Sunday, August 31, 2008
I feel kind of sad that I can't go to the parade. I definitely can't walk that far and don't have anyone to push me in the wheel chair. Wayne used t0 drive and take our parents and my grandmother and Aunt. He would get us right close so we wouldn't have to walk very far. I have a lot of good memories associated with this weekend and I feel sad that all I can do now is stay at home.
The last 3 nights I have dreamed about my grandparents. I was so close to both of them and my parental gtandmother and I really had a special love for them. I'm thankful for the memories I have and I think that has made me aware of my own grandchildren and the memories I want to create with them.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Yesterday (Wednesday) was a big day for me. I am terrified of going to the dentist and go to one that puts me out...almost. I am conscious but am asleep at the same time. It's hard to explain but I am out of it enough that it takes the fear away. And, yet I'm awake enough to follow directions...like I don't know how many times yesterday he had to tell me to open my mouth.
Saturday, August 16, 2008

Saturday, August 02, 2008
I also had physical therapy yesterday and she pushed me more than usual. I felt the muscle burn but I'm also beginning to be aware that I'm leaning to the right and I feel some muscles getting a little bit stronger.
Therapy was at 3:30 and by the time we were done and I got dressed, got home and got my stuff ready to go we left at 6:00 and that's what time the meeting started. I said I was going to bring chicken so we still had to go to Penguin Point (my favorite chicken place) and get the chicken I was about a half hour late. I don't like being late...I'd rather be early but things don't always work out that way.
I got very warm at the scrapbook store and actually went through 4 wash cloths wiping the sweat off my face. I wouldn't expect them to keep the store at 66-68 like I do at home but being used to the cooler temps it makes it hard for me to adjust to a warmer temperature. I saw that my friend, Kelly, was packing up to go home at 10:00 so asked her if she would take me home too and thankfully she did. I hate to ask for favors but was feeling really kind of sick to my stomach from being so warm. Thank you Kelly for the ride home!!
The chicken was a hit. I think there might have been 1 piece out of 21 pieces left. I got 2 pieces for Wayne out of the bucket before he left and I am sure he enjoyed it.
Today I'm feeling the hurt from muscles that we awakened yesterday but it's a good hurt...not like nerve pain in my feet or like the back pain I have.
You'll have to check out our daughter's blog. They are traveling to Arizona for her husband's Grandfather's funeral on Monday. She is trying to post about their trip every evening. It's really nice to check on their progress as they travel.
The diaper covers that Isabella modeled yesterday are a big hit. Some boutiques have ordered 30 of them so far! Eutemia has been working on cutting them out and then she'll get to sew them all.
Thursday, July 31, 2008


Since I posted last I got some very good news. I got approved for disability. After 3 1/2 years it finally happened. We are working on talking with Social Security and our private insurance agent to make sure everything is a go before he takes me off of our private insurance. Once I am off I will be uninsurable. It's kind of scary when I think about it so I just try not to think about it:)I am having trouble with muscle spasms every morning...again! If I take the muscle relaxers they take the pain/spasms away but then they make me so sleepy that I'm no good for the rest of the day! I have been trying to get a layout done for the design team for about 3 weeks. I will start to work on it and the next thing I'm sleeping with my head on the table!
Friday, July 18, 2008
The bad news....I have known for quite some time that I have pulmonary hypetension. I thought things were better since I cant really see my lungs. So, if you can't see it and you can't feel it, you must be all right, right? WRONG!! That was my lesson of the day.
The good news....I asked him (the anestheologist) to please tell me when he puts the medicine in my IV to which I heard a little snicker and then my hand began to burn so I knew it was going in. I said..."my hand is really burning bad"....and that's that last I knew until I was in the recovery room.
The bad news... I should have kept taking the medicine for the pulmonary hypertension. I don't remember it but Wayne could hear the doctor and nurse say Becky, you need to take a deep breath. Becky, please take a breath... Wayne heard the nurse telling me for quite some I needed to sit down. Then he heard the doctor say that I could go ahead and sit up if that felt better. Wayne said when we came out of the MRI center that the doctor had his arm around me to help me sit up. When I met the doctor to begin with he told me that he has some very light twinges in his back and can really feel for someone like me who has pain all the time. So, that's probably why he was so understanding.
The good news... It is now 5:00 in the morning. I am still breathing...yeah!! My Mom is taking me to the pain center first thing in the morning to make sure my pump didn't get turned off during the MRI. I'm feeling pretty good but I don't know for sure what my symptoms would be and how long it it would take to feel the effects of the stopped pump.
Wednesday, July 09, 2008


T
This picture was taken of Isabella by a professional photographer for her year old pictures! I can't believe that little baby is a year old all ready!
Kristi and Jacob arrived here safely from Memphis. This is the first time she has driven here and got along just fine. They were going to take the train and found a great price. When she went to book it the pr ice had almost doubled!
Today was the first day without muscle spasms. I read over my entry from a day ago and couldn't believe how many mistakes there were. I guess that's what happens when I'm in pain and on the muscle relaxers. They relax the muscles AND they relax me too.
Monday, July 07, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
1st appointment was with my family doctor. He seemed perplexed with the situation. He thinks the only thing for me to do is to go to some sort of a rehab center to get the drugs looked at and get an exercise program going. He said I am on way too many medications...but, guess who gave me 90% of those medications? He did! That's what is frustating. It's so easy to blame it on the patient. I will say that he listened to and responded to our questions.
The 2nd appointment was with the pain doctor. This appointment was just plain frustrating. He didn't answer even one question or listen to anything we had to say. He had his own area of interest and just kept going on that way!
I am so discouraged tonight. Just frustrated!
Becky
Monday, June 23, 2008
I sat down at the desk unaware that I was sleepy and started playing a game. Next thing I knew I was asleep and got a phone call from the disability attorney. I am always hoping that when they call that I am going to get the good news that my disability has been approved!! It wasn't that call. It was the monthly call to ask when I had doctor's and therapy appointments. What a disappointment. I guess I fell asleep because next thing I knew this time is that I was tipping over sitting on my heavy leather desk chairand me and the chair both ended up on the floor. I was scared to death. I also couldn't get up. I knew Wayne was out of town but I reached up to get the phone off my desk. Thank goodness that it was there because I'm notorious for taking the cordless phone to another room and leaving it there. I almost always keep my cell phone in my pocket in case I fall but you guessed it...not today:) Wayne called his parents and my Mom. His parents got here first and helped me get up. I mainly needed someone to hold onto the walker. Even though the brakes were on it would move when I tried to get up. It was a struggle but I made it up. I fell on my back and it was spasming at the time. Just as I got up, my Mom walked in the door. I kept thinking that his just isn't right. I should be helping any one of them. They must worry about who's going to take care of them when they get in this condition. Who knows? Maybe I'll be well by then:) That's one thing that would be really be difficult for me is to see my parents or in-laws needing help and we or I can't do it!
My Mom stayed and helped me get ready for my therapy appoinment. She washed and blow dried my hair. I got dressed and we were off for therapy. I went to the same lady that helped me so much with my feet. She was so good to me back then. This time she seemed a little brusk (is that a word?) and rather rough on what she expected of me. One of the most painful positions I can do is to lay on my stomach and she had me lay on my stomach the entire time. I guess I would have expected things to be a bit more gradual. She made it seem like this whole back problem was my fault...like I'd done something wrong. She wouldn't answer my questions...just ignored me. She acted the same way to my Mom. Wayne says to quit and go elsewhere and that's what I'm thinking at the time. We see my pain doctor on Wednesday and I think I will mention it to him and see what he thinks I should do.
When I came home Wayne was here. I was SO glad to see him and tell him all about it. I fell asleep and slept for 3 1/2 hours....I even slept through supper!
Tomorrow is another day...we'll see what that holds.
Friday, June 20, 2008
That same afternoon I had an appointment with the nurse practioner for the physiatrist. (who is a doctor of physcal medicine...orders therapy, etc.) She was SO helpful. One thing she helped me with that no one had ever told me before is that valium is an excellent muscle relaxer. I know it is highly addictive and my doctor has limited me to 2 a day for a few weeks. After that he wants me to go to a place called "Doctor's Hospital". From all the asking around this place has an excellent reputation. They deal with people like me that have muscle spasms that are difficult to treat I can't begin to tell you how many days I have paced and cried with these spasms. I wish someone had told me about both things...the valium and the "Doctor's Hospital". My only ploblem with this hospital is that the patient has to stay there including overnight! From the time I was a little girl I have always suffered with homesickness. It starts right at dusk and continues all night but If I want to get getter I just have to do this. I can't continue to take valium because on that med I can't drive and I also can't continue on with these spasms or I'm going to have a stroke or worse!
Yesterday I attempted to have an MRI on my low back but couldn't make it trough the MRI because the pain was so bad. I stood it for the longest period I could but evidently it wasn't long enough. They are hoping there is enough good film shot to give the doctor the information he needs. I thought for sure I would be all right because they gave me 4 pain shots through my IV but it didn't even touch the pain. I think they believed me since my blood pressure also wernt up during that time.
Most of the time I am able to accept these limitations and be content but there are times that I watch people walk or stard in one place and wonder how they do it. I want to be normal like that SO badly but I just continue to get worse. I have probably another 30 years to live and it scares me to think what that future holds. Most of the time I don't even let myself think about it but there are times that it scares me to death. Just this morning we were watching the Early Show on TV and there were all these people standing and watching the group "Chicago" sing and it made me angry. I wanted them all to experience what I do for just a day !! Or there are times I am at the grocery store in my little electric cart and there stands a woman in her 70s or 80s standing there like she could stand there forever. It's these times that I have to regroup and think of the blessings that I do have that these people may not have. Three children who love and respect me, 7 grandchildren that LOVE to come here and a husband who knocks himself out for me and parents that would move a mountain to help me get well. My Mom has been coming over here every day for a while and cooking for me. I have been eating better and for some reason I'm sleeping longer too. I appreciate what everyone does to help me make it through the day!!
Have yourself a good day. I am hoping to get to go to the design teams meeting, carry in dinner and maybe even get to crop a little bit with them tonight!!
Monday, June 09, 2008
I will try to get in to see my doctor today but even then I don't know how I will make the trip there!
More later....
Becky
Thursday, June 05, 2008
This is Caden with his catch of the day...turtle! Thank goodness his Daddy thinks like I do and insisted Caden let it go into the lake they live at. His Mommy said he cried all the way into the house. They painted Caden's name on the back of the turtle and they will hopefully see him this year.
This is my legs wrapped. I had walked in them a little bit and the big toes always try to peek out. Our daughter (Katie) came over this evening and Wayne taught her how to wrap my legs. He and Katie's husband are going to Chicago tomorrow and don't know when they'll be back so Katie will wrap my legs late afternoon for me...after I go swimming. I can't begin to say how grateful it makes me feel that our daughter would be more than willing to do this for me. All 3 of our children have the desire to help where they can.
This is my buddy. I try to not think about the fact that I need to use a walker and try to make it fun. One fun thing is that I can use the seat to carry things from room to room. I also try to use it humorously and cut Wayne off when we're walking and I become the champion!! Otherwise, if I really let it sink in that I have to use a walker it could be too overwhelming

I woke up with muscle spasms again this morning (actually it was yesterday) and it took about 4 hours to get rid of them and by the time they went away I was sooooooo sooooooo sleepy. Everywhere I sat today or anything I tried to do I instead fell asleep. The whole day went by without me even knowing it. I started to wake up around 9:00PM and I think that was becausre I drank a cup of coffee.
Monday, June 02, 2008
Last night was a design team meeting and I volunteered for 3 layouts (maybe even a couple of double layouts?) so we will see what I get done...I hope it's all 3 of them.
I had a strange thing happen yesterday. I bought some turquoise nail polish when I was at Walgreen's. I have several things that match that color. I asked Wayne to put the polish on for me and he grudgingly agreed:) About a half hour after he put on the polish my toes started to burn and tingle. They were that way all night and all day today! My toes swelled and were beet red. Then, this afternoon after I went swimming they started to get a rash on them. I called the doctor's office and explained my situation. It was after hours and they called me back when I was at WalMart. They asked me if I could come right in and I said I could. So I whizzed through the 20 items or less line and got out in the car and told my Mom what they had said at the doctor's office. She took me there and the doctor on call looked at my feet and said there was no infection...thank goodness!!! I worry about getting an infection. The physical therapist said if I get cellulites again that it is very possible to become septic (sp?) and that's what I worry about. He said they (my toes and feet) were just extrememly irritated from the polish. Who would have ever thought?? I guess there is one more thing I can add to my list of things I cannot do anymore.
Last night at the design team meeting I actually felt a little out of things because of not feeling well and always being sick. The others just seemed to be so different from me...like I used to be. It made me just want to cry...but I managed to hold it together till I got home and then I cried a little and felt sorry for myself just a little;( But Wayne was there and is always able to help me out of the glooms,
Friday, May 23, 2008
Not much new except for the fact that the pharmacy I've been with for several years (and spent thousands of dollars with) has been cheating me with one of my meds.We come right home and count it and this month it is 5 pills short. Last month it was 3 pills short. Now this doesn't sound like a lot but my doctor gives me just the right amount to last till refill date and not even 1 extra! So I am switching pharmacy's.
Sunday, May 18, 2008

Looking......
And...we are found!!!

Saturday, May 10, 2008
I'm back. I haven't felt like posting for a couple of weeks. Physically I've been exhausted from lack of sleep. I was lucky to get 1 hour of sleep a night for long time. And, physically, it seems like I've lost ground. I have had to start using a walker in the house because of the back pain.
The neurologist increased the medicine (Lyrica) for my foot pain. It has helped considerably with the pain but has added a couple of side effects that I don't like. The one that really drives me nuts is the stuttering. I have a real hard time t getting out my thoughts. A person has to be real patient with me or they will give up on me.
Thursday evening was to be an exciting evening. There was a meeting at the local scrapbook store and the secret pals we h ad for 4 months were to be revealed. I'm the only one who had the person I gave to and the person who gave to me not at the meeting. And, to top it off, I was happily eating some cake when I got this horrific tooth pain. It was in the tooth that needs a root canal. Since Wayne was in Detroit I called my Mom to come and get me right away. I wanted to go home where I could yell if the pain came back. I couldn't believe how bad the pain was. I called the dentist and he called back and wanted to see me Friday morning at 8:15. I was there right on time and he looked at it and felt around and decided I have an abcessed tooth. He said the next 48 hours would be the worst. He said if it made it that long then I should pretty much be out of the woods of that tooth pain!
Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Tyler is fixing up the flowers as to make it pretty for me.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

It's 3:20AM and I'm just coming down off of some really bad muscle spasms. I got in bed about 1:30 and it felt so good and I was so comfortable and then a familiar feeling started to come to me and not but a few minutes later I had an explosion of muscle spasms in my low back. I've come back later to say that these spasms lasted 4 hours! I finally started getting some relief around 7:00 AM. But now I'll be out of it the rest of the day. I just hate that. But I have to do something to get rid of those spasms.
I had one of he best days yesterday that I've had for a long time. My feet barely hurt and my back wasn't bad at all. We went to WalMart for some needed grocery items and then Wayne's sister and her husband came over to visit. They are here from Colorado and it was so good to see them and visit with them. He is just nearing the end of chemo therapy for a tumor in his abdomen. It was interesting to hear what he's gone through. Sounded so like what I've been through in the past couple of years with the feelings of why me? to the sleepless nights!
They did something kinda fun when he lost his hair. They had their friends and family send him hats as their way of showing they care. I thought that was so neat! Never heard of that before but what a unique way of showing support.
One of the reasons I started this blog was to write down some of the cute/ineresting things the grandkids do and say. This week our 4 year old grandson, Kael got his tadpole in the maill. He had the home and had to send away for the tadpole. He was SO excited. The only problem was he wanted to treat it more like a puppy dog and kept taking i out of the habitat and petting it and holding it. It didn't take long for the tadpole to die. The other big thing in his life was that he asked his big cousin who he adores if he l iked h im better or his big sister better. Well, Tyler (big cousin) said he liked the big sister better. It just crushed Kael. He and his family live with my parents (Kael's great-grandparents) and Kael kept talking about how sad both things made him. My mother told him that when she feels that way she prays about it and tells Jesus her feelings and it makes her feel better. So, he decided to do it but didn't want anyone to hear him so she told him to whisper. She heard him whispering and all of a sudden he said....How can God hear me if I whisper? She reassured him the God knew his heart and when he prays it and says it to God that he can change his feelings and his hurts.
Monday, April 14, 2008
I finally figured out that I needed to get my camera ready to shoot and then say Isabella, look at grandma and then ....shoot! Much better:)
She loved playing with this little car. It's so cute because I was holding her and she started pointing at the car and it took me the longest time to figure out she was pointing at the car and wanted to play with it. She points at things she wants and doesn't quit until she gets what she wants. When she wants to nurse she points at her Mother and says mine mine.
This is the only kind of picture I could get of Kael yesterday. Our son said he wondered if Kael was normal with all the things like this that he does and went to his friends house who has a son 2 weeks younger than Kael and there he was doing all the things Kael does. It made him feel better knowing all these silly things are just being 4 years old!
One of my latest layouts. One of the popular trends right now is to stitch on the pages so the vine with the leaves is all hand stitched.I had such a good day yesterday. My pain level was really low...I had virtually no foot pain and it was a real treat for me. My Mom had us over for lunch for my birthday dinner and it was so much fun playing with Alan's kids. I even played hide and seek with them. After that I had a design team meeting at the scrapbok store and I always enjoy that !
Then at 2:30 this morning I fell out of my chair flat onto my face. Wayne heard the thud and came running in there to see what was wrong. Wayne thinks I might have had a seizure before I fell because before the big thud he said he heard the sounds of me kicking boxes. I have a lot of boxes in my scrapbook room right now because I'm going through things to get ready for a used item sale at the scrapbook store. Last year I made over $700. But anyway, back to last night... When I got home from my meeting I had signsthat I was going to have a seizure so that's why he had that in his mind. My feet and legs would just start twitching and jumping for no reason. I haven't been able to get back to sleep so I thought I would do some blogging and then play a game. Fortunately I will be home all day and can sleep when I want to.
I just feel so frustrated with this body. I want so badly to be normal but it just doesn't happen for me. When I try to do normal things that others are able to do then I pay for it.
It was so cute yesterday....our son's 4 year old son, Kael, is really warming up to me lately. It took a long time and I'm so thrilled. I feel like he has a special place in my heart (like each of the grandchildren do) because I witnessed his birth. It's the first birth I'd ever seen and it was so exciting to see a grandchild come into this world.
So, Kael was standing by me and looking at my face and said...why do you have those red lines on your chin? I said they are broken blood vessels. He said why do you have them? I said when y ou get older a lot of funny things happen to your body. Then he saw a mole I had and said...what's that Grandma? I said a mole. He said what's a mole. I said a big freckle....for a loss of words to explain a mole. Then he said why do you have water on your neck? I said because I'm sweating. Then he got me a napkin and tried to help me wipe the sweat off. It brings tears to my eyes even now now to think he would do that. Such a loving gesture.
Kael had scarlet fever this winter and it is still affecting him now. It had caused him to be so emtional. He cries at the littlest thing. And, he needs so much quiet. I think all the noise of everybody made him nervous so he went to the guest bedroom that he calls the green room because of the colors in the room and laid in the baby bed for the longest time. Wayne and I both went in at separate times to make sure he was all right and he seemed very content. He came out later and was just fine.
So as you can see I have the very good and the very bad things in my life and they always seem to been connected. Wayne is so protective of me and it upset him to see me overdo it yesterday but sometimes I just have to do it to feel normal once sometimes.