Good morning gals! Well we had another afternoon of it yesterday. Jack called yesterday morning around lunchtime complaining of the chest pains again. We discussed it and I repeatedly told him that if he felt bad to come home and we would go to the hospital. He finally came home around 1 PM and I took him to the ER. They ran an EKG, blood enzymes and xray and found nothing. His heart sounded good, his bp was good etc. They sent him home with a nitroglycerin derivative saying they thought it might be spasms. We are now thinking it is the niacin he is taking. I contacted my dil who is a pharmacist and ask her is it could be one of the rare side effects to this medicine. He started these pains in June of this year, he started the niacin in February of this year then had the flushing symptoms around the same time as these weird pains started so I am beginning to think it is this medicine. If she says it might be I am talking to the surgeon on Tuesday and finding out for sure.

Rosey: Hope you are feeling better this morning. Sorry you are puny with the flu. Take it easy until you get totally better.

Cheryl: Hope you are doing ok!

I have to go and get some work done. Have a good weekend girls!

Faye

Good Morning Ladies...Sorry I didn't get a chance to get here yesterday. I had such a terrible headache yesterday afternoon/evening, there was no way I could of looked at a computer screen! My friend came over yesterday morning and I showed her how to start sewing on her quilt, plus a lesson on how to operate her sewing machine. She did really good for her first lesson, and I only made her take out stitched on one strip. While her sewing machine was buzzing away, I was pressing my strips and doing the final cut. I have one quilt ready tom put together and I will finish doing the final cut on the other one today.
Had a lady come out yesterday morning to do the measuring of our kitchen and utility room for new flooring. Jim and I are going to start remodeling the utility room first. Have to put in new sheet rock and have the electrician come out and move the 220 plug in for the dryer to the opposite wall and while we are at it, put in a new window. The flooring will run us around $500 for my little 6X5 room, but I don't care. It will come out cheaper after every thing is done, since we will have less waste of materials.

Faye...I hope you find out what is going on with Jack. Bet it's the medication like you think it is. Raising foster children is very challenging, but also rewarding. They come with so much baggage thanks to their parents and then it is our job to try and get them turned around and become productive, responsible adults. In the 6 years we have been doing this, we have had 13 children in our home, the longest was 25 months till the child was adopted. Think Jim and I will only be doing this for another 2 years, getting tired.

Rosey...Hope you are feeling much better today. Sorry to hear you have the flu. Please don't send it my way. Boy! we can sure feel fall in the air this morning. Dropping 25 dgrees from our high yesterday to the 60's today and it was 42 when I got up this morning. We are suppose to be 34 for a low tonight. Nice sleeping weather for me.

Well gals, I need to get Jim up and fed, he has therapy this morning and back to work this afternoon. Have a good day.

Cheryl

Hi Ladies...Not too much going on. Did some machine embroidery this afternoon on a sweatshirt and pants for a customer. After church tomorrow, I plan on getting back to cutting the other quilt so I can start packing for the quilt retreat. Hope you all are having a very nice weekend.

Cheryl

Good morning ladies! I was going to sleep in until 7 but the dog had other ideas and sat on the floor and barked at me until I got up. I am officially on SBD now, though I haven't had breakfast, exercised or anything. I am making the little individual veggie quiches this morning and then freezing the extras.

Cheryl: When is your quilt retreat? That sounds like it would be fun. I have a friend that lives in Yorktown VA and does quilting and goes to quilting groups etc. She sure does love it. She has a husband that is pretty ill and has been for awhile so she doesn't get to go like she would like because of his care etc.

I am doing a bunch of downstairs cleaning chores today as I didn't get anything but laundry done yesterday. I am still sore in my shoulders, but I am going to do a few weight training exercises this morning to try and get the muscles working. I think it is partly because I haven't exercised in several weeks and put on a bunch of lbs more than likely.

I guess we will know tomorrow exactly what is what. It sure would be nice if the surgeon does the MICS rather than the more involved CABG where they crack the sternum, you are on a heart lung machine, etc. I doubt they will be doing the other procedure so we aren't counting on it. Jack is still having those pains and though they haven't become worse or last longer, he does have a few a day. He is also tiring easier so I know that his heart isn't 100%.

Well gals, I have a lot to do today so I need to get going. Have a great Monday and stay dry. I am hoping we get no more rain today because I have a package laying out by the gate for the postman to pick up and it is already paid for and I don't want the postage label to get wet.

Faye
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Evening Ladies...It's been a very busy afternoon with appointments for the Fd's.
We just got home and it feels good to just sit and relax. Yesterday, I taught my FD how to use the sewing machine and she started working on her quilt. She caught on real fast and did a nice job sewing. This morning I started packing up the sewing machines and the quilt projects for retreat.

Faye...I go to the quilt retreat this weekend. I can hardly wait for Friday to get here. It goes from noon on Friday till noon on Sunday. So far we have 12 ladies that have paid for the weekend. Thursday, I have to get the cake and muffins made for it. I decided to make a Pumpkin Walnut cake for dessert on Sunday. Wednesday, I have to buy the chicken breasts and the hamburger patties. I haven't decided what I'm going to take as a snack to share.

Hope all goes well with Jack's surgery and that you stay strong. We will have you both in our prayers, but especially Jack. It's in God's hands, and I know that Jack will do just fine.

Well, I need to do a few more post before I get to bed. Jim starts the morning shift tomorrow, so I'm up at 4:30 am.

Cheryl

Morning gals! Well I survived my first day on SBD but have a horrible caffeine withdrawal headache. Nothing helps it either so I just have to hang in there for probably another day. Other than that and being hungry yesterday evening I am fine. I finally went and got a tablespoon of peanut butter and ate it and that helped. Unlike others, I doubt I am totally sugar free because I can't find some cooking things without sugar like tomato sauce etc, but I am not eating or drinking sugar and have cut back as much as I can outside things I can't find to cook with. I imagine I might be able to get them at Wild Oats Market, but it is too expensive for me to buy sf ketchup or sf tomato sauce there. We have to be really tight with money until he goes back to work so I have to keep to my intended budget.

My stupid stove, which is only 4 years old, is going to have to be fixed. I set the self cleaner and when it was finished the door wouldn't unlock. I have error codes and from what I can find out they indicate there is some component that has burned out or some motor or something so that has to wait for another week to get fixed. I can't even afford the service call to my home warranty right now because I have to save the money I have. I don't know how much upfront I am going to have to pay at the hospital. I guess I should go on my insurance website and see. Every other time he was in the hospital it was through ER so we pay nothing. When they scheduled this last cath, it cost us $25 upfront so maybe that is the hospital co-pay. I need to check.

Cheryl: Hope you have fun at your weekend. I will be thinking of you.

Everyone have a good day. I have to get going because today is Jack's surgeon's appt.

Faye

Morning everyone sry i have been mia ..it took me a few days to recover from that flu..i just didnt feel like doing a thing then i had to get the guys ready for going to the cabin.. my sil and grson were here and all that male bonding and testosterone was a bit much but they are all hunting now.. my grson is 12 and so excited to hunt with the big guys.. and hes got a bottom less pit of an appetite right now sooooooo i baked him cookies and sent a huge bag of extra munchies just for him..they are suppose to be gone till next sunday un less they get a moose.. my dd and the other grkids are coming thursday so she can take her son back as he can only take 1 week off from school.. the big guys will cont the hunting till they get one or the 20th. in the mean time im enjoying the quiet and working on my crafts..Faye sry about your stove.. i went a whole yr with out an oven once and when i did get it fixed finally it was a 36 cent fuse go figure.. hope yours doesnt take that long and good luck with the tests..take care ladies i will check in later (((((((((hugs))))))))) rosey

Good morning ladies! Boy, I now have so much cleaning to do and so little time. Jack's surgery is bright and early Monday morning. He has to be at the hospital at 5:30 AM. His surgeon is a peach, young and gorgeous! He went through the whole procedure, showed us where the blockages were (no Minimal invasive though because there are two) and everything else involved. Don't think my dd is thrilled that the doctor is just a few years older than her brother, but I grilled him about how long he has been doing this, his training about how many he has done etc. We are very satisfied with him and he said with Jack's overall excellent health there is only about a 1% risk of stroke, or bad complications or death. They will use his two mammary arteries instead of taking anything from his leg because the dr says they are very strong and practically last forever so it would be unlikely he would have to go in and have them replaced somewhere down the line. Jack's sister will be here early Saturday evening so I have to contend with her for several days. She is such a royal pain. I am glad she is bringing her younger dd though as I like her a lot. We talked to our son and we don't know whether he is going to be able to come down here or not. It is going to interesting to cook with no oven. I am planning mostly crockpot meals as I can stick them on in the morning and everything will be ready to eat when we get home in the evenings. It is either eat modified SB food or go out to eat. I don't really care which they do. I can't afford to eat out and need to eat at home so that is what I will do except for lunch and I think I will just take something with me to eat for lunch in Jack's room each day. I pray that his sister only stays until like Wed then goes home. I would imagine Jack will be in the hospital until Friday.

I have 4 to do lists stickied to my computer desk. A lot of it is last minute before his sister gets here. I can't tell you girls how much I am dreading having her here. She is knowledgeable because she is a cardiac care nurse manager but she is pushy and a know it all and Jack won't have the strength to tell her to stop. I am just going to hold my tongue for the days she is here. He is her only sibling, their parents are dead and this will be only the third time she has seen him in 17 years because she lives in Texas. She has always been jealous of me because I "have" her brother. She was jealous of my son when he was born and once years ago went with me to the store and ask if she could push him around (he was a baby about 8 months old at this time.) I said ok and a few minutes later finally found her talking to a nun telling this woman my son was HERS! When her brother left for overseas the first time and he parked me with his parents for 6 months (btw, I didn't KNOW these people and had only met them once) the night before he left to fly to California than to leave we ask his mom to watch Jay and were going to go out to dinner. His sister asked to come (now you have to understand, this wasn't a kid, in fact she is 6 months older than I am) and when Jack said no we wanted to be alone she threw a temper tantrum and said "Why can't I come, you belong to me more than you belong to her." I will never forget that as long as I live.

Anyway, I need to start on morning chores. I am going to get outside and get a good walk in this morning so I need to get done what I can before I go out.

Have a good day ladies.

Faye

Rosey...So glad that you are feeling better. I'm soooo jealous that you get to spend time with your grandchildren. I miss mine sooooooo much. We had a guy in Minnesota that hit a very large moose and lived to talk about it. The car is a total loss and the moose is dead, but he walked away from it.

Faye...I hear you about the sister-in-law, only mine was a mother-in-law. Jim and I were married 18 years when she passed away and she never stepped foot in our home. It has taken me many years asking God to help me forgive her, but I'm finally at peace. It was her loss. Don't stress the small stuff the next couple of days. Will have Jack in my prayers, as well as you on Monday.

Girls, I have been on the run with the FD's for the last couple of days. They have gotten into so much trouble the last couple of days and are grounded. I'm off to my retreat, so I will see you on Sunday afternoon.

Cheryl

Good morning ladies. Well Jack is off to work. He has today and tomorrow and that is it for about 6-8 weeks. He had one of his "flushing" incidents from his niacin this morning. He turned bright red and said his body was tingling like bugs crawling all over him. I told him to sit and wait until it past just in case so he did. I have been awake since 1 AM having had a nightmare and not being able to sleep after that so I am pretty tired this morning. I have a lot to do though so I am going to get it done and then nap if there is time. I put a couple cornish game hens with rotisserie seasoning in the crockpot for dinner. I had to remove the skin from mine for SB and good thing they are a tight fit as my just flopped open since she didn't have any skin to hold her together! I could have tied her all up, but when I put them in side by side they fit tight enough I didn't have to do that. I always put about 1/2 can ff chicken broth in the bottom so I have good basting juices.

My sil should be here Sunday evening and you know how I am looking forward to it. I can hold anything together for the sake of Jack. Not that he would care. I am sure he wished I would stand up to his sister, but I don't feel causing bad feelings helps anything when the person you say something to won't see it constructively anyway, you know? He told me last night that he is going to tell the family he wants a few minutes alone with me before he goes in and that I am the first face he wants to see when he opens his eyes. Actually, that will probably be a nurse because of the ICU visiting hours. His surgery is at 7:30, takes about 4 hours, then it be another couple hours until he is ok enough to see him in ICU, but the ICU hours are 9-10, 12-1, 5-6PM, 8:30-9PM. I think with the surgery time and all I will miss the 12-1 so will have to wait until evening to see him. Once I know he is ok, I may come home and let the dog out etc and maybe get everyone to come here for a bite of early dinner before heading back at 5. I plan on putting a roast and carrots in the crockpot with a beef broth gravy and then heating up a couple cartons of those premade mashed potatoes. I'll put the cat up for the hour we are gone and then leave the mess and clean it up at 6 then go back at 8:30 for the half hour. It is going to be interesting because besides myself, there can only be one other person visiting at a time so they are going to have to take turns. In this instance I am going to be totally selfish and stay with my husband. They can just come in a visit for a couple minutes then go out and let someone else come in.

I am doing well on SB and am determined not to weigh until Monday. I haven't had any cravings at all but the caffeine withdrawal was bad. My only thing is getting in enough veggies per day. I don't like a huge variety of vegetables so I do try and get some of it in with like tomato juice in the morning and such.

Everyone have a great day and take care of yourselves.

Faye

Hi Everyone,

Was wondering if I could join your group. check out my blog, let me know.

http://princsstrish.blogspot.com

Welcome Trish! You are going to feel like of lonely for a day or so. Cheryl is on a quilt retreat and my husband is having open heart surgery this morning so I probably won't be in here at all this week as I will be residing at the hospital! I appreciate your prayers for him. We are pretty scared of course!

I will talk to everyone asap

Faye

Evening ladies...I had a wonderful time at the quilt retreat and didn't want to come home. I tried to stay on program and i think I did pretty good. I haven't stepped on the scales, but will do that in the morning. I have weight watchers tomorrow, but it depends on how I feel. Came home to one of the girls sick with the flu and I don't feel so great tonight.

Welcome Princess!!!! Of course you can join us, the more the merrier. I look forward to getting to know you better.

Faye...Hugs to you and Jack. Hope that surgery went well.

See you gals in the morning.

Cheryl

Morning ladies.. cold and rainy here this am.. i had a real busy weekend with the dd's and grkids..im finally rested up today..cheryl glad your retreat was fun...its nice to indulge ourselves in the things we love isnt it..hope the flu goes away from your house..faye(((((( ))))))))) i am thinking of you and hope you dh has made it thru surg and is on the mend and that you are weathering the stress well..welcome trish the more the better..what crafts do you do? well ladies i need to get back to my card order.. im about 1/3 done.. have agreat day((((((((hugs)) rosey

Hi Everyone,

thanks for letting me in

So, let's see, my work in progress(WIP) list is LONG!!!!!! currently I'm trying to finish up 2 doilies for swaps. then I have to finish up an afghan for my aunt. Then next up will be...hmmm maybe a baby blanket? My "sister in law" is having a baby this weekend....heheh she's being induced Friday. They didn't know the sex of the baby so I've been waiting to make things cuz I just hate green or yellow for everything. There are so many more projects that are half finished too. I'll get to them all someday. But I have yarn coming in for other projects. LOL

Have a good Wednesday everyone. Biggest Loser starts on TV tonight!!!