I hope everyone had a fun,safe holiday. The last of our company just left! I'm exhausted!! But we had so much fun!! We had 22 people here today!! Can you believe that??!!

Shelley....We are going to Florida.Just not with Debbie & James this year. She's going with her kids & grandkids. We're going to Panama City July 22nd. I would love for it to work out for you to stop by. How cool would that be???!! I think it would be awesome!

Guess I better get in the bed. I'm going to go look at cars tomorrow and mow the yard. My transmission is starting to go out (we think) so I better get a car soon. I have never had a car payment in my life so this may be the first.

Goodnight....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU~~~~~~

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU~~~~~

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR SHELLEY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!!!!~~~~~~~~

Thank you Shelley for being such a dear friend and for helping me stay motivated, you are a very special person and I hope you have a great day!

Love, Gayle

Thank you! My parents gave me a check for $500.00 last night. I tried not to accept it, but my dad said it would hurt his feelings if I don't take it. I thought about giving them the check back to them on their anniversary. I just don't know. A part of me really wants to keep it, but another part feels so guilty taking it. Also, Mike and the girls got me a new TV for my bedroom. My old one had such a dark picture that I couldn't see it. My parents are taking us all out tonight at Bonefish Grill. Their realtor gave them a $75.00 gift certifcate there. I looked at the menu and everything is so expensive, though. I may have to use some of that check to cover the difference!

Sherry-That may be too late in the month, I'm not sure. The teachers come back on the 26th, so I might not be able to take off. I'm going to try, though. We would just drive by and visit for a bit. I'll let you know. I'll see if Becky can make arrangements to visit a university maybe on the 22nd, then we could stop by on the 23rd before we head back home. Do you know when Debbie is going? I'd like to see her too!

Hey Shelley I here you are having a birthday. I hope that you enjoyed your dinner. Have a happy birthday. And by the way if your parents gave you the cheque it was a gift that they wanted to give you. Spending on yourself. You deserve it. You did a lot for them in the last couple of months with helping them move. You are a marvelous daughter and a wonderful faithful friend.

Sherry I have been waiting for you to get here. lol That is why it took me so long to post. Not it just has been busy and I am beat. We are waiting for the hospital to call tonight. Dez has a cyst on her bottom that is bigger than a chicken egg. It is very painful and she is doing well. If they don't operate tonight they will tomorrow. Swimming is taking all of my energy out of me. I have been swimming 5 days a week and for an hour. It is at an ungodly hour for me. I usually get up between 8:30 and 10:00. Well lap swim is only til 10:00 and Larry is driving me so I am there around 7:00. I need a nap sometimes in the morning and then one in the afternoon.

Sherry wow $500 that is great. Good idea to put it on your trip, that way you will enjoy it.

Gayle my mom and dad are 71 and 72. Now was it you that asked or Shelley. Actually I think it was Shelley. Who knows I have been so confused this last week. You won't believe it but in the last week I screwed up with three appointments. I missed my physio by one day, I was one day early for my doctor's appointment and I forgot about my dentist appointment even though I was there the day before and they reminded me. Not doing to well in the memory department. The doctor changed some of my meds on thurday and I have been in more pain than I usually have. Physio was not good today.

Well I got to run and check up on Dez. She now knows how I feel about bending down and having pain.

Love you all.

Dee-Please let us know how Dez is as soon as you can. I am sending prayers your way. I am so sorry that you are back to feeling bad. I really think it's all the meds that you are on making you so confused.

The girls at school gave me cashola for my birthday. It's always so much fun on someone's birthday there.

Dee, I agree with Shelley, the confusion is caused from the meds. Probably even the tiredness, I know the doctor is still trying to reduce mom's meds because of that. Let us know how Dez is doing and what you find out. Tell her I'm sending special hugs and best wishes her way.

Shelley, I'm glad you had a happy birthday, you are very deserving. It sounds like the girls at the office enjoy a chance to relax and celebrate a little.

Moms doctor appointment went well, she is building up fluid again on her lungs from the last tap (2 weeks ago) it was not enough yet to warrant another tap, she will go back in 2 weeks. If she needs another tap, it will be done here, but any after that, she will need to go see her heart doctors in the other town.

I hope everyone had a great weekend!

Love, Gayle

Gayle I am sorry to hear that your mom is still building up fluid. I guess the good thing is that she didn't need a tap done this week. Your right and so is Shelley, I do believe the confusion is from the meds. Doesn't mean I have to like it though.

Shelley wow some more money we can spend. All right, so what are you going to spend it on? Any ideas?

Update on Dez. She had surgery last night. She was at the hospital from 7:30 to 2:20. The doctor at the hospital couldn't believe how big the cyst was. They removed over a cup of puss. Yucky! She had over a yard of packing put in. She will need to go back to the hospital every day for the next two weeks to have the packing removed and replaced. She is still in a lot of pain but less pain than last night. It is a good thing that we didn't wait any longer.

Dee-Dez must really hurt right now! Yuck!! Any idea what caused the cyst?

I am going to buy a new pair of running shoes with the money that I just received today from MIL. She sent me $100.00. The money yesterday went toward a couple pair of sandals, since we are allowed to wear them to work while the teachers and kids are out. I still haven't done anything with the check that Mom and Dad gave me.

Gayle-How often can this fluid tap be done safely? Is it something that the drs. will be able to continue to do if needed?

Really not sure Shelley. The doctors keep assuring me this will not be an ongoing problem... So far she is needing it monthly. They say it is common with open heart surgery patients, but usually one tap is enough and then usually it is within the first month. If she needs tapped again, it will be here. The doctor here said if it continues, she will need to go back to her heart doctors, they want to see her. After two layers of locals, they go into her back with a large needle and go in between the ribs, as fluid is drawn down a tube into a container, the lungs start to reinflate and there is a chance of puncturing the lung. Mom is really down about all of it, which I probably would be too if it were me. The doctor called today and prescribed a steroid for mom, he thought this may help with the inflamation.
What brand of running shoes do you wear?

Dee, give Dez a hug! OUCH!!!!!! Is this in the same location where she fell on the broken glass?

Gayle-I wear Brooks Adrenalines. The running store is out of my size though and he is trying to switch me to Fila. I am going to go by there and check them out, but I have been wearing the Adrenalines for a couple of years now and really like them.

I couldn't stand myself because I was starting to eat too much, so I went ahead and rejoined online. I am such a wimp.

Shelley, I just checked on ebay and there are some listed. Maybe you could luck out and find the correct size. Since you wear the brand, maybe there would be no problem with fitting.

Sher, I noticed you posted on the exercise thread. GREAT JOB!!!!

Going to cardio therapy this morning and then I NEED to work on this house this afternoon! My house has not been clean (all rooms at once) since moms heart attack. I know I will not get it clean, but at least I may be able to remove a few layers of dust here and there. LOL! Do you guys watch the show "How clean is your house?" My house looks like a sterile palace compared to some of those homes!

We were at emergency last night at 7:00. The wait was really long so we went back at 8:30. All she needed was to have her hole packed and then dressed. She was seen at 11:00. I said to her that I would do the dam thing. I took the dressing off and was going to pull out the packing and then she stopped me. Chicken. Did it ever stink! They want to keep an eye on the infection and need to repack it daily. They put over a yard of packing in that hole. It was still oozing out yesterday even with all that packing. Yuck. Poor kid. But she does feel less pain than on Tuesday. The cyst is just above the crack of her butt. We thought the pain was from when she broke her tailbone a couple of months ago. It isn't where she got the glass in her butt from the beer bottle. Her bottom has certainly been abused this last year.

Shelley I think that Gayle has a good idea. Check out ebay and see if they have your size.

Gayle your mom has been through so much lately. I would be down too. It is tough on her. Give her a big hug today. I would love to come and help you clean your house.

We are having a new furnace and air conditioner put in. They started yesterday and were suppose to have it done by tonight. My furnace men are not here yet and they were supposed to be here at 7:30. Well I just might have to eat all the donuts that I bought them. ;-) Well I better run, maybe I will put in a few flowers after I finish eating all those donuts! Have a good one.

Dee-That sounds like a horrible experience for Dez. Can she actually sit down? Do they have her on meds?

Gayle-I ended up going today and bought the Filas. The guy at the running store watched me run in them and said that since I was wearing insoles in the Adrenalines that maybe I should try these. They feel good without anything extra in them. I'll see how they do Saturday when I plan to run 8 miles. He said I can take them back if I need to, but I think I might like them.