Yesterday was an interesting day. Jonikka's (one of my best friends) daughter graduated from the 5th grade. She will be in middle school next year. Somehow, sometime, some way, this four-year-old child I just met yesterday is today a middle-schooler wearing a 32A bra. Where did that little girl go? That little girl who I convinced that I was magic when I opened my apartment door with the remote is now a young woman with the beginning of a figure wearing 1" heeled sandals. That little girl who came home on the first day of kindergarten mad as hell because they weren't teaching her to read like Mommy PROMISED they would has now graduated 5th grade with a Presidential Award of Achievement. She's wearing grown-up jewelry but still clung to the stuffed elephant Anita gave her for graduation.
Where does the time go?
Friday, May 26, 2006
Well, THAT'S better!
Got everything straightened out with the urologist, so June 8th's procedure will all be conducted through my urethra. Whew!
AND I don't have to be to the hospital until 11:00 because I won't have all that balloon occlusion and tube placement. Great for me, even better for my mom who wouldn't have gotten home from work until about 11:00 the night before and then have to get up about 4:00/4:30.
AND I don't have to be to the hospital until 11:00 because I won't have all that balloon occlusion and tube placement. Great for me, even better for my mom who wouldn't have gotten home from work until about 11:00 the night before and then have to get up about 4:00/4:30.
Kinda scary how close these things get sometimes
| You Are Bert |
 Extremely serious and a little eccentric, people find you loveable - even if you don't love them! You are usually feeling: Logical - you rarely let your emotions rule you You are famous for: Being smart, a total neat freak, and maybe just a little evil How you life your life: With passion, even if your odd passions (like bottle caps and pigeons) are baffling to others |
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Kidney Surgery Scheduled
On June 8th, I have a cystoscopy with occlusion balloon placement at 0730, then at 0900 I go to radiology for percutaneous tube placement, and finally at 1300 I will have a left percutaneous nephrostlithotomy.
Whatever that all is. All I know is I have to be in Salina at 0530.
For you non-military types, that's 5:30 IN THE FREAKING MORNING.
Oy . . . .
Whatever that all is. All I know is I have to be in Salina at 0530.
For you non-military types, that's 5:30 IN THE FREAKING MORNING.
Oy . . . .
Thursday, May 11, 2006
And now we do the dance of JOY!!!
I saw my nephrologist again today, and he cleared me to have my kidney stones taken care of! I did circles out in the parking lot, I was so happy!! My CO2 seems to be leveling at 21/22, and he said that is acceptable. He'd like me to be at least 24 for surgery, but it appears that my body has established its own equilibrium, so we're just going to go with it.
::happy gimp dance::
After lunch, Mom and I sat down to make Naomi's graduation present since Anita and I are going to the ceremony on Saturday. The necklace has as its focal a small, conch-like seashell cut in longitudinal-section. Its primary color is white with pink, greenish-brown, and brown accents, so I chose jade- and amber-colored beads with a few white accents. For a bracelet on memory wire, Mom strung beads I chose -- a random assortment of purple and green beads accented by little seed pearls, and I chose a good-sized blue bead out of a big 500 gram pack of beads I got for $9. I just wanted it to be different -- like nothing you can buy. It also has a dog paw charm on it. I think it looks way cool. I'll get Mom to take a pic of the two pieces, and I'll post them. While I was searching the big pack of beads, I pulled out all kinds of funky and unusual beads to put on a bracelet for myself. It's so wacky and random that a picture wouldn't do it justice. You just have to see it to appreciate it. I just LOVE it -- it's kooky and one-of-a-kind, just like me. ::grin::
::happy gimp dance::
After lunch, Mom and I sat down to make Naomi's graduation present since Anita and I are going to the ceremony on Saturday. The necklace has as its focal a small, conch-like seashell cut in longitudinal-section. Its primary color is white with pink, greenish-brown, and brown accents, so I chose jade- and amber-colored beads with a few white accents. For a bracelet on memory wire, Mom strung beads I chose -- a random assortment of purple and green beads accented by little seed pearls, and I chose a good-sized blue bead out of a big 500 gram pack of beads I got for $9. I just wanted it to be different -- like nothing you can buy. It also has a dog paw charm on it. I think it looks way cool. I'll get Mom to take a pic of the two pieces, and I'll post them. While I was searching the big pack of beads, I pulled out all kinds of funky and unusual beads to put on a bracelet for myself. It's so wacky and random that a picture wouldn't do it justice. You just have to see it to appreciate it. I just LOVE it -- it's kooky and one-of-a-kind, just like me. ::grin::
Monday, May 08, 2006
Oy!
So, what did I do today?
I had a hard time waking up because I had a hard time getting to sleep. Had a really bad case of the heart pounding nonsense, which my cardiologist told me might happen with me taking 5 mg of Norvasc. She said that if it happened and was bothersome to go back to 2.5 mg. I only took 2.5 mg this morning.
Then I tried to call in a refill on my bicarb, but the pharmacy wouldn't fill it because their records "indicated it was too soon." Well, that makes sense since I'm taking 3X more than the original script called for. I called my nephrologist's office so they could call in a new order. I now have two big bottles of bicarb (540 tablets per bottle) because, to quote Mom, "A three month supply was only nineteen cents more than a one month supply." While I talked to my nephrologist's nurse, she told me my CO2 from last week was 21, and that all other levels indicate my kidneys are functioning "perfectly." Go, kidneys!
Then I had to call my GP because his office called me late Friday wanting to know if I'm on any antibiotics. Oh, yeah. Seems THEY got my UA from last week and it indicated "100,000 colonies of mixed Gram positive bacteria." According to the nurse, under normal circumstances, a doc wouldn't treat that unless the patient was exhibiting symptoms of a UTI. My situation with stones means I would've gotten put on antibiotics had I not already been on them.
THEN I called my urologist to get him to call me in more Lortab. Today is the third day in a row that I have taken two pills in the day, though today I took two 7.5s instead of stealing Dad's 10s, so I'm improving slightly. Still waiting to hear back from him, and I'm totally out. I learned last night that I may be experiencing a side effect of horrendous ITCHINESS. I scratched my stomach and legs so much last night that my skin was burning. Mom hasn't changed laundry detergent and I haven't changed soap, so that's the only thing we can think of. When the nurse calls me back, I'll have to ask him about that.
Finally, I wrote some more on my diss and emailed it to Barney. I have about fourteen pages of text, and I'm not even half way done. Need to pare it down a bit. Hopefully he'll get back to me with comments within a week so I can more efficiently write the rest.
I'm off to bed, and hopefully I'll sleep better. G'night, all!
I had a hard time waking up because I had a hard time getting to sleep. Had a really bad case of the heart pounding nonsense, which my cardiologist told me might happen with me taking 5 mg of Norvasc. She said that if it happened and was bothersome to go back to 2.5 mg. I only took 2.5 mg this morning.
Then I tried to call in a refill on my bicarb, but the pharmacy wouldn't fill it because their records "indicated it was too soon." Well, that makes sense since I'm taking 3X more than the original script called for. I called my nephrologist's office so they could call in a new order. I now have two big bottles of bicarb (540 tablets per bottle) because, to quote Mom, "A three month supply was only nineteen cents more than a one month supply." While I talked to my nephrologist's nurse, she told me my CO2 from last week was 21, and that all other levels indicate my kidneys are functioning "perfectly." Go, kidneys!
Then I had to call my GP because his office called me late Friday wanting to know if I'm on any antibiotics. Oh, yeah. Seems THEY got my UA from last week and it indicated "100,000 colonies of mixed Gram positive bacteria." According to the nurse, under normal circumstances, a doc wouldn't treat that unless the patient was exhibiting symptoms of a UTI. My situation with stones means I would've gotten put on antibiotics had I not already been on them.
THEN I called my urologist to get him to call me in more Lortab. Today is the third day in a row that I have taken two pills in the day, though today I took two 7.5s instead of stealing Dad's 10s, so I'm improving slightly. Still waiting to hear back from him, and I'm totally out. I learned last night that I may be experiencing a side effect of horrendous ITCHINESS. I scratched my stomach and legs so much last night that my skin was burning. Mom hasn't changed laundry detergent and I haven't changed soap, so that's the only thing we can think of. When the nurse calls me back, I'll have to ask him about that.
Finally, I wrote some more on my diss and emailed it to Barney. I have about fourteen pages of text, and I'm not even half way done. Need to pare it down a bit. Hopefully he'll get back to me with comments within a week so I can more efficiently write the rest.
I'm off to bed, and hopefully I'll sleep better. G'night, all!
Saturday, May 06, 2006
Ups and Downs
So last night was a good TV night. "Doctor Who" was one of the best episodes I've seen, and I'm anxiously awaiting next week's second part. I have to admit, though, that I don't see what the big deal about Captain Jack is. Maybe we'll get a better idea next week. After that, I talked Dad into letting me watch "Numb3rs," so I was pretty tickled.
All day yesterday when I went to the bathroom, my kidney would twinge. Never had to take any medicine, so that was good, but I had the feeling it meant I was heading into one of my bad cycles. Sure enough, I was awakened this morning by it hurting. When I got up and peed, it hurt so bad that I just cried. I swiped one of Dad's 10 mg Lortabs, and now I'm lightheaded and slightly nauseous -- and my kidney is still twinging, but at least I don't have to hold my breath in an attempt to make the pain bearable.
I truly cannot WAIT until I can get rid of these bastards.
All day yesterday when I went to the bathroom, my kidney would twinge. Never had to take any medicine, so that was good, but I had the feeling it meant I was heading into one of my bad cycles. Sure enough, I was awakened this morning by it hurting. When I got up and peed, it hurt so bad that I just cried. I swiped one of Dad's 10 mg Lortabs, and now I'm lightheaded and slightly nauseous -- and my kidney is still twinging, but at least I don't have to hold my breath in an attempt to make the pain bearable.
I truly cannot WAIT until I can get rid of these bastards.
Thursday, May 04, 2006
New Marine Species Found in the Atlantic
The Yahoo story. Be sure to click on the photo in the story -- it takes you to a slideshow of six pictures. The Oxygyrus keraudreni is one of my favorites, and Hippopodius hippopus is just so much fun to say! ::grin::
The story at BBC News has another gallery of pictures. Photo 2 is of the cutest baby octopus.
The story at BBC News has another gallery of pictures. Photo 2 is of the cutest baby octopus.