The best laid plans, can faulter

Yes, I had great visions of doing well with writing and as they say...mother nature won the battle.  I have been battling the flu or some other virus since before the New Year.  I really thought after this past weekend, I was on the downhill slide.  Then, Monday happened.  Clearly I didn't sound well, didn't look well on top of my knowing I really felt like ass.  By noon, Runner convinced me to go home.  After a 4 hour nap, I found some food and back to bed I went.  I think that I am really blessed with two fabulous fur babies.  Yes, most of you see them as the two that go 100 MPH and never slow down.  However, even Mr. Finn snuggled up to momma almost every day staying close to momma to make sure that I was going to be okay.  Outside of a few trips to do business and have some food & water...he was laying in bed.

Now, being the stubborn German that I am...I truly felt I was going to get over all this crap on my own.  Even Momma Bear said go to the doctor and I said no.  But that was Tuesday.  Wednesday I was sure I could go to work.  I did...for all of 20 minutes, hit a wall and back home I went.  I was patient and waited till the doctor's office opened up at 8:30 and made my call.  She figured I was over the tail end of the flu and ended up with a sinus infection out of it all.  Lucky me.  But, it is Friday and I don't feel 100% but feel 100% better than I did two days ago...so work it was.  Plus I get two more rest days after today too!

So, my exciting news is that I am officially done with PT and have been signed off by the doctor for Bootsie.  I am a long way to go before I can try and start jogging again, which saddens me.  BUT, it gives me something to work for.  I have to be able to walk 3 miles with an average of 15 min pace.  Easier said than done but then again, I take the dogs and if you take away the "breaks" I might have a shot at it.  Whatever the case - I am just excited to break a sweat again...especially with the Biggest Loser back on. 

So, who knows maybe I'll be able to complete one of my 2012 resolutions in 2013...my goal for 2012 was 3 races...I managed two before injury.  Maybe this year I can get 3 three in.  Here's to trying and my 2013 goal of being a healthier me.

Surgery Update

Well, it has been awhile since I have blogged.  Most of my time has just been recovery time from surgery.  Honestly, I was not prepared for how miserable I would feel the first week after surgery.  It was like the worst head cold I could ever imagine.  The only catch was that I couldn't blow my nose.  I didn't really get any great sleep because I was sleeping in the chase lounger because my head hat to be at least 30 degree's higher than my body.  Obviously one does not get a solid nights sleep that way.

I never did get sick which was the good thing.  There was a couple of nights that I needed to use my nausau medicine they had prescribed because the stuff that was draining into my stomach was making me feel ill.  But really, it wasn't anything terrible bad. 

By Wednesday, I was at the pitty me stage.  I swore I would never do the surgery again, I was that miserable.  Plus, you take someone that is use to NEVER being home, to a person that had only two hours outside of the house since the day I got home from surgery....well it was CABIN fever like no other.  Not even DQ could solve my problem.

But, hats off must go to my Aunt Jo Ann and Teacher.  Both were fabulous.  Aunt Jo Ann was a trooper for me.  Going to get prescriptions, take me to the hospital, caring for me afterwards, making me jello with bananas!, she was my mom for a weekend!  Teacher was fabulous in her own right too.  She was checking in on me every other day if not more just to see how I was doing.  She even went above the call of duty by taking a day of vacation from work on Friday and taking me in to get my splints taken out!  I truly am blessed with amazing family & friends!

Little Piggy

Okay, well that is what my nose looks like.  The little piggy nose. 

Surgery went really well on Friday.  I checked in before 6 am and on my way home by noon.  I did feel a little sick after my bathroom run, but never did get sick which is a REALLY great thing. 

I have spent most of my time sleeping and eating.  I have to eat to take my antibotics and pain meds, so I eat almost every four hours.  Then the pain meds make me sleepy, so I sleep after I eat. 

Aunt Jo Ann stayed through Sunday morning.  We made a run to the grocery store before she left since the soups I planned for meals were out.  Everything I eat has to be at room temperature.

Pretty much, right now I just feel really congested.  It comes and goes in waves.  I really would just love to blow my nose but for now - that is out.

I am also being very careful on what I eat and recording everything in my WW journal.  I cannot do any running for 6 weeks and right now even a walk seems like an exhausting task.  So, until I can workout again, we will be extra careful on the food.  The goods news is that today's weigh in (my outing of the day) was 2.6 lbs returned to the fat gods, for a total of 4 lbs.  Hopefully by next week, I'll get my 5 lb star!

100, 99, 98, 97....

They tell you to count backwards from 100 and honestly I don't remember if I make it out of the 90s.  But, I do have that sinking thought of will I wake up?  I think everyone has it has ever has surgery.  Or so I hope I am not alone.

I should be asleep now.  I have to be up at 4:45 and out the door by 5:15 but I can't sleep.  I have had a number of surgeries in life, 6 to be exact and they are never anything less than stellar.  From always puking to having a bladder that doesn't want to work, outpatient becomes a three day hospital stay.  I have this normal routine I go through, Church, confession and then prep for the surgery. 

I think the part that bothers me the most is that I didn't make it to Church or confession.  My biggest fear with any surgery is dying.  It just is.  It was hard tonight talking to my momma.  I talk to her everyday.  Tonight she said I love you when she ended the call.  I know many here that every call with their family but ours isn't that way.  So to hear it, it was just hard.  My second mom Aunt Jo Ann is here to take care of me, taking me to the hospital, taking care of me this weekend and keeping my momma in updated. 

So here I lie in bed tonight, tears flowing, afraid.  I'll say my prayers tonight and beg for God's forgiveness and mercy for the sinner that I am and I'll pray that this surgery does help me and ease my sinus pain. 

For my family and friends, I love you all!  As Grandma Schmidt would say, until we meet again....

T minus 2

So I haven't blogged in a week.  Honestly, it is because once again I have another sinus infection.  It started Tuesday of last week with a headache.  Since I am scheduled for surgery on the sinus on the 15th, I was only able to take Tylenol for the headache.  Needless to say, it was still there on Wednesday and by Thursday, I just couldn't take it anymore.

I called the surgeon's office and left a message for the nurse.  Told her what is going on and she called back and left a message saying they called in two prescriptions.  One was an antibotic and the other for pain.  Well, fast forward to me sitting down on the couch to look over these prescription.  Holy cow, not sure what kind of headache they thought I had, but Vicodin was the cure for it, or so they thought.

So, Friday I was just wiped and called in for my shift at Lowe's.  Honestly, I had to have DC to talk me into doing it.  I always feel bad and think the last shift I didn't work was in August.  Well, I later found out that I had been the fourth person that called out that night.  :(  Oops!  But they covered.

I did open on Saturday and I looked like ass.  They told me I looked like ass.  I had dark circles under my eyes, I felt like my eyes were floating in fluid.  It was good times.  Sunday was a better day but Monday and today are more of the ass feeling.  Except, now to couple the headache, my throat hurts cause of the crap that is draining down my throat!  Ugh.  I would love to call in tonight but it is my last shift until next Tuesday and working that one is kind of iffy. 

Go Time

Well, it is official, surgery has been set. Friday, November 13th is the day. Yes - Friday the 13th. But, see I think that since I have 13 permanently inked on my skin that it is a lucky number and not unlucky. Hopefully this holds true for the surgery.

It seems easy to schedule it but has been a lot of work to find the right date. Being single, I have just me to count on to get me to and from places. So, this means that I have to find someone that can take me home from surgery. Now, most in my situation call upon mom & dad to help out. Well, given that there is 807 miles between my front door and their front door, it doesn't make that as a real option. Although, there was some initial thought about doing it the Friday before Thanksgiving, my mom could fly in and then just drive with me back to NE for the holiday. Well, grand in theory but I will have to have the splints removed from my nose 7 days after the surgery, so that means I need to be in Texas to have that done.

So, plan B is in place. My aunt that lives in Houston has agreed to be a stand in mom for me. Her and my uncle will be on vacation the end of October and given that I have tickets to the Baylor/NU game - I had to coordinate around that as well. So - November 13th was the first Friday that would work for all of us and the doctor agreed that date would work to.

I am nervous but at the same time optimistic of what the surgery can do for me. I hope that the days of sinus infections will be few and far between! I look forward to being able to breathe out of my nose and not feeling so tired all the time! I'll keep you updated as things proceed. There will be more tests done between now and then as this is going to be an image guided procedure.