Good Saturday Morning

Good morning, everyone.  It's 5:35 a.m. and I've had my protein drink and taken the dog out.  Very windy here this morning. 

What are you up to today?  Hubby started off this morning with a migraine (not a great way to start the day, huh?).  I feel so sorry for him.  We've tried everything -- just recently acupuncture.  In early May the neurologist is giving him Botox injections to try to reduce his headaches.  We sure hope it works.  Since his heart attack, he can no longer take Immitrex or Maxalt.  He's limited to Tylenol which, if taken too often, can cause rebound headaches.  Anyway, I'll let you know how the Botox works.

I have some errands I need to run this morning.  Starting with coffee!

Hope you have a good day.

Cindy P.

Good Morning Cindy and OFF-

Sorry to hear about your hubby's migraines.  Hope the Botox works, I've heard of that treatment.

Well it's sunny here in East Texas.  Started out foggy but it has burned off. 

Recovery continues.  Last night I took my friends to dinner so I could have a change in scenery.  Getting tired of being housebound.  Going to call a friend to see if they will come get me and do a Walmart run with me.

Lying flat on the bed, I have a 1 inch bulge on one of my incisions sights.  I suspect that it's a hernia developing or an infection.  Guess I'll start wearing the corset again.  Oh well, we'll see what the surgeon says this Thursday.

Book team is celebrating this week.  The county commissioners agreed to match the funds that the Friends group allocated to produce the book.  So now we have $30K to cover printing costs, advertising, etc...  We're up to 19 photographers and over 2000 pictures.  I'm going to be busy this summer sorting pictures.  There's a big birding/photography festival going on in Galveston this weekend.  We're hoping to pick up some more photographers for the project and also stimulate interest in the project amongst the birders.  75 of them got on a bus this morning at 5:30 to come to the refuge and walk in the marsh in search of a yellow rail.  This little bird is about the size of a robin and is very secretive.  They have to walk through the bumpy marsh dragging milk jugs on a rope to flush the bird out so it can be seen.  Not my cup of tea but I've got three photographers scheduled to photograph the event.

Well, time to hop in the shower and wash the bruises.  Can't wait for the steristrips to fall off.  Then I'll put the corset on for support.  Positive thoughts to all of you in pain, need and the cold.  Hope things improve for you all soon.

Cindi

Cindi, do you need an editor for your book? I'd be glad to help. 

I agree with Vickie, get the bulge checked out. 

Thanks, Cindi for your words of support.  Please keep your fingers crossed for the Botox treatments.  We've tried just about everything else. 

Be careful and make yourself take it easy.  I have had abdominal surgery when I had colon cancer back in '02.  Huge incision.  Anyway, I developed a bulge on the incision as well.  Mine was a build up of fluid.  Eventually it resolved and healed.  I hope yours isn't a hernia and is as simple as fluid build up. 

Cindy P.

Good morning Cindy, Cindi, and all my OFF sistas!

Cindy, so sorry about your hubby's migraines.  They run in our family too.  Both my mom and Christie suffer from them.  I get one occasionally, too.  Awful things.

Cindi, I'm worried about the bulge.  Do you think you should call your doc on Monday and see if they can take your earlier?

Well, a new day dawns and hope springs eternal and all that jazz.  Like I posted late last night, I had a hella day yesterday.  I sure hope today goes better!  Christie is up this morning and says she has rejoined the living today.  She didn't throw up once all night, which is a wonderful blessing.  She says she feels a bit shaky, but that's a big step up from yesterday for her.

Plans for the day include laying the new sod, moving a pile of firewood to a new location that will be OUTSIDE the new backyard fence, and moving the fort from 10 miles down the road to our backyard. 

Anyway, I guess it will be Butch and I moving the fort, since Chris is not quite back to normal.  This should be an adventure.  I'll have to post about it later.

Oh, and I meant to post about a NSV I had yesterday.  It may sound like a small thing, but I am having my rings resized.  I was very afraid to take this step because, as we all know, the ever present fear of "what if I regain all the weight" hangs over each of us.  But I made the commitment to do this and I'm taking one ring in a month.  Yesterday I took my second ring to the jeweler to have it resized, and I also had a link taken out of my watch, which was just turning hopelessly around and around on my wrist. 

Uh oh!  Just heard glass breaking in the kitchen.  Gotta run!

Vickie-

Bulge is size of grape.  Put the corset back onthis morning and will wear it everyday.  I'll call Monday to check.  If it's a hernia no biggy, she can repair and give me tummy tuck next spring.

Congrats on the ring re-sizing.  I have to take that step soon.  I've been wearing two of my rings on my middle finger.

Cindi

Good morning Cindy and everyone.....

Cindy.....sorry to hear your hubby is suffering with a migraine today. I hope the Botox helps! Hope you don't blow away while running your errands!!

Cindi.....I sounds like your Book Team has good reason to celebrate. Great Job!! I too am concerned about the bulging scar area. Please at least call your doctor on Monday. Better safe then sorry. HUGS!!!

Vickie....You did have one hell of a day yesterday!! I am sooooooo glad Chris is feeling better today. That makes things easier for you and Butch. You can get more done. Sounds like you two have a full day ahead of you. Moving firewood, laying sod, and assembling a Fort!! WOW!!! Hope it all goes well for you. Hope the glass crashing wasn't anything of great value!!

I woke up feeling so much better today. My throat feels good, my head is clearer, and my headache is gone...wooohooo! I am not really planning anything today. I really do want to get a puzzle started at some point.  We are supposed to get another snow storm this evening through Sunday afternoon. YAY another 6-9 inches of snow is expected......what a great SPRING!! Yeah got to love Minnesota. An adventure around every corner!!

Wishing you all a wonderful day. Take sometime for yourselves now and then.

Prayers for those in need.

Love and hugs to all....connie d

Hello OFF family,

Leaving for Oregon tomorrow. I will try and check in but my sister doesn't have wifi. So know I will be thinking of all of you and praying that all is well. We have a 8  hour drive and after Steve drops me off he still has to drive to Seattle for business. I always worry about him driving by him self. You can get bored and sleepy so fast.

I have one of those Montel Willams blender thingy it's like a vita mix. Yesterday I froze bananas and strawberries, then put them in the blender added a blueberry Greek yogurt, 2 scoops unflavored protein powder, about a cup of crystal light raspberry lemonade and some splenda. Blended it all up and put back in the freezer, ate it last night and boy was it good. Krissy couldn't stop eating it.

Have a great week, thoughts and prayers for all,

Debbie

Hi Cindy and my OFF family:

Sorry your hubby has a migraine. Has he tried Topamax as a preventive? It works for me ... I have migraines but they aren't as severe now. They run in my family, too ... both brothers, my father had them, too, my Aunt Bernice, too. But the Topamax has helped a lot. I still use Imitrex on occasion. Tylenol does nothing for me. I know he can't use Imitrex, but is there something else? I hope the Botox helps. 

I had a wonderful evening last night with high school friends ... they bought me dinner and gave me a birthday cake. I shared with them. These are seven wonderfully intelligent, resilient, beautiful women. Wow ... one died from an asthma attack and came back; one had lung cancer; one had heart problems. I'm amazed by them all. I have my aches and pains, and they seem minor compared to what they have been through. One woman is an amazing storyteller ... she goes around to school groups and other gatherings and tells folk tales and stories ... all the voices, etc. She had us roaring. Our shared experiences at our all-girl high school have made us so much stronger. 

I didn't remember some of these women (really, my memories aren't very good ... but I didn't hang with some of these people ... but that's OK, now I have new memories). One woman thought she remember me from a creative writing class and poetry I'd written. But later, we realized we had gone to grade school together at St. Gertrude's in Franklin Park. It was so much fun visiting with people and hearing their memories. And hearing what they had been doing since high school. Going to an all-girl school really helped prepare us for the world in a way, but not for pushing through the glass ceiling. 

So today, I have my grandnephews' birthday party. Sam has already turned 9; Ben turns 13 on April 29. A teenager already; I can't believe it! My brother Ed (his grandpa) says he's wearing size 13 shoes. 

Wow, the sun is coming out now ... Ed says there was snow earlier today. It's still chilly. I head back to Evansville tomorrow. 

Have a good day everyone. Connie, I'm glad you're feeling better.

Eileen I thought u were going to Muchigan in the 14th?