Understatement

To say that the last few days have not gone according to plan just might be the understatement of the year. You can read my last post to read about surgery and my lovely reaction to the narcotic pain medicene Dilaudid. That drug is s.t.r.o.n.g! Let's just say I won't ever, ever, ever be taking that stuff again! I'll spare you all of the details, but on Saturday afternoon, my body's reactions to the meds sent me to the ER. One pupil was very dilated and one was very constricted. Two hours in the ER and one CT scan later, I was fine (albeit having crazy looking eyes....I looked like a druggie) and was told I could go home. The ER doctor said he didn't think it was a drug interaction.....I (and everyone else who has seen me the past few days and seen what Dilaudid did to me) think that crap was still running through my system. To add insult to injury, I started to feel bad on Saturday evening....runny nose, sore throat. Yesterday I spent the day at home....crying most of the time....yet another way my body reacts to anesthesia. I was too afraid to take anything for the congestion....I certainly didn't need to add anymore meds into the mix. Today involved a trip to my regular doctor to get something for this sinus stuff and to get his opinion on the weekend craziness. He, too, thinks it was a bad drug reaction. He told me that they don't ever have to worry about me becoming a drug addict. It would be a cheap habit for sure.....but....ugh....I have no idea how people get addicted to narcotics. He gave me an antibiotic and said he would give me some cough syrup....that lasted about 15.2 milliseconds because we both said that I didn't need any more narcotics thrown into the mix. So my kitchen counter now has Vicodin,  Naproxen, Duricef, and Tessalon Perles (a non-narcotic cough suppressant)....I may look like a druggie, but I promise I'm not! My wrist really doesn't hurt too bad....except for when I hit in on a wall earlier today...that felt great. It still feels like I hit my funny bone in my elbow sometimes, but I am hoping that is just the nerve getting settled from being poked, prodded, and jostled around during surgery. Have one m.a.j.o.r. event later this week (more info on that later...maybe) and then off to see Dr. A on Friday to have my splint taken off, have the stitches removed, and see how my wrist has done. There may be more OT in my future....just have to see how my wrist is. Hoping I wake up tomorrow and feel fantastic. Well, that's all for now....

Stethoscope

My mom likes to forward e-mails she gets from her friends. Apparently when you are 

retired, as my mom and a lot of her friends are, you have time to watch every video 

and open every attachment that comes through your e-mail box. I, on the other hand, 

don't usually open forwards or I'll open them, read a little, and, then trash it. My mom 

sent this one to me tonight....and I actually decided to watch the video.

Very glad I opened it. Take the 2 minutes and 20 seconds to watch it.

It's cool!

Enjoy!

Surgery Recap

   We, being mom and I,  left for Piedmont about 6:20 yesterday morning. I stayed at my house the night before so she came over, we loaded up all my stuff since am staying with them for a few days, and then we hit the road to Atlanta. We decided to take a new route instead of taking 78 to Ponce to Peachtree. Mom hates driving down Ponce where the Paideia School is because the lines are very narrow, the road is curvy, and there are people out walking everywhere going to school. Instead, we took my new favorite cut-through...which I am sure most people already know about it, but I just learned about it in December. We took North Druid Hills to LaVista...which magically turns into Lindbergh...which crosses Peachtree Street between 85 and Piedmont Road. There was virtually no traffic and we made it to the hospital in a little over an hour. I didn't have to be there until 8 but we got there about 7:30.

     I got signed in and did all the pre-admission stuff and then we sat...and sat...and sat. Little did we know that sitting and waiting were going to be the theme of the day. There weren't too many people in the waiting area which was nice. There was one man across the room who has sleeping...and snoring loudly. It was all I could do not to bust out laughing. He snored really loud! I played on my blackberry, read some, and mom worked on a quilt. We also watched some of Good Morning, America. Up until this point, I hadn't been too nervous...but the nerves were starting to kick in. 

    About 8:45 (I think) a nursing assistance, Michelle, came to take me back to pre-op. My nurse, Muriel, got me settled into my pre-op room. They did all the normal stuff...weight, temp, heart rate, blood pressure and asked a bunch of questions. I got to put on one of those lovely hospital gowns...you know the ones that tie in the back and you pray that you don't wind up mooning someone! Then the fun part started...the IV. Susan, another nurse and the one I had in pre-op in July, came over to help Muriel. While Susan scrubbed my arm, wrist, and hand, Muriel started the IV. They give me a shot of lidocaine before they put the IV in so I didn't feel anything....it was great. They did a couple of other things...listened to my heart, lungs, listened to my stomach to see if it was growling, and felt my pulse in my feet. Then I waited...and waited. They finally went and got my mom when they realized that surgery wasn't going to start at 10. 

     The anesthesiologist came in to talk to me. What I really wanted to say was "just knock me out so I don't remember or feel anything." He went over what they would do and gave me some Pepcid in my IV to help me not get sick after surgery. It was probably around 10:30 and Susan said she had been watching the OR board and that Dr.A's first surgery had run long. Dr. A finally came in and talked to my mom and I about what he was going to do and he made some marks on my wrist to show where he was going to make the incision (luckily, he used one of the incisions from this summer). 

     Just a few minutes later, the OR nurse and the nurse anesthetist came to wheel me back to the OR. The nurse anesthetist gave me the first of many "cocktails" and I was high as a kite by the time we got to the OR. After that, things start to get fuzzy. I remember getting on the OR table, having them strap me down, getting my arms situated, and the having a mask put over my nose and mouth. I don't remember anything after that until I was in PACU...post anesthesia care unit. I woke up saw the nurse and she asked how I was feeling. My wrist was hurting pretty bad and she said they would give me some more pain meds. 

    They moved me to the recovery unit and gave me Dilaudid through my IV. This is when things went down hill...quickly. Within 2-3 minutes of me getting the meds in my IV, I started to feel terrible like I was going to pass out. Unfortunately I know what it's like to pass out and I knew that was where I was headed. My mom got my nurse, Lisa (who was incredible), and she came running in with another nurse. At this point, I was nauseous, dizzy, and getting more clammy by the second. My blood pressure had dropped to 48/22, my heart rate slowed to under 30, and my O2 levels dropped too. They uncovered me, took my socks off, put wet rags all over my face, and made me smell alcohol wipes to try to bring me back to consciousness. They finally got me stable....but every time they tried to sit me up, the same thing would happen. I'd get dizzy, start seeing spots, and all my vital signs would bottom out. 

   To make matters worse, some time in the middle of this, a 5 year old little boy came out of surgery and was put in the recovery room next to me. If you don't know, anesthesia makes kids very aggressive when they come to and wake up. He was screaming and crying. It sucked. I felt terrible and the little boy was out of control. I started to cry as did my mom. They finally got his parents in there with him. He kept crying and saying that he wanted to take his hat off (he had some sort of surgery on his ear to repair damage he got when he fell into the corner of a table...no I was eavesdropping...they were loud and there was just a curtain between us), said it itched, and the funniest was that he kept saying they had hurt his feelings. He finally calmed down when they brought in a rocking chair for his mom so she could sit and hold him. Well, that was all fine and dandy until the mom started rocking back. My bed and left arm were up against that curtain, so everytime she rocked back, it would hit my arm and move my bed. Mom finally told the nurse and I think they moved the chair to the other side of their room.

    At this point, it was probably 2:45 or so. They decided to let me go home. Mom went and got the car and Nurse Lisa helped me get dressed. They had removed all the monitors and my IV line so they couldn't really monitor how my body would react to getting up. I managed to get dressed, get in the wheelchair, and go down the hall. But that is as far as we made it. She could tell I was quickly going down again and another nurse said "she's not going to make it....take her back to her room." They had already taken the stretcher out so they had to get another one. Laura, the charge nurse (and the boss, I think) helped me get back on the bed and lay down while Lisa went to tell my mom that we couldn't quite leave. My BP was down to 50 something / 30 something. They hooked everything back up except the IV and had me drink coke to get some calories in me. Mom came back in and by this time, she was getting worried. We were both starting to think that they were going to make me stay overnight. They called the anesthesiologist who said that if everything bottomed out again that he would come and give me some shots to try to stabilize everything. Mom had not had anything to eat or drink since about 5:30 am so Lisa sent her to get something to eat. Lisa stayed with me and kept giving me coke and crackers. 

   Mom got back about 4 and they decided to try to see if I could sit up without crashing. This time, my BPS only went down to like 90/40 which was much better. They gave mom all the instructions from the hospital and from Dr. A and gave her the prescriptions. She went and got the car and Lisa wheeled me out...and at 4:30...we finally left Piedmont after being there for 9 hours! I slept the entire way home and came home and went right to bed. 

     So the surgery part....Dr. A said my body had a really bad adverse reaction to the stitch and had built up a bunch of scar tissue around it. The scar tissue had wrapped around my nerves so the nerves were embedded into the tissue. He was able to remove the stitch and scar tissue. He also cleaned all the tissue off the nerves and said everything looked good...except for one part of the nerve where he thinks there may have been some damage. He thinks that I may lose feeling to part of the back of my hand but that we won't know until I get out of the splint. My splint is luckily shorter than the one this summer so I can bed and straighten my elbow. I can sort of wiggle my fingers (which are very swollen) and I can't move my wrist at all. I go back to see Dr. A next Friday to have the splint removed, have the stitches taken out, and see what the next step is...which is probably going to be some more therapy....which means I will get to spend time a lot of time with my OT friends!

   I feel much better today (and have been told that I sound better too) but I still don't feel stellar. My wrist hurts some, but it's not too terrible. I am hoping to go back to my house tomorrow. Don't know about work next week...just going to take it one day at a time!

My lovely splint/cast from surgery.
At least it doesn't come up above my elbow like it did this summer.

Sorry for the spacing issues...I can't figure it out.

  
   

Countdown

Surgery is in 12 hours. 

I think I am ready.

Well, as ready as you can be for surgery.

This is surgery #4 on my left wrist and hand.

Praying that this is the last one.

Hoping Dr. A doesn't find anything unexpected.

Hoping it's a piece o' cake!

Hoping I can sleep tonight and not worry and toss and turn.

Ready for it to be over. 

Crazy Town

If you know me at all, then you know that I love Glee. Wait....scratch that...I love Glee. Let me rephrase that...I absolutely love Glee and am completely obsessed with it. I usually can't even wait until an episode is over before I am on iTunes buying the songs. I love it that much. It makes my Tuesdays wonderful!

One of the things I love about Glee is the hilariously funny one-liners. Most of the great ones come from Sue, but the other characters also get their fair share. On the episode this past Tuesday night, Mercedes said the best one-liner I have heard in a long time! I don't know why I found it so funny, but I cracked up and it seems to be very fitting for the week I have had. In the scene, some of the boys from Glee club walk into the choir room dressed like Justine Bieber. The camera shows the facial expressions of the other characters as they watch the boys walk in. The camera finally comes to Mercedes who says,

"Sweet Jesus, who bought tickets to crazy town?"

I laughed out loud and them immediately hit rewind on the DVR to hear it again. 
It is just too funny!

Like I said, this past week has been crazy. Hellacious (is that even a word? if not...well, I just created it) might be a more appropriate term. My clerk and partner in crime has not been there all week because her daughter had a baby. My sub is fabulous and is wonderful to work with....but it's just not the same. I was in tears by 8 am on Tuesday morning....that is never a good predictor for how the day is going to go. Then a L.O.N.G. meeting one afternoon (where I am still trying to figure out what the point was) left me stressed not only for myself but also for everyone I work with. That afternoon, I hit the park to walk and just kept walking until dark. By the time the sun had set, I had walked 5.25 miles. Needless to say, I walked off most of the stress. I felt just like I walked right into crazy town this week and I don't know who invited me or who bought the tickets!

I am very ready for this weekend. A fun trip to SC with my parents for HAC's birthday party. Hoping for a relaxing time where I can unwind, destress, and try not to worry about surgery next week and the endless "To Do" list I have to do before Wednesday morning!

Bubbly

Today while I was taking George on an afternoon walk in this amazing spring-like weather, this song came on my iPod and it just made me smile.

 

When I am walking alone, a bunch of completely random thoughts usually fill my head. 

Here are some of today's random walk thoughts!

• Does anyone else find it ironic that today, Valentine's Day, is also National Condom Day? I actually find this rather humorous. 
• In the past 3 days, I have walked 13.6 miles. That is only 1/2 a mile longer than what I have to walk for the half-marathon. I'm a wee bit scared! I need to start racking up the miles.
• I am loving this beautiful weather. 
• Holy crap....I have a lot to do this week, weekend, and the beginning of next week to get ready for Hallie's birthday, going out of town, and getting ready for surgery.
• Double holy crap....surgery is in 9 days. 
• I need to make reservations for George at doggie camp, aka...the kennel, for this weekend.
• I also need to decide how long George is going to stay at the kennel when I have surgery. 
• Why does George find is necessary to go to the bathroom on every mailbox, tree, trashcan, fire hydrant...basically, anything that stays still.
• Everyone has their trash cans out...tomorrow is trash day. Need to go home and take the trash out.
• Do I really want to cook dinner? (And for the record, I did...and there are leftovers!)
• When is Mr. Right going to make his grand appearance in my lilfe?
• Hey, I know the guy who just drove by me and waved....he leads worship at my church. Guess he lives in this neighborhood, too.

Oh yeah...Happy Valentine's Day....or as I like to call it...Happy Singleness Awareness Day!

I leave you with this quote....stolen from a friend on Facebook...

If you have found love: cherish it.

If you lost love: learn from it,.

If you are looking for love: enjoy the journey!

I ♥ Books!

Let me be honest about something...in case you didn't already know, I'm a bit of a nerd. I mean, come on, I'm a librarian...it's in my DNA. I love gadgets and tech stuff and learning new things. I can't wait to get an iPad of my own....oh what fun I will have! I love working in the broadcast studio at school and being able to produce a news show each day with minimal problems. You get the drift....I'm a dork. 

But...at the end of the day, I didn't get my EdS in Instructional Technology and become a media specialist for the technology. Surprised? Don't be. I'm a book lover...a reader...down to the very core of my being. I haven't always been this way. There is a difference between calling someone a reader because they can read and someone being a reader because they love it. I've been able to read since I was 5 or 6 years old I guess, but I didn't really become a reader until I was in college. I think there is always that 1 book that just turns people into readers. It might be the first book they actually read, the book they stayed up reading all night, the book they read with the box of tissues beside them. It's different for everyone. My "book" is A Walk To Remember by Nicholas Sparks. A college friend had loaned it to me during the summer of 1998 while I was in summer school. I had been reading it slowly and enjoying it, but then she said she needed it back so she could take it home with her for the weekend. I really wanted to finish the book. I am pretty sure it was a Thursday afternoon when she told me she needed it back so I decided to spend the afternoon and evening reading.  Well, the afternoon and evening turned into an all night reading fest. When I finished, with a glob of used Kleenex next to me, I took my puffy, red eyed self to her room (it was most likely some ridiculous hour of the morning....but like I said, it was summer school...there was not a whole lot of studying going on on a Thursday night...more likely, a lot of partying) and returned it to her. That's when I became a reader. A real reader. Someone who loves books.

So, I write all of that to preface this video. Lane Smith, a children's book author, has a new book out called It's A Book. Like I said earlier, I'm a nerd...a dork....a dweeb...and I love the digital age. We Google and Facebook (yes, they're verbs in my book), we blog, and we tweet. I love these things just as much as the next person, but even more so, I love books. In this ever-changing digital age, we can't lose our love of books. I for one, will be fighting to the death for them.

Enjoy!

Ramblings

It is 7:14 am and I have already been at school for over 45 minutes. Today starts the morning craziness that is the before school tutoring program. Wednesday and Thursday mornings....for the next 8 weeks. This is my 4th (and final) year as the director of this program. I don't know how I keep getting talked into it...but I swear, when March 31 rolls around and we are done with the program for this year, I am turning in my Before School Tutoring Program resignation letter. Alarm going off at 4:30am so that I will be up and in the shower by 5am...no thank you. Being out the door and on the road by 6am...no thank you. Sitting in the hallway by the car rider door waiting for kids to arrive when it is 28 degrees outside (I for one think that stupid groundhog was wrong.....we're supposed to have snow tonight...ugh) and being blasted by the cold everytime the door opens...no thank you. Don't get me wrong...the extra money (as little as it is) is nice. Last year I was the director for the before school program and taught in the after school program so I could splurge on my spring break trip to NYC and Boston. This year....I am thinking the money is going to be put towards an iPad!!! Anyway...day #1 of ridiculous early mornings at school down...15 more to go.

This afternoon I am headed to Atlanta to see Dr. A about my wrist. It hurts. Yesterday it hurt so bad I cried. Real. Crocodile. Tears. I have no idea what is going on with it and I am praying that he has some miraculous answers. It hurts when I bend it. It hurts when I don't bend it. It hurts when I wear my bionic arm. It hurts when I don't wear my bionic arm. It hurts when I am alseep. It hurts when I am awake. Sometimes it is a throbbing pain. Sometimes it is a stabbing pain. Sometimes the pain radiates up into my elbow and down into my pinky. The point is...it hurts. Really. Bad. At this point, I am ready for anything.....cortison injection (if you've never had one, they hurt like hell....I know I am a wuss when it comes to needles and shots, but these suckers hurt...and it takes a good 2-3 days for the pain of the injection to wear off before it actually even can begin to work), yes, please....surgery to remove the popped stitch, yes, please...anything to make it better. Anything.

Well, I am frozen solid...need to remember to grab one of the quilts in the media center next time....and it's time for me to start my usual morning things....grab a diet coke, go start the scrolling PPT, and get the teleprompter ready to go for the morning broadcast. Hoping for a good day!

Maybe

If you have spent any time with me (as in more than 7.217 seconds), then you know that I love music. And...you probably know that I have this habit of playing songs over and over and over and...well, you get the drift. I heard this song on the radio yesterday morning and promptly came home and bought it on iTunes (oh the damage I can do on iTunes). The words are powerful and speak volumes about change and how hard it is to either a) change something about yourself or in your life and b) accept the change that is going on around you. 

I have been thinking lately about how seemingly small changes can have huge results. Music speaks to me....maybe this song is what I needed to hear to start making small changes and learn to accept the changes going on around me. Just maybe....

Maybe

Sick Puppies

Maybe I'm a dreamer

Maybe I'm misunderstood

Maybe you're not seeing the side of me you should

Maybe I'm crazy

Maybe I'm the only one

Maybe I'm just out of touch

Maybe I've just had enough

Maybe it's time to change

And leave it all behind

I've never been one to walk alone

I've always been scared to try

So why does it feel so wrong

To reach for something more

To wanna live a better life

What am I waiting for?

'Cause nothing stays the same

Maybe it's time to change

Maybe it's hopeless

Maybe I should just give up

What if I can't trust myself?

What if I just need some help?

Maybe it's time to change

And leave it all behind

I've never been one to walk alone

I've always been scared to try

So why does it feel so wrong

To reach for something more

To wanna live a better life

What am I waiting for?

'Cause nothing stays the same

Maybe it's time to change

And maybe it's time to change

And leave it all behind

I've never been one to walk alone

I've always been scared to try

And maybe it's time to change

And leave it all behind

I've never been one to walk alone

I've always been scared to try

So why does it feel so wrong

To reach for something more

To wanna live a better life

What am I waiting for?

'Cause nothing stays the same

Maybe it's time to change

'Cause nothing stays the same

Maybe it's time to change

The Real Thing

I count myself pretty lucky that I have a handful of friends who know the real me and love my anyways. We all have friends (or at least I certainly hope everyone has friends)...but which of your friends have you let see the real you...I mean the real you? Which ones know all your secrets? Which ones can read you like a book? Who do you call when you don't feel like you can talk to anyone? Who just "gets" you?

I was reminded how important it is to be true to yourself.

No one else can do it. No one else can be you. 

Think of it as your mission...your job...just be real!

I love this quote that was on the Theta Delta ΑΓΔ 2011 Bid Day Shirt...

"Sometimes the best way to find out who you are

is to get to a place where you don't have to be anyone else"

So, my friends, surround yourself with people who let you be you and 

who don't try to make you be someone you are not.

If they really are true friends, then they want to see the real you!