Eww gwoss!
So. I've been asked a couple of times, if I really did fall asleep when I wrote this post the other day, or if I was just pretending to fall asleep for the post. The answer is that I did indeed fall asleep. Several times while writing that post, in fact, as one can tell by the repeated letters.
I really do try to be as honest on this blog. I need to be as real as possible with myself, or I'll likely fall back into old habits and start hoarding again. So even when I write about things that really don't have anything to do with the overall hoarding picture, when I'm being goofy, there's truth in what I'm saying. I owe it to myself.
Now that that has been cleared up...
I had to go in for my pre-op visit today with my doctor. I have 2 more appointments tomorrow. When I get home, K will come over again to help me get things finished up. We got a lot done downstairs today - got the shelves put up between the craft cabinets, got several boxes unpacked, sorted and put away, replaced an electrical outlet, and leveled the craft tables as best we could. They're not very level, but between the concrete floor being lumpy in places and the fact they're sitting on carpet on top of said floor, we weren't expecting much. I'm not exactly sure how I'll get them level in the long run, but thankfully it's not something we need to figure out for awhile.
We haven't done any trim around the windows to make them look finished yet. I was hoping to get to it before I get laid up, but I don't think that's going to happen. However, we need to at least try to get them a little more weather proofed. They're cheap little single pane aluminum windows that have no insulating factor at all. So I decided to vacuum them out. Right before I got the vacuum up there, I noticed a spider in the corner of the window.
It's body shape was like that of a black widow, but the color was all wrong. It was more of a creamy yellow, but the thing that surprised me was the marking on its back. It looked like a little flower made of dots. I'm not sure, if it's a poisonous spider or not, but I wasn't taking the chance. I vacuumed it up. I don't like spiders in my house. I like trying to relocate them outside even less.
I did take a picture of its back, though. Does anyone else notice a flower pattern, or is it just me?
Better yet, anyone have any idea what kind it is? It looks like it ate well judging by the insect carcasses piled up under it.
:::shudder:::
I probably should not have posted about a spider right before bed. Hope I don't dream about them.
:::double shudder:::
I really do try to be as honest on this blog. I need to be as real as possible with myself, or I'll likely fall back into old habits and start hoarding again. So even when I write about things that really don't have anything to do with the overall hoarding picture, when I'm being goofy, there's truth in what I'm saying. I owe it to myself.
Now that that has been cleared up...
I had to go in for my pre-op visit today with my doctor. I have 2 more appointments tomorrow. When I get home, K will come over again to help me get things finished up. We got a lot done downstairs today - got the shelves put up between the craft cabinets, got several boxes unpacked, sorted and put away, replaced an electrical outlet, and leveled the craft tables as best we could. They're not very level, but between the concrete floor being lumpy in places and the fact they're sitting on carpet on top of said floor, we weren't expecting much. I'm not exactly sure how I'll get them level in the long run, but thankfully it's not something we need to figure out for awhile.
We haven't done any trim around the windows to make them look finished yet. I was hoping to get to it before I get laid up, but I don't think that's going to happen. However, we need to at least try to get them a little more weather proofed. They're cheap little single pane aluminum windows that have no insulating factor at all. So I decided to vacuum them out. Right before I got the vacuum up there, I noticed a spider in the corner of the window.
It's body shape was like that of a black widow, but the color was all wrong. It was more of a creamy yellow, but the thing that surprised me was the marking on its back. It looked like a little flower made of dots. I'm not sure, if it's a poisonous spider or not, but I wasn't taking the chance. I vacuumed it up. I don't like spiders in my house. I like trying to relocate them outside even less.
I did take a picture of its back, though. Does anyone else notice a flower pattern, or is it just me?
Better yet, anyone have any idea what kind it is? It looks like it ate well judging by the insect carcasses piled up under it.:::shudder:::
I probably should not have posted about a spider right before bed. Hope I don't dream about them.
:::double shudder:::
Monday, November 1, 2010
Running on empty.
I've had such a hard time staying awake today. I didn't sleep well last night at all. Woke up a few times with a headache or an aching neck.
I feel like I've gotten nothing accomplished today at all. I've done some laundry and worked for a bit on the bookcase. I was going to do the last coat of paint on the cubbies that go above the stove and refrigerator today that I skipped doing this weekend, but it was cool enough my back couldn't handle it, so I'll finish it up tomorrow. Hopefully.
The last couple of days have made me glad I'm going in for surgery. I'm trying really hard not to get down about it, but darn I hate having to go up in pain medicines to get through the day. If I was given the option of having a hysterectomy today, I think I'd take them up on the offer. The way it is, I'll wait impatiently for the next month to pass and keep the Percocet handy.
I'm going to try to get some sleep tonight. Drug induced sleep, but I'll take it.
It will keep me from trying to do the surgery myself.
I feel like I've gotten nothing accomplished today at all. I've done some laundry and worked for a bit on the bookcase. I was going to do the last coat of paint on the cubbies that go above the stove and refrigerator today that I skipped doing this weekend, but it was cool enough my back couldn't handle it, so I'll finish it up tomorrow. Hopefully.
The last couple of days have made me glad I'm going in for surgery. I'm trying really hard not to get down about it, but darn I hate having to go up in pain medicines to get through the day. If I was given the option of having a hysterectomy today, I think I'd take them up on the offer. The way it is, I'll wait impatiently for the next month to pass and keep the Percocet handy.
I'm going to try to get some sleep tonight. Drug induced sleep, but I'll take it.
It will keep me from trying to do the surgery myself.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Normalcy.
I had to go re-read what I wrote last night, because I couldn't remember. I remember leaving keyboard drool on my post where I'd fallen asleep, but I couldn't remember what I posted.
I was tired. Really. Tired.
I woke up a bit after I got off the computer and spent a little time with The Hubster. Filled out my mail-in ballot, which hubby dropped off today, (it's nice to have VOTE crossed of our lists!), and went to bed. Where I proceeded to sleep. Twelve hours. Straight. Getting up only once. To go to the bathroom. The girls slept 18 hours straight. It's wonderful to be able to catch up on your sleep when you're running on empty, and we were definitely running on fumes.
Hopper and Scooter could not seem to sleep at all in the hotel room, and of course as parents we couldn't fall asleep with them being awake. Especially in a hotel. We always have one ear trained on the door at all times for fear that one of the girls will try to go for a stroll in their sleep. It's been known to happen at home, so there's no reason to believe it wouldn't happen in a hotel, either.
In other words, hotels just aren't that relaxing for us, even though we had a lot of fun on Monday.
Hopper really did do amazingly well, all things considered. She did have a 10 or 15 minute meltdown when we finally got back to the room where she had to change into her gown, and the surgery became real for her. Poor thing. She really did try to hold things together, though, and she did well for the most part. Even when she was being wheeled away with her daddy by her side to go back in with her while she was put under, she was doing great.
However, The Hubster reported that she started freaking out over the anesthesia mask, and the doctor couldn't keep it on her long enough to help her go to sleep. It ended up taking 5 people to hold her down, so the mask could do it's work. This is nothing new for Hopper, but it's never an easy thing. I'm sure the lack of sleep exacerbated the situation, but she did make it through. She didn't have the post anesthesia rage that she's had in the past, so that was good. She was a little grumpy, but we'll take grumpy any day!
We're just so glad that when I asked the nurse last week how soon Hopper could get her flu shot after the dental surgery, she suggested that maybe we could have it done while she was under the general anesthesia. It's just so nice that she doesn't have that to worry about. The rest of us got our flu shots when we got back into town. It's so good to know they're done and out of the way.
I think things will be back to normal tomorrow for all of us, since we'll all be caught up on our sleep. I'm glad. I'm hoping to get to painting tomorrow again. I need to get started on the mirrors and on the cubbies that we'll be putting above the stove and refrigerator. As much as I'd have loved to work on them today, it was impossible. It was just entirely too cold.
I know that 22 states had wind warnings yesterday. We were one of them. The wind blew in a cold front and the first taste of winter. It didn't snow at the lower elevations, but there were a few feet of snow on the mountains. The wind blew all body heat away, and it felt much colder than the air temperature really was. I have to admit that I'm not quite ready for the cold just yet, and I'm very, very thankful that the highs won't be in the 40s again tomorrow. The 60s just sound so much better, don't they? And with 70s expected over Friday and Saturday, I should be able to finish up the mirrors and the cubbies.
We might not get the cubbies actually installed this weekend, but I'm okay with that. At least we'll have them up there soon!
I was tired. Really. Tired.
I woke up a bit after I got off the computer and spent a little time with The Hubster. Filled out my mail-in ballot, which hubby dropped off today, (it's nice to have VOTE crossed of our lists!), and went to bed. Where I proceeded to sleep. Twelve hours. Straight. Getting up only once. To go to the bathroom. The girls slept 18 hours straight. It's wonderful to be able to catch up on your sleep when you're running on empty, and we were definitely running on fumes.
Hopper and Scooter could not seem to sleep at all in the hotel room, and of course as parents we couldn't fall asleep with them being awake. Especially in a hotel. We always have one ear trained on the door at all times for fear that one of the girls will try to go for a stroll in their sleep. It's been known to happen at home, so there's no reason to believe it wouldn't happen in a hotel, either.
In other words, hotels just aren't that relaxing for us, even though we had a lot of fun on Monday.
Hopper really did do amazingly well, all things considered. She did have a 10 or 15 minute meltdown when we finally got back to the room where she had to change into her gown, and the surgery became real for her. Poor thing. She really did try to hold things together, though, and she did well for the most part. Even when she was being wheeled away with her daddy by her side to go back in with her while she was put under, she was doing great.
However, The Hubster reported that she started freaking out over the anesthesia mask, and the doctor couldn't keep it on her long enough to help her go to sleep. It ended up taking 5 people to hold her down, so the mask could do it's work. This is nothing new for Hopper, but it's never an easy thing. I'm sure the lack of sleep exacerbated the situation, but she did make it through. She didn't have the post anesthesia rage that she's had in the past, so that was good. She was a little grumpy, but we'll take grumpy any day!
We're just so glad that when I asked the nurse last week how soon Hopper could get her flu shot after the dental surgery, she suggested that maybe we could have it done while she was under the general anesthesia. It's just so nice that she doesn't have that to worry about. The rest of us got our flu shots when we got back into town. It's so good to know they're done and out of the way.
I think things will be back to normal tomorrow for all of us, since we'll all be caught up on our sleep. I'm glad. I'm hoping to get to painting tomorrow again. I need to get started on the mirrors and on the cubbies that we'll be putting above the stove and refrigerator. As much as I'd have loved to work on them today, it was impossible. It was just entirely too cold.
I know that 22 states had wind warnings yesterday. We were one of them. The wind blew in a cold front and the first taste of winter. It didn't snow at the lower elevations, but there were a few feet of snow on the mountains. The wind blew all body heat away, and it felt much colder than the air temperature really was. I have to admit that I'm not quite ready for the cold just yet, and I'm very, very thankful that the highs won't be in the 40s again tomorrow. The 60s just sound so much better, don't they? And with 70s expected over Friday and Saturday, I should be able to finish up the mirrors and the cubbies.
We might not get the cubbies actually installed this weekend, but I'm okay with that. At least we'll have them up there soon!
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