I read this in News Of The Weird today and wanted to share it with everyone.
I have loved Denmark since I went there in 1989 to visit my friend,Charlotte and this article just gives me one more reason to applaud their society.
Denmark's government ruled in 2001 that institutionalized citizens have the right to have sex and that caregivers must even take them to visit prostitutes. (Prostitution is legal in Denmark.) According to a January dispatch from Aarhus, Denmark, in London's Observer, Mr. Torben Vegener Hansen, 59, who has cerebral palsy and lives at home on government assistance, is challenging the government also to pay for prostitutes to make house calls, claiming that he is unable to have sex manually because of his illness and must be accorded this "human right" by a service similar to the government's meals-on-wheels program. [The Observer (London), 1-1-06]
I wonder how this would work in our country??
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Saturday, January 28, 2006
Happy Birthday,Rich!!
Today is my dear husband's birthday.
Rich has a wonderful sense of humor even though I have to leave the room when he entertains our friends with politically incorrect impressions and jokes.
He is a great dad. He plays endless games of Monopoly and Sorry with Lillianna. (I personally hate board games!)
He rubs my back and my feet so that I can go to sleep.(I'm not as accommodating!)
He does the dishes after I have made a huge mess in the kitchen.
He is just an all around laid back,fun loving and wonderful man.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY,RICH!!
I LOVE YOU.
Rich has a wonderful sense of humor even though I have to leave the room when he entertains our friends with politically incorrect impressions and jokes.
He is a great dad. He plays endless games of Monopoly and Sorry with Lillianna. (I personally hate board games!)
He rubs my back and my feet so that I can go to sleep.(I'm not as accommodating!)
He does the dishes after I have made a huge mess in the kitchen.
He is just an all around laid back,fun loving and wonderful man.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY,RICH!!
I LOVE YOU.
Saturday, January 21, 2006
The family gratitude journal
You can read today's post over at Dotmoms.
If you start your own journal,please check back with me and let me know how you like it!
If you start your own journal,please check back with me and let me know how you like it!
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Trying to keep a positive outlook
I met with Lynn,my diabetic counselor,yesterday. The last time I saw her was December 23rd so this was a follow up visit. She went over my latest blood test results and said everything looked good. All my numbers came down so she was pleased.
My cholesterol was in the 300's back in November. Now it's 130. (It was 3,000 when I was in the hospital.) That really was good news.
She was pleased with how much I have been exercising/walking and how well I have stayed on my eating plan. Just as I was about to pat myself on the back, she said my morning blood sugar was still too high and she was going to have me add an extra pill at night.
I felt deflated and my eyes filled with tears. She said,"Don't look at it as a set back. We just need to get your morning blood sugar lower." I sighed and said,"But I want to come off these pills soon,not add another pill at night." Lynn assured me that this was only temporary. I still felt like I had taken a giant step backwards.
I will keep exercising and eating properly and hope for the best. I will try not to be discouraged by this even though it does make me sad.
My cholesterol was in the 300's back in November. Now it's 130. (It was 3,000 when I was in the hospital.) That really was good news.
She was pleased with how much I have been exercising/walking and how well I have stayed on my eating plan. Just as I was about to pat myself on the back, she said my morning blood sugar was still too high and she was going to have me add an extra pill at night.
I felt deflated and my eyes filled with tears. She said,"Don't look at it as a set back. We just need to get your morning blood sugar lower." I sighed and said,"But I want to come off these pills soon,not add another pill at night." Lynn assured me that this was only temporary. I still felt like I had taken a giant step backwards.
I will keep exercising and eating properly and hope for the best. I will try not to be discouraged by this even though it does make me sad.
My dream house
It's not really a dream house,I guess,it's more like a dream neighborhood. I wish I could afford to build a complex,kind of like the Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port,but not as expensive. What I want is rather simple.
I would like my immediate family and my closest friends to live in a complex all together. Why should I have to drive 30 minutes to see my mother or sister? I'd rather go next door to see them.
Actually,my friend Kristy and I were talking about this today on our one hour walk. We would love to buy a duplex and live side by side. She owns a big house which is killing her financially and we are still in an apartment with is depressing us. Who knows if such a thing would be affordable but it sure sounded good when we came up with this idea.
I loved living on a kibbutz in Israel when I was in my 20's. It was great. I often wish I could re-create that life here. If I don't hit the lottery,how can I make this wish come true?
I would like my immediate family and my closest friends to live in a complex all together. Why should I have to drive 30 minutes to see my mother or sister? I'd rather go next door to see them.
Actually,my friend Kristy and I were talking about this today on our one hour walk. We would love to buy a duplex and live side by side. She owns a big house which is killing her financially and we are still in an apartment with is depressing us. Who knows if such a thing would be affordable but it sure sounded good when we came up with this idea.
I loved living on a kibbutz in Israel when I was in my 20's. It was great. I often wish I could re-create that life here. If I don't hit the lottery,how can I make this wish come true?
Sunday, January 08, 2006
That Boston accent
In 1985,I was 22 years old and living in Israel. The first thing I did was to change the way I spoke. There were a few reasons for this.
#1)I spoke really fast...too fast actually for anyone who didn't speak English as their first language to understand me. In addition to the Israeli people that I lived with,I also lived with people from Denmark,Germany and Sweden. Even though my friends from England spoke English,they didn't understand my speedy babble of American English. I learned to speak slowly and so that I would be understood.
#2)As an American, born on the east coast,I had a lot of filler words that didn't make sense to other people. The word "like" was sprinkled like salt into almost every sentence. "So,like,I went to the mall and like it was so like crowded....."
If you don't live here,you'll wonder what the heck that was all about. For those that do live here,you are like probably just nodding your head and asking yourself,"So,like,what is the problem with that?"
The expression,"so's I goes" was translated as "so,I said." To "go" never meant to travel anywhere and this was very confusing in conversation. I eliminated that right off the bat.
#3) I learned to pronounced the letter "R" at the end of words and in the middle of words and to say the letter "T" instead of "D." This was no easy task but I put my mind to it.
Cah became car.
Pahk became park.
Sweddah became sweater.
Yahd became yard.
Padayda became potato.
With these changes,people began to understand me and a normal conversation did not require a translation.
When I came home two years later,my family was confused by my speech.My mom looked at me one day with a puzzled expression on her face and asked,"Why are you talking so slowly? Can't you speed it up?"
Over the years I have added some speed to my speech. I do slip up every now and then with pronunciation by swallowing my "R's" but I do my best to try to speak clearly.
That being said,the other morning I had to laugh as I listened to Rich talk to Lillianna as he packed her lunch for school.
"I packed you a peanut buddah and fluff sandwich,a bag of Smahtfood,a juice and a boddle of waddah."
What can you do? We're Bostonians after all!
What kind of accent do you have?
#1)I spoke really fast...too fast actually for anyone who didn't speak English as their first language to understand me. In addition to the Israeli people that I lived with,I also lived with people from Denmark,Germany and Sweden. Even though my friends from England spoke English,they didn't understand my speedy babble of American English. I learned to speak slowly and so that I would be understood.
#2)As an American, born on the east coast,I had a lot of filler words that didn't make sense to other people. The word "like" was sprinkled like salt into almost every sentence. "So,like,I went to the mall and like it was so like crowded....."
If you don't live here,you'll wonder what the heck that was all about. For those that do live here,you are like probably just nodding your head and asking yourself,"So,like,what is the problem with that?"
The expression,"so's I goes" was translated as "so,I said." To "go" never meant to travel anywhere and this was very confusing in conversation. I eliminated that right off the bat.
#3) I learned to pronounced the letter "R" at the end of words and in the middle of words and to say the letter "T" instead of "D." This was no easy task but I put my mind to it.
Cah became car.
Pahk became park.
Sweddah became sweater.
Yahd became yard.
Padayda became potato.
With these changes,people began to understand me and a normal conversation did not require a translation.
When I came home two years later,my family was confused by my speech.My mom looked at me one day with a puzzled expression on her face and asked,"Why are you talking so slowly? Can't you speed it up?"
Over the years I have added some speed to my speech. I do slip up every now and then with pronunciation by swallowing my "R's" but I do my best to try to speak clearly.
That being said,the other morning I had to laugh as I listened to Rich talk to Lillianna as he packed her lunch for school.
"I packed you a peanut buddah and fluff sandwich,a bag of Smahtfood,a juice and a boddle of waddah."
What can you do? We're Bostonians after all!
What kind of accent do you have?
Saturday, January 07, 2006
Fix the old or buy new? Please vote
My computer is 5 years old. Over the past week,it has gone from slow to slowest. It takes 18 minutes just to get into my email. I am hooked up to cable so this should be lickety split quick not sloth slow.
My friend,Kristy,suggested calling her computer guy who fixed her hard drive and made her laptop speedy quick for $180. My sister said,spend $600 on a new computer.
To all you computer people,what do you suggest?
My friend,Kristy,suggested calling her computer guy who fixed her hard drive and made her laptop speedy quick for $180. My sister said,spend $600 on a new computer.
To all you computer people,what do you suggest?
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Friday, December 30, 2005
I hope next year will be better.....
The end of 2005 was not the best for me. I am still struggling with lowering my blood sugar and blood pressure but I am happy to be alive and grateful to be well enough to have these struggles. That being said.......
Last Friday,the day before Christmas Eve, the back of one of my teeth broke off. It has a temporary cap on it so I didn't panic because I never chew on that side anyway. The nerve is dead so it doesn't hurt. I managed to enjoy the weekend holidays with the gaping hole in my tooth.
Since my dentist is on vacation, I didn't bother to call his partner who is covering for him. I saw that doctor once in the 27 years since I have been a patient there and that was plenty. He has zero personality and he seems to enjoy being a little bit mean. My own dentist is happy,funny,comical and loving and he does everything he can to not cause me pain. I like that quality in a dentist.
This afternoon I was eating a few fat-free potato chips when something didn't feel right in my mouth. I thought it was a hard piece of chip but I should've known that I'm not that lucky. My bottom left tooth had split and the outside was wiggling back and forth. Damn! I called the dentist's office knowing my dentist's secretary was there since she had called me earlier about scheduling my appointment next week for the tooth with the hole in it. She scheduled me in with the mean dentist for tomorrow morning at 8:30am.
That means I have to be late for job #1. I am usually there at 7:30am and I already called to tell them I would be late. I hope this goes well because I have to be at job #2 at 1:00pm.
I am concerned with why my teeth are suddenly breaking. I have had extensive work on my teeth over the years and they are probably just brittle since they are almost 43 years old. I just wish they would stop breaking. I don't want to look like a jack-o-lantern.
I hope 2006 will be a better year for me and for all of you.
Happy New Year!
Last Friday,the day before Christmas Eve, the back of one of my teeth broke off. It has a temporary cap on it so I didn't panic because I never chew on that side anyway. The nerve is dead so it doesn't hurt. I managed to enjoy the weekend holidays with the gaping hole in my tooth.
Since my dentist is on vacation, I didn't bother to call his partner who is covering for him. I saw that doctor once in the 27 years since I have been a patient there and that was plenty. He has zero personality and he seems to enjoy being a little bit mean. My own dentist is happy,funny,comical and loving and he does everything he can to not cause me pain. I like that quality in a dentist.
This afternoon I was eating a few fat-free potato chips when something didn't feel right in my mouth. I thought it was a hard piece of chip but I should've known that I'm not that lucky. My bottom left tooth had split and the outside was wiggling back and forth. Damn! I called the dentist's office knowing my dentist's secretary was there since she had called me earlier about scheduling my appointment next week for the tooth with the hole in it. She scheduled me in with the mean dentist for tomorrow morning at 8:30am.
That means I have to be late for job #1. I am usually there at 7:30am and I already called to tell them I would be late. I hope this goes well because I have to be at job #2 at 1:00pm.
I am concerned with why my teeth are suddenly breaking. I have had extensive work on my teeth over the years and they are probably just brittle since they are almost 43 years old. I just wish they would stop breaking. I don't want to look like a jack-o-lantern.
I hope 2006 will be a better year for me and for all of you.
Happy New Year!
Saturday, December 24, 2005
Holiday Traditions
I'm a little late posting this. You can read about our holiday traditions at DotMoms.
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
How did I get here?
Last night at 2:30am,(ok,make that this morning),Lillianna came in our room complaining of a tummy ache. Usually the reason is too much junk food before bed. Last night I let her stay up until 10:00pm to decorate the tree with Rich and I know she was nibbling on the yummy cookies my sister-in-law gave her.Those cookies look and smell delicious! *sigh*
Lillianna tried going to the bathroom but it didn't help.Her tummy still hurt.
Rich heard me telling Lillianna that I would go in her bed with her. He mumbled,"I'll sleep in her room. Let her stay in here with you." He gathered his pillows from our bed and shuffled out the door.
This morning at 7:35am,after Lillianna was dressed and I had made the lunches, I decided to wake Rich up. I stood by the bed and said,"Rich.It's time to get up." He opened his eyes and looked confused.He looked at the purple flannel sheet he was covered in and frowned. He looked up at the white ruffle canopy over his head and his eyes opened wide. He kept looking around the room with panic on his face.
"How did I get here?" he asked incredulously.
I rolled my eyes and gave him my best did-I-marry-a-moron? look and said sarcastically,"I carried you in here!"
He blinked and asked again,"How did I get here?"
At that point I got nervous and wondered if something was actually wrong with him. I sent Lillianna out of the room to eat breakfast.
Cautiously,I asked,"Are you ok? Do you really not remember how you got in here?"
Rich said,"No,I don't."
I reminded him about Lillianna's tummy ache the night before and slowly he began to remember. He said,"You could hand me a gun and ask me to kill the neighbors and I'd never remember it."
All I could think of was thank goodness I like my neighbors!
The thing that drives me crazy is that there have been many times that I have had a conversation with Rich in the middle of the night and he responds appropriately. He doesn't just grunt or mumble. He has whole conversations with me but he can't remember them in the morning.
Have you ever had this problem with your spouse?
Lillianna tried going to the bathroom but it didn't help.Her tummy still hurt.
Rich heard me telling Lillianna that I would go in her bed with her. He mumbled,"I'll sleep in her room. Let her stay in here with you." He gathered his pillows from our bed and shuffled out the door.
This morning at 7:35am,after Lillianna was dressed and I had made the lunches, I decided to wake Rich up. I stood by the bed and said,"Rich.It's time to get up." He opened his eyes and looked confused.He looked at the purple flannel sheet he was covered in and frowned. He looked up at the white ruffle canopy over his head and his eyes opened wide. He kept looking around the room with panic on his face.
"How did I get here?" he asked incredulously.
I rolled my eyes and gave him my best did-I-marry-a-moron? look and said sarcastically,"I carried you in here!"
He blinked and asked again,"How did I get here?"
At that point I got nervous and wondered if something was actually wrong with him. I sent Lillianna out of the room to eat breakfast.
Cautiously,I asked,"Are you ok? Do you really not remember how you got in here?"
Rich said,"No,I don't."
I reminded him about Lillianna's tummy ache the night before and slowly he began to remember. He said,"You could hand me a gun and ask me to kill the neighbors and I'd never remember it."
All I could think of was thank goodness I like my neighbors!
The thing that drives me crazy is that there have been many times that I have had a conversation with Rich in the middle of the night and he responds appropriately. He doesn't just grunt or mumble. He has whole conversations with me but he can't remember them in the morning.
Have you ever had this problem with your spouse?
Monday, December 12, 2005
Lillianna's poems
Lillianna finally decided to post something on her blog! She hasn't written in months.
Some college students from the local teaching college came into her class today to teach them about poetry. They will be doing this all week.
You can read Lillianna's poems here.
Some college students from the local teaching college came into her class today to teach them about poetry. They will be doing this all week.
You can read Lillianna's poems here.
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
I've been quoted on Yahoo!
Ok,I'm not quite famous but I have been quoted in an article on Yahoo. You can check it out here.
Sunday, December 04, 2005
Hey what?
When Lillianna was around two years old,we had to decide what words we would teach her for body parts. Most books said not to teach nonsense words because it may be hard for teachers or relatives to understand our made up words. I thought that sounded reasonable so I taught her "vagina" and "penis." Rich nearly had a coronary right there on the spot.
"I don't want to hear my two year old say vagina," he protested.
"What would you have her say,then?" I asked.
"Why can't she call it a "foo-foo"?" he suggested.
"You mean like little bunny foo-foo hopping through the forest?" I asked.
"Yes!" he said with great joy.
"Hell no! She will use the correct words and that's that!"
Rich was not pleased but I am the mom so the case was closed.
This morning,Lillianna wanted a bath but when Rich ran the water it was yellow. This happens sometimes and it's not harmful,so they say, but Rich didn't want to take any chances. He told Lillianna she would have to have a shower. For some reason it doesn't look yellow this way.Probably because you're not sitting in it.
When Lillianna protested and demanded an explanation, I heard Rich exclaim,"Because it's not good for your "hey nonny nonny" if you sit in that water!"
I was on the computer and started to laugh. Lillianna came in and threw herself on my bed in a fit of laughter. You gotta love that guy.
Did you teach your children the correct names for their body parts or did you choose to use other names? Why did you make that choice?
"I don't want to hear my two year old say vagina," he protested.
"What would you have her say,then?" I asked.
"Why can't she call it a "foo-foo"?" he suggested.
"You mean like little bunny foo-foo hopping through the forest?" I asked.
"Yes!" he said with great joy.
"Hell no! She will use the correct words and that's that!"
Rich was not pleased but I am the mom so the case was closed.
This morning,Lillianna wanted a bath but when Rich ran the water it was yellow. This happens sometimes and it's not harmful,so they say, but Rich didn't want to take any chances. He told Lillianna she would have to have a shower. For some reason it doesn't look yellow this way.Probably because you're not sitting in it.
When Lillianna protested and demanded an explanation, I heard Rich exclaim,"Because it's not good for your "hey nonny nonny" if you sit in that water!"
I was on the computer and started to laugh. Lillianna came in and threw herself on my bed in a fit of laughter. You gotta love that guy.
Did you teach your children the correct names for their body parts or did you choose to use other names? Why did you make that choice?
Friday, December 02, 2005
Two doctors' appointments
Well,I've been busy. I saw my primary care physician yesterday.I'll refer to him as Dr.B and I saw the GI doctor,Dr.K today.
Dr. B said my triglycerides are in the 300's now which is so much better than the 3,000 reading I got in the hospital. My blood sugar runs between the 120's and 160's which he is happy with for now but hopes it will eventually be under 120. He is pleased with my diet and exercise and referred me to a diabetic counselor so that I could learn more about what I can eat. I kind of have a fear of foods right now and I will only eat certain things so he thinks that if I learn more, I will be more comfortable trying new foods.
I had gone to urgent care right before my trip because I had that 8 week old cough and for some reason they weighed me. I asked Dr.B what I weighed at that appointment and then I did the math. I must've lost 11 pounds while I was in the hospital....ice chips for 4 days will do that to ya and I have lost 8 pounds in the last 2 weeks since I have been home,so that's 19 pounds. Gee,I only need to lose another 81 pounds.....woohoo! Dr.B was pleased with this too. So,I got a good report from him.
Today,I saw Dr.K. He is affiliated with Dr.B so he had my chart. Here is a bit of our conversation.
Dr.K: Your triglycerides are too high. They're in the 300's.
Me: Yes,but Dr.B said that was ok since they were 3,000 in the hospital.
Dr.K:(His mouth dropped open and he stared at me) Did you say 3,000?
Me: Yes.
Dr.K: I don't think that's right.(He flipped through the chart again.) Are you sure?
Me: Yes. I am quite sure. The doctors in the hospital were surprised too.
Dr.K:(He looked at me so strangely and said...) Wow! 3,000! People die from that.
Me: Yes I know. People keep telling me that.
He kept shaking his head and flipping through the chart. It was like he couldn't believe I survived. Sometimes I wonder about that too.....but here I am!!
In the end,Dr.K said he thought Dr.B was doing all the right things for me but he wants me to call him next Friday. He said,"I want to research this more deeply and make sure I am doing everything that I can for you." Sounds good to me.
So,all in all,I think I turned out ok after all this. Tuesday night,I will return to work. Hopefully I will get back into some type of routine and feel "normal" again......Whatever that means.
Dr. B said my triglycerides are in the 300's now which is so much better than the 3,000 reading I got in the hospital. My blood sugar runs between the 120's and 160's which he is happy with for now but hopes it will eventually be under 120. He is pleased with my diet and exercise and referred me to a diabetic counselor so that I could learn more about what I can eat. I kind of have a fear of foods right now and I will only eat certain things so he thinks that if I learn more, I will be more comfortable trying new foods.
I had gone to urgent care right before my trip because I had that 8 week old cough and for some reason they weighed me. I asked Dr.B what I weighed at that appointment and then I did the math. I must've lost 11 pounds while I was in the hospital....ice chips for 4 days will do that to ya and I have lost 8 pounds in the last 2 weeks since I have been home,so that's 19 pounds. Gee,I only need to lose another 81 pounds.....woohoo! Dr.B was pleased with this too. So,I got a good report from him.
Today,I saw Dr.K. He is affiliated with Dr.B so he had my chart. Here is a bit of our conversation.
Dr.K: Your triglycerides are too high. They're in the 300's.
Me: Yes,but Dr.B said that was ok since they were 3,000 in the hospital.
Dr.K:(His mouth dropped open and he stared at me) Did you say 3,000?
Me: Yes.
Dr.K: I don't think that's right.(He flipped through the chart again.) Are you sure?
Me: Yes. I am quite sure. The doctors in the hospital were surprised too.
Dr.K:(He looked at me so strangely and said...) Wow! 3,000! People die from that.
Me: Yes I know. People keep telling me that.
He kept shaking his head and flipping through the chart. It was like he couldn't believe I survived. Sometimes I wonder about that too.....but here I am!!
In the end,Dr.K said he thought Dr.B was doing all the right things for me but he wants me to call him next Friday. He said,"I want to research this more deeply and make sure I am doing everything that I can for you." Sounds good to me.
So,all in all,I think I turned out ok after all this. Tuesday night,I will return to work. Hopefully I will get back into some type of routine and feel "normal" again......Whatever that means.
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Lab results
While I was sitting in dancing school, waiting for Lillianna, my cell phone rang. It was my doctor's nurse with my lab results from last week. She said my blood sugar was way too high at 256. I told her that I have been checking it twice a day and that it's never been that high. She said that this particular test averages my blood sugar over the last 3 months so it would be high because of the pancreatitis. DUH!
I guess I am wondering why they did that test at all. Of course I had pancreatitis. Isn't that the point? Then she said I could discuss this at my next visit. I said,"Well, that would be tomorrow." She said,"Great,see you then."
That just seems like a very odd test to me. I am glad I have my appointment tomorrow because I have a lot of questions. Number one on my list is,"Why I am still so tired all the time?" This is driving me crazy. I can't nap at work. It's really frowned upon.
I'll write again after my appointment. Wish me luck!
I guess I am wondering why they did that test at all. Of course I had pancreatitis. Isn't that the point? Then she said I could discuss this at my next visit. I said,"Well, that would be tomorrow." She said,"Great,see you then."
That just seems like a very odd test to me. I am glad I have my appointment tomorrow because I have a lot of questions. Number one on my list is,"Why I am still so tired all the time?" This is driving me crazy. I can't nap at work. It's really frowned upon.
I'll write again after my appointment. Wish me luck!
Monday, November 28, 2005
Getting back into the swing of things
I can't believe that tomorrow will mark 2 weeks since I've been home. I couldn't even walk the day I was discharged from the hospital. Rich had to help me check my blood sugar in the airport because I wasn't even sure how to do it.
I've come a long way since then.....thank goodness!
The pain is nearly gone although night time is still uncomfortable for me. The least painful position for my stomach is sleeping on my back but it's not a comfortable position for me to sleep in. I'm hoping this resolves itself quite quickly because I love to sleep and would prefer to be comfortable.
I still can't shake the feeling of being tired. Rich said this morning that he thinks it's because I stopped drinking coffee so no caffeine and I'm on a low sugar diet as well as low fat so there is no "sugar high" either. I forgot about that.
I had to go to CVS earlier and when I got out of the car,my legs felt like limp noodles. I felt like I had run a marathon. I will have to tell my doctor when I see him on Thursday. I need to have more energy. I am going to take a little walk while Lillianna is in her Brownie meeting today. Maybe I just need more exercise.(Which I could do if I wasn't so exhausted! It's a vicious circle!)
Other than that,things are going pretty well. My blood sugar has been staying in the same range over the past few days.Lillianna draws a happy picture in my book when it's a particularly good number. She always has to know what my blood sugar is. It seems to give her a sense of peace to know it's not too high.
I will try to write after my doctor's appointment on Thursday.
Stay healthy everyone!
I've come a long way since then.....thank goodness!
The pain is nearly gone although night time is still uncomfortable for me. The least painful position for my stomach is sleeping on my back but it's not a comfortable position for me to sleep in. I'm hoping this resolves itself quite quickly because I love to sleep and would prefer to be comfortable.
I still can't shake the feeling of being tired. Rich said this morning that he thinks it's because I stopped drinking coffee so no caffeine and I'm on a low sugar diet as well as low fat so there is no "sugar high" either. I forgot about that.
I had to go to CVS earlier and when I got out of the car,my legs felt like limp noodles. I felt like I had run a marathon. I will have to tell my doctor when I see him on Thursday. I need to have more energy. I am going to take a little walk while Lillianna is in her Brownie meeting today. Maybe I just need more exercise.(Which I could do if I wasn't so exhausted! It's a vicious circle!)
Other than that,things are going pretty well. My blood sugar has been staying in the same range over the past few days.Lillianna draws a happy picture in my book when it's a particularly good number. She always has to know what my blood sugar is. It seems to give her a sense of peace to know it's not too high.
I will try to write after my doctor's appointment on Thursday.
Stay healthy everyone!
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Just a quick update
I wanted to thank everyone for their thoughtful emails,cards and phone calls. I have heard from internet friends, co-workers from both jobs, friends and family.
Your outpouring of love and concern has been overwhelming.
I can happily report that I am much better than I was last week. I still can't do as much as I could before because I become exhausted and need to rest but the pain is almost completely gone. For that,I am extremely grateful.
As Lillianna and I were driving out of the supermarket this afternoon,I was feeling very grateful about getting a second chance to do it all over correctly.Very humbly I said,"We have an awful lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving." She said,"Ya,Auntie Kara is getting married!" (Kara got her engagement ring while we were in Florida so now it's official......thank goodness!) I said,"Ya,that's true but I was thinking more along the line that I was alive and getting better everyday." Lillianna said,"That too but Auntie's getting married!" Ahhhhhh,kids....they bounce back so quickly!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Your outpouring of love and concern has been overwhelming.
I can happily report that I am much better than I was last week. I still can't do as much as I could before because I become exhausted and need to rest but the pain is almost completely gone. For that,I am extremely grateful.
As Lillianna and I were driving out of the supermarket this afternoon,I was feeling very grateful about getting a second chance to do it all over correctly.Very humbly I said,"We have an awful lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving." She said,"Ya,Auntie Kara is getting married!" (Kara got her engagement ring while we were in Florida so now it's official......thank goodness!) I said,"Ya,that's true but I was thinking more along the line that I was alive and getting better everyday." Lillianna said,"That too but Auntie's getting married!" Ahhhhhh,kids....they bounce back so quickly!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Saturday, November 19, 2005
An unplanned side trip
I have received so many emails from people asking how our vacation was. I will be writing a more detailed post for DotMoms in a few weeks but for now,here's what happened.
The first 4 days were wonderful. It was the vacation we had been hoping for even though the heat and all that walking just about wore me out.
On Monday,November 7th,we went to Chef Mickey's for breakfast. We had so much fun seeing all the characters but as we were leaving,I didn't feel very well. We decided to sit down for about 30 minutes to rest then we headed out to the parks.
By 2:00pm the pain in my stomach had become unbearable and I told Rich I had to get back to the hotel to lie down.I felt like I needed to throw up in order to move the pain. We got back to the room by 4:00pm,canceled our dinner reservations at my favorite restaurant and I got into bed.
At 9:30am the next morning,the pain was so much worse.I couldn't stand up. Rich called 911 and I was taken to the hospital. I was diagnosed with pancreatitis.
I ended up spending 7 days in the hospital. For the first few days I cried and moaned a lot from the horrific stabbing pain. It took a while for them to regulate my pain meds. Every time I moved,I was in the worst pain imaginable. I wouldn't wish this on anyone. I can't even believe I survived it. It was a complete nightmare.
The pancreatitis was so bad that it gave me diabetes. Hopefully,that's only temporary. I am on a low fat diet. I check my blood sugar twice a day and take meds for diabetes and for my triglycerides. So far I am doing ok.I was told it could've been much worse. I could've had a heart attack or a stroke.
So,that's the story of our vacation. Since I was smart enough to buy travel insurance prior to our trip,our extended hotel stay,taxi fare and other expenses will be taken care of once we submit our receipts. Always buy travel insurance because you just never know what is going to happen.
All in all,this was quite an eye opening trip. I don't know if I will ever want to return to Disney World again.
The first 4 days were wonderful. It was the vacation we had been hoping for even though the heat and all that walking just about wore me out.
On Monday,November 7th,we went to Chef Mickey's for breakfast. We had so much fun seeing all the characters but as we were leaving,I didn't feel very well. We decided to sit down for about 30 minutes to rest then we headed out to the parks.
By 2:00pm the pain in my stomach had become unbearable and I told Rich I had to get back to the hotel to lie down.I felt like I needed to throw up in order to move the pain. We got back to the room by 4:00pm,canceled our dinner reservations at my favorite restaurant and I got into bed.
At 9:30am the next morning,the pain was so much worse.I couldn't stand up. Rich called 911 and I was taken to the hospital. I was diagnosed with pancreatitis.
I ended up spending 7 days in the hospital. For the first few days I cried and moaned a lot from the horrific stabbing pain. It took a while for them to regulate my pain meds. Every time I moved,I was in the worst pain imaginable. I wouldn't wish this on anyone. I can't even believe I survived it. It was a complete nightmare.
The pancreatitis was so bad that it gave me diabetes. Hopefully,that's only temporary. I am on a low fat diet. I check my blood sugar twice a day and take meds for diabetes and for my triglycerides. So far I am doing ok.I was told it could've been much worse. I could've had a heart attack or a stroke.
So,that's the story of our vacation. Since I was smart enough to buy travel insurance prior to our trip,our extended hotel stay,taxi fare and other expenses will be taken care of once we submit our receipts. Always buy travel insurance because you just never know what is going to happen.
All in all,this was quite an eye opening trip. I don't know if I will ever want to return to Disney World again.
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