A month? No. Really? A month. And a whole year too!

I didn't mean for a month to go by without writing a word.
Sometimes life just goes by too fast. I wasn't feeling "back to normal" till about mid-December. Till then I was doing just what I needed to, to get by. Once I got my energy back, I needed to kick it in gear. But I can't seem to get with it. I'm usually done Christmas shopping by Thanksgiving and I'd barely begun it by then. I've gotten a lot done in the past couple of weeks, but not enough, it seems. I feel as if I lost all of November and half of December. It has really affected me, losing that time...
But then, where did the last year go? It seems such a short time ago that we were celebrating the start of a new year.
New Year's resolutions? I always resolve to be a better me. At the end of every year, I always feel that I fail. Let's see if this year will be "the year"!

I'm doing better...for the most part

Well, I just haven't had much to say, or have been too tired to say it.

I am much better. Thank you very much. I am off all meds and the side effects are gone. I absolutely hated that spacey feeling. I still become short of breath easily and I tire easily. But I feel a little better every day.

I hosted Thanksgiving, which was really not a great idea. My brother's girlfriend flew up for the holiday and hadn't met the family yet. My sister made the turkey, stuffing and gravy and an apple pie and pumpkin pie, which really took a load off of me. My brother bought a ham and a chocolate pie. Jamie and I made the sides and got the house ready, with a lot of help from Jim. With all the help that I had, I was still exhausted before everyone got here. I actually had to go and sit in a quiet room for a bit, just to get away from the noise. I was starting to feel overwhelmed. I did enjoy it though. I really like my brother's girlfriend. He seems so happy with her.
Friday I rested, mostly. I'm so afraid of getting sick again and am trying to take care of myself.

Jim and Jamie went shopping at 3am Friday. As a rule I hate black Friday. Jamie likes it and I've gone shopping a few times. Jim saw a good deal on a washer/dryer set and was determined to go buy it. Ours run okay. Most of the time. I've resisted spending the money to replace them. Even though the washer, on the spin cycle, sounds like an airplane getting ready to take off. And the dryer, I can't even describe it's special noise. I have been asked, when on the phone, what the noise is though. And our washer and dryer are in our basement! So, come this Thursday we will have a new washer and dryer...

Today I had a follow-up with the pulmonologist that saw me in the hospital. He told me that recovery is about six weeks and that I was progressing normally. It's been a month since I started getting sick.
Then I showed him my right arm, which is the one my IV was in. It's been sore to the touch since I came home from the hospital and is now swollen, not terribly, but noticeably. And so tomorrow I have an ultrasound because it could be a blood clot. Lovely. And on Dec. 9th I have to have a chest CT scan to make sure my lungs are good. I go back to see this doctor on the 21st. I've already seen my primary care doctor for a follow-up and see him again tomorrow for some bloodwork. Oh, and the CT scan? Did I mention that I had one in the hospital and had a panic attack during it, because I felt as if I couldn't breathe. I have never felt that way before! I can't describe it, except to say that I was terrified. When I came home, I could lie down in my bed for no more than a couple of hours before I would get the same panicky feeling. I spent the first two weeks home mostly on our recliner couch, mostly sitting up. Strange. Now I'm okay. My doctor told me that the steroids may cause those feelings. Another reason to hate them...

So, I've basically lost one whole month of my life and that really made me think of the so many ways that I waste time, or put things off or...
Did I mention that I spent a lot of time on the recliner couch...thinking?

Okay, while I was sick Jamie decided to quit her job and go back to subbing, which really wasn't working for her in the first place. Not happy about that, but really too sick to care at the time.
Well, today she had an interview and was offered a job as a lead teacher in the infant room at a childcare/learning center! Not a teacher in a district, but still a teacher! I'm very happy about that!!

And Jon? He got the keys to his house and is doing some mostly minor repairs and painting before he moves in. He mostly has this permanent look of panic in his eyes about the money he has been spending. Poor guy. But that's home ownership for you! I am excited for him!

So, that's my life in a nutshell. Things are looking up!

What a way to spend the month of November

This will be short. Maybe I'll elaborate about my fun month in another post. On November 1st, I started feeling flu symptoms. I spent the following week sometimes feeling better, sometimes feeling worse. Worse won. On November 7th, I was forced talked into going to the ER. I felt horrible, so I finally agreed to go.

There, they told me that you just have to wait out the flu, not much they can do...

Then the doctor came in, listened to me and ordered a chest x-ray.

Double pneumonia. I think I remember him saying that he was very concerned. And that I was being admitted.

Without going into ALL of the details, I spent from late Saturday night until Tuesday evening in the hospital. I shouldn't have come home Tuesday evening, but I convinced them to let me go. My lungs sounded better and that's what was most important. For the next several days at home, I felt no better. Then, slowly, slowly I have started to feel better. Not myself yet, but better.

They figure that I started out with H1N1 and eventually ended up with pneumonia. I have never felt so sick in my life. But I'll be back. I know I'm in here somewhere. I know I will feel more human once I totally get these drugs out of my system. I absolutely hate the "spacey" feeling. I absolutely hate that I have almost zero energy.

But, I'll be back!

Saturday surprise

My son woke up this morning (he usually works on Saturday but not today) and said, "Wake me up again when you've made my macaroni and cheese." For the record, he was joking. I think.
I said, "Funny. Make your own."

A little while later he said, "Do you want to go have lunch at Cracker Barrel?"
I said, "I don't have money to go to lunch today."
He said, "I'll pay."

If you knew my son, you'd just about pass out like I almost did!

How could you pass that offer up?

A few minutes later he said, "Why don't you call Uncle P. (my brother who just moved up to Michigan) and ask him to come along?"
I said, "Still your treat?"
He replied, "Yep."

I wondered to myself who had kidnapped my son and who was this look-a-like.

My brother couldn't pass up a free lunch. So, away we went.

Great lunch (Cracker Barrel has a yummy chicken salad right now) and great conversation.

Great Saturday.

Thankful Thursday

I complain a lot. I know it. I sometimes feel as if that's all I do. So, I've decided that today (because thankful and Thursday sound good together) I'm going to list my blessings. Without any "but's" or "if only's". And I won't list my faith, my family, etc. That's a given! Nope just a simple list of recent events in my simple little life that I am truly thankful for. And this is just what's on my mind this morning. There is so much that I am thankful for! I always need to remind myself of that!

Here goes---

I'm thankful that my daughter found a job, actually two!

I'm thankful that my son closed on  his house!

I'm thankful that my mother's infection responded to the antibiotics and she's much better now!

I'm thankful that my brother is settling in nicely in his new digs!

I'm thankful that we are still working!

I'm thankful that I have my sister to travel together on this "journey" with our mom.

I'm thankful that I have so many books to read!

I'm thankful  that I have much to be thankful for!

Just asking for a little prayer...

My mom would have a fit if she saw this picture. She would say she looks so old!

She lives in a nursing home, but is in the hospital right now. It seems she has an infection (MRSA actually and not her first time) which caused the side of her face to swell. She was sent to the hospital to be treated with IV antibiotics. She was supposed to move back to her nursing home today, but now we're not sure. I won't bore everyone with all the details, but would just like to ask for your prayers for my mom's healing. It takes a lot out of her...

who is calling you?

Okay, so I couldn't get a real clear picture of my caller id, but...

I place an order through the Laura Ingalls Wilder Memorial Society and they had a question. When my phone rang caller id showed:

LAURA INGALLS W

How funny is that?

I used to subscribe to St. Anthony's Messenger and I had let the subscription lapse so they called me. My caller id showed:

ST. ANTHONY

What's funny is that St. Anthony is the patron saint of lost items and I had been searching for something...

For a couple of years I was a member of the Art and Environment committee at our parish. Sometimes someone from church would call and caller id would show:

ST. CHRISTOPHER

Sometimes I feel as if someone is trying to tell me something...

So, who is calling you?