Good morning ladies -

What a weekend! :faint: On Friday morning, we got a call from the vet that the blood test results were in for Mischief (our youngest doggie - she's 4). She has a rare condition that involves having way too many red blood cells in her blood. Her bone marrow is over-producing red blood cells. The increased red blood cells make her blood sludgey and make it difficult for the heart to pump it all around, and her levels were dangerously high, which could lead to heart attack or stroke. So I cancelled my appointment with the trainer and I took Mischief to the vet on Friday afternoon, and they took out 4 ounces of blood and replaced it with saline, to try and thin the blood a bit, and we started her on a medicine that slows down the production of red blood cells. DH took her to the vet today to get her blood tested and possibly have more blood removed/replaced with saline. In the meantime, this weekend, anytime we put her outside, she had to be walked on a leash in the yard, so that she wouldn't run or get overly excited.

I got some cleaning/decluttering done on Thursday and a little more done on Saturday and Sunday, but I'm nowhere near where I'd hoped to be. I'm off on Friday but I have lots of errands to do, so it looks like I'll be breaking the cleaning into 15-30 minute tasks that I can accomplish after work.

Somewhere along the way, I don't know if it was Thursday or before, my back really started hurting again. I've been doing the very gentle PT exercises, but my hamstrings and hip flexors are still so tight that they pull my back out of whack anytime I'm standing or walking. I can now only stand or walk for a few minutes before I have to sit down. In less than two weeks, DH, DMIL and I are supposed to go to ReptileFest in Chicago, so I have to be able to walk by then. Right now, I'm back to using my TENS device to help with the pain, and unfortunately, I'm back to using my cane. :(

Laura - I'm glad you had a good time with your hs friends!! Very interesting that the PBS show mentioned taking probiotics when you take antibiotics. Years ago, I heard that you should eat at least one carton of yogurt (with active cultures) per day while you are on antibiotics. So I've followed that advice ever since. Not all yogurt has active cultures, and unfortunately frozen yogurt doesn't count either. I'm glad you enjoyed the "non-beginner" step class! YGG! You are the exercise :queen: , not to mention the sewing :queen: !! :) Have a wonderful day off today!! :bravo: on getting your mittens done.

Ceejay - I'm glad you had a good appt with your ENT. Like you, I'm really tired of doctor appts and being sick. Hope you are feeling much better by now. I've never had a UTI not even with all the steroids I've been on...the steroids just make me a total beotch...or if you ask DH, beotchier! :rofl: I'm glad you had a nice visit with your aunt and uncles. Bummer that you got caught in a downpour but I'm glad you made it there and back home okay.

Happy - How exciting that you close on the house in a week!! I thought about you (and your house) when I heard how much snow they were getting up north. We only got an inch, and that was still too much in my opinion. I'm so ready for spring! DMIL arrives on April 5th for her extended visit. She may go back in August for some doctor appointments and then will likely come right back. We have a few months before we have to worry about fitting her stuff in the house. She's going to leave it in storage for a few months. The current plan is for her and John to fly to CA in August so that she can follow up with her doctors. And then they'll rent a U-Haul and both drive back with her furniture and a few boxes of stuff. She doesn't have much furniture anyway, she's going to leave her bed...so really it's just a couple dressers. As to your question of do DH and I ever take a vacation...last year, we took separate vacations. Last spring, DH wanted to take a photography trip to Yosemite and he spent a week there, and I wanted to see my relatives in both Northern and Southern CA. Since we took our vacations at separate times, one of us was home with the dogs. We took a long weekend away together in September, but DMIL was still at our house, so she watched the doggies. And summer before last, we brought the dogs along when we went to the Upper Peninsula (U.P.) for several days. We could board the dogs, but the nicer places (and the ones that administer the meds that our doggies need) cost around $25 (and up) per dog per night. I still have a lot more housework to do...but DH has told me that he'd rather the house be a little unkempt than have me wreck my back so bad that I can't do anything. I'm glad you had a nice pancake breakfast and dinner with your friend, and that you got a lot of packing done. Your fiesty mom stories crack me up. :rofl: My DMIL and her sister are fiesty too! 12 loads of laundry?! :yikes: It's a good thing you don't have a septic system like we do (since we live in the country). We can't do more than 3 loads of wash per day or it is too much for the septic system. I hope your sinuses/allergies get better, girlfriend. As for allergy meds, I've found it's very hard to get my insurance to cover a prescription allergy med since there are so many OTC meds nowadays.

Mel - I hope you had a nice relaxing weekend. You should get back under the covers and relax the rest of the day.

Ellen - I'm glad DD2 is doing well. What a major surgery for such a little girl! Poor litle thing. I'm glad her mood is improving. :) Sending healing hugs :hug: her way and :goodvibes: that she can get her catheter removed soon.

Shad - Sounds like you enjoyed the dinner, the gardening and the harvesting! :bravo: on getting your to do list done! I wish I could say the same! Good luck finding your brain. I hate it when they run off and don't leave a trail of crumbs so you can find them. :rofl: The power company will actually pay YOU after you install your solar water heater? That's wonderful!!

Annie - Sorry to hear that you're still not feeling well. That sucks that the girl at CVS was a no-show, no-call and that you had to work all weekend. Rest as much as you can, my friend. Smokey places affect me the same way. That's why I'm so glad that smoking is no longer allowed in WI, not even in bars. I'm so glad you passed your mammo! :dance:

Well, I've got lots of work to get done today...so I'd better get to it. I only work 4 days this week, but I have a feeling it's going to be a very long week. :faint:

Lots of love and hugs to all,

Chelle....I am off this weekend, shall I drive up and help with housework...that would make me feel better...I love cleaning. I could probably have it ALL done in a couple of hours.

Annie - As much as I'd love to see you, it would embarass me to death if you saw my house like this. I really appreciate the offer though. I'll get it done...or at least get it done "enough". Luvya sista.

I CALLED CABLE TV AND THEY TOLD ME NEXT MONTH. THEN SHE JUST CALLED ME BACK. THERE IS AN OPENING FOR WEDS LATE AFTERNOON. THE GIRL REMEMBERED ME AND OFFERED IT TO ME FIRST. I FIGURED I'D BETTER TAKE IT BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE HAPPENS! THEY ARE EVEN MAILING ME 2 NEW REMOTE CONTROLS FOR MY TV's AND GIVING ME A RETURN LABEL FOR THE OLD ONES. BECAUSE RICHIE IS WORKING A LOT NOW, HE WILL TAKE EVERYTHING APART AND MOVE IT WHEN HE COMES HOME TODAY IN A LITTLE WHILE. IT'S THE ONLY FREE TIME HE HAS THIS WEEK THAT'S CONVENIENT TO ME. I CAN'T BE MOVING STUFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT (his morning). SO I WON'T BE BACK POSTING UNTIL EITHER LATE WEDS OR THURSDAY MORNING. OR UNTIL I FiGURE THINGS OUT! :rofl:
I AM SO EXCITED ALL OVER AGAIN!! :dancer:
IT'S LIKE FOOKING CHRISTMAS :hohoho:
IN THE MEANTIME STAY OUT OF TROUBLE!!
LOVE TO ALL & WISH ME LUCK.

Goodluck MELLIE...hope all goes well with the cable thing....

CHELLE..I love to clean when I have something to clean....can't scare me away....sides you are most likely embellishing the story...

Worldlies Aiming to Abolish Ailments in April.....

Back to work for me this morning. I'm caught up on the paper work.
My bosses made me a little uneasy this morning. Both were talking to me then to each other. I asked them if I were in trouble--Both said NO. It's kinda unsual for them to do that. They must have missed me!!!!!!!!


Happy
I know that you are getting more and more excited about closing on the house. As mother used to say when we had a lot of company, at least the sewer pipes have been cleaned out. Wow, 12 loads of laundry. Are you Spring cleaning?

Annie
Glad that you are feeling better also. To bad that you had to work while you were sick.

Mel
That was nice of the girl to get you an appointment that quickly. Not sure a bout Happy but we mainly got rain. I only heard on clap of big thunder.

Michelle
I hope the vet can get Mischief straightened out medically. My doctor's have always told me to replace the good bacteria while taking antibiotics. I try to eat yogurt on a daily basis.

Laura , Shad, and Ellen :wave: I'm running out of time to play on the computer.

Mel - We'll miss you while you're gone, but I'm so glad the cable company is able to come out soon. :confetti:

Annie - After talking to DH, he's going to do all the stuff that's hard on the back (scrubbing the shower/tub, sweeping and washing and waxing the floors, vacuuming, etc.), so I really don't have much to do, and I should be able to get it done easily by Thursday or Friday at the latest, which gives me the weekend to relax! :) Thanks for the offer though.

Ceejay - I eat yogurt every day too. Sometimes I even have two containers (one for a snack at work, and one for dessert after dinner). It's a great source of calcium. How nice that your bosses missed you. Thanks for the good wishes about Mischief. :)

:cheers: Here's to Annie's good boobs :cheers: Sorry - so much bad stuff being posted I had to struggle to find something to smile about :D

Annie - oh my on the chest stuff BUT that residual smoke can be horrid. No way I could handle a smokey club any more and I'm sure with the cheering and such that you probably took in a few good breaths. I actually like the open courtyard / club scene on Beale Street down here for that reason. Of course you can only do that in the summer. Hope you are feeling better. Rest is just what you need. And please understand that Michelle and I are the types who NEED to clean up before the cleaning crew gets there :rofl: Was very kind of you to offer to help out.

Ceejay - we got lots of rain yesterday too. Better than than tornadoes :yikes: too cool for those babies. I guess you could say I am spring cleaning of sorts. Taking all the extra linens in the current house to the new house. DH said people will be peeking in our closets so we have to make them looked staged rather than lived in :rofl: And some of those linens have been sitting a long time in the closet so I'm just refreshing them. I'm glad your bosses missed you - that's a GOOD thing! Unless of course it's because they want someone to go roll those heavy chemical drums!

Michelle- we will be moving to a septic system for the first time for me. DH grew up with one. I did alot of reading to learn about proper care and saw the note about the washing machine. I think they said something like the average washing machine can put out 600 gallons of water in a typical Saturday round of laundry :eek: and recommended that you don't wash more than 2 loads a day. DH said we have a very large tank (which they pumped out for the inspection) and with just 2 of us, we should not have a septic issues. I guess when we open up the "commune" we will have to post rules and the list of even / shower days :rofl: I have one of those high efficiency / low water usage washers too which helps. But thanks for the tip.

I'm so sorry to hear about your poor doggy :hug: Geez Louise - sometimes I think our furry friends suffer more than we do. Poor baby, I hope she will be ok. How do you keep a happy puppy from not getting excited? :dizzy: That's nice of DH to help out with the cleaning. I would make sure Mom's room is clean, fresh linens and the guest bath cleaned out. As for the rest, it's comfy and cosy and feel free to take a swing at the dust mop :lol: I'm sure we fret far more than they do. :^: Maybe you could rent a wheelchair or make use of one at the reptile show. You and DMIL can trade getting a ride. I have gotten to that point in my life and told my Mom many times, if you need help - TAKE IT!!!!!! I am not to proud to say I don't hurt. And if these younger girls today keep trotting around in 5 inch hooker heels - then they are going to be in the chairs much sooner than we ever will. :rolleyes:

Mel - I'm so happy they were able to squeeze you in with the cable company. I would have been "waving" excitedly at them when they told me I'd have to wait until THEY got good and ready to come after I cancelled for being sick. Next time sneeze on 'em :lol3: I hope you come back to us better, faster and with a lovely shade of red lipstick :lol3: We will miss you for a few days but will be here waiting for you.

Well poor DH is trying to get the last minute things done for our closing. He is having trouble with the bank transfers to get a certified check. They still can't tell us what our exact closing costs will be :rolleyes: and we need to have a check cut before we leave!!!!! According to the bank, my company will NOT verify that I either do or do not work here. :dunno: I wound up sending a copy of my check stub (good thing it's the end of the month as I only get paid once a month) and sent it through my company email which was enough proof that I am still employed. Once we sign the papers tho - HAH!!!!! Just kiddin' :^: Like a wedding, I am anticipating that things will not go easy. Just as long as we don't lose the trailer with all my sheets and pillows somewhere along I-55 on the way up :wave: :wave: :wave:

Hellos to Laura, Shad and Ellen - waiting on you to check in. Meanwhile I have to get back to work. See yah.

oh and I have been having a real hard time with my stomach on this new blood sugar medicine. The only thing that helps is Immodium and daily yogurt. I tried taking the probiotics but it doesn't seem to do anything for me. The yogurt definitely helps tho...

I GET TO HAVE THE PC FOR THE REST OF THE DAY. RICHIE IS COMING DOWN AFTER HIS DINNER TONITE. HE'S STILL AT WORK. JEN DROVE HIM PARTWAY TO BROOKLYN. GUTSY GAL. JEN & THE KIDS LEFT FOR THE AIRPORT, THEIR VISIT IS OVER. GOOD THING CAUSE WE'RE ALL BROKE:lol3: :lol3: THEN JEN HAS TO PICK RICHIE UP AT THE HOLLAND TUNNEL OR IN NYC SOMEWHERE. BETTER HER THAN ME. I'M ALREADY GETTING SEPARATION ANXIETY OVER THE COMPUTER GETTING UNPLUGGED! :rofl: I GUESS I CAN ALWASY GO DOWN AND YELL AT THE BOYS TO KEEP MY OCCUPIED. ON SECOND THOUGHT BETTER NOT. I MIGHT NEED THEM TO MOVE SOMETHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OK SAYONARA FOR NOW. TILL WE MEET AGAIN. :hug:



ANNIE....I LOVE THE TITLE...I AM SO SICK OF BEING SICK BOTH MENTALLY & PHYSICALLY!! IT HINK I NEED TO MOVE IN WITH YOU FOR AWHILE AND I'LL TAKE CARE OF BELLA WHILE YOU GO OUT & ABOUT...THIS WAY WE BOTH GET OUT OF THE HOUSE! :belly: GET THE FOOKING COMMUNE STARTED WILL YA????:hug: SORRY I MISSED YOUR PREVIOUS POST. HOPEW YOU ARE FEELING BETTER. AFTER I GET DONE SMACKING MICHELLE IN THE HEAD I WILL GO TO CVS AND HIT THE BIOTCH NO SHOW!!! WTF!!! CONGRATS ON THE MAMMO! :encore: NICE TO KNOW THE GIRLS ARE DOING SO WELL :belly: LOL



MICHELLE...SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT THE PAIN...DID YOU TELL THE PT EVERYTHING YOU ARE ALREADY DOING AT HOME??? MAYBE THE CLEANING AND PT EXERCISES CANNOT GO TOGETHER RIGHT NOW. KEEP THIS UP AND YOU'LL BE BACK IN BED AND THEN I'LL HAVE TO GO OVER THRE AND SMACK YOU ALONGSIDE YOUR HEAD:rollpin:
MAYBE I BETTER TAKE ANNIE WITH ME IN CASE YOUR HOUSE HAS STAIRS :rofl:




CEEJAY.....I BET THEY DO MISS YOU AND YOUR WAY OF DOING STUFF THOROUGHLY. YOU'RE A VERY CONSCIENTIOUS WORKER. HAVE A GREAT WEEK. THEY MUST BE THRILLED WHEN YOU'RE BACK!

HAPPY....WE DID IT AGAIN!! YOU KEEP SNEAKING IN ON ME!!! WHAT A MESS WITH THE CHECK & THE JOB!! HOPE EVERYTHING WORKS OUT AND QUICKLY. GOOD THINKJING ABOUT THE E-MAILING. SHOULDA FAXED IT TOO!! HAPPY PACKING. I WILL MISS YOU THAT WEEKEND WITH MY SPEEDY SET UP!! ROFLMAO SENDING LOVE YOUR WAY. FEEL BETTER. JOHN'S MEDS ARE GIVING HIM THE RUNS ALSO. SOME KIND OF LIZARD SERUM THEY'RE USING ON HIM. SEEMS TO GIVE HIM PROBS ONCE EVERY MONTH OR MORE. NOTHING IS WORKING FOR HIM. POOR GUY. I GAVE HIM SOME IMMODIUM AND A SOFT DIET TO FOLLOW. HE'S GOING BACK TO THE DR AND SAY HE CAN'T ANYMORE OF THIS. I DON'T MEAN TO LAUGH BUT YA GOTTA SEE THE SIZE OF THIS GUY HOLDING HIS BUTT WHEN HE TELLS ME HOW HIS WEEKEND WENT!! :lol3:

Happy - You are too funny about needing to clean before the cleaning crew arrives...I wouldn't do any pre-cleaning (except for decluttering) if I were hiring cleaners, but I would definitely want to pre-clean if I knew the person coming over to clean. As for the septic system...do you have a tank or a leach field? We have a leach field in the backyard (which limits what and where we can plant), but also have a tank for stuff that doesn't get leached. We have to have our tank pumped every other year in the spring. Some friends of ours just have a tank, so even though there are just 2 of them, they are very cautious with their water usage, and toilet flushing. Our inspector, and also our septic pumping company, told us that a maximum of 3 loads of laundry per day would be okay. We are still pretty cautious about spacing it out though, as our next door neighbors (a family of 2 adults and 2 kids) wrecked their leach field by doing too much laundry and they had to have their leach field replaced at a cost of $15,000-$20,000. Good that you have a high efficiency washer! Mom's room will be clean with fresh linens and we don't have a guest bathroom, so the main bathroom will be super clean. Your idea of renting a wheelchair for the reptile show is a good one. We frequently rent them when we take DMIL to the zoo and other events. Unfortunately, I don't think the Reptile Show will have any...so I'll look into renting one near where we live. That's crazy that the title company can't tell you what the closing costs will be so you can get a check cut. And how lame is it that your company won't even verify your employment?! When are you leaving to head up north? Whenever it is, I wish you very safe travels that you, DH, and your belongings get up there safely. So sorry to hear about your tummy issues. I'm sure all the excitement/stress doesn't help. At least Immodium and yogurt help a bit. :hug: Hope you feel better very soon.

Mel - Jen is a gutsy gal. The one and only time I went to New Jersey, I was very careful not to get on any freeway/bridge that would take me over to NY. In fact, since I wanted to tour the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, I made sure to catch the ferry in New Jersey, rather than go to NY and catch the ferry there. I did not want to even try and drive in NY. We can't start the commune until Happy and her DH close on the house. Yes, I told the PTs about the cleaning that I'd be doing. They were concerned that I'd be overdoing it, but there wasn't much choice. Most of the exercises they have me on are for stretching my hamstrings, calves and hip flexors and for trying to strengthen my core muscles. And I need to do those despite the pain I'm feeling, because they will eventually help me be able to move without pain. Bummer about John's meds causing him problems.

Annie - I love the April title! I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired...and finally glad to be over my bronchitis, now all I have to do is kick the back pain to the curb and I'll be good as new.

Well, that's all for me. I'm leaving now to go to the doc and then I have to pick Mischief up from the vet.

Good Afternoon Worldies!

Just a quick note. will have to catch up on personals tomorrow. Things are doing well here, DS and DD1 went out to play this afternoon. DD1 and I drove all the way to Hoffman estates for new bikes for her and DD2. DD3 is watching cartoons with our recovering one.

DD2 is doing well, moving about more and not needing hardly any pain meds. WE can't get her cath out until after the urine turns back to normal and there is still a fair amt of blood so we are taking it one day at a time. I was hoping it would be out today or tomorrow, but that does not look to be the case. On the up side she finally was able to use the bathroom so that is one hurdle she has managed.

I am just hanging on. DD 3 woke up 3 times last night...it is very hard to ignore her and let her go back to sleep because she shares the room with both of her sisters. Just watching what I am eating ans will have to try to get back into the exercise next week.

Hope everyone has a good day!