The good doctor has given me permission to "computerize." His word. So, I came in, changed the background on my blog & I'll probably work on some Halloween/fall backgrounds for the Bipolar Kids site.
The gall bladder was "yucky" & is in a bottle. I stayed overnight & was sure glad to have my CPAP along with me. The respiratory therapist told me the difference between BiPAP & CPAP. Continuous Positive Air Pressure blows a constant pressure, no fluctuating & acts as a stent to hold the airway open. While a biPAP is a Bilevel Positive Air Pressure. There is one level for breathing in & one level for breathing out. So, I'll have to tell Mother. Hers is a BiPAP. The therapist also said that not many people use their CPAP faithfully. Man, I can't imagine not using it faithfully. I'd never get any sleep. I also had to have oxygen with my CPAP. I felt a lot better this morning.
I am housebound. I cannot work. He told me I could read, computerize, sit and other things, but cannot "work." In other words, life as usual. Who works at home? Look at my house & you know the answer is "Not RaNae." He asked me when I had to be back to work, I told him Monday. Actually, I need to go in & do my legals on Friday.
They did another 18 page paper today. I discovered they can live without me. They did a great job. I stopped into the paper long enough to see if they got the missionary I screwed up on last week in. I told his mother I would make sure it ran this week. It did!
I came home & took a pain pill & a nap. Don & Nick had gone to Subway for lunch. Don gave me part of his sandwich when I got up. I am now computerizing.
The top number on my blood pressure was in the 90s. Dr. Broadbent said not to take my lisinopril for a couple of days. He also said to have my BP checked before I go back on the medication. My potassium was at 3.4 yesterday morning. Still not within normal limits (WNL) but acceptable. He thinks I need to up my potassium intake by half a pill, or in otherwords, 50 meq instead of 40.
Don-Mike was supposed to have the day off, but was called in to work lunch. They had 2 people call in sick. After lunch, he took Mother to Logan for her protime. Good thing she didn't go with Don to get it done. Cache Valley Specialty Hospital is the slowest hospital I have ever been in. Also, as Don said, it was better for Don-Mike to take her this afternoon. Mother doesn't feel good in the mornings. It takes her til afternoon to get feeling better. Sounds like me.
Showing posts with label gall bladder. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gall bladder. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
Potassium still low
Dr. Broadbent called today about 4:45 to tell me my potassium is low. I told him I was feeling great. I was, it was late afternoon & after my usual slow start, I was finally getting something done. I asked him what it was & he said it was 3.1. I told him that was good, for me. A lot better than it was 2 weeks ago when he scared me so badly.
No, he wants it at 3.6 when I have my surgery on Monday. He wanted to know what I'd been doing to raise my potassium level. I told him I was taking my normal potassium dosage, 40 meqs a day. He wants me to up it to 80 meqs for the weekend & that should bring it up to normal limits by Monday.
I need to drink lots of water between now & Monday so they can get an IV in. I absolutely dread IVs. It takes several pokes for them to finally get one in.
I also asked about the red blood count. It was a little low, as is normal, but nothing to worry about.
Nick paid his speeding ticket today. Bill, his psychosocial rehabilitation (PSR) counselor came over today. I heard them talking about road rage, so I came back in, took my hearing aid out & made some telephone calls.
No, he wants it at 3.6 when I have my surgery on Monday. He wanted to know what I'd been doing to raise my potassium level. I told him I was taking my normal potassium dosage, 40 meqs a day. He wants me to up it to 80 meqs for the weekend & that should bring it up to normal limits by Monday.
I need to drink lots of water between now & Monday so they can get an IV in. I absolutely dread IVs. It takes several pokes for them to finally get one in.
I also asked about the red blood count. It was a little low, as is normal, but nothing to worry about.
Nick paid his speeding ticket today. Bill, his psychosocial rehabilitation (PSR) counselor came over today. I heard them talking about road rage, so I came back in, took my hearing aid out & made some telephone calls.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Pre-op appointment today
Today I was supposed to be able to sleep in, dream on! At 3:30 a.m., I woke up to Don kissing my hand. Nick was not feeling good & needed to know what to do for diarrhea. I woke up long enough to tell them where the anti-diarrheal pills were. Nick had woken his dad up. I told them where the pills were & for Nick to take 2. At 8:15, I woke up to Nick poking my hand. He wanted to know if he needed to take another anti-diarrheal pill. Yes, if he'd had another bout of diarrhea. He spent most of the day napping, while I had to run errands & go to the pre-op appointment in Logan for my gall bladder surgery on Monday.
I made it to the doctor's appt. a little bit late. Dr. Broadbent explained the procedure, they gave me the paperwork to take to Cache Valley Specialty Hospital (CVSH) for bloodwork & an EKG. Because a friend had told me that he'd done her gall bladder surgery & also repaired her herniated belly button, I asked him if he could do it for me. He wanted to look at my belly button. I told him it was a Dr. Orvid Cutler belly button, but it hadn't survived 2 pregnancies very well. He checked it & said he'd be glad to fix it. A couple of stitches & it would be as good as new. Kewl!! Thx Carolyn.
The hospital stay will be overnight. I have so many health problems Dr. B. wants to keep me overnight. He also put me first on the surgical schedule. I have to be at CVSH at 6:30 a.m. on Monday, which means a 5:45 wake up time.
Before we went over to CVSH, I took Mother to Cache Valley Cardiology, Dr. Otrusinik's office, for her pro-time. It was 4.9! Ack! It had risen from 2.7 in one week. We need to recheck in one week. Mother will have to go down with Don Tuesday morning when he picks me up. Unless Don-Mike has Tuesday or Wednesday off & can take her. Nick also has a dentist appt., Tuesday afternoon at 2 p.m. I told Don I was glad he'd taken both Monday & Tuesday off, because he could substitute for me on Tuesday.
That's the bad thing about having no siblings, there is no one to spell you. I had a Church member tell me on my mission, actually she told my companion & my comp told me that I take being an only child too seriously. I don't think I take it serious enough. I have some real guilt issues when it comes to Daddy & not being there for he & Mother when he was so sick.
I didn't start out life as an only child. I am the youngest of three. My sister, Wanda, was born in November of 1946. My brother, Eldon, was born in March of 1949 & I was born in August of 1950. Eldon & I are 16 months apart. Life would have been a lot different if he had lived. As it was, he was injured at birth. My mom was in the hospital, but the doctor hadn't made it yet. The baby's head was crowning & the nurse panicked & pushed my mother's legs together, crushing the baby's head. He lived for 12 days. Mother & Daddy did not get a picture of him. Mother's oldest brother was supposed to take a picture of him. If he did, Mother never got a picture. My parents didn't have a camera.
My mother was very sick when I was born, something to do with blood. They didn't expect her to live. She was in the hospital for weeks. She was never able to have another child. She had a couple of miscarriages. I have Rh negative blood & she has Rh positive blood. I think that played a role in the fact that she was not able to carry another pregnancy to term.
My sister Wanda died 10 days after her 24th birthday of the side effects of cortisone given to her for the treatment of lupus, systemic lupus erythematosus or SLE. In 1970, they said it was cancer. Daddy died on Grandma Porter's birthday, May 26, 1992.
So, there is just me. Mother, however, comes from a large family of 8, 3 boys & 5 girls. Most of her sisters & brothers have large families, although there are 2 sisters with 3 kids. Their kids are all living, grown, married & have pretty large families. So, Mother feels left out. It really irks me when people brag about their large posterity.
We have a full quorum of family almost every Sunday. I feel overwhelmed with no siblings and sons, not daughters, to help care for Mother. But my sons are a big help. Especially Don-Mike.
Don-Mike & Mother live in Aunt Vi's house, across town. Mother's sister Luana rents it out. Vi was Luana's sister-in-law. There is not room for 5 adults here. It is a small 2 bedroom home. Don & I slept in a camper out back for years. We decided it was time to build on to our house in 2007 & the camper had to be moved. Don-Mike & Nick were sharing a room & they needed their own space. Luana's rental came vacant at the perfect time. It's a cute 2 bedroom home. I think it is the only way Mother would have moved out of her house.
I was going through chemo at the time & it would have been impossible for me to climb in & out of that camper. I couldn't sleep in there during the day anyway, because it was too hot.
Sorry I went off on a tangent. It sounds like a pity party, but it isn't really. It's "just the facts ma'am," as Sgt. Joe Friday of Dragnet would say.
I am very grateful for my husband & our sons. I am also very grateful to have children as the doctor told me that I would never be able to carry a pregnancy to term. We got 2 out of 6. Heavenly Father definitely knew what He was doing when He stopped at 2. I have 2 very determined sons. They beat the odds of getting here & are persistent. Sometimes not as determined & persistent as I want them to be in some areas, but we'll save that for another post.
As for me, I haven't discovered what my purpose here on earth is.
I made it to the doctor's appt. a little bit late. Dr. Broadbent explained the procedure, they gave me the paperwork to take to Cache Valley Specialty Hospital (CVSH) for bloodwork & an EKG. Because a friend had told me that he'd done her gall bladder surgery & also repaired her herniated belly button, I asked him if he could do it for me. He wanted to look at my belly button. I told him it was a Dr. Orvid Cutler belly button, but it hadn't survived 2 pregnancies very well. He checked it & said he'd be glad to fix it. A couple of stitches & it would be as good as new. Kewl!! Thx Carolyn.
The hospital stay will be overnight. I have so many health problems Dr. B. wants to keep me overnight. He also put me first on the surgical schedule. I have to be at CVSH at 6:30 a.m. on Monday, which means a 5:45 wake up time.
Before we went over to CVSH, I took Mother to Cache Valley Cardiology, Dr. Otrusinik's office, for her pro-time. It was 4.9! Ack! It had risen from 2.7 in one week. We need to recheck in one week. Mother will have to go down with Don Tuesday morning when he picks me up. Unless Don-Mike has Tuesday or Wednesday off & can take her. Nick also has a dentist appt., Tuesday afternoon at 2 p.m. I told Don I was glad he'd taken both Monday & Tuesday off, because he could substitute for me on Tuesday.
That's the bad thing about having no siblings, there is no one to spell you. I had a Church member tell me on my mission, actually she told my companion & my comp told me that I take being an only child too seriously. I don't think I take it serious enough. I have some real guilt issues when it comes to Daddy & not being there for he & Mother when he was so sick.
I didn't start out life as an only child. I am the youngest of three. My sister, Wanda, was born in November of 1946. My brother, Eldon, was born in March of 1949 & I was born in August of 1950. Eldon & I are 16 months apart. Life would have been a lot different if he had lived. As it was, he was injured at birth. My mom was in the hospital, but the doctor hadn't made it yet. The baby's head was crowning & the nurse panicked & pushed my mother's legs together, crushing the baby's head. He lived for 12 days. Mother & Daddy did not get a picture of him. Mother's oldest brother was supposed to take a picture of him. If he did, Mother never got a picture. My parents didn't have a camera.
My mother was very sick when I was born, something to do with blood. They didn't expect her to live. She was in the hospital for weeks. She was never able to have another child. She had a couple of miscarriages. I have Rh negative blood & she has Rh positive blood. I think that played a role in the fact that she was not able to carry another pregnancy to term.
My sister Wanda died 10 days after her 24th birthday of the side effects of cortisone given to her for the treatment of lupus, systemic lupus erythematosus or SLE. In 1970, they said it was cancer. Daddy died on Grandma Porter's birthday, May 26, 1992.
So, there is just me. Mother, however, comes from a large family of 8, 3 boys & 5 girls. Most of her sisters & brothers have large families, although there are 2 sisters with 3 kids. Their kids are all living, grown, married & have pretty large families. So, Mother feels left out. It really irks me when people brag about their large posterity.
We have a full quorum of family almost every Sunday. I feel overwhelmed with no siblings and sons, not daughters, to help care for Mother. But my sons are a big help. Especially Don-Mike.
Don-Mike & Mother live in Aunt Vi's house, across town. Mother's sister Luana rents it out. Vi was Luana's sister-in-law. There is not room for 5 adults here. It is a small 2 bedroom home. Don & I slept in a camper out back for years. We decided it was time to build on to our house in 2007 & the camper had to be moved. Don-Mike & Nick were sharing a room & they needed their own space. Luana's rental came vacant at the perfect time. It's a cute 2 bedroom home. I think it is the only way Mother would have moved out of her house.
I was going through chemo at the time & it would have been impossible for me to climb in & out of that camper. I couldn't sleep in there during the day anyway, because it was too hot.
Sorry I went off on a tangent. It sounds like a pity party, but it isn't really. It's "just the facts ma'am," as Sgt. Joe Friday of Dragnet would say.
I am very grateful for my husband & our sons. I am also very grateful to have children as the doctor told me that I would never be able to carry a pregnancy to term. We got 2 out of 6. Heavenly Father definitely knew what He was doing when He stopped at 2. I have 2 very determined sons. They beat the odds of getting here & are persistent. Sometimes not as determined & persistent as I want them to be in some areas, but we'll save that for another post.
As for me, I haven't discovered what my purpose here on earth is.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Another Monday
Thursday, I had a garden party!! A first for me. I can't believe how far out of my comfort zone I ventured that time. It was a Pampered Chef party. I invited almost 100 people, 90 to be exact. I had ONE show up from my guest list. Of course, I had 4 there that, even though I invited them, I expected to be there. You know, a given? You expect your close friends & family to show up to support you. It was a luncheon & a lot of people work, I know that, but .... anyway, if I'd had a lot of people I would have panicked. The "boys," Don-Mike, Nick & Zach, showed up at one time or another, except Eddie, who was in school. But as far as paying guests go, it was a bust.
We had a yummy potato soup complete with potato skins which are high in potassium. And I'll definitely make it again. In fact, I have it scheduled for a meal in September. I'm proud of myself, I beat Don on planning September's menus. Usually he has his meals scheduled & I just kind of stumble through the month, sigh.
Saturday, Mother & I finished the errands we started on Wednesday. I ran out of energy & didn't get them all finished. I will try again next week.
A friend from Facebook gave me this advice:
Nick doesn't always like it when I tell him I can't do something. He woke me up at 8 o'clock this morning & said he needed new shoes. His shoe lace had broken. He wanted to go to Logan & buy his shoes. He said he hadn't worked out the logistics yet. I said I had to work today. He got huffy & said I didn't need to bite his head off.
I thought about ALCO, here in Preston, I know they have shoes. I told him to go check them out today & let me know. Meanwhile, I asked him to let me look at his shoe. It wasn't as bad as I was afraid it was. I took the shoe lace out, rethreaded it loosely & handed it back to him.
Today Vicki Atkinson, job share partner, & I plotted out when is the best time to have my gall bladder out, Monday, Sept. 21. I guess I'll call Dr. Broadbent's office tomorrow & schedule it.
We had a yummy potato soup complete with potato skins which are high in potassium. And I'll definitely make it again. In fact, I have it scheduled for a meal in September. I'm proud of myself, I beat Don on planning September's menus. Usually he has his meals scheduled & I just kind of stumble through the month, sigh.
Saturday, Mother & I finished the errands we started on Wednesday. I ran out of energy & didn't get them all finished. I will try again next week.
A friend from Facebook gave me this advice:
a friend with heart problems once told me.... " Go from your personal point A to point B and stop..." " some days the points may be miles apart and sometimes they may be touching each other ..."" and NEVER LOOK BACK..." What ever you were doing will always wait for you... if not.... to bad....'Very good advice. She went on to say, "I love that advice.... ...even tho I rarely heed it...." She & I are a lot alike, though I think I may heed it better than she does. Her son says that she schedules her illnesses, LOL.
Nick doesn't always like it when I tell him I can't do something. He woke me up at 8 o'clock this morning & said he needed new shoes. His shoe lace had broken. He wanted to go to Logan & buy his shoes. He said he hadn't worked out the logistics yet. I said I had to work today. He got huffy & said I didn't need to bite his head off.
I thought about ALCO, here in Preston, I know they have shoes. I told him to go check them out today & let me know. Meanwhile, I asked him to let me look at his shoe. It wasn't as bad as I was afraid it was. I took the shoe lace out, rethreaded it loosely & handed it back to him.
Today Vicki Atkinson, job share partner, & I plotted out when is the best time to have my gall bladder out, Monday, Sept. 21. I guess I'll call Dr. Broadbent's office tomorrow & schedule it.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Good news & bad news
Good news first, results of the MRI show that the lesion on my spine has not metastasised. It is NOT cancer. It is a "bone window." In other words, the bone is much thinner than the bones around it. I actually have 2 bone windows on L1.
I'm still not going to have the endoscopy nor am I going to have gall bladder surgery right now. I will not go under general anesthetic willingly. I realize I'm playing Russian roulette, but ... isn't general anesthetic a form of Russian roulette too? You go into surgery feeling fine & come out sick. One can die of complications from surgery. Seven surgeries in one year is enough to bankrupt a person financially & emotionally. My surgeries were actually within an 8 month period, that's an average of one surgery a month. I will take prilosec daily for my stomach problems before I'll go under general anesthetic again. I'm just starting to feel better.
Now, for the bad news. This isn't really my news, but I'm just sick. Eddie is on his way to detention. They were going to make him walk to Pocatello! Walk!! Who do they think we are & who do we talk to about protection from parole officers?
I'm still not going to have the endoscopy nor am I going to have gall bladder surgery right now. I will not go under general anesthetic willingly. I realize I'm playing Russian roulette, but ... isn't general anesthetic a form of Russian roulette too? You go into surgery feeling fine & come out sick. One can die of complications from surgery. Seven surgeries in one year is enough to bankrupt a person financially & emotionally. My surgeries were actually within an 8 month period, that's an average of one surgery a month. I will take prilosec daily for my stomach problems before I'll go under general anesthetic again. I'm just starting to feel better.
Now, for the bad news. This isn't really my news, but I'm just sick. Eddie is on his way to detention. They were going to make him walk to Pocatello! Walk!! Who do they think we are & who do we talk to about protection from parole officers?
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Tax Day 2009
Today, I went in & saw my nurse practitioner, Roxanne Froeher. She is such an awesome lady. She doesn't think the problem is gall bladder. She thinks it is an ulcer. The only time I have the attacks is when I'm empty. I haven't eaten. Usually you have the pain or attack after you've eaten if it's gall bladder. She's sending me in to have an ultrasound at Franklin County Medical Center tomorrow. Nothing to eat or drink after midnight & my appt. is at 10 a.m. I'm so glad it's here at our local hospital. She also gave me some samples of Nexium to try. If it is an ulcer, it will help. If it isn't, it won't hurt.
She's also concerned about the lesion on my spine. It measures about 1" at L1. No wonder my back always hurts when I stand too long. She said she'd call the radiologist in Logan & talk to him about the best option on how to proceed.
I've lost 10 pounds from the last time I saw her in December. Trying to watch the sugar intake. Another 3-5 pounds & I'll no longer be obese!!
I told her that I stopped the femara & crestor because I can't afford them. She told me we would definitely meet our $4K deductible this year,
We took Mother out to dinner for her birthday this evening at Chuck-A-Rama, a buffet in Ogden, Utah. We were all able to ride together in Don-Mike's new extended cab pickup. That's the first time in years, we've been able to all ride in the same vehicle, since the Windstar bit the dirt. well, actually the pavement, LOL, 4 or 5 years ago.
I was very careful of what I ate. Not a lot of fat, no spicy stuff & I only got one little piece of raw onion, LOL Don-Mike saw some no sugar stuff & pointed it out to me. I was a good girl & had the jello & pie. No IBS attack either,
I also questioned Don-Mike about the phone call from Dr. Broadbent. It was not the doctor himself, whew. It was a lady & I was supposed to call back. I assumed I was supposed to call back, but Don had said Dr. B, himself, called, which concerned me. I'm sure they are calling in regards to my calling to let them know that I had stopped taking femara because of the cost.
Here's an article in the New York Time, As Pills Treat Cancer, Insurance Lags Behind that a friend drew my attention to.
I've made the decision, as a lot of people have to, do I take the meds & prolong my life or do I pay my mortgage, utilities & outstanding medical bills & buy food? In my case, we don't even know if the medication will prolong my life. Supposedly, the breast cancer was taken care of with the removal of the lymph nodes, the partial mastectomy; the chemo & the radiation. The femara is to inhibit estrogen. I didn't have the HER2 cancer, mine was estrogen-positive. HER2 is aggressive & has to be treated longer & more aggressively than estrogen-positive. But my decision, after discussion with the Lord, the bishop & my husband, is to pay my mortgage, utility bills & outstanding medical bills.
If I die, we have insurance to cover my funeral expenses. The local morticians are friends of mine. They have explicit instructions of how to lay me out,
We don't have insurance to cover my prescriptions until we reach our $4K deductible. I pay $90 for one Rx & take 3 more in the morning & 1 in the evening, for a total of 5 scripts. Besides, we buy Prilosec (for Don & Nick) over the counter & Zyrtec-D (for Nick, I stopped taking that, too) over the counter as they went off patent & insurances no longer cover them. We can get Prilosec for Nick thru Medicaid though, only one dose a day, when the doctor prescribed 2.
I will call Dr. Broadbent's medical assistant tomorrow. Roxanne said she'd call when she gets the report back from FCMC & also when she has talked to radiologist in Logan. Her morning receptionist, Kristy Nelson, is a friend of mine. We go back a long way back. She still remembers when she worked for the local chiropractor that Mother was picking apples & the ladder fell over & Mother hung from a branch in the apple tree until my dad came along & set the ladder up for her. I wasn't living around here then, must have been about 20-25 years ago, if Daddy was still able to get around.
OK, gotta tell you why I'm glad the ultrasound is here in town. My car is in our garage, with no brakes. Don-Mike had the day off & was going to replace them today, but the local NAPA store just sold the rotors for my model of car yesterday. They had to order some for it. I needed wheels, so I'm driving Don-Mike's '89 Trans Am, Nan's Am, around town. No way would I go to Logan in that. I may have to go to the chiropractor after driving it. It was raining today, which turned into snow, rain, snow ... & the T-top was dripping. He hadn't gotten the glass down tight.
Don't know if that was an update, a complaint or just general grousing. Whatever it was, it was rambling, & too many words, LOL.
She's also concerned about the lesion on my spine. It measures about 1" at L1. No wonder my back always hurts when I stand too long. She said she'd call the radiologist in Logan & talk to him about the best option on how to proceed.
I've lost 10 pounds from the last time I saw her in December. Trying to watch the sugar intake. Another 3-5 pounds & I'll no longer be obese!!
I told her that I stopped the femara & crestor because I can't afford them. She told me we would definitely meet our $4K deductible this year,
We took Mother out to dinner for her birthday this evening at Chuck-A-Rama, a buffet in Ogden, Utah. We were all able to ride together in Don-Mike's new extended cab pickup. That's the first time in years, we've been able to all ride in the same vehicle, since the Windstar bit the dirt. well, actually the pavement, LOL, 4 or 5 years ago.
I was very careful of what I ate. Not a lot of fat, no spicy stuff & I only got one little piece of raw onion, LOL Don-Mike saw some no sugar stuff & pointed it out to me. I was a good girl & had the jello & pie. No IBS attack either,
I also questioned Don-Mike about the phone call from Dr. Broadbent. It was not the doctor himself, whew. It was a lady & I was supposed to call back. I assumed I was supposed to call back, but Don had said Dr. B, himself, called, which concerned me. I'm sure they are calling in regards to my calling to let them know that I had stopped taking femara because of the cost.
Here's an article in the New York Time, As Pills Treat Cancer, Insurance Lags Behind that a friend drew my attention to.
I've made the decision, as a lot of people have to, do I take the meds & prolong my life or do I pay my mortgage, utilities & outstanding medical bills & buy food? In my case, we don't even know if the medication will prolong my life. Supposedly, the breast cancer was taken care of with the removal of the lymph nodes, the partial mastectomy; the chemo & the radiation. The femara is to inhibit estrogen. I didn't have the HER2 cancer, mine was estrogen-positive. HER2 is aggressive & has to be treated longer & more aggressively than estrogen-positive. But my decision, after discussion with the Lord, the bishop & my husband, is to pay my mortgage, utility bills & outstanding medical bills.
If I die, we have insurance to cover my funeral expenses. The local morticians are friends of mine. They have explicit instructions of how to lay me out,
We don't have insurance to cover my prescriptions until we reach our $4K deductible. I pay $90 for one Rx & take 3 more in the morning & 1 in the evening, for a total of 5 scripts. Besides, we buy Prilosec (for Don & Nick) over the counter & Zyrtec-D (for Nick, I stopped taking that, too) over the counter as they went off patent & insurances no longer cover them. We can get Prilosec for Nick thru Medicaid though, only one dose a day, when the doctor prescribed 2.I will call Dr. Broadbent's medical assistant tomorrow. Roxanne said she'd call when she gets the report back from FCMC & also when she has talked to radiologist in Logan. Her morning receptionist, Kristy Nelson, is a friend of mine. We go back a long way back. She still remembers when she worked for the local chiropractor that Mother was picking apples & the ladder fell over & Mother hung from a branch in the apple tree until my dad came along & set the ladder up for her. I wasn't living around here then, must have been about 20-25 years ago, if Daddy was still able to get around.
OK, gotta tell you why I'm glad the ultrasound is here in town. My car is in our garage, with no brakes. Don-Mike had the day off & was going to replace them today, but the local NAPA store just sold the rotors for my model of car yesterday. They had to order some for it. I needed wheels, so I'm driving Don-Mike's '89 Trans Am, Nan's Am, around town. No way would I go to Logan in that. I may have to go to the chiropractor after driving it. It was raining today, which turned into snow, rain, snow ... & the T-top was dripping. He hadn't gotten the glass down tight.
Don't know if that was an update, a complaint or just general grousing. Whatever it was, it was rambling, & too many words, LOL.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Lent, Day 37
Just a few more days of the Lenten season & then I'll have to come up with new titles for my subject line. I have had trouble trying to figure out what day of Lent it is. I hope I've numbered them all correctly.
Don made it to bed before I did last night. I had to fill the humidifier of my CPAP machine & then put it in after the lights were out - grrrr. So, it must have been about midnight again.
I spent the morning trying to figure out why the bank wouldn't let Luana cash Mother's rent check on Monday. I still don't know the answer to that, but she got it cashed. Then I checked on the vet charge account to see if there would be enough available credit to pay for both cats & saw only $23 available. So, I spent the morning, what was left of it after I got up at 10:30, working on finances. I was supposed to be to work at noon & didn't make it. I was going to have a piece of toast & take my meds before I took the cats to the vet.
But Nick has been obsessing about Daddy's little red jeep. How he wants to get rid of it & nobody will let him. I told him I did not want to get into an argument about the jeep. I didn't have time.
Nick & Don-Mike did put Brackin & Prissy in the carriers & carried them out to the car for me. By then, I was running late, still had to go up to the Citizen & tell them I'd be later than I was, but I'd still come in.
Prissy's eye has been gray, like Boots' was when I took him to the vet. Dr. Larry, the older, retired vet, was working today, I didn't ask where Dr. Cliff was. I like Dr. Larry better. He looked closely at Prissy's eye. He wanted to see if there was a "foreign body" in it. He found a ripped 3rd eye lid. He said, "Huh, I thought so." Somebody had swatted at Prissy & scratched her in the eye. We all know who did that. Miss Marsha Lu thinks she is God's gift to the Bartlomé family. She's always swiping at the other cats, especially Prissy. And poor little Prissy has been the pariah since the boys (Boots & Astro) died. Astro was the pariah before. Prissy has never fit in, but she & Boots seemed to have a rapport.
I think I know now how Boots died. Nick told me that Sam had run Boots off. We found him out under the lilac tree, so weak, he couldn't stand up. So, I'll bet his gray eye was the result of a swipe from Sam & it got infected.
Anyway, while I was explaining to Becca, the receptionist at the vet's office, that I didn't know how I was going to pay for this because I couldn't find Mother's credit card, I had a sudden, extreme gut ache. OMG, it felt like someone had taken my gut & was twisting it. It hurt SOOOOOOO bad. Becca & Marie, the vet's assistant, gave me a lollipop, they got some Ensure for diabetics, but I could only drink 3 swallows of the Ensure, then I tried throwing up, sticking my finger down my throat & gagging myself, in the bathroom, of course.
I had not had anything to eat before I left, the appt. was at 2 & I was about 5 minutes late. So, we wondered if it was low blood sugar. I hadn't had any of my pills either. I handed Becca my cell phone & she called Don-Mike, but I didn't know I had Big J's programmed as his default number. I always just use the speed dial. So, we tried his speed dial, it went to his voice mail, so she left a message. Then she called Nick. Luckily Don-Mike was at Big J's in Richmond & came back & got me. He called Nick to tell him not to come, but he was already in Franklin. Nick opted to keep coming. Don-Mike stopped at Big J's & picked up his food & while he was in getting it, I swiped 3 big swallows of his drink, still thinking it might be low blood sugar.
I curled up in the fetal position, trying to get some relief from the pain. He asked me what side of the road Instacare was on & I finally sat up. He was on 1400 North, headed for the hospital. I told him I wanted Instacare, but we could go to the hospital, if he wanted. He said ERs are so stinking expensive. I said Instacare was on 4th North & 2nd East. He took 4th East & wended his way to Instacare. OMG, those roads are bumpy. I'm so glad he had his new truck. I could stretch out in the back seat, not that I did.
Nick pulled in right behind us. I think he went directly to Instacare though. I am so glad Nick was there. He stayed right by my side. Don-Mike went right back out to the truck to eat his lunch. Nick helped me at the registration desk, stood by me through the triage room, helped me to the examining room & sat there with me. He left when I told him to go out to the truck & get the cell phone to call Jessi, my supervisor. Don-Mike came in then with Nick. Don-Mike had called Don, so he came up after work. The boys left when Don came & stopped in Richmond to pick up the cats.
The doctor examined me. By that time the pain had let up & I was able to straighten out. I told Nick by the time the doctor came, I was going to be better. Still tender & still having some pain. My urine sample was good, my blood work was good, slightly anemic, no surprise, but my potassium level was up, woo hoo!! My sugar level was 125, slightly elevated, but good considering I hadn't had anything to eat. They took an x-ray & found that there was a lot of stool backed up. I KNOW that wasn't a blocked bowel. The doctor suspects a gall bladder attack. They had to send that blood work to Logan Regional's lab, oh groan, more medical bills.
Anyway, the doctor told me to drink lots of water & they would call in the morning with the results of the blood work they sent to LRH.
Don stopped at the vet's for me to pick up the car. It was 10 to 6 & I told him I was going to go in & tell them I was ok. Whoever went in to pick up the cats told Becca & Marie it was gall stones. I told Nick to tell them the doctor thought it was gall bladder.
Don made it to bed before I did last night. I had to fill the humidifier of my CPAP machine & then put it in after the lights were out - grrrr. So, it must have been about midnight again.
I spent the morning trying to figure out why the bank wouldn't let Luana cash Mother's rent check on Monday. I still don't know the answer to that, but she got it cashed. Then I checked on the vet charge account to see if there would be enough available credit to pay for both cats & saw only $23 available. So, I spent the morning, what was left of it after I got up at 10:30, working on finances. I was supposed to be to work at noon & didn't make it. I was going to have a piece of toast & take my meds before I took the cats to the vet.
But Nick has been obsessing about Daddy's little red jeep. How he wants to get rid of it & nobody will let him. I told him I did not want to get into an argument about the jeep. I didn't have time.
Nick & Don-Mike did put Brackin & Prissy in the carriers & carried them out to the car for me. By then, I was running late, still had to go up to the Citizen & tell them I'd be later than I was, but I'd still come in.
Prissy's eye has been gray, like Boots' was when I took him to the vet. Dr. Larry, the older, retired vet, was working today, I didn't ask where Dr. Cliff was. I like Dr. Larry better. He looked closely at Prissy's eye. He wanted to see if there was a "foreign body" in it. He found a ripped 3rd eye lid. He said, "Huh, I thought so." Somebody had swatted at Prissy & scratched her in the eye. We all know who did that. Miss Marsha Lu thinks she is God's gift to the Bartlomé family. She's always swiping at the other cats, especially Prissy. And poor little Prissy has been the pariah since the boys (Boots & Astro) died. Astro was the pariah before. Prissy has never fit in, but she & Boots seemed to have a rapport.
I think I know now how Boots died. Nick told me that Sam had run Boots off. We found him out under the lilac tree, so weak, he couldn't stand up. So, I'll bet his gray eye was the result of a swipe from Sam & it got infected.
Anyway, while I was explaining to Becca, the receptionist at the vet's office, that I didn't know how I was going to pay for this because I couldn't find Mother's credit card, I had a sudden, extreme gut ache. OMG, it felt like someone had taken my gut & was twisting it. It hurt SOOOOOOO bad. Becca & Marie, the vet's assistant, gave me a lollipop, they got some Ensure for diabetics, but I could only drink 3 swallows of the Ensure, then I tried throwing up, sticking my finger down my throat & gagging myself, in the bathroom, of course.
I had not had anything to eat before I left, the appt. was at 2 & I was about 5 minutes late. So, we wondered if it was low blood sugar. I hadn't had any of my pills either. I handed Becca my cell phone & she called Don-Mike, but I didn't know I had Big J's programmed as his default number. I always just use the speed dial. So, we tried his speed dial, it went to his voice mail, so she left a message. Then she called Nick. Luckily Don-Mike was at Big J's in Richmond & came back & got me. He called Nick to tell him not to come, but he was already in Franklin. Nick opted to keep coming. Don-Mike stopped at Big J's & picked up his food & while he was in getting it, I swiped 3 big swallows of his drink, still thinking it might be low blood sugar.
I curled up in the fetal position, trying to get some relief from the pain. He asked me what side of the road Instacare was on & I finally sat up. He was on 1400 North, headed for the hospital. I told him I wanted Instacare, but we could go to the hospital, if he wanted. He said ERs are so stinking expensive. I said Instacare was on 4th North & 2nd East. He took 4th East & wended his way to Instacare. OMG, those roads are bumpy. I'm so glad he had his new truck. I could stretch out in the back seat, not that I did.
Nick pulled in right behind us. I think he went directly to Instacare though. I am so glad Nick was there. He stayed right by my side. Don-Mike went right back out to the truck to eat his lunch. Nick helped me at the registration desk, stood by me through the triage room, helped me to the examining room & sat there with me. He left when I told him to go out to the truck & get the cell phone to call Jessi, my supervisor. Don-Mike came in then with Nick. Don-Mike had called Don, so he came up after work. The boys left when Don came & stopped in Richmond to pick up the cats.
The doctor examined me. By that time the pain had let up & I was able to straighten out. I told Nick by the time the doctor came, I was going to be better. Still tender & still having some pain. My urine sample was good, my blood work was good, slightly anemic, no surprise, but my potassium level was up, woo hoo!! My sugar level was 125, slightly elevated, but good considering I hadn't had anything to eat. They took an x-ray & found that there was a lot of stool backed up. I KNOW that wasn't a blocked bowel. The doctor suspects a gall bladder attack. They had to send that blood work to Logan Regional's lab, oh groan, more medical bills.
Anyway, the doctor told me to drink lots of water & they would call in the morning with the results of the blood work they sent to LRH.
Don stopped at the vet's for me to pick up the car. It was 10 to 6 & I told him I was going to go in & tell them I was ok. Whoever went in to pick up the cats told Becca & Marie it was gall stones. I told Nick to tell them the doctor thought it was gall bladder.
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