OMG...I just went over to give blood at work and got turned down because my BP was 166/104...holy cathedral. I called my doc and she is calling me back. I am about to stroke out just knowing that.
Baby Jake is 4 lbs 2 2/3 oz today...up 2 2/3 oz. Whew who
I got good news and not so good news at the doctor's office yesterday. The good news is that I am scheduled for another radio frequency ablation on 11/23 (Thanksgiving Eve). The not so good news is that the doctor believes it is too much trauma to do the procedure on the nerves of both sides of my spine at once, so he's only doing the left side on the 23rd. If I still have bad pain on the right side, then in December, he will do two diagnostic tests (a week apart) on the right side, followed by radio frequency ablation in late December if the diagnostic tests are successful.
I'm hoping that I only need the left side done, but as I am now experiencing pain on the right side of my low back...well, we'll see. I'm am forever hopeful that I will very soon have little or no back pain!
Yes, this is the same procedure I had done last December, which was really successful in reducing my pain after the initial recovery period of a week or two (though I only had to take a couple days off work). What happened last year was that just as I was beginning to feel like a million bucks and able to do just about anything without pain, I got sick with bronchitis and was laid up for 3 weeks, at which point my back got stiff and my core and other muscles lost their strength and I was in pain again. Not going to happen this time though. No sir!
Tonight, after work, I'm going to the gym for either Zumba or the recumbent stepper, and I'm also taking Happy's suggestion and walking more at work and even taking the stairs. I definitely want to get as much exercise as my body allows within the next three weeks prior to my procedure, even if that is just 3 times a week. I miss the endorphins. Next step is to get back to journaling my food (and measuring and weighing portions on a nifty new scale I got recently).
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Annie - Good gracious, girlfriend! Get that blood pressure back down!! No more stressing about Little Jake or anyone/anything!! I know you want to spend time with the lil guy, but having a stroke and winding up in the hospital with him is NOT the way to do it!! Big hugs to you, sista! Lots of love too. I'm so glad to hear baby Jake is getting bigger each day! So nice of you to color Curtis' daughter's hair. When used to color my own hair, I destroyed it a couple times...which is why now I have a professional do it. And my stylist is my DH's 2nd cousin...so she always gives family members a great deal. So I tip her roughly the amount she says for the color (e.g, if she's going to charge $25 for the color, I give her $50...which is still a bargain because with my long hair, most salons charge at least $100).
Ceejay - I'm glad the b12 helps you so much. I take a b12 tablet every day. I'm afraid that if I got the shot that, like you, I'd push myself too far and overdo it.
Shad - Glad to hear you're going home and can work from home next week! Safe travels, my friend! I enjoy working from home and am usually quite productive when I do. I get to sleep in, not do my hair, work in shorts and a t-shirt (or sweats/pajamas), get ahead on the laundry, etc. I hope you get the duplicate posting corrected before the guy spends the double pay!
Shad – Yay for some time at home, and working from home to boot. Fingers crossed you don’t have any travel issues. I agree w/ Annie, though – with all the distractions of what needs to be done at home, I usually have trouble concentrating. Heck, I have that problem when I’m at the office!
Annie –Sorry your BP was too high to donate…and they’re usually much more lenient on the bp criteria than the usual “desired bp” guidelines. I hope this is just a blip for you. Little Jake is growing by leaps and bounds!! He wants to be home w/ Mom and Dad and go to Thanksgiving at Nanna’s house!!!
Ceejay – We had rain overnight too, but it stopped this morning. I rode my bike to the train station. The wind really picked up and it was a challenge pedaling there. I picked up two pounds as well over the past couple days, but I’m hoping it’s just a fluctuation. It’s TOM week for me, so that happens...
Michelle – I’m glad you’ve stepped back and looked at your health situation. I’m another one who doesn’t psychologically feel my age, but my body says something else, and that’s not a happy discrepancy to live with. But we know there’s a certain order to things, like that saying you have to walk before you can fly, etc. And certain physical activities that just won’t go well without the base foundation of a certain level of fitness. So listen to your body and match your activities to its tolerances, and at some point you’ll realize you’re ready for more. I hope the rf ablation gives you some relief and gets you back to strengthening your core and lets you do more. Bf's mother had a re-injury of an old back injury a couple years ago and is finally at the point where she's given up on the chiropractor and couldn't do the PT, so she just had the cortisone shot last week. I hope that helps her, but the pain clinic also said that the rf ablation is an option as well. P.S. I agree w/ Happy - that photo you posted is very eye-opening!!
Mel – Sorry about all the alarms going off. I hope the office wakes up to their situation. You need to make sure they realize the full repercussions when someone drops the ball. You’re not the one who has to pick it up!! Are you at Trader Joe’s today? Enjoy your trip.
Hi Happy!!! I liked your analogy re too much weight stressing and bending the shelves/bones.
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Yesterday’s meetings turned out to be less yucky than I had thought, so that was good. I wasn’t looking forward to going home to a skunk-scented house, but it wasn’t too bad at all. BF couldn’t find any sign of a skunk in the yard, but smelled it in the back corner by the shed. He thinks the deck of the neighbor behind us might be a spot the skunks like because it’s open underneath. Doesn’t matter that our yard isn’t a good skunk home – i.e, no real food sources, motion-activated security lights, no place to take shelter – if they pass through our yard to get to somewhere else, there’s always a chance doggy will be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Michelle – we’re definitely going to be checking the yard w/ flashlights before doggy gets free range out there at night!! At this point, we’ll actually welcome the point in the season when it's cold enough that it means no more skunks coming through!
Bf got the dog to the grooming area at petco and bathed him after using a recommended cleaning product. However, Coal got it most in the face/ears and that’s the hardest spot to clean because of the eyes/nose/ears, so that area still needs more work. Bf also got Coal’s bedding to the Laundromat and that cleaned up nicely. He tossed the filling from Coal’s one bed, and we’ll just replace that. I was glad we had mild weather yesterday because we had all the windows wide open and just the fan part of the hvac running. It really helped air out the house. Once it got windy and chilly later in the evening we had to close most of the windows, and even then the smell didn’t come back like I feared, or at least I think so. It’s funny how your nose can get acclimated to a smell...especially when it’s not too strong. I suppose the real test will be returning home tonight with a freshened sense of smell.
Nothing going on tonight. (Annie - the movie the other night was Moneyball, and I just wasn't interested. Puss n Boots looks cute from the commercials I've seen.) Anyway, I’d like to have gone to the circuit class tonight, but bf will likely not be home from a work thing until later, so I have no way of getting there. Besides I have to get home a bit earlier to get the dog out for a walk anyway. I’ll just do a BE workout in the basement. Getting exercise in is good, of course, but that isn’t helping me to use up classes on my fitness passport!! Saturday I have a mammogram appt at 8:45, so if I’m smart I’ll be dressed to exercise and go straight from the mammo to a class afterwards. And I have no firm plans Sunday, so I might go to a class on Sunday too. My feet have been achey this week, but I'm still in the mood for a bit of Zumba!
I think bf finally realizes we need to plan our meals and shop accordingly. We went to both Trader Joe’s and Walmart last weekend and yet this week we’ve still been scrounging for dinner – frozen meals, restaurant leftovers and, yes, carryout – and not liking it. So as obvious as this sounds, we’ll have to develop a routine of discussing our schedules for the coming week and try to plan exercise and meals to fit. If cooking isn’t going to happen, then we’ll have to cook on the weekends. Maybe Friday night will become our grocery shopping night. Whoopee!!
Okay, rambled enough and shamefully wasted the company’s time. Back to work!
Morning all.
It is going home day. Haven't got a lot of time to post and not much interesting stuff anyway.
So if I find something I'll be back. Otherwise I will be running between the washplant and the open cut mine and getting up the noses of everyone again.
GOING TO POST THIS FIRST & THEN GO BACK & READ 2 PAGES.
WE WENT TO TRADER JOE'S AND IT WAS WILLY THAT TOOK ME
THE OTHER DRIVER DOESN'T WANT TO HELP INSIDE THE STORE SO HE GAVE IT BACK TO WILLY.
I BOUGHT THE STORE OUT. GETTING READY FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
STOCKED UP ON CANNED STUFF FOR WINTER MONTHS.
WILLY ALWAYS POINTS OUT WHAT I CANNOT SEE OR STUFF THAT IS NEW.
I MISSED HIM THE LAST TRIP. IT WAS A NIGHTMARE SHOPPING ALONE.
EVEN THE STORE PEEPS WERE HAPPY TO SEE HIM BACK AGAIN!!
THEY KNEW I WAS LOST WITHOUT HIM.
IT SHOWED EVEN THO I TRIED TO HIDE IT.
THEY FOLLOWED ME AROUND LIKE LITTLE PUPPY DOGS TRYING TO HELP ME OUT .
I WAS VERY GRATEFUL. PEOPLE LIKE THAT KEEP ME INDEPENDENT!
THEN WE GOT TO THE REGISTER AND I BROUGHT THE WRONG CREDIT CARD WITH ME...LEFT MY DEBIT CVARD HOME!!
BOTH ARE BLUE AND I GRABBED THE WRONG ONE WHILE ON THE PHONE!
WILLY TOLD ME TO TURN THE PHONE OFF IN THE MORNING WHILE I AM GETTING DRESSED.
NOW ALL THE CLOSETS AND BOTH FRIDGES ARE FILLED FOR NOW.
WE ALL ATE LIKE PIGS TONITE AND I AM STUFFED, SMILING AND SLEEPY.
HOPE EVERYONE HAD A GREAT DAY. SWEET DREAMS.
TOMORROW I HAVE SOME WORK TO GET DONE....THUS THE POST TONITE.
ADIOS AMIGAS
HAPPY.......I GOT THE HUG TONITE AND GOD KNOWS I NEEDED IT. EVERYTHING YOU SAID ABOUT PEOPLE AND HOW THEY WORK....OR RATHER DON'T WORK IS SO TRUE. THE SENIORS WERE TALKING TO ME ON THE BUS ABOUT SOME OF THEIR NFEARS WITH THE LACK OF NO ONLY MAN POWER BUT "ATTITUDES". SCARY FOR THEM. THEY HAVE YET TO FIND THEIR "MOUTH" IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN AND AREN'T LIKELY TO IN THIS LIFETIME I HEAR YA SISTER OF MINE ON NOT FEELING LIKE YOU'RE REALLY MOVING....I HAVE HAD STUFF LIKE THAT HAPPEN TO ME. VERY SURREAL WHEN A LONG AWAITED DREAM IS FINALLY COMING INTO VIEW!!! WHEN YOU GET UP THERE AND THE FIRST SNOW STORM HITS....YOU'LL FRIGGING KNOW IT FAST ENOUGH!!!!!!
LOVE YA
CEEJAY....I ALWAYS FORGET MY AGE.....ON PURPOSE.
SO GLAD THE SHOT WORKED SO WELL THIS MONTH!! YOU GOT SO MUCH DONE AT WORK!!! THEY ARE DEFINITELY GOING TO MISS YOU WHENEVER YOU RETIRE. HOW IS THE MOVING GOING FOR YOUR FRIEND??? HOPE IT'S A SMOOTH ONE. SEND ME SOME WARMER AIR IF YOU CAN SPARE IT!! ALTHOUGH IT WAS 62 HERE TODAY!! IT FELT POSITIVELY BALMY!!!
I AM ALREADY TRYING TO DECIDE IF I WANT TO BE "NAUGHTY OR NICE" FOR THE HOLIDAYS!!
ANNIE......."all is good with the world. Potty, cup of joe, cottage cheese and my BFFs the worldlies..."....IS THAT THE RIGHT ORDER??? IT IS FOR MEAND WHERE THE HECKLE IS CURTIS IN ALL THIS???
I AM SO GLAD TO READ JAKE'S DAILY PROGRESS. HOPING SISSY IS DOING WELL EACH DAY ALSO. I ALMOST FEEL OUT OF MY FRIGGING CHAIR WHEN I READ YOUR BP/BLOOD DONATION STORY!!
LORDY WOMAN....I'M OLD AND WRINKLY....DON'T BE SCARING THE CRAP OUT OF ME UNLESS I NEED THE DULCOLAX!!! HOPE EVERYTHING GOES OK WITH YOU. HAPPY HIKING AND SET ME A PLACE FOR TURKEY DAY
LAURA......POOR COAL!!! OMG!!! POOR YOU!!!! I CRACKED UP AND WAS EVER SO THANKFUL THIS WAS NOT GOING ON IN MY HOUSE!!!! WE JUST HAD A SKUNK & CAT FIGHT NOT LONG AGO OUT BACK. PU!!! IT IS FUNNY HOW THE NOSE GETS USED TO SOMETHING. YOU MADE ME LAUGH. GLAD THE MEETING WENT WELL AND SORRY THE MOVIE WASN'T ALL THAT GOOD. JEN & I WERE TALKING ABOUT PUSS'N'BOOTS. IT LOOKS CUTE. HOPE YOU GET TO ZUMBA AND HAPPY PLANNING & FOOD SHOPPING!
PS: I AM STILL LAUGHING AT YOUR SKINK STORY...GOD IS GOING TO PUNISH ME TOMORROW
MICHELLE....SORRY TO HEAR ALL THE MEDICAL NEWS BUT GLAD YOU ARE FORGING AHEAD AND MAKING PLANS. LET'S KEEP OUR FINGERS CROSSED AND PRAY IT ALL GOES ON SCHEDULE AND AS PLANNED. SENDING MANY HUGS
SHAD.....SAFE TRAVELS MY FRIEND!! HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND. DON'T FORGET TO WRITE N=DOWN FUNNY STORIES FOR THE NEXT CONVO!! THE FIRE COMPANY SENT A REP TO CHECK OUT OUR FIRE ALARMS AND WHY THE MAIN ONE NEVER WENT OFF. THE SYSTEM IS IN A-1 ORDER HE SAYS AND PROIVED IT TO ME WITH A CAN OF "SMOKE". HE THINKS THE REASON WAS NOT ENOUGH SMOKE ESCAPED THE WOMAN'S APARTMENT AND THE SMELL ALONE WON'T SET OF AN ALARM. ALL I CAN SAY IS I AM GLAD I AM ON THE 2ND FLOOR!!! ROFLMAO....NOT!!!! FIND OUT WHY THE ROSES OF MIUDGEE ARE GROWING SO BIG AND BRING SOME OF THE MIRACLE DIRT HOME!!!
CAN YOU SHIP IT IN A BOX???? MAYBE THE STRIKING AIRLINE WILL LET YOU BRING IT ABOARD!!! LOLOLOL
OK SO I LIED.....TAKING THE DAY FOR MYSELF.
I WAS REMINDED A FEW MINUTES AGO ABOUT TUESDAY'S ELECTION.
FORGOT ALL ABOUT IT AGAIN!! AND MY BACK HAD OTHER IDEAS FOR THIS DAY TOO.
GOING TO REST AND HAVE A 3 DAY WEEKEND WITHOUT SNOW!!!
HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A GREAT FRIDAY
Worked my one night at CVS last night, OMG the manager was BEGGING me to come back. I told him I would let him know. I am not, but didn't have the heart to tell him. They are in a bind, can't find good help...la la la... They are resetting the store starting Monday then for 3 weeks forward...mgr said if I wanted to make extra Christmas $$ just show up in my jeans and t-shirt anytime that would be great...now that I might consider.
Cutting out caffeine, salt, and anything the DASH eating plan says to in order of getting this BP down. DASH eating plan is for Lowering your blood pressure, actually there is a book about it (naturally). Anything good you can no longer eat....bagels, donuts, pastries, canned foods (don't eat anyway) convenience items: frozen dinners, pizza, cereals, packaged mixes, Deli items...bacon, luncheon meats, corned beef, smoked meats or fish, sasuage, mayonnaised based salads, snack foods: POPCORN (d*mn it), crackers, chips dips. Condiments, sauces, gravies, tomato juice BLOODY MARY, chocolate drink mixes....and a few others, but you get the idea.
OK...HUGE...BIG...ANNOUNCEMENT.....Curtis moved in with me on Wednesday night. I wish you all could meet him and see what a great person he is and how very much in love he is with me and vice versa. He worships me. I have never, ever had this type of relationship. I am happy, he is happy, SAMANTHA is happy and likes him and approves of him (a first in a very long time), Tater likes him (both military police in army) so they have that connection plus the hunting and fishing connection. The rest of my family approves and likes him...Heck even baby Jake likes him and baby Jake's daddy likes him. I certainly hope all you lovely ladies, sista friends like him too.
MELLIE...oh so great you got to go shopping with Willy. Bet that brightened your day and was so fun. The part in the sentence where Curtis is...."all is good in my world". ;^) Took two blood pressure pills yesterday and today (doctor's orders) and no longer hear my heart beating in my left ear. Will check BP at CVS tonight.
SHADDIE...hope your trip home was good/safe and you got there (strike). Make some of your time (YOU TIME). Hugs downunder.
LAURA...Moneyball is not on my list of want to see's either. Just not much out there that I really want to see. The only way I can control food is to make a list and stick to it. Only buy healthy food or the bad food goes straight into my mouth. And the salt content in carry out food is a killer.
CHELLE...hugs sista friend, lots of them...I know you will get all this medical crap straightened out before long....remember to keep a positive attitude...which is sometimes hard to do when you are in pain. I am sending lots of get well and no pain, positive vibes to you sweet sister. Hugs.
CEEJAY...just kick those two pounds to the curb. Get back with your programming on regular stations...lol.
HAPPY...keeping the head above water and staying afloat...muscle and mental power being thrown your way....
Need to get this posted before I lose it. Have a marvelous evening/morning and many hugs to you all.
Morning all. TGIF!!! And the sun is shining once again!
Shad - Hope you had a good trip home. Enjoy working in your garden this weekend. I second what Mel said - bring home the miracle Mudgee dirt so you can have fabulous roses!
Mel - Glad Willy is back to doing the TJ runs and helping you out in the store. Yay for being all stocked up for a while. You can laugh about our skunk experience if you want. I'm almost at that point myself, although I still have to give bf more grief over it. Cute graphics you inserted in your posts - keep 'em coming! Enjoy your 3-day weekend. I'm taking Monday off work, so I have one as well!
Annie - Ah yes, the DASH diet. Yup, nothing processed because it's all incredibly salty, or rather sodium-filled. I thought that as I was eating cottage cheese with tomatoes last night (copying you, and yes, it was yummy). Oops. And don't forget English muffins and salad dressings, all chock-full of sodium. IMHO, essentially you have to prepare all your own foods from scratch w/o using any processed convenience foods and never eat out in order to make a dent. I don't add much, if any, salt to my meals (except for eggs - they always need salt!), but that's like a drop in the bucket of the sources of dietary sodium. Wow, CONGRATS on your new living arrangements! I'm thrilled that you are so happy w/ Curtis, and it sure helps when family likes him too!!! The good times are rolling for Miss Annie!! Give little Jake some xxxooo from me this weekend!
Hellos to the rest of my Worldlie friends!
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My last bike ride home for the season last night. I took doggy for a walk, and then I relaxed for a bit before doing a BE workout in the basement. Oh, I did give doggy's head another shampoo to try and get more of the skunk smell out. We'll have to keep at it. Hope he doesn't start avoiding us, LOL.
I walked to the train this morning because tonight bf, his mum, and I are going out to dinner right after work and I'm meeting them at a train station near the restaurant. We have a gift cert that I chose for my 15 yr service award (actually 1 of 2 certs I chose). Seafood, yum. (Though shellfish is high in sodium!) Taking bf's mum with us is also part of a thank you to her for dogsitting.
It felt good to walk this morning, and I was lucky I got to the station a few minutes early because the train arrived a couple minutes early! I have to check the schedule to see if the departure time for that train has changed!
That's about it for me. Mammo appt and exercise this weekend. Hopefully some cooking, and maybe some leaf-raking? Everyone have a wonderful weekend.
Ah Happy so sad to hear this about Boo. But look at it this way he's not or will not be in any pain.
Mel
I'd forgotten about Willie. Glad he was able to do the trip with you. Enjoy the quiet time today. Talked to my friend this morning. I'm not sure that the friend moving in with her is a good idea. Think the other friend still has some inhibitions from the past during the time of my bff's divorce. I'm going for a visit today to see her new location.
Laura
I know you are happy about getting Coal cleaned up. Wow wish I'd gotten a certificate to eat when I received my 15 year pin.
Shad
As my grandpa used to say home again home again giggity gig. If you are like me you'll find more things to work on except what you are being paid to do.
Michelle
I've decided to take things one day at a time and not push myself. I've had an abundance of energy lately and I like this. I do have to remember my age and that's hard.
Hot cup of Java
Are you still with us?
I'm getting things together to go visit with my bff tonight and then tomorrow I'll be going to Paragould to eat lunch with my uncles. I was hopingthat the maintenance men would come before I leave but it may be Monday before they get here.
Annie
Oh my, I'd be freaking about that number myself. You have to much going on right now. So happy to hear that your rerlationship with Curtis is growing.
Happy - Oh, my friend, I know how rough this is. I'm so so very sorry for your loss. Boo is in a better place free from a body that wasn't serving her very well. I know the house(s) will feel empty without Boo. I wish there was something I could do to ease your grief. Know that my thoughts and prayers are with you and Eric. Much love and hugs to you my dear friend.
I hope everyone's weekend is exactly what you need...restful, productive, fun...whatever.
Happy - so sorry to hear that you have had to have Boo euthanased. Never an easy decision and always a hard thing to do. It's nice to think she is out of pain but hard to realise she isn't there for food and there isn't a wee kitty cat to pat or to warm your toes.
Nothing much going on here. Got home okay last night and even had my bags with me on the same plane. Amazing. Spent today quietly cleaning up the rose garden and moving the gerberas from the side garden to the rose garden. Time for the garden to have a revamp. Tomorrow I make a start on the vege garden. After I have picked up the garbage and weeds from today and taken them out to the bin. Then I made a start on my room and unpacked everything and put it away and then sat down for lunch and slept most of the afternoon away. So now it is time for a coffee - real stuff and to think about changing the bed, sweeping the floor and generally dusting and cleaning. One room down. 7 to go.
Okay off for the coffee. Back tomorrow morning with personals.
So nice of you to color Curtis' daughter's hair. When used to color my own hair, I destroyed it a couple times...which is why now I have a professional do it. And my stylist is my DH's 2nd cousin...so she always gives family members a great deal. So I tip her roughly the amount she says for the color (e.g, if she's going to charge $25 for the color, I give her $50...which is still a bargain because with my long hair, most salons charge at least $100). 
I agree w/ Annie, though – with all the distractions of what needs to be done at home, I usually have trouble concentrating. Heck, I have that problem when I’m at the office! 
IT FELT POSITIVELY BALMY!!!
HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND. DON'T FORGET TO WRITE N=DOWN FUNNY STORIES FOR THE NEXT CONVO!!
The good times are rolling for Miss Annie!! Give little Jake some xxxooo from me this weekend!
