Sunshine on a Cloudy Day

Beautiful isn't it?

And I had a big happy butterfly too.

I decided to take the pups for a walk this morning...2 blocks instead of 2 miles.  Wow...was I tired!  No pain, just achey, but still! (This sx stuff is designed to kick your a$$)

I decided this afternoon to stop the hydrocodone. It's 6 pm and about to storm.  I feel my belly more but it's not painful.

Had a nice conversation with my boss, Dr R.  (I am so lucky to work with her.  She takes care of everything...me included.) 

No worries this week.  She's told me to take tomorrow off too and we're going to try a 1/2 day Thursday to see how wiped out I get.

Laps

When you have laproscopic abdominal Sx they puff you up with carbon dioxide.  This stuff floats upward under your ribs and commonly settles in your right shoulder area (particularly after appendectomy sx.)

(Self Portrait shows the classic "don't touch my belly" nightie / t shirt / fuzzy socks that every post-sx girl needs in her wardrobe.

I was discharged Sat "noonish" and looked forward to an afternoon of "sack time" since the past 48 hours had given me precious little.

I went to lay back onto several pillows I'd stacked there..."Holy mother of God!!!"  I think I scared SM with my screams.  The gas in my shoulder muscles caused unbelievable pain if I tried to incline, even slightly.

Saturday night I slept "wodged" straight up and down with pillows in the corner of our sofa with feet flat on the floor. 

I managed to get some sleep...(ha) and "woke" up with the infamous "cankles" and swollen feet.  Not enough lap time.  One of the things you've got to do is get moving after any surgery.  I thought I'd been walking enough but I guess not...(Cankels are truly disturbing.)

Sunday felt better after my shower (yeah!) but then I started feeling like I was getting the flu.  Redness around the incision site, low grade 99 temp and a weird headache that felt better with frozen veggie bags on my head, neck shoulders.  The NP I spoke with said to monitor and call in Monday if not better.  I suspected that the "gas" was migrating to my neck and head. 

About 4 hours later (and many more laps) I felt good enough to try to sleep in the recliner.  Yes! Finally!  I got about 7 hrs in last night with a 1 hour walk in the middle. Redness is gone but belly is still distended.

So my life has become walk through the house for about 45min to an hour, then nap to recover.  Up and repeat the cycle.  Hey it works!! I feel better!

The dogs love to lay in my path and always start out walking with me.  Today I been much more active.  I unloaded the dishwasher and did some laundry but have managed to squeak in 3-4 naps between it all.  Shameless aren't I?

And of course there's always the Food Channel when there's absolutely nothing else on.

Ouchee

Just a quick note.  I had an emergency appendectomy Friday night.

Wow!  Last thing I was expecting!  Kudos's to the GREAT team of professionals at Carolina's Medical Center University!  I had excellent care during my 18 hour stay.  Smooth sailing, no issues!  No abcess or infection that the surgeon could see...(He told SM it just "looked nasty.")

So on the road to recovery for the next few days.  Ouchee!

SM has stepped up to the plate and is taking care of dogs and garden alike.  (With temps back up into the 100's I'm amazed I have a garden at all.)

Farmers Market

We went to the Farmers Market this morning.  I've wanted to put up (freeze) some peaches. 

I've heard that since we didn't get a late frost and have had TONS of rain, that the farmers have had a bumper crop this year.

SM and I both noticed that prices were more reasonable this year.  Last year, watermelons sold for $8-$10...this year they're more reasonable at $3-$4.  Huge cantaloupes for $2.00.  Prices on tomatoes were $2 a lb.  (I thought that was still high.) 

We picked up a box of Freestone peaches for $14. 

Cherries for $2 a pint. (Just a taste)

Blueberries were $16 for a gallon.  (He told me he's got to move them and that last week they were $20 a gallon.  I have no idea if I overpaid or not...)

Huge green peppers for 50 cents each.  Makes me think I should leave farming to the professionals (grin).

I used Fruit Fresh and Splenda to "sauce" the peaches.  I've got 10 quart bags for winter eating plus 2 more quarts for fresh eating.  (Nothing tastes better than fresh peaches in the dead of winter.)

Speaking of eating... My heartburn is back. 

(I'm on a highway to hell...You know the AC/DC song?) (grin)

I thought the rantidine would kick it but "noooo".  My Dr's put me on Prilosec for a few weeks,  and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it works.  I'd really like to know how someone who's never had a problem with heartburn can go from zero to "on fire" overnight!  No fun!

But on the upside, since I can't manage anything more than rice, some fruit and veggies... I've lost about 10 lbs.  Which I needed to do, but I'd rather not have health issues to be my motivator.

Also since going "gluten-dairy free" I'm no longer as bloated.  So I'm trying to make improvements.  Well...if things don't improve I might have to "suck it up" and go see my friendly GI Dr.  Whoo hooo!
 

Gut Check

I've had digestive issues for about the last 10 - 15 years.  Nothing conclusive...so Dr's typically slap me with a gastritis, gerd or IBS diagnosis.

A few years ago my brother was diagnosed Celiac.  We suspect my father suffered from this disease also but was never diagnosed.

My brother encouraged his siblings to get screened for Celiac as there can be a genetic connection (blood test). 

At the time, I had had enough with Dr's so I just decided to go gluten free as much as possible and I noticed I did feel better.  (My younger sister tested negative)

Last fall I started baking alot and started eating cookies, brownies and bread again.  For about the last month I've been in digestive hell.  All that bread baking...

A few weeks ago I couldn't take it anymore so I went to the Dr and she Dx'd acid reflux (gerd).  I also requested a Celiac blood test.  I started rantadine, stopped eating gluten and have finally been slowly returning back to normal. 

I decided to have a complete physical and went for that today.  When I asked about the Celiac blood test from a few weeks ago, she paused....looked at it...and said it "appears normal."  She said a letter was sent out (haven't received that yet) and told me she suspects that I've got several digestive issues going on. 

I think she's curious to see what my blood work from today looks like.  I've had a history of low Vit D and border line anemia.  That, in and of itself, is not uncommon.

I'm not really interested in pursuing another upper/lower GI.  I had one about 5 years ago (before my brothers Dx) and know for a fact that my Dr didn't suspect Celiac (no blood work / biopsy performed).

So while I await further results, I'm also educating myself.  Do I need to have a Celiac diagnosis?  No, not really.  I already know that I feel better avoiding gluten.  So I'm either "sensitive" or "diseased".  Does it really matter?

I found this article online from a physician addressing this exact question.  Take a moment and read it.  The simple fact is our bodies tell us what we can and can't do.  A common sense approach.  The article I'm referencing is dated July 9,2010 "Negative Test Results for Celiac".

http://glutendoctors.blogspot.com/

Pumpkins!

Whoo Hooo!   We've got pumpkins!

Aren't they cute!  Sm is disappointed that I didn't plant the monster sized pumpkins.  Next year sweetie!  I wanted to grow pumpkins that are good for pumpkin pies first.  Now that I know they can tolerate this patch of ground...(out back by the apple trees)...I'll be more aggressive and plant winter squash there next year too.

What is it about the novelty plants that I'm finding so exciting?  I mean it's not like you can't find sunflowers and pumpkins everywhere. 

But somehow...having it growing in my own back yard...is so cool.

My sunflowers got a late start due to the bastard bunnies that populate our yard. (And ate their way through my first batch of sunflowers.)

(You'd think with 3 dogs I'd be able to keep the bunny population down.) Ha!

On the hunt!

Have you got one, Boo? 

**I'm a "garden stalker".  Did you know that?  Seriously...I love to see what other gardeners are doing.  I'm a peeping Tami!

Dr T and a few of the patients I've spoken too agree that this year is a squash, cuke, watermelon, "anything with a vine" year . 

Green beans, peppers, tomatoes...not as good.  I mean we're all getting something but it's just not a great year for those plants.

I should be grateful that anything is growing.  For the month of June we've had 14 days of over 95 degrees.  22 days over 90 degrees.  (Half the month of June was an oven!!)

I'll sign of with these pretty pictures...(my lilac crepe myrtles starting to pop.)

Twenty Four

24 years ago today SM and I married.

Boy were we young.

I was 24 (SM was 27) when we married.  It wasn't hard at all.  He was then and still is...my best friend.

Time is a funny thing.  I told SM that starting tomorrow I will have been Mrs R longer than I've been Miss H.  We talked about how our childhood seemed to last forever.  

Now that we're adults, time seems so fleeting.  Trying to catch each precious moment.  It's not enough.  There's just not enough time in forever to be with you. 

We laugh now because we hear ourselves talking just like "the old people" did at family get togethers.  Gripping and complaining how the country's going down the tubes,  discussing medications and health issues, searching for a bit of peace and quiet. 

We've turned full circle.

24 kisses, baby. 

Come and let us live my Dear,


Let us love and never fear,


What the sourest Fathers say:


Brightest Sol that dies today


Lives again as blithe tomorrow,


But if we dark sons of sorrow


Set; o then, how long a Night


Shuts the Eyes of our short light!


Then let amorous kisses dwell


On our lips, begin to tell


A Thousand, and a Hundred, score


An Hundred, and a Thousand more,


Till another Thousand smother


That, and that wipe off another.


Thus at last when we have numb'red


Many a Thousand, many a Hundred;


We'll confound the reckoning quite,


And lose ourselves in wild delight:


While our joys so multiply,


As shall mock the envious eye.



Richard Crashaw