I think it was last year that we got the news my best friend's mother had cancer. She did the treatments and went into remission. Last fall she failed her tests and they found it had spread and back into treatment she went. This time, however, it had gone to her brain. The prognosis wasn't good, but trudging forward she went. Cindy has always been a spunky fighter.
Two weeks ago she decided she had her fill and couldn't take any more treatments. She went into hospice.
It's been a waiting game and we knew it was coming. That doesn't seem to soften the blow any when I got the text this afternoon.
Cindy was a fabulous person. She was direct and you knew exactly what she thought of you. Somehow I had been blessed as a permissible friend for her daughter and she allowed me free entry into her home. She was pissed when she found out that I was facing eviction and offered her cramped home for me and my children. It was an unrealistic offer, but she made it nonetheless.
It may not have been easy to be her daughter, but she was pure heaven as a second mother.
When someone's parent dies we gather around the friend and try to comfort their loss. Unfortunately, I'm not got to be very useful in comforting Booty's loss as I'm grieving right beside her.
Fuck Cancer
Showing posts with label Illness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Illness. Show all posts
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Monday, November 12, 2012
Movie Monday - Illnesses
Okay, it makes sense to finally devote a day to discuss my movie finds, so come back every Monday to read my recaps.
I'm amazed how I watch movies in the same time frame that have similar topics. This makes sense if TCM (the source of most of my old movies) is having a week long devotion to Nazi movies or a tribute to Bette Davis, but my movies do not all come from the same place. Some I stream online, others I rent from the video store, and then of course there are other channels.
Within two days I watched
Lorenzo's Oil (1992)
Awakenings (1990)
I knew the premise of Lorenzo's Oil, a sick boy whose parents went to extraordinary lengths to find their own cure. I dreaded this movie. DREADED IT. I had absolutely no idea about the plot of Awakenings before I watched it - a boy starts to lose function of his limbs and eventually becomes catatonic. Years (decades) later a doctor searches for a cure. I groaned as it started to watch it. Who wants to see a movie about a sick kid? True stories about sick kids? And here I was watching TWO of them back to back.
UNCANNY isn't it?
Even more uncanny was how beautiful and perfect these movies were. I liked them! Yes, they tugged at the heart strings, but not miserably so.
I should have known better with Lorenzo's Oil. It had Susan Saranden and I have yet to see a movie with her that I didn't like (you have seen Rocky Horror Picture Show, haven't you??? Yeah, I should have listed that on Friday with musicals I absolutely love, oh but it's not an Oscar nominee. Sometimes you need brain candy.) Lorenzo's Oil was a true drama with lots of back and forth and arguments and people pushed to their emotional and physical limits.
Awakenings was funny - of course, it had Robin Williams! There were lots of in-your-face victories and interesting twists.
Without giving away the endings of either, one was happy, the other not exactly so. Despite that I walked away fulfilled by both.
I'm amazed how I watch movies in the same time frame that have similar topics. This makes sense if TCM (the source of most of my old movies) is having a week long devotion to Nazi movies or a tribute to Bette Davis, but my movies do not all come from the same place. Some I stream online, others I rent from the video store, and then of course there are other channels.
Within two days I watched
Lorenzo's Oil (1992)
Awakenings (1990)
I knew the premise of Lorenzo's Oil, a sick boy whose parents went to extraordinary lengths to find their own cure. I dreaded this movie. DREADED IT. I had absolutely no idea about the plot of Awakenings before I watched it - a boy starts to lose function of his limbs and eventually becomes catatonic. Years (decades) later a doctor searches for a cure. I groaned as it started to watch it. Who wants to see a movie about a sick kid? True stories about sick kids? And here I was watching TWO of them back to back.
UNCANNY isn't it?
Even more uncanny was how beautiful and perfect these movies were. I liked them! Yes, they tugged at the heart strings, but not miserably so.
I should have known better with Lorenzo's Oil. It had Susan Saranden and I have yet to see a movie with her that I didn't like (you have seen Rocky Horror Picture Show, haven't you??? Yeah, I should have listed that on Friday with musicals I absolutely love, oh but it's not an Oscar nominee. Sometimes you need brain candy.) Lorenzo's Oil was a true drama with lots of back and forth and arguments and people pushed to their emotional and physical limits.
Awakenings was funny - of course, it had Robin Williams! There were lots of in-your-face victories and interesting twists.
Without giving away the endings of either, one was happy, the other not exactly so. Despite that I walked away fulfilled by both.
Friday, October 26, 2012
Friday Fragments - October 26, 2012
I'm not exactly sure which strain of the plague I've contracted but I've missed several days of work. Today I'm ready to get back in the saddle. It kills me that I've wasted the last three days sitting on the couch when we have had some of the most wonderful sunny weather. Of course today is going to be blustery and COLD. Yesterday our temps went from 80° down to 40 something.
Last Saturday we took advantage of a free shredding service at the bank. We drug in four boxes with documents I've been keeping over the last twenty-five years. I don't feel so bad clinging onto old tax returns, but my ex-husband's paycheck stubs from 1991? Yeah, those could have gone in the trash... in 1992. 1993 at the most. Holding onto them until 2012 was really unnecessary. We won't even mention that those boxes have moved to three or four different houses. In my defense, I knew better than to simply toss sensitive documents like that in the general trash. It had to be shredded. And I never owned a shredder until recently. And then I blew out the motor trying to chew through the mounds and mounds of old crap I've accumulated over the years. A free shredding event was the only way to preserve the new shredder we bought that now only eats current documents in small doses.
Sunday we finally graced my brother with a visit to his new house. They were celebrating a combined birthday party for two of their children. People from both sides of their families attended so it was a fairly crowded affair. Hubby and I enjoyed the visit and are more than a little envious of their spacious house and quiet piece of land. Ian really liked the opportunity to hang out with his cousin. The boys are two years apart in age, but that's about the only difference.
Wedding bells are ringing. We are only 50 days away from my older son getting married. I had the great opportunity to design the invitations. I can't wait to see how they turned out.
Last Saturday we took advantage of a free shredding service at the bank. We drug in four boxes with documents I've been keeping over the last twenty-five years. I don't feel so bad clinging onto old tax returns, but my ex-husband's paycheck stubs from 1991? Yeah, those could have gone in the trash... in 1992. 1993 at the most. Holding onto them until 2012 was really unnecessary. We won't even mention that those boxes have moved to three or four different houses. In my defense, I knew better than to simply toss sensitive documents like that in the general trash. It had to be shredded. And I never owned a shredder until recently. And then I blew out the motor trying to chew through the mounds and mounds of old crap I've accumulated over the years. A free shredding event was the only way to preserve the new shredder we bought that now only eats current documents in small doses.
Sunday we finally graced my brother with a visit to his new house. They were celebrating a combined birthday party for two of their children. People from both sides of their families attended so it was a fairly crowded affair. Hubby and I enjoyed the visit and are more than a little envious of their spacious house and quiet piece of land. Ian really liked the opportunity to hang out with his cousin. The boys are two years apart in age, but that's about the only difference.
Wedding bells are ringing. We are only 50 days away from my older son getting married. I had the great opportunity to design the invitations. I can't wait to see how they turned out.
Friday, September 21, 2012
Friday Fragments - September 21, 2012
It's been a long cruddy day. I have a bad headache and been feeling under the weather. My allergies have been slamming me all week. It's easier to pop pills than to do something simple like close the windows overnight - IT'S SO FREAKING GORGEOUS! Of course I come home and fall asleep instead of taking a walk. It‘s always a trade-off, isn't it?
Oscar Movie update for the week - Pumpkin Eater (1964) was slow, overly dramatic, painful. It was sort of a good story about a woman on her third marriage with a whole tribe of children. He turns out to be a good father, but is a manipulative philanderer and makes her think she's going insane. It was hard to like anyone and like I said, it was horribly slow and very over-the-top dramatic.
One I really liked was Hotel Rwanda (2004). You felt their pain and were scared for them. It also gives a glimpse into the way things work in so many of these African countries where tribal warfare is still raging. Something I'm fond of in my movie selections is a tidy ending. Pumpkin Eater sort of dropped off at the end, Hotel Rwanda shows them getting out (I'm not ruining anything by giving away the ending). It bugs me when movies leave me dangling. It's rude. I'm still bitter over The Matrix 2.
Last weekend we went to the hot balloon races and balloon glow. Pictures were posted Saturday. During all of this, "Ride of the Century" converged on St. Louis. These are the idiot street riders who do stunt tricks on the highway in the middle of traffic. There were thousands of motorcycles driving in packs all weekend long. As you can imagine my fifteen year old was chomping at the bit to see them up close and live.
We happened to see a couple while chasing down the hot air balloons - and yes, this moron is sitting on the handlebars.
Oscar Movie update for the week - Pumpkin Eater (1964) was slow, overly dramatic, painful. It was sort of a good story about a woman on her third marriage with a whole tribe of children. He turns out to be a good father, but is a manipulative philanderer and makes her think she's going insane. It was hard to like anyone and like I said, it was horribly slow and very over-the-top dramatic.
One I really liked was Hotel Rwanda (2004). You felt their pain and were scared for them. It also gives a glimpse into the way things work in so many of these African countries where tribal warfare is still raging. Something I'm fond of in my movie selections is a tidy ending. Pumpkin Eater sort of dropped off at the end, Hotel Rwanda shows them getting out (I'm not ruining anything by giving away the ending). It bugs me when movies leave me dangling. It's rude. I'm still bitter over The Matrix 2.
Last weekend we went to the hot balloon races and balloon glow. Pictures were posted Saturday. During all of this, "Ride of the Century" converged on St. Louis. These are the idiot street riders who do stunt tricks on the highway in the middle of traffic. There were thousands of motorcycles driving in packs all weekend long. As you can imagine my fifteen year old was chomping at the bit to see them up close and live.
We happened to see a couple while chasing down the hot air balloons - and yes, this moron is sitting on the handlebars.
We found out later that night where some of them were staying and cruised the parking lot.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Friday Fragments - February 24, 2012
Oh this week has been eventful in many ways. This is what I get for bemoaning a boring life, right?
Over the weekend my future daughter-in-law took the baby with her parents to visit her brother in Florida. My grandbaby got to go to the beach!!!! From the texts and pictures it looks like he had a great time.
*****
As they drove back to Missouri, my brother was making his way to Florida. I'm quite sure they passed each other. After a blown tire and a midnight fiasco trying to repair it, he managed to get to Florida, retrieve what he needed out of his storage locker and return three days later. Sadly the shrimp vendors only come out on the weekend so he didn't bring back any fresh shrimp. DARN!
*****
I made a special trip myself - to the ER! Don't worry, I'm fine. I have a history of rapid heartbeat and had a little episode. I went in to just be safe that it wasn't something truly scary. Over the last 25 years I've visited about half of the ER's in the St. Louis area. That means I have a few more to go. I went to Mercy Hospital (recently renamed from St. John's - a change I'm still getting used to). I had decent service although there has to be latex in some part of the EKG leads because I still have a rash from them!
*****
In other news, I managed to smack my leg into the toilet seat. I heard a crack, no not from my knee, WORSE... I managed to BREAK THE TOILET. Okay, just the toilet seat, but it was still a major inconvenience. Nothing like trying to do your business with the toilet lid resting on your back while keeping the seat in place with your thighs and not tipping over. That is way too much coordination for me during the day, much less at 2am. This required a trip to Walmart, a new seat selection and then installation. Why is it necessary for men (I don't know a single woman guilty of this) to rachet every single screw, nut, and bolt at it's absolute tightest? I didn't mess with the installation, but there was a lot of swearing and grumbling and seeking of alternate tools to undo the old seat and then rachet the new one down so the next sucker stuck with removing it will have to swear, grumble and seek alternate tools. Vicious circle.
*****
AND THEN... I would have posted this mess sometime on Friday but I made the mistake of getting my eye exam (another trip to Walmart). I love those wonky eye drops where I can't read shit. Of course they wait until after your eyes are all doped up before they ask you for payment and signing the payment slip. I'm pretty sure I've mortgaged off one of my children. Sorry kids.
Then, before we got home there was a panic call from my brother, back in town less than 24 hours and sitting roadside with a flat. We ended up sitting with my brother as he waited for a tow truck and then at the tire shop.
*****
I've had three days off work, which I had been wanting, just not like this. And now I need to get back to work so I can relax! :)
Over the weekend my future daughter-in-law took the baby with her parents to visit her brother in Florida. My grandbaby got to go to the beach!!!! From the texts and pictures it looks like he had a great time.
*****
As they drove back to Missouri, my brother was making his way to Florida. I'm quite sure they passed each other. After a blown tire and a midnight fiasco trying to repair it, he managed to get to Florida, retrieve what he needed out of his storage locker and return three days later. Sadly the shrimp vendors only come out on the weekend so he didn't bring back any fresh shrimp. DARN!
*****
I made a special trip myself - to the ER! Don't worry, I'm fine. I have a history of rapid heartbeat and had a little episode. I went in to just be safe that it wasn't something truly scary. Over the last 25 years I've visited about half of the ER's in the St. Louis area. That means I have a few more to go. I went to Mercy Hospital (recently renamed from St. John's - a change I'm still getting used to). I had decent service although there has to be latex in some part of the EKG leads because I still have a rash from them!
*****
In other news, I managed to smack my leg into the toilet seat. I heard a crack, no not from my knee, WORSE... I managed to BREAK THE TOILET. Okay, just the toilet seat, but it was still a major inconvenience. Nothing like trying to do your business with the toilet lid resting on your back while keeping the seat in place with your thighs and not tipping over. That is way too much coordination for me during the day, much less at 2am. This required a trip to Walmart, a new seat selection and then installation. Why is it necessary for men (I don't know a single woman guilty of this) to rachet every single screw, nut, and bolt at it's absolute tightest? I didn't mess with the installation, but there was a lot of swearing and grumbling and seeking of alternate tools to undo the old seat and then rachet the new one down so the next sucker stuck with removing it will have to swear, grumble and seek alternate tools. Vicious circle.
*****
AND THEN... I would have posted this mess sometime on Friday but I made the mistake of getting my eye exam (another trip to Walmart). I love those wonky eye drops where I can't read shit. Of course they wait until after your eyes are all doped up before they ask you for payment and signing the payment slip. I'm pretty sure I've mortgaged off one of my children. Sorry kids.
Then, before we got home there was a panic call from my brother, back in town less than 24 hours and sitting roadside with a flat. We ended up sitting with my brother as he waited for a tow truck and then at the tire shop.
*****
I've had three days off work, which I had been wanting, just not like this. And now I need to get back to work so I can relax! :)
Friday, January 20, 2012
Friday Fragments - January 20, 2012
The plague infested us two weeks ago but the cough lingers. I stopped popping cough drops only three days ago. I'm ready to move onto woes... like complaining about the bitter cold. And I do that sooooo well.
brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
I don't have much to report from the last week. I realized yesterday that I hadn't posted since Sunday. So much for keeping up with that New Year's resolution that I didn't bother to make.
The one thing that I did do of note was get to watch the grandbaby overnight last Saturday. I finally got the video to post on FaceBook, but I can't seem to get it to load on YouTube so I can share it here.
Oh well, it's a short post today. Just waving HI to all of my visitors.
brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
I don't have much to report from the last week. I realized yesterday that I hadn't posted since Sunday. So much for keeping up with that New Year's resolution that I didn't bother to make.
The one thing that I did do of note was get to watch the grandbaby overnight last Saturday. I finally got the video to post on FaceBook, but I can't seem to get it to load on YouTube so I can share it here.
Oh well, it's a short post today. Just waving HI to all of my visitors.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Friday In My City - January 13, 2012
Happy FRIDAY THE THIRTEENTH
Do you know it was only YESTERDAY did I realize a FRIDAY THE THIRTEENTH was upon us? And yes, you shoud say "FRIDAY THE THIRTEENTH" in ominous tones. Actually, I never have issues with FRIDAY THE THIRTEENTH. Now Saturday the Fourteenth is ALWAYS wonky, so I'm really bracing myself for tomorrow.
It looks as though the plague has been put behind us. Hubby and I are both rattling a cough as this disease makes its final exit. Now let's hope Ian doesn't come down with it.
SNOW! It snowed finally! wooooo.... yipppeeeeee.... Of course, in true midwestern fashion, the ass biting cold is so bitter that it's impossible to enjoy the beauty of the scant inch of white stuff unless you're standing inside steaming up the window with a great cup of hot cocoa.
I love typos. Mine are always glorious. I just typed the the above sentance as "unless your standing inside steaming up the WIDOW..." hahahahahahahaha!!!!! Sometimes I send emails to Pirnanha where I proclaim I'm tired of fighting my fingers and she'll just have to decipher my message on her own.
At work I had the craziest project. There were seventeen power-point projects created by a team of people that after they were generated someone pointed out that maybe they should all be on the same template. Cart before horse, anyone? So step one was picking a template that was easy to manipulate with our logo and a few other details. Step two was to get everyone to agree said template was good enough (amazingly, one round of emails with no dessent). It took two days to migrate the modified template into each of the documents and then change some spacing issues in each one. DONE.... whew
Sunday, despite my raging plague, I ventured to join the public and sat as far away from the crowd as possible as my grandson was finally baptized. It was a great family gathering, I just wish I was more fit for human consumption.
Quite the chunk, isn't he?
Friday, January 06, 2012
Friday Fragments - January 6, 2012
Oh my my - another year down and a new one to screw up every time we try to write it out. Yes, I've already done that several times in the past few days.
I'm sick at the moment - courtesy of my husband who has been sick all week. Hacking coughs, body aches, my head is pounding. This sucks that I have to use up my PTO on the heels of just taking several days off for vacation, but worst of all I was supposed to have the grandbaby tonight. WAAAAHHHHHH!!!
You'll have to excuse me, I'm in a very whiney mood at the moment. The Tylenol hasn't kicked in yet.
We spent Saturday night the same way I've spent most every New Years Eve for the past 30 years - with my two best friends and various hangers-on (now spouses)... and copious amounts of alcohol. I detested hearing people say "I just can't drink like I used to". Damn if my friends aren't saying it now. GEEZERS! Next they'll complain that the music is too loud. AND we're starting to compare medical ailments.
Sunday was Christmas with the kids. It was great to be with everyone, but it seriously blew by too fast. I'm going to have to institute Sunday dinners or something so I have a chance to catch up with their lives.
Monday was a glorious do-nothing day. We did a little shopping to use up gift cards and then watched movies.
Work for the new year should be hitting a quiet time but for some reason I have a to-do list a mile long. I'm certainly not suffering boredom, that's for sure!
OH! This week I found out that you can listen to college lectures for FREE! I'm sure this has been going on for ages, but it's new to me. So while I'm busily knocking items off my to-do list at work, I've been listening to the 22 part series by a Yale professor on "Epidemics of the Western World Since 1600". LOVING IT! Coworkers ask which contagion I'm listening to. So far it's been black plague, small pox, cholera and just starting syphallis. I still have avian flu, AIDS and...um... something else... I forget.
I'm not a resolution-making person, mostly because I'm really prone to procrastination and I would just get really frustrated with myself. My hopes this year, though, is to blog more and finish some of my quilts.
I'm sick at the moment - courtesy of my husband who has been sick all week. Hacking coughs, body aches, my head is pounding. This sucks that I have to use up my PTO on the heels of just taking several days off for vacation, but worst of all I was supposed to have the grandbaby tonight. WAAAAHHHHHH!!!
You'll have to excuse me, I'm in a very whiney mood at the moment. The Tylenol hasn't kicked in yet.
We spent Saturday night the same way I've spent most every New Years Eve for the past 30 years - with my two best friends and various hangers-on (now spouses)... and copious amounts of alcohol. I detested hearing people say "I just can't drink like I used to". Damn if my friends aren't saying it now. GEEZERS! Next they'll complain that the music is too loud. AND we're starting to compare medical ailments.
Sunday was Christmas with the kids. It was great to be with everyone, but it seriously blew by too fast. I'm going to have to institute Sunday dinners or something so I have a chance to catch up with their lives.
Monday was a glorious do-nothing day. We did a little shopping to use up gift cards and then watched movies.
Work for the new year should be hitting a quiet time but for some reason I have a to-do list a mile long. I'm certainly not suffering boredom, that's for sure!
OH! This week I found out that you can listen to college lectures for FREE! I'm sure this has been going on for ages, but it's new to me. So while I'm busily knocking items off my to-do list at work, I've been listening to the 22 part series by a Yale professor on "Epidemics of the Western World Since 1600". LOVING IT! Coworkers ask which contagion I'm listening to. So far it's been black plague, small pox, cholera and just starting syphallis. I still have avian flu, AIDS and...um... something else... I forget.
I'm not a resolution-making person, mostly because I'm really prone to procrastination and I would just get really frustrated with myself. My hopes this year, though, is to blog more and finish some of my quilts.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Friday Fragments - 11/11/11
Everybody is having fun with it being the eleventh of November, 2011. I suspect there are a lot of weddings scheduled for tonight and plenty of ladies are pushing in labor and delivery to have their babies born today. I happen to know one such lady who started labor last night. And she isn't just any lady, she's my best friend's daughter. So by proxy, my daughter. That means another grandchild. A boy is expected. Stay tuned, as of this morning she's dialated to 4 so she has a bit to go. Hopefully in a few hours I can post an update.
PS - labor was bad enough, NOT being in labor and forced to sit around and wait? Oddly enough, worse.
On with my fragments....
On Monday my cell phone was stolen. You can scroll back to Tuesday's post to read the details. Police report is filed, but it's doubtful I'll get it back. grrrrrr
I've been feeling gross the past couple of days and even took yesterday off work. The Husband has it worse, he's loaded with snot, I've just had aches and fevers. Hoping we both clear up today because we have big plans for tomorrow.
Thanksgiving plans are starting to pull together. We've just confirmed times and locations. Now we need to iron out who brings what. I'm always interested in other people's plans and menus. One group of friends host an Orphan's Gathering for people who don't have family nearby. In Tacoma Washington there is a fundraiser called Skanksgiving. I'm not exactly sure of what festivities are planned, it's a party that much I know, but the proceeds go to a local food pantry. I just love the name.
And menus. I love hearing about different menus. Not everyone does turkey, stuffing, and pie. What sort of dishes take center stage on your table? Where everyone gets really creative are the side dishes. What sides HAVE to be at your gathering? And for non-American readers, what would I find at your table for a different celebration gathering?
We will have mashed potatoes, gravy, baked beans, pie, and Grandma's Dessert (a whipped geletain concoction that I've found online as "Woolworth's Cheesecake" but there's not cheesecake to it).
PS - labor was bad enough, NOT being in labor and forced to sit around and wait? Oddly enough, worse.
On with my fragments....
On Monday my cell phone was stolen. You can scroll back to Tuesday's post to read the details. Police report is filed, but it's doubtful I'll get it back. grrrrrr
I've been feeling gross the past couple of days and even took yesterday off work. The Husband has it worse, he's loaded with snot, I've just had aches and fevers. Hoping we both clear up today because we have big plans for tomorrow.
Thanksgiving plans are starting to pull together. We've just confirmed times and locations. Now we need to iron out who brings what. I'm always interested in other people's plans and menus. One group of friends host an Orphan's Gathering for people who don't have family nearby. In Tacoma Washington there is a fundraiser called Skanksgiving. I'm not exactly sure of what festivities are planned, it's a party that much I know, but the proceeds go to a local food pantry. I just love the name.
And menus. I love hearing about different menus. Not everyone does turkey, stuffing, and pie. What sort of dishes take center stage on your table? Where everyone gets really creative are the side dishes. What sides HAVE to be at your gathering? And for non-American readers, what would I find at your table for a different celebration gathering?
We will have mashed potatoes, gravy, baked beans, pie, and Grandma's Dessert (a whipped geletain concoction that I've found online as "Woolworth's Cheesecake" but there's not cheesecake to it).
Baby Nolan arrived tonight around 6:30 pm at 7 lbs and 7 oz by C-section. SO incredibly excited for new grandma, Booty, and her lovely daughter!
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Sick Kid
I think it's universal when you have small children you imagine this parenting thing to get easier as they get older.
Let me tell you right now, that is a huge misconception. Gigantic. Wrong, wrong, wrong wrong.
The younger the child, the more physically demanding they are. Lost sleep, bodily fluids... everywhere, carrying them, dressing them, strapping them in, unstrapping them, more lost sleep and messed up feeding schedules. It's exhausting.
So, the rugrat grows and can feed himself and dress himself and for the most part is able to control his bodily fluids. Easier, right? Yeah, but then you spend your time worrying about him. And I gotta tell you, when you're physically engaged in the direct care of your kid you at least have some essence of power to resolve his problems. When they get big and are old enough to stay home so you can head off to work - awesome. Not so much. What if he slips into a coma? What if that fever is actually meningitis? What if he forgets to keep drinking water and doesn't bother eating soup? What if, what if what if?
Can you guess that I had a fever-racked kid stay home from school today? Do you know how many times I freaked myself out that his fever will spike, that I was missing the signs of meningitis? Ugh.
The only comfort I have with this sick kid is that he's at home just a short drive from work. You cannot imagine the worry I put myself through when my grown-up-living-on-their-own kids tell me they've been sick for a few days. I turn into a neurotic mom doling out a list of questions about temperatures, fluid intake, and has anyone called the doctor?
Worry, worry, worry.
Sweet Jesus, what is it like with a sick grandkid???? I am not built for worrying - this shit will kill me.
Let me tell you right now, that is a huge misconception. Gigantic. Wrong, wrong, wrong wrong.
The younger the child, the more physically demanding they are. Lost sleep, bodily fluids... everywhere, carrying them, dressing them, strapping them in, unstrapping them, more lost sleep and messed up feeding schedules. It's exhausting.
So, the rugrat grows and can feed himself and dress himself and for the most part is able to control his bodily fluids. Easier, right? Yeah, but then you spend your time worrying about him. And I gotta tell you, when you're physically engaged in the direct care of your kid you at least have some essence of power to resolve his problems. When they get big and are old enough to stay home so you can head off to work - awesome. Not so much. What if he slips into a coma? What if that fever is actually meningitis? What if he forgets to keep drinking water and doesn't bother eating soup? What if, what if what if?
Can you guess that I had a fever-racked kid stay home from school today? Do you know how many times I freaked myself out that his fever will spike, that I was missing the signs of meningitis? Ugh.
The only comfort I have with this sick kid is that he's at home just a short drive from work. You cannot imagine the worry I put myself through when my grown-up-living-on-their-own kids tell me they've been sick for a few days. I turn into a neurotic mom doling out a list of questions about temperatures, fluid intake, and has anyone called the doctor?
Worry, worry, worry.
Sweet Jesus, what is it like with a sick grandkid???? I am not built for worrying - this shit will kill me.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Friday Fragments - January 28, 2011
In case you've overlooked it, today is my HALF birthday. And good Lord, you all know what a freaking nut I am about birthdays. No? You're new? Oh well let's fix that!
In a few minutes I need to place a call to my friend Mendy and remind her that although it is her actual birthday she has six months left to prepare for my birthday. And in six months she will return the favor.
OMG! In six months, ON MY BIRTHDAY, I should be a GRANDMA!!!!! My first grandchild is due mid July, just before my 45th birthday. Excuse me for a moment while I absorb that... eh... I still can't wrap my head around being a mother so the grandma thing is just impossible.
So let's get into my fragments for Friday. Yeah, I know, I have posted a metric shit ton already! Does it bother anyone that I swear in my posts? Hope not, my filter was lost somewhere in college.
1. As I was getting ready to leave work last Friday, I got a frantic call from my future DIL (daughter-in-law) that my son (baby daddy) was on his way to the ER. Never a good call for any mother, but when your kid is a diabetic that is exactly where your thoughts go. Nope, not a diabetic problem, HE GOT IN THE MIDDLE OF A DOG FIGHT! Grotesque descriptions were conveyed and I flew home. I never made it to the hospital (45 minutes away in no traffic, but this was the height of rush hour). My SIL called from the hospital after her 15 yr old daughter drove him to the ER. Turns out it wasn't a dog fight and there weren't huge hunks of flesh dangling from his arm. THANK GOD!!!!!
The two family dogs were playing and one caught her jaw on the other's collar, strangling the dog. Keith held the dogs and by necessity had his arm in the jaws as his cousin cut the dogs free. He has six puncture wounds that could have been stitched, but they butterflied them shut and he was out tromping around in the woods on Sunday shooting airsoft guns at his little brother.
2. We attended a trivia night on Saturday. I love attending these. The one we attended last year was HARD. This year someone else compiled the questions and our table ended up with 72 out of 100 correct. Not too shabby.
3. We're working on a new recipe for our business. I'm playing with my mom's roll recipe. Unfortunately my first run used old yeast. Absolutely NO rising whatsoever. Instead of tossing out the dough I rolled out some of it and sprinkled salt on it... CRACKERS! They weren't too bad, but rolling out the dough was too much work so we tossed the rest.
4. My youngest has missed an entire week of school. He just cannot shake this fever. The doctor's office suspects a sinus infection, but in a little bit we'll make a visit to make sure. Hopefully his teachers will take some mercy and not slaughter him with homework. I've got emails out to the teachers trying to get the assignments so he can work on them over the weekend. We'll see.
5. Yesterday I ran an update on my mac laptop and received the new App Store in my apple menu. And I discovered a ton of free and incredibly cheap apps - some for my iphone others for my laptop. OMG! Lots of fun. I've spent a couple of hours with one called RINGER that takes songs in your iTunes library and allows you to make ring tones with them. Oh so much fun.
In a few minutes I need to place a call to my friend Mendy and remind her that although it is her actual birthday she has six months left to prepare for my birthday. And in six months she will return the favor.
OMG! In six months, ON MY BIRTHDAY, I should be a GRANDMA!!!!! My first grandchild is due mid July, just before my 45th birthday. Excuse me for a moment while I absorb that... eh... I still can't wrap my head around being a mother so the grandma thing is just impossible.
So let's get into my fragments for Friday. Yeah, I know, I have posted a metric shit ton already! Does it bother anyone that I swear in my posts? Hope not, my filter was lost somewhere in college.
1. As I was getting ready to leave work last Friday, I got a frantic call from my future DIL (daughter-in-law) that my son (baby daddy) was on his way to the ER. Never a good call for any mother, but when your kid is a diabetic that is exactly where your thoughts go. Nope, not a diabetic problem, HE GOT IN THE MIDDLE OF A DOG FIGHT! Grotesque descriptions were conveyed and I flew home. I never made it to the hospital (45 minutes away in no traffic, but this was the height of rush hour). My SIL called from the hospital after her 15 yr old daughter drove him to the ER. Turns out it wasn't a dog fight and there weren't huge hunks of flesh dangling from his arm. THANK GOD!!!!!
The two family dogs were playing and one caught her jaw on the other's collar, strangling the dog. Keith held the dogs and by necessity had his arm in the jaws as his cousin cut the dogs free. He has six puncture wounds that could have been stitched, but they butterflied them shut and he was out tromping around in the woods on Sunday shooting airsoft guns at his little brother.
2. We attended a trivia night on Saturday. I love attending these. The one we attended last year was HARD. This year someone else compiled the questions and our table ended up with 72 out of 100 correct. Not too shabby.
3. We're working on a new recipe for our business. I'm playing with my mom's roll recipe. Unfortunately my first run used old yeast. Absolutely NO rising whatsoever. Instead of tossing out the dough I rolled out some of it and sprinkled salt on it... CRACKERS! They weren't too bad, but rolling out the dough was too much work so we tossed the rest.
4. My youngest has missed an entire week of school. He just cannot shake this fever. The doctor's office suspects a sinus infection, but in a little bit we'll make a visit to make sure. Hopefully his teachers will take some mercy and not slaughter him with homework. I've got emails out to the teachers trying to get the assignments so he can work on them over the weekend. We'll see.
5. Yesterday I ran an update on my mac laptop and received the new App Store in my apple menu. And I discovered a ton of free and incredibly cheap apps - some for my iphone others for my laptop. OMG! Lots of fun. I've spent a couple of hours with one called RINGER that takes songs in your iTunes library and allows you to make ring tones with them. Oh so much fun.
Monday, January 03, 2011
Flu Season 2010/2011
Where is the hype? Where are the dire warnings? Where are the long lines at the pharmacy, the death counts from the nation's ER departments, the clamor for more flu shots and endless nightly news reports about the flu epidemic with a crazy name?
I said last year I would get worked up when they announce the Hippopautomus flu (and how the hell do you spell hippopatomus?)
More people than I can count and many I personally know have been waylaid by this flu bug that's going around. It's a twenty-four illness (fortunately) where the entire contents of your digestive tract attempts to exit via any and every possible orifice, frequently all at once. My son was convinced that he had food poisoning except no one else got sick who had the same meal. Only days earlier he was with my other son who had also been violently sick who days before that had been with someone else who had been violently sick.
My friend, Piranha's husband also suffered this horrific fate (and described it with the every orifice including hair follicles exit strategy). Three people at work have had it. One of the person even had a tale of a shart (shit-fart).
So the media has ignored this horrible disease rumbling through the population. We're on our own, unprepared with no sirens warning. It's coming folks and I'm very scared. This could very possibly be the Hippopatomous Flu! Duck and cover, wash your hands frequently and wear a face mask, and most importantly, STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM ME! Hopefully my sons left their vile disease contagions at their father's house.
PS. H-I-P-P-O-P-O-T-A-M-U-S (I looked it up finally)... be scared, it sounds very icky.
I said last year I would get worked up when they announce the Hippopautomus flu (and how the hell do you spell hippopatomus?)
More people than I can count and many I personally know have been waylaid by this flu bug that's going around. It's a twenty-four illness (fortunately) where the entire contents of your digestive tract attempts to exit via any and every possible orifice, frequently all at once. My son was convinced that he had food poisoning except no one else got sick who had the same meal. Only days earlier he was with my other son who had also been violently sick who days before that had been with someone else who had been violently sick.
My friend, Piranha's husband also suffered this horrific fate (and described it with the every orifice including hair follicles exit strategy). Three people at work have had it. One of the person even had a tale of a shart (shit-fart).
So the media has ignored this horrible disease rumbling through the population. We're on our own, unprepared with no sirens warning. It's coming folks and I'm very scared. This could very possibly be the Hippopatomous Flu! Duck and cover, wash your hands frequently and wear a face mask, and most importantly, STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM ME! Hopefully my sons left their vile disease contagions at their father's house.
PS. H-I-P-P-O-P-O-T-A-M-U-S (I looked it up finally)... be scared, it sounds very icky.
Tuesday, December 07, 2010
Vodka Cures Everything
It's become a standing joke in my office that if someone says anything about being sick I suggest, nay INSIST, they seek the curative powers of vodka.
Actually, it's not specifically vodka that I advocate, but any hard liquor. I swear by it. While everyone else is rushing out to pop some magic pill at that first hint of illness, I stagger to my liquor cabinet and fix a little drink.
I must sound like an alcoholic. Well, I'm sure I sound like one for multiple reasons, many of the times with photos posted here on my blog, but really, I'm not a big drinker. SERIOUSLY! I talk a good game and have fabulous tales, but I'm usually not the one snockered. I hang out with big drinkers because they do generate some of the best stories. They amuse me.
But back to my medicinal use of hard liquor. Just before Thanksgiving my husband got sick. Dreadfully sick. He missed dinner on Thanksgiving. Poor man. That Wednesday I felt like crap. By noon I got that tingle in the back of my throat warning something was brewing. As soon as I got home I made a small screwdriver and took a long nap. I woke up feeling oodles better, but not "cured". I sipped another screwdriver while I assembled food for the next day. Hours later the tingle had left my throat and I felt good. No, not buzzed, but also not sick.
It doesn't take much, just a shot. It make sense that the anticeptic qualities of liquor can fend off illness. But you have to catch it early, when the germs are lingering in your throat. The dangerous ones that infect everyone around you each time you sneeze or cough before you are even aware you're sick. Before you're a dripping mess.
And isn't that the secret to the other medicines? Catch your illness early, pop a zinc or whatever and you'll stay healthy. I don't doubt Zycam and Airborn are very effective, but they are also very expensive. And when I feel the slightest bit sick I also don't feel like seeking out a Walgreens and standing in line. I feel like going home. Where I always have vodka. Or rum. Or schnapps. And a pillow. That is how I cure myself.
Times I fail to seek my alcohol cure I always end up sick. If I'm too late, all of the alcohol in the world will not help. Then it's time for soup.
No, I don't feel sick. I've dodged a bullet so far. But the vodka is ready.
Actually, it's not specifically vodka that I advocate, but any hard liquor. I swear by it. While everyone else is rushing out to pop some magic pill at that first hint of illness, I stagger to my liquor cabinet and fix a little drink.
I must sound like an alcoholic. Well, I'm sure I sound like one for multiple reasons, many of the times with photos posted here on my blog, but really, I'm not a big drinker. SERIOUSLY! I talk a good game and have fabulous tales, but I'm usually not the one snockered. I hang out with big drinkers because they do generate some of the best stories. They amuse me.
But back to my medicinal use of hard liquor. Just before Thanksgiving my husband got sick. Dreadfully sick. He missed dinner on Thanksgiving. Poor man. That Wednesday I felt like crap. By noon I got that tingle in the back of my throat warning something was brewing. As soon as I got home I made a small screwdriver and took a long nap. I woke up feeling oodles better, but not "cured". I sipped another screwdriver while I assembled food for the next day. Hours later the tingle had left my throat and I felt good. No, not buzzed, but also not sick.
It doesn't take much, just a shot. It make sense that the anticeptic qualities of liquor can fend off illness. But you have to catch it early, when the germs are lingering in your throat. The dangerous ones that infect everyone around you each time you sneeze or cough before you are even aware you're sick. Before you're a dripping mess.
And isn't that the secret to the other medicines? Catch your illness early, pop a zinc or whatever and you'll stay healthy. I don't doubt Zycam and Airborn are very effective, but they are also very expensive. And when I feel the slightest bit sick I also don't feel like seeking out a Walgreens and standing in line. I feel like going home. Where I always have vodka. Or rum. Or schnapps. And a pillow. That is how I cure myself.
Times I fail to seek my alcohol cure I always end up sick. If I'm too late, all of the alcohol in the world will not help. Then it's time for soup.
No, I don't feel sick. I've dodged a bullet so far. But the vodka is ready.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Get Well Cookies
On day one of my recovery there was a woman standing at my front door holding a bouquet of cookies from my coworkers. Get Well Cookies! My reaction was to burst out laughing, maybe not the best thing to do 24 hours after lapriscopic surgery. But it didn't matter, I loved it!
I had to explain to both my son and my husband that those were not TURKEYS but buzzards. Neither one got it - why would anyone send BUZZARD cookies? I just shook my head and said my friends understand me and knew how much I would enjoy these.
I had to explain to both my son and my husband that those were not TURKEYS but buzzards. Neither one got it - why would anyone send BUZZARD cookies? I just shook my head and said my friends understand me and knew how much I would enjoy these.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
In Recovery
Thank you for all of the good wishes. I'm home safe and sound now, minus a very battered gall bladder.
My surgery was moved up by an hour so no laying around when I arrived. I heard from several of the nurses from work that I had chosen the best surgeon. AND he happens to be a cardiac surgeon so with my heart history that made me feel very calm going into things today. Then a coworker's daughter bopped in to check on me. She arranged my anesthisiologist - again, the best one. I was back into recovery after an hour.
Doc says I was in pretty bad shape and he was really surprised I wasn't in any discomfort outside of my attacks. I had twelve stones about the size of the foil wrapped chocolate eggs and the gall bladder was filled with lesions and was a horrible dull gray. Damn good thing I had it out when I did.
I lingered in recovery - kept getting nausea and lightheaded. I took a really long nap when I got home and now I feel pretty good. I haven't used any prescribed pain pills since I left the hospital, the ibuprofin seems to be sufficient. Mostly I feel bruised, but it's not awful.
And yes, mom, I won't let that "good" feeling deceive me and I promise to keep my ass on the couch.
My surgery was moved up by an hour so no laying around when I arrived. I heard from several of the nurses from work that I had chosen the best surgeon. AND he happens to be a cardiac surgeon so with my heart history that made me feel very calm going into things today. Then a coworker's daughter bopped in to check on me. She arranged my anesthisiologist - again, the best one. I was back into recovery after an hour.
Doc says I was in pretty bad shape and he was really surprised I wasn't in any discomfort outside of my attacks. I had twelve stones about the size of the foil wrapped chocolate eggs and the gall bladder was filled with lesions and was a horrible dull gray. Damn good thing I had it out when I did.
I lingered in recovery - kept getting nausea and lightheaded. I took a really long nap when I got home and now I feel pretty good. I haven't used any prescribed pain pills since I left the hospital, the ibuprofin seems to be sufficient. Mostly I feel bruised, but it's not awful.
And yes, mom, I won't let that "good" feeling deceive me and I promise to keep my ass on the couch.
Monday, January 18, 2010
1976 Family Reunion
I'm recovering nicely from the flu, thank you for asking. Still a little wobbly, but much less achy.
Since my imagination is rather lacking I went back into my photo archives and pulled this little gem
In 1976 we gathered at my grandparent's house - all of the kids and grandkids and one great-grandchild. That's me in the LOVELY pink Holly Hobby ensemble. My little brothers are standing on either side of me, rocking those fabulous 1970's plaid pants. We are the youngest of the grandkids, the rest were in their twenties. My aunt is the one cut off in the photo, holding the baby that I managed to give chicken pox to that week.
I didn't know I had chicken pox until several days after arriving at the house. What I first thought was a bug bite on my leg, flushed into a full-blown polka dot appearance on my chest and belly that night. I missed out on a lot of the touristy things the family did that week. I felt like crap so it didn't really matter.
A month ago when we were in Oklahoma, we stopped by to see my aunt and uncle. One of their daughters, the one on the far right in the picture, was with them. My cousin said it was great to see me all grown up. Holy crap. I've been all grown up for a while now. I even have kids that are all grown up. But I guess this family reunion was the last time she saw me in person.
The baby that I gave the chicken pox to is also all grown up with children of her own.
Since my imagination is rather lacking I went back into my photo archives and pulled this little gem
I didn't know I had chicken pox until several days after arriving at the house. What I first thought was a bug bite on my leg, flushed into a full-blown polka dot appearance on my chest and belly that night. I missed out on a lot of the touristy things the family did that week. I felt like crap so it didn't really matter.
A month ago when we were in Oklahoma, we stopped by to see my aunt and uncle. One of their daughters, the one on the far right in the picture, was with them. My cousin said it was great to see me all grown up. Holy crap. I've been all grown up for a while now. I even have kids that are all grown up. But I guess this family reunion was the last time she saw me in person.
The baby that I gave the chicken pox to is also all grown up with children of her own.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
The Magic Towel
I have the effing FLU.
I thought the ache in my neck Thursday was just stress after a particularly stressful week. And with the... um... "crazy" day... at work on Friday, my neck REALLY hurt. I seriously thought it was stress. But yesterday it was worse and accompanied by fever. The only thing I accomplished all day was a shower. That's it.
Popping Tylenol left and right, the pain in my neck is barely subsiding. I even looked up the symptoms of meningitis. Okay, I *might* have meningitis, but I also wisely googled flu symptoms and this neck pain, flaring down to my shoulders, is more probably Mr. Piggy, THE swine flu.
Fuck.
I soaked a towel in hot water and wrapped it around my neck. No improvement. Last night it dawned on me how hot my neck was that maybe a COLD towel would be beneficial. OMG. It's wonderful. I still ache, but less.
It's funny, but I always manage to pull out a towel when I'm sick. It's like Linus and his blanket. I found with a snotty nose, a towel is better than any lotion infused tissue. Yeah, it's gross, but being sick is gross. When it's hot at night, something that happens more and more frequently as I near my mid-forties, a towel soaked in cold water laying on my chest is a heavenly reprieve. When I'm congested with a bad cold, a hot towel pressed to my throat and cheeks helps break it up.
So today I'll be found on the couch once again, bundled in a warm blanket with an ice cold towel around my neck. It's odd, but it's making my sick body comfortable. Me and my magic towel
I thought the ache in my neck Thursday was just stress after a particularly stressful week. And with the... um... "crazy" day... at work on Friday, my neck REALLY hurt. I seriously thought it was stress. But yesterday it was worse and accompanied by fever. The only thing I accomplished all day was a shower. That's it.
Popping Tylenol left and right, the pain in my neck is barely subsiding. I even looked up the symptoms of meningitis. Okay, I *might* have meningitis, but I also wisely googled flu symptoms and this neck pain, flaring down to my shoulders, is more probably Mr. Piggy, THE swine flu.
Fuck.
I soaked a towel in hot water and wrapped it around my neck. No improvement. Last night it dawned on me how hot my neck was that maybe a COLD towel would be beneficial. OMG. It's wonderful. I still ache, but less.
It's funny, but I always manage to pull out a towel when I'm sick. It's like Linus and his blanket. I found with a snotty nose, a towel is better than any lotion infused tissue. Yeah, it's gross, but being sick is gross. When it's hot at night, something that happens more and more frequently as I near my mid-forties, a towel soaked in cold water laying on my chest is a heavenly reprieve. When I'm congested with a bad cold, a hot towel pressed to my throat and cheeks helps break it up.
So today I'll be found on the couch once again, bundled in a warm blanket with an ice cold towel around my neck. It's odd, but it's making my sick body comfortable. Me and my magic towel
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
TMI Tuesday - Pineapple Cervix
This is your warning. I am about to overshare and it's gynecological in nature. So you should stop reading right now. I'm only writing this to vent, blow off steam, totally not for your reading pleasure.
You've been warned.
I've had a blissful year of abnormal pap smears. Purely delightful. And yesterday was my second visit where they do extra digging and pull off a nugget of my cervix for a BIOPSY!
I asked to see what the doc clipped off my body and the little piece looked like a tiny nubbin of raw fleshy chicken. If it had been bigger it would be something you could toss on the grill and everyone would marvel at the chickenness of it. Add a little grilled pineapple and voila you've got Pineapple Cervix, favorite treat of the Pacific Rim.
Okay, MY pineapple cervix has not been around the Pacific Rim, nor will it be trying anytime soon. The point is, you have abnormal paps you'll get pieces snipped off your cervix. I mean isn't it bad enough you get the popsicle stick treatment once a year without having to go in for a little snip snip?
Actually I'm not freaked out by all of this. It's just a bump in the road. I know the doctor and nurses never say the "cancer" word so they don't worry the patients. They say things like "abnormal" and "biopsy", all cover words meaning they think you "could" have cancer, but aren't sure yet and need to run a shitload of tests before having that really serious conversation with you. But deep down, my gut is saying cancer isn't the problem. I may have other health issues, but cancer isn't in the cards for me. And I trust that, so, no, I'm not freaked out.
I'm more annoyed, than anything.
I'm tired of going in for repeated exams. I don't like showing my hoochie hoo girl parts to anyone but the man I'm sleeping with. I don't like the paper sheet offering me privacy because it totally sucks and offers NO privacy. I don't like the popsicle stick scrapping my pineapple cervix and I sure as hell don't like the car jack that bitch uses to crank open my vagina. You'd think after squishing out a ten pound baby that a whole car could park park in there without any assistive devices. Guess not.
So I finally asked the doctor what the hell is going on because I never have these frank conversations with my medical personnel, especially the ones staring straight at my nether regions. After an entire year of "abnormal" exams I finally find out that I have HPV. Yeah, that stupid virus that they've been advertising teenaged girls get immunized for.
Do you know about HPV? I knew it existed and that it's sexually transmitted, but that's about it. The fact that it's sexually transmitted means I might as well have been the treat of the Pacific Rim. It turns out about 70 percent of the population are walking around with this stupid virus without ever knowing it, but fortunately our internal immunities usually fight it off. Getting that little shot they're offering twelve year old girls would help stave off that stupid virus, but you have to be immunized BEFORE you're sexually active.
After about three minutes of Googling I discovered the real kicker to this damn thing. HPV is the virus that can lead to genital warts!!!!! OMG! Now I don't have warts, thank God, but I have the virus that causes it. The cute mother-daughter commercials warning of cancer do not say fucking SQUAT about warts! I'm not saying warts are worse than cancer, but hello? I think that is rather important information to share.
There's no telling when or from whom I contracted my virus. They say it can lay dormant for years, that I could have gotten it from my first encounter. Sorta makes you want to go on a pecker hunt and dismember all of the bastards in your past.
If my body fails to overcome the HPV virus then I have to go in for a "procedure" another one of those delicate words medical personnel use. When she told me the real live name of the procedure I actually surmised correctly what it entailed - a loop thingy used to scrape a layer off my cervix. Without saying it, doc and I seemed to agree that this is an eventuality, probably this summer.
My poor HPV infected pineapple cervix!
You've been warned.
I've had a blissful year of abnormal pap smears. Purely delightful. And yesterday was my second visit where they do extra digging and pull off a nugget of my cervix for a BIOPSY!
I asked to see what the doc clipped off my body and the little piece looked like a tiny nubbin of raw fleshy chicken. If it had been bigger it would be something you could toss on the grill and everyone would marvel at the chickenness of it. Add a little grilled pineapple and voila you've got Pineapple Cervix, favorite treat of the Pacific Rim.
Okay, MY pineapple cervix has not been around the Pacific Rim, nor will it be trying anytime soon. The point is, you have abnormal paps you'll get pieces snipped off your cervix. I mean isn't it bad enough you get the popsicle stick treatment once a year without having to go in for a little snip snip?
Actually I'm not freaked out by all of this. It's just a bump in the road. I know the doctor and nurses never say the "cancer" word so they don't worry the patients. They say things like "abnormal" and "biopsy", all cover words meaning they think you "could" have cancer, but aren't sure yet and need to run a shitload of tests before having that really serious conversation with you. But deep down, my gut is saying cancer isn't the problem. I may have other health issues, but cancer isn't in the cards for me. And I trust that, so, no, I'm not freaked out.
I'm more annoyed, than anything.
I'm tired of going in for repeated exams. I don't like showing my hoochie hoo girl parts to anyone but the man I'm sleeping with. I don't like the paper sheet offering me privacy because it totally sucks and offers NO privacy. I don't like the popsicle stick scrapping my pineapple cervix and I sure as hell don't like the car jack that bitch uses to crank open my vagina. You'd think after squishing out a ten pound baby that a whole car could park park in there without any assistive devices. Guess not.
So I finally asked the doctor what the hell is going on because I never have these frank conversations with my medical personnel, especially the ones staring straight at my nether regions. After an entire year of "abnormal" exams I finally find out that I have HPV. Yeah, that stupid virus that they've been advertising teenaged girls get immunized for.
Do you know about HPV? I knew it existed and that it's sexually transmitted, but that's about it. The fact that it's sexually transmitted means I might as well have been the treat of the Pacific Rim. It turns out about 70 percent of the population are walking around with this stupid virus without ever knowing it, but fortunately our internal immunities usually fight it off. Getting that little shot they're offering twelve year old girls would help stave off that stupid virus, but you have to be immunized BEFORE you're sexually active.
After about three minutes of Googling I discovered the real kicker to this damn thing. HPV is the virus that can lead to genital warts!!!!! OMG! Now I don't have warts, thank God, but I have the virus that causes it. The cute mother-daughter commercials warning of cancer do not say fucking SQUAT about warts! I'm not saying warts are worse than cancer, but hello? I think that is rather important information to share.
There's no telling when or from whom I contracted my virus. They say it can lay dormant for years, that I could have gotten it from my first encounter. Sorta makes you want to go on a pecker hunt and dismember all of the bastards in your past.
If my body fails to overcome the HPV virus then I have to go in for a "procedure" another one of those delicate words medical personnel use. When she told me the real live name of the procedure I actually surmised correctly what it entailed - a loop thingy used to scrape a layer off my cervix. Without saying it, doc and I seemed to agree that this is an eventuality, probably this summer.
My poor HPV infected pineapple cervix!
Monday, December 28, 2009
Poor Sick Me
Two weeks ago I caught some sort of bug. At first I thought it was allergies with all of the sniffling. But it lingered and then a tickling cough. When I returned to work from my little jaunt to Oklahoma my coworkers commented on how bad I sounded, surely worried for their own health. No worry, I'm getting over whatever it was, just a headcold.
Yeah right. It's gotten worse. Yesterday was spent driving the couch and playing Bejeweled Blitz - 200,000 righteous points thankyouverymuch.
I'm going to work again and I really hope I'm not infecting everyone by doing so. I feel better and am coughing less. I don't feel nearly as sluggish as I did yesterday.
I'm getting better, right? RIGHT?????
Yeah right. It's gotten worse. Yesterday was spent driving the couch and playing Bejeweled Blitz - 200,000 righteous points thankyouverymuch.
I'm going to work again and I really hope I'm not infecting everyone by doing so. I feel better and am coughing less. I don't feel nearly as sluggish as I did yesterday.
I'm getting better, right? RIGHT?????
Friday, December 18, 2009
Friday Fragments - Dec 18
My eye has decided to act up. I spent the greater part of Tuesday trying to pick out whatever it was that had gotten in there. Next morning, same damn routine. I knew better than to attempt mascara even without attending a funeral later in the day. Despite my protests, it was probably allergies. Bottom line - I'm allergic to Oklahoma.
I got to see tumble weeds!
...and a flying moose and 1 gay bull
The pre-funeral luncheon at the church offered FOUR different jello dishes. I sampled 3 and actually went back for seconds on one of them.
Wednesday night I was taken out to eat at a place called K-Bob's which really doesn't inspire thoughts of fine dining, even if it is a steak house. BUT it does offer a "Salad Wagon"! Well Boy-howdee, let's get us some!
Actually it was really good. I do wonder what the issue is with not putting out regular italian dressing? I witnessed 2 other salad bars without italian dressing. Well, they offered CREAMY italian, but that's not the same.Sangria party is scheduled for tomorrow. I haven't been able to properly describe to the husband how this get-together varies from our regular drinking gatherings. But it does. So he'll just have to live and learn. Or duck and cover.
Did I mention that I witnessed one bull humping another??????
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