We have friends coming in this weekend for a rugby match. Warner's friend from highschool, Mark, plays rugby for Little Rock and they are playing Baton Rouge on Saturday, so of course we are going to use that as an excuse to hang out this weekend. Mark is bringing his lady friend, Meagan, with him, which will be fun for me, and he's bringing his dog Tank which will be fun for the boys. So it should be a good weekend all around! But, in case you thought things would be too perfect, have no fear - my rash is back! And this time, I have NO idea what caused it. I spent about 5 minutes outside yesterday with the boys running around but just a few days ago I spent 45 minutes outside with them (I had a picnic while they played), so it makes no sense. So, last night and today I've been itching like crazy and I have that overall crummy feeling that comes in this special two for one deal. Also, it makes my neck muscles tight which isn't a good thing because I've been fighting tight muscles on my right side for the past week or so as it is. But anyway, I'm still looking foward to the weekend.
So...until I get the background figured out, just adjust your browser size to get the lines off the text of the post. HTML is kicking my butt right now.
The punk turns ONE today! And I'm pretty sure he knew it was his birthday from the moment he woke up this morning. He kept trying to get Warner up out of bed before his alarm went off and when Warner left for work this morning BOTH dogs came charging into the bedroom and jumped on the bed - Ruekie is usually the only one that comes up to cuddle. The only problem with Edgar jumping on the bed is that he is a huge clutz and doesn't just jump up...he jumps up and stumbles across half of the bed - and this time he stepped right on my neck, smack down on the front and center. I was fine, after a few paranoid moments of thinking that he crushed my windpipe or messed something else up, and man he got in some serious trouble. But anyway, the boys got to go run around outside at lunch and that's pretty much going to be it for the birthday celebrations. Sorry the picture of Edgar is kind of blurry - I threw some celebratory Mardi Gras beads on him and he doesn't hold still for 2 seconds.
"....And if you knew anything about the game, you would know that!"
I'm actually updating, so I guess that means some life changing event has taken place since my last update...or I just went to the doctor. And yeah, I just went to the doctor. Nothing earth shattering there. Mell came out and said hi while I was in the waiting room and we chit chatted for a few minutes. As with most appointments, the first thing they do is make you get on the scale. And for me, I have the opposite problem as most people. I'm not freaking out about weighing too much or being overweight or whatnot. My big concern is that I'm going to weigh too little and get in huge trouble for it. Usually my weigh ins consist of a slight argument with the nurse about how you have to move the bottom weight to the 150 mark, which, they are ALWAYS convinced that I weigh less than that, and won't put it to 150 until they move the top weight all the way to the 149 mark and the arrow is nowhere near balanced - but they still give me a once over before they move it, as if the scale is lying. So, then I always get little comments about how I don't look like I weigh that much, and yada yada yada. I'm almost 6 feet tall, looks can be deceiving!
Anyway, moving on. At my appointment today I took a vow of silence during my weigh in and politely kept my mouth shut. With the way my weight has been lately (dropping like a rock at every appointment) I wasn't going to give my nurse any ammo for gloating about being right. And good thing I kept my vow of silence, because this week I have officially dropped below the 150 mark to 147. Now, the BMI index says that is a normal weight, but seeing as I was 168 in August and that this time last year I was 174ish - and by no means am I trying to lose the weight (just ask my coworkers who see me eat nonstop all day) - I guess it warrants some concern. So of course my doctor - the one in the heels - does the whole freak out / concerned doctor thing and I went and had labs drawn after my appointment - that brings the needle stick count to 50 bajillion and 7...No Lie. Hopefully there will be something off balance and I can start maintaining weight soon - new clothes are getting expensive! I assured my doctor that I eat like crazy, and apart from cookies and king cake, I try to avoid junk. That seemed to squash any ideas that I am trying to lose weight, because really, I'm not. I have never in my life actually tried to lose weight. I usually just try to be active and eat healthy foods and see where that gets me.
Apart from my crazy weight loss, everything else is good. We talked about cartwheels and hula hoops - for real - because we always talk about the most random things at my appointments - and I go back in about a month and a half-ish. Now I'm just waiting for Heels to call me with my lab results!
This weekend is going to be a marathon Mardi Gras parade weekend - I can't wait! AND Paula is coming to town, which is almost as cool as when Santa Clause comes to town, well, I guess the two might tie because Santa brings me gifts and well, Paula, she just brings herself.
Mad props to anyone who actually takes the time to read this whole post. I really need to work on my rambling skills.
In highschool and college I always had the habit of saying things like, "Ooooh, that looks like Mardi Gras" if something was purple, green, and gold, or if something was red and green, it might spark the response, "Hey look, it's Christmas." It was just my way of thinking. It snowed during exam week of my freshman year of college and my roommate and I sat in our dorm room trying to keep warm, cramming for our 50 million all - essay exams, listening to Jason Mraz. To this day, every time I listen to that cd, I get that exam week feeling all over again. The anxiety from the exams, the excitement over the snow, and I think about going upstairs and getting Ashley to go outside and play in the snow with me and make a snowman on top of a car and to slide down the hill behind Reid hall on our feet and just all the crazy emotions that come along with that. Just little reminders.
Well, the same thing still happens to me now, except the memories aren't quite as pleasant. Whenever I'm at work and going through the file cabinets, as I did back last spring, while (sometimes) hopped up on pain pills, I can smell the files and it brings back that crazy pain-pill induced feeling and I have to step back for a minute. When I'm walking through the Medical Plaza up to The Doctor in High Heel's office, the smell smacks me like a brick wall at 80 miles an hour. Mary Bird Perkins sometimes affects me the same way, but not as much for some reason. Usually the reminders come when I am in the actual place that the memory took place: the office, the medical plaza, Mary Bird, etc. But this past weekend, as we were walking up to our hotel room in the French Quarter, the hallway smelled like the Medical Plaza and it was just enough to give me that anxious feeling in the pit of my stomach every time we walked down the hallway. It's really not that big of a deal, it just happens, but as soon as the smell goes away, I'm fine. I just notice it. And I'm sure it will go away eventually and even if it doesn't it's just one more reminder of everything I've been through to get where I am today.
In other news we are going to have a full house this weekend because we have three friends that are coming to stay with us. Should be fun! And we had a good time in the French Quarter this past weekend. I'll post pictures from that later. The boys spent the weekend with my parents and woke them up bright and early every morning (which they don't do to us. Edgar at least waits until the alarm goes off before he starts begging for food) so they have been sort of lazy for the past couple of days.
Oh well, I'll be back later I guess.
I haven't really felt like actually writing much on here lately- that's why you all have gotten so many picture posts. I'm lazy, what can I say. The trip Tulsa was fantastic. The study is completely made over (except for paint and details). No tears were shed from the removal of the couch because, well, the couch only moved two rooms over into the garage. So, we have two new chairs, two new bookshelves, and a secretary in the study now. Oh, and my fancy telescope. Decorating will come later as will painting, because I really don't like painting. I think I'll put that off for as long as possible, at least until Warner caves and offers to do it all while I go out for a spa day. Ha. I'm a dreamer, can't you tell?
I'll let Warner tell you all about his Lasik. I only watched.
I met with Dr. Fields last week before I headed up to Tulsa. Everything looked good according to him. When I walked in, he looked around the room and behind the door and at me, several times and asked where Warner was. I don't know why he looked around so much, it's not like Warner was going to pop out from behing the jar of cotton ball and yell surprise or anything. He proceeded to tell me that some people never come with someone, and some people always come with someone, and I was one of those people that always comes with someone. Then, I told him, like I told Dr. Pou, that I was big girl and could go to doctor appointments alone. At the end of my appointment I asked Dr. Fields about my rash / hives thing and he proceeded to go into a long explanation. And I realized Dr. Fields is not the type of man that you can interrupt during story time to ask questions. You have to save them all until the end. When he finally got frustrated with my questions and interruptions, he told me to wait, and he walked over and sat down on his spinny chair. He said it's not necessarily normal, but it's not uncommon. He said it can be caused by the radiation, and it can be caused by the surgery, and when you put them both together, you're in trouble. Basically my lymphatic system in my face and neck are all closed up and any time the metabolic rate in that area is increased (in my case, by the sun) the lymph fluid gets trapped causing the swelling and itchy rash. So, over time they will become less - it will take 1 - 2 years for the lymphatic system to open back up. The rashes may never go away completely but they should occur less often. So much for my Walmart allergy theory (which I told to Dr. Fields, he didn't seem to amused). For now, Dr. Fields' words of wisdom are: "Well, common sense would tell you to avoid whatever is causing the issue" and then he proceeded to laugh with his self-amused laugh that he does when he thinks he says something funny - which is usually more often than he realizes. Oh Dr. Fields.
So, this has been going around facebook lately and I keep getting tagged, so I went ahead and did it. You're supposed to post 25 random facts about yourself. So here you go:
1. I am a sucker for natural disaster movies. A complete sucker. I will watch them over and over and over and over...etc...again.
2. I am also a sucker for the Lifetime Movie Network. It makes me feel good about myself - like, really good.
3. I don't like to put up the silverware from the dishwasher - it frustrates me. Apparently I missed the day in preschool where we learned fine motor skills.
4. I really miss being flexible and being able to tumble.
5. I wanted to be a professional tennis player - but I was never even close to being that good.
6. I LOVE CAKE.
7. My favorite level of brickbreaker is level 11, but I always die at least once.
8. I have 8 scars from my surgery, some are big and some are small, but they are all there.
9. I'm always freezing cold - and no, it's not my thyroid
10. Contrary to popular belief, I do not like surprises. If there is a plan, I want to be in the loop; however, a certain someone has yet to get this memo and LOVES to have surprises for me.
11. I shave my legs on Saturdays because it is the only morning that I have time to do it.
12. I LOVE to dress up for doctors' appointments. My theory is they will think I am doing much better if I look good.
13. I plan out our dinners a month at a time - I have one big shopping day at the beginning of the month and then I buy fresh things (meat, fruit, veggies, etc.) each week. It's pretty fun.
14. I can not tell which way is north, south, east, or west most of the time, but you can drop me off in the middle of nowhere with a topographic map and I can get around just fine.
15. I have orthostatic hypotension, and it's pretty annoying, but at least it gives me something to joke about.
16. I have a degree in Geology, but really, I just want to go play in the woods and teach kids about nature.
17. I used to have ridiculously long hair, but then I went to college and when I got married I cut it even shorter.
18. I weigh less now than I did when I got married and I wear smaller clothes now too.
19. Right now, I physically can not gain weight. Even if all I eat is pizza and fast food. I've tried. It just isn't happening.
20. I love taking pictures of kids because I get to run around with them and act just as crazy as they do.
21. Cancer has made me a more sarcastic person, and you guys better deal with it!
22. Whenever Warner or I do something around the house or make a snappy comment, we blame it on the dogs. We also say, "Well, Ruekie says..." or "Well Edgar says you should..." all the time.
23. I have shark cartilage in my arm under my skin graft.
24. I really really really want to have twins some day because I have babysat several sets of twins and they are awesome! (I got to hang out with one set this past week)
25. I have had two silent migraines in my life, one of them was today and the other was during my 9th grade Spanish 2 class when we were going around the room reading outloud from the book - I was next and couldn't see a thing. Luckily it passed before I had to read but I was freaking out.
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