Category Archives: old Jill

Spring is here…..finally!

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It has taken long enough, but we are going to have two beautiful weekend days.

I have an MRI scheduled tomorrow at lunch, but when we get home….time for yard work.

The lawnmower is ready to go, the weed eater has fresh string, and I have weeds to pull. There are also a few pine trees popping up in strange places. Time to get rid of those.

I need to mulch a few places. I may even be able to get my nephew to help.

My lilies are popping their pretty heads out getting ready to bloom. The irises are right behind them.

My gerber daisy has come out again, getting ready to bloom.

I need to trim the lantana so that it can come out with fresh branches. Last year, it grew past the top of the porch. Beautiful!

I need to clean up the bird feeders. The knock out roses are gorgeous. Already have new leaves out.

So much to do. I know we need the remain, but I also need time to cut the grass before my house disappears into it. Getting a wee-bit tall out there.

I also need to fertilize my Corkscrew Willow Trees and gardenias. The shrubs are incredible. Huge and constantly flowering. Hard to tell when to prune them.

As you can tell, we have a lot to do. Have a great weekend everyone!

Cowden Syndrome rearing it’s ugly head

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Barry is the most patient human being on earth. Either, God is giving him strength or he is hiding his fear really well. We are currently waiting to see a doctor for results of an abdominal/pelvic MRI.

During my renal ultrasound, they discovered something on my liver. The doctor’s answer was it is just an incidental finding, we’ll get an MRI to check it out. He thought he was easing my anxiety.Nope….just made it worse….why don’t they get that?

If they were honest enough to just say it could be this or this…..why not do more test to rule it out…..would have made me feel better……but since when is the patient supposed to feel good after seeing a doctor?

Other than that, even though the breast biopsy was negative. They are still investigating the cause of the problem. Another MRI this weekend and appointments all next week to get results and such.

My body is acting crazy and I can’t get a return call from a doctor to save my life. I am also experiencing a new symptom of cowden syndrome, that no one wants to help me with. These doctors wonder why people get depressed. I have a rare genetic disorder that actually scares the doctors treating me.

Barry is being a supportive dream. I am a fussy mess, he just tells me to relax and go sit down. I love that man.

I’m doing the paperwork to join the study at the Cleveland Clinic. Not sure it will do me a bit of good, but maybe it will help someone else dealing with this mess.

I need to go for now, have a few contacts to make. I think I have diverticulitis again. I have to call my doctor. I need to do paperwork for myself and mom. Have a great day everyone.

Barry and I didn’t know how to act yesterday. We saw a movie and had lunch out without dealing with a doctor’s office.

 

My adorable husband, the eternal prankster

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MM900178208My sweet, adorable, totally innocent-looking husband is getting a reputation, since mom moved in. He cannot seem to help himself when it comes to her.

This afternoon, mom was frantically looking for her misplaced makeup when Barry gets the bright idea to hand her a few Sharpies. He asked what color she wanted. She took them all.

Of course she was not wearing her glasses. I walked into the bathroom just in time to stop her. She was about to line her lips with a red Sharpie.

What a sight she would have been at church. I believe if she could have gotten a hand on Barry, he might have been in a wee-bit of trouble.

 

MM900354746    

Lab-rat Syndrome

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Ever feel like a lab rat? Let someone diagnose you with a rare genetic disorder and then try to find a doctor that is not afraid to treat you!

I have two neurologist arguing over who is supposed to do what. A third stated it was exciting to have someone like me in the office and then proceeded to tell me how lucky I was to be under his care because he is so good!

And yet, here I sit. I’ve been trying, since last Thursday, to reach a doctor to discuss some changes I am experiencing.

I’m in pain, my speech is slurring, at times,  to the point of not being able to understand a thing I say and can’t manage to find someone in this doctor’s office that can read a message correctly or it could be the message taker.

Every referral source I checked said I am seeing the doctor’s I need to see. I see them about every four months, but if you need anything in between those visits, FORGET IT! The “premier specialist” dealing with my problem is located in Cleveland, Ohio. Long ride, even every four months.

Forgive my poor pitiful me moment, please! I’m just a smidge agitated at the moment. I feel so bad and cannot get any relief. Maybe I’ll fly to Cleveland over night and surprise that specialist first thing in the morning. Have a great day, everyone!

Root Word: itis

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Check out this link!

http://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/-itis#section_1

The root word “itis” means so much for such a small little thing. That small little thing has become one of those things I have learned not to enjoy hearing attached to words my doctor is telling me.

There are many minor “itis’s” that are no big deal, then there are those attached to words coming out of the mouths of the doctors we see. 

The medical profession is full of “itis” words I am sure many people out there would rather not hear. What gets us is when they bring out words you have to research. 

I think I’ll come up with a new affliction:

doctortis- Inflammation of doctors. That would not work, it could either mean you are inflamed by your doctors or your doctors are inflamed. Doesn’t exactly sound right. Neither one of the fits what we are suffering from. It should be doctorvisititis.

It would be nice if we could start charging doctors for the pleasure of our company, we’d rich by now.

I know this sounds a bit silly, but this is our life! With Barry retired, I’m hoping we can mix it up a bit and actually get a social life.

 

Daily Prompt: Judgement Day

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If you were to judge your favorite book by its cover, would you still read it? 

My favorite book is a toss up. I do most of my reading on my Google Nexus 7. I picked out a nice bright teal cover, so the cover is interesting, but it is according to what strikes my fancy on the Kindle App that gets me reading.

I never have a problem reading my  bible. Whether it is on then OliveTree App on my pad or my old faithful Study Bible at home. The OliveTree App is a biblical version of Kindle. They have everything available to you; as well as, books to purchase and a free section.

Although we have gone digital, no matter which cover, I can always find something of intrigue in the Bible. I would never hesitate to pick the Bible up to read. Whether the digital version or my old faithful black and silver version on the shelf at home.

 

Daily Prompt: Happy Happy Joy Joy

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We cry for lots of reasons: sadness, pain, fear . . . and happiness. When was the last time you shed tears of joy?

I shed tears of joy today, at Barry‘s Retirement Party. My adorable husband retired today after working over 32 years for the great state of Georgia. Even though Barry wasn’t ready to retire, he has accepted the fact that it is time for him to relax a little. Now I just need to figure out how to keep him busy.

I admit, I thought it might turn into a kicking and screaming deal, but he held it together. I cried as I watched the slide show they had put together of his years with them. It was so sweet. Someone at his place of employment knows how to hijack pictures from Facebook and WordPress.

I was incredibly proud to hear and see the praises his office and coworkers had for him. They had quite a shindig put together for him. I was impressed. On top of his current coworkers, several people from his decades at work that showed up to wish him well. Through the party, I never heard a negative word about my sweet hubby. 

He was Mr. Cool, Calm and Collected until we headed home. That is when the tears of joy made the rounds in our car. First Barry, when I saw he was crying, I lost it. When Mom realized what was going on we all just cried our way home.

Maggie gets worried if she thinks you are upset, when we got home, she tried to comfort us all. Nothing like being licked to death my a drooling boxer.

Please Forgive My Absence

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Please forgive my absence for the past few days. Imagine the nerve of life getting in the way. I’ll admit I let the “poor pitiful me’s” get in the way. When my favorite urologist found my new problem, my mood kinda hit the toilet with a big splash. I’ve had 2 days of sulking and I’m tired of being the only “stick in the mud” at the party.

Time for a reality check. Yes, I am sick. Yes, I hurt all day everyday. Yes, I have to see a lot of doctors. But………I love the Lord, I adore my husband, I have a loving, happy, sometimes screwed family, I have 2 great pets (a dog that thinks she is human and a fish that will come to the top of the bowl when called), I have a great life.

Why I let myself get all down and depressed, I’ll never understand. One doctor I see told me to quit worrying about getting upset. He said it’s not like I don’t have a million things to worry about.

Maybe all this studying and work I’ve done, on turning my issues over to the Lord, is working. It was much easier to turn this over to God, than in the past. I really think that listening and learning in church is the way to go. Growing up, I was more concerned with who was at church, than what I was learning. I’m learning a lot at Victory Baptist Church, they are such a truly incredible group of people.

Tomorrow is the MRI of my abdomen and pelvis. I’m praying that whatever Dr. M saw on my liver is no longer there. Please think of me tomorrow, Barry and I can use all the prayers we can get.

 

Pop and his pants

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My father, known lovingly as. Pop, is quite a character. He is fun-loving and just a happy,  jolly man nothing appears to bother

Not long ago, at a little hole in the wall restaurant, you will not believe what happened. Pop has always appeared to have an active radar for little off-beat restaurants.

We had lunch without a hitch, surprisingly good food. Pop got up to go pay the bill. While standing at the register, I looked up in time to see pop‘s short’s fall to the floor. Thank goodness he had taken time for underpants.

I watched him scratch his head, as he looked around the room. Yes, everyone had noticed. When he realized everyone knew; he leaned over, shining plumber’s crack to the room and pulled them up rather quickly.

Once back in the car, he asked us to remind him to get a belt when he gets home. I do not believe we ever saw Pop in that pair of shorts again. I do know we never stopped at that restaurant again. It was a shame, the food was really good.

When Life Hands You Something You Really Do Not Want To Do

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OK, I love the Lord, my home, my life, my family, my dog and even my little fish. I would do anything in the world for them.

I was forced into doing the hardest thing I have ever done in my life recently. All joking aside, I found this task extremely hard to deal with, but I did it! The problem wasn’t going away, I had to do something. My mother is my mother and I had to do the right thing. I have to admit, that I was a bit scared.

Growing up with mom wasn’t the easiest task on earth, but I lived. Mom and pop did a great job with the three of us. I was a breeze to raise, the other two….well, mom and pop survived. Now today, the other two faint at the site of blood and I’m a nurse.

My sisters are two of the most strong-willed, engaging and hard-working women I know. They are also, great mothers; which has allowed me to be the best aunt on earth. 

It was Mom. She didn’t want to go to the hospital and I had to take her.Well, Barry and I took her.  My mother prefers to doctor herself and she refuses to admit she isn’t as young as she once was. It’s time to slow down a little. Mom isn’t crazy about doctors or hospitals, but she is doing fine. She survived. 

I wasn’t able to have children and I feel like I’ve become my mother’s mother! It was really hard to leave her there. I wasn’t sure about our relationship, but leaving her there made me hurt. I guess that is what motherhood feels like?

She is home and doing better. She is hassling me about exercise class and wants to go to Starbucks for coffee. Says she wants to give it a try and she misses her exercise class. I guess I’ll have to take her over to the gym and I’ll deal with the rowdy roosters gawking at the class from the upstairs windows.