Tagged - One Word Answers

One word answers

You're feeling: frustrated

To your left: scooter

On your mind: Bridezilla

Last meal included: Liver

You sometimes find it hard to: Sleep

The weather: thunderboomers

Something you have a collection of: Magnets

A smell that cheers you up: someoneelsecookeddinner (that's one word)

A smell that can ruin your mood: Catpoop

How long since you last shaved: depends

The current state of your hair: dunno

The largest item on your desk/workspace (not computer): Files

Your skill with chopsticks: Excellent

Which section you head for first in a bookstore: Fiction

Something you're craving: painfree

Your general thoughts on the presidential race: crappy

How many times have you been hospitalized this year: 4

Favorite place to go for a quiet moment: bedroom

You've always secretly thought you'd be a good: doctor

Something that freaks you out a little: escalators

Something you've eaten too much of lately: Fruit

You have never: skydived

You never want to: skydive

Earth Hour Chicago Style

I was downtown Chicago for Earth Hour and although I am downtown a few times a year, it was really interesting to see Chicago and how they participated. Downtown Michigan Ave in Chicago is usually lit up in twinkle lights and the whole downtown usually looks like Vegas at night - you can't really tell it is dark outside unless you look above the skyscrapers.

Here are a few Chicago pics:

Normal night time Chicago skyline:


Earth hour Chicago skyline:


Looking out and Earth hour starting....notice the city far out and all the lights compared to the next picture:


Now look at this pic with the burbs going darker......


Our hotel had posted flyers and the restaurants and bars used candlelight. It was fascinating!

Off again

I am off to another seminar. Have fun and be good. I will try. I will be on my scooter for my right foot and the other foot with the broken toes is taped to other toes. I can get a shoe on which is all I care about although they are both a PITA during the night. But there is another problem now too. I started what I thought were hot flashes late this afternoon only to find out that hot flash looks like a sunburn all over my body. Suspect is the antibiotics I am on. So I am off one of them and half doses on the other and added Benadryl to my drug list. It doesn't itch but I am not saying that too loudly otherwise with my luck it will start.

See ya Sunday........

When it rains it pours

Yep, did it. The antibiotics I am taking are making a huge impression on my intestines. I was rushing to get to the bathroom barefooted on my good foot and scooting on the scooter. Cut the corner short into the bathroom and into the doorframe went my good foot, mainly my baby toe and the one next to it. This was Saturday. Wrapped them cuz I had daughter's other bridal shower on Saturday so didn't have time for x-rays.

Took x-rays today. Toes are purple. They are both broken but in place so just taping them together. Makes it interesting to sleep. There is now no good side to sleep on. If I sleep on the right side, my foot that had the surgery with the open incision line hurts. If I sleep on the left side my pinkie toe hurts. I hate sleeping on my back, so all I have been doing is tossing and turning. Hubs is about to wrap me in bubble wrap until the wedding is over.

Less than 5 weeks to go and I still don't have a dress and I still can't stand nor walk.

Huh???????

This is the theme of post. Hubs and I have been married for 28 and a half years and together for almost 31. You would think you would know that person, right? Yet at times he still comes up with these things totally out of left field where I go, huh?
Who are you and what did you do to my husband?

I swore my teens were kidnapped by aliens and were only returned to me when they got tired of dealing with them. But one expects it of teens.

I am reminded of that one Raymond episode. Debra has PMS super bad. Ray tries to help out by buying her some medicine which is supposed to take away all her moodiness. As in typical real life fashion, his plan backfired. Debra then says, "Did you ever think of hugging me, you jerk?" Raymond responds, "Well, it is pretty hard to hug someone who is trying to kill you."

The only thing that explains my husband's moodiness is that he has PMS. At least when I used to have it, it would only last a few days. I will have to live with this...this...huh?...for a while or until I blow my stack. Here's betting on which comes first..........maybe there is a pill for men......I am willing to bet women would buy it!

Good Friday

Lots of good news today.
#1 It snowed! We have 6 inches of the white stuff...I was getting kinda scared there that spring had really arrived but I knew old man winter in the Chicago area wouldn't let me down.

#2 Hubs removed my cast Tuesday and put me on my rear in bed for the past 3 days. I was placed on double antibiotics (Cipro and Duricef) which literally cleaned me out. I will be on them both a full 2 weeks. The culture came back small growth of Staph Auereus but not MRSA for which I am thankful. The reddness along the incision line has gone down and although I still have a lot of drainage, it is closing down. I went to the doctor today and was told to stay in a soft cast but I can transition to putting a wee bit of weight on the foot although I am to stay on the scooter for the most part.

#3 The best part about Good Friday? Good Friday Services or Tenebrae service. I posted about this service last year but am repeating the post because of all the services throughout the year, this is my most loved service. It is chock full of symbolism. I absolutely recommend this service to anyone. This is last year's post about it although because of the doctor appointment, I couldn't attend the Stations of the Cross nor will we go to dinner with friends tonight. I am saving my foot for the Tenebrae.

I am a Christian. I was raised in the Roman Catholic church but now worship in both the Roman Catholic church and the Lutheran Missouri Synod Church. They are both so very close in theology that I am comfortable in either church. Out of all the religious services of the year, I absolutely love Good Friday services and have not missed one ever. I love the rituals and symbolism, especially the Stations of the Cross service, and the Tenebrae service.

The Stations of the Cross service is just that....one walks in the footsteps of Jesus to the Cross. It was developed during the Crusades when the knights and pilgrims began to follow the route of Christ's way to Calvary. In today's services, there are 14 recognized stations where one pauses and reflects on that station with readings, prayers, reflection, then genuflection. This service begins usually at 3pm and ends at 5pm. Usually a few of us then go out to dinner.

Beginning at 7pm, we go to the Tenebrae service which to me is the most amazing service I have ever been to. The word ‘tenebrae’ is Latin for shadows. The purpose of the Tenebrae service is to recreate the emotional aspects of the passion story. This is not supposed to be a happy service, because the occasion is not happy. The service was originally designed for Good Friday, but it can be used for Maundy Thursday as well. The service has long scripture narratives, usually divided into seven, eight, or nine parts, each one assigned to a different reader. It also has solemn hymns and a sermon. The service begins with the church in darkness, lit only by the tenebrae candles (usually 9-10 in total including the Christ candle). After each reading and during a solemn hymn, one candle is extinguished until only the Christ candle is lit. From here on out, the service is done in total silence. One of the pastors then reads the first part of Psalm 22 which Jesus quoted on the cross. Then they began stripping the altar of everything, one thing at a time, leaving only the Christ candle and the Bible. At this point, they began washing the altar in preparation for the body. Once that is finished, one of the pastors picks up the Bible and follows the rest of the pastors out of the church with the Christ candle. When they reach the back of the church, the pastor closes the Bible loudly, symbolizing the earthquake that occurred after Jesus died. Then they blow out the Christ candle symbolizing the total darkness and total devastation of what had just happened. At this point, the service ends. There is no benediction and the lights are raised slightly to allow us to see to leave the church in silence. The purpose of the service is to recreate the betrayal, abandonment, and agony of the events, and it is left unfinished, because the story isn’t over until Easter Day when Jesus rises.

Antibiotics

Antibiotics are medicines that kill bacteria. There are many types of antibiotics. Each works a little differently and acts on different types of bacteria. Antibiotics are powerful medicines, but they cannot cure everything. Antibiotics do not work against illnesses that are caused by a virus.

3 days ago I was placed on 2 antibiotics - Cipro and Duricef for an infection in my foot. The entire suture line somehow got infected, became tomato red, hurt, and was weeping pus. I would show you a picture but am not allowed out of bed to get the camera. We did take a culture of it and are awaiting the results. We are using a wound care product called SilverCel, a product from Johnson & Johnson that is an antimicrobial alginate dressing. It is an effective barrier to bacterial penetration and the silver in it helps reduce infections in moderate to heavy exuding wounds (meaning wounds that are draining a lot which mine was doing).

In the meantime, I have to take the antibiotics to cover all the possibilities of infections especially since this could be a hospital acquired infection. The above picture represents that although antibiotics do kill the bad bacteria, they also kill the good bacteria in the stomach and intestines and allow yeast to take over. That is what the doctor thinks happened to me with these 2 powerful spectrum antibiotics. It is called Clostridium difficile colitis which is basically a swelling and irritation of the large intestine and colon and causes diarrhea, fever, and belly cramps. All of which I have had since Tuesday 24/7.

I have been taking acidophillius capsules like crazy and eating yogurt when I can tolerate foods. I am beginning to feel a bit better today and even had something to eat this morning without heading to the bathroom. My temp of 101 is down and I am beginning to feel more like a human, just wiped out.

As for the foot: the cast is off but I am not allowed to put weight on it. The dressings are in place and changed by my husband every day then it is rewrapped and a compressive dressing applied.

In the meantime, I am working in bed when I am not sleeping.

Happy St Pat's Day! Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

Well, I definitely can't get my foot up to kick anyone but I throw a mean crutch!

Happy St Pat's Day! Some Irish thoughts:

As you slide down the banister of life, may the splinters never point in the wrong direction.

An Irishman is never drunk as long as he can hold onto one blade of grass to keep from falling off the earth.

St. Patrick -- one of the few saints whose feast day presents the opportunity to get determinedly whacked and make a fool of oneself all under the guise of acting Irish.

Plus a big 56th Anniversary to my mom and dad! Love you both!

Happy Birthday!

I am such a party animal **eyeroll** Today I worked from home then hubs and kids took me out for dinner then back home for coconut cream pie and presents. Kids gave me a new radio/CD player for under the kitchen counter and 2 books I have wanted. Hubs gave me a new TV for my home office (mine is 20 years old and about to croak). Tomorrow I work all day. Still in the cast and non-weight bearing but little pain unless I have been moving around a lot during the day and haven't kept it elevated. I might be a year older but still young at heart.

Tell Me When It Is Over

This is a long week. A very very long week. Halfway through. Tell me when it is over.

Have you ever gotten a feeling that you started events that will mess with your life for years to come? Got that feeling and don't like it. But I had no choice: I told the truth.

How to reduce stress

1. Tell Bridezilla that she can pay for her own wedding. Response: she relented and is nice nice to me because the next payment is due on the photographer and reception.

2. Stay in bed. Response: yeah like that's going to happen. Today was nuts after being off a week. 4 surgeries scheduled and transplant teams coordinated, along with the usual statement calls, billing, and reconciliations with close out of February.



3. Deposition. Response: DEPOSITION

- The sworn testimony of a witness taken before trial held out of court with no judge present. The witness is placed under oath to tell the truth and lawyers for each party may ask questions. The questions and answers are recorded.

It is scheduled for tomorrow. Not really worried about what I am going to say: I know the yes, no, I don't know, repeat the question, I don't remember. Don't elaborate, etc. And no it's not something I did. I am being used as an expert in billing fraud that didn't happen although some twit thinks it did.

Reduce stress? Please tell me how.

Stress

So I got told yesterday by my doctor that I had to reduce my stress. Only way I know how is to go far away....very far away...where there are no cell phones....no clients....no bridezillas.....no pain. Yeah...that's really going to happen.

I ran across this saying: "Peace disappears when you try to do something about something you can't do anything about."

Maybe that's my problem. I need to stop trying to make peace and keep everyone happy and instead tell everyone where to go and go to bed. Sounds good to me. Anyone want to take my deposition on Tuesday?

Sleep and attitude.

I know I haven't posted but haven't been real social. This pic is really me and my attitude the past few days. I have no ambition to be nice. I have been a bitch. I admit it. I have only slept 2 hours out of every 6 when I can take another pain pill.

I was ready to admit myself to the psych ward because the pain was driving me slowly insane. I now can understand how a person could commit suicide if they didn't have sleep and were in constant 20+ pain. So instead I called the doctor for an appointment and said if he can't see me I am heading to the ER. He saw me. He took off the cast and took xrays. Everything is healing fine. It was just the cast he had put me in on Friday that had my foot at 90 degrees and leaning into towards the big toe....more getting me from a pointy toe position to a walking position. I knew the foot was protesting the day he did it but thought it would calm down. It didn't, hence the pain. He put me in a posterior splint with ace wraps and changed my medications. Here's hoping I can sleep. I am a bitch when I don't sleep.