I am NOT superwoman

Surgery...

2009-08-26T19:52:00.010-04:00

Let me start by saying that I am doing well now... I had surgery at the beginning of April on my ankle (see previous post from February). It was a day surgery and I woke up amazingly fast from the anesthesia. I had a horrible night that night. I knew that the leg would swell after surgery but I forgot that they told me to loosen the bandages. I cried so much that night that I thought my DH was going to rush me to the hospital just to get them to knock me out. We called the doctor on call and he told us to take some Motrin in addition to the pain killer that was prescribed. The next morning, the surgeon's nurse called and told me to loosen the bandages and what a difference that made. I was in that wrap and partial cast for one week.

After one week, I went to the doctor and they removed the wrap and partial cast and I got to see my Frankenstein stitches for the first time. It sure felt good to uncover my foot, it was numb and dirty looking. I discovered that you can't do anything when you can put weight on your foot. I could not walk with crutches so my grandmother gave me a walker to use. That was hard to hop around with. I ended having to get a wheelchair to get around when I left the house. That was a funny site. I have a drop off on the porch and had to get my DH to lower me to the ground and then put the walker in front of me so I could hop to the truck to go to the doctor. He then had to load the wheelchair and walker into the truck so I would have it at the other end.

Then I got a real cast (pink) that was supposed to stay on for three weeks. They told me I could shower if I covered my cast with plastic bags so I tried it. I can't stand to be dirty. This cast lasted two days. I got it wet with my first shower because I didn't have the strength to stand up and I slipped and drug my foot across the shower floor ripping the bags. We tried to dry it but I could feel the moisture around the stitches so we had to go back to the doctor and get a new one.

I tried the shower thing again sitting down but kept sliding on the tiny seat in the shower so I gave up showers and took sink bath's and had to get my DH to wash my hair in the kitchen sink. This cast (purple) lasted one week. I felt something in my cast that was putting pressure near my stitches so I called the doctor and they had me come in. They took off the cast and there was nothing there. The only thing they could figure it that the batting wrapped around the foot, shifted and made me think something was in the cast. So I got cast number three...

This cast (green) would only stay on for a week, because I had to go back three weeks after surgery to have the Frankenstein stitches removed. They gave me alcohol to wipe my leg down and then put on a new cast (black) that I had to wear for three more weeks. I forgot to take a picture of that cast.

This was not an easy time for me. I had to sleep with my foot elevated on a bunch of cushions and pillows because it swelled a lot. Then it started to itch. I made it through these three weeks.

I got the black cast off and was told that I had to wear a pneumatic boot for four weeks. I could take it off except when I needed to walk. It was like learning to walk all over again. I was weak and tired easily. When you spend three weeks on your back its hard to start over. I had five weeks of physical therapy and that was hard too.

When I was finally released from everything it still took weeks to get my stamina up. I still have swelling in the foot that can occur for one year and it is still numb on one side. I do fine now unless I do a lot of walking.

I am alive...

2009-08-26T19:49:00.004-04:00

I know I have been gone for a long time. We had so much going on in our lives that blogging went to the back burner. We had to deal with Doodle's dance, then I had to resign from my volunteer work, then I had surgery and a long recovery, then I had to readjust to going back to work, then I traveled for work for two weeks and ended up getting sick when it was all over. I will create separate posts for each of these items.

8th Grade End of Year Dance

2009-08-26T19:36:00.006-04:00

Doodlebug went to the dance. She didn't go with a guy, she went with her female cousin, "C". She had a new "boyfriend" but he went with someone else, since they had already decided to go together before Doodle came into the picture. Doodle danced with her new boyfriend some and danced with her friends. She even had her picture made with the new "boyfriend".

You would have thought this was a high school prom instead of an 8th grade end of year dance. All these kids decked out in fancy outfits, limos, huge crowds of people. You had to drive up and drop them off at the door and everyone was standing outside so they could see everyone arrive.

It took forever to pick them up at the end. We blocked a main highway for a mile waiting to turn into the location for the dance. They had a good time but it was an awful lot of money spent for a short period of time. I now have a $300 dress that is hanging in a closet gathering dust.

Doodle Bug's New Dress

2009-03-10T20:22:00.007-04:00

Well, all the prayers worked... we found the dress with a minimal amount of bad attitude. It took going to three stores and then going back to the first one. My mom went with us and she actually picked this dress. This dress is the only one that stunned us when she put it on. Several of the other dresses were nice but just didn't "wow" us. When she put this dress on, my heart stopped.

Doodle Bug had her heart set on one of those puffy, fairy princess dresses but they really didn't do anything for her. I wanted her to wear one of those skinny, slinky dresses that shows off your figure when you are skinny but they didn't work either. This is a compromise, form fitting at the top, and puffy at the bottom. It has crinolines made into the dress.

What do you think about it?

Now, we have to find shoes, get the hair cut, nails and toes... does it ever end?

Superhero

2009-03-06T20:19:00.002-05:00

I found this on On The Verge and had to try it! I made my own superhero here!

Pray for me!

2009-03-06T17:55:00.003-05:00

Saturday, I am taking my 14 yo daughter shopping for a dress for the 8th grade formal. My daughter has expensive tastes and no concept of where money comes from. She also has a bad attitude when she doesn't get her way. Typical teenage girl. We have been looking online at dresses and she really wants one of those that is really puffy at the bottom (tulle). They are, of course, the most expensive ones. I asked my mother to go with us so my daughter behaves better. The formal is in two weeks so we have to find a dress tomorrow. We also have to find shoes and all the other accessories. Then, of course, she said she has to get her hair done and her nails... where does it all end?

Her brother went to the formal years ago but he was much cheaper. I think the tux was $99. I should have had two boys! But then again they are not as much fun to dress up as girls.

Lazy Day

2009-03-03T19:19:00.002-05:00

I stayed home from work today. I woke up with a sinus headache, sore throat, stuffy nose, etc. We have had a lot of rain the past few days and it always messes with my allergies. I had the same symptoms this weekend. I spent the day in my favorite outfit... baggy pj bottoms, tank top, sweat shirt and my DH's socks. I sat in my DH's favorite chair, surfed the internet and watched TV all day. I feel bad that I was not at work but its really hard to work when you have a bad sinus headache.

Last night after work, I picked up my DH and we went to the retirement home that we volunteer at. We call Bingo for a group of seniors. We have the best time doing this. When we were done, my DH dropped me at the hospital where my BF was in the emergency room. I waited with her until they released her and then drove her home. I finally got home about 9:30pm. I was too tired for much of a dinner so I ate a bowl of cereal and then went to bed.

What is your favorite outfit to lay around the house in?

Ear Check Monitor Giveaway

2009-02-28T23:35:00.002-05:00

Momof2boysWifeof1 is giving away an Ear Check Monitor! Check out her site and enter this great giveaway! I have actually tried this and its great. It told me that I need to monitor, I have fluid in my ear.

Great Giveaway

2009-02-27T23:32:00.002-05:00

Mommy Brain Reports is giving away a Bissell ProDry Carpet Cleaner. You must enter by Feb. 28th.

Playing Games

2009-02-27T20:29:00.003-05:00

When I was growing up we used to go camping all the time. My favorite thing we did was sit around the picnic table and play games as a family. We would play during the day and after dinner by the light of the lantern. We played cards, Boggle, Yahtzee and all kinds of other things. Now that I have kids, we have taken the kids camping and done the same thing. They didn't think it was as much fun as we did growing up but then, they have game boys and cellphones now to play with.

We also used to play around the coffee table on stormy nights when the power was out. These are some of my favorite memories from my childhood.

Come join me tonight on Twitter #TimeToPlay and check out their website at http://new.timetoplaymag.com/gamenight/

I am tired

2009-02-26T20:15:00.003-05:00

I am tired and its only 8:16pm. I had to go to a class today. I did not want to go but we had to send someone to represent my group so I went. None of the topics applied to us so it was really boring. I forgot to take my lunch so I ended up eating a small bag of popcorn and a couple of those mini donuts that I had stashed in my bookbag. The highlight of the whole day was I got to go home an hour earlier than I normally would.

The problem was by the time I got home I was exhausted and very hungry. I needed to eat so bad that I actually sent my DH to McDonalds for dinner. My daughter and her friend were happy, they love Mickey D's. I worked there as a teenager so I am burned out on McD's. I only eat there when I can't do anything else for dinner.

I guess I better go to bed now before I nod off.

I did not disappear...

2009-02-25T11:32:00.006-05:00

I haven't blogged in over a week. Its just been one of those weeks where I have a lot of thoughts to process. I have been having trouble with my ankle so I went in last Monday and had an MRI done. I went back to the doctor on Thursday and got the results. I have a torn peroneal tendon on the right side of my foot and the achilles tendon is deteriorating so there is a lot of scar tissue. I have to have surgery. I will be in a cast for six weeks and will not be able to go to the office for three of those weeks. I am hating the constraints that this will put on my life.

I got to bring the MRI films home with me to take to the doctor. Even though I had no idea what I was looking at, I looked at all the pictures. There was one that looked really weird. I swear it looks like the side view of a skull in my ankle. I held the film up to the light on my ceiling fan and took a picture with my cellphone real quick so I could show everyone. What do you think?

What happened to superwoman?

2009-02-15T13:56:00.002-05:00

I was dreading getting up today and facing all the stuff I needed to do. I was thrilled to discover that after I went to bed last night, my DH did the dishes for me. We still have a bunch of clothes to wash, we are out of clean towels. I need to vacuum but the vacuum is broke. I want to buy a new one but I can't decide which one to buy. I hate to spend a large amount of money but I have worn out 3 vacuums in the last few years. This is one of the side effects of having animals in the house.

What happened to me? I used to be superwoman. I worked all day then came home and fixed dinner and took care of the kids and DH. Now, I come home and just want to escape all the stuff that needs to be done. I can't cook anymore. I burn everything or it tastes like crap. I can still bake up a storm. Baking relaxes me but you can only eat so many sweets before you want to throw up.

I guess I get overwhelmed by all the demands on my time. At work everyone calls me when they have a question or need the copier or printer fixed. I spend my whole day putting out fires. Then I come home and its like whats for dinner, I need money, make a decision on this, take care of that problem, the dogs and cats want someone to pay attention to them, the bills need to be paid, or schedule my doctor/dentist/orthodontist appointment. Sometimes I just want to scream.

My DH is good to me. I still get frustrated with him but he takes care of fixing dinner or going and picking something up. He will run to the store for me, he makes sure the coffee maker is set up every night so I have coffee in the morning before work. He washes dishes, washes clothes, takes care of the animals, he will vacuum and dust, mop and sweep, he takes out the trash when we need it. He is good to me and I don't always tell him that I appreciate it. He retired in December and took a month off to relax. This really frustrated me. I felt like if I was still working, then he should take care of the house.

I had to volunteer for a school project (college) last summer and I chose to work at a retirement home for seniors. I ended up loving it and still volunteer there every Monday night. It allows me to give back to others and really improves my mood, no matter what kind of day that I had at work. My DH volunteers with me. He really is a good man.

I have boxes of stuff that I need to go through and either throw away, give away or find a good place to keep it. My house needs work done to it. Its over 25 years old and needs lots of work. The floors need to be redone, the soffit and fascia need to be replaced, the foundation is settling so the walls are cracked and the floor shakes, the windows and doors leak air, there are stains on the ceiling from a previous roof leak, the gate on the cedar fence need to be adjusted so they don't drag the ground, etc. My list could go on and on. Its not like we haven't done anything, the roof is fairly new, the heat and air system was replaced, new linoleum and carpet, and we painted the walls. There is never enough money to do everything that needs to be done. We have done extensive work on my truck and it is broken again. My husbands car needs new tires. My daughter has a formal to attend next month and that is going to cost a lot.

I have a friend that can't find work and is having a hard time. Somehow she manages to always pull through and find the way to pay the bills and feed the family. She stays positive through it all. I don't think I could do what she does without losing my mind. I was sick with bronchitis for two weeks recently and she brought her family down here and cooked dinner for us every night so she could make sure that I ate. I don't know what I would do without her. She manages to boost my attitude when I am down and always seems to know when I need to be left alone.

My life could be worse and I just need to suck it up and be happy but it is hard. I like being needed and helping others but I think I have let everyone use me too much. I need to figure out how to say no and to take time for myself. I always put myself last. I need a haircut and my eyebrows waxed so bad. Its been over eight weeks and my hair is so long that it covers my eyes. I am going to go today and get it cut finally. The only problem is that I don't have any clean towels to take a shower. I guess I will have to go find some beach towels.

Sorry for rambling for so long but it feels good to get it off my chest. Thanks!

How was your Valentine's Day?

2009-02-15T13:29:00.003-05:00

My day did not go as I planned yesterday. Instead of cleaning, I spent the day watching movies with my daughter. We watched "Baby Mama", "Momma Mia", "Norbit", "Happy Feet" and "Pay It Forward". We couldn't get my husband to watch with us so he spent the day watching TV with our dogs, Peanut and Honey. I enjoyed taking the day off and doing nothing.

Happy Valentines Day!

2009-02-14T12:40:00.003-05:00

Happy Valetines Day!

I suppose Superwoman would spend the day running around doing loving and romantic things for her family, but I am NOT superwoman. Instead, I am sitting in the living room blogging and watching "The Doctors" episodes that I had recorded this week. I don't even think I told my family "Happy Valentines Day". I need to do that soon.

My son is here recording a romantic video message for his new wife. He is very romantic when it comes to his Honey Bunny. He has roses and a beautiful necklace for her and he told her that he would pick her tonight for a dinner date.

The highlight of my day will be cleaning house. I am allergic to flowers, I don't really care about candy and don't wear jewelry except my wedding rings. My poor husband is at a loss as to what to do for me when it comes to special days like this. I prefer service related things, like helping me clean the house or working in the yard or on the car. Even better is to take my daughter somewhere and let me have alone time to recharge my internal batteries.

Well, I guess I better go spend some time with my family. Have a great day everyone!

Despite popular beliefs - I am NOT superwoman!

2009-02-13T20:52:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! I am new to this so bear with me as I learn how to do this. I am NOT june cleaver inspired me to start this blog. I don't know what I will write about, maybe all the things that people expect me to do in a day.