Saturday, September 16, 2006

New Poetry Saturday - Part 3......

Who knew this would become a weekly thing after all?! Except next week when I will be out of town. :P

The usual disclaimers apply......



nightmares

she’s a good mommy
loves you very much
play in the yard
where mommy can see you
but the evil thing
crept up and snatched you
mommy can’t be everywhere
now her heart breaks
her tears fall until you’re home
the evil thing goes free
but so do you
you’re safely home
never to feel safe again
the nightmares come
mommy buys your first nightlight
the yard gets fenced
and you see a new friend
twice a week
in an office filled with toys
you learn to play jacks
and to trust a few people
but the nightmares stay
there’s talk of you going away
so you become the perfect child
you don’t cry
you don’t misbehave
you take care of yourself
and do everything you can
to never draw attention to yourself
if they can’t see you
then they can’t hurt you
the nightmares are the same
you’re so painfully shy
saving that radiant smile
only for a few friends
lonely little wallflower
if you’re very quiet
maybe they won’t notice you
won’t make fun and tease
and the evil thing won’t find you
but the nightmares never go away


Saturday, September 09, 2006

New Poetry Saturday - Part 2......

I really had not planned on making this a weekly thing. I don't write poems that often. I also figured what few readers I have would get bored and wander off if I kept posting my weak version of poetry. But here we are again and I wrote another poem last night.

This one needs a bit of a disclaimer. This poem is in no way about me or anyone that I know. Please do not start emailing or calling me in panic. Life has been rough the last few months, but I'm too genetically happy for it to get me this far down.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Sometimes I have no idea where my poems come from. They just hit me and I feel compelled to write them down.

So without further ado......



mystery

sad tears on the window sill
with an empty view to nowhere
lonely words in a worn diary
pages covered with salty stains
dreams hidden between the covers
never to see the light of day
no one she could talk to
without a shoulder to lean on
she wasn’t missed for five days
by then it was far too late
all that’s left is an investigation
and scattered clues to find
officers fill a flowered room
that she’s only been in alone
no fingerprints but her own
the doors locked from inside
only one conclusion to be drawn
the suspect list is too short
blame can be firmly placed
it’s clear what happened here
she was stalked by melancholy
and violently killed by loneliness


Thursday, September 07, 2006

Tagged back....

My friend, Wes, doesn't usually tag people, but I think this might be payback for the last time I tagged him. :P

So here is my list of things you don't know about me. Not as easy as you might think.

1. I was afraid of needles up until I was diagnosed with diabetes 15 years ago. Now I not only give myself a shot twice a day, but I've even helped nurses take my blood and put an IV into my arm.

2. I failed my driving test the first time I took it. I borrowed a friend's station wagon to take it and I hit the back cone during parallel parking. I took it again and passed it two days later. That day was Friday, June 13th. :)

3. LadyBug is my nickname in real life. My Mom gave it to me the day I was born and it stuck. Many years later, Cleggy added the Princess part when he wrote me my very own fairytale.

4. Since I was a small child I've been very picky about my food. When I put food on my plate, I don't like for it to touch. And most of the time I will eat it one thing at a time.

5. I wrote my first poem before the age of 10. It was about Halloween and I wrote it to amuse my little brother.

6. My favorite number is 6 and has been since I was a child. No idea why. Maybe because I was born in June. :P

7. My family is German, but I hate German food. Ugh.

8. My ears are so small that I can't really use regular ear buds. They either fall out or leave my ears very sore.



I'm tagging everyone that reads this and has the time to do their own list. This means you! :P



Saturday, September 02, 2006

New Poetry Saturday....

Okay this probably won't become a weekly thing. I just happened to write something today.

This poem was a bit of a tease. I was out and about when the first three stanzas hit me. I almost couldn't get home fast enough to get the words down. Then just as suddenly as the words came, they left. I knew it wasn't finished but I couldn't hear the ending yet. As I got ready to file it away as yet another unfinished poem, the last two stanzas hit me in a rush.


So without further ado, here is my latest creation. I would appreciate any and all comments and criticism. I'll try not to take it personally. :P




once

no one will ever love you like i can
i would die for you but it looks like i’m alone
you’ll find yourself old, unhappy, and lonely
when you figure it out the chance will be gone

with me you could have had it all
your wishes and dreams come true
we could have made such a happy life
but we won’t and the one to blame is you

i’ve touched all of you, body and soul
with word and hand left you wanting more
showed you heights you’ve never known
and made you feel better than before

after i’m gone you will finally realize
just how good your life with me had been
you’ll always regret letting me get away
sending me off to the new life i’m in

one day it will hit you exactly what you’ve lost
but by then there will be nothing you can do
it will be too late and all that will be left
is the memory that i once loved you


Monday, August 28, 2006

Random Observations....

With visual aides. :)



If you are hauling this down the road, you will cause traffic jams due not only to the
size of the object but also due to the dorks that will take a picture of it with their phones. Yup, I'm a dork. :P











************************************

My gorgeous nephew, JC, knows how to kick back and relax. Live & learn people.












************************************

Sometimes a girl's best friend is her teddy. Say hi to mine, Puddin'.











************************************

Howard Cosell and Marv Alpert had
a love child.













************************************

Sometimes we all need a nap.













Thursday, August 24, 2006

Mixed Reviews...

*sigh*

As I sit here in my empty and very quiet apartment, I can't help feeling a bit sad. My stepmom & dad left before noon today after being here since the evening of June 7th. I have lived alone for nearly 3 years now, but it didn't take me long to get use to "roomies". Granted I've spent most of that time in one form of pain or another trying to recover from what turned into major surgery. I needed the company far more than I wanted it at first. That's not to say that I didn't want them here. I've just felt quite guilty this whole time to have taken them away from their own lives.

I also have a hard time asking for help even when I need it. I'm usually the caretaker in most of my relationships. I'm just not use to being dependent on someone else. Especially for things that I've been doing for myself since I was a kid. When you call people to tell them that you actually took a shower alone without any help, you know it's been a long recovery. Just so you know, I've been showering alone now for about two weeks. I also cooked myself dinner tonight and was so excited that I nearly called my stepmom to brag. I resisted the urge. :P

So I'm sitting here at my usual spot in front of my computer. The TV is off because it's not as much fun to watch when my parents aren't here to laugh at my running commentary. BTW, Daddy, today's kitchen colour was red and she put red wrapping paper on her table. She was scarier without you here. :P

I stayed busy this afternoon. After Liz (my nurse) left, I went to the library to pick up a couple of books to read and spent some time talking to a librarian that had missed me coming in. I stopped at Whataburger on the way home. (Sorry, Mom!) Once home I made a few phone calls and watched some TV. Before I knew it evening was here and it was time to cook dinner and talk to Cleggy.

Now it's time for bed and I'm feeling a bit lonely. I haven't cleaned the kitchen and don't think I'm going to tonight. (Sorry again, Mom!) I miss my parents (BOTH sets). And I miss Cleggy, a lot. I miss my brothers, my sister, my niece, my nephew, and I even miss my mom & stepdad's dog, Zander. How lame is that?!


Hello, Pitiful? Party of one.

Yeah, that's me. Ugh.


And to make matters worse, I've just admitted to all the people on the internet (okay just to the six people that read this lame blog) that I miss a stupid dog. (Sorry, Zan. You know I don't mean that.) :P

So what to do, what to do? Tomorrow I'm hoping to get a check in so I'll actually have more than 51 cents in my checking account. That's key when you want to pay your rent. Saturday is my 20th year high school reunion (yup, 20 years. someone hand me my cane please). And I have to be back here in time to meet the nurse on Sunday. No partying for me. Not that it was in the plans due to this bum liver. Then again, I'm crazy enough sober so who needs alcohol?!


Okay, pity party is over. Move it along now. Nothing to see here.


On an up note, for the first time in nearly three months I get to sleep without trying to ignore my dad's snoring. On a down note, for the first time in nearly three months I have to go to bed without my stepmom begging me to stop making her laugh before she pees on herself.

As usual, my life is getting mixed reviews. :P


Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Eegads! Tagged Again...

This time by a woman. Now that's just kinky. And all of those I am about to tag can thank Anne B. :P



"10 years ago..."
I met Cleggy online and because of the wonderful friendship we formed I finally began to mourn my Grammy and move on with my life. Until I met him, I never knew how quickly or deeply I could care about someone. My life has never been the same and I thank God every day for that. Also, my two favorite monkeys were born. One in March (my neice) & one on my birthday in June (Cleggy's nephew). I had one of a series of dead end jobs and had finally decided to stop dating since I sucked at it so badly.

"5 years ago..."
I was recovering from an unexplained nine & half week period and avoided a hospital stay by sheer stubborness. I was living with my sister and my neice in Louisiana. I was going on a year of being unemployed and was seeing that begin to eat away at what little self-esteem I had. It was also the beginning of the writing drought that I am still in and commonly refer to as hell.

"one year ago..."
I was reeling from an attempted carjacking/kidnapping in January and spending a horrific night in jail over a hot check that I had already paid for. While still dealing with the health issues resulting from my night in jail without insulin, I had to deal with major car trouble. The repair cost would force me to have my car refinanced. That would eventually lead to it being repossed the following January.

"5 songs I know all the words to..."
If I Had A Million Dollars by the Barenaked Ladies
Sister Don't Cry by Collective Soul
Music of the Night from Phantom of the Opera
Symphony by Kathleen Wilhoite
Angels by Robbie Williams

"5 snacks I love and wish I could eat"
Sugar-free chocolate covered almonds or peanuts
Golden Delicious apples
Nectarines
Bananas
Rice cakes with peanut butter & banana

"5 places I'd run away to..."
England
Ireland
Scotland
Italy
France

"5 things I'd never wear..."
A tube top
A mini skirt
Stiletto heels (I'm clumsy in flats)
Spandex clothes of any sort other than a bathing suit
A thong

"5 favorite tv shows..."
Any CSI type show (CSI, NCIS, Criminal Minds, Numbers, Cold Case, Without A Trace, etc.)
House
Blade
Road Tasted
Good Eats

"5 greatest joys..."
My friends & family
Writing & Reading
Movies
Music
Making something with my hands (Crochet, cross stitch, cooking, general crafting, etc.)

"5 favorite toys...."
My computer
My car
My Palm Pilot (thanks again, Cleggy!)
My TV & DVD Player (thanks again, Mom & John)
Almost any book

"Tag Five People..."
Well, I'm going to tag more than five in the hopes that someone responds. :P
The White Horse
Margo's Musings
Mistress Violet's Life Observations
Laslo's Semi-boring Adventures
WendyDarling's Musings To Peter
Queen B Experiences Life
Sweetest T's Blog
what if this is as good as it gets?
BigRedOne's Random Thoughts
smash the machine
Hmmmm



Monday, August 21, 2006

Thank you, thank you, thank you...

I want to say thank you to the wonderful artist that has made me a perfect, one-of-a-kind, adorable Princess LadyBug portrait.



Her name is Marta and she's the mother of one of my best friends, Margo. Marta & Margo are proof that artistics tendencies are hereditary. They are both very accomplished artists in their own way.

You can see some of their breath-taking work here...
Margo and Marta

So again, Marta, thank you so much from the bottom of my very grateful heart. As always I am in awe of your talent.


Saturday, August 19, 2006

And the Saga Continues...

So where was I? Oh yeah...

I came home from the hospital on June 14th wearing a more comfortable binder/girdle, but would eventually convince my stepmom that I needed a break from it. I also came home with three small incisions ranging from two to four centimeters from the attempted laproscopic surgery, a three-centimeter hole from the wound drain, and a twenty-four centimeter incision from the actual surgery. Along with various staples, drains that looked like rubber bands, and even safety pins. I looked like a victim in a slasher movie.

As I said my first week home was a bit of a shock to me. Not only could I not do things for myself, but the dressing on my wound needed changing every day. For the first two days home, a home health nurse came out to show my stepmom how to do it. Since my stepmom has worked as a nurse's aide for years, she was a very quick study. She has a very gentle touch and a great bedside manner. She was a very skilled nurse's aide, but she would suck as an actress.

Each day she changed the dressing it became increasingly apparent that something wasn't quite right with part of the incision. We began a game of pretend. She pretended it was fine and I pretend to believe her. Of course this game only lasted until my doctor's appointment the following week.

My doc took one look at it and announced it was necrotic and would have to be re-opened. I knew it was necrotic but had no clue that re-opening it was the usual procedure. Imagine my surprise and horror at the idea. On second thought, don't. Just don't go there at all. Let's just say that I now looked like a bad slasher movie.

So with the incision re-opened, I went back to daily nurse visits. The now open wound would need to be cleaned and packed every day until the supplies for our new treatment came in. My doc decided to put on something called a wound-v.a.c.. The description of it and what it would do certainly didn't excite me, but I was willing to try anything to heal. Not to mention that the packing was pretty painful.

On June 28th, the nurse came to install the wound-v.a.c. This involves cutting black foam, inserting it into the wound, and covering it with a clear plastic drape. Once this is done a tube is attached and hooked up to a vacuum machine. It is a truly amazing machine and absolutely the most painful procedure I have ever endured. The next two days were almost as painful from the constant suction on the wound. Unfortunately, it was going to get worse.

Two days later the nurse returned to redress the wound. After removing the drape, we discovered that the foam had adhered to my wound. No matter how much saline she poured onto it, the foam just wouldn't budge. The thought occurred to me to just yank it off like a band-aid, but the slightest pull hurt so badly that I came close to passing out.

We convinced the nurse to go and assured her we would call the doctor first thing Monday morning since it was now after five on a Friday. After she left, I continued to work on the foam using sterile q-tips, tweezers, & scissors. I would work small pieces loose and then cut them off. When that stopped working, we tried covering it with a hot washrag to try and loosen it. After midnight, my stepmom finally convinced me to let her bandage the wound up and get some rest.

The weekend was filled with me trying to work the foam loose and praying. My stepmom & dad prayed. Their church prayed. My siblings prayed. My mom & stepdad prayed. My close friends prayed. And most of all, I prayed. My usual ability to find humor in everything seemed to be failing me, but I could still pray.

Monday morning I called the doctor's office and got his answering service. They were closed since Tuesday was July 4th. I left a message and he called me back within minutes. He told us to keep soaking the foam and surrounding area in SilvaSorb to slow down any infection and to be at his office first thing Wednesday morning. He was in surgery and didn't usually see patients on Wednesdays, but he would rush to his office once I got there.

Knowing we had more waiting ahead of us, I wasn't in any hurry to have the dressing changed. The wound had other ideas. A leak in the dressing caused my stepmom to have to change it before the nurse arrived. This didn't excite me because it had been especially painful since Sunday night.

My stepmom pulled the tape and top dressing off then turned to throw it away. As she turned away from me, I shifted in my chair for some reason and the foam just sort of popped up. I was so shocked that all I could do was yell, "Momma!" She quickly turned around in alarm. Later she would tell me that my tone of voice had frightened her and she thought that an organ or something had fallen out. Nope. Just that pesky foam.

When the nurse arrived I informed her that in no way, shape, or form was that blasted foam being put into me again. The horrible machine that I suspected was a torture device from the Spanish Inquisition was in a box and would remain there until hell froze over as far as I was concerned. Since she was traumatized by the level of pain that I endured the last two times she visited, she readily agreed.

Wednesday I called the doctor's office and told them that the foam had miraculously just popped out and that none would be reinserted. Not willing to torture me, the doctor agreed. So I returned to daily nurse visits and the painful packing of the wound. By comparison the pain seem minimal to me and I tried not to complain.

A few days later the return of my sense of humor would be heralded by my announcement that I had been wounded in a sword fight. That quirky explanation of the wound continues to amuse my family, my friends, my nurses, my doctor, and especially myself. Like I said, if I don't laugh about it then I'll cry about it.

Coming up: How the lack of healing can cause hell to freeze over. Stay tuned.

Friday, August 18, 2006

We Interrupt the Regularly Scheduled Blog for a Message from our Sponsor...

I've started a new blog. I know what you are thinking. "OMG! She doesn't even update this one very often." Well this blog has a different purpose. The new blog is for my niece. In fact it's called Danye's Moon. I've only got one post up so far, but more are coming soon. So check it out if you get a chance

BTW, I mention in the other blog that I am the oldest of four siblings. If you're interested in knowing two of my three siblings, you can check out their blogs. My brother - BigRedOne's Random Thoughts and my sister - Sweetest T's Blog. And try not to hold it against them that they are related to me. It's really not their fault. I was already here when they got here (and screwed up a great only child gig). :P


Sunday, August 13, 2006

The Joy is in the details...

It's been over two months since my surgery and while there haven't been many blog updates there has been no lack of things happening. Well actually, at first there was a distinct lack of healing.

When I left the hospital all those weeks ago, I assumed the worst was over and I think everyone, including my doctor, did too. Driving (okay, I was really riding) away from the hospital, I was leaving behind so many things. An IV, a catheter, a feeding tube, sometimes excruciating physical therapy, a bipap machine, a nasal oxygen tube, daily blood tests, a blood transfusion, a tight and painful binder/girdle (although it was replaced by a more comfortable one), constantly interrupted sleep, drug-induced hallucinations, and a complete lack of privacy. The next few weeks would show me that sometimes the simplest things can be the hardest. My usual happy nature would be sorely tested and my sense of humor would be worked until it nearly wore out. From the moment I woke up and knew where I was, I decided that if I didn't find something to laugh at in everything then it would all drive me to tears. Looking back, I know I didn't have a clue what I was about to go through.

My first week home from the hospital was a bit of a shock for me. I am a very independent person and I've lived alone for nearly three years. I'm use to doing things for myself and by myself. I had trouble doing things for myself in the hospital, but I guess I thought it would be different once I got home. It wasn't. I still couldn't walk very far, cook for myself, or even go to the bathroom without help. If that wasn't enough to deal with, I quickly discovered that sleeping would be far more difficult than any of us had imagined it could be.

I could only lie on my left side or my back and I couldn't do that for more than a couple of hours at a time. In addition to the surgery incision on my right upper abdomen, I have severe tailbone pain from four previous injuries to it. So that limited how and where I could sit. This was an issue in the hospital, but with an adjustable bed it was mostly manageable. At home my choices of seats were my desk chair, a love seat, or my bed. Add to that the fact that my 497 sq. ft. apartment now housed 3 people and you have what I have come to call Cushion Roulette. My very patient parents played a game whose only rule is that every few hours I had to change locations. And that includes sleeping locations.

It would be weeks before I could spend most of the night in the bed. Every few hours, despite the pain medicine, severe pain in either my left hip or my tailbone would drive me out of bed. I would sit for at least a half hour in my desk chair and then lie down again hoping for a few more hours of sleep. I augmented this with an involuntary nap every afternoon on the love seat. I say involuntary because I haven't taken naps since kindergarten. I just don't do naps. Until now. I wonder if I can convince my boss to add that to my work day when I get back to work. :P

Thankfully the frequency of Cushion Roulette has reduced. I can spend much longer in one spot. And thanks to a bit more mobility in bed, I can now sleep through most of the night without getting up. If I had a larger bladder I might make through the entire night. :P

Well I think I've bored you all enough for now. There's more to tell and I'll get to work on another entry soon. Thank you all again for your thoughts, comments, prayers, and love.

Keep smiling! :)


Friday, August 04, 2006

Sometimes the Trip is the Scariest Part of the Journey...

Before I begin I just want to say that I have several friends that take Ambien and are helped by it. Having said that I would also like to say that Ambien is NOT my friend.

The allure of a good night's sleep far outweighed any fear of taking something I've never taken before. And I don't just mean Ambien. I have never taken a sleeping pill in my life. I've taken pain medication, sedatives, and any number of pills for diabetes, but not sleeping pills. I had heard of Ambien because of friends and I knew that few people suffered from side effects. So I decided to just go for it. Not only did I have side effects from it, I had one of the rarest side effects.

About 30 minutes after taking the Ambien, I could feel my body begin to relax. I also realized that my stepmom was already sound asleep. That in itself is a miracle since the poor, sweet woman was sleeping in a recliner. And I'm not talking about a big, comfortable one either. This was your standard hospital issue, lumpy, vinyl covered recliner.

I felt like I might finally be able to relax and possibly sleep through the night. Before I could drift off, my mind suddenly started moving quite quickly and wouldn't calm down. As silly and funny as it sounds, my mind was convinced that it was faxing people. Go ahead, laugh. Trust me, I know how crazy it sounds. How do I know? Because there was a small voice in my head the entire night that kept reminding me that only crazy people have these thoughts. So while part of me was madly trying to fax everyone I've ever known, another part of me was scared that I'd finally lost my mind.

I was so concerned that I opened my eyes and was about to call out to my stepmom. Before her name could leave my lips, my eye was caught by a flash of colour on the ceiling. When I looked up there were literally hundreds of coloured squids writhing around on the ceiling. Needless to say I was frightened. Part of me believed they were real and that they were there to harm me. And that little voice kept up its drone of insanity and being committed.

I spent the rest of the night trying to be as still as I could. I became convinced that if I made no noise and didn't move then they wouldn't know I was there. Only then would I be safe. The nurses came and went but I never responded to them. They knew that I wasn't asleep but kept saying I would fall asleep soon and that I shouldn't worry. I couldn't call out to my stepmom because I just knew that if they knew she was there they would hurt her too.

The story is funny now. In fact, I've amused everyone from my family to my surgeon and his staff with the story. But at the time it was terrifying. I didn't mention it to anyone at the hospital and I didn't tell my stepmom until we had been home a few days. I was still convinced that I was crazy and would be committed.

After weeks of recovery and more of the anesthesia working its way out of my body, my mind has finally been able to associate the hallucinations to the Ambien and stop attributing it to my own lack of sanity. Due to the aches and pains, I'm still having a bit of trouble sleeping. Because I know that I can't heal without good sleep, I finally gave in and picked up some Tylenol PM. I'm very happy to report that the squids and faxing have not returned. Now we can all rest easy.

Sweet dreams! :)

Thursday, August 03, 2006

The Moral of the Story...

If you are going to be in the hospital and incapacitated in any way make sure you have someone with you that knows you well enough to speak for you. My stepmom not only answered calls and questions from anyone and everyone who had my cell phone number, but she also fielded questions from the hospital staff. Here is a list of some of the questions she was repeatedly asked.

"Does she normally use a walker or walking aide?"
"Is she on oxygen at home?"
"Does she use a c-pap at night?"

My stepmom's response to each person's amazement...

"She lives alone, drives her own car, walks without help, and holds down a full time job."

I was in such bad shape that they were shocked I had entered the hospital a healthy, independent person. I do have insulin-dependent diabetes and I'm quite overweight. I have hypothyroidism, high blood pressure, and acid reflux disease. But I really am relatively healthy. Well I was and I will be again. Soon.

IV's and catheters are pretty standard post-surgery equipment. The extremely large amount of anesthesia used dictated the insertion of a feeding tube and the initial use of oxygen. But some things they use to make you better can make you worse. Visual aide: post-surgery binder or girdle (quite similar to the ones I wore).


While still on the operating table, I was (VERY) tightly wrapped into this girdle. It went from just under my arms to well below my waist. It actually covered most of my butt too. I mention it because this fact will cause problems later when I am able to walk to the bathroom on my own. We'll also discover after I've come home that it's given me several sores and caused an area on my left backside to lose all sensation. That area is still mostly numb.

I was visited daily by doctors & respiratory therapists that lamented my shallow breathing. At first they chalked it up to the pain caused by abdominal surgery but then I began to complain that the girdle was too tight to breathe. It's a shame more doctors don't trust their patients to know their own bodies.

After several days of my stepmom and I talking to the nurses about the girdle someone finally realized we were right. Once we got someone on our side my stepmom helped me undo the girdle. I could immediately breathe better. A little while later the nurse we convinced came in and helped her to close the girdle back up, but not as tight. After discovering that the girdle was actually two different layers going around me and overlapping in the middle, they shifted those layers to make it easier for me to move.

Suddenly I could straighten up while standing. I could reach more than a few inches away from my body. And best of all I could breathe. The next evening (Monday) I stopped using the oxygen. The respiratory therapists were upset at first but gave in when my oxygen levels remained above 95. However not before they insisted I be put on a bi-pap machine. This is a breathing machine you wear while sleeping that is much larger than the c-pap most people use at home.

The problem with this plan is that I am a very light sleeper and this machine is incredibly loud. The oxygen came out so hard that if the facemask wasn't sitting just right it would blow my hair back. And that is no exaggeration. I laid there without sleeping for over two hours being as still as I possibly could to keep from setting off the alarm on the machine because I'd moved the mask in the slightest way. I finally gave up and asked my stepmom to call the nurse to turn it off. The new plan was to give me a sleeping pill the next night before starting the machine.

I thought about it all the next day and decided not to let them put me on the machine again. I'm claustrophobic and the facemask is so huge that I couldn't relax the night before and I didn't think a sleeping pill was going to change that. After explaining this to the respiratory therapist, he relented and left me machine free for the night. The nurse suggested I take the sleeping pill anyway and enjoy a nice restful night. I hadn't been sleeping too well so I agreed.

I'll amuse you in my next entry with what a mistake that decision turned out to be.


Tuesday, August 01, 2006

The Best Laid Plans...

I'm finally giving in to the many requests for more details. Just remember when I've bored you silly that ya'll asked for it. :P


On Wednesday, June 7th my dad & stepmom came to Houston from Louisiana. The plan was I would go in the next day for gall bladder surgery, stay overnight, and they would help me for the next few days until I could take care of myself. So before daylight the next morning they drove me to the hospital and I was prepped and wheeled into surgery. This is where the plans went out the window.

I would end up being in the hospital for six days and I wouldn't be conscious enough to know what was going on around me until sometime Friday afternoon. And then it would be several more days before I could stay awake for more than a couple of hours at a time. It would also be several weeks before I could talk without pausing every few sentences because I couldn't think of the word I needed. A frightening, but harmless side effect of the large amount of anesthesia used.

Things began to go wrong during the surgery. Within moments of attempting to do the surgery laproscopically, the doc knew my recovery was suddenly going to be much harder and longer. He set aside the tiny cameras and picked up a scalpel. Through a 24cm incision he removed my gall bladder that was so full of stones that it had dropped down behind my liver. While removing it, he noticed that I also had liver damage. Even though I've never been much of a drinker (except for about four months while at college) and tested negative to all types of hepatitis, I had cirrhosis. I'll have to see a specialist before we'll know the severity or the extent of it. Best case scenario is I will just have to "baby" it for the rest of my life. Worst case scenario is I will eventually need a transplant. Only time and a specialist will tell.

My surgeon is a pro so although he was worried about me he did an excellent job. Despite me making it harder on him. More than once during the surgery I began to wake up. He told me that he had never had a patient need as much anesthesia as me. His assistant said she lost count of how many times I tried to wake up but she figures it was about 6 or 7 times.

Although I know that I was awake several times on Thursday, I have no memories other than a vague moment in my hospital room with my stepmom holding my hand and seeing my dad at the end of my bed. I have another blurry memory of early Friday morning. My surgeon was standing just inside the door almost as if he was afraid to come in. I'm told I pouted at him and told him I didn't like him because he gave me a big owie. I don't doubt that I did because big owie doesn't even begin to cover it.

My first clearer memory was Friday afternoon. At which time I became aware of several things. I acquired a few attachments. An IV (expected), a catheter (expected), a nasal oxygen tube (sort of expected), a feeding tube (completely not expected), and a medieval torture device cleverly disguised as a very large and VERY tight binder or girdle (not only not expected but freaking painful).

The IV was in until the day I was released. The catheter was in until Monday. I stopped using the oxygen on Monday because it bothered me. The feeding tube came out Saturday afternoon, but it would be Sunday morning before my stepmom could convince me to eat anything. And then it was only a bite. It would be a day or two before I could manage more than that and it would be a couple of weeks before the smell of food cooking would stop making me nauseous every time. Sometimes the smell of something will still creep up on me and make my stomach roll.

As bad as it was for me, my stepmom had a rougher time. She got almost no sleep and had to answer questions and phone calls from my friends, family, and work. My cell phone rang nearly non-stop during that first weekend and didn't slow down much after that. But she did it all with a smile and only one night off when I was stronger. She's an amazing woman. In fact I've got four pretty great parents. My stepmom & dad haven't left my side since the surgery despite having a fairly busy life of their own. My dad is on disability due to a bad 18-wheeler accident, but my stepmom is not working while they are here. Thankfully her wonderful employers have someone filling in so her job will be there when she gets back.

Well I think that's enough for now. I'll fill in a few more details at a later date, I promise. Trust me, I've just skimmed the surface with this entry.

Thanks to everyone again for all the thoughts, prayers, and love. Some days the only thing that made the pain bearable was knowing that you all were out there sending me so much love that I could feel it like a warm, safe hug. Just know I'm sending you much love in return.


Thursday, June 22, 2006

A Royal Update...

As Squid Vicious so eloquently reminded me, my blog is in desperate need of updating. I promise I haven't been negligent, just absent in an unavoidable way.

On the morning of June 8th, I went into the hospital for what should have been minor surgery & an overnight stay. Six days later I was finally released after what was nearly a train wreck of a surgery. I'm okay, but it's going to take weeks of recovery before I'm back to myself.

Which means there won't me a lot of updating here for a while longer. Sorry I didn't check in sooner.

Thanks to everyone for their prayers and happy thoughts. You all mean the world to me.


Don't miss me too much! :P

Sunday, May 21, 2006

Alas the time has come...

To turn on word verification on the comments. Tonight I received my very first spam comments. If it had been one or two I would have just ignored them, but it was over 20 so the extra security is needed for now. I'll take it down again when I think those spamming bastards have lost interest in my site.

Again I'm really sorry.


Monday, May 15, 2006

Mother's Day - Part 2...

Since I promised Sweetest T here is the second poem I talked about yesterday.



seventeen minutes

a sound draws my attention
as i move towards it
i realize its a laugh
then i recognize it
and my heartbeat quickens
i turn the corner
to find her sitting
in her favorite chair
“grammy!” i cry
and throw myself
into her loving arms
“i’ve been waiting for you, angel baby”
she says with that smile i miss
i feel my chest tighten
a sound behind me
makes me turn
when i look back
she is gone again
then i wake up
and for just a moment
she is still alive
if i hurry to the phone
she’ll answer when i call
dazed, i walk into the kitchen
my sister asks what’s wrong
then holds me as i cry
listening as i tell her
my dream turned nightmare
and i wonder
will it ever stop hurting
will i ever stop missing her
is she watching me now
is she proud
does she know
that i loved her so much
my heart is still breaking
even though she’s been gone
for six years
one month
sixteen days
eleven hours
and seventeen minutes

Sunday, May 14, 2006

Mother's Day...

Mother's Day is a holiday about mixed feelings for me. On the happy side I am very blessed to still have my Mom even if she lives over 1400 miles away. Until two years ago when my parents moved, I had never lived more than 225 miles from them. Okay, I know. I'm a big spoiled baby. On the not so happy side my Grammy (Mom's mother) passed away July of 1994.

Mother's Day weekend of '94 was hard. For the first time in her 21 year history of multiple strokes, my Grammy didn't recognize any of her loved ones. Over the previously mentioned 21 year history, my Grammy had an estimated 12 major strokes and 1,000 TIA's (mini-strokes). She had to learn how to walk, talk, write, eat, and speak all over again many, many times. But at no time did she ever forget who anyone was. We knew that weekend that this was the beginning of the end. As you can imagine it was not a very happy Mother's Day. And every one since then has been full of mixed feelings.

In honor of the woman that helped raise me, I'm pulling this poem out of the vault. I wrote this in September of 2000. Actually I wrote two poems that day. It was hours before dawn on my Mom's birthday and I was contemplating how she would make it through yet another birthday without her mother. I was also avoiding sleep due to a dream I'd had of my Grammy the previous night.

If anyone's interested I'll probably post the other poem tomorrow. In any case here's the first one.




her

i saw a woman the other day
with her hair colour
you know the one that
miss clairol makes
and i had this urge to
colour my hair that shade
so she would be with me
each and every day
but my eyes are all wrong
hers were brown
and mine are gray
i guess the hair colour
doesn’t really matter
besides a million things
every day
make me think of her
the smell of coffee brewing
the sound of christmas carols
the taste of peanut butter
the feel of her blue blanket
the last thing she ever touched
before she died
except for me
i just wish she had known me
those last months
i waited every day
for some sort of spark
or that light in her eyes
she always had for me
or the way she had
of calling me ‘baby’
that never bothered me
even though i hadn’t been one
for far too many years
but up until her last moment
i was a stranger
i would cry in the kitchen
so she couldn’t see
and worry
i only smiled in front of her
as i put her medicines
through her feeding tube
changed her sheets
bathed her tired body
rubbed lotion on her fragile skin
and brushed her gray hair
that was once that colour
you know the one that
miss clairol makes

Thursday, May 11, 2006

vertigo

installed a new lock on my heart today
not to keep someone out
but to keep something in
feels like the flood gates will burst
then i'll cry myself to pieces
my life looks like it was painted
by salvador dali
confusion reigns supreme

even when i think with my head
not my wounded heart
so out, out dark spot
my heart and soul you cannot have
blessed sleep is more than fleeting
almost as rare as happiness
and the lack there of
leaves me babbling
stringing incoherent words together
launching them into cyberspace
waiting for their echo to reply
i can't remember the last time

what i wrote made any sense
or had any meaning
worth taking time to learn
it's artistic if it's vague
tragic and self-absorbed
no one buys it if it's less
than a poet bleeding upon the page



Vertigo, 1930
by Salvador Dali


Wednesday, May 10, 2006

A favor...

My bestest friend, Cleggy, has a fabulous blog called The White Horse. He's a very talented writer and yesterday he posted one of the stories he's written. It's one of my favs. Please go and take a look. Don't forget to leave a comment!

Thanks!!!

Sunday, May 07, 2006

the game

i'm healing a broken heart
that i didn't know i had
wondering if morning will ever come
and scared the night will last forever

love is a complicated game
i never learned to play
i'm the last one left on the board
when the others are changing games

how can i possibly win
if i don't know the rules
won't someone stop and explain
or show me how to play

i keep rolling the dice
and moving forward
but i'm falling farther behind
with no hope of catching up

my heart can't keep up this pace
i'm frighten i'll end up alone
this game is hardly fair
and love plays with loaded dice

Sunday, April 30, 2006

Surrealism, Non-sequiturs, and Sadness...

This has not been one of my better weekends. Since Wednesday night I've been having rather disturbing dreams. Not so much nightmares just the kind of dreams that make you reluctant to return to sleep. They seem so real, so vivid, so threatening. Seeing Cleggy for dinner & lunch this week was truly the only thing that got me through until Saturday when I knew I could rest. Or at least try.

Then Saturday evening I answered my phone, heard Cleggy's voice on the other end, and knew that my life was about to change irrevocably. He called to tell me that a friend had died earlier that day. A friend I hadn't seen in a while, but one I cared for quite deeply. One of the few friends I've actually blogged about. His name was Jimmy and he was one of the sweetest and craziest men I've ever known.

Of course I cried. Tears have come easily for me my whole life. For the good as well as the bad. I've always been overly emotional. Something about myself I've seen as a weakness. Although there are those in my life that would argue that point. Friends that say it's not a flaw but a sign of how deeply I care about and for people.

Since then it's been like I'm walking under water. Everything seems to be happening in slow motion. As if time has slowed nearly to a complete stop. I'm sure it's shock, but I can't seem to shake it. Today I've just been going through the motions of life, punctuated by tears when the grief bubbles to the surface.

Underlying that is a fear that approaches panic. A purely self-centered, selfish fear. Jimmy had diabetes and the last few years he's battled one problem after another. He had cancer on his nose. He had trouble with his feet that ended in amputation. And a few weeks ago he had heart surgery after a major heart attack. As anyone who has read my blog before knows, I am a diabetic.

After some blood tests this week, my doctor has decided to increase my thyroid medication and wants me to come in for an ultrasound of my liver. Neither thing really bothered me until Saturday evening. And they still don't when I remain logical about it. But when the grief masks the logic that aforementioned panic begins to rise. I told you it was self-centered and selfish.

Part of me is just not coping well. Another part of me is making a list of things that need to be done before Jimmy's memorial service next Saturday. I've already begun working on that list. I'll try to take off on Friday so that I have plenty of travel time. Not to mention a bit of time to pull myself together. Thankfully I get paid Friday so gas money won't be a worry at all.

This weekend I'll be with others who loved Jimmy since I'll be with Cleggy & his family. That will make an emotional day quite a bit more bearable. Now to just get through the week without slipping into autopilot again.



And just in case they have internet in Heaven......

Jimmy, I love you and I miss you! But I'm still mad at you for leaving us. :(

Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Random things I have learned recently...

1. Doctors are happiest when thinking up all the tests they can run on you.

2. Shoe shopping can substitute for therapy in a pinch.

3. If an 18-wheeler (13 gears) reaches 60 mph faster than you do (5 gears) then you should probably pull over and catch a bus.

4. When you've reached 86 (my aunt) you can win any argument by reminding the other person who has lived longer.

5. My period doesn't care that I'm a diabetic. She wants what she wants and she wants it NOW dammit!

6. If it's hot enough outside a turtle will cross a blacktop road at a speed not normally attributed to turtles.

7. High gas prices will not keep you at home if your car is only a week old.

8. Toll roads are more fun when you can throw the change into the machine rather than hand it to a person.

9. Being allergic to cats will not keep you from picking up a month old kitten when it mews at you.

10. TV Infomercials are addicting and mesmerizing.

11. If your truck is so big that you have to give your wife/girlfriend a boost up into it then you need a taller woman or a shorter truck.

12. Free cone day at Ben & Jerry's will cause more traffic than a four car pile up.

13. Free cone day at Ben & Jerry's is bad for a diabetic. (Refer to #5)

14. When it's over 90 degrees outside, not even shade is cool.

15. If a prescription costs nearly $100, it suddenly becomes much easier to remember to take it every day.

Sunday, April 16, 2006

Finally...

It's happened. I am the proud owner of a gray 2005 Ford Taurus. And she's sweet. Sunroof, CD player, leather interior, and it's all mine. Well mine & the bank's. :P

Check out the pics I snapped.
The Royal Photo Album


Thanks to everyone for the happy thoughts & prayers.


Tuesday, April 11, 2006

i want to be the one

he can’t get out of his thoughts

who haunts him in the night

he compares every woman to

that hovers at the edge of all his dreams

who knows his heart like no other

his body craves to touch

whose voice echoes in his head

that makes him keep a part of himself separate

he calls for in his sleep

who distracts him even when gone

he longs to be near

that stirs his soul with my words

he can’t live or love without



i want to be the one

Sunday, April 09, 2006

Break It Down Baby...

Lacking motivation to clean, I put on a CD and turn it up. I head to the kitchen where the dirty dishes have been calling my name so long they are hoarse. I can barely hear the music begin over the running water, but that's okay. I know this song by heart. Every beat feels like the very beat of my heart.


Hey
Is your burden heavy?
Can you bear it alone?
Call me baby
And come on home
Is the life you're living
Filled with despair?
Call me daddy
And I'll be there


I feel the song start to move my body like it does my soul. My hips begin swaying slowly side to side. The singer's voice carrying me along as much as the music.


Oh break it down baby
You can show me the way
Hold me, squeeze me
Swing and sway
Are you worried 'bout if I'll stay?
I won't let you get away


My eyes close as my hands go on autopilot. The beat of the music controls the beat of my heart. The words I know so well begin softly falling from my parted lips.


Half a mile or so and then
I'll be knocking at your window
And you'll have to let me in
Oh listen to my innuendos
I don't want to talk all night
Just show you what I’m saying
Don't just stand there
Hear what's right
And I promise I’m not playing


The dishes suddenly forgotten as the song completely takes me over. I shake my hair loose from its prison and feel it's silky, golden strands pour over my shoulders and down my back.


Break it down baby
You can show me the way
Hold me, squeeze me
Swing and sway
Are you worried 'bout if I'll stay?
I won't let you get away


With my arms in the air, I slowly spin. My hips keeping their steady rhythm back and forth. My body and voice matching the crescendo of the song. As I sense the end of the song nearing, I lift my hair off my neck and continue my solitary dance.


Break it down baby
You can show me the way
Hold me, squeeze me
Swing and sway
Are you worried 'bout if I'll stay?
I won't let you get away


You silently come up behind me and place your hands on my hips. You pull me into you and join my dance. Your body swaying with mine. Your lips softly brush my neck. As the song slowly releases its hold on me, I feel you tighten yours.


Are you worried 'bout if I'll stay?
I won't let you get away
Break it down
Break it down baby
Break it down, break it down
Break it down
Break it down baby






If you'd like to experience "Break It Down Baby" by RobinElla on your own then download it here.

Monday, April 03, 2006

Is it wrong to like being tagged?!

Brooke posted this very cool music meme and then tagged all her readers. Since I am definitely a loyal reader I'm passing on the tagging. (Would that make this group tagging?)

Answer the following questions using only the song titles from a chosen musician/band.

Band I chose: Barenaked Ladies

Are you male or female? Alternative Girlfriend

Describe yourself. Crazy

How do some people feel about you? Call And Answer

How do you feel about yourself? Unfinished

Describe your ex: New Kid

Describe your current significant other: Great Provider (If I had a Significant Other)

Describe where you want to be: Another Postcard

Describe how you live: Who Needs Sleep?

Describe how you love: Lovers In A Dangerous Time

What would you ask for if you had just one wish? If I Had $1000000

Share a few words of wisdom: When You Dream

Now say goodbye: This Is Where It Ends



And of course I'm tagging the usual suspects: Cleggy, Mistress Violet, & Laslo.