tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11632314314885899762024-03-13T22:58:50.480-04:00The Secret Life of Ducks...Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger200125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163231431488589976.post-44640633623106168642011-10-02T18:32:00.000-04:002011-10-04T18:34:18.971-04:00Today I hurt...Joe's been diagnosed with an anoxic brain injury. At some point, somehow, he was deprived of oxygen long enough to cause permanent brain damage. He's getting a stomach tube put in tomorrow and then off to a top rated rehab unit for several months to see if there is any progress.<br />
<br />
one dr said to me yesterday that this is a tragedy. No kidding. Joe;s health was awful, he was on borrowed time... but its not supposed to be like this. Its not supposed to be a brain trauma from lack of oxygen when he was IN SURGERY and under the care of an anesthesiologist!!!<br />
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I don't understand any of this. I can barely sit next to him for more then a few hours, and I'm really hoping that his family understands that I can't put JP thru anymore of the hospitalizations.. especially when he's like this. His movements are unpredictable and forceful... and just sounds come out of him. Its NOT Joe... I don't know if he;s even there anymore at all... or if he;s locked in this version of hell where he cant see or talk.<br />
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I didn't go to the hospital today and I have such guilt. But my mom was exhausted and has pushed herself to do what she can for me. I just can't bear to take JP to see Joe like this. He was scared in November when he went to see him in CCU and Joe was alert and talking. Now Daddy can't talk or even see him. I don't even know if he knows who i am or who JP is. IN addition JP was coughing and sneezing up until about 4 pm and I can't risk another fever with Joe delaying the tube. If he has ANY chance at all it will be with this rehab hospital. <br />
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I'm terrified of the surgery to put the stomach tube in becuase they have to sedate him again.. and thats how we ended up here. The hospital he;s going to is over an hour away from me... i won't get there anytime except the weekends...<br />
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I can't figure out if I'm coping well or in total denial. I feel like I emotionally skirt around the really painful parts and avoid letting myself feel the pain. I'm starting to see people treat me differently already. Some people that are casual friends... are conveniently leaving me off of group invite texts.. and that makes it even harder.<br />
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I feel like I'm stuck in limbo. I can't say I'm a widow yet... but realistically I have to think that way. Joe;s family doesn't include me in any discussions so I'm alone there as well. JP hasn't asked once to speak to Daddy.. and I asked him today if he wanted to see him and he said no. He's only 4 so I don't know what to do . Since kids are more in touch with things we adults pretend don't exist, I wonder if he knows something we don't. He said to me one day that Daddy was gone.. does he know that in a way he is? If Joe's not going to ever get better then he is right now.. then I hope he isn't aware of anything other then impulses and instincts. The doctors feel that its likely he's not aware since he won't do anything basic on command and since he's not paralyzed he should be able to.<br />
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All I know is that my heart is breaking tongiht and it hurts so bad. I look at JP and I hurt so bad for him as well. Its just not fair!! <br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163231431488589976.post-38358146928483645602011-09-21T10:20:00.002-04:002011-09-21T10:20:58.400-04:00"I'm worried about you mom"That's what JP said to me this morning as we were getting ready to leave.<br />
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He wont tell me why, but repeated it a few times before getting dropped off at my moms... and he's not asked to talk to Daddy at all which is good as Joe is still not conscious....<br />
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What am I supposed to say to him about him being worried about me except that mommy is ok.... it broke me a little this morning.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163231431488589976.post-21627754641002261962011-09-20T07:12:00.001-04:002011-09-20T07:12:34.542-04:00No real changesDay 5? no.. i think its day 6. Joe is still not awake. Sedation has been off since last Thursday but he's not coming out of this.<br />
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Creatine level is increased, but that is an indicator of kidney health and a higher number is not the way you want it to go. He's not ready for dialysis yet, so hopefully his creatine starts to decrease again. If it is just the kidneys detoxing ability thats impaired, then the kidneys need to get a little stronger to finish so he can come out of this.<br />
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Saturday he wasn't moving much, now he moves all the time. However none of it is purposeful or deliberate or on command. The repeat CT scan didn't show the anomaly they were concerned about, but there are still just no answers. Its so hard to watch him move around and have his eyes open but not be able to get a deliberate response.<br />
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He's breathing on his own they say.. but I want to talk to the respiratory tech and get a better idea of what that means as the ventilator is still in. He is still running a low grade temp and they can't really locate the reason. These 2 findings are concerning since the brain stem controls breathing and body temp regulation.<br />
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I don't want to give up hope or positive thoughts, but I also think i need to be realistic. Yes he could do it again and come out of it, but even if he comes home I have to be ready to live my life as a single mom. The longer he's like this the higher the odds that he'll go to a nursing home.<br />
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I have one glitch to figure out with JP's daycare, but thats an almost done deal. I found a retired school psychologist to watch him all day Monday, and half day Tues... Wed he will go to a top rate local preschool in the morning and my mom will pick him up.. friday will be at the preschool all day. My last glitch is Thursday. The retired psychologist has a course to take for 7 weeks. I want to have her watch him after thats done, but I need to sort out what to do in the meantime. I'm hoping the preschool will take him for those few weeks and I can have a friend pick him up...We'll see,, I should have it sorted out by tomorrow.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163231431488589976.post-1426704667016250142011-09-17T15:59:00.000-04:002011-09-17T15:59:53.390-04:00Another day and no answersI just got home from the hospital. Some improvements, some declines. Still no clear answers.<br />
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His breathing is improved to more on his own and the ventilator just supporting him, but no longer breathing for him.<br />
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Neurologically he's still not showing the right signs, in fact the right side of his body isn't showing any movement now, whereas the other day it was.<br />
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Now they are telling me there is a small chance of a brain stem stroke. However he has a pacemaker, 2 stents and steel rods in his hip from a fracture. They can't do an MRI for a definitive answer. He responds to certain stimuli, other things he doesn't.<br />
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They just have no clue yet. Todays blood work came back normal. The good thing there is that its not sepsis this time.<br />
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<br />
I was able to speak with the neurologist today and he is having a meeting with other neuro's today and will be seeking their opinion. I had to laugh when I asked about what time and he said 1pm....at a birthday party, lol. If anyone had a brilliant insight I asked him to call me.. otherwise I'll wait.<br />
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I'm so overwhelmed at the thoughts in general today. One of the concerns with Joe's neurological status is that he is perfectly aware of everything around him, but 'locked in' due to the location of the potential stroke.If thats the case he won't be able to move or communicate.. at least thats my current understanding We are just trying to stay positive that there is no actual brain stem injury. The odds of it are low, but they are there.<br />
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I'm coming to realize that its best if I start planning things as if I'm a single parent. I was leaving the goal of taking JP to and from preschool as something for Joe to work towards. Now I'll have to find a preschool thats affordable, and has hours that can accomodate my schedule.<br />
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I was doing well for most of the day and was keeping busy cleaning. Now the depression is really starting to take hold. I think I prefer having a cushion of shock and denial.I was thinking of sending out a general text to some friends and seeing if they are up to a pizza and wine night.. but I hesitate as the main portion of the group I'm thinking of is a newer bunch of people to us... they know about Joe's health issues... and all I do when with them is laugh... but I just can't make myself reach out.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163231431488589976.post-40686759731678727732011-09-16T09:04:00.000-04:002011-10-04T18:33:48.296-04:00Today I am.... angryI'm angry because he ignored all the dr's, all of us, all the warning signs just because he didn't like being diabetic.<br />
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I'm angry because I can't take time off work easily.. yet everyone else can.<br />
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I'm angry because I have to always be in control and be strong and pretend that things aren't as bad as they are. Sorry folks.. just because he's not expected to die.. he's still in ICU and it is still bad, he's not cured.. its just a matter of time.<br />
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<br />
I need certain things right now and just can't get them because it doesn't meet anything else that anyone else needs. Things that people will assume the worst of me for even though they are simple basic things. Tonight I had a girls night planned. I can't go. I need friends .. I need to laugh... I need to pretend that nothing is seriously wrong in my life right now.. I need normal. ... but heaven forbid I have a few hours to myself while he's in the hospital again.I need to not have to explain to JP that Daddy can't come home right now. I need to have a break in something. <br />
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I don't know what else to say except I'm angry today.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163231431488589976.post-1723651050974271562011-09-15T08:07:00.001-04:002011-09-15T08:07:16.071-04:00deja vu to novmemberJoe's back in ICU. I still can't grasp what happened.<br />
<br />
he went in for eye surgery to just remove dried blood from the back of his left eye so he could see out of that one until the right was repaired and his vision restored. He's been blind for 4 months from this.<br />
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they sedated him. they started the surgery.. barely... and he stopped breathing. CPR was done, he;s intubated again and back in ICU on sedation and in for testing.<br />
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Everyone keeps asking me what I need.<br />
<br />
I need to be able to fall apart, completely fall apart for a little while. I can't. I have to take care of everything else. I have to work, I have to care for JP and try to explain that Daddy is sleeping at the hospital .. but I don't know if I'm going to have to explain that Daddy is sleeping in Heaven soon.<br />
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I need help with babysitters for JP but the ones I can count on give me grief from time to time. Although right now I'm trying to find alternatives because they want to be at his bedside as well. They called a priest last night to give him last rights. I did find a person that is doing daycare for up to 2 kids and has 2 grown sons and an education degree. The ad states that her hours are flexible which is my issue with my work hours and a regular facility. With any luck this will be a perfect fit and I can have JP there 3 days a week.<br />
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I'm hoping they can find more answers today. They are planning on a heart cath again to make sure the stents are ok since they stopped ( the cardiologist) stopped the blood thinners until Joe's eye's were repaired.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163231431488589976.post-50222597865601019142011-07-01T12:08:00.000-04:002011-07-01T12:08:15.933-04:00My garden is growing.. but have I mentioned I am shrinking?After an unintentional start towards weight loss last August, I've kept up with the momentum. I made small changes and bought a food scale.. then worked on portion control. I've learned I can eat what I want.. and I do, just in very different amounts.<br />
<br />
A lot of people have asked me what I am doing and I always tell them nothing more then old fashioned common sense. I eat healthy, eat much less then I used to (average btwn 1300-1600cal a day) and move more whether it be at the gym or at home. I don't do any crazy things... just all that silly stuff we always hear as basic recommendations... after all.. all those years of trying to take the weight off fast just worked so well for me, lol.<br />
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Nowadays I don't even really think about how much my viewpoint and my lifestyle have changed.. it's just how it is now for me and I'm perfectly comfortable with it. I eat whatever I want in either smaller portions or with healthy changes. I also make sure there is always (ok.. almost always) a fruit or veggie with my meals. It took me 40 years for my moment of clarity to finally 'get it'. I don't let myself get upset at the wasted years for what finally became so simple and clear to me. I don't set a timeline in stone.. just a general guide for what I'd like to see when.<br />
<br />
Along the journey I've been on I've had wonderful little victories that sometimes take me a few days to realize, lol. Silly things like crossing my legs to sit on the bed or floor... last night I stretched while sitting down and realized I can touch my toes again!.. I was getting to the area right above my ankles for a long time... I'm in a size of jeans that I didn't expect to see for another month or so.. that was a biggie for me, lol. More importantly to me is the fact that I no longer feel like everyone is staring at me no matter where I am. I no longer am the biggest person in a group or in general and I feel like the me that I used to be more then 15years ago.<br />
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<br />
As of today I've lost 67lbs. In 11.5 more pounds I will be at my halfway to goal point....I'm so glad it finally clicked for me and I'm so glad I can be such a great example to JP for a healthy active lifestyle so that he doesn't have to go thru what I have over the years.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163231431488589976.post-11618953348554927762011-06-23T09:22:00.002-04:002011-06-23T09:39:48.749-04:00How my garden grows, lolSince JP was born I've become a morning person... well more of one anyway, lol. My favorite way to start my mornings for the last month or so has been to get up by 6am, grab a cup of coffee and go out and work in my little gardens. I use a cultivator to hack out the weeds, thin any seedlings, prune anything thats needs cutting back, etc.<br />
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For the last week it seems that it takes so little time that I just go out and do a little work and thats about it and it didn't dawn on me why until I looked at the pics I posted shortly after planting, lol...<br />
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This is my front garden as of this week, lol....<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oF8pAH42RRc/TgM6PhchkpI/AAAAAAAAGxE/CslYngqjBqw/s1600/102_3640.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oF8pAH42RRc/TgM6PhchkpI/AAAAAAAAGxE/CslYngqjBqw/s320/102_3640.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CO8fz9Bd1R0/TgM6TkdhnwI/AAAAAAAAGxI/piQ4ZjPPYnk/s1600/102_3641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CO8fz9Bd1R0/TgM6TkdhnwI/AAAAAAAAGxI/piQ4ZjPPYnk/s320/102_3641.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">these are my beets, lettuce, carrots and radishes from seeds</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JEvDRISXpeo/TgM6WHrFOsI/AAAAAAAAGxM/rZnqhiODm3E/s1600/102_3642.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JEvDRISXpeo/TgM6WHrFOsI/AAAAAAAAGxM/rZnqhiODm3E/s320/102_3642.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">my HUGE and still growing pumpkin plant.. silly me thought I'd get one to two pumpkins off one plant. I have tons of blossoms about to open. In front of it is my watermelon plant that is a slow starter</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eJ0L9ml-q_U/TgM6ZRGQPAI/AAAAAAAAGxQ/fxPVVTHbqp8/s1600/102_3643.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eJ0L9ml-q_U/TgM6ZRGQPAI/AAAAAAAAGxQ/fxPVVTHbqp8/s320/102_3643.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">my zucchini already has 3 baby zucchini growing and I've had to prune a couple of huge leaves off to make sure the yellow squash behind it gets enough light. The cucumbers are to the right of the zucchini and in back of the cucumbers is my butternut squash. just on the right edge of the photo is my white eggplant which has a tiny eggplant starting, on the edge of the left of my photo are my peppers with green peppers beginning to grow as of this morning</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IO7OG34-y64/TgM9HCdV-2I/AAAAAAAAGxc/BXZieVGhN-k/s1600/102_3645.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IO7OG34-y64/TgM9HCdV-2I/AAAAAAAAGxc/BXZieVGhN-k/s320/102_3645.JPG" width="320" /></a>white eggplant just starting to grow</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T45xPfl5fvM/TgM9KxmsRvI/AAAAAAAAGxg/WmtuBjTWv7U/s1600/102_3646.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T45xPfl5fvM/TgM9KxmsRvI/AAAAAAAAGxg/WmtuBjTWv7U/s320/102_3646.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">baby zucchini</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aMztZs6xxVQ/TgM6ck1akRI/AAAAAAAAGxU/mNNd2RN5LOg/s1600/102_3644.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aMztZs6xxVQ/TgM6ck1akRI/AAAAAAAAGxU/mNNd2RN5LOg/s320/102_3644.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">we just had a very heavy rain go through so my pumpkin leaves are beated down a bit, this is one of the areas with lots of pumpkin blossoms</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eHtO85W321A/TgNBLgj4gnI/AAAAAAAAGxo/p_VPGtq2Huk/s1600/102_3647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eHtO85W321A/TgNBLgj4gnI/AAAAAAAAGxo/p_VPGtq2Huk/s320/102_3647.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">After I looked at the pics I previously posted I realized how much everything has grown and why it takes me no time at all to do the mundane little daily things, lol</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163231431488589976.post-83458601343581565862011-06-11T12:46:00.002-04:002011-06-11T13:08:19.146-04:00Gardens and health.. silly happy things.With all the stress over the winter, I was looking forward to a calmer summer. Joe's health is fairly stable. The pacemaker had a loose screw the first week so back in for surgery he went. It was a simple procedure and he was home the next day... and as I remind him I now have it medically documented that he has had a loose screw. He's currently undergoing eye surgeries for retina bleeding.. but the dr feels a full recovery is a sure thing.. and this is the tail end of a long time of issues from the original foot ulcers just about 3 years ago.<br />
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We are enjoying a sometimes hotter then average, but mostly seasonal spring. I wanted to try growing veggies in the new place since there are less deer and wildlife to eat my tender young green growing things.<br />
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Joe has now banned me from walking into greenhouses or gardening centers, lol. <br />
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As of this morning I think I have completed all my plantings with the exception of quick grow things such as lettuce and spinach ( spinach will be a late summer to fall crop.. I have no more room at the moment). My front garden bed, which is about 3 feet wide and 10 feet long, is being used for the most of the veggies. I have planted it using a square foot gardening plan.<br />
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In those 30 square feet or so I have:<br />
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1 - Zucchini<br />
1- Yellow squash<br />
1- Watermelon<br />
1- Pumpkin<br />
1- Butternut squash<br />
1- heavy producing (or so it says) cucumber<br />
2- bell peppers ( one red and one green)<br />
1- White eggplant<br />
1- Pineapple sage<br />
1- onion chives<br />
9- Beets<br />
12 Carrots<br />
8 - Lettuce<br />
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the upside down tomato cage is for the cucumbers to grow on. Not pictured is my hanging strawberry plant. I just moved this to the front fro more sun as I'm not getting many blossoms, but it is nice and lush<br />
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now thats just the front..... in the back I have more, lol....all in containers<br />
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1- hanging cherry tomato - purchased it with tomatoes already growing so it had a nice start<br />
1- huge beefsteak style tomato plant in a container with Parsley<br />
1- long planter with another eggplant and lettuce - should get 3-4 large heads of lettuce.. and lots of leaves while thinning<br />
1- long planter with cilantro and shorter growing carrots - hoping to get about 16 out of that<br />
1- container with sweet peas - need to pick up another tomato cage for them to grow on<br />
1- stacked planter with basil, german thyme, sage, tarragon, cilantro, dill<br />
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Joe wants to ask the landlords if we can dig up part of the lawn for a bigger garden next year. I've already looked into potatoes and onions and more fun things. If I can't then my containers are working fine. Joe is on a mission to find some kind of obscure italian zucchini variety. We thought we had found it but its a round squash, not a long variety. The greenhouse that I went to knew exactly what I was looking for and is planning on getting some seeds next year.. so Joe will have to wait, lol. For now I'm just enjoying the process of maintaining my little garden.. and looking forward to saving some money once I can harvest. My veggie bill at the grocery store is slightly (not too bad) painful some days, lol.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163231431488589976.post-24843877210653247482011-04-12T07:15:00.000-04:002011-04-12T07:15:25.635-04:00it's been a long 6 monthsI haven't posted here in about 6 months as it's just been a long 6 months. Overall Joe has done very well and surprised us all at how he's bounced back as much as he has. Too bad I've become quite adept at packing a hospital bag for him quickly and the ambulance crews remember our house now.<br />
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<br />
He left the hospital after the heart attack on December 1'st... was back in a couple of weeks later when his external defibrulator went off and actually shocked him. Turns out it was machine malfunction and not him.<br />
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A couple of weeks after that he went back in for a severe pinky toe infection. He and his toe have now parted, but he's got a good attitude about it and has healed extremely well.<br />
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Toss in a few more heart related ER runs ( only 1 resulted in him leaving the same day), another ambulance call and we get to today.<br />
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He is getting his pacemaker in today ( will correct this later - it's actually called something else and works a little differently). I'm a little creeped out that the surgery is 6 months to the day of the original heart attack, but we had such positive results then that this should be smooth and easy.<br />
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We've been told by some people that his energy will now increase a little and that would be a good thing. He is starting to ride a bike... but gets tired after a few rounds on the driveway. I wouldn't expect him to be doing long trips right now anyway.. and any exercise is better then none. He's also learning to keep his salt intake to normal levels. The last ambulance/ER/admission was for that and we almost ended up there the other day as well. Of course this past Sunday was also not helped because he didnb't take his Lasix which helps with fluid retention.<br />
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Amazingly though he is keeping a good eye on his blood sugar and they are staying in much better ranges with many days in the normal range. For him this is amazing.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163231431488589976.post-82399185851290974142010-11-20T21:35:00.000-05:002010-11-20T21:35:46.579-05:00I believe in miracles.. and now have been fortunate enough to witness one firsthandI've always believed in miracles, but always thought the miracle of birth of our son was the closest I would get. This past, short week I have been shown differently and have first hand witness to a miracle.<br />
<br />
My husband is alive!<br />
<br />
A week ago today my husband had just finished the first 24 hours of a battle for his life after a massive heart attack at age 35. He went into the ER via ambulance but the heart was not the first suspect. Severe ketoacidosis was. Then his oxygen levels went low and they had to intubate him. After that his heart rythms would not stabilize.<br />
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45minutes after I got to the ER, probably 60 minutes for him.. with supplemental oxygen being given to him already and a room of no less then 8 hospital dr's, nurses or techs.. he flat lined. I saw the events, I saw the nurse jump on the table and administer CPR. I wasnt sure what was going on for the first 15 seconds.. then it all clicked. He ended up coding twice in the end.<br />
<br />
he then an emergency balloon catheterization to locate and then remove a large blood clot in one of the main arteries over the heart.<br />
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Satruday morning I was informed his kidneys were shutting down, by Sunday he was on dialysis. Monday we were told he was in multi system organ failure and that realistically his chances of surviving were 2%. They were unable to locate a source of a massive infection. They had an idea and had a surgeon coming in to assess what they thought it was.<br />
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They were able to locate the source and drain it. Within 24 hours his many organ failures started to restore function. The last hurdle was to get him to wake up and there was some concern that he had suffered brain damage as he was not responding as expected.<br />
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Last night he was finally following commands, simple ones that showed he was in there.<br />
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Then this morning the final tubes for ventilator and feeding were removed minutes prior to me being able to go back and see him!<br />
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We spent hours talking with him as much as he could. He knows what happened but is still coming to realize how much it was. He remembers everything from that night up until they intubated him which was done under sedation as he was fighting so much. We've since found out the story (if not specific information) has made the rounds of this very large hospital. He is an amazing story. I have informed him it is not to go to his head, lol.<br />
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At one point today I just had to laugh. He looked at me with all seriousness and asked what his odds were of living now. I just laughed and told him that yesterday his odds were 98% and that he was stuck with us all.<br />
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not bad since last Saturday and Sunday his odds of living were 0%. He should never have made it to his 36th birthday this coming monday. I should technically be classified as a widow today.<br />
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I am so deeply grateful for all that sent their prayers or positive thoughts for us as we went thru this. It is the most amazing feeling to sit here sad because I can't stay longer at night with him.. but am able to know that he will be there tomorrow.<br />
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He has been given a second chance on life and we have been given a second chance to make our marriage/family the union it should be. We have a long road to go to get there, and counseling for him and for us is part of that.<br />
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With what we've just gone thru - I think we can find the strength to make it to the goal. What's another small miracle when you've been blessed by such an incredible one.<br />
<br />
Thank you God for giving me back my husband.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163231431488589976.post-11601317433691539392010-11-17T09:09:00.000-05:002010-11-17T09:09:03.428-05:00Improvement with Joe.It looks like we may very well be getting our miracle that we needed.<br />
<br />
Joe had a 0% chance of surviving on Saturday and Sunday. On Monday it was 2%. Yesterday morning it was 3.5%. He's been in MASSIVE systems failure of at least 8 different systems.<br />
<br />
However then yesterday small miracles started happening:<br />
His kidneys are functioning again on their own and he put out more then he took in yesterday.<br />
His liver enzymes are off the chart because the liver is in shock and it does that.<br />
His lungs are still filled with fluid, but his oxygen need was decreased from 70% to 40% - HUGE change.<br />
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They found the source of the infection on Monday and cut open an area around his ankle and drained an unexpected amount of infection. That was the catalyst. that had to change first and then his fever went down and his body started to work again. His BP was holding strong with less and less medications... and by 5:30 last night the balloon was out of his heart and the pump is gone! Today they may take him off the dialysis, and IF he continues to make this much improvement, then the ventilator is taken away tomorrow and they are waking him up.<br />
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the staff is amazed and you can tell the difference in their demeanor. He is still in a lot of risk though. He has so many IV lines in, and if any of them get infected it will be a different story - however his chances are better. I'll be leaving for the hospital by 10 ( can't really get into CCU before - even for me). Hoping for fabulous news today, but am realistic and know he may be in trouble still.<br />
<br />
the hospital staff wants me to talk to one of their social workers because I appear to be handling it all extremely well. The intensivist is afraid I'm going to break badly. I should have my pastor talk to her about the MASSIVE meltdown I had on Monday in the hospital chapel.<br />
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not fully out of the woods yet..but maybe we are seeing the trees thinning and are closer to out of the woods then we think.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163231431488589976.post-40325356401666022992010-11-14T21:46:00.001-05:002010-11-14T21:50:59.722-05:00Update on JoeI've been at the hospital most of the day. Went in hoping for positive news.<br />
<br />
the kidney dr and intensivist ( intensive care dr ) spoke to me first thing. Joe;s condition was deteriorating as of this morning. His kidneys had worsened and fluid was building in his lungs, bp meds were maxed out and his bp was low 70's/40's.<br />
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the dr's both told me age was on his side and that they will do any and everything they can to give him a chance - which to me gives hope. If he was so bad that nothing would work, then I would think they would have talked to me more about keeping him as pain free as possible.<br />
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they finally got the continual, and extremely gentle dialysis started mid afternoon. The concern was that the dialysis would lower his blood pressure, but without it he wouldn't have much of a chance. Thankfully his bp has stayed steady. It did drop from last nights normal range. This morning it was 70/40 range, when dialysis started it was 80's/50's by the time I left at 6:30 he'd been on the dialysis for 3 hours and his pressure increased to 90/55. He;s still deeply sedated.<br />
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its such a small thing to cling to. Other wise nothing else is any better or any worse. I'm so afraid of mornings for many reasons.. this morning being one of them.. my grandfather going thru this with not good results 20 years ago. I have to go on minute by minute.<br />
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the minister that married us came to the hospital today and will keep in touch with me and support me regardless of how his recovery goes. My mom worked all night and came to the hospital and stayed with me all day.. my best friend watched JP and my boss got off a plane at noon - and came straight up to the hospital and stayed with me for hours. In addition I have been keeping in contact with many many people via text message updates and am so deeply grateful for all the support, prayers and well wishes.<br />
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he's so so sick.. and the outlook can;t be determined yet - there is no guarantee that he will pull thru... there is no guarantee that he won't. which is why I'm living minute to minute.<br />
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i'm off to bed now to see if I can get some decent sleep - i'm so worn outUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163231431488589976.post-14270368084073636672010-11-14T08:39:00.000-05:002010-11-14T08:39:36.707-05:00Massive heart attackFriday night I came home from work to see joe on the couch muttering something. I thought he was sleeping and just waking up, then had to go over to him and yell at him 5 or 6 times to get him to repeat himself. He handed me the phone told me he couldn't move and had chest pain.<br />
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whats folllowed is a nightmare. Ambulance came and took him so fast that I had to yell to them on where they were taking him ( 3 or 4 local hospitals could have been it ).<br />
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got to the ER and couldn't even see him as the room was packed. Had to listen to nurses begging for an ICU room as he was critical.<br />
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nurse came out to speak with me and said he was severely ketoacidodic and they also needed to put a breathing tube in. They asked me in briefly to see if I could get him to stop struggling. He could only focus on me for seconds at a time and then his eyes would roll back.<br />
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the xray techs came with the portable machine but by then the nurses and dr wouldn't let them in to get the pic as his heart rate was extremely abnormal. my view of the room only allowed me to see his lower body.<br />
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then I saw his legs start to convulse and the nurse jump on the bed to administer CPR... Joe's father was by the door and saw them plunge the epi needle into his heart. That was the first time... we were all in the chapel when it happened again, the cardiologist told us.<br />
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cardiologist was waiting for his team to get there and then and IMMEDIATE balloon angioplasty was done. The artery that feeds the front of the heart was 100% blocked. they have a balloon pump in for 3 days and he's heavily sedated to keep him asleep and not fighting him.. also restrained still.<br />
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there was the absolute slightest change yesterday in the right direction with his positive response to a bp med that is keeping his blood pressure at a normal level. When they went thru the surgery his BP was 60/20. they had to fight to keep him alive.<br />
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he is still in severely critical condition and may still not make it. However last night i went to say good bye when the sedation was lifting slightly and he responded to me ( still has breathing tube in) and was able to squeeze my hand. hoping its the start of a good recovery.<br />
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tomorrow or tuesday they should be taking the balloon pump out and i'm nervous about that as that is whats helping his heart not work as hard so it can recover right now.<br />
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please pray... thats whats gotten him so far right now... the heart attack is one of several massive issues (kidneys have shut down right now) and its a miracle he's still fightingUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163231431488589976.post-87369730726151517852010-09-07T09:11:00.000-04:002010-09-07T09:11:06.256-04:00Strong women need help tooMy mom has had a companion for over 20 years. Companion is her word as she doesn't feel comfortable with 'boyfriend' at her age.<br />
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He has been ill for several months and in a nursing home. This weekend he took a serious turn for the worse and after 3 days in ICU has finally passed on and is at peace. My mom has shouldered all the responsibility for this alone as his son that used to be in contact with him, has not returned any calls.<br />
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My mom will have an appointment today with the funeral home for the paperwork part (Joe and I have been in touch with the funeral home all weekend so she didn't have to be) and she thought she'd just go alone. Hah! I stayed home and away from the hospital to take care of things otherwise for her that needed doing, but I will not let her go to this alone. I asked her if she would let me go alone and she said NO WAY.. of course, I then asked why she thought I would let her go alone. I told her that she has 2 choices.. either she meets me here and we go from my job, or I meet her there and thats that.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163231431488589976.post-87510382728986423142010-09-06T09:55:00.000-04:002010-09-06T09:55:40.299-04:00The warm fuzzy feelingOur previous home was a joy in the cooler months. Added to that was Joe's reticense on paying for enough fuel (oil or wood) to heat the home properly. We tended to live like polar bears .. or at least it felt like that. I won my battles with the wood stove regularly to make sure we were warm enough. It also was so drafty that as soon as it got cooler, we started bundling up. The 'master bedroom' generally leveled out around 55 degrees without the space heater. Brrrrrrr. We had gotten used to it, but our parents worried about us. JP was always kept warm. if we had a time with really cold house temps we put on the space heaters as well. <br />
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One of the things we looked for in a new place was heat included, which we found. Our new landlords keep the temp at 70 degrees in a locked thermostat, which is fine by me. Last night the temps dipped to a chilly 44 degrees outside. In our bedroom we had one window partially open ( an inch or so) and a window fan in the other window. I woke up this morning and it was 65 degrees in the bedroom - yay! finally a house that will keep us warm!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163231431488589976.post-80530741323536125442010-09-01T15:10:00.000-04:002010-09-01T15:10:34.422-04:00Peanu't Weekly Wednesday - Ahhhh room to hide...errrr I mean moveSo the new place is pretty awesome. My first night there Mom will tell you I actually pranced down the hallway.. yes I can prance. I love that I have so much room and if I need some time to myself, well there are plenty of places to go. My favorite is under the end table in the living room. Quiet, and out of the way of that cat and JP.<br />
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Now I do have one complaint. The neighbors.. the 4 legged ones. I think every home in our little 'commune' has at least one dog. First off this means I can't be free roaming...sigh, not happy about that. Second are the 'chatty' ones. Especially our non-commune neighbor to the left of our house. EVERY morning between 6-6:15AM they let him out. EVERY morning, he starts barking at NOTHING right away.<br />
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I of course bark back to tell him to be quiet... I'm slowly learning that this is not considered polite by Mom who doesn't appreciate my alarm clock tendencies. I think I need to sleep with puppy earphones.. do they make them in Corgi size?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163231431488589976.post-92058445314456973552010-08-28T16:04:00.000-04:002010-08-28T16:04:06.365-04:00Settling inHave to admit I'm quite tired of unpacking. Seems as if it will never end lately, lol. However things are going so well here.<br />
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Our last home was in the middle of 2 hay fields with close neighbors, but not on top of us. For the last year or so 2 of those houses were essentially empty as they were being sold, so we more or less lived alone out there. Odd to think we had as many problems as we did there.<br />
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Thursday Joe went to remove the last of the trash and pick up a few remaining large items, one of which was our new grill. Would you believe the day ended with Joe calling the cops because someone stole our grill sometime btwn Sunday and Thursday?! Thankfully one of the neighbors in one of the houses being sold was there.. the cops questioned him and he all of a sudden remembered that there was a new grill in the garage that morning next to the lawnmower.. uh huh. We can't press charges as we got the grill back. Still not quite sure of the logic of that as the cop had to go and question this guy so that he 'remembered' the new grill out of nowhere. Ehh whatever.. it's safe with us now.<br />
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So far the new place is a completely different scenario. First off we're in close proximity to 3 other houses and I think there is a total of 5 or 6 families all together. Great thing though is the kids. JP had an absolute blast last night playing outside with them all. Joe was supervising, but thats ok.. gave me time to clean the kitchen without everyone underfoot. Today we had a problem with a truck Joe borrowed to do the last of the work on Thursday. It wouldn't start. Well one of the neighbors rebuilds cars and sells them so he was helping Joe get it started. First they thought it was battery cables being loose - nope, then the starter was the problem. Well our one neighbor gets under the truck and starts hammering at the starter I guess while telling Joe to turn the engine over. Brave, trusting man, lol. However while doing this he sees sparks and they realized the starter isn't shot.. its got loose wires... off this guy who barely knows us goes and gets what he needs to fix it.<br />
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heck in the old place I couldn't even get them to replace a washer on a faucet that was too tight for me to loosen.<br />
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Tomorrow I'm quite excited to go shopping with my mom for my dining room and living room drapes.. hoping they absorb some of the echo sounds we have from the hardwood floors, lol. I'll eventually post pics.. once the boxes are gone I think.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163231431488589976.post-16551240062184606272010-08-22T22:08:00.000-04:002010-08-22T22:08:40.710-04:00New home, new start, old routinesAugust has been...interesting. In mid July we were told our home ( we rented) was finally being sold and that the closing was on 9/30/10. Ok no biggie and the new home process was started. Then, on July 31 we rcvd a letter stating the new owners wanted us out in 30 days. Nice. I thought that couldn't happen until the closing? Funny part is the closer we got to leaving the worse the house was getting fast. Almost like our things were holding it up? lol. I know the new owners are going to do a lot of modifications.. i hope they are really prepared for that house.. as far as I know there was never an inspection... and I think an inspection would all but condemn it.<br />
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It really was not a hardship to leave that house of horrors. The only reason we stayed so long was to improve our credit score before searching, so that we would have good options. So much for waiting for a better time, lol. After 2 very long and argumentative weeks we did find a place we both liked. For the last week I've been doing the bulk of moving while working as well. I'm not surprised that I'm so tired, lol. <br />
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The new place is bigger and to my joy.. has a dining room! Yay!!!! no more 3foot sq kitchen 'table' where you only had room for plates and cups. I also have a kitchen and bathroom circa 1950's complete with avocado green oven and pink tub and sink, lol. No more carpets, all hardwood floors and just nicely laid out and roomy. JP can run in circles from living room - to kitchen- to dining room - to living room and he's loving it, lol. His room is huge and I'm loving it as ALLLLL his toys except the train table will be in there.<br />
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It's also only a few miles from my mom... instead of being 30 minutes or so.. I'm now only about 6 minutes. She's alone now as her companion is having a lot of serious health issues and he's now in a nursing home. I like that I'm closer ..just in case. After last years huge snowstorms, I hated being so far away and not able to help... being this close ( i drive by on my way to and from work) makes me feel better.<br />
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In a previous life, many years ago, I had a small apartment with a dining room... and at the time was well known for calling people up and saying 'hey! I made some new recipes, c'mon over". Never huge parties, but frequent entertaining. I've missed that with the old house. It was just not easy to entertain with more then 1-2 extra people making it feel over crowded.<br />
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The new place is currently decorated in Early American Box.. but I knew I'd be doing an official 'Sunday Dinner' tonight, even if just for us. I had found a gorgeous dining table on craigslist and was set to go. We had my IL's up and they wanted to give us more time to settle in, but I told them I'd be making dinner anyway and there was more then enough. It was so nice to entertain again, lol...although I did forget to turn the oven off for a bit and couldn't figure out why the kitchen was still so hot, lol.<br />
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Thats another nice thing about this apartment. Heat and hot water are included- yippee! in the old house I all but stopped cooking because the hot water leak in the bathtub drained the propane ( water heater was a propane heated version). Our monthly bill was about $150 a month for propane. Now I can cook all I want with the propane. <br />
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oh and for any that know my stories about the kitchen in the old place? there is NO CARPETING in this kitchen! I have a normal kitchen floor again and its great :)<br />
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tonight I made:<br />
an appetizer tray of:celery and blue cheese dressing/assorted olives/tomato and feta bruschetta<br />
main course was:<br />
lasagna<br />
tossed salad<br />
peas and onions with prosciutto<br />
dessert was brownies and cookies provided by my MIL<br />
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it was a very nice dinner and Joe enjoyed it so much he suggested his parents come up every Sunday - yeaaaah.. both his mom and I looked at him and told him he was nuts, lol. I do however plan to have a nice Sunday dinner each week unless we are invited out otherwise, lol.<br />
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my meal plan for next Sunday is in progress.... right now it's:<br />
<a href="http://recipes.kaboose.com/crusted-salmon-with-mustard.html">Crusted Salmon with mustard</a><br />
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and that's about it at the moment, lol. I want to avoid stopping for any additional ingredients so thats part of my challenge. I think my side dish will be a basic tossed salad with another pasta salad of some sort. I tossed the rice I had at the old place... but rice is inexpensive. Oh wait! I have a seasoned tube of wild rice! that's a perfect compliment to salmon. I've invite my mom over for next week and think I'll also ask my SIL and niece. The piece of salmon i have is huge, so thats not a problem. there is a farmers market down the road on thurs evenings...maybe i'll find an inexpensive veggie side dish idea.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163231431488589976.post-12769269949425386012010-07-22T15:24:00.000-04:002010-07-22T15:24:31.704-04:00Peanuts's Overdue Weekly Wednesday - Vet visitI went to the Dr today for a 'checkup'. Blah. Made my point clear to all that I was not a happy puppy about being at the dr.<br />
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the good: overall I'm in good shape... well my shape is round, but other then that I;m in overall apparent good health.<br />
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the bad: I have Lyme's disease. Which explains my grouchiness and more achy feeling of late. I'm on a month long antibiotic and probiotic regimen. The test showed a very VERY faint positive (sort of like a pregnancy test) so the dr said I've probably only had it for a few weeks and that I'll make an easy and full recovery. At least mom bought me some yummy treat like things to 'hide' the antibiotic in.<br />
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now i'm off for a nap .....Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163231431488589976.post-20360546928285337022010-06-02T08:04:00.003-04:002010-06-02T12:55:36.498-04:00Day 2-21 of detoxMoving my detox posts to a new blog that I'm hoping to expand into a well functioning raw food resource:<br />
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<a href="http://livewellwithrawfoods.blogspot.com/">Live Well with Raw Foods</a><br />
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<div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden" /><!--Session data--><input id="jsProxy" onclick="jsCall();" type="hidden" /><div id="refHTML"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163231431488589976.post-18890159059934413442010-06-01T09:12:00.000-04:002010-06-01T09:12:38.338-04:00Day 1 of the 21 Day DetoxMid Morning-<br />
It has been pretty much 4 years since I had a positive pregnancy test... and probably 4.25 years since my last detox, and I feel it. Our office does a fall and a spring detox program, but I wasn't fully thrilled with the last version we had switched to. The product was good, but was marketed as a MML and I just don't like that. My boss recently completed a new program and I am now going thru it. I love this program, the nutritional support behind it (shakes and supplements) are from a phenomenal company, and the foods that are recommended are living (or raw) foods. Being a Raw Foods Lifestyle Coach (who's been sorely slacking in that department) this is ideal for me.<br />
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I actually started the program last night to let the first round of nutrition work its way thru my system as I slept. Woke up with a headache which I expected as its generally a constant detox sign for me. Its mild today and easily ignored. I have an odd day as we have expanded hours at work and my partner in crime is also off today.. I need to better plan my mornings to get everything in right away. I'm not far off but am still working on my first shake and haven't taken my cleanse tablets that I need to take 3 times per day. I did however make a delicious green tea/ginger/lime drink that surprised me. I do not care for ginger and i could drink this tea all day. I need to run out at lunch actually and get more limes, lol. So far I am not irritable, but that could change easily, lol. I am pleased though that either thru mind over matter, or sheer luck, that I am happily functioning without coffee this morning. I'm not a huge coffee drinker but do have the office habit of a cup in the morning either on the way or once at the office. The shake is ok, definitely not something I would crave. rather bland actually, doesn't really taste like anything. hardest part for me of course is the grittiness that is a apart of pretty much every detox shake I've used. The cleanse supplement is interesting, but primarily because it has some cayenne pepper in it and I tend to repeat certain things, lol. I'm hoping the detox corrects that as well, lol. I am allowed unlimited fruits and veggies (should be a 1:2 ratio) but as of yet haven't eaten anything due to trying to get the shake taken while at work. I'm not often hungry first thing in the morning though so its not surprising.<br />
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My most difficult times will be the evenings, I must remember that I'm primarily doing this to feel better and have more energy.. and to fit into a cute pair of denim capri's and be able to breathe while sitting, lol.<br />
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Side note: I may switch these posts to a different blog dedicated to the detox and raw foods, haven't quite decided yet.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163231431488589976.post-67269874531886818712010-05-29T16:34:00.000-04:002010-05-29T16:34:51.907-04:00the consequences of ones actions, lolAhhh yes.. well It seems I've fallen off of my Weekly Wednesday reports. In fact this is Saturday, but let's just pretend ok?<br />
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For several months now I've been afforded an occasional freedom. I am allowed, under certain rules, to roam free as long as I behave. Or until I'm caught not behaving. This week I had 2 transgressions. The first was on Thursday about 6:30am. I decided to check out the pine trees across the road. On the neighbors property. Amelia (cat) encouraged me, which should have clued me in. Darn cat can move faster then greased lightning when we are about to get into trouble. Apparently mom was looking out the front window not realizing I had made an escape. She told me... with oddly clenched teeth.. that at first she was merely curious and trying to figure out what new animal was running across the yard. Until she realized the gold and white tail-less animal was me. I was on probation all day.<br />
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Now Friday is Dad's day with us.. and he's ... more relaxed with us. Since I was not being monitored I once again listened to Amelia tell me that deer droppings were ok to roll in and that mom wouldn't mind.<br />
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Apparently she did.. as you can see in these pics. yes I have paid for my transgression..and can only hope that I've learned my lesson and that I am a reformed dropping roller.<br />
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</tbody></table><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden" /><!--Session data--><input id="jsProxy" onclick="jsCall();" type="hidden" /><div id="refHTML"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163231431488589976.post-50312943521803565052010-05-23T21:25:00.000-04:002010-05-23T21:25:49.223-04:00Just some silly spring time pics<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_MOqIT2TuVEU/S_nQLD8lxGI/AAAAAAAAGmE/EqPVSDXMsIw/s1600/100_3203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div>After buying a new battery and new memory card I needed to test my camera. So far none of the weird problems I've had for the last week. Got a couple of pics that are just too cute.. at least to a mom's eye, lol. First one is naptime with Amelia the flying cat. Amelia and I are getting along MUCH better these days. The other are JP with his new $1 water toy. After each pic he had to come over and see how it looked. Took 4 or 5 tries to get the last shot, lol.<br />
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</a></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden" /><!--Session data--><input id="jsProxy" onclick="jsCall();" type="hidden" /><div id="refHTML"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1163231431488589976.post-87146394974401723522010-05-23T13:24:00.000-04:002010-05-23T13:24:24.604-04:00Drive in Movie fun - think the adults had more fun then the kidsSadly I don't have any pictures. I didn't take my camera as it's been acting up. I'm hoping the new card and new battery resolve the issue. I also didn't grab the cell phone as I was too busy making sure JP didn't either go swimming in the puddles or stood in the way of driving vehicles. Thankfully he learned after the first time on that one.<br />
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Our original plans were for the group that was going, was to come to our place, eat pizza, and head off for the movies after that. Due to a few unforeseen incidents we ended up loading up the pizza's and going. This drive in does not forbid food, but reminds you that they make a profit from concession stand sales. With 6 kids total I knew we'd be at the concession stand no matter how stuffed the kids were, lol.<br />
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The kids and adults all had a great time. The kids ran around the 3 cars and played tag, ate pizza, and just had fun. The adults also had fun watching them...and just relaxing. Although there was this one incident with one person (ah-hem!) generously offering chips to the other friend.. and moving the bag so that it became an acrobatic act, lol. The chips were crab flavored chips and I told her it was worse then alaskan crab fishing, lol. This drive in also allows adult beverages as long as you do NOT sell (duh) and you do NOT become a problem (also DUH). None of the drivers went near this and those that did did not overdo..but well lets say crab chip fishing was not helped by this, lol. Oh and the other person that put the wine on top of their van? sigh... all I can say is men and their lack of discretion, lol.<br />
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The movie finally started to the great enjoyment of the kids seated in the back of our van. Next time the adults ( and teens) have chose to be smart and take chairs, lol. However btwn the 2 vans and the 1 car everyone was fairly comfy. After JP relaxed from running around I went to stand with some of the other adults and that of course was a bad choice as we had to be careful to not get laughing too hard. Oh and we went to see the last Shrek film... but Robin Hood was playing on the other screen and we kept trying to watch the more interesting scenes over there.. sometimes no sound is needed, lol.<br />
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one of the BEST kids moments was near the end of Shrek. I'm still laughing over it today. Friend #1 has a son JP's age and he came back over to us coughing. Friend#1 asked if he was ok and why he was coughing, but he didn't explain much and just wandered back to where the kids were btwn the vans. he wasn't coughing hard so none of us thought much about it. I went over to for some reason or another and realized what half the kids had done that resulted in the coughing. We had margarita salt in a paper plate on top of a cooler - the drink mix itself was sealed in the cooler. The kids had been tasting the salt! Thats why they were all coughing/gagging. I went back over to Friends 1,2,3 and told them what was going on while trying not to laugh!! We all got laughing then and so did the kids when we asked why on earth they were tasting what they knew was salt, lol.<br />
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Just got a call from one of the friends saying how much fun they all had. We are now planning on June 26th for our next monthly outing.. which will be the drive in again for Toy Story3. yay!<br />
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now to make the must have drive -in checklist of things we wish had or had done differently, lol <br />
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