So it's Tuesday again. Happens every week. It;s one of my favorite weekly blog posts because I can be as random as I want to be, Come and get random with Stacy Uncorked!
I am a Law and Order junkie! I guess I was too busy raising kids and working when these shows first gained popularity because, until about a year ago, I had only seen a handful of episodes. SVU is my favorite Law and Order, so I started watching from season 1 on Netflix and worked through the entire series, skipping over a few here and there that I'd already seen. When I finished those, I started with the original L & O and have worked my way to season 11 so far. I just can't help myself! I'm not as fond of L & O Criminal Intent, so I may shift allegiance to Criminal Minds when I finish,
And seeing how I'm still recovering from shoulder surgery, I have a lot of time on my hands. Speaking of my surgery, I had my first post-op appointment today. I finally got a full explanation of the procedure. I already knew about the impingement, osteoarthritis, and bone spur. What I didn't have clear details about was a tear in a tendon which the doctor diagnosed as a bicep rupture (tendon, not muscle). It had to be reconnected at the shoulder and may have been caused by the impingement. I know! Sounds scary, huh? I was hesitant about having the surgery in the first place, but knowing this would never have healed on its own and would continue to get worse makes the surgery worthwhile.
Today my heart felt real joy, in spite of my condition. My son and daughter (they are twins who turned 19 4 days ago) both went to my Dr. appointment with me, then we went to get lunch, We even watched a couple of episodes of Duck Dynasty together. This evening, they went to a movie together... twin bonding. Now that my daughter is usually 6 hours away at college, these special twin times don't happen often. It made my heart happy.
And now it is time for Coffee Chat, the last one until Fall begins, hosted by Time Out for Mom.
Rory Bore asks us what;s on ou summer fun list, Here's mine!
This is hosted by High-heeled Love and My So-called Chaos who say, "This party is all about sharing those fabulous blogs that you've read through the week and promote our blogger community. I hope it will help you use this party to find new blogs to read and build some new blogger friendships."
I found this post on Byrdie. This method is a little different than the breathing techniques I've learned in the past, and lately, I've had quite a few experiences that created some anxiety. I think this post is worth your while.
This came from Free People blog. You might be sensing a theme here. I'm a week post-surgery, and I have a long road of recovery ahead. I do feel like things have sort of fallen down. Tonight I used one of the tips and just cried it out. But all the tips are valuable.
This post is from I'm an Organizing Junkie. It is a great resource with all types of recipes from beef to vegetarian to appetizers to desserts, and everything in between. Each recipe has nutrition info, links to where the ingredients might be on sale, pictures, ratings, and reviews. You can also create a printable shopping list. I think this site could be very useful.
I'm linking up with High-Heeled Love to do some confessing (If the link gets posted). I wish I could list all the burdens I'm feeling right now, but that post would be far too long, and considering I'm typing one-hamded, I'd be here all day. So, here goes.
I Confess...
I'm tired of feeling helpless.
I feel guilty asking for help.
I'm a burden to my family right now, and yes, I believe they think so. ESPECIALLY MY HUSBAND. He's more preoccupied with matters more important than me.
I'm only one week into my 4-6 week period of time in the sling.
My ears feel funny, sort of itchy, as though there's something in them like a cotton ball or Kleenex,
Both pain medications I've tried make me itch like crazy, so much so that I'd rather be in pain than suffer side-effects.
Sleeping in a recliner has already become old, but I can't lie down flat on a bed due to the sling.
Today my twins turn 19 and I feel guilty for being unable to give them a beautiful, memorable day.
Mom please don't feel bad for asking for help. We as your family should WANT to help you. I'm sorry for acting the way I have been. -Angela
I am amazed at how many things I can't do with only one arm. My left arm is immobile and will be that way for 4-6 weeks, and Ive been doing my fair share of complaining, especially about the pain medication for which I think I had every side effect. So here are some things I'm looking forward to:
1. Giving a proper two-armed hug.
2, Scrapbooking.
3. Cooking, although I am enjoying that others are providing meals for my family and me a few times a week.
4. Taking pictures. I can;t hold my new camera and focus and press the shutter at the same time.
5. Picking up and holding my beautiful cat!
6. Driving. I'm at the mercy of other people's driving for now.
7. Cutting my own food using a knife.
8. Holding a real book, but, thankfully, I can use my Nook.
9. Wearing blue jeans I can fasten myself. Actually, being able to completely dress myself.
10. Shaving under my left underarm!
11. Opening cans and bottles.
12. Typing with both hands.
13. And most of all, sleeping in my own bed. As it is right now, I can only recline to sleep.
Welcome! I'm linking up with Stacy Uncorked for some randomness, Join us!
I'm typing all of this with one hand, which drives me nuts, but I'm alive! I survived shoulder surgery! An impingement repaired, arthritis cleaned up, bone spur removed, and a tear in the rotator cuff tendon repaired. Since there was a tear, recovery is expected to be longer.
I'll be in my pillow sling 4-6 weeks and physical therapy longer than that. I know now why I have to wear the sling because I was able to take it off for a quick shower, and the pain during those short minutes was excruciating.
I'm experiencing several side effects from the meds. The itching is the worst, and it's definitely from the pain medicine, but the one I haven't been able to link to meds is muscle spasms. They started yesterday. They don't last very long, but they are severe enough to wake me up, not that I'm sleeping much... 2-4 hours at a time usually. Arms, hands, legs, feet, torso, face. They aren't like a charlie horse. If they continue, I'll call the Dr. since I won't see him till Monday.
So... recovery is how I will spend the rest of the summer. I hope I am able to craft a little bit in a couple of weeks. I also need to clean out some closets.
This last Sunday was Father's Day which is difficult for me. My dad passed away in October, 2004. I have to keep my wall up and live in denial because the grief is too hard to deal with.
My mom came over the day of my surgery. She cooked me soft-boiled eggs. Have you ever had a 4-minute egg? And isn't it funny how mom can take something ordinary and make it special? No matter our age, moms still want to take care of us. I'm the same way with my kids. My family is taking good care of me, but I don't like being dependent. I sure am catching up on TV shows! What are your favorite shows?
It's also time to link up with Time Out for Mom for Coffee Chat. She says: Be Inspired!! Share something that inspired you this week: a quote, a photo, a story in the news. Let's spread some positivity!
My mom inspires me! She has had lung cancer and part of her lung removed. She has had breast cancer and a mastectomy. She recently had skin cancer removed. She is a strong woman. She also laid my dad to rest about 10 years ago, and she still keeps going, Her dream was to go to Jerusalem, and she did that, too. She mentors an emotionally disturbed pre-teen, volunteers at the library and the local food bank, and prepares meals for the needy families who stay at our church once a month. She is not a saint, but she is kind, thoughtful, smart, and strong. She can be the perfect pain-in-the-butt, too, but I'm proud to call her my mom.
I Confess...
Typing with one hand is difficult and time-consuming, but that's what I'm doing. Two-handed, "home row" typing is one of my best skills, but NOT texting! I make too many mistakes. The whole family makes fun of me. Most of my mistakes are made because I'm so lazy that I use a swipe keyboard which often misreads my intent, and the text is so small, I can't read it. Who wants to pull out their reading glasses every time they send a text?
I Confess...
My nerve block is wearing off, so I may be very grumpy the next few days, even more so than usual! 16 hours after surgery, I'm feeling some pain, more with each passing hour. I don't like taking pain meds, but hey, it will give me an excuse for being forgetful!. Thank goodness for the Scopolamine patch! Pain meds are not my friend! In case you didn't read my blog yesterday, I had shoulder surgery to clean up some arthritis, remove an impingement, remove a bone spur, and repair a tear in a tendon. Hello, Pain!
I Confess...
Immediately preceding surgery, my blood pressure became extremely high - 167/96. I had it taken three days in a row, and each day it got higher. I realize it's probably common, but I used to have low BP, except for a period of time 19 years ago when I had my twins 7 weeks early due to high BP which nearly caused kidney failure. It scares me.
I Confess...
My twins will be 19 next week. How did that happen? I think I'm more sad about their last year being a teen than they are. In fact, they're probably excited. But I'm so proud of the adults they are becoming.
I Confess...
Back to typing... I love it when a student asks me a question while I'm typing. Instead of stopping, sometimes I will continue typing while looking straight at them and answering their question without missing a beat. It kind of freaks them out, and that's fun (cue evil giggle)! Yes, I have a 6th grade sense of humor!
Today is surgery day for me, and although I've had quite a few minor surgeries, nothing quite as complicated or long as this one, both the procedure itself and the recovery. Here are some items related to my impending doom upcoming procedure.
UPDATE: Good news... I didn't die! I'm home and typing one-handed. And they gave me my "happy juice" in time to enjoy the relaxation for few minutes before surgery. Bad news... in addition to the impingement, bone spur, and arthritis, the Dr, had to reconnect my bicep tendon where it tore. Longer recovery. My nerve block hasn't worn off but will soon, and I'm dreading the pain, but the surgery was successful. Thanks for prayers!
1. I thought I was going to get away without doing pre-op blood work, but no such luck.
Just fifteen hours prior to surgery, I had to go get it done.
2. They required me to do blood work, of course, but I also had to do an EKG and a chest x-ray.
I have no idea why.
3. I don't know why they have you go in at ungodly hours: 5:15 AM.
I will probably sit and wait for two hours.
4. There is going to be a little camera in my body during surgery.
I know it's common, but it just sounds weird!
5. About 1.4 million arthroscopic surgeries are performed each year.
And why does it say "performed?"
Wouldn't it be better to say completed?
Or successfully completed?
Definitely not attempted!
6. I had no idea what an impingement was until I looked it up.
When you raise your arm to shoulder height, the space between the acromion and rotator cuff narrows.
The acromion can rub against (or "impinge" on) the tendon and the bursa, causing irritation and pain.
7. I also have a bone spur,
It may or may not be the result of a car accident 15 years ago in which I broke a bone in my shoulder.
8. I also have arthritis in the shoulder.
9. My MRI suggests there are two possible tears in the front and back of the rotator cuff tendon. They may or may not require a stitch.
If they do, I'm in for a longer recovery.
Fantastic book! Phillippa Gregory did not disappoint. The White Queen is the first in a series about the Cousin's Wars (Wars of the Roses) in 15th century England. More specifically, it is the story of Elizabeth Woodville, a beautiful woman who claims ties to Melusina, the water goddess, and who claims to have the "Sight."
Elizabeth becomes Queen of England when she marries Edward IV. After requesting the king restore her late husband's property to her, she falls in love with him during a time when marriages were usually arranged by families. The marriage is kept secret until Edward establishes his reign over England. Only then is the marriage announced and Elizabeth allowed to come to court. Elizabeth, who had two sons before she became a widow, gives Edward ten children, three of them sons. One of her daughters dies while in sanctuary. One of the sons also dies very young. When her husband, the King, and her brother, the prince's protector, are killed by the youngest York heir (her brother-in-law), Elizabeth's own son, the rightful king, is in danger along with his younger brother when their uncle Richard becomes king.
With Richard on the throne, Elizabeth's marriage to Edward is declared null and her children have no claim to the throne. The two little princes are assumed dead while in their uncle's care in the Tower. There is no proof; however, that either died, and it is suggested that Elizabeth was able to hide her middle son with a peasant family.
The plot seems convoluted, but Gregory does not leave out details as I have done so as not to spoil the book for any potential readers. This is a book filled with rich detail about the time period. The author transports the reader to the fifteenth century so that you can see, hear, smell, and experience the culture. The book is one of romance, love, war, family betrayal, politics, brutality, and women's influence. While the facts are given, Gregory's fictionalized elements bring the characters to life.
Gregory captures the reader's interest. It is difficult to put this book down. Not only is the story compelling, her writing is impeccable. I can't wait to read the Kingmaker's Daughter and the White Princess!
I'm linking up again with Stacy Uncorked for Random Tuesday.
I went to my scrapbook retreat last weekend, Thursday through Sunday, and I wish I could go again. Nothing but scrapbooking all day and/or night, meals cooked for us, no cleaning to do. Wonderful! It was so nice to be creative and follow my own schedule. This picture is from last year's retreat.
The only thing I would change is the music. If I never have to hear another 1980's "top 40" "pop" song again, I will be happy! (Think... Cindy Lauper, Prince, Madonna, Toto, Paula Abdul, Tears for Fears, Boy George.) Don't get me wrong. I loved those songs back in the day! But they were overplayed, and I just don't like them now. Luckily, I had headphones, and I could listen to other music and watch movies on my computer, but in order to talk to my sister, or anyone else, I had to keep the headphones out. I'm so tired of 80's music! I guess the hostess liked it. Who knows?
Back to real life... My surgery is scheduled for Thursday. Yes, two days from now. I'm just a little bit very scared. I have a bone spur, arthritis, a shoulder impingement, and possible tears in the tendon. That word possible will determine how long it takes to heal. If there are no tears, I'm looking at a much shorter recovery time. I'm keeping my fingers crossed! I've tried to tell myself I don't need the surgery, because I don't want to have it done, but according to the doctor, it will not go away on its own and may get worse. Please pray for me.
Now, there is a storm a-brewin in the Gulf, probably headed toward my area within the next 8 hours. But you would think there's a hurricane coming the way people are acting. See, we had terrible, torrential rains during Memorial Day week. A few places got up to 12 inches in a very short period of time. Homes and apartments were ruined; lives were lost due to people driving through high water.
So... with this storm coming, people have gone crazy! They are behaving like a category 5 hurricane is coming, stocking up on food, water, gasoline, etc. I've lived through many tropical storms and hurricanes, but this is just a storm. We're going to get lots of rain. We might lose power for a while. But some people are in a panic! It's crazy! It's like they're preparing for the apocalypse! I hope I'm not proved wrong, but I think it's "Much Ado About Nothing." We'll see.
Welcome to Read This, a collection of book reviews and giveaways that were posted in the past week or so from around the web. This is a collection of book reviews & contests from real reviewers. If you want to be included in the next edition start with the guidelines, then use the submission form.
Want to read more reviews? Check out Read This for a list of the latest reviews and stellar reviewers. You can also follow on twitter for the latest round ups. Read This is now accepting photo submissions for each edition.
Christina Freeburn's Cropped to Death is a cute, little mystery. Emphasis on cute. It was an easy read, despite the many, many errors (Yes, I was correcting grammar and misprints as I read, and they really added up). It didn't quite flow well, though. First of all, there is a mystery surrounding the main character's background, and it feels as though the reader has missed something. The background never quite becomes clear, nor does it explain the character's motives. Freeburn does keep you guessing about the murder - obviously there is a murder since death is in the title. But it's not a creepy, scare-you-to-death murder. I chose this book because of the setting - a scrapbook store. I'd love to own one someday. I probably won't read any other books by Freeburn because the writing lacked substance, but it was a fun summer read.
I'm late, but, technically, it's still Friday. Link up with High-Heeled Love if you have anything to confess.
I confess...
Here is your disclaimer: This is going to be mostly whining.
I confess...
I'm supposed to be packing for vacation, but life happens, circumstances that are beyond our control change, and we are not going. Yes, I'm disappointed, but I'm thankful that we at least got our one day away last week for our anniversary.
I confess...
Our principal made us stay until 4:00 after the students went home at 1:00 yesterday, and today, our teacher workday, when we are usually able to leave as soon as we check out (typically 11-ish), he made us stay until 2:30. I was actually there until 3:15 trying to make good use of the time. All of the other schools I know of got out early. Fortunately, our principal's work-aholism is the only thing we can complain about. He's an outstanding leader.
I confess...
My mom has skin cancer. It has been removed, but the area isn't healing well, and they say they don't need to see her for two months. That worries me. This is her third type of cancer: Lung, breast, skin. I don't know how much more fight she has in her.
