Voting and Traveling and Being Sick

I am so glad the 'blog world is able to function without me. I have started a dozen posts in my head over the last week, but have not had the opportunity to get them down before, "Poof, they are gone!"

Wednesday (10/20) was our wedding anniversary, but we were inundated by family so we postponed the celebration.

Thursday I woke up with my throat on fire. And people due in from DC for training. So I went to work. And learned quite a bit. And I went out, because it seemed mean to NOT, and I adore these particular people (not something you will hear from me a lot), so dinner and drinks and I steadily felt worse. Fever, chills, aches, pains. Yuck. So not only was I miserable I have probably infected all of Bay County. NOT my brightest move.

Temp was ~ 101 at 8pm when I finally made it home. Nyquil and bed. Still ~ 101 @ 12:30 am. I took some Motrin and the fever broke between 1:30 & 2, but I was exhausted. I'm not sleeping well, even when DSD doesn't snore. I took Friday off and slept all day.

Yesterday there were groceries to buy, homework to finish, and a lovely dinner to celebrate our anniversary.

What does all of this mean? Well, I have not even watched the news in DAYS. Of course when I try to watch actual TV, the political ads make me insane. I would love to say, "I'm not voting for anyone running an ad that contains lies or is just nasty," but I refuse to stay home on election day! I will vote. Then I will bitch.

Thank you to everyone who is managing to post information that the world needs to know. Hopefully I will be back in the swing soon.

BUT, I must be healthy by Friday, because I am headed to DC!!!!

What Have I Been Doing?

You may ask! Or, if you aren't going to ask, I am going to tell you anyway.

Over the 9 months starting August 2009 and ending May 2010, I managed to accrue 25 more college credit hours. And I did not go insane. That was a lovely bonus. I don't have any idea what my GPA is, but it is above a 3.0 and I can live with that. I did take the summer off from school, but it starts again in less than a week. I am not taking 13 credit hours over the next 18 weeks though. I do want to get my degree, but I do not want everything else in my life to suffer for it. I am taking 9 credit hours. 3 during Term I (August 9 - October). 3 during Term II (October - mid December) and 3 at Gulf Coast Community College over their traditional semester. If that is too much to be able to enjoy my life (at least a little), I will drop the number back to 6 in the Spring. I don't want to do that. I would like to graduate one day. But it may be necessary. OH. And I am adding History as either a 2nd Major or a Minor. My advisor was out last week when I went to register, so I haven't spoken with her about it.

I finally started walking the walk I have been talking.
Composting - Check.
Recycling more than just cans - Check.
Enough reuseable shopping bags to never have to use plastic again - Check.
Growing my own vegetables in the dirt - Check. Weeeell. I am trying. I hope that practice will help. I do have vegetables growing, but they aren't producing much. Except the basil. WOW. Do you need some basil?
Cooking more from scratch - Check.
Buying products that are more natural with less preservatives - Check.
Buying local, organic, grass fed meats - Have you seen the prices of those? I am working up to this one.

All in all, I do feel like I have made some progress toward being more responsible to myself, my family (even when they fight me) and the world. I still have a long way to go, but every journey starts with the first step.

I will try to do an entire post about my gardening, what I have accomplished so far (which just includes spending money, sweating and getting dirty, but not much actual food production) and where I hope to go next year (out of the containers and into the actual ground!).

DSD is still out of work. He looks for a while, then he gets discouraged. But I like the fact that the I don't have to touch the vacuum or clean the bathroom. He does a lot of the cooking (although little of the planning) and most of the cleaning. He does 95% of all errands; quick shopping trips, dry cleaners, oil changes, bank runs, etc. And Lola has her Daddy at home to play most days. Financially we are doing okay and we are very thankful for it. So many are losing everything and we are in no danger of that.

Lola is great. Almost 100 pounds (she is getting fat), but on a diet.

The kids (my 1, his 3) are doing well. BabyBoy moved out, but he is back at home. Working now. We will see about school for the fall. He is without medical insurance. The health care reform does not force Tricare to cover children who are 21, but not in school full time. Nice, huh?

I have suffered from what I believe was an incorrect diagnosis of Lupus and 4-6 pills a day to an actual diagnosis of Plantar Faciitis that is 95% better with physical therapy. I am now drug free, except for the occasional alcoholic beverage and/or Tylenol. And I am dealing with the early stages of Menopause. Yes, I am only 43, but it is common in my family.

There is so much more. I hope that I am energized enough to continue to post. About DSD's daugher's upcoming wedding and why I am dreading it. About my parents' and the fact that they are loving retired life. About the oil spill and how its effects have been felt locally and how the media has taken a horrifying situation and made it so much worse.

Enjoy your Wednesday and keep checking back. I hope to be here.

'Pain fades. Chicks dig scars. Glory lasts forever.'

I do not know why that quote has been stuck in my mind for weeks, but I figured if I shared it with you (anyone who still actually stops by here) it would go away.

The quote is by Keanu Reeves playing scab quarterback Shane Falco (not to be confused by real life quarterback Flacco) in "The Replacements." I love that movie.

Boy, am I tired. Right this minute I should be actually working (oh, didn't we tell you we were going to need a letter on each of those projects? AND another 3 page form?) or finishing my paper on the industrial revolution that is due Sunday or reading the 17 page lecture on... something. But I figured 10 minutes to say Hi wasn't going to put me anymore behind than the fact that I am not going to do anything at all tonight.

I do have an A in each of my classes at this point. That could be a thing of the past after this weekend. I was doing wonderfully until I went to the Troy @ Florida game on 12 Sep. Then I started getting behind and I seem to be scrambling to catch up. Only a couple more weeks in this term... then it starts all over again. Did I mention I was tired?

On top of all of that, I am not doing really well physically, some aches and pains that are not normal for someone my age. So far they are only affecting me in minor ways (I am sleeping more, I have to wear shoes in the house) but none of it bodes really well for the future. I'm 42. I'm on Celebrex and it isn't working all that well. What next?

Then I talked to my mom last night & one of my aunts (my mom's sister) is going downhill very quickly. The sad thing is her will to live seems to be gone. Is there anyway to make someone want to live? Can we make her see a counselor? Can we make her divorce that bastard she is married to? I am afraid my mother is going to kill him if something happens to my aunt.

So I am making it. Barely. And things are not going to slow down for another 11 weeks.

I hope you are all doing wonderfully. I do have some pictures to post.. as soon as I get them off my camera.

Discrimination or Just Stupid?

Just stupid, I guess.

Once or twice I have alluded to the fact that one of the people I work with is not really great about doing her job. She likes to throw her weight around and tell the rest of us what to do and she likes to play the injured party and blame everyone else when things go wrong. My work life is complicated and I am not comfortable going into a lot of details here, but we work pretty autonomously with little to no supervision. She has come and gone as she pleases for more than a year, very seldom putting in 40 hours a week. She attempts to change policies and procedures which are in place for a reason (and she seems to be getting away with it, the world bows to her).

I am not one for a public fight. This blog is my attempt to fight the injustice of the world and I prefer to do it with the written word, instead of verbally, because I communicate better this way. So I tracked her. From the week after 4th of July 2008. I kept very detailed notes about her attitude (completely unprofessional) about the fact that NO ONE has that much leave time, about the fact that she is fairly stupid and has 0 communication or leadership skills.

One of the other ladies who works here received a promotion and a very large award at the end of last year, so the focus of the first person's rage (let's call her Bitch, so we are all on the same page) was redirected away from me. But life still wasn't great, walking on egg shells, never really sure what was going on or who was responsible for it.

Then Bitch was in a car accident and things went from bad to worse. She doesn't have health care (her choice, because we are offered really great stuff here for pretty cheap if you aren't covering anyone else!) and she apparently isn't getting any better. It has been over 7 months and she still can't turn her head and the stairs are painful and... and... and... whine, whine, whine.

Still I sat here, did my job, kept my head down and kept my notes. Day after day.

About 2 months ago I had to contact the higher ups for something (don't even remember) and was asked how things were here. I gave the standard, "busier than a 1 armed paper hanger speech" and was PUSHED for the truth. PUSHED. I realized that, eventually, something was going to have to be done and I told B2 (the higher up) that things weren't great. She came down, I (and the other girl who received a promotion) spilled our guts about how difficult bitch is to work with. We weren't the only ones. Others, who don't have anything to do with us, have said she is difficult, said it aloud.

And the other girl (understand not Bitch) was almost fired yesterday. Thisclose is what she was told.

There is more to this story, of course. But I can't give half the details and the other half are boring. The bottom line is that I (with help) attempted to make everyone's life better. I tried to save the company money. I tried to make the environment better and improve morale.

I thought that, just this once, life would be fair and the good guys would win.

Now I am polishing up my resume' and searching Craig's List. I am an excellant administrative assistant/office manager. I know the Office Suite and I can fix my own broken PC AND trouble shoot network and printer problems.

I love this job and the people in my building. But I am now on anti-anxiety medication; I can't sleep and my joints are achy & swollen, working with her is starting to affect my health.

Time to move on.

Right.

After Another Trip to the Doctor

I have some answers. Woo Hoo!

Discoid Lupus (aka skin lupus or cutaneous lupus). Of all the possible diagnosis available under the "collagen vascular" umbrella, this one was the best. The rheumotologist asked me a lot of questions, checked my joints, looked at what is left of my rash (it is barely there now) and said there wasn't a lot he could do for me. I don't have pain. My rash is almost gone. My joints and/or lymph nodes are not swollen. He said to keep using the cream (pretty significant chance the rash will return in the same or another place) and let him know if anything changes.

I am not positive why my regular doctor could not tell me all of that, except maybe it was to ensure a spot with this guy, in case things get worse. They could. But, then again, they may not. So there is no need to borrow trouble.

I am working on getting the entire family back on an eating plan that is healthier for us, including lean meats, more fresh fruits and vegetables and less pre-packaged crap. :-) Less sodium and less MSG. I am also trying to up the amount of exercise I am getting, but it is difficult to spend much time outside when the heat index has been in triple digits for the past week and the one time I took Lola for a walk after dark something bit me, four times.

But this has been an eye opening experience and I do realize that I need to take better care of myself.

I'm not 18 anymore.

Happy Father's Day!

Originally published in 2008.


To my dad, who is the absolutely most wonderful dad in the world. Sure, we went weeks without speaking to each other during my teen years. Sure, he told me (at the top of his lungs) I was making a mistake when I decided to marry the X (and he was right!). Sure, he could be tardy when I needed a ride and managed to find SOMEONE he knew everywhere we went (no joke, we were on our way down a ski lift in Gatlinburg, TN and there was a guy at the bottom calling my dad's name!)

But he was always there. Everytime I did anything, whether cheerleading, band, chorus, softball, basketball or the time I was picked to do my Helen Keller in 6th grade in front of the PTA. And he is always there to this day. I could pick up the phone right now and say, "Daddy, I need ..." I would have it if it was within his power.

My wish is that every little girl have a Daddy like mine. The world would be a much better place.

I love you, Dad.

Health Update

I had a followup appointment with my family physician yesterday. According to him, my test results did not appear to be systemic Lupus. It may still be what I call "skin Lupus*" but that is treatable with creams and such and the rash on my left arm does not appear to be quite as red or quite as large as it was just a week ago.

So this is good news.

EXCEPT, he still used the words "collagen vascular disorder." So, of course I googled this when I got to work. And none of it was good. Even if it is only "skin Lupus" it can change later and become systemic and of all the associated diseases that can be found on MedicineNet or Answers.com none of them are pleasant.

A properly functioning immune system protects the body against infection, however, in cases of autoimmunity, including collagen vascular diseases, the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues. Antibodies may be targeted against antigens in the blood, skin, muscles and other organs, resulting in chronic inflammation and gradual degeneration of the affected tissues.

Ewwwww.

So I am being shipped to the rheumatologist for further poking, prodding and testing. I have an appointment on Jun 23, which is about 2 months earlier than I expected to see him.

Just another waiting game until then.

Thank you to everyone who commented. It was nice to know you were thinking about me.

*Really called Cutaneous lupus erythematosus. And you can click that link and see all sorts of rashes. Of course none of them look like mine. Not.One.

The Unexplained Rash

I have a rash. On my upper left arm. It was on the upper section of both arms when I originally saw it, 1 day over 5 weeks ago now, but the right arm has cleared up considerably. Except for the red dot I noticed this morning which may or may not be the same thing.

I work with medical doctors and I use their knowledge shamelessly. They can not treat me, if treatment is needed, but I use them to decide if treatment is needed, antibiotics or testing. I showed 4 of them this rash. They all said the same thing, "Hmmmm, isn't that interesting." Not helpful at all.

One said it looked like bed bugs. It isn't, but it does look like the pictures of bed bug bites on the 'net.

My rash does not itch. It is possible that I have had it for more than 5 weeks, because the only way I noticed it was looking into a mirror without a shirt on.

So 2 weeks and 3 days ago I went to see a dermatologist. Ok, a dermatologist's P.A., but it was in the dermatologist's office. She said, "Hmmmm, isn't that interesting," and took a plug out of my arm. This is called a punch biopsy, because it is like using a hole punch to remove skin. I didn't look until the 2 stitches were completed. I had no interest in seeing down to the fat layer of my arm.

The PA called me on Tuesday 19 May, 6 days after I was there to tell me the biopsy showed a "collagen vascular disorder." I wrote it down, so I could google it later. Then she dropped the bomb, "Lupus." She did explain that this was not certain and that we would need blood tests to confirm or refute this. I was still slightly hysterical, but my work doctors said not to be. They did say she should never have mentioned the word, but that blood tests would probably show this was incorrect. So off I went to give blood on the 20th, expecting the results (because that is what I was told) on the 22nd. Nothing.

I waited patiently until Thursday the 28th. Then I called. Then I played phone tag, then the PA called again and told me it was fact. I have Lupus.

Except I may not have it.

My work doctors, without access to my lab work, said the chances that one test proved Lupus was slim.

My family doctor, who finally had to send someone to the dermatologist's office to pick up my paperwork, because only 2 of the 3 pages had been faxed to them, said it was possible, but not all that likely.

So I gave more blood yesterday and I have a follow up appointment with my family doctor next Thursday, the 4th. Hopefully I will have some answers then, but it is possible that I will only have more questions.

Until then I wait.

Feeling better and Headed to Miami!

Well, I am not personally headed to Miami. I have thought about it. I have considered the feasibility of leaving here on Jan 7, trying to find a scalper some time on Jan 8 and watching the game that evening. What game?

The NCAA Div 1A National Championship Game! Where the University of Florida Gators will put their #9 Defense against the University of Oklahoma's over powering offense.

Yes, I know this is a fictional title. Only playoffs are going to make it fair to ALL of the teams. But if a fictional title has to be awarded, I would like for it to go to my Gators, who covered the spread in a 31-20 win over Alabama's Crimson Tide on Saturday.

But I am not going to Miami. I am going to watch the game in the warmth and comfort of my living room, mainly, because I can't see spending the money right now.

At the end of last week, I was still planning to keep the doctor's appointment that I had scheduled for tomorrow as a follow-up to last week's issues. But I woke up Saturday morning feeling like new and have not had a problem since. I think I will stick to the bland diet for a while and give my internals a bit more time to heal. But, for now, I am doing wonderfully.

I hope your weekend was as good as mine!

Go Gators!

After Another Trip to the Doctor...

When I was about 27 or 28, a friend told me to 'watch out, everything goes down hill when you hit 30.' Well I was a little traumatized by the thought, but I turned 30 and I didn't seem to be as broken and sickly as my friend did. So I figured they were nuts and moved on with my life. 35 snuck up on me and so did my weight, but I managed to beat it back down (somewhat!) and keep going. I turned 40 last year, and aside from a bad cold last year about this time, everything has been swell.

I turned 41 in April and everything seems to be going downhill. First there was this, then this. both of which were taken care of and I seem to be doing wonderfully.

So Sunday night (about 5:30) I decided I would have pumpkin pie before I had my dinner of Thanksgiving leftovers. Why? Because I am grown and I could and I hadn't had any desserts for all of the Thanksgiving season. But I only had 1 piece and then I fixed myself a lovely plate of leftovers, turkey, dressing, black eyed peas and green bean casserole. About 3 /4 of the way through my plate I started feeling a strange pressure underneath my sternum, so I stopped eating, scraped my plate and took a couple of Tums. The pressure worsened and turned to a burning sensation and I was miserable. I took a couple more Tums and chugged a soda, because that has always worked in the past for acid indigestion. I burped, some. I received a little relief, but it didn't last.

This went on for hours.

About 9 I made myself throw up. Didn't help. I finally thought, 'screw it' and took some pain pills leftover from this summer's fun and passed out.

And woke up 2 hours later pretty sure I was going to die. Unfortunately at this point I was still incredibly groggy from the drugs, so while I was trying to figure out if I should get a ride to the ER or call 911 and where are my clothes? I passed out again.

And woke up about 90 minutes later feeling just fine.

I came to work yesterday and explained what had happened to Dr. A. He told me to make an appt with my doctor right away. "It's probably acid reflux, or just indigestion, but," then he went down the list of possible issues including myocardial infarction (I don't ever want one, but that is a cool word!).

There was an EKG done immediately this morning and it was not my heart. It looks like I probably just strained something with all the overeating at Thanksgiving... really. So I am on Protonix, which is supposed to heal whatever issues I am having.

I hope so. There is still some discomfort and I am paranoid to eat much. Maybe I can drop those last 10 pounds, but wouldn't going to the gym or for a walk be a better way?

An Engagement Story

In case anyone out there has not realized it, I LOVE college football. All of it. But I love the University of Florida Gator football team the best in all the land! Why? you may ask. Because, I will answer. I did not attend the University of Florida. There were many reasons for that, too many to name, but I have been a Gator fan as far back as I can remember. And I did march on Florida Field in a band competition in 1983 (I was a junior in H.S.).

So, I had always loved the Gators, from afar. While I have lived only four short hours from Gainesville for over 20 years, I had never attended a game there. Never. Attended. A. College. Football. Game. Anywhere. I have always watched it on TV, in the air conditioning, with the ability to drink alcoholic beverages at my fingertips.

DSD and I had been talking about getting married, and he surprised me with tickets to the Kentucky @ UF game in September 2006. We drove to Gainesville on Friday, checked into our motel (which has sense been closed, 'nuff said) and scoped out the UF campus, for parking, sports bars, etc. and hung out in our room Friday night.

Saturday dawned clear and HOT! We had breakfast and got ready for the game (7:45 EDT on ESPN) and drove to the campus in the early afternoon to get a decent parking place. We parked on Museum Rd and started the trek up Fraternity Dr. (DSD tells this part better than I). Somewhere about halfway up this street that had no sidewalks, so we are walking in the street, the wrong way, right beside the curb, I stepped (or misstepped) onto what can only be described as a small indention in the pavement, twisted my right ankle and went down hard on my left shin onto the curb. According to him (he was walking in front of me) he heard, "Dammit," and turned around to see me sprawled in the grass. He came back to check on me, heard, "ankle," and almost had a heart attack. He had the ring in his pocket, you see, and was convinced I had just broken my ankle and we were going to spend the rest of the evening in the ER. Does he propose in the ER or just wait until we can get tickets to another game? All his planning down the toilet! (I heard his thoughts later, of course, and all of this probably went through his mind in the span of about 3 seconds.)

I was fine. I was glad no one had seen this unfortunate, ungraceful business and I had a little scrape on my left shin, but I was fine. We went on up to the stadium, did a little shopping, visited with various tailgators, and found a sports bar with the afternoon games on. It was incredibly hot, so I HAD NOTHING ALCOHOLIC TO DRINK! I drank water and diet soda and DSD had a couple of beers. We stayed there for a couple of hours before deciding to find someplace to eat a quick dinner. A couple of subs, some more shopping and it was time to make our way to our gate and find our seats.

"The Swamp," of course, is amazing. Loud and obnoxious and, an absolutely wonderful place to watch a college football game. Florida struggled some against a fairly decent Kentucky team. The outcome was still iffy at halftime, but the Gators managed to pull out a 25-19 win.

So, the game was over and everyone was filing out of the stadium, but DSD and I absolutely agree that there is never a reason to rush for the car just to sit in traffic. We are always the last to leave a movie or the 4th of July fireworks. So the fact that he wanted to wait didn't raise any red flags to me. I was enjoying the atmosphere, thrilled my Gators had won, sad that the game was over.

And, he dropped to one knee, pulled out the ring, and asked me to marry him! I think we tickled the Alachua County police officer who watched the entire thing while guarding the grass. I, of course, said "yes" and he gave me the ring and we played a little smoochy face. And then I admired the ring and we played a little more smoochy face before starting off toward the truck.

There were still plenty of people wandering around campus and many, many vehicles sitting in traffic trying to get off campus, so we were not alone at this point. We walked around Stadium Drive and started back down Fraternity. Fraternity had bumper to bumper traffic, so we were walking single file, in the exact same spot I had fallen earlier: in the road, but off to the side, this time we were walking with traffic. At one point I said, "Didn't I fall around here earlier?" DSD said, "Yes, right here," and made a big showing of stepping over the cracked indention thing (I should have taken a picture of it since a description is beyond me) and so I made a big show of stepping over it also.

A couple of steps later, however, I almost had a heart attack as a scooter roared in beween me and the traffic that was sitting still. I turned to my right to see if there were more scooters to come and, yep, you guessed, ended up sprawled on the grass AGAIN. DSD says all he heard was, "God DAMMIT" and turned find me struggling to sit up. I can only imagine the laughs that everyone in traffic recieved, because this time this unfortunate, ungraceful business was viewed by MANY!

DSD helped me up, listened to my explanation of what happened and then threatened me if I didn't walk on the grass. I limped the last block or so to the truck, now with scrapes on both shins, my right knee and my right arm from wrist to elbow!

We got into the truck and rolled down the windows to try to look pleadingly at oncoming traffic to let us out. I attempted to rest my right arm on the window, but, of course, that was difficult with the scrape on it. So I shifted it slightly back for comfort, but it hit the door lock, which wasn't so comfortable. I just lifted my arm and locked the door with my elbow, catching the skin of my arm, just behind the elbow, causing an instant, and painful, blood blister!

We finally reached the hotel. Our room had not been cleaned, so we needed new towels and, of course, ice. I offered to get the ice while he got new towels, but he told me to "sit down, relax and don't move," fearing for my life, I think, if I attempted to walk anywhere.

I am really not a total klutz. For the most part I can walk AND chew gum at the same time. This just makes the entire story more amusing. So, of course, the joke is now that I must be protected anytime I am near a sporting event. We managed tickets to the Florida/Florida State game later that same year in Tallahassee. DSD's bff offered his daughters Barbie roller blading pads to protect my elbows and knees. Many offered their canes, and I think one guy even offered his late wife's wheelchair!

The best part? We are now living happlily ever after!

Me, before the game, with only a scrape on my left (hidden shin).

Did you think I would leave you without a picture of the team? Keep in mind this is the same team who won the 2006 National Championship! Go Gators!

This Should Have Been Post on August 28th (Ok, maybe the 29th)

Endometrial ablation completed and I am doing fine!

Actually there was no way that I was going to post before I went in. Fourteen hours with no food or water was insane and I was doing everything in my power to find something else to focus on. The no food was tough, but the no water was killing me.

I was originally scheduled for 3pm, but moved up to 2pm. I could barely see the clock after I took out my contacts, but I am pretty sure I was still awake at 2:45 and I was back awake by 4pm. I was, of course, pretty out of it. My back was KILLING me, whether from the procedure or from lying on the stretcher, so I couldn't get comfortable. DSD asked them for some water from me and they brought me juice. Juicy juice. Some sort of mixed berry thing. I drank it, but that was a lot of sugar for my system at that point and I was sick as a dog on the way home (Thank goodness I had a spare plastic bag in my car. Thank goodness, also, that DSD wasn't sick since he is normally a sympathetic puker).

I was home and in bed by 6pm where I proceeded to writhe in pain and wonder what the hell I had done for about 2 hours before I finally passed out from the pain drugs. I was up from 10-11:45 for liquids (wasn't hungry), but dozed on the couch from 11-11:45. I went back to bed and was up by 6:30 Friday morning. I really just could not sleep anymore.

I managed to nap on Friday and on Saturday and sleep well at night. I haven't taken anymore prescription pain medicine since about noon on Friday. Sunday I felt a little "off." I don't know how else to describe it and my parents stopped in for a couple of hours and my mom swore I felt fevered. 99.5 is not considered fevered, but I took Tylenol and drank plenty of water and I am feeling fine today.

So all appears to be well. I have my followup on Sep 10th and, hopefully, that will be the end of this saga.

Little Bits of This and That

* I am thoroughly enjoying the Olympics. I didn't expect to. I figured I would be bored, but I spent hours Saturday morning trying to understand this sport called Handball and I have been glued to the TV most evenings.

* My followup at the doctor's last week gave me a clean bill of health. No more problems. Now, I just get to wait patiently for the next 2 weeks until my ablation. But I have plenty of leftover drugs, so I am not really worried about having any pain.

* The situation with Georgia and Russia confuses me. I know my understanding of foreign affairs is slim. I don't take the time I probably should to understand. But, didn't Georgia attack last week? And isn't Russia fighting them to stop the attack? Then why is our government (Dubya) fussing at Georgia? How is this different from what we did in 1990 with Kuwait and Iraq? How is this our business? If Central America attacked Mexico, wouldn't we help? And tell anyone who blasted us for it to butt out?

* Why was Dubya able to take the weekend off to hang out in China with the Olympic athletes? Didn't he have anything better to do? Aren't we at war? Isn't our economoy in the toilet? And, yet, ol' dipshit has time to hang out with the beach volleyball team?

* And, isn't it tacky to go to China for the Olympics, blast them on Human rights issues (like we have any room to talk) and then STAY? Probably taking advantage of the poor people who now have to feed you and clean your room. I made DSD turn the channel every time that asshole was on my TV.

* I love my job, but, frankly, I am sick and tired of the territorial BS that comes from working with women.
Ok, that's not fair. While I do find it easier to work with men (not so catty), one of the women I work with is not very bright, not very organized and guards her work with some sort of weird secrecy like I may take over her job also. I have plenty to do, thanks, I don't need hers also.

* Lola has been wonderful. I just wish I had some idea how to make her sleep past 6 on weekend mornings!

More Help Needed

I just received this email from Hillary Clinton

Together, you and I are standing up for the health of American women, and we're making a difference.

For years, President Bush and the Republicans have done everything in their power to reverse decades of progress. Now, new rules are under consideration by the administration that would restrict access to birth control. They are the latest example and I am so glad that you joined the fight to help stop it.

Thank you so much for signing on to our letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt. More than 55,000 of you have urged him not to move forward with these restrictive new regulations. That's an amazing start, and I urge you to ask your friends and family to get involved. Forward this message and tell them to sign on to the letter at:

http://www.hillpac.com/action/hhspetition/

Let me tell you more about the progress we're making. I have been working with my colleague Senator Patty Murray of Washington in the Senate and Congresswoman Nita Lowey of New York -- and many Senators and House Representatives who have joined in writing to Mike Leavitt, also demanding that he not move forward with these regulations. We are also working closely with women's rights and health organizations to put pressure on the administration and their Republican allies in Congress.

Secretary Leavitt stated on the HHS website just recently that he was still considering whether to go forward with these new rules and acknowledged concerns about limiting access to birth control. This means we are making a difference but we can't stop now! So long as these regulations are under consideration, there is a danger to women's health. I am going to continue to monitor this situation very closely and I need your continued support. Your help is vital, so be sure to tell your friends and family to join this fight.

Thank you so much for joining this important effort.

Sincerely,
Hillary Rodham Clinton

I posted about this issue already, but it is worth it to post on it again. If you have not signed this petition, please do so now. The future is at stake. Maybe that sounds melodramatic, but I honestly do not feel that it is . I have felt for years that Dubya and his cronies hate women and think they should be kept barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen. This would go a long way toward that end. Think of yourself, your wives, daughters, granddaughters, sons and grandsons. Sign this petition in honor of those who fought so hard for the equality of women and our right to choose. Sign this petition for those who are trying to make a better life for themselves and the children they already have. Women should have access to birth control. Insurance pays for Viagra! It should pay for birth control.

I have already sent this to everyone on my email list. Many of them are right wing nutjobs and they still signed this petition.

Do this for the future.

And feel free to copy the link into your blog. Feel free to copy and paste it into an email to everyone you know.

We can make a difference.

Feeling Good And Did I Mention that My Husband Rocks?

Yesterday the lady who normally answers the phones for the entire place was out sick and it is in our contract that somebody from our company will cover if she is out. I get here early, so I went to the desk at the correct time until someone else showed up to relieve me. While there I got my hands on the local paper. It is mostly crap, but there was a big article on my Gators, so I read it.

I then perused the Classifieds, because, well, I want a puppy. Our pal, Chance, died on Jan 2, 2005. We have grieved for him. But now it is time for a new family member. I have felt this way since last summer, but DSD was not ready to commit. Plus, we were in the middle of wedding planning, honeymoon planning, etc, so the timing didn't feel right. I hinted this would be a wonderful Christmas gift, then a wonderful birthday gift, but no dice.

So I was reading the Pets for Sale section. I have considered numerous breeds, but had not settled on one. The family was against what I call 'purse dogs,' maltese, yorkie, poodle, and they call 'rats.' But I did not want another 85 pounder either. (Chance was a mutt, but he looked like a Bull Mastiff. We were really lucky he was only 80-85 pounds.) So I spotted an add for a Labradoodle, 12 weeks old. I don't know a lot about this hybrid, but I called anyway and got all the information.

She is actually 13 weeks old as of Monday. The Mom's owner was planning to keep her, but now she (the owner) has gotten a promotion and will be moving and she can't take both dogs with her. She (the puppy) is already crate trained, leash trained and will sit upon command. She was the runt and the vet estimated the largest of the litter will be about 50 lbs, so she should be smaller, but still big enough to wrestle with. I almost fainted, she sounded so perfect.

I called DSD who was shopping for televisions for work (not a bad job if you can get it) with the boss, who happens to be his best friend. DSD told Jack (with an eye roll, I am certain) that I wanted a labradoo-something or other. Jack said, "Those are fantastic dogs!" DSD was a little annoyed.

So I rushed home after work, cleaned up the house that was neglected over the weekend, fixed some weird cheesy pasta thing for dinner that he had been wanting to try (third pasta meal in a row, because DSD LOVES pasta) and had a drink waiting for him when he walked in the door. (The first 2 pasta meals were to thank him for taking such good care of me, this one was blatant ass kissing). And then I (and BabyBoy) threw the sad eyes at him. And brought up pictures of adorable labradoodle puppies and talked about how smart they are and how funny they are and how they either don't shed or they shed much much less than other dogs.

And he caved like a house of cards.

Of course, BabyBoy and I got the "this is not my dog and you have to take care of it" speech. Which was justified, because I babysat a friend's 2 dogs for a month last summer and DSD got stuck doing most of the work.

So I am picking her up this afternoon, after a trip to the store to pick up all those wonderful things that a new puppy needs!

Her name is Lola.

And my behind is feeling almost normal. I go for a follow up tomorrow.

This Has More TMI Than the Post About my Lady Parts

Really, no kidding.

On Friday 25 July, there was a very long meeting, where everyone was required to sit for an extended period of time without a lot of moving. On top of that, I had an upset stomach and made many trips to the ladies that day. So, by the time I got home, my behind was a little chafed.

No problem. I spend most weekend running around the house in men's boxer shorts. (Yes, I dress if people are coming over or if we leave the house.) So I had no issues over the weekend.

On Monday (28 July) I noticed a bump on my bum. In between the cheeks. Again, no problem. A zit, an ingrown/infected hair? Whatever. I came to work and didn't even think about stopping after work for a pedicure, just because I wanted one.

Tuesday (I think it was morning) I noticed this was a little less comfortable. I asked DSD (who, just for the record, is the World's Best Husband!) to take a look. "Looks like a zit, but it doesn't have a head." So I'll wait. Right? Did I have a choice?

But I looked up homepathic remedies for zits, boils, ingrown hairs and stopped by the drugstore on the way home. I tried warm compresses, epson salt and other various things on Tuesday night, Wednesday and Wednesday night. What happened? It grew. Exponentially.

So that by Thursday morning it. was. the. size. of. an. EGG! And. it. hurt.

Sitting was not easy. Standing was not easy. Going from sitting to standing or the other way around was not easy. And, honestly, the only reason I called my doctor was because he was closed on Friday and I didn't want to suffer through the weekend. I figured he could give me something that would cause this stupid thing to come to a head so that I could get the gunk out. (Medical term for the day: gunk!)

I didn't expect him to tell me that I was going to need to see a surgeon. I didn't expect him to tell me that NONE of the homepathic remedies were ever going to work. I certainly didn't want to hear that the longer I left it, the more likely I was to get REALLY sick. (In my defense, I was watching for any flu-like symptoms, because that would have been a sign of a more serious infection.)

The diagnosis? Perirectal Abscess.

A perirectal abscess is a collection of pus in the deep tissues surrounding the anus. By contrast, a perianal abscess is a shallower collection of pus under the skin surrounding the anus. Both types of abscesses need immediate attention. A delay in treatment may cause serious worsening of the condition and unnecessary complications.

Ok, maybe it was perianal, but both doctors said rectal and really, who cares in the end?

You may not have stitches. Infected wounds such as abscesses are left open to drain. If they were stitched shut, they would just fill with pus again. There may be packing left in your wound, which will be removed by your doctor after a few days.
You may need to take an antibiotic for several days, depending on your condition. You should be given strong pain medication if you need it.

The problem is that my doctor said the packing had to be changed every day. Twice a day. And who do you think gets this absolutely fun-filled job? Why, my poor beleaguered husband*, of course.

And, yes, antibiotics. And, yes, nice pain drugs. I am not a big believer in narcotics (they scare me) so I have only taken 3 or 4 of the 30 I was prescribed. All they really did was make me loopy anyway. It still hurt like the dickens when the packing was changed.

This is all still going on. The packing changed twice a day. Warm baths twice a day. Antibiotics once a day. And a repeat trip to the surgeon on Thursday.

But I can sit (normally) and I can stand and I can walk (mostly normally as long as I don't over do it), so I am doing much better than I was Thursday and Friday. Have you ever tried eating dinner laying on your stomach? I really don't recommend it.

So, while I am still a big believer in homeopathic remedies, I may (just may) be less hesitant to go to the doctor in the future. But, just once, do you think I can do see him WITHOUT taking my pants off?

*He is honestly the absolute BEST husband in the world. I can not say enough good things about him. I have hit the jackpot this time.

Stop this Madness (aka Dubya!)

Dubya and his entire sicko administration is at it again, trying to ensure that women end up barefoot, pregnant and stuck in the kitchen. I don't know whether to laugh or cry at the outrageous attempt to take a woman's rights, this time. No, they aren't working on outlawing abortion at the moment, they are trying to equate BIRTH CONTROL with ABORTION.

That's right. The pill? Same as an abortion. The IUD? Same as an abortion.

These rules pose a serious threat to providers and uninsured and low-income Americans seeking care. They could prevent providers of federally-funded family planning services, like Medicaid and Title X, from guaranteeing their patients access to the full range of comprehensive family planning services. They'll also build significant barriers to counseling, education, contraception and preventive health services for those who need it most: low-income and uninsured women and men.

So says Hillary, so says me.

You can read the entire post at Huffington Post, or just sign the petition. Or you can let them dictate what's done with YOUR body, or that of your wife or daughter.

Stop this madness.

Medical Update

I saw the actual Gyn this morning. If you have missed any of the saga of my 'lady parts,' you can read up on them here, here, and a brief bit here. I really liked him a lot and he was very patient with the three pages of questions I had typed to ask him.

I am not a candidate for a hysterectomy. It is not warranted in my case, so that makes me very happy. Apparently most of my symptioms are fairly common for a woman my age, but that does not mean that nothing can or will be done. It is not necessarily a health issue. I could struggle along as I have been doing for years, but there is no point in it with medical science as advanced as it is.

So, I will be having the endometrial ablation. This should make my quality of life better and couldn't we all do with a little improvement?

The (minor) surgery will take place the morning of 28 Aug. It is an out-patient surgery and Dr. R said I will only be out for about 15 minutes and I could leave about an hour after that. I will take Friday off, although it is more because I want to than because I have to. Then I will enjoy some football on Saturday (kick off is coming!) and the Labor Day weekend & be back to work on Tuesday.

And then, hopefully, I can go back to being one of those stupidly healthy people who only go to the doctor once a year for a checkup! :-)

Rambling on a Thursday

I had my ultrasound yesterday. Hopefully I will get some information tomorrow or Monday. The entire thing was something of a nightmare and I am considering getting a second opinion before making any decisions. I am not really sure that I am happy with this Gyn office.

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I did email all of my Federal congressmen and Charlie Crist. Plus I called my Florida senator and representative. Should I call every day? Do you think that would help? Hurt? Maybe I should have my son call also, because his last name is different from mine. If you live in FL, AL, MS, LA or TX, you may want to think about contacting your representation.

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Iam going out of town tomorrow. Once they get your information at the Casinos, they send you sweet deals. I couldn't turn it down, so DSD are going back for this:

Isle of Capri, Biloxi

I'm not planning on winning, but it is a nice, inexpensive, getaway. And winning wouldn't hurt.

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Have a great weekend.

I Still Am Not Sure About My Options

I had my doctor's visit this morning. The visit was with a GYN Nurse Practioner (NP). This does not bother me; I do not have a need to see the actual GYN. They are normally very busy people who are never on time, always running around birthing babies. I liked the NP. She was pleasant, almost on time and had plenty of time to talk to me about what is going on and what my possible options are. Unfortunately, I am not crazy about those options.

Apparently my uterus is significantly enlarged (should I be a little annoyed with my regular family doctor here? The damn thing is NOT where it is supposed to be, shouldn't he have noticed?), but that is all she could tell without an ultrasound. That is scheduled for next Wednesday. I had one about 7 years ago, which is when I was diagnosed with the fibroids, but that does not do me any good at this point.

The only options she really offered me, though was
#1. Endometrial ablation :
Endometrial ablation is a procedure that uses a lighted viewing instrument and other instruments to destroy (ablate) the uterine lining, or endometrium. Endometrial ablation can be done by:
Laser beam (laser thermal ablation).
Heat (thermal ablation), using:
Radiofrequency.
A balloon filled with saline solution that has been heated to 85C (thermal balloon ablation). This is the one available to me.
Normal saline (heated free fluid).
Electricity, using a resectoscope with a loop or rolling ball electrode.
Freezing.
Microwave.
The endometrium heals by scarring, which usually reduces or prevents uterine bleeding.
What To Expect After Surgery
Endometrial ablation is usually done in an outpatient facility or hospital. The procedure may be done using a local or spinal anesthesia, although general anesthesia is sometimes used.
It takes a few days to 2 weeks to recover. (WebMd)

#2. Hysterectomy
The surgical removal of the uterus. It is done to treat certain gynecological conditions, including childbirth complications; cancer; and fibroids, endometriosis, or uterine bleeding that hasn't responded to other treatments. (WebMd)

But until the ultrasound is done, there is no way to know if the ablation will work for MY fibroids. And the thought of a hysterectomy does not sound even vaguely pleasant. Not to mention the fact that recovery time is normally 4-6 weeks and I only have about 3 weeks vacation time saved up. I have savings, of course, and so does DSD, so the bills will be paid, but what if I am out for 6 weeks and they don't miss me? What if they realize they can get along without me? I can't afford to lose my job and there have been issues lately with some of my co-workers.

After everything I have read in the last week, I was leaning more toward
Uterine Fibroid Embolization (also called uterine artery embolization):
shrinks or destroys uterine fibroids by blocking the artery that supplies blood to them. During a UFE procedure, a radiologist places a thin, flexible tube called a catheter into the upper thigh and guides it into the uterine artery that supplies blood to the fibroids. A solution is then injected into the uterine artery through the catheter. (WebMd)

I like non-surgical! Of course, this isn't offered at the GYN, but it is something that I could possibly pursue on my own if hysterectomy is my only other option (I have already found 2 radiologists who perform this locally. One at the radiology place that does my mammograms and that will be performing my ultrasound). IF, of course, my insurance will pay for it. Sadly, from everything I have read, it is NOT cheaper than a hysterectomy and
in one study, about 1 in 5 women who had uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) needed another UFE or a hysterectomy within 3½ years. (WebMd) (Edwards RD, et al. (2007). Uterine-artery embolization versus surgery for symptomatic uterine fibroids. New England Journal of Medicine, 356(4): 360–370.)

So, I have been left with more questions than answers. My mom is a little pissed about it, but there is not a lot that can be done at this point. Just wait and see.

Enjoy your weekend.