Perception

  I have a good perception of myself.  There are times, where I can have a low self-esteem, but who doesn't at times.  I saw my lung doctor this afternoon. I will have another lung function test in May, and another sleep test in June.  (The sleep test is every two years.)  He said my lung function was 91%  in February and two months ago was 83%.  He wasn't too worried about that.
     I was looking at the paper of the visit in the car afterwards and go mad at him.  At the end of my list of medical problems/daignosis' and towards the end was morbid obesity.  That made me mad.  I do not think of myself as obesis.  I think of myself as full-figured.  I know I weigh a lot.  I lost about 50 pounds five years ago, and have basically gained most of it back.  I go up and down, but basically have maintained my weight.  I am fine with my looks.  (What bugs me about it, is the not dating part, and guys are wrong to not want to date me because of it. )  My lung doctor wants me to think about doing bariatic surgery.  I said that I would think about it, but I do not want to do it.
    I have made changes in what I eat.  I have cut back in my chocolate intake.  In the past few weeks, I have had more chocolate, but then again, this year has been very stressful and frustrating school year.
     People need to realize that what they say to others can hurt others their self-esteem.

Streams in the Desert: November 23

You have shown your people desperate times. (Psalms 60:3)

  I have always been glad that the psalmist said to God that certain times of life are desperate or difficult. Make no mistake about it, there are difficult in life.

   This summer someone gave me some beautiful pink flowers, and as I took them, I asked, "What kind are they?" My friend answered, "They are rock flowers. They grow and bloom only on rocks where you can see no soil."  then I thought of God's flowers growing in desperate times and hard places, and I somehow feel that He may have a certain tenderness for His "rock flowers" that He may not  have fro is lilies and roses.    Margaret Bottome 

  The trials of life are sent to make us, not to break us.  Financial troubles may destroy a person's business but build up his character.  and a direct blow to the outer person may be the greatest  blessing possible to the inner person.  So if God places or allows anything difficult in out lives, we can be sure that the real danger or trouble will be what we will lose if we run or rebel against it.  Maltbie D. Babcock   

          Heroes are forged on anvils hot with pain,
          And splendid courage comes but with the test.
          Some natures ripen and some natures bloom
         Only on blood-wet soil, some prove great
         Only in moments dark with death or doom.

  God finds His best soldiers on the mountain of affliction.

It is Out!

 I saw the urologist this afternoon, and he took the stint out!  Now I can heal and feel a lot better.  This is one doctor's appointment I was looking forward to it.  The stint is gone! Yeah!

Trip to the ER

I have had pain for over the past week.  I wasn't able to explain or describe the pain.  I first tried the medicine for having pain when using the restroom, that didn't help.  After taking that a couple of times, I then took a couple of times the medicine for having urges to use the restroom.  It was tough at school this week, because in the  afternoon and evening, I would go as much as every 30 minutes to whenever.  My body is on a schedule at school and these past 10 days have messed it up.  That medicine didn't help.  I even took Tylenol (the generic brand), that also didn't help. Monday,  I took Aleeve, that helped my knees and bone spur, but nothing else.  Tuesday afternoon, I spent about 3 hours shaking both on the inside and the outside.  I wasn't completely cold, but I did have the chills.

  Finally, Wednesday or Thursday, I figured out the pain was probably due to the stint, and it is.  The pain varies.  I took   pain pills the last two nights, the generic for Percocet.  That made me itch and difficult to go back to sleep.  I think I am allergic to that.  This afternoon, I was in major pain.  Instead of calling the doctor, I went to the ER.  Besides the stint bothering me, I also have a bladder infection.  They gave me morphine at the ER, so after spending two hours, there, Mom came and picked me up.  I was given a prescription for an antibiotic, a pain pill and a ibuprofen.  I am staying home from church tomorrow, since I have two days of school this week. 

  I see the   doctor Tuesday afternoon, and I so do hope he takes the stint out.  I can not go too much longer with it in!

Mammogram and Kidney Stone Surgery #3

  I was scheduled for a diagnostic mammogram and ultrasound at 9:30 this morning.  Dad had me there by 9:15.  I had four pictures taken of my left breast, then I had to sit and wait a bit before the ultrasound of my left breast.  I was done there by 10:45ish.  I was told by the ultrasound technician  that she was to look for two things, and she only found one, a cyst.  She couldn't find the other one, so the doctor on duty read the films and said they look benign.  That means no biopsy.  I am glad for that.

  I walked over to out patient surgery and didn't have to wait long to be called back.  I was surprised that I wasn't taken to have an x-ray done this morning, since I was expecting it.  My port was accessed, but the initial blood flow was slow, and my port continued to run slow.  It was slow on Tuesday, when I had it flushed and had blood work done for today.

   Mom, Dad, and my best friend, Elaine came back around 12:30 to see me before my surgery.  Having Elaine come by, was a nice surprise.  I enjoyed my visit with her.  I even received my birthday present from her, all Pittsburgh Steelers stuff.  Thank you Elaine for coming to see me.

   I go to the operating room, and with my port running slow, the antheisologist says that she wants to access a vein, and I told her that might not be possible.  She said that she will wait until after I am asleep to do so.  They give me the medicine, and she did start an IV in a vein in my right arm, at my elbow.  I didn't like waiting up to that.  The surgery was a quick one.  The doctor told mom, that he had a hard time using the laser to break up the stone.  It was being very stubborn!! He broke up the stone and removed it, and   placed a stint in the tube.  He will remove the stint in a couple of weeks in  his office.

  I came home with five prescriptions.  Only got four filled, since one is for pain meds.  I have an antibiotic to take this weekend, Flomax to take for twenty days, and two other kinda pain meds, depending on if I have certain pains with bathroom stuff. 

  I hope it is another twenty years or longer before I get another kidney stone, or never again.

Pesky Port Problems

Since I am scheduled to have surgery next week on the 8th, I had to have pre-surgical testing this afternoon.  The nurse went to go and access my port to draw blood, and NOTHING.  I did have a bag of ice there for quite some time, so I hope that had nothing to do with it.  I am keeping Tuesday's appointment to flush my port, to see if they can get blood return.  If not, I do not know what I am going to for surgery.  There is no guarantee that one will be able to find a vein and access it to get blood or to start an IV.  I hope this is not the beginning of things and go through what I went through last November and December.

Yearly Mammogram

    Last week, I had my yearly mammogram.  I had a couple of messages in my voice mail yesterday after school, telling me that I need to have another one.  On Thursday, November 8, at 9:30 am, I am scheduled for a diagnostic mammogram and an ultrasound on my left breast.  A mass was found in my left breast.  I am not worried for I have left it in God's hands.

    This is my third time having to get a diagnostic mammogram and an ultrasound of my left breast.  The other times were in 2008 and in 2010.

Cleveland Museum of Natural History

                                                   This one totally scares the living daylights out of me.

Last Saturday, October 13, myself and two others from Real Life went up to Cleveland to go to the Museum of Natural History.  I do not remember ever going there.  The animals that had been stuffed, their habitats, the heads, bones, and other displays were really cool.  They even had live animals outside, but these animals  have some thing wrong with them, and will never be able to live in the wild.  

Kidney Stone surgery #3

I am now scheduled for my third surgery for this year.  Each one has dealt with the same kidney stone, that I have had for about a year and a half.  I will have surgery, on Thursday, November 8 at 1 pm. I wanted it done on a Friday, since it one be an easy day for my sub, but is not.  I am supposed to be able to go back to school the next day.  But I will be prepared for a sub for the next day, just in case. 

The Kidney Stone is Stuck

The title says it all.  Nobody knew back in the spring, that my stone would not move at all.  It did get smaller by the  first shock wave surgery, but this second one last month, nada!  It just sat there.  It is stuck!  Next month, another surgery, this time to move it, unstick it, so that I will be able to pass it.  A stent will also be placed between the kidney and the bladder, to help that area heal.  Doctor is afraid that if nothing is done I will eventually have problems.  Date of the surgery will be decided on next week.

The Akron Zoo

I spent a couple of hours at the Akron Zoo today.  I had to see the new exhibit, Journey to the Reef.  They have a real live octopus in a tank.  I don't think the komodo dragon ever moves.  Every time I am there, it is always in the same place.  I had just missed seeing the new baby snow leopards.  They are only in display this week during the first 45 minutes the zoo is opened.  Here are a few of the pics I took today.

Kidney Stone Blasting Surgery #2

   Two surgeries in the same year.  Mom dropped me off around 9, since she worked from 9-12.  I got called back around 9:30 am.  I had to give a urine sample, even though I gave one on Friday.  After changing into a gown, I was taken down to x-ray, and had a couple taken.  Radiology had a hard time getting hold of the volunteers to come and get me, so some one from there took me back up to out patient surgery.  I got back around 10 and dad showed up.  He couldn't come back until after my port had been accessed and blood was drawn.  The doctor came by around 11 am, and dad stayed with em until I was taken back to surgery.  I opened my eyes around 1:20 pm in recovery and was discharged by 2 pm.  Mom and I got home a little before 3 pm.  I have felt a bit woozy, but other wise good.

   I see the doctor in about a month for a follow-up and will have an x-ray a couple of days before hand.  Hopefully, this will send the stubborn stone out of my body for good.

Pre-Surgery Testing

  The hospital called me yesterday to pre-registered me for Monday's surgery.  Turns out, I had to have some testing done, that is actually supposed to be done seven days in advance.  Not possible, since surgery is Monday.  I scheduled the appointment for 8:15 am.  I was up at 6:30.  They took my health history.  For someone is a cancer survivor and has a few other things, I am pretty healthy.  I had a physical done, blood pressure, was a bit high, took it three times, the nurse had a hard time hearing it, but let it go.  I had to go down to the lab for urine test and bloodwork.  Bloodwork wasn't done, because this lab doesn't  access ports.  So, my bloodwork will be done on Monday morning.  That was weird. 

Allergic Reaction and Infection

For the first time in a lot of years, I broke out with a couple of pimples.  I thought it was due to eating way too many Twizzlers in the past two weeks.  So after visiting with my brother, we stopped at the dollar store for a couple of things.  I bought Clearasil, the pads for the four hour stuff.  This was going to be the first time I ever used Clearasil.  Turns out I am allergic to Clearasil.  I started using it Thursday night and stopped Tuesday afternoon.  Let me just say, my chin is not fun to look at.  It hurts, itches, and feels tight!  Last night I decided that I was going to call my dermatologist this morning.  I did, no doctors are in the office this week.  Thankfully, I was able to get an appointment with my personal doctor this morning.  Besides being allergic to Clearasil,  I have an infection.  I was given a prescription for penicillin and a cream to put on my chin. 

Because of the starting penicillin, I had to call my urologist because of the kidney stone surgery on Monday.  I was told it will not be a problem to be taking penicillin and have the blasting surgery on Monday.  Very thankful for that.

Ballon Festival and Fireworks 2012

This weekend was the balloon festival.  The balloon festival is usually the week before Hall of Fame week (football), but this year, it is a week early, due to some competition for the balloons down in TX next weekend.  The balloons didn't go up Friday night, but did go up yesterday morning, last night (with very little wind), and again this morning.  I went to see it last night, so I could see the fireworks afterwards.  The fireworks were cool, and last about 25 minutes.  There was a red star shaped fireworks.  Very enjoyable evening with a couple of friends who were there also. 

Kidney Stone Surgery #2

I got a call from the doctor's office this morning.  Kidney stone blasting surgery #2 has been scheduled for Monday, August 6 at 11:30 am over at Western Reserve Hospital  in the Falls. 

Stubborn Stone

I still have the kidney stone.  I think it likes me, so it has chosen not to leave.  I had an x-ray on Friday,  June 29, and my doctor called to say it is still there.  It has gotten smaller.  We have decided to shock it again in August, before school starts.  The doctor did say I could let it stay, but then it has a chance to grow again. 

Kidney Stone When are you Going to Leave?

The title says it all, I still have part of the stone.  I had two x-rays last month, and each one shows that I still have part of the stone.  When I get back from TX, at the end of the month, I will have another x-ray.  If I still have the stone, then in July I will have another surgery to have stone blasted again.  Hopefully,  I will pass it this month.

   Today is the last day of the school year! No more kids till the end of August!

Kidney Stone Fun

I was told for a year that I had a kidney stone.  Last Friday morning, while I was getting a CT of my sinuses, I started to feel nausea and then pain in my lower right back.  Aleve didn't help.  Mom took me to the ER that afternoon, and I spent 5 hours there.  I was told my kidney stone was 8 mm and above my kidney and I would not be able to pass it.  They gave me a name and a number of an urologist. 

    I went to the store on Saturday morning, and haven't driven since.  I was in pain. I called off sick for Monday and Tuesday.  I saw the urologist Tuesday afternoon, and he said I needed surgery, they would try to get me in as soon as possible and would call me the next day.  Mom took me up to school after my doctor's appointment.  Dad took me to school the next day and picked me up.  Got an x-ray that evening.

  The doctor's office called me Wednesday morning, and told me  I was scheduled for surgery on Thursday, the next day, at Western Reserve Hospital for 2:30 pm. I had to be there by 12:30 pm.  I had to have an x-ray before the surgery to see where the stone was.  The machine the doctor used rotates on a daily basis from hospital to hospital.  So which hospital had the earliest opening with that machine, they got me in.  It could've been up to a two week wait.  This machine is placed up to the body and a shock wave is sent through the body to break up the stone. This makes the stone easier to pass.  I was home by 6 pm last night.  I was groggy most of the night.

  I stayed home today.  I seemed a little out of it still this morning.  I got all of my grading done that I brought home on Wednesday.  My throat hurts.  My voice is still bad, and has been for over two weeks.  I lost half of it with this last sinus infection.

Too Many Doctors

I am forty years old, and I have way too many doctors.  I have more doctors than my mom has.
1. personal doctor
2. chiropractor
3. eye doctor
4. dentist
5. dermatologist
6. oncologist
7. lung doctor
8.ears, nose, & throat
9. urologist

Numbers 8 and 9 are the newest ones.  I saw two different surgeons last year.

At 40, I should not have these many doctors.