My gut was screaming all evening, bathroom issues, don't know what started it but glad it is over.
SHADDIE....please don't wait till the pain is too much before taking meds. By then it is too late and will take even longer for them to work their best. You have the right to watch TV or read, remember all your kind advice on healing...take the time you need and be still.
SUSIE...still praying for the best outcome for you on the interviews. I also love the movie "The Jungle Book" and what a wonderful night you had with your nephews. Such a great auntie. I remember Samantha doing all that gymnastics competition and dance also, until she found baseball then softball.
CEEG...unfortunately with kids, if they get sick, we usually follow. Bleh. Glad you had a great time.
HAPPY...d*mned the knee. Sounds like you are in more pain than necessary. What is going on? Did they leave a cotton swab in there or something? Prayers for your cousin, when it is back related it is awful and little to nothing helps with it. My son is going through that now with his back. No insurance until December to get it checked out. Bless your heart, hope you have a better day.
Morning all. Chilly and rainy here today. I walked to the train station this morning. I think it might be time to stop riding the bike for the season. I’ll take it day by day, but only the rest of this week and next week remain anyway. Daylight Savings Time ends on November 6th and then it’ll be dark in the evenings when I get off the train.
Annie – Sorry you had gut issues yesterday. How awful, especially to not know what kicked it off. Glad you’re feeling better today. == Thanks for the update on Michelle. I’m not surprised this is such a rough time for her. == I just went through a couple boxes over the weekend, so it wasn’t too bad. ==Not going to any Halloween parties this year. Not sad about that. Haven’t been in a social mood in a while. == Good for you not going to the conference. You had a good excuse not to go! I’d hoped the timing of my mom’s moving would work for me with that, but it didn’t. Oh well, fortunately yesterday’s sessions were all really interesting.
Shad – Ditto the advice of the others. Force yourself to take it easy and let your body heal, and medicate as necessary.
Susie – Good luck with the screening today! === Sounds like you had a nice weekend. How old is your niece Bryn? I’m sure she will gain confidence the more experienced she becomes with the meets. === Re my suit – it’s fine for what I need. Conservative and able to be perked up with a colorful top, scarf, and other accessories. I noticed there were NO extra buttons provided with the jacket. This is an issue because the buttons are fabric covered – if one is lost, all of them will have to be replaced. My employer is currently business casual, and we’ve actually been given jeans days for the entire year. This is good because the suit and my dress slacks are not be subjected to daily wear and tear, just occasional use. My fingers are that business casual - and jeans in particular - are continued next year.
Ceejay – What a nice weekend spending time with the kids…except the part where you picked up their bug. == I’m glad you got the supplemental insurance. I don’t know anything about Medicare, but the fact that everyone seems to buy supplemental coverage tells me Medicare alone is not enough. == Has the flooring been ordered yet?
Happy – I’m so sorry you’re having so much pain and that the meds aren’t working. And do you think the hot tub is helping or not? I’m wondering if it contributes to swelling… How was PT yesterday? Have you scheduled the ultrasound yet? == Your poor cousin. What a horrible injury.
Hello to Dee!
==
As I commented to Annie, the conference sessions I attended yesterday were all really interesting, so I was glad I chose what I did. Not that they were directly related to my job, lol. The conference ended at around 2:30, and since we’re only a short taxi ride back to the office, I went back to work for a couple hours. I didn’t have a lot of catch up to do since I’d been able to stay on top of email while at the conference. I did finish my open benefits enrollment. No changes to coverage or premiums, yay. Our Health Savings Account administrator is changing to Fidelity and will allow us a myriad of investment options. I’m increasing my contribution to it this year and hopefully at some point I will accumulate a good base cushion for med expenses and can start investing the rest. There’s also no monthly fee like there was for the other H.SA account. A positive change for sure.
Not much else to report for yesterday. I rode my bike home. I watched a bit of the ball game and other TV. That’s about it. At some point I need to get back to exercising!!
My mom closes on her new place today. My sister is sitting in on that and signing the paperwork for her. My mom was getting quotes from movers on Monday and hopefully will be making a decision very quickly so that my sis and I can make flight arrangements.
Okay, I’ll get this posted and include my pumpkin photo. Sorry it's so dark you don't see anything but the carved part. Should have take a photo sooner - the upper right arm of the skeleton broke off from the body...Still kind of cool though, IMO.
Morning all. Chilly and rainy here today. I walked to the train station this morning. I think it might be time to stop riding the bike for the season. I’ll take it day by day, but only the rest of this week and next week remain anyway. Daylight Savings Time ends on November 6th and then it’ll be dark in the evenings when I get off the train.
Annie – Sorry you had gut issues yesterday. How awful, especially to not know what kicked it off. Glad you’re feeling better today. == Thanks for the update on Michelle. I’m not surprised this is such a rough time for her. == I just went through a couple boxes over the weekend, so it wasn’t too bad. ==Not going to any Halloween parties this year. Not sad about that. Haven’t been in a social mood in a while. == Good for you not going to the conference. You had a good excuse not to go! I’d hoped the timing of my mom’s moving would work for me with that, but it didn’t. Oh well, fortunately yesterday’s sessions were all really interesting.
Shad – Ditto the advice of the others. Force yourself to take it easy and let your body heal, and medicate as necessary.
Susie – Good luck with the screening today! === Sounds like you had a nice weekend. How old is your niece Bryn? I’m sure she will gain confidence the more experienced she becomes with the meets. === Re my suit – it’s fine for what I need. Conservative and able to be perked up with a colorful top, scarf, and other accessories. I noticed there were NO extra buttons provided with the jacket. This is an issue because the buttons are fabric covered – if one is lost, all of them will have to be replaced. My employer is currently business casual, and we’ve actually been given jeans days for the entire year. This is good because the suit and my dress slacks are not be subjected to daily wear and tear, just occasional use. My fingers are that business casual - and jeans in particular - are continued next year.
Ceejay – What a nice weekend spending time with the kids…except the part where you picked up their bug. == I’m glad you got the supplemental insurance. I don’t know anything about Medicare, but the fact that everyone seems to buy supplemental coverage tells me Medicare alone is not enough. == Has the flooring been ordered yet?
Happy – I’m so sorry you’re having so much pain and that the meds aren’t working. And do you think the hot tub is helping or not? I’m wondering if it contributes to swelling… How was PT yesterday? Have you scheduled the ultrasound yet? == Your poor cousin. What a horrible injury.
Hello to Dee!
==
As I commented to Annie, the conference sessions I attended yesterday were all really interesting, so I was glad I chose what I did. Not that they were directly related to my job, lol. The conference ended at around 2:30, and since we’re only a short taxi ride back to the office, I went back to work for a couple hours. I didn’t have a lot of catch up to do since I’d been able to stay on top of email while at the conference. I did finish my open benefits enrollment. No changes to coverage or premiums, yay. Our Health Savings Account administrator is changing to Fidelity and will allow us a myriad of investment options. I’m increasing my contribution to it this year and hopefully at some point I will accumulate a good base cushion for med expenses and can start investing the rest. There’s also no monthly fee like there was for the other H.SA account. A positive change for sure.
Not much else to report for yesterday. I rode my bike home. I watched a bit of the ball game and other TV. That’s about it. At some point I need to get back to exercising!!
My mom closes on her new place today. My sister is sitting in on that and signing the paperwork for her. My mom was getting quotes from movers on Monday and hopefully will be making a decision very quickly so that my sis and I can make flight arrangements.
Okay, I’ll get this posted and include my pumpkin photo.
Location: A beautiful and peaceful place in the woods
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Good morning chicks,
Woke up this morning at 9am - was stiff and sore as I imagine I will always be for the rest of my life but I did realize upon wakening that I stayed in bed the entire night. I did wake up about 3 times and went to the potty and adjusted my position, but I think this is the first time in 2 months I actually made it through a night in bed. I wish I could say I felt wonderful but guess I'm not quite at that point yet. After alot of going back and forth - literally back and forth between doctors and hospital buildings, I was able to get someone who would give me an order to get an ultrasound for my leg. As I thought, no blood clot - good news. Bad news is I still have a Baker's cyst behind my operated knee which surprises me as I don't have a joint that pushes out fluid any more. I will ask PT when I see them today. The ultrasound tech also seemed surprised they didn't remove it at surgery. Who knows. I was feeling pretty miserable last night so I was doing some research on the internet. Came across a board/forum where people were leaving comments - 95 percent all in the negative about knee surgery and ongoing pain. Some healed well at first only to have pain set it and stay there always. Many people said they would not do it again. This reminds me of what I saw about cataract surgery too. I think that doctors really do not have any clue when it comes to treating chronic pain. And I think more and more people are having pain issues than ever before. I know poor DH was left in the dust years and years ago to deal with his chronic and constant back pain on his own. Same with when he was having mystery migraines which thankfully resolved themselves. It's a cold and rainy and gloomy day out so one is apt to feel the pain a bit more. I have 2 hours before physical therapy. I need to get a few cards in the mail as well as figure out and make the bank deposit from Bingo that I should have done last Friday and needs to be done by tomorrow as I need fresh change for the evening's float. I was toying with the idea of 20 minutes in the hot tub (the construction workers are not here today because of the rain) and then a hot shower and off to therapy but I won't have enough time I think if I do the other 2 things first. Also have a load to flip in the dryer. I decided I am just going to have to push forward through the pain and try and get in some movement and getting things done. Sitting in a chair for 18 hours is doing nothing for my mental stability. We watched the Cubs sink yesterday and lose the first of the playoff games. I hope they use this to shake off the jitters and regroup. The other team has been waiting just as long for a championship so there are 2 very hungry teams out there. It don't happen by magic - gotta work for it boys!
Shad - as one pain pill hater to another, I strongly suggest you take your pain meds as prescribed. At least for the first week out of surgery. I was told that they are beneficial in healing. Think about it - if you are in pain you feel lousy and whether you realize it or not you are tensing up. And that tensing is creating stress and sending bad chemicals into your body. Take the pain meds, get a comfy blanket and a good book and a cup of tea and just accept that the next few days are a mandatory time off for you. Really, please do this for yourself. Also it seems that you have not had to deal with health issues for a while so this bump in the road (albeit temporary) is bound to get you down in the dumps. I hate interruptions in my "just get on with life philosophy" I'm sure ODDU would be happy to sit with you and keep you company. For a bit.
Annie - sorry you had the tummy rolls. Between stress, meds, food, who knows what stuff is crawling on the food we eat and the water out of the tap - we are bound to have nights on the porcelain throne. Hope that is all over and done with. Start today fresh and empty! I can't say it hasn't crossed my mind that maybe they left something in my knee but I have had at least 4 xrays and ultrasounds by different people who have no loyalties to the surgeon so I would think if something is in there that doesn't belong, someone might have said something by now. Also they make the implants of different materials - I have no idea what kind/brand is in me and have wondered if - like dental fillings - what if I am sensitive to something in the implant itself? Do I again look up stuff on the internet and spook myself out or just try to deal with things in my own way??? I feel sorry for your son with back issues. Once they hit you have a long road ahead to accept that you will need to be doing maintenance things (like strengthening support muscles, stretching and rubs) for the rest of time. Not like a cut that heals and leaves a tiny scar and you go on with your life. Best I can suggest to him is do whatever they tell you to do. We are resistant at first but in the end, these things need to be done. I am doing the same with therapy. How many times I came home with exercises on Wednesday only to realize on Sunday that I didn't do them even once? And they say that strengthening is very important to recovery so ... ok. And yes girl, although I said so 50 times, I have yet to get on the bike in the basement. So I have no right giving you advice either.
Susie - I think it's great that they have topical conferences you can attend. I hope all goes well with the interviews. It will be good practice to talk to these people and feel them out a bit to see if that's a good fit with how you want to spend the next few years too. Keep us posted. Yay for Bryn conquering the balance beam at gymnastics! I'm sure all the girls have favorite apparatuses and not so favorite. The fact that you have to do them all is good training for not only competition but life too. Teaches those background skills which are oh so important. Glad she did well and has some tenacity!
Ceejay - I hope you are feeling much better today. The girls are right - you are more apt to pick up all kinds of bugs from the little kids more than the adults. Wash your hands alot after playing with them. I hope they get the flooring done at your place more quickly then they are working on my house!
Laura - did you get anything out of the conference you went to other than trying to catch up with work today?
Looks like I don't have time to squeeze in even a short hot tub soak so I will have to keep that on reserve for tonight. Have a good hump day all.
Location: A beautiful and peaceful place in the woods
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Laura - did not realize that your Mom found a new place to live up here. Is she going to be close to you. Good that she can get moved and settled in before the snow hits. One piece of advice if I can give you is IF you have a contributory plan for future health care expenses (at retirement) - sock as much money as you can into the plan. Most people will not be as fortunate as Ceejay to actually hold a job until medicare takes over. That future health account could mean the difference between surviving an earlier than expected job cut / buy out / terminination - and going to the poor house. My "retirement" health care monthly premium is going up to $950 a month in January. Obamacare might even be cheaper for me but probably the same. DH and I had to blow away 10s of thousands of dollars we had saved for other things in order to maintain our health insurance. Having some money in a future account helped us alot even though we planned on using that to help us out in full retirement. As for the supplemental - Medicare as provided by the government only covers hospitalization costs (Part A). Everyone needs a supplemental policy to cover doctor bills and other expenses like therapy (I believe that's called part B). And then you have to choose another plan (part D) to assist with prescription drugs. Not sure what happened to part C in all of this. As Ceejay found, there is alot of things to learn and decide on once you retire. As for not getting fabric buttons on your suits - I have a whole can of buttons I can send you I always put the extra buttons in the can and I can't reasonably say that I used more than 5 of them in my lifetime. I had one wool peacoat that had regular buttons that for some odd reason were oddly attracted to the metal rods in the shopping cart / trolley at the grocery store. As I was unloading groceries on the belt, I would manage to catch and rip off a button at least once a month. It's the only time I almost ran out of buttons Shoot - you just reminded me that I'd better go dig out those papers I set aside for open enrollment so I don't screw up my insurance coverage. After my recent surgeries, I'm sure they'd be happy to find a way to drop me even though I've paid alot out of my own pocket.
Was a quiet evening at home. The boys go with their dad on Wednesday nights, Samantha was at a friend's house and C was fishing with his brother. C didn't get home until almost 9 pm. By the time they left the fishing site and the 1.5 hr drive home, it was late. Skipped dinner, wasn't hungry, did eat a couple of pieces of cheese and went to bed. Was in and out of it until C got home, said hello to him and back to sleep. Work is wiping me out. I will never adjust to the work life, I am sure! Just want to be independently rich. ha
I had an awful cramping in my inner thigh on my bad ankle leg last evening. It hurt so badly I couldn't even stand up straight. I have been taking my potassium so that is not it. Also magnesium. It took me a good 30 minutes of rubbing and stomping around for it to stop. Must be from the extra walking since coming back to work. Don't know but certainly do not want to go through that again.
LAURA...love your pumpkin, thought maybe the broken arm on the skeleton was in honor of us cripples. (HAPPY, SHADDIE and myself). lol. I am sure you will be glad once momma is all moved and her house sells. Any bites on her house selling? Glad your conference wasn't too terribly boring and you actually like it.
SHADDIE...hugs to you sister. Hope you are feeling better by now.
HAPPY...yee, my goodness, I sure hope your pain stops soon and you can get back to a somewhat normal life. Which is worse pain, the before knee or the after knee? Hugs dear sweet sister.
Oh a Royce funny.... I was tired of playing give Royce some of my ice from my cup. So I made a heavy sigh the next time he asked for ice. He looked at me and said, "Nanna, for crap sake". I about spewed my water.
Morning all. Another chilly, dreary day, but no rain. I walked to the train. I actually remembered to put my pedometer in my pocket this morning, so we’ll see how I do on steps today.
Annie – LOL re Royce’s response! I would have spewed the water!! Now, who is he picking that up from??!! === Your quiet night at home sounds good, except for that bad muscle cramp!!! I had one a couple months ago for the first time in forever, and had forgotten how painful they can be. I bet your muscle is sore today. === I’m sure your stamina will keep increasing as you get back into the swing of things at work. == Glad you like my pumpkin, broken arm and all. == Mom’s had several showings by now, I’m sure it’ll get sold at some point. She just got it listed a little too late for the “busy season”. ===Yeh, day 2 of the conference was good. Day 1 was “meh” & “yawn”.
Happy – Good you made it through a night. I dunno about reading those medical forums – they always seem to draw comments about negative outcomes and not positive ones. I think a former coworker of mine does that as part of his research before surgeries. I guess if you can get past the horror stories, you could get some good takeaways. === I agree with you and your other medical providers – why wouldn’t they have removed that cyst during your surgery??!! === I thought I would have mentioned my mom’s new digs because it’s happens to be right in Arlington Heights in a big retirement community called Luther Village. It’s just north and west of AH’s downtown. Only about a 10 minute drive from where I live. == Thanks for your comments about the H.SA. When I signed on for the high deductible health plan last year, I didn’t know all that much about the H.SA. This year I went to the session (held because of a switch in administrators) and learned a lot. These accounts are a triple tax-advantaged way to save for future medical expenses. Money is saved pre-tax, grows pre-tax, and if used for medical expenses, is not taxed upon withdrawal. But the big thing is that if the estimate they used to represent 20 years of medical expenses can be believed – a crazy high figure – we definitely need to sock away a lot of money for this. But what you mentioned is something they didn’t discuss in the info session and SO important – not just saving for post-retirement medical expenses, but to potentially fill that gap between now and Medicare eligibility. Big thanks for pointing that out!!! My contributions for 2017 will be nearly at the IRS contribution limit. === Re buttons – I “inherited” my grandma’s button collection, so that’s where I go first when I need some buttons. Thanks for the offer though!!
Shad – How are you feeling today?
Hellos to the rest of you!
==
Nothing much to report. My right ear is hurting right now. I’ve been having that fluid-in-the ear pressure lately. I took an extra strength Excedrin earlier and just took a Zyrtec. Hope they help.
Hi all,
Feeling good today. Pain disappeared yesterday and today the bandaids come off the wounds. Already got one off and the others will be done soon. Itching a bit. The pain I spoke about earlier was more like the urgghghhh ache that you get when you have TOM. It wasn't bad enough to hit it with the big stuff (Endone) and Panadol has little effect on me. I was told not to take ibroprofen since it encourages bleeding and I am already doing that and don't need any encouragement. Hope that stops soon. I don't think I ever fully appreciated how much I enjoyed not having TOM. I sure do now.
Even tho' I am feeling good I still won't over do things and will stick to the rules although I might just go out in the car today and do some shopping. Life is good - well it will be until Monday when I start the prep for the colonoscopy. Then I will be grumpy and bad tempered once more. Still it will then be out of the way and I will be medically free again. More or less.
The family has been great, they've taken out and brought in the washing, taken the ODDU out for his walks, done some shopping and cleared the benches and dishwasher. DS2 even vacuumed yesterday. Now there is a sight for the eyes.
Laura - hope you get your Mum there and settled before the bad weather closes in. I didn't actually realise you already had a place picked out for her although you probably did say and I have forgotten. Well done on the skeleton in the pumpkin. That was a great job you did.
Ceejay - are you back in the 'retirement home' now?
Susie - best of luck with the job interviews. I hope you get the one you want.
Happy - I am so sorry that you are having so much pain. I wish there was something I could do to help. Bit far away for massaging your leg tho'. Why would anyone have left a cyst in your leg when putting in a new knee.
Annie - that baby of yours is a right one. They certainly pick up the 'odd' phrase or two don't they. My sister was telling me about her grandson the other day. It was the nephews birthday and they were having cheese cake for dessert. Little Isaac asked what was for pudding. They said 'cheesecake'. Little I. is not one for fluffing lines - he usually sits and mulls it over before saying or doing anything and 9 times out of 10 gets it exactly right. Anyway Sis says she could see him mouthing the words. Then he came out shouting with 'Gods sake for pudding' I think he might have a hard time living that one down.
Dee - I hope you are just busy and not ignoring us. And that everything is okay.
Right, time to get off here and rip off the other plasters. Feeling good means that sitting down for long periods of time is not on the menu. It hurts to stand up and sit down but funnily enough bending doesn't worry me. Different set of muscles I guess. Doctors check up on Tuesday. Should get my results then although I am pretty sure of what he will say - just the pathology report to worry about.
See ya
TGIF FO SHO! Not a pay TGIF, but I will take it. Bleh.
Good news on the financial front, got the 2015 deductible loan paid for, yes, the 2015......now for the rest of the C.R.A.P! 2016 did not hit all in one bunch so it has been manageable with no loans. I just have one small bill left to pay from ankle surgery, final out of pocket dues. Set that one up on a 50$ a month pay out. Will be done with that one soon. I see the tunnel, way up ahead. No lights yet.
Made cheeseburger sliders on slider buns, my speed and amount. Crispy fries in the oven and sauteed zuchinni, yellow squash, purple onion, red and green pepper. Got them in the fresh section of grocery prepackaged, enough for all of us, marked down to 1.99. What a steal. Sauteed in a bit of olive oil, added garlic, basil, and a few other seasonings. Yum.
Here comes halloween. Still no costumes for the boys yet. They change their minds hourly as to what they want to go as. Ghost is the easiest, then we have Darth Vader, Rescue Bots character, Batman, Spiderman, on and on and on...me, I am just going as myself...a witch..lol, of course, Glenda the good witch who has a snarky side. Not really I am not dressing up. I fit the bill without it.
The weekend is meeting, shopping, church and chopping (lower limbs on trees)...praying and praying some more.
SHADDIE....so happy your are feeling better, keep it easy this weekend also. Even tho you might feel better without pain, things are still healing. My ankle's full recovery time will be 10 months according to my doc. 7 months to go. Plus you need some down, YOU time. Take it easy, complain a little so the kids continue to do all the work around there. Love the "Gods sake for pudding" I think I am going to use that line now and again.
LAURA...Back to normal at the office, conference over? Your right ear, my left. Mine started when I walked to meeting the other day at lunch. The wind was blowing hard and since then my left ear hurts. What a pair we make. I am doing allergy pills hoping it dries it up in there, if that is the cause. It has been rainy, cloudy and deary here also. Tomorrow we start and uphill swing of sunshine and 70s. SHould last late into next week. YEAH! Reminds me the year Samantha was born. High 60s and sunny the day she was born.
HAPPY...hope the pain is easing up. That just sucks. Kind of p*sses me off you are suffering so much with this new knee. And yes, why didn't they take that cyst off. OMGoodness, health care, what a racket. Next they will want to schedule something to get rid of the cyst.
Everyone have a wonderful weekend, and all rest up for next week. Hugs
Annie – Yay for getting the 2015 loan paid off and double yay for no 2016 loans! I just discovered a large expense on the medical insurance related to bf’s braces and now I want to get a full accounting from his ortho. Of course bf will not want to request it, but too bad. I have to say, I don’t care for how my insurance was set up for the providers to file the claims through the insurance (as usual, this isn't my issue) and then whatever I owe after that is sent directly to the Hlth svgs account. I don’t even get anything in the mail from the providers, I just have to be looking online at my H.S.A, which I am not accustomed to doing. I think when we switch over to the Fidelity H.S.A., we have control over how this is set up. Sorry for the rant. : === LOL re the indecision on the costumes. It will be interesting to see what is the final decision. === Yes, generally back to normal at work after the conference. I find a lot to b!tch about the boss and the 2nd since their promotions, but only to myself and the admin. ==Yes, I’m doing OTC allergy pills (on top of my rx allergy meds!) and pain med since this ear pain is almost certainly due to allergies.
Shad – Glad you’re feeling good!! But I agree with Annie – continue to take it easy and let the rest of the family hold down the fort with the chores, shopping etc.
Hellos to the rest of you.
==
I woke up with a return of the ear pain and tossed and turned for a while and then finally got up at about 1:30 am and took some allergy and pain meds. Watched tv and held an ice pack to my ear. The pain finally eased and I got back to bed around 3 am. I imagine I will hit a wall of sleepy a bit later this afternoon. I’ve scheduled an appointment for tomorrow morning at the pharmacy clinic by my house just to make sure nothing is too awful. I don’t know if anything will be prescribed. Not up for messing with ear drops…
My mom’s closing went well according to my sister, and I think my mom has everything worked out with the movers and the maintenance folks at her new place as concerns reserving an elevator for the move at this end. Now to book the flights for me and my mom. I will get this posted and give her a call back. She couldn’t talk when I phoned her before I started my lunch.
Location: A beautiful and peaceful place in the woods
Posts: 8,905
S/C/G: Stuck/Working on it/Good 2 Go
Height: Fun Size
Good morning ladies,
Thank you Shad and Annie for proving me with a double morning laugh from the mouths of the wee ones. I do love them when they are tiny and just have this unfiltered fresh perspective on the world. Before they develop the art of sass.
Yesterday was ok at bingo. A bigger crowd than I would have expected since the jackpot was won last week. Mostly it's the regulars who come, God bless them all. I was tired and figured it was going to be a long night but I made it through quite fine. Borrowed a small fold up table from the center for something I need, will hopefully sneak it back in after lunch today - hopefully no one notices although no one was around to ask at 9:30 when I was closing up anyhow.
I went to bed fairly early last night. Watched one TV show and then hit the sack just after 11. Woke up at 4am - a bit of a tummy ache, a bit of a leg ache, a bit too warm - just enough not to be able to roll over and go back to sleep. I left DH and the cats to catch a bit more snoozing. Odd that DH is not up already but he's been getting up much earlier than he needs to. Makes me wonder if it's my snoring that makes him an early riser since he's still in bed right now. I will let him sleep 20 more minutes and then wake him up if needed. The trash bins need to be hauled to the curb. We came home from bingo last night - DH got all the new lights installed on the outside buildings. (Remote controlled from the iPhone too !) With the siding, trim, lights and deck lights I had to say that it was rather impressive. Looks like one of those places in the home and gardens books. I'm glad it looks well considering all the money, effort, time and cussing that went into the place. I will glad to be done with the racket of the constant pounding sawing and hammering. It's getting to me as well as the cats. I was not feeling all that great yesterday - having a hard time finding the initiative to get dressed and go run errands - many of which I had been putting off until the very last minute. I was making a list when DH came in and asked how I was doing. I said I am not feeling great, I have accepted that I will NEVER feel good again and will be miserable for the rest of my life. *big sigh* Never one to miss a beat - he said "well, I guess that means that I will be miserable for the rest of my life too" It did make me smile. One of my stops was at the popcorn place I used to work at (I had coupons to use up). I struck up a conversation with the lady who was working there - she was older than me. I told her how much I enjoyed talking with the customers but this for sure was a kid's / young person's job as it was physically demanding on an old body. She lit up and couldn't agree more. We commiserated on just how hard it is to stand non stop for 9 to 10 hours at our ages even WITH good shoes The new owner has 10 children. TEN can you imagine???? 3 or 4 of them are adopted but that's still a heck of a lot to manage (and give birth to). The clerk was saying that they do make the kids come in and help out at the store over the summer - they clean, pack up orders, do what they can. Mum and Dad want them to understand the value of work and where money comes from and it doesn't just appear at the bottom of a popcorn tin. KUDOS lady - of course she is a retired teacher so she is on the smarter side of life any way. I bought a couple of bags of different flavors and will send them to my sister for a treat. I did keep one bag for me and had a few handfuls yesterday. Good but the scale reflects the salt for sure. I am down 18 pounds since the spring time, even managed to lose some while recuperating. I would like to continue this - would be nice to have the winter coats fit a bit more loosely. I still am not back in jeans yet, just stretchy pants. The heavier denim was irritating to my scar. Getting tired of stretchy pants tho - I got petites and probably should have gotten regular length since they tend to ride up a bit and I have clown pants most of the time
Today is my Mom's 90th birthday. As always, it is not without it's drama. Mostly coming from my SIL's side of the family. I am trying to keep my sister calm. Today DH is grilling up steaks for the construction crew. I'm going to have to put those big giant potatoes he bought in the oven soon if they are going to be ready at lunch time.
Shad - I am glad you are feeling better BUT don't over do it. Yes you feel like moving around but they have rotated your innards a bit so you will be in a world of hurt if you try and over extend. I smiled about your comment not missing TOM anymore. I went into early menopause and developed spotting and cramping a few years after I was all "done". ACK! What is this pain and nonsense - I truly forgot how awful it was. I happened to have some polyps and once that was done I was back in happy land again. So I feel you pain my dear. Glad to hear that people are pitching in you lend you a hand. I suspect you are one of the first to reach out to people, nice to get some respect in return. Sit on your butt and get a few more days rest before you turn into the tornado again! Still sending good wishes for an all clear report!
Laura - they were building some really nice senior living places up that way. Glad Mom could get into one and that she will be close enough to look in on, yet will have her own place. Yes, I get your point about reading those medical forums - as the physical therapist said, do you think people who are happy write on those. In some cases - yes. However I think in order to "keep the numbers high" most places will concentrate on success rates and never tell you about the times it didn't work out. So I think these forums have their place and I actually have gotten some good tips from them. Another thing I noticed that I am rather amused about is now that I am talking about my pain difficulties, I am hearing more from people who knew someone who... as opposed to the glowing recommendations I heard when I was first talking to people pre-surgery. Don't know why that was. As for the medical care costs, I used to pish pish these what I considered overly inflated scare tactic numbers they used to throw out in post retirement. However being there now, I can tell you there are not far off. I paid $860 a month for premiums this year. With a $1,000 deductible and for the most part an 80/20 coverage and a $4,000 max per year out of pocket plan. There are also some things medically related that don't come under insurance. And the cost of drugs, medical supplies and over the counter meds I don't get reimbursed for (which I could if I was actively working and under a HRA). So I've already paid over $15,000 of my own money out of the gate and I'm still getting bills. I think last year it was about $18,000 we shelled out. This is why we got the exterior of our house fixed, bought a boat, added to the house and bought a hot tub. We realized we can't afford to live into our 80's. Might as well enjoy it now! Sad but TRUE. I am terrified of what life will be 20 years from now when I am really dependent on things. Anyway, enough babble. Did the pressure and pain in your ear clear up? You feeling better today? At work I'd take a cup of warm water and put it next to my ear when I was feeling poorly. Looked stupid but it was soothing!
Annie - loved the Royce story. Those occasional flashes of cuteness are what makes us want to keep them around. How nice that Curtis sent you flowers. He must have realized you needed a boost. The fact that he noticed means he is either extra sensitive or he just knows how to protect and deflect when his woman gets cranky Either way good. I got a kick out of you dedicating Laura's pumpkin to us cripples. We do seem to have our troubles, no matter how we try to ward them off. I'm sorry about the cramping. I am getting a weird feeling when I drive or put my foot flat on the recumbent stepper. It get a horrible zing like a bee stung the bottom of my big toe. And weird cramps in strange places too. I can only attribute it to things healing in not such a straightforward pattern. I guess there is a lot going on inside of us that we can't see or don't know about. I hope that does not persist for you. Are you still kind of weak walking? I'm not sure I could stand up for a whole 15 minutes yet. Just keep plugging away. At least with the downturn in season you don't have to worry about mowing and gardening and lots of outside work. I would imagine if it's 80 degrees out your way it's too soon to start raking leaves. By the way - how is Sassy doing?
Cubs game tonight. I hope with the last win away and the home crowd tonight they can take another game and advance in the series. I have to count up my money and go do my bank deposit from Bingo. If not today then for sure tomorrow when we go do our errands run. Today's useless task is... I ordered zip lock plastic bags in various sizes for the shop. One box came yesterday - 500 sandwich sized bags. The box opening was taped shut and the box looks a bit light. Should I count 500 pieces to make sure I didn't get cheated? I know I'd be rather miffed if it came to 490 as I don't mind a tolerance of a few bags. Right now I'm thinking I will make a mess if I pull them all out of the box and might not get them all back in again. I'll probably just leave it.
I started this post at 4am. In the meantime halfway through I got sleepy again so went back to bed until 8am. Woke up in intense knee pain. Slapped an ice pack on and went back to sleep until 9. Got up and put the baked potatoes in the oven for DH's lunch for the construction guys. And then wound up doing more prepping and dishes. Finished this post in between. I could nap again but instead I will call Mom and wish her a happy birthday. She is at my sister's for the weekend. She said thank you Laura for the birthday card!
Happy – Sorry you woke up early and couldn’t get back to sleep. Hate that. This morning I hit the snooze button too many times and didn’t have time for breakfast at home. And I asked for a ride to the train because I was running late. When I was closing the inner plastic bag of cereal from the top (I packed up a bit of grape nuts cereal to stir into the yogurt I was bringing to work as a snack) and it burst open from the bottom and went all over the place and I had to clean it up. Looking forward to sleeping in a wee bit tomorrow. === I bet the lighting on your house looks really nice. If done well, it really makes a difference. Bf and I love lighting – it’s one of the things I notice first about a place. Like going to my mom’s soon – one guest room has a dinky little lamp with a dim bulb. As someone who likes to read before bed, that drives me nuts! === Yum re the popcorn. Wow re the owner having 10 kids!! Good they don’t coddle them! == Congrats on your 18 pounds lost and staying lost!! == I kept forgetting to ask if your mom received my card – thanks for mentioning that. I hope she’s having a wonderful 90th birthday!
==
I booked my flight to my mom’s and also my mom’s one-way flight. I’m relieved to have that done, but it sure was pricey. (Ceejay, I’ll be out at my mom’s November 7-11. Have to figure out a day/time we can meet, but the earlier part of the week will likely be better for me.)
=== Sounds like you had a nice weekend. How old is your niece Bryn? I’m sure she will gain confidence the more experienced she becomes with the meets. === Re my suit – it’s fine for what I need. Conservative and able to be perked up with a colorful top, scarf, and other accessories. I noticed there were NO extra buttons provided with the jacket. This is an issue because the buttons are fabric covered – if one is lost, all of them will have to be replaced. 
My employer is currently business casual, and we’ve actually been given jeans days for the entire year. This is good because the suit and my dress slacks are not be subjected to daily wear and tear, just occasional use. My fingers are 
that business casual - and jeans in particular - are continued next year. 
== I’m glad you got the supplemental insurance. I don’t know anything about Medicare, but the fact that everyone seems to buy supplemental coverage tells me Medicare alone is not enough. == Has the flooring been ordered yet? 
I wish I could say I felt wonderful but guess I'm not quite at that point yet. After alot of going back and forth - literally back and forth between doctors and hospital buildings, I was able to get someone who would give me an order to get an ultrasound for my leg. As I thought, no blood clot - good news. Bad news is I still have a Baker's cyst behind my operated knee which surprises me as I don't have a joint that pushes out fluid any more. I will ask PT when I see them today. The ultrasound tech also seemed surprised they didn't remove it at surgery. 
Who knows. I was feeling pretty miserable last night so I was doing some research on the internet. Came across a board/forum where people were leaving comments - 95 percent all in the negative about knee surgery and ongoing pain. Some healed well at first only to have pain set it and stay there always. Many people said they would not do it again. This reminds me of what I saw about cataract surgery too. I think that doctors really do not have any clue when it comes to treating chronic pain. And I think more and more people are having pain issues than ever before. I know poor DH was left in the dust years and years ago to deal with his chronic and constant back pain on his own. Same with when he was having mystery migraines which thankfully resolved themselves. It's a cold and rainy and gloomy day out so one is apt to feel the pain a bit more. I have 2 hours before physical therapy. I need to get a few cards in the mail as well as figure out and make the bank deposit from Bingo that I should have done last Friday and needs to be done by tomorrow as I need fresh change for the evening's float. I was toying with the idea of 20 minutes in the hot tub (the construction workers are not here today because of the rain) and then a hot shower and off to therapy but I won't have enough time I think if I do the other 2 things first. Also have a load to flip in the dryer. I decided I am just going to have to push forward through the pain and try and get in some movement and getting things done. Sitting in a chair for 18 hours is doing nothing for my mental stability. We watched the Cubs sink yesterday and lose the first of the playoff games. I hope they use this to shake off the jitters and regroup. The other team has been waiting just as long for a championship so there are 2 very hungry teams out there. It don't happen by magic - gotta work for it boys! 
I'm sure ODDU would be happy to sit with you and keep you company. For a bit. 
So I have no right giving you advice either. 
=== I’m sure your stamina will keep increasing as you get back into the swing of things at work. == Glad you like my pumpkin, broken arm and all. == Mom’s had several showings by now, I’m sure it’ll get sold at some point. She just got it listed a little too late for the “busy season”. ===Yeh, day 2 of the conference was good. Day 1 was “meh” & “yawn”. 
: === LOL re the indecision on the costumes. It will be interesting to see what is the final decision. === Yes, generally back to normal at work after the conference. I find a lot to b!tch about the boss and the 2nd since their promotions, but only to myself and the admin. ==Yes, I’m doing OTC allergy pills (on top of my rx allergy meds!) and pain med since this ear pain is almost certainly due to allergies.
I’ve scheduled an appointment for tomorrow morning at the pharmacy clinic by my house just to make sure nothing is too awful. I don’t know if anything will be prescribed. Not up for messing with ear drops…
It did make me smile. One of my stops was at the popcorn place I used to work at (I had coupons to use up). I struck up a conversation with the lady who was working there - she was older than me. I told her how much I enjoyed talking with the customers but this for sure was a kid's / young person's job as it was physically demanding on an old body. She lit up and couldn't agree more. We commiserated on just how hard it is to stand non stop for 9 to 10 hours at our ages even WITH good shoes 
Looking forward to sleeping in a wee bit tomorrow. === I bet the lighting on your house looks really nice. If done well, it really makes a difference. Bf and I love lighting – it’s one of the things I notice first about a place. Like going to my mom’s soon – one guest room has a dinky little lamp with a dim bulb. As someone who likes to read before bed, that drives me nuts! === Yum re the popcorn. Wow re the owner having 10 kids!! Good they don’t coddle them! == Congrats on your 18 pounds lost and staying lost!! == I kept forgetting to ask if your mom received my card – thanks for mentioning that. I hope she’s having a wonderful 90th birthday! 