Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.1
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Giving thanks for a productive Saturday!
Today didn't go as planned, it went better in some regards (for me anyway). Brie overslept her alarm and didn't go in to work (after calling in to see if she could go late), so I had no baby to take care of. Skye spent the day with her mom, her mom's boyfriend, and his daughter. I, in turn, spent the day doing homework! I got all my assignments turned in on time so far, and have one more due tomorrow by midnight. I had 4 pretty major topics to cover this week, with deadlines every other day since tuesday. Lots of research, writing, and thinking. This last project is actually kinda interesting, in that we need to create a "role play" in which we are discussing whether or not children should be removed from their family homes if they are at risk. I have mixed feelings about that. On the one hand I am a great believer in sanctuaries for kids, like the crisis nursery, or in Mpls, St. Joe's children's home, or The Bridge for runaway youth. I think parents and kids sometimes need a break to get life back on course when things are mega stressful and support is limited. On the other hand, I also believe that families need support and guidance in dealing with stress too, not just punishment or condemnation. I haven't decided which side of the coin I will make my stance; will do the readings, then decide, although I do have to present both sides of the arguement.
Yesterday I spend the day mostly in bed. I had the chills so bad I was wearing multiple layers and under the blankets and I was still cold! I was congested, achy, and hormonal as well, not a fun combination. I read, I slept, I played a little EQ when I couldn't stand being in bed any longer, and then went back to bed. Today I am better, still a bit chilled at times, and still hormonal and achy, but no where near as bad as yesterday.
I am being tested for glaucoma on Tuesday morning. The testing should take about an hour, and I should know relatively quickly if I have sustained any sort of vision loss. I will also find out if indeed I have glaucoma, or if the higher pressure was a fluke. The new glasses are helping with the cataracts in that I can see better, but things still blur far to easily and I find myself wiping my glasses and my eyes trying to "erase the smudges" that I see. It's frustrating at times, especially when I need to take my glasses off for some close things, yet it's still blurry. Then on the 30th I see the urologist to follow up on my other issue. Aging sucks! So far I haven't seen any major side effects from the drop in my thyroid med, so I am guessing I am adapting ok to it.
Eric put in his vacation requests for next year. He gets 4 weeks and we planned out one week in the spring, two weeks together late July/early August, and one week late November. That way we can spread them out and enjoy them, maybe even travel a bit! We are waiting to hear when our assigned week is for the timeshare, because that is a place I would really like to visit. Unfortunately we have to request the time now, and we won't know about the time share availability til early next year.
I have 4 weeks left in my term, and Eric has one left in his. It will be nice to see those at an end and have some free time. Aurora is travelling with the bowling team this weekend and next weekend; she was in New York last weekend for the National cross country tournament. Her team came in 10/26 and she came in 4th for her team. She had a wonderful time. Patrick is still living independently and managing. He went out to dinner with us for Aurora's birthday and said he's liking his job, but isn't getting as many hours as he'd like.
Brie is in school through Dec. 15th, so a day before I am done, and is managing. She dropped (or was dropped from) her Saturday class because of absences related to all the drill weekends she has. She says she is doing ok, and Aurora is confident she is doing well too. Her term ends shortly and then both girls will have about a month off. I think Eric gets a couple of weeks, as do I.
Reimond did NOT do well this first quarter, and in fact, failed all but one class. This was primarily due to all the absences he had, not because he was goofing off. He struggled with illness on top of the mental health stuff, and while he seems more stable now, I still se some flareups of the mood instability. He is trying harder to be respectful though and follow the rules, and I have seen some improvements since September/October.
Eric is home from work, so I guess I will go say hi to my honey, then get back to the books. Lasagna is in the oven cooking, we have 2 bottles of wine set aside, and I plan to have a fairly productive and relaxing night tonight!
Yesterday I spend the day mostly in bed. I had the chills so bad I was wearing multiple layers and under the blankets and I was still cold! I was congested, achy, and hormonal as well, not a fun combination. I read, I slept, I played a little EQ when I couldn't stand being in bed any longer, and then went back to bed. Today I am better, still a bit chilled at times, and still hormonal and achy, but no where near as bad as yesterday.
I am being tested for glaucoma on Tuesday morning. The testing should take about an hour, and I should know relatively quickly if I have sustained any sort of vision loss. I will also find out if indeed I have glaucoma, or if the higher pressure was a fluke. The new glasses are helping with the cataracts in that I can see better, but things still blur far to easily and I find myself wiping my glasses and my eyes trying to "erase the smudges" that I see. It's frustrating at times, especially when I need to take my glasses off for some close things, yet it's still blurry. Then on the 30th I see the urologist to follow up on my other issue. Aging sucks! So far I haven't seen any major side effects from the drop in my thyroid med, so I am guessing I am adapting ok to it.
Eric put in his vacation requests for next year. He gets 4 weeks and we planned out one week in the spring, two weeks together late July/early August, and one week late November. That way we can spread them out and enjoy them, maybe even travel a bit! We are waiting to hear when our assigned week is for the timeshare, because that is a place I would really like to visit. Unfortunately we have to request the time now, and we won't know about the time share availability til early next year.
I have 4 weeks left in my term, and Eric has one left in his. It will be nice to see those at an end and have some free time. Aurora is travelling with the bowling team this weekend and next weekend; she was in New York last weekend for the National cross country tournament. Her team came in 10/26 and she came in 4th for her team. She had a wonderful time. Patrick is still living independently and managing. He went out to dinner with us for Aurora's birthday and said he's liking his job, but isn't getting as many hours as he'd like.
Brie is in school through Dec. 15th, so a day before I am done, and is managing. She dropped (or was dropped from) her Saturday class because of absences related to all the drill weekends she has. She says she is doing ok, and Aurora is confident she is doing well too. Her term ends shortly and then both girls will have about a month off. I think Eric gets a couple of weeks, as do I.
Reimond did NOT do well this first quarter, and in fact, failed all but one class. This was primarily due to all the absences he had, not because he was goofing off. He struggled with illness on top of the mental health stuff, and while he seems more stable now, I still se some flareups of the mood instability. He is trying harder to be respectful though and follow the rules, and I have seen some improvements since September/October.
Eric is home from work, so I guess I will go say hi to my honey, then get back to the books. Lasagna is in the oven cooking, we have 2 bottles of wine set aside, and I plan to have a fairly productive and relaxing night tonight!
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Procrastination...
I need to be doing homework right now; I am behind on my Tuesday assignment, and have another one due tonight as well. They are not all that hard or onerus, I just have no desire to do them. My thoughts are still all awhirl and I feel like I need some down time to just pray and reflect, preferably while knitting, cross-stitching, or cutting out quilt pieces. Even doing dishes sounds more engrossing right now than schoolwork, because I need something mindless to focus on right now. Maybe I need to take some of this wasted energy and apply it to cleaning my room a bit. God knows it needs some sorting and attention!
I have three hours to use productively before I engage in watching Skye again. I know... I will find my supporting research articles to use in my assignments. Productive, but somewhat mindless... Still, I would rather be knitting... Or web surfing... or playing everquest...
I have three hours to use productively before I engage in watching Skye again. I know... I will find my supporting research articles to use in my assignments. Productive, but somewhat mindless... Still, I would rather be knitting... Or web surfing... or playing everquest...
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Always something...
Just when I think things are starting to turn around, something else has to throw a monkey wrench into my world... The last two day s have been stressful.
Monday was the 17th anniversary of my dad's death. It is generally a rough day for me because Reimond and I were the only members of the family to see and spend time with him that day before he died. It is always a day of reflection and some sadness for me. Anyhow, I also had a doctor's appointment for me that day, a routine med check for my prescriptions I take. I had done my labs the previous week, and she said there were some things that came up on them. My good cholesterol was a bit low, but the rest of the numbers were good; my thyroid numbers were off though, so I need to have a new dosage. My fear is that the lowered dosage may be reflected in weight gain (again) and I have been so proud of keeping thos 15 pounds off that I have initially lost on WWs. Then she also said there was blood in my urine spec. and has been there now for over 6 months. Because there is no sign of infection this time I need to go see a urologist to find out what may be causing it. Looking on line it can be anything from benign to fairly serious, and it concerns me. I don't like not knowing.
Then yesterday I had an appointment with the eye doctor. I have noticed my vision progressively getting blurrier and I have had some eye strain issues with my handwork and reading/computer stuff so I figured I just needed new glasses. I was told I have cataracts in both eyes and while they are not bad enough to require surgical intervention, that could change in 6 months or in 2-5 years. There is no way to predict it. The next blow was that the pressure in my eyes is too high and I need to be tested for glaucoma. There are treatment options there too, but this is something that is irreversible once damage occurs. So far I haven't lost significant sight that I am aware of peripherally, but this too freaks me out. I rely on my eyes to do the things that keep me sane: my handwork, reading, and writing. I realize things are not at a crisis level or anything at this point, but the fear of losing my eyesight has me spooked. Eric took me out last night to get new glasses with a prescription that has made things much clearer again, and he took me out to dinner while we waited for the glasses to be made (God Bless Lens Crafters! I have never gotten same day glasses before!). It is wonderful to see things clearly again; I knew things had gotten bad, but to have it in focus now reinforces how bad it had been...
I am trying hard not to catastrophize things. I am trying to keep things in perspective and accept that the tests need to be run, and that the outcomes may be minor rather than worst-case. I just don't like dealing with unknowns, and I hate that my body is "aging" because especially with the cataracts, this is an issue generally for individuals so much older than me! I will do what I have to do to keep my vision as clear as I can for as long as I can, because I need to have my handwork and my books. I cannot imagine life without them. And as for the other medical things, I will take the lower dose of the thyroid hormone and go back for a follow up in 2 months, and I will go see the urologist and get an exam for that as well. I have so much to do still and I need to be healthy to do it. So please, say a prayer for me, that things go well, that there are simple fixes for what is ailing me, and that life starts slowing down to a manageable level. I sure could use some stress-free living!
Monday was the 17th anniversary of my dad's death. It is generally a rough day for me because Reimond and I were the only members of the family to see and spend time with him that day before he died. It is always a day of reflection and some sadness for me. Anyhow, I also had a doctor's appointment for me that day, a routine med check for my prescriptions I take. I had done my labs the previous week, and she said there were some things that came up on them. My good cholesterol was a bit low, but the rest of the numbers were good; my thyroid numbers were off though, so I need to have a new dosage. My fear is that the lowered dosage may be reflected in weight gain (again) and I have been so proud of keeping thos 15 pounds off that I have initially lost on WWs. Then she also said there was blood in my urine spec. and has been there now for over 6 months. Because there is no sign of infection this time I need to go see a urologist to find out what may be causing it. Looking on line it can be anything from benign to fairly serious, and it concerns me. I don't like not knowing.
Then yesterday I had an appointment with the eye doctor. I have noticed my vision progressively getting blurrier and I have had some eye strain issues with my handwork and reading/computer stuff so I figured I just needed new glasses. I was told I have cataracts in both eyes and while they are not bad enough to require surgical intervention, that could change in 6 months or in 2-5 years. There is no way to predict it. The next blow was that the pressure in my eyes is too high and I need to be tested for glaucoma. There are treatment options there too, but this is something that is irreversible once damage occurs. So far I haven't lost significant sight that I am aware of peripherally, but this too freaks me out. I rely on my eyes to do the things that keep me sane: my handwork, reading, and writing. I realize things are not at a crisis level or anything at this point, but the fear of losing my eyesight has me spooked. Eric took me out last night to get new glasses with a prescription that has made things much clearer again, and he took me out to dinner while we waited for the glasses to be made (God Bless Lens Crafters! I have never gotten same day glasses before!). It is wonderful to see things clearly again; I knew things had gotten bad, but to have it in focus now reinforces how bad it had been...
I am trying hard not to catastrophize things. I am trying to keep things in perspective and accept that the tests need to be run, and that the outcomes may be minor rather than worst-case. I just don't like dealing with unknowns, and I hate that my body is "aging" because especially with the cataracts, this is an issue generally for individuals so much older than me! I will do what I have to do to keep my vision as clear as I can for as long as I can, because I need to have my handwork and my books. I cannot imagine life without them. And as for the other medical things, I will take the lower dose of the thyroid hormone and go back for a follow up in 2 months, and I will go see the urologist and get an exam for that as well. I have so much to do still and I need to be healthy to do it. So please, say a prayer for me, that things go well, that there are simple fixes for what is ailing me, and that life starts slowing down to a manageable level. I sure could use some stress-free living!
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Halloween 2011
 |
| All dressed up as Batgirl! |
 |
| Superhero pose! (note the hand on hip of each) |
 |
| See some of my loot? And mommy was Robin. |
Rei went out as Superman to a friend's party, and I guess did some trick-or-treating on the way home; he came home with a bag ful of loot as well... Eric came home from work, all decked out in his uniform, and a kid at the door said "Nice costume dude!" to which his buddy whispered in a loud voice "I think he's a real cop..." Eric and I both found it funny.
Loved seeing all the little ones out and about, although some of the parents bringing tiny babies out was confusing--they are too small to eat candy anyway; for that matter Skye can't eat much of what she brought home, but she really enjoyed seeing and following all of the kids.
Today is gonna be a "working" day for me and only me. Brie didn't work, and has no classes, so I am focused on my homework (I am an assignment behind, and have one due today) and catching up on chores that I started yesterday. Eric had talked about us going away for the weekend this past weekend, but given the state of finances, we elected to stay home, so we spent the entire weekend engrossed in Everquest with our friends and guildmates, or (in my case) reading a series I am really enjoying that takes place in the Alaskan bush. We just enjoyed each other's company, tried to ignore the kids as much as possible (lol) and played hookey from life. It was wonderful! Unfortunately, catchup isn't so great...
With the Cardinals winning the world series I am done being "forced" to watch baseball, and life can get back so some sembelence of normal around here; the weather is fantastic fall weather, and the stars the last few mornings have been utterly amazing at 5:30 am. I have recommitted myself to working the tracking part of the WW's program and am pleased to say that despite some slacking on my part, I have maintained my loss of almost 15 lbs and numerous inches (did the weigh-in and measurements thing this morning). Now to prepare for the holidays!
Anyhow, that's life here in small town IL... Time to hit the books!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)