Starting Fresh

Howdy, folks!  Yeesh....it only took me about an hour to get Blogger to cooperate with me and finally let me post on my own blog!!  It kept giving me some bogus error page with a code a mile long.  Like I know what they are talking about!!!  The internet is acting very funky lately.  I don't know if it is our computer, the DSL modem, QWest, Phoenix, or just plain ole me!  I've ran the mal-ware and anti-virus programs and everything checks out clean.  So I'll blame it all on Qwest.  It has always worked well for me in the past! Ha!  My motto is: if you can blame it on someone else, do it!!  Hehehe....

OK, now down to brass tacks.  I hope nobody minds that I decorated for the luck of the Irish.  I could use ANY kind of luck and this template is so cute.  LeeLou blogs has so many cute templates, you should check them out.  Just click on the link at the very top of my page or the very bottom and it should take you over to her site.  And if it doesn't, again, blame Qwest....LOL!

Right now, as we speak, our baby (the car) is over at Thunderbird Automotive having its little thermometer replaced and a coolant flush.  Come to find out, the last time we had the car serviced (this past summer), the place put in the wrong type.  It's green instead of red, how it should be for a Toyota.  I have absolutely NO idea what I'm talking about, I'm just repeating what I heard the mechanic telling Frankie.  This visit will be costing us about $250 dollars.  Thank God we had a little in savings.  Man, I sure do love our car, but keeping it on the road is sure expensive!!  The people there were awfully nice, though, and gave us a ride home in our own car!  It was soooo bizarre seeing someone else drive our car away!!!  They will come and pick us up when it is ready and then Frankie and I have lots of little errands to do.

I titled this post "Starting Fresh" as a way to get my mind into focus.  I've been doing a lot of panic mode and not enough of productive mode!!!  I've been letting the Devil get to me with worry and anxiety over everything....the car, Frankie's vomiting (which has improved since coming home from his latest hospital visit), our money flow and lack thereof and my bariatric surgery.  I haven't given any of these problems to the person that can help me.  The ONLY person.....GOD.  I've bumbled my way through January and half of February just worrying over EVERYTHING and letting petty little things get in my way.  Like if I leave a post and nobody comments on it and I look at other people's blogs and they get TONS of comments.  I always think I'm doing something wrong.  I'm not writing this blog for anyone BUT ME.  It's not an advertisement for anyone or anything else.  It's just a place where I can put my thoughts down and have a journal of events of what is happening in our lives.  So dear God, please forgive me and help me live my life.  I cannot do it without you.  And I promise to not "borrow" these worries back from you!  Ha!

I called Banner Bariatrics and had to leave a message with the insurance and authorization department.  It's been almost three or four weeks since they submitted the stuff and I haven't heard a word.  I'm waiting for a call back on that.  It would be so nice to know one way or another so I can start on Plan B, if need be.  Which is ask my doctor for either Medifast, the medical liquid diet program or Phentermine, a medicine that helps morbidly obese people lose weight.  I took it in 2000 and it worked like a charm, but when I came off of it, I regained all the weight, plus some.  I use food for a comfort source and this is sooo BAD.  So I'm trying very hard to curb my appetite!!  Not an easy feat, I tell you.  And I had to bump my Prednisone back up to 15mg because I was just absolutely miserable on 10mg.  I was so stiff I could barely move.  When I know for sure about the surgery, I'll down the Prednisone again and live with it until after the surgery.  But I thought no point being miserable when I still don't know if I can even have the surgery!

Well, that pretty much is all my news.  I'll end this post with one of my all time favorite Michael W. Smith songs, "Above All."  And a picture of my baby.....my furry, spoiled baby, that is.  Jackie LOVES my new tote bag.  I carry so much stuff around now that I have to carry a small tote bag.  Jack was pawing through it the other day, then got tired and fell asleep on top of it.  He is just tooooo cute.  Anyway, hope you all have a great day!!!

My poor, tired baby!  Couldn't even raise his sleep filled eyes to the camera!!

It's Been One Of Those Days...

Howdy, ho, everyone! Before I start in on today's happenings, I just want to say one thing.....WOW! And I'll say some more things.....THANK YOU!  I'm talking about my new Facebook blog fan page I started just yesterday and already, I've got 101 fans. Yippee! I never dreamed it possible that people would actually come and read my utterings and actually enjoy them!! So thank you everyone for your support of my blog and now my blog's fan page. I had NO clue, absolutely none, when I started the fan page how to do it. But Facebook made it relatively painless and all I did was supply the information for the page and they took care of the HTML coding and so forth. Thank God!  Because had that been left up to me, well, let's just say the page would be floating out in cyberspace somewhere, invisible to the human eye!!  And, I just want to say that ANYONE is welcome on that page. Share your stories, photos, links, videos, anything appropriate that you like. It's not JUST for "fibromites" but also for related diseases. And it's a place where caregivers can vent and "fibromites" can meet others like themselves and not feel alone. I remember just being diagnosed with this stupid disease that I couldn't even pronounce, let alone begin to understand, and just feeling like I was the only person that understood what I was going through.  Although we all are different and may suffer in different ways, we can all be alike in sharing how we feel about how we feel.  Does that make sense?  It's been a long, hooooooot day!!

I had my doctor appointment with my primary care doc today and I told her my sad story about the profuse sweating. With summer on top of us and it being 104 today in Phoenix, I thought it appropriate to see if there was anything she could do for me, besides hose me down every five seconds! LOL. I told her I met a person on Facebook that has profuse sweating and she was started on some medication that was supposed to work with that. She said she would let me know how it worked. Haven't heard back yet from her, but it doesn't matter now because when I told my doctor, she said yes, she has heard of the medication (wouldn't tell me the name, darn it...she knows me too well!) and no, I couldn't take it. She explained that with my health history and having the diabetes and hypertension, she WANTS me to sweat. She said I would run into a lot of problems if I DIDN'T sweat. Damn! Wouldn't you know, I have to put up with this sweating on purpose!!
I also told her about what the cardiologist said and he recommended the lap-band procedure and would send medical clearance to her for that. So that is what I have next, is the lap-band procedure. As soon as clearance comes on that from my insurance, I'm set to go. I'm hoping that as I lose a lot of weight, I won't need surgery on my back. Wishful thinking, huh? Well, everyone has to have a dream......what's YOUR dream?

After the appointment we turned in my prescriptions to Walgreens and headed for the library to turn in what was left of the music CD's we checked out and to explain the story why one CD was missing as it's in a zillion shattered pieces inside the computer's CD drive. My dear, sweet brother-in-law and his beautiful wife (yep, that would be my sis!) came over last night and so kindly took out the old drive. When he moved it around, you could hear the shards of CD roll around inside there. The drive was TRASHED!  My brother-in-law tried to get the computer manufacturer to send the new drive now so he would only need to open the computer once...to take the old out and put in the new...but no, that just would be too simple. Plus, they were going to charge him for it until they got the old drive and then credit his account back.  He said no way and I don't blame him. So our computer is CD driveless right now. Poor baby. My sis is going to mail the drive in for us at her work. Isn't she the sweetest? :0) And at least the rest of the computer is workable. Our world would just end if we didn't have a computer!!!  We are both so hooked, it's unbelievable!!

After the library, we picked up my prescriptions and then stopped for some milk. By the time we got home, my feet were screaming at me and swollen, my calves were all tight and I looked like I came from SEVERAL showers and didn't towel off for any of them! I love summer in AZ...why did I move from beautiful Lake Michigan to desert lands and temps that probably rival hell????  It just makes NO sense to me. I'm a water baby and haven't been swimming in so long, I couldn't even tell you where my suit is. Probably in San Antonio with the rest of our crap.  When we finally get our stuff back, we'll need to hire a cleaning crew to get rid of the giant sized dust bunnies that are probably all over our stuff! :0)

So, I sit down at the computer to write this entry, and the 'net is acting funky. The pages half load if they load at all, and my photo slide show underneath the title picture on the first page of this blog doesn't download. I hope it's just a temporary thing. I'll check it tomorrow and if it still doesn't download, then bye-bye slide show!  I think I'll go and put my swollen feet up and read for awhile. At least with a book, you're pretty safe in assuming that you won't have problems downloading the pages or having it crash on you....unless if you fall asleep and it crashes to the floor. Can't tell you how many times I've had that happen!!!

Hope you all are cool, happy & healthy. We still haven't heard about Frankie's surgery yet, but I'm not too worried about it yet. I'd rather him have it when his parents are back from Las Vegas. And so far, it looks like I'll get my wish. Finally!!

Until next post,
Missy

Fibro Fog Ramblings

Good evening, everyone! WOW! I cannot believe that my lil' ole blog has grown to have 31 followers on Netblogs and 6 on Google Friends. Thank you so much for taking an interest in my "ramblings." I try not to get too boring, but one thing I've learned with having fibro is that when you have foggy moments, you never know what you are doing or saying! I hate that feeling, as I'm sure all of you that have fibro feel the same way.  If there were two things I could take away from having fibro it would be this: the fibro fog phenomenon and the shin tender points. I don't know about anyone else, but those shin tender points are the WORST!!  When I went to the cardiologist, he does his examination and looks down at my swollen feet and then presses in on both shins, at the same time, with both his thumbs. I about hit the roof! That is sooo tender! Ah, I wish someone would find a cure already for this blasted disease! My life was sure much more simple without it...and cheaper, too. Although I can't complain too much as the state takes care of my medical needs.  Speaking of which, it's my favorite time of year...filling out applications to renew my state insurance plan! Oh, joy, oh bliss....but at least I can do it online now. No more hunching over page over page and filling out the same stuff I filled out last year.

Hope everyone is having a good Saturday. Mine started out with my TENS machine going on the blink. I think it has a short in it, probably all the times it keeps falling out of my pocket. Anyway, I have to keep pounding it in order for it to work and stay working.  Looks like I'll have to get another machine when my husband gets paid. Unfortunately, my insurance isn't covering that part of my treatment, and of course, it's the part of treatment that REALLY works!  But I have no choice but to wait until he gets paid at the beginning of next month to think about getting another one. Drat!  Why do I always have drama surrounding me????

My dad called me this morning and he sounded good. He has his own apartment now and he called Social Security all on his own without me having to remind him to change his address.  He's so proud of his own place and his own furniture. And to think he set it up all on his own.  Maybe Mom and I shielded him too much from the world and it set him back decades. We never trusted him enough to do things on his own and my mom, God bless her soul, was NOT a patient woman. She wanted to do things her way all the time, so sometimes Dad got left out in the cold. MAYBE, just maybe, now that he is on his own, and doing things for himself, that will raise his self esteem and his drug addiction will be more controllable. I hope so. I truly do. He deserves to have some happiness, too, after such tragedy of having Mom just die and leave us so soon, without warning.  In some ways, the end of her life marked the beginning of ours.  We ALL are learning new things, things that Mom always did for us, but now we must do for ourselves.  And that part is good. So there is good that can come out of bad situations.

Nothing much going on this weekend. Our computer is still holding up after the CD shatter disaster that happened the other night.  My sister-in-law is trying to contact the manufacturer to see if they can send the new drive first so we can put that in and take the old one out, only having to open the computer ONCE instead of two times. I think it makes perfect sense. And luckily my sis-in-law can be very persuasive. So give 'em Hell, Sis!!

My hubby and I have the whole house to ourselves for awhile as his parents are away on a casino holiday in Laughlin and Vegas. Sounds fun, doesn't it? And they deserve it, too.  My hubby and I are having fun, too, having time to ourselves and "playing house." We are taking care of their two cute dogs, who miss them terribly and haven't eaten yet for us.  My mother-in-law said that they love scrambled eggs, so we may have to whip up a batch so the doggies will eat.  Boy, oh boy....would they like sausage or bacon with that?  What a life!

That's it for now. We haven't heard from the surgeon yet about Frankie's upcoming surgery. But it's early and he hadn't looked at the films yet taken at the PET scan.  Once he has a "surgery plan" mapped out, he'll set it up and let us know. It'll be good to get this chapter behind us and move on to the next!

You all have a great rest of the weekend and thank you again for following us on our life trail blog.  One thing about life...ours in general....is usually it's always got something going on!!

Stay happy & healthy!
Until next post,
Missy

Missy is A-Okay....or as Ok as I'm gonna get!!

Howdy, friends & family!  Yep, you read right...the title of this entry is that Missy is a-okay. I'll let you get over the shock first, maybe sit down and put your feet up and take a sip of a cool drink. It IS very shocking indeed that anything on my body could be ......normal!  The doctor I saw today was very nice indeed, but he sported a very heavy accent of Indian descent. But I did understand him when he said my heart was normal and strong. He also understood me when I said the second part of that stress test was horrible. He even filled in the word for me....HORRIBLE!  But necessary to rule out anything wrong. At least it's over with and he will recommend me for the lap-band procedure. He will write a report to my primary doctor and that should be that. The insurance will squabble of course over who will pay for it, but I definitely will fight that I certainly have medical need for it. It is NOT cosmetic in nature!  So hopefully I'll continue this new & strange upward positive trend and the insurance authorization will go without hitch. Because there is NO way I can have the surgery and pay privately for it!  Unfortunately I'm NOT Bill Gates!

I feel like a weight has been lifted off of me. When the doctor said I my heart was strong and the swelling is probably due to gravity flowing downward and my veins aren't able to pull the fluid and blood back up to my heart, so it pools in my feet and legs.  So my ticker is ticking away, but the veins are taking a vacation!!  So his advice was to elevate my legs as much as possible while sitting and to do ankle pumps to keep things moving in my legs. And try and walk as far and long as I can. THAT is where I run into problems with still!!  I can stand for about five minutes in a row and then have to sit down or my legs will sit me down wherever I am....and it never is by a chair, of course!  So that is how my appointment went. I don't have to go back unless I run into problems.  I am so happy about the fact that ONE part of body still works!!

As for our poor computer, the CD DVD drive is broken when the CD last night shattered inside it.  The warranty will cover the drive and WE have to uninstall it, ship it to their factory and they will then mail us a new drive to install back into the computer. Luckily the rest of the computer works just great and we can use it still. Yippee!!  And I just learned that my brother-in-law will uninstall it this weekend and ship it to the factory for us!! Both my brother & sister - law are the BEST. Being an only child, it sure is an eye-opener of how families help each other out and you can talk to them about things you can't tell anyone else and they help you sort things out. I LOVE belonging to my husband's family. They have been a God send---and NOT because of money or getting us things---but because of WHO they are and their utmost love and concern for us. I love being part of the tight-knit network and love and support that words can't explain what is inside my heart.  All I know is I've wanted a family like this my whole life and now that I have it, I'm not gonna let go!!!  I love my dad, sure, but for obvious reasons I can't return to him.  So my hubby's family is stuck with me!!  Lucky them!!!

That pretty much is all the news here. I'm just elated that my heart is okay. I was worried that I inherited my dad's family side of heart disease. I already have their hypertension, so what's next?  Nah, ain't gonna go down that road!!!

I hope you all have a blessed weekend.
Until next post,
Missy                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Frankie is A-Okay!!

Howdy, all! First of all, I want to thank each and everyone of you that has sent your prayers & well-wishes to Frankie during this difficult time. He greatly appreciates it and thanks you all for thinking of him.  What happened today at his doctor's appointment was nothing short of a miracle. Isn't God great??

Anyway, we got to his appointment on time, but we waited and waited for about an hour before we got to see Dr. Gordon. They were wheeling some guy out on a stretcher who looked in pretty bad shape, so we thought maybe that is what had him tied up for a while. So we waited some more. Finally, the secretary took some pity on us and lead us back to Dr. Gordon's office area to find out what the problem was. Come to find out, his medical assistant flew the coop and didn't tell anyone where she was going, so Dr. Gordon had NO clue that Frankie and I were waiting to see him! Dr. Gordon comes into the exam room all flustered and apologetic and explains the story to us. We completely understood....and come to find out, the medical assistant had a family emergency with her son. She could have told someone about it, but what do I know???? LOL...

Dr. Gordon takes the PET scan results out of an envelope and Frankie and I both gulp and look at each other. The moment of truth boiled down to a piece of paper inside an envelope!!  Never had such a piece of paper been that important to us!!  Dr. Gordon read the report and showed us the pictures and said that NO new areas were identified on the scans. So only the one centimeter growth was shown as "red" on the PET scan. We breathed collective sighs of relief. No spreading or anything, which is what we feared the most.  Dr. Gordon also stated that Frankie may be able to come off of the Gleevec post-op, depending on what they find out at the time of surgery about what kind of tumor it is. He may need to continue for another year and then go off. But to go from being told back in 2003 that the tumor is huge and he would be on Gleevec forever to now....where the old tumor is NO longer seen on the scans as if it were never there at all...we both didn't know what to say or what to do!!  So now we just wait to hear what the surgeon has in mind and when the surgery is.  I'll keep you all posted.

We come home to have a phone call from my cardiologist telling me that the doctor I had been seeing is NO longer seeing patients in the office, only in the hospital now. So I have to start over with a new doctor!  Oh, well,  I only saw the one doctor once and he left notes in my chart along with my test results, so hopefully everything will work out OK tomorrow for me. Let's keep our fingers crossed and prayers flowing again!!!

Tonight we had a very odd thing happen with our computer. Frankie put in a music CD to listen to and it was just a playing along and all of a sudden, we heard a shattering sound inside the CD drive!  At first we couldn't get the door open, the button was jammed. I jimmied it with a tool, and then we couldn't get the damn door to stay closed! The drive kept coming in and out, each time spitting out chewed up CD onto the carpet. It's all inside the drive, though and it no longer works. So Frankie called tech support and of course, it was after closing hours, so they will give us a call tomorrow. Hopefully not at the same time as my appointment!! What are the chances of THAT?  All it needs is a new drive replaced and it's good as new. So hopefully we can have that taken care of here at home and real quick. I don't want to have to send it out...it takes forever to come back!!!! :(

Well, my eyes can no longer focus and my feet are big as houses, so I'm gonna go to bed and get my feet elevated on my special pillow. Hopefully I'll have a computer to use tomorrow to report on how MY tests and appointment went, but I'll keep you all informed as soon as I can. Hope you each have a happy and well rested night!!!!

I love you all!
Until next post,
Missy