Becoming A Clutz

It seems that lately I have become such a clutz.

I can't hold on to things anymore, I am constantly dropping things.

I have trouble opening anything.

I get winded while doing the most trivial of tasks.

I suppose it is all related to having Osteoarthritis and Fibromyalgia.

I am hoping that the new medications will help with some of these things.

Some of them , however, I may just have to learn to live with and adjust the way in which I do things.

Time will tell.......

Meanwhile, I have taken a Leave Of Absence from work.

This will give me the time I need to get adjusted to the medications.

The timing is rather good, since now that I am not working, I can concentrate on The Wedding!!

The pay kinda sucks, but you can't have everything.

My clutzyness came out full force this weekend.

We had gone to Louisville for the weekend to attend Hartsul's soccer tournament out at Oxmoor.

So we found a hotel nearby with an indoor pool and hot tub.

Lindsey and I had done some shopping and all that walking around carrying bags was taking it's toll on me.

The hot tub was looking very appealing to me.

I thought it would feel wonderful to my tired aching muscles.

So off to the pool area we went.

I always feel a bit silly getting into a pool with my glasses on, so I left them in the room.

I got into the pool, no problem, but since I can't swim, I decided rather soon that I would get into the hot tub. Michael and Hartsul were enjoying the pool.

Lindsey had gotten out of the pool and gone to the hot tub, so I went to join her.

I grabbed the hand rail as I started to step in. Because I did not have my glasses on I was having a hard time seeing the depth of the steps. Lindsey saw that I was having some trouble, but about the time see came towards me BOOM.......down I went.

I misjudged the depth and my foot hit the edge of the step. Because I had a hold of the handrail, I didn't fall into the water, (thank goodness because I would have fallen on Lindsey), but on the edge of the hot tub itself.

How embarassing. I felt like such an idiot.

Then because the edge of the hot tub was wet, I had trouble getting up.

Once I did I felt the pain.....and saw blood.

Great, I thought, now I have to go to the E R to get sewn up from attempting to get into a hot tub, or even worse to have them tell me I broke a bone 5 weeks before my wedding.

Thank goodness it is neither one of those things.

It is just badly bruised and slightly cut.

So now I will be limping around with a sore foot for a few days.

Could have been worse I suppose...........

At least Hartsul's team won 1st place in their division.

Wedding Check List

Our wedding is fast approaching and I still have soooooo much to do.
The major things are taken care of, but there are alot of little detail things to do.

Date--------May 31st, 2008

Type Of Ceremony-------Private, Somewhat Traditional with Family.

Officant-----Judge

She is one of our Family Court Judges and a friend of ours.

Reception----Hors d' oeuvres

Location-------Federal Grove Bed & Breakfast Auburn, Ky.

http://www.bbonline.com/ky/fedgrove/

Check out the web site. It is a beautiful place.

Cake-------Found one that I liked online & sent a picture to Teri at Federal Grove.

She will take care of the rest.

Wedding Accessories------Guest Book, Cake Servers ............

Invitations-------Finally Ready To Go Out.

They take some time. Getting together the guest list, finding addresses, and then getting them ready to mail. Takes some time.

Dress-------(actually a suit) Beige and Gold.

Maid of Honor-------My Daughter

Best Man--------Michael's Son

Person Walking Me Down The Aisle-----My Son

Flower Girl-------My Niece

She has her little basket and has been practicing scattering the flowers.

Bouquet------Cascading Cream Colored Roses With Accents Of Assorted Lavender Flowers

Music------Members Of Bowling Green Symphony Orchestra.

Honeymoon-------St. Augustine/Daytona

Travel Agent------My Baby Brother

He has our flights and rental car booked.

Hotels----------Nashville/Loews Vanderbilt Hotel

We have stayed here before...I HIGHLY recommend it.

St. Augustine/

Casa Monica Hotel

An 1888 Landmark restored in 1999. Romantic Spanish Style Decor.

Daytona/The Plaza Resort And Spa

Beautiful hotel overlooking the beach with a private balcony in every room.

The last night of our stay will probably be spent in Orlando, since that is where we will fly out of to return home.

Hotel arrangements have yet to be made and we will most likely just wing it. Surely there will be lots of hotels to choose from.

Our list of things yet to do are:

To make the final decision as to which dress Maid Of Honor and Flower Girl will wear.

They have two and I can't seem to make up my mind just yet.

Still in the process of getting together the guys suits.

Meeting with Teri at Federal Grove and deciding on which Hor d' oeuvres to serve and what kind of flower decorations are needed.

Putting together the wedding favors.

Making the final decision about the vows.

Deciding how we are going to get to Nashville after the wedding.

We have been playing with the idea of a Limo, so that our car will not have to be at the airport the whole time we are gone.

I still need to decide on my Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue.
Suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated.

I'm sure there are probably things that I am leaving out.

As you can see we have been busy and we still have things to do.

It has been fun putting everything together and watching it all come together.
I have loved sharing some ot the wedding traditions with my daughter.
I've actually learned alot about them myself. Several of them I did not know the reason for, I just knew that was the way things usually were.
Anyway, I am having fun putting this together and starting this new phase of my life.
I hope that you will share in this begining with me.

How Many Of Me

Below is a web-site that was sent to me from a friend, it's rather cool.
Check it out.


http://www.howmanyofme.com/

Rain and Colds

It seems that all it can do as of late is RAIN.
April showers and all, I suppose.

My friends have asked why I have not posted about our upcoming wedding.
Well I have been meaning to, but just have not. I seem to have caught a
blasted(*&%#*!%&*!) COLD. I HATE having a cold. I am so miserable.
I can't breathe, I can't sleep, My nose hurts from blowing it so much etc,etc,etc.......
You know all the normal stuff that goes along with a cold. Hopefully it will go away REAL soon.
I have been afraid to take cold medication, because my Dr. has changed my blood pressure medication and I am still getting adjusted to it.

The Dr. seems to think that maybe my medication has been my problem all along.
My heart rate was low, so he changed my meds and we are seeing if that will help.
Since starting the new meds, my heart rate has come up and I have more energy.
At least, until I caught this (#*&^#%^*!) cold.
Time will tell..........

When I feel better I'll update you guys on the wedding plans.
It IS coming together.

My Blogging Update

The house is quiet, I am enjoying the silence and the time to just browse through blogs.
I like reading random blogs, seeing that other people live the same sort of life as me.
No matter where they are, Utah, Texas, Georgia, New Jersey, etc... people are alot more alike than you might realize.
We all have our ups and downs, our struggles, but for the most part we are all living the same way. Making ends meet, or trying our best to, raising our kids and hoping to not totally loose our sanity in the process, spending time with friends and our special someone, and maybe finding a little time for ourselves too.
Blogging is the way people keep in touch now. It's how families send updates to those in another state or country. It's the way Grandma, who is not able to travel to visit the babies, can see how they are growing and learning new skills. It's our way of sharing those precious moments with one another. Ahhhhhhh........technology.
I enjoy sharing my life with others, rather it be friends, family or someone who just happens to find my dreary little blog.
Today I thought I'd share the latest pictures that my daughter has taken. Sometimes her creativity amazes me.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy.............




It's a good thing that we live out in the country where the traffic is light or this could be a difficult pose to achieve.

















Of course, having friends with you is always a plus.











I especially like this picture, the way she used the brick wall is really cute.





Riding in the car is even a photo opt.














I love when the kids are playing together, there is such love between them ..........

Sweet Sixteen....Here We Come

HILLTOPPERS ARE IN THE SWEET 16!!!


YEA!!!!!!!!!!





Way To Go Toppers!!!!!


This is sure the top story around here.
All of Bowling Green is excited, my son included.
He is Ecstatic!!!

GO HILLTOPPERS

Fans all across Bowling Green are celebrating victory!!!

Western's 101-99 overtime win over Drake has all of Bowling Green excited.

Ty Rogers says that he saw it coming.

Days before Rogers became a Hilltopper hero Friday with his game-winning, 25-foot 3-pointer, he said he told teammate Matt Maresca that WKU would beat the Bulldogs with a buzzer-beating shot.

“That’s true,” Maresca said. “For some reason he had it in his head that we were going to win the game on a buzzer-beater shot.”

After hitting the shot, Rogers pounded his chest, yelling, “I told you!”“I just thought it might happen, let’s put it that way,” Rogers said, smiling.

“This is going to be one of those plays you’ll see on commercials and the NCAA Tournament for years to come,” Maresca said. “It’s one of those things you see on TV and you never think you’ll be a part of. It’s awesome to be actually part of it, to say one day you were part of that team and part of that game.”No matter what happens in Sunday’s game against San Diego or the rest of the tournament, the Hilltoppers know they added a dramatic chapter to this year’s tournament and WKU’s history.

I know my son sure is happy................

Just Saying Hey

Not alot going on here. I have had to work this weekend and I am ready for a day off.
Still have to work one more day before I get it though. Hurry up Tues............

Lindsey's Spring Break starts this week. Actually they have Professional Development Days on Thursday and Friday and then Spring Break begins. Anyway she will be out of school for 11 days. I plan on taking a few days off too. Probably do a little shopping and maybe some Wedding Tasks also. Still soooooooo much to do, but it is coming together.

I'll try to post about that soon.

Have a GREAT Sunday............

Another Dr. More Test.....

How many Dr's does it take to find out what's causing pain?


1) My Family Dr.

2) Ear, Nose & Throat Specialist

3) Rheumatoidologist

Hopefully, the third time IS the charm.

I saw the Rheumatoidologist yesterday.

He did a full examination and MORE blood test. This time they are checking my muscle enzymes. It seems that when you have muscle damage, the enzyme levels are elevated.

So, the only way to find out is to take my blood.

At least I'm getting better at having this done. I used to pass out frequently when they took my blood. I haven't done that, yet!

The Dr. checked my bones, my reflexes, my muscle strength, my breathing, etc, etc, etc....

He says that I have Osteoarthritis and Fibromyalgia. Both can cause wide spread muscle and joint pain, which I have. One of the main symptoms of Fibromyalgia is fatigue. It affects your non-rem sleep, or your deep level sleep, the restful rejuvenating sleep.
He suggested that I work on my sleep patterns by:

Going to bed and getting up at the same time every day
Avoid caffeine, sugar and alcohol before bed
Avoid eating immediately before bed
Practice relaxation exercises while falling to sleep
Avoid exercising within three hours of bedtime
Maintain a sleep environment that has a comfortable temperature and is quiet, free from distractions such as television
Limit daytime napping.

The hardest one for me will be the limiting of caffeine. Since Dr. Pepper is about all I ever drink.
However, if it will help me sleep and feel better, I'll learn to drink water.

The Dr. also talked to me about a clinical study that they are participating in. It is a "Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Safety and Efficacy Study of XYREM in Subjects with Fibromyalgia." A 27 week study.
Jazz Pharmaceutical Researchers want to find out if the drug Xyrem can help people with Fibromyalgia.

This drug is in the family of the date rape drug, a known drug of abuse. (Fun stuff....Huh....)It can be addictive. When you take it you are to be in bed and ready for sleep, not responsible for any child or elderly person and can not drive or do anything that requires mental alertness for 6 to 8 hours after taking the solution.

Not really sure that I want to participate in that study.

Anyway, I am supposed to cut WAY down on the caffeine and try to get restful sleep. Continue taking Advil or Tylenol for the pain. The Dr. will call when the blood test results are back and I am to see him on April 9th for a follow up and to decide what we will do next.

One good thing the Dr. mentioned, is that massage therapy is very useful in helping with the pain.
A VERY good reason to visit the spa. I know I sure enjoy a good massage....

I'll keep you posted.............

The Results Are In

I finally got the results of my blood test back from my Dr.

Lupus.....Negative
Arthritis....Negative
Glucose....Good
Calcium...Good
Liver Function....Good
Potassium...Good
Etc...Etc...Etc....

The only thing that was not within the appropriate range, was my hormone level.
It was on the borderline of being too low, but since I am taking a relatively high dose anyway, my Dr. doesn't want to change my dosage.

He wants me to complete the coarse of antibiotics that I am currently taking and if, after doing so, I am still experiencing the muscle aches and fatigue he will refer me to a Rheumatoidologist.

I am almost halfway into the coarse of antibiotics with little relief from the muscle aches or fatigue. The headaches have gotten ALOT better....Thank Goodness. The sinus infection seems to be better, not completely gone, but better.

So I am trying to cope as best I can. Being on my feet for 8 hours at work has become a challenge. By the end of the day I am exhausted. I come home and collapse. So much so that on Thursday I called the Rheumatoidologist office, thinking that it would take some time to get an appointment, and wanting to get in soon or near the time I finish the antibiotic. I see him this coming Wednesday.
I'll keep you posted..........

Drs. And Tests

I have yet to hear from my Ear, Nose & Throat Specialist.

When my cat scan was scheduled, I was told that it would take at least 48 hours from the time that the Dr. receives the results for him to contact me. I had it done on Sat. the 23rd. By Wed. I called the Dr's office to see why I had not heard anything, only to find that the office was closed for training Monday through Wednesday, the Dr. would be out of town until Thursday afternoon and would be in surgery most of the morning on Friday. Therefore, he would not have an opportunity to view the test results until next week.

Meanwhile.......I'm miserable.

I asked that a copy of the cat scan be forwarded to my General Practitioner. So, I gave him a call and made an appointment.

Thursday I go in, but have my results been sent to my Dr? NO!!

The nurse called the records department, to make sure, no test results. She calls the ENT's office and asked that they fax the results over. She continues taking my vitals.

Blood pressur was 150/100........and that's with taking my meds.

After a few minutes the Dr. comes in, looks over the chart and then goes to check the fax machine. Nothing.

By this time he is getting impatient, so HE calls the ENT's office and gets the results over the phone.

He is successful. Seems that I have a crooked septum, from some sort of trama to my nose at some time. This is possibly part of my problem, not letting my sinuses drain properly.

Also I have a chronic infection of my Ethmoid Sinus.

This is why I have had the headaches and the pain behind my eyes.

The Dr. prescribed an antibiotic that I will have to take for 20 days and a nasal spray that I am to use everyday.

Hopefully this will get rid of the infection.

He put me off from work until Monday and told me to rest.

I have no problem following those orders, since all I want to do is sleep.

Because I have had no energy, alot of muscle aches and soreness for going on a month now, the Dr. decided that I needed some blood work done also.

It has been some time since I have had any blood work done, so he is checking everything. They took six tubes of blood from me.........

He thought those results would be back by today, but they are not. Guess they had too much blood to check.....LOL

I'll update when I know something.

Until then I will be taking a loooooong hot bath, watching t.v. or sleeping.

Sick, Sick, and Sick........

Sorry that I haven't posted in a bit, Lindsey and I have not been feeling well.






Lindsey has been out of school almost all week. She had a fever of 101 when her school called for me to pick her up on Tues. morning. She has pretty much slept since then. The fever broke Wed. night, but she was still achy and just tired the rest of the week. She is finally feeling better today.

I have not been running a fever, but just have no energy, what-so-ever. I have had sinus infection after sinus infection for the past 8 months. For the past several weeks I have been having headaches, alot.......and they have been severe at times. My whole body aches, especially when the headaches are bad.



So I made an appointment with an Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialist.


I thought that maybe my allergies were causing this and that I needed some sort of different allergy meds to get them under control, or that perhaps my sinuses needed opening up to keep them from getting infected. I saw him on Wed. and he told me that he doesn't think, from examining me, that I have chronic sinus disease.

He mentioned Fibromyalgia, but said that he needed to see what is going on inside my head first to make that determination.

He said that I need a Cat Scan. So this morning I went in for that.

I won't know the results for a few days, but I'll keep you posted.


If you know any headache prevention or treatments that work, by all means........send them my way.

Happy Valentines Day

Hello all, I hope you are having a Wonderful Valentines Day!!

I was off from work today, so I took lunch to Michael's office. He was suprized, which was my intention.

Thursdays are always long days for him. He teaches a class at Draughons Junior College after working a full day, so I usually don't see him on Thursdays until about 9:30 or 10:00 p.m. It was a nice treat to be able to have lunch together today, especially since it is Valentines Day.

After our lunch, I headed out to take care of some errands. Lindsey had asked for a Teddy Bear for Valentines Day, so I dropped one off to her school. I also picked up a little something for Adam and Hartsul, stopped to get a pizza at Papa John's (it was supposed to be heart shaped....but it was not available at our store...figures....), then I headed home.

I got some chocolate and some strawberries and other fruits, while I was out today. I plan on making some chocolate dipped fruit to have for Michael when he arrives home tonight. Wish me luck with this, as I have never tried doing this before. It doesn't look too hard, but you never know how these things will turn out.

Anyway,

Have A Wonderful Valentines Day!!!!

It's Still Winter.....

Not alot going on here, it's a cold day and we have ice and snow on the ground, schools have been called off all around the area, I decided not to go into work today (driving on ice is not my forte), getting some cleaning and laundry done, watching the neighbor boy trying to sled down the driveway........he keeps falling before he can get on the sled, enjoying my comfy, warm, flannel pj's and the fact that I don't have to leave the house, sipping on my cup of hot chocolate, playing on the computer and just enjoying a day off.........Ahhhhhhh. Life is good!!!!!!

Hard to believe that last week we were having thunder storms and tornados.......I guess it's why people say, If you don't like the weather in Kentucky, stick around for a day or so, it will change.

Have a good day all!!!