No. No. No.
Just a little note...
At 6:45am today-
I had a zillion of your pages open this morning when something 'gave' in my back. The pain was indescribable, and immediate. I couldn't even move my feet off the little stool under the table to get my phone, let alone even take the weight off my forearms.
Punk was at my side immediately.
Stuck in my office chair, I texted Casey to call Randy- (her car is here yet). They were here within 45 minutes.
We spent the morning at the E.R. where they treated my pain, and of course took more Xrays. According to the doctor and the radiologist I have "the back of a 90 year old"
I don't think I have to tell you how it made me feel to hear that I will be in a wheelchair soon. It is more than defeating -to put it mildly.
I have an appointment with my pain doctor tomorrow. Hopefully I will know more after that. E.R doctors have been known to be wrong, right?
XOXO
Me
Anna~Anna
"Flintville Annie"
© 2006-2015
Green Bay Packer Babies
A Green Bay Packers Fan is drinking in a Chicago bar when he gets a call on his cell phone.
He hangs up, grinning from ear to ear, and orders a round of drinks for everybody in the bar, announcing his wife has produced a typical Green Bay baby boy weighing 25 pounds.
Nobody can believe that any new baby can weigh in at 25 pounds, but the Packer Fan just shrugs, "That's about average back home, folks like I said my boy's a typical Green Bay baby boy.
Congratulations showered him from all around, and many exclamations of "WOW!". One woman actually fainted due to sympathy pains.
Two weeks later, he returns to the bar.
The bartender says, "Say, you're the father of that typical Green Bay baby that weighed 25 pounds at birth. Everybody's been making bets about how big he'd be in two weeks. So how much does he weigh now?"
The proud father answers, "Seventeen pounds."
The bartender is puzzled, concerned, and a little suspicious. "What happened? He already weighed 25 pounds the day he was born?!?"
The Green Bay father takes a slow swig from his Leinenkugel's beer, wipes his lips on his shirt sleeve, leans into the bartender and proudly says...
..."We had him circumcised!"
OW!
G'mornin' all;
A horrible day for my back... So I will be keeping this short(er).
Greg got home from Milwaukee about 3 yesterday afternoon- 2 hours later, a very happy Greg and Casey left for their home.
I napped. hehehe
Casey is doing very well- A laparascope surgery is almost nothing to her now, after the major major cuts she has had in the past.
Still, the need to rest and heal is of the utmost importance.
She is one tough young lady!
Perhaps my back can be blamed on our beloved Pack for making me jump a few times on Saturday night, hehehe -but upon waking this morning, I am unable to barely walk enough to let the poor dog out. I have managed to move to a different chair as I need to. I have also managed to get Casey's car moved and the garage door closed. It is beginning to snow- It is to snow all day and night- It is falling straight across the yard too. Never a good thing.
I think I am the only Packers fan who has been holding their breath all season long- Ever since Grant was out for the year, (way back when), it seems that the rest of the Pack is dropping like dead flies.
Yet, it also seems that the more we lose players, the more strong we know we have to play, and the better we do.
Not to jinx anything, but I am so looking forward to the game this coming weekend, that this week will not pass fast enough for me!
Win or lose, the fact that we have gotten this far is freakin' fantabulous!
Honestly I think almost any Packers vs Bears game is better than the Super Bowl.
OK... That said, it is time for me to see if I can sit to sew a little now.
Hope all is well in your little corner of the world.
Love to all
XOXO
Me
Don’t Let Renters Vote
Tea Party Nation President Says It ‘Makes A Lot Of Sense’ To Restrict Voting Only To Property Owners
From here: CLICK
http://gawker.com/5702830/tea-party-leader-restricting-voting-to-property-owners-makes-a-lot-of-sense
Every week, the Tea Party Nation hosts a weekly radio program, calling itself a “home for conservatives.” Two weeks ago, Tea Party Nation President Judson Phillips hosted the program and discussed changes that he felt should be made to voting rights in the United States. He explained that the founders of the country originally put “certain restrictions on who gets the right to vote.” He continued, “One of those was you had to be a property owner. And that makes a lot of sense, because if you’re a property owner you actually have a vested stake in the community. If you’re not a property owner, you know, I’m sorry but property owners have a little bit more of a vested interest in the community than non-property owners”:
PHILLIPS: The Founding Fathers originally said, they put certain restrictions on who gets the right to vote. It wasn’t you were just a citizen and you got to vote. Some of the restrictions, you know, you obviously would not think about today. But one of those was you had to be a property owner. And that makes a lot of sense, because if you’re a property owner you actually have a vested stake in the community. If you’re not a property owner, you know, I’m sorry but property owners have a little bit more of a vested interest in the community than non-property owners.
Listen to it:
Phillips is advocating a policy of voter disenfranchisement that has its roots in the 18th century. When the United States was first founded, ownership of property was one of the requirements to vote in most elections. Many of these restrictions were phased out by the 1820s and replaced with requirements that the voter pays taxes. By 1850, these requirements, too, were phased out. Nashville Scene blogger Betsy Phillips calls the Tea Party Nation president’s idea a “frivolous proposal designed to stoke intergenerational antagonism — as if the people who are older and can afford a home are somehow better citizens than the 18-year-olds who are going off to war to die for our country.”
Unfortunately, numerous major conservatives have advocated for rolling back the voting rights of Americans. Supreme Court justice Anthony Scalia, Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX), Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA), and Sen.-elect Mike Lee (R-UT) have all advocated for repealing the 17th Amendment, which would end direct election of U.S. Senators and return Senate elections to the purview of state legislatures. (H/T: Tea Party Nationalism)
________________________________________________
OK I see this is from November 30th, 2010, and I am belated in reading and sharing it...
But am wondering where anyone comes up with such ideas?
What say you?
XOXO
Me
(Above links should work)...
Ferrlecit Reaction- (part two)?
Sputty. (With "cattitude")...
Good Afternoon!
As you know from yesterdays blog, Casey had a very bad reaction to her infusion on Wednesday evening.
It's pretty damned bad when suddenly your own body no longer fits in your own skin!
She was so very swollen, and had so much pain everywhere. The swelling in her joints being almost as bad as the hives and the other swollen parts.
Unfortunately, she can only have benedryl as the rest of the stuff is steroids. As Robin was good enough to point out after Casey had tried the Infed infusion, Casey cannot have those treatments because steroids ultimately kill off her precious islet cells.
It happened again last night. The same thing! This, 24+ hours after her infusion was stopped. Again, she took the 50 mgs benedryl and her pain meds as prescribed. Finally, about 4AM the swelling began to go down. She is sleeping for now- I will wake her about 3 or so to make sure that we don't have a repeat of last nights insomnia. I would fall asleep a bit, then awaken; and she was still up. Even after another 50mgs of the benedryl...
The only difference this time is that now we are home. The Minneapolis forecast called for flurries yesterday. No big deal that, as flurries are almost a way of life in Winter.
But the forecast was wrong.
The weather turned a 4 and a half hour drive into almost 8 hours. Kelli remarked that we must have brought it with us because it didn't start snowing in Flintville until 20 minutes before we got home. hehehe
We followed that weather all the darn way home!!! Saw one lone snowplow spreading salt, and just west of Wausau, WI; otherwise the roads were not treated in our direction. (I must add that we counted 8 or 9 plows heading west, plowing and salting). We saw a few crashes along the way- only one that the car had passed me previously. Being a fan of "late", (in the choice of 'late' or 'never'), I just took my time; stopping every now and then for a potty break. (And medically necessary to unwind my knuckles for a short time).
No stopping in Ringle for Punks potty break either.
I did stop every now and then for gas- Not needed, save for a few extra pounds added to the car.
As I wrote to my KelliBaby this morning, Mr Sputnik couldn't make up his mind whether to sleep upstairs or down last night. ('Course neither could Casey, so she was awake all night long).
Grrr... One might be tempted to think that 2 days post surgery that one would want to sleep. Not so with herself... hehehe
I wonder now, if it was pre-hives, the allergy, that kept her awake, the trip, the surgery, or a combination of everything? Probably that combination.
I still have dishes to do- Left over from before we left, my back not being accommodating enough at that point to stand and scrub. (How's that for an excuse)?! hehehe
Will get to those after I go in search of a few fresh groceries. The darned dishes will keep a few more hours, and are soaking in bleach water for now.
I would put off the shopping until after the dishes if we weren't to be expecting about 4" of new snow today. I drove far enough in the darn weather yesterday and don't wish to be driving any more than I have to today.
The sun was out earlier, but it is cloudy now. Imagine the snow will start soon.
That said, I had better close. I hope everyone is safe and warm. And I thank you ALL for your letters, notes, and gifts, for Casey. What grand family and friends we have! Thank you! Thank You!! THANK YOU!!!
My love to all.
XOXO
Me
PS
If you are newer here, {since Casey's TP/AIT (transplant)}, please read here
http://flintville.multiply.com/calendar/item/10011
or here
http://flintville.multiply.com/journal/item/721
Or...
Just start here
http://flintville.multiply.com/journal/item/712
& keep reading forward by hitting 'next' at the bottom of each blog...
Pictures in most. <--- (You have been warned). hehehe
Casey. Very BAD reaction to Ferrlecit
Just an update...
Casey was given her Ferrlecit infusion yesterday afternoon/evening...
As usual, they run this very slowly; and since she is sensitive to it, they also give her 50 mgs benedryl before even beginning.
Over the course of those 4 hours, she did quite well, save for a bout of diarrhea.
She had only 12 minutes left on it when the benedryl gave up, and she immediately broke out in hives from head to toe.
She had excruciating pain in every joint in her body-
We rang the nurse, who stopped the IV, and also withdrew the last of the Ferrlecit that was in her neck.
Within minutes she was given 50 mgs more of benedryl, and a bolus of her pain meds for the overwhelming joint pain she had.
Before I left last night she was given 50 mgs more benedryl, and her normal pain meds.
I have yet to hear from her this morning-
Please keep her in your good thoughts and prayers.
Love to all
XOXO
Me
Anyone that knows Casey, knows that her ankles and legs are very slim and trim...
This is what happened within a minute-
- - - The pain. The swelling. The hives.
Casey. Minnesota. Surgery- (The 1st few days).
Good Morning All;
First, and most important, Casey's surgery went very well, even though I'd brought her there for 9:30, and never heard again until she was out of surgery around 3:30.
Surgery did start a bit later than they'd hoped. Still, it was a long long day...
To thank everyone who sent their cards, notes, and gifts- Casey will thank you all personally as she can! Suffice to say the top of the fridge is full of cards for her!
Way cool!
We have been in Minnesota for almost a week now- It's been quite a ride, given that I arrived here with a migraine and a sick child, both in tow.
Leaving home, we had gotten new snows- a good enough cover to smear up the roads. But the plows had been out, spreading their salts, and the roads only slowed us down a little, and only for the first 90 miles or so.
Casey stole a nap as we neared I-94, having pain with her meal, and being stressed out as well.
I snapped this picture-
- and wondered who the heck in the north has a new boat on their mind in the middle of January?!?
As you can tell from these pictures, the sun finally did come up and out that day-
Know that the beauty is misleading too- as the temps were hovering around 10°(F) all day long.
We passed LOTS of these marks in the medians-
Evidence that some people were either caught unawares, or didn't care, about the snow/ice.
We stopped a few times (twice for relief and once for gas and food)-
Then finally, we were to Minnesota!
It is always so nice to see The Moos Tower (part of U of M)-
(There are only about 20 minutes left to drive at this point).
Casey's appointment was for 2 to meet with Dr. Andrade- We had about 45 minutes to get signed in to our room, leave Punk where it is warm, and get over to Fairview.
Dr. Andrade is a specialist in Thoracic and Foregut Surgery.
Casey was referred to him by Dr. Sutherland.
Obviously Casey could have opted to find another (closer to home) surgeon for this Vagotomy- Since all of Fairview is knowledgeable of the TP/AIT transplants that are done there, we choose to remain with them whenever possible. This makes real sense to not only us, but to Fairview as well.
Just one floor down from Dr. Sutherlands offices and clinics-
Once in the room, Casey found a poster of "normal" insides...
OK.
So it's upside down, and all parts are still there. (Unlike Casey's own innards).
hehehe
We remain very impressed by Dr. Andrade- Though younger, he is much like Dr. S. He listens to the patient, to everything, and responds according to the fact that Casey is 23, and very well informed.
(I am sensing that this ability to actually talk to a patient, instead of 'down to' - or 'at'- a person, is a prerequisite for being hired on at U of M)...
He also asked about my head- (it was that obvious).
He then turned down the lights, saying that his own father suffered terribly the whole of his life. He even asked the nurse to talk quietly when she came in.
He explained all that the surgery would entail; how long it would take, etc, to us, and then checked her over too. He also said that, depending on her pain levels, she may be in the hospital for quite a while.
Back at the hotel, Casey was waiting for her food to arrive, and Punk was watching an "Animal Planet" show.
It must have been a fascinating program...
Casey tried, but our Punkster would NOT take her eyes off the screen! hehehe
But oh, we were so hungry! And so happy when the food finally came!
(Food DID make Punk leave her show). hehehe
Punk had to inspect the whole thing...
That salad was for me! "Mmmm"...
(I'd ordered extra dressings so I could eat that salad for 3 or 4 separate meals).
Casey ordered a baked potato pizza- knowing that *if* the tomatoes set off her tummy, that the pain would be short~lived at best.
Broccoli, with 3 cheeses, onions, tomato, and baked potato-
With sour cream to dip it in! - - - Double "Mmmm"...
I'd better close for now- Casey texted earlier and told me to hold off on coming up- She wants to sleep. (Imagine that)! hehehe
Methinks I will nap a bit too, and will catch you all up more about the day of surgery as soon as I can.
I hope all is well with everyone.
As always, I send my love-
XOXO
Me
Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords Shot in Tucson
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/09/us/politics/09giffords.html?_r=1&hp
January 8, 2011
Congresswoman Giffords Shot in Tucson
By J. DAVID GOODMAN
A congresswoman from Arizona was shot on Saturday along with several others during at public event at a grocery store in Tuscon, according to her spokesman, C.J. Karamargin. The Tucson Citizen reported that Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, a Democrat, had been shot at close range in the head.
Ms. Giffords, 40, ... was taken to University Medical Center in Tucson, the trauma center for the area, about 10 miles away.
CNN quoted a public information officer as saying that 12 people had been injured in all.
The shooting occurred at a Safeway supermarket in northwest Tuscon as Ms. Giffords hosted an event, called “Congress on Your Corner," to allow members of the 8th Congressional District to meet her individually. She has held several events since first taking office in January 2007. At one such event in 2009, a protester was removed by police when his pistol fell on the supermarket floor. This was her first event since her re-election to a third term in November.
Last March, her Tucson office was vandalized a few hours after the House vote overhauling the nation’s health care system, the authorities said.
Earlier events in Tucson, Oro Valley, Green Valley, Sierra Vista, and Douglas had attracted between 75 and 150 people, according to a statement announcing the event.
Ms. Giffords was interviewed on Fox news on Friday to talk about a bill to cut to congressional salaries by five percent.
Asking for a HUGE Favor (Pretty Please)?
***Private Entry***Hi Everyone;
I am back online; having had issues with Yahoo. (Will try to explain THAT fiasco in a new blog).
However, this one blog is for Casey- Or not, as the case may be... hehehe
Please don't tell her.
Casey will be having her transthoracic vagotomy next week Tuesday.
We leave, (dependent on the weather), either Wednesday or Thursday. (Yikes, that might be tomorrow already)!
Casey has 2 appointments, pre~surgical; one on Thursday and one on Friday. We will stay the weekend, given that neither of us are up for 3 trips.
Anyhow, a little birdie told me that Casey and Greg received all of 2 Christmas cards.
I know many of you do not send cards- I sent relatively few of my own this year. (Thus, I am also guilty of not sending them one, and will take up my own advice shortly). hehehe
I am wondering if you would please send her a card? Either a surgery, a get well- or even a birthday card? (Casey will turn 24 on the 26th).
I have no idea how long she will be in the hospital, so if you could do this before next Tuesday, that may be best. Just please don't send it out today already, (or it might get there before we do).
As always we will be staying at Days Inn...
CaseyAnne L. DeGrave
c/o Days Inn
2407 University Av Se,
Minneapolis, MN 55414
I think this would be very very cool for her. What do you think?
Love to all- (More soon, I hope).
XOXO
Me
PS
If you are wondering about her surgery... Here is the email I got from her.
Hi Mommy!
When I searched for "transthoracic vagotomy" all I got were clippings of parts of medical journals, and couldn't understand those... However, I searched for vagotomy and it brought up a bunch of info on it. It's actually something I've heard of before, where they cut the nerve to the stomach that is in charge of telling the stomach to produce ulcers. Since most ulcers are caused by the H. Pylori bacteria, not a lot of these surgeries are done anymore as they respond to the antibiotics and the ulcer is gone... But it is done in cases like mine, when patients don't respond to medical therapy...
Here are {some of} the links I found:
Wikipedia on Vagotomy
Definition and other info on Medical Dictionary
http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/vagotomy
http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/vagotomy
And Vagotomy on Surgery Encyclopedia
Love you MUCH MUCH!
~CaseyAnneWe will know much, much, more by the end of Friday. hehehe
Onward to "Happy~Happy" now
I was going to attach a top picture, but the only option I use for it is "from my computer".
The click then tells me "This webpage not available".
Not to be outdone by a mere machine, I will just have to try later...
Merry 2 days after Christmas to everyone! And please bear with me for a while...
That I have no idea what the heck I am doing is putting it gently. Mostly I stare at this machine and wonder what to do next...
I have uploaded a few pics to Flickr and will share them with you-
Santa Claus brought me a new computer, so I am not sure I'll even be able to blog.
Even the light~up keyboard has me puzzled at times.
No worries, I shall try to blog anyway... hehehe
First our Punkmeister...
"Sandy Paws" brought her a new Frisbee!
~ ~ ~Which she promptly got stuck to her face!!! hehehe
She also received some new tennis balls, and 2 new tug toys.
And NONE of them squeak! (YAY)!
Oh! She LOVES to play! For her sake, I wish my back was better again, and I could be a better friend to her.
Casey and Greg stayed overnight on Christmas Eve.
I woke about 3 on Christmas morning. First, I was unable to go back to sleep, then I was afraid to- (in case I miss something you know)!
Casey came down with pain, about 6- Greg followed shortly thereafter.
We decided not to stare at the tree any longer, and made tracks to open the presents that Santa had brought!
Casey and Greg showing off their matching new coffee cups!
Casey showing off her new "Kindle" !
With 500 books too!
Greg said he HAD to play Santa on this one... Seems as though he thinks with all the books that Casey reads, he will be able now to save tons of room in their apartment for other things - besides all those books!!!
Greg got a homemade apron, along with some cooking utensils. These all, for our new outdoor grill, (which we don't have yet). It will be one of the first things on my wish list when we get our duplex though...
Mmmmm.... (I can't wait)!
Jennifer sent pictures of the boys, and as soon as I figure out where the scanner is depositing scanned pics I will share those with you too.
And oh my! Little Wyatt looks just like me when I was one, minus my curls! I threaten to tear up every time I look at that picture! My man, Isaiah, is just as handsome as ever, looking very much like his mom!
Great DNA here! (When Greg was doing the 'face matching' on the iPhoto, it brought up all my girls as myself, AND Wyatt and Gabriel too!
I called off my 24th annual Christmas brunch this year, having no ability to stand in the kitchen long enough to get food made, and everyone fed.
I received word 4 days ago that I have 3 new fractures in my spine. (No damn wonder I have been in so very much pain of late)!?!
I am not sure what will happen, given that my back is inoperable. But I will put up, and (try to) shut up, as long as I can still move around a bit.
OK. that "shut up" thing is not going to work... hehehe So here's a thought. If you don't want to listen to me b*tch about my back, then you should not be on my pages.
They are thinking on doing some shots again to my back, just to make things easier for me, for a while. We will set up an appointment after the 1st to figure that out. After that, there is that "tens?" option, which I will have to check into to refresh my memory- Is that the thing that one wears for electrical currents?
Buying that duplex is quickly becoming a necessity.
We had a wonderful, quiet, day- We went back to bed, to nap, and were all surprised that we slept soundly for as long as we did. Waking early~afternoon, we made "breakfast", pigged out a bit, and were almost ready to call it a night when Randy showed up. (His belly, honestly, showing kudos to his own mama's good cooking. - And I thought gluttony was a sin)!? hehehe
Greg transferred all my pictures onto this computer. That there are over 50,000 surprised no one but him. This new program, iPhoto, will take a bit for me to figure out, but it is the first thing I went to also. hehehe
I did this one...
Not sure how I did it; but I think it's cool, and am proud of myself for it!
After a long day, Casey and Greg made their way home- Our presents were put away, and it was high time for me to get to sleep.
Just like Punk-
Miss Kelli stopped by yesterday bearing gifts- (I feel like such a chintz sometimes)- She brought some grand lemony candles and sprinkles and even some drains stuff in lemon. With that kind of inspiration, I have already mopped my floors this morning, using my lemon pine sol. I am also on my 3rd load of wash.
For now it is high time for me to get cleaned up too.
Our "Merry Merry" was grand- Onward to "Happy Happy" now!
Our "Merry Merry" was grand- Onward to "Happy Happy" now!
I hope everyone had a 'wunnaful' magical Christmas, no matter how you celebrated.
How did you celebrate, by the way?
My love to all!
XOXO
XOXO
Me
PS
I have to thank everyone that did send me a card!
We did finally get to the post office, late as usual...
If you sent me a card you will have one shortly. I promise.
We did finally get to the post office, late as usual...
If you sent me a card you will have one shortly. I promise.
PPS
On a related note...
On a related note...
Did you know that if you are disabled and cannot get to your mailbox that the postman has to deliver your mail to your door every day? I had the doctor write up an order for me as soon as I had learned that-
This came about after finally calling the US Postal Service to complain about having to have my mailbox plowed out 3 times last week, and only getting my mail one day...
I asked her how cleaned out my yard has to be for him to come in (after having had my box plowed out 3 times, not cheap, and he still would not deliver)-
She told me it did not matter- that he HAS TO walk it to my door-
Then she recited their "rain, snow, sleet" motto to me.
Music to my ears!
(But I do wonder why that doesn't apply to the mailbox out there)?
Sometimes it helps to complain a bit!
Now all I have to do is get all my papers sent to the postmaster in GB.
Very very cool
Holiday Eating Tips...
1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Holiday spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately.
Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.
2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It's rare. You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up!
Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something.
It's a treat.. Enjoy it.
Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think.
3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on.
Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.
4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother?
It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.
5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Holiday party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?
6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food, and that vat of eggnog.
7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like thickly frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention.
They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.
8. Same goes for pies.
Apple, Pumpkin, Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three.
When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?
9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.
10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention.
Re-read tips; start over.
But hurry, January is just around the corner.
XOXO
Me,
- Special thanks to my Auntie!
EGD- Pictures of Innards. (You have been warned).
hehehe Not MY wreath-
(Taken at Kelli and Tims place).
Good Morning All;
My apologies for visiting and not replying to your many entries. I am just not feeling the greatest.
Must have caught a lil bug while at the hospital for Casey.
Casey will be needing more surgery.
She had her EGD, (esophagogastroduodenoscopy).
Her anastamotic ulcers are still there. The surgeon here in town has upped her meds, changing one to a liquid as perhaps that may work for her pain a bit better.
These types of ulcers are directly caused by surgery- (The other, more common ulcer is caused by a bacteria, h~pylori).
re456q45y
The amount of pain that this young lady has learned to live with on a daily basis, for the past 6+ years just moves me.
Still, she has more chutzpah than most of her peers- or any other group. Not in a rude or impertinent sort of way, just with her ability to look at everything and still say, "so what?"
Makes a mama real proud.
My son in law William called on Thursday- All is well in Alabama, save for the fact that the poor guy has been freezing half to death. (I chuckle at that always).
Lawrence is quite well, although with the heart thing, he is limited to non-contact sports. So, much like Casey, he has dealt with that too. He is on the swim team and is loving every minute of that. He will be 11 this coming February- and is already almost 5' tall. That physique means he can swim like a fish!
When the phone rang again last night, and it was William, I got a bit panicked- Two days in a row is almost unheard of unless something is happening.
He stated that he and Lawrence were just leaving the hospital. His oldest son, Blaine, is now in the hospital, -with pancreatitis.
Lordy, I didn't even know of this until Casey's problems started. Then I didn't know anyone else with it. Then Uncle Chum had one attack a few years back. Now Blaine. Now I know 3 people.
Odd, isn't it?
Blaine is 21. He will be hospitalized until this bout passes.
They have also found a growth on the outside of his small intestine. Not yet sure exactly what it is attached to, but that will have to be dealt with too.
I wish him the very best of diagnosis and prognosis.
William did tell me that where the growth is, is very very rare that this sort of thing would be malignant. That is good to know. Still hard for these kids to be in such pain.
... If it's not one thing...
I sewed until about 3AM then stole a few hours of sleep.
Some things are coming together. Some, not so much. Oh well. hehehe
Punk must surely hate me for being so busy without her.
She lays on the foot pedal...
Or, Worse, ...
~ She lays on my nicely ironed ready to use patches...
(Casey had to iron more than a few, again, the other day).
And I save almost everything. 3 shots of patches too small to use.
Too small? Wanna bet?
These are NOT my quilts, so I can post these pictures. hehehe
I only wish I had more thread and fabric...
I'd better close and get on with my day.
Casey and Greg will be here shortly- Brian called yesterday and her car is ready to be picked up. YAY! Happy it is done.
I hope all is well with everyone! That you are enjoying these last two weeks of the year!
Must fly for now- My love to all.
XOXO
Me
From the Completely Frozen Tundra
G-g-g-g-g-good M-m-m-m-m-morning All;
Flintville Wisconsin comes a bit chilly today...
The kind of morning that makes you want some hot chili for breakfast.
So far, so good; knock on wood. We have power, and we have heat, and we have running water. Not too much else matters in this weather.
I took the above picture about an hour or so ago.
The weatherman says it is now 16 below.
The weatherman also says that we have to go back to January 2009 to have a morning this cold. Almost 2 years.
At least it is to warm up to the teens today. (That would be on the plus side of zero). Tonight promises not to be so bad
Whatever. Nasty is nasty.
Ask Casey about "nasty"... Her car is in the shop. Front end probably frozen; with an possible additional tie rod problem. She has my car for the duration.
Life goes on.
~ Sorry Punk, I am not walking anywhere in this.
Casey and Greg were here last night and brought my dumpsters down the driveway for garbage today. Had it not been for them, they would not get taken away today either.
Time for to find a nice warm blanket.
XOXO
Me
Jeopardy! The Humans vs The IBM Machine
| Start: | Feb 14, '11 07:00a |
| End: | Feb 16, '11 |
| Location: | - Your TV - |
NEW YORK –
The game show "Jeopardy!" will pit man versus machine this winter in a competition that will show how successful scientists are in creating a computer that can mimic human intelligence.
Two of the venerable game show's most successful champions — Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter — will play two games against "Watson," a computer program developed by IBM's artificial intelligence team. The matches will be spread over three days that will air Feb. 14-16, the game show said on Tuesday.
The competition is reminiscent of when IBM developed a chess-playing computer to compete against chess champion Garry Kasparov in 1997.
The "Jeopardy!" answer-and-question format is a different kind of challenge. It often requires contestants to deal with subtleties, puns and riddles and come up with answers fast.
"Watson" is named for IBM founder Thomas J. Watson. It will look nothing like the computer "maid" on "The Jetsons." Rather, IBM said its on-screen appearance will be represented by a round avatar.
The computer has already been tested in some 50 games against past "Jeopardy!" champions. But neither IBM nor "Jeopardy!" representatives would say what "Watson's" record was.
The winner gets a $1 million prize. IBM said it would donate its winnings to charity, while Jennings and Rutter said they would give half of their prize money away.
Jennings had the game show's longest winning streak, taking 74 games in a row during the 2004-2005 season. Rutter has won more money than any other "Jeopardy!" player, nearly $3.3 million during his original appearance and three subsequent tournaments.
IBM is hoping the technology it exhibits will have some practical uses eventually, for instance helping doctors diagnose illnesses or solving customer problems at technical support centers.
__________________________________________
I do love this show, and the thought of man -vs- computer is intriguing!
Methinks one man may be able to do this quite well... Ken Jennings.
I will be setting my DVR for these 3 days.
XOXO
Me
But where to poo?
Good Frigid Morning All;
I have 2 driveways. For a while yesterday I had none.
Now, once again I have 2 driveways!
hehehe
Jim came with the snowplow about 12:30 yesterday afternoon.
Yes, it was still blowing around something wild, but the snow had quit coming down, and the weather had settled down enough to move most of the snow. Not even sure how much we got- Probably not as much as was predicted, but enough to hide most everything left outside.
Waking up yesterday, Sunday, the first thing one does is check out the windows...
First to the kitchen window...
Yes. That is drifted up the side of the house.
Put there by the winds, as the snowfall was deep but certainly not that great. hehehe
Then to peek out the east windows...
No wonder there is snow everywhere! Still coming down.
I do hate when the snow flies across, instead of in a soft downward fashion...
OK. Now to the living room window to see if I can still see the yews.
I see them! Kinda. Sorta. hehehe
So out to the entrance...
The screen door was/IS frozen. I put silicone on it last night. It still frosted up the handle.
By this time, Miss Punk was begging to go out.
... A dog's gotta do what a dog's gotta doo~doo.
Off she goes, in search of her favorite place to poo...
She couldn't find it!
She looked to me to see if I knew something...
So she was off to find her 2nd favorite place...
"Well, where IS it, Mom?"
And then back again across the yard...
... A little faster this time-
She literally pranced through the drifts!
I have never laughed so hard at doggie doo~doo in my life... She finally gave up looking for someplace perfect, and found a place to squat.
It is cold, and very white, outside this morning.
Not as windy, so the only weather advisory today is the windchill warning.
* COLD AIR POURING INTO THE AREA WILL RESULT IN WIND CHILLS TO
AROUND 20 BELOW ZERO THIS MORNING.
* WIND CHILLS THIS LOW CAN PRODUCE FROST BITE IN 20 MINUTES.
School buses are running about 2 hours late- A few extra minutes for the plows to ensure the roads are (mostly) open, and the buses are all warmed up.
Yesterday, Governor Doyle issued some snow emergency for the entire state.
Well hell, it doesn't take an idiot to know you go nowhere when it's like this.
It does bother me that the news stations ALL say that the Sheriff's Deparments have warned everyone to stay off the roads. Then they proceed to tell you what a terrible drive it was as they drove from here to there to report that it is snowing and slippery and downright dangerous.
What the hell is up with that? St00pid people.
I sewed for a while yesterday...
But damn!, my back is awful, and my head kicked in.
(Must have something to do with the weather).
I napped a little too! hehehe
Apparently so did the Packers. Oh well.
I watched until the 4th quarter. Should have kept it on...
The news has just stated that we received about 11+" of snow. Seems like a lot.
They also said the windchill advisory will be canceled around 10AM, when the windchills will be above 10 below zero.
The weatherman also said that this blizzard came one year to the day after our first blizzard last year.
Weird that.
To see those pictures, please click here. (www.flintville.multiply.com/journal/item/916)
I'd better close and get in the shower-
Am waiting to hear from Miss CaseyFace. Perhaps she will be coming out today.
I have some thick cut pork chops for our lunch if she does... Mmmm
Speaking of Casey, her new pictures are uploading as I type.
You can see them by clicking here. (www.edbdkcn.multiply.com/photos/album/13)
Great comments on there by the way! hehehe
Must fly for now, the dryer is buzzing...
Love to all
XOXO
Me
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