I've been having tooth pain for a while now (a few months, at least). My dentist put a crown on a cracked molar few weeks ago, and we hoped that it would solve the problem, but unfortunately, it didn't. So I finally went in to see a specialist yesterday to determine if I was going to need the dreaded root canal...and, surprise! The problem is not in the cracked-and-crowned molar, it's in the tooth right next to it. I'm clenching & grinding my teeth at night, which is causing that last molar to be very sensitive. He said there's no cracks or other problems that he could see, and that if I faithfully wear my recently-purchased night guard, and avoid chewing on that side, it should go away on its own in about two weeks.
I was sure I was headed for a root canal, so this is a WONDERFUL (and blessedly cheap) reprieve.
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Spring already?
I had my first allergy attack of the season today. It's only the first week in February, can't we at least wait a few more weeks? And it was a baaaaad attack, it was a Benadryl + 3 ibuprofen + 3 hour nap attack.
Guess it's time to start up the allergy medication. It's going to be a long, bad hay fever season.
Oh, and also? I have a cracked tooth and I need a crown. Turns out all those silver fillings our dentists gave us for years eventually expand and crack your teeth. So in another couple of weeks I get to go back in to the dentist (ack!) and get a crown to hold my poor tooth from splitting any further. And if that doesn't solve the pain I've been having (because the tooth may have cracked all the way to the root), I will have to have oral surgery to remove the nerve! Ouch!
Guess it's time to start up the allergy medication. It's going to be a long, bad hay fever season.
Oh, and also? I have a cracked tooth and I need a crown. Turns out all those silver fillings our dentists gave us for years eventually expand and crack your teeth. So in another couple of weeks I get to go back in to the dentist (ack!) and get a crown to hold my poor tooth from splitting any further. And if that doesn't solve the pain I've been having (because the tooth may have cracked all the way to the root), I will have to have oral surgery to remove the nerve! Ouch!
Monday, November 16, 2009
The sickies
Seems like, for the past month, at least one person in this household has been sick at any given time. We just keep taking turns.
First, Tomboy and I had a cold, and a week later, Rugrat got the cold. Then, last Thursday night, I began having excruciating pain in my jaw whenever I ate anything. I brushed my teeth and almost passed out from the pain. (Really. I had to sit down on the ground because everything went black.) I went to the doctor on Friday afternoon and was diagnosed with an infected lymph gland. Ouch. Antibiotics, anti-inflammatories & painkillers for me. Plus, I still couldn't eat anything -- anything other than water that touched the right side of my mouth caused shooting pain. So for a couple of days I looked like an idiot, tilting my head to the left while trying to eat soup. Yesterday I woke up and I could brush my teeth and eat again without pain, thank goodness. Now I'm just dealing with the side effects of the Augmentin, which aren't pretty -- but at least I can eat.
Then a couple of days ago, Mr Wonderful started feeling icky. It began with a cough and body aches. Last night he came home from work a bit early...with a fever of 102. Poor guy. He spent the night tossing and turning, until his fever finally broke in the wee hours of the morning. I hope he's feeling better when he wakes up.
And this morning, in addition to my antibiotic-inflicted bowels, I've developed a cough. A rough, chesty cough, just like Mr Wonderful has. Oh, joy.
I'm just really ready for everyone in this house to be healthy again.
First, Tomboy and I had a cold, and a week later, Rugrat got the cold. Then, last Thursday night, I began having excruciating pain in my jaw whenever I ate anything. I brushed my teeth and almost passed out from the pain. (Really. I had to sit down on the ground because everything went black.) I went to the doctor on Friday afternoon and was diagnosed with an infected lymph gland. Ouch. Antibiotics, anti-inflammatories & painkillers for me. Plus, I still couldn't eat anything -- anything other than water that touched the right side of my mouth caused shooting pain. So for a couple of days I looked like an idiot, tilting my head to the left while trying to eat soup. Yesterday I woke up and I could brush my teeth and eat again without pain, thank goodness. Now I'm just dealing with the side effects of the Augmentin, which aren't pretty -- but at least I can eat.
Then a couple of days ago, Mr Wonderful started feeling icky. It began with a cough and body aches. Last night he came home from work a bit early...with a fever of 102. Poor guy. He spent the night tossing and turning, until his fever finally broke in the wee hours of the morning. I hope he's feeling better when he wakes up.
And this morning, in addition to my antibiotic-inflicted bowels, I've developed a cough. A rough, chesty cough, just like Mr Wonderful has. Oh, joy.
I'm just really ready for everyone in this house to be healthy again.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Snapped!
My nerves are definitely frayed these days. I've got a ton of work to do and I'm sick with a cold. Tomboy has been home with me the past three days because she's got the cold too, and she's coughing every couple of minutes. Cough syrup isn't doing a bit of good.
But that's not really what I wanted to talk about. I wanted to talk about things that have snapped -- like a few of the supports on the bay bridge! The bridge is shut down indefinitely until repairs can be completed. Can you imagine? I'm so glad I don't have to commute into the city. The BART trains must be packed.
And what else has snapped recently? Oh yeah, apparently the Guvernator has snapped. In a recent veto letter to congress is a hidden message: if you read the left-hand letters of the message vertically, it spells out "F*CK YOU." A Freudian slip? Or has he just had enough?
But that's not really what I wanted to talk about. I wanted to talk about things that have snapped -- like a few of the supports on the bay bridge! The bridge is shut down indefinitely until repairs can be completed. Can you imagine? I'm so glad I don't have to commute into the city. The BART trains must be packed.
And what else has snapped recently? Oh yeah, apparently the Guvernator has snapped. In a recent veto letter to congress is a hidden message: if you read the left-hand letters of the message vertically, it spells out "F*CK YOU." A Freudian slip? Or has he just had enough?
Friday, April 10, 2009
Mirena
Anyone out there used Mirena before? I just got it, uh, "installed" on Tuesday. I had discussed it via email with my gyn a couple of months ago, when I was still employed & still planning to get married in October. I was hoping that the lower dose of hormones, delivered locally rather than systemically, would eliminate some of the things that I hate about birth control pills (the moodiness, the monthly bloat, etc.). I figured I'd get Mirena when I went in for my annual exam, which falls in April. Even though we've moved up the wedding I still thought it would be a good idea to get it now.
I'm rethinking that decision.
I've had it for three days now, and although the spotting has basically stopped, I am still getting intermittent cramps. Some of them are really bad, much worse than I get with my period - and they're mostly in the lower-right quadrant of my abdomen, not generalized in my abs/lower back like period cramps usually are. It's definitely worse when I am driving or have been driving recently. Something about sitting up in that position, instead of the semi-reclined position I'm usually in on the couch, is really aggravating things.
So I'm wondering: if you've had Mirena before (or have it now), how long did the cramps last? Should I be concerned?
And another thing - we've been waiting to resume, ummm...relations. The doctor said to wait three days. It's been three days. But quite frankly I'm a bit scared because I'm worried that any jostling or, you know, rhythmic abdominal contractions (*cough, cough*) could result in serious abdominal pains. It would be ironic to get 99+% effective birth control only to find out that it acts as a deterrant to the one thing that could result in pregnancy.
So...Mirena. Discuss in the comments, please! Or email me, if you prefer.
I'm rethinking that decision.
I've had it for three days now, and although the spotting has basically stopped, I am still getting intermittent cramps. Some of them are really bad, much worse than I get with my period - and they're mostly in the lower-right quadrant of my abdomen, not generalized in my abs/lower back like period cramps usually are. It's definitely worse when I am driving or have been driving recently. Something about sitting up in that position, instead of the semi-reclined position I'm usually in on the couch, is really aggravating things.
So I'm wondering: if you've had Mirena before (or have it now), how long did the cramps last? Should I be concerned?
And another thing - we've been waiting to resume, ummm...relations. The doctor said to wait three days. It's been three days. But quite frankly I'm a bit scared because I'm worried that any jostling or, you know, rhythmic abdominal contractions (*cough, cough*) could result in serious abdominal pains. It would be ironic to get 99+% effective birth control only to find out that it acts as a deterrant to the one thing that could result in pregnancy.
So...Mirena. Discuss in the comments, please! Or email me, if you prefer.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Crazybusy
God, things have been so busy lately, I've barely had time to think. Quick recap here:
Things I still need to get done:
- Attended & helped organize a protest against Prop 8 in WC on the 15th
- Waged war on the pantry moths that had completely infested our dry goods cupboard; I think I've won but it may just be a lull in the battle
- Semi-regular dinner out with supervisor
- Fought off a cold
- Attended big Adobe conference in SF, 17th-19th (which entailed unfortunate late nights coupled with even more unfortunate early mornings in which I had to ride stupid BART into the city. Hello, two-hour commute!)
- Parent-teacher conference
- Thanksgiving dinner planning, including ordering the organic free-range turkey breast (even though it's just the four of us, and possibly Babydaddy, we will still have the requisite big turkey feast)
- Finished two sweaters (Sister's Christmas Present and my big green squishy Mmmmmalabrigo v-neck)
- Started a baby sweater
- Started and FINISHED a super-secret surprise Christmas present for someone (at least those long BART rides were good for something)
- Successfully kept myself from killing the kids so far (they're home a lot this month thanks to Thanksgiving, Veteran's Day, staff in-service days and parent-teacher conferences)
- Finished most of my Christmas shopping
- Crazy busy with work stuff (being gone for three days at a conference does not help)
Things I still need to get done:
- Family picture for Christmas cards
- Order Christmas cards, and when they get here, address & send them out
- Thanksgiving
- Get paver stones to edge the patio (between cement patio & new sod)
- Finish baby sweater
- Sleep for fifteen years
Monday, September 8, 2008
Slow Food Nation
In my big recap last week I forgot to mention my trip to San Francisco for the Slow Food Nation expo! Read all about it and check out my sad iPhone camera skilz here.
I gotta say, the South Beach thing isn't as bad as I thought it would be. We're on day eight now, and while I definitely have moments where I'm craving carbs in a big way, for the most part, it's not a big deal. You don't ever have to be hungry on this diet; you can eat pretty much all you want, as long as it's on the "approved" list. I have eggs just about every morning for breakfast and it keeps me full for several hours.
One thing I was really worried about was beverages. Missing out on my Dr Pepper is tough, but it's not as bad as I thought because of two glorious products on your local grocery store's shelves. First: Crystal Light. I hadn't tried it in several years, and vaguely remembered a very saccharine-tasting faux-fruity Koolaid substitute. But it's really improved a lot; I've found four flavors that I really enjoy - Sunrise Orange, Cherry-Pomegranate, "Hydration" Mixed Berry, and the White Tea-Blueberry. And at only 10 calories each, that cuts a lot of calories out of my daily intake. Don't get me wrong, I don't drink these all day long. I drink a lot of water, too, and I have a cup of green tea in the mornings when I get up (no sugar, no milk). But the Crystal Light really helps when I'm craving a glass of juice or just something sweet to drink.
The other thing that's helped a lot is Coke Zero. I HATE HATE HATE Diet Coke. I know it's got its devotees, but I cannot stand the aftertaste and how it tastes all sickly-sweet. Coke Zero is made with a different sugar substitute, though, and if you drink it ice cold, it has NO aftertaste (somehow it gets a bit weird when it warms up a little). Love this stuff. And it works quite well for the daily afternoon caffeine boost. It's no Dr Pepper, for sure, but I think I can live with it.
I gotta say, the South Beach thing isn't as bad as I thought it would be. We're on day eight now, and while I definitely have moments where I'm craving carbs in a big way, for the most part, it's not a big deal. You don't ever have to be hungry on this diet; you can eat pretty much all you want, as long as it's on the "approved" list. I have eggs just about every morning for breakfast and it keeps me full for several hours.
One thing I was really worried about was beverages. Missing out on my Dr Pepper is tough, but it's not as bad as I thought because of two glorious products on your local grocery store's shelves. First: Crystal Light. I hadn't tried it in several years, and vaguely remembered a very saccharine-tasting faux-fruity Koolaid substitute. But it's really improved a lot; I've found four flavors that I really enjoy - Sunrise Orange, Cherry-Pomegranate, "Hydration" Mixed Berry, and the White Tea-Blueberry. And at only 10 calories each, that cuts a lot of calories out of my daily intake. Don't get me wrong, I don't drink these all day long. I drink a lot of water, too, and I have a cup of green tea in the mornings when I get up (no sugar, no milk). But the Crystal Light really helps when I'm craving a glass of juice or just something sweet to drink.
The other thing that's helped a lot is Coke Zero. I HATE HATE HATE Diet Coke. I know it's got its devotees, but I cannot stand the aftertaste and how it tastes all sickly-sweet. Coke Zero is made with a different sugar substitute, though, and if you drink it ice cold, it has NO aftertaste (somehow it gets a bit weird when it warms up a little). Love this stuff. And it works quite well for the daily afternoon caffeine boost. It's no Dr Pepper, for sure, but I think I can live with it.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Greetings from low-carb land
The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind of back-to-school prep, board meetings, PTA volunteer duties and all kinds of things. Rugrat started back to school last week, and he's already had a clash with his new teacher. Big surprise. The kid is nothing if not strong-willed, and when the teacher asked the class to lay out their math homework a certain way, he decided that HIS way was better because it used less paper. And proceeded to argue the point with the teacher. So we had a little phone conference yesterday, and of course Babydaddy and I hammered the point home that following instructions is just as important as getting the correct answers. I love my son like crazy, but honestly that kid is not an easy one to live with sometimes.
I'm editing the monthly PTA newsletter this year, as a way to stay more in touch with what's going on at Rugrat's school, and because it was something I could do from the couch. You know how I am about my couch. LOVE it. Anyway, this is a bit of an adventure; there's lots of people involved in submitting articles, reviewing the draft of the newsletter, and sending me changes. There are a few people who (I have been warned) are consistently difficult to deal with: late submitting articles, etc. I've laid down the line in the sand though; I have said that I can work on this on weekends only since I have a full-time job, and if the principal of the school doesn't get me her article on time, oh well. The world won't stop turning.
I am also on the board of a new project that my supervisor at work is starting up: Classes for Causes. The basic premise is that people will teach classes, and the proceeds from those classes will be donated to the charity of the teacher's choice. The site is currently in development but we will be rolling out the beta version very soon, because we're planning to have our pilot class at the end of October. Supervisor is holding the first class: Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing. I am considering teaching classes in knitting and creating your own cell phone ringtones. Mr Wonderful is even getting in on the act; he'll be teaching a course in self-defense. Anyway, we've had two board meetings so far, and as the Board Secretary, I am responsible for typing up the minutes. Which took like an hour and a half last night, because we had a three-hour Strategic Planning meeting on Tuesday. My eyes were BURNING by the time I shut down the computer.
And things have been crazy busy at work. I'm desperately trying to get on top of things, but there is just SO much right now. So I'm working like a demon, trying to get done by the end of the day, so I can pick up Rugrat or go to the gym and fix dinner.
Speaking of dinner, Mr Wonderful and I have started the South Beach diet. Essentially it's a low carb diet for the first two weeks (meat, veggies and lowfat dairy only), then you add in complex carbs (whole grains, fruit) for the second phase. We started the diet on Monday, which was interesting because we were gone all day - since it was Labor Day and we both had the day off (joy!) we took a day trip to the coast. A nice drive through Sebastopol and Guerneville, out to where the Russian River dumps out. We saw a bunch of seals frolicking in the water, skipped rocks in the river, watched the pelicans dive for fish, saw a paraglider (is that a word?) jump off a cliff and float down to the beach, and ate crunchy veggies with a vegetable/ricotta dip.
Phase one hasn't been that bad, actually, although I do miss Dr Pepper and chips. Crunchy salty things are my downfall, and I've been missing the faux-cheese flavored snacky foods. But we've stuck to the plan (on day five now!) and have each lost five pounds already. We took measurements (waist, chest, hips & thighs) at the beginning and will compare when we take measurements again at the end of phase one. I'm pretty excited about this; I didn't think I'd lose weight this fast, and it's a great incentive to keep going. I doubt it will continue falling off at this rate (it must be mostly water weight, right?), but it's great to have some validation.
But man, I would LOVE to have a piece of fruit right now. I can't believe how much I am craving fruit these days, now that I know I can't have it.
I'm editing the monthly PTA newsletter this year, as a way to stay more in touch with what's going on at Rugrat's school, and because it was something I could do from the couch. You know how I am about my couch. LOVE it. Anyway, this is a bit of an adventure; there's lots of people involved in submitting articles, reviewing the draft of the newsletter, and sending me changes. There are a few people who (I have been warned) are consistently difficult to deal with: late submitting articles, etc. I've laid down the line in the sand though; I have said that I can work on this on weekends only since I have a full-time job, and if the principal of the school doesn't get me her article on time, oh well. The world won't stop turning.
I am also on the board of a new project that my supervisor at work is starting up: Classes for Causes. The basic premise is that people will teach classes, and the proceeds from those classes will be donated to the charity of the teacher's choice. The site is currently in development but we will be rolling out the beta version very soon, because we're planning to have our pilot class at the end of October. Supervisor is holding the first class: Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing. I am considering teaching classes in knitting and creating your own cell phone ringtones. Mr Wonderful is even getting in on the act; he'll be teaching a course in self-defense. Anyway, we've had two board meetings so far, and as the Board Secretary, I am responsible for typing up the minutes. Which took like an hour and a half last night, because we had a three-hour Strategic Planning meeting on Tuesday. My eyes were BURNING by the time I shut down the computer.
And things have been crazy busy at work. I'm desperately trying to get on top of things, but there is just SO much right now. So I'm working like a demon, trying to get done by the end of the day, so I can pick up Rugrat or go to the gym and fix dinner.
Speaking of dinner, Mr Wonderful and I have started the South Beach diet. Essentially it's a low carb diet for the first two weeks (meat, veggies and lowfat dairy only), then you add in complex carbs (whole grains, fruit) for the second phase. We started the diet on Monday, which was interesting because we were gone all day - since it was Labor Day and we both had the day off (joy!) we took a day trip to the coast. A nice drive through Sebastopol and Guerneville, out to where the Russian River dumps out. We saw a bunch of seals frolicking in the water, skipped rocks in the river, watched the pelicans dive for fish, saw a paraglider (is that a word?) jump off a cliff and float down to the beach, and ate crunchy veggies with a vegetable/ricotta dip.
Phase one hasn't been that bad, actually, although I do miss Dr Pepper and chips. Crunchy salty things are my downfall, and I've been missing the faux-cheese flavored snacky foods. But we've stuck to the plan (on day five now!) and have each lost five pounds already. We took measurements (waist, chest, hips & thighs) at the beginning and will compare when we take measurements again at the end of phase one. I'm pretty excited about this; I didn't think I'd lose weight this fast, and it's a great incentive to keep going. I doubt it will continue falling off at this rate (it must be mostly water weight, right?), but it's great to have some validation.
But man, I would LOVE to have a piece of fruit right now. I can't believe how much I am craving fruit these days, now that I know I can't have it.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
A summer cold
Last week Mr Wonderful came down with a nasty summer cold. I thought I'd escaped it, but apparently I wasn't so lucky...I started feeling it while I was driving home on Sunday, after dropping Rugrat off at summer camp. I just hope that he doesn't come down with it - what a disappointment it would be (not to mention a waste of money) if he had to come home early from camp!
As much as I hate being sick, at least I'm getting this cold thing out of the way while the kids are both gone (Tomboy's at her mom's this week) and before we head down for our vacation in Palm Springs next week. And I'm feeling much better today; yesterday was miserable but I got 10 hours of sleep the last two nights (thank you, NyQuil!) and have been drinking lots of liquids, so I'm feeling a bit better today. We'll see...it does tend to get worse as the day goes on, so I may be prematurely optimistic here, but I'm not as "out of it" today.
I know I've been lagging on posting here. That happens when I feel like I need to do a recap of something, and then I keep putting it off, and thinking that I can't blog about anything else until that is done. I'm talking about the camping trip we went on at the end of June, of course.
It was really very nice, and would have been ideal if it weren't for the damn mosquitoes. Rugrat got bitten so many times on his face that he looked like a boxer who'd just done ten rounds; his eye was swollen almost shut on the ride home. But other than the bugs, it was great. We spent a lot of time at the river nearby; I'd brought a huge inner tube (meant for pulling along behind a boat, so it was very sturdy) and we spent some lovely hours just floating in the water. Niece, of course, was absolutely ecstatic to be in the water - she's always been drawn to water, and would live her entire life in the water if she could. Mr Wonderful took Rugrat fishing for a little while, and I sat on the beach chatting with Sister and Brother-In-Law, knitting my cushy green v-neck sweater. You may think that wool and knitting needles are not appropriate for the beach, but hey, it's my vacation. I get to relax however I want. :)
And the food was glorious. I'd pre-made some Ribollita and some Mexican Chicken Chili before we left, and we also had hot dogs, eggs and bacon, biscuits, tacos, sandwich fixin's and snacks, plus lots of beer and soft drinks and water. Sister brought deviled eggs...mmmm....and they made us chicken-pineapple kabobs one night that were fantastic! Sister & BIL had gotten a really cool new camp stove; one side is a grill, the other is a regular burner, and it was very handy.
The best of the pictures of the camping trip are up on Flickr, if you're interested.
Oh, and let me leave you with this little snippet of conversation, overheard about 10 minutes after Sister & her family showed up:
Cousin: You suck!
Rugrat: No, you suck!
Cousin: We both suck!
Rugrat: Yeah, we both suck!
As much as I hate being sick, at least I'm getting this cold thing out of the way while the kids are both gone (Tomboy's at her mom's this week) and before we head down for our vacation in Palm Springs next week. And I'm feeling much better today; yesterday was miserable but I got 10 hours of sleep the last two nights (thank you, NyQuil!) and have been drinking lots of liquids, so I'm feeling a bit better today. We'll see...it does tend to get worse as the day goes on, so I may be prematurely optimistic here, but I'm not as "out of it" today.
I know I've been lagging on posting here. That happens when I feel like I need to do a recap of something, and then I keep putting it off, and thinking that I can't blog about anything else until that is done. I'm talking about the camping trip we went on at the end of June, of course.
It was really very nice, and would have been ideal if it weren't for the damn mosquitoes. Rugrat got bitten so many times on his face that he looked like a boxer who'd just done ten rounds; his eye was swollen almost shut on the ride home. But other than the bugs, it was great. We spent a lot of time at the river nearby; I'd brought a huge inner tube (meant for pulling along behind a boat, so it was very sturdy) and we spent some lovely hours just floating in the water. Niece, of course, was absolutely ecstatic to be in the water - she's always been drawn to water, and would live her entire life in the water if she could. Mr Wonderful took Rugrat fishing for a little while, and I sat on the beach chatting with Sister and Brother-In-Law, knitting my cushy green v-neck sweater. You may think that wool and knitting needles are not appropriate for the beach, but hey, it's my vacation. I get to relax however I want. :)
And the food was glorious. I'd pre-made some Ribollita and some Mexican Chicken Chili before we left, and we also had hot dogs, eggs and bacon, biscuits, tacos, sandwich fixin's and snacks, plus lots of beer and soft drinks and water. Sister brought deviled eggs...mmmm....and they made us chicken-pineapple kabobs one night that were fantastic! Sister & BIL had gotten a really cool new camp stove; one side is a grill, the other is a regular burner, and it was very handy.
The best of the pictures of the camping trip are up on Flickr, if you're interested.
Oh, and let me leave you with this little snippet of conversation, overheard about 10 minutes after Sister & her family showed up:
Cousin: You suck!
Rugrat: No, you suck!
Cousin: We both suck!
Rugrat: Yeah, we both suck!
Monday, June 16, 2008
Overenthusiastic
Apparently my skin is a leeetle bit overenthusiastic when it comes to healing. I went to the dermatologist this morning for what I hoped would be my final checkup, and she wasn't happy with my scar, because it's all puffy (Dad's comment yesterday: "I just thought it was a zit!" Nice.). So I'm going back next month for dermabrasion, to grind that puppy down. Ouch.
On the plus side, we had a lovely Father's Day yesterday. Babydaddy came over for dinner last night, as did my Dad. (Dad & Stepmom are up here visiting, because Stepmom's father just passed away. Very sad, but on the other hand, it was a nice surprise to be able to spend Father's Day with my dad.) Dad got to check out my scar firsthand and take pictures of Rugrat tearing around the court on his bicycle. I got to check on Dad's Thank-You Socks, to make sure they're turning out to be an appropriate size (so far, so good!). Then Mr Wonderful BBQed some steaks, and I sauteed some yummy local white corn (freshly cut off the cob!) and put together some tasty fruit & yogurt parfaits for dessert.
Oh yeah, and Dad & I tossed back a few glasses of scotch. Mmmm...Glenmorangie. There's just nothing quite as cool as (legally) drinking with your dad.
On the plus side, we had a lovely Father's Day yesterday. Babydaddy came over for dinner last night, as did my Dad. (Dad & Stepmom are up here visiting, because Stepmom's father just passed away. Very sad, but on the other hand, it was a nice surprise to be able to spend Father's Day with my dad.) Dad got to check out my scar firsthand and take pictures of Rugrat tearing around the court on his bicycle. I got to check on Dad's Thank-You Socks, to make sure they're turning out to be an appropriate size (so far, so good!). Then Mr Wonderful BBQed some steaks, and I sauteed some yummy local white corn (freshly cut off the cob!) and put together some tasty fruit & yogurt parfaits for dessert.
Oh yeah, and Dad & I tossed back a few glasses of scotch. Mmmm...Glenmorangie. There's just nothing quite as cool as (legally) drinking with your dad.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Oooh, Vicodin
I'm sitting here in a lovely Vicodin fog today, because yesterday was my Mohs surgery for the skin cancer.
It went well; they got the cancer out in the first pass, but I was there all day. My appt was at 9:45, they called me back shortly after ten, hooked me up with a grounding pad (so I wouldn't get an electrical shock when they cauterized my wound with their electric cattle prod thing), gave me several novocaine shots in the nose (OUCH!) and sliced a good 1/2" diameter hole out of the side of my nose. The doctor told me it would be about an hour before they called me back in (as the lab needed to determine if the margins were clear, meaning that they got all the cancer out). Two hours later, they called me back in, the doc said that she'd gotten all the cancer out already, but that they couldn't close up the wound until after lunch because the whole office shuts down at 12:30 for an hour. So off I went for a burrito, after getting another couple of novocaine shots.
At 2:00 pm, they called me back in again, hooked me back up, and gave me more novocaine shots. The doctor took a chunk of skin from right in front of my ear for a skin graft, closed that up, and then attached the graft to the nose and sewed that up. Then she sewed a dressing on top of the graft and gave me strict instructions not to get it wet or mess with it at all for a week, at which time I'll go back into the office and she'll remove the dressing and the stitches near my ear. She gave me a bag full of polysporin ointment packets and bandaids, and sent me off to the pharmacy to pick up Keflex (hardcore antibiotics) and Vicodin.
The worst part was the drive home, because I'd been in the pharmacy for oh, about half an hour, and the anesthetic was starting to wear off. By the time I got home I was in some pretty good pain and really ready for those vicodin.
I'm glad it's all done now, and all I have to do is figure out a way to shower and wash my hair without getting my nose wet at all.
It went well; they got the cancer out in the first pass, but I was there all day. My appt was at 9:45, they called me back shortly after ten, hooked me up with a grounding pad (so I wouldn't get an electrical shock when they cauterized my wound with their electric cattle prod thing), gave me several novocaine shots in the nose (OUCH!) and sliced a good 1/2" diameter hole out of the side of my nose. The doctor told me it would be about an hour before they called me back in (as the lab needed to determine if the margins were clear, meaning that they got all the cancer out). Two hours later, they called me back in, the doc said that she'd gotten all the cancer out already, but that they couldn't close up the wound until after lunch because the whole office shuts down at 12:30 for an hour. So off I went for a burrito, after getting another couple of novocaine shots.
At 2:00 pm, they called me back in again, hooked me back up, and gave me more novocaine shots. The doctor took a chunk of skin from right in front of my ear for a skin graft, closed that up, and then attached the graft to the nose and sewed that up. Then she sewed a dressing on top of the graft and gave me strict instructions not to get it wet or mess with it at all for a week, at which time I'll go back into the office and she'll remove the dressing and the stitches near my ear. She gave me a bag full of polysporin ointment packets and bandaids, and sent me off to the pharmacy to pick up Keflex (hardcore antibiotics) and Vicodin.
The worst part was the drive home, because I'd been in the pharmacy for oh, about half an hour, and the anesthetic was starting to wear off. By the time I got home I was in some pretty good pain and really ready for those vicodin.
I'm glad it's all done now, and all I have to do is figure out a way to shower and wash my hair without getting my nose wet at all.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Positive
No big surprise here. The dermatologist's office just called and the biopsy did come back positive for basal-cell cancer.
Next stop: Shadelands Mohs Surgery Center.
Next stop: Shadelands Mohs Surgery Center.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Hopeful
It's not a word I use often in the springtime: hopeful. In fact, spring is downright miserable for me most years, with the hay fever a nearly constant presence in my life. When I'm not sniffling and sneezing and grumping around, I'm passed out in a Benadryl coma.
But yesterday I went to visit an allergy specialist and for the first time in my life, I'm hopeful that I might actually be able to spend a spring season conscious and enjoying it. I got a couple of new medications to try (Astelin, an antihistamine nasal spray, and Singular, for both the allergies and the hay fever-related asthma I'm suffering through), but what's really got me jazzed is the sinus rinse.
What you do, basically, is you put warm salty water in the bottle and then squeeze the solution into one nostril and let it drain out the other one. Gross, I know. In fact, really really gross, and I won't let Mr Wonderful watch me do it, because...ewww. But the way I feel afterwards is heavenly. My sinuses feel clear and clean and completely free of any mucus or swelling. If you've ever seen me in the springtime, you'd know that this is nothing short of miraculous. I did it three times yesterday while in the middle of a massive allergy attack and it made me feel immensely better, immediately. It takes a few tries to get the hang of it though, and I wasn't doing a very good job yesterday, so it certainly didn't clear me up totally. But I did it again this morning and managed to use all of the saline solution to clear out my sinuses. And I can BREATHE. In the SPRINGTIME.
I feel like a whole new person.
But yesterday I went to visit an allergy specialist and for the first time in my life, I'm hopeful that I might actually be able to spend a spring season conscious and enjoying it. I got a couple of new medications to try (Astelin, an antihistamine nasal spray, and Singular, for both the allergies and the hay fever-related asthma I'm suffering through), but what's really got me jazzed is the sinus rinse.
What you do, basically, is you put warm salty water in the bottle and then squeeze the solution into one nostril and let it drain out the other one. Gross, I know. In fact, really really gross, and I won't let Mr Wonderful watch me do it, because...ewww. But the way I feel afterwards is heavenly. My sinuses feel clear and clean and completely free of any mucus or swelling. If you've ever seen me in the springtime, you'd know that this is nothing short of miraculous. I did it three times yesterday while in the middle of a massive allergy attack and it made me feel immensely better, immediately. It takes a few tries to get the hang of it though, and I wasn't doing a very good job yesterday, so it certainly didn't clear me up totally. But I did it again this morning and managed to use all of the saline solution to clear out my sinuses. And I can BREATHE. In the SPRINGTIME.
I feel like a whole new person.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Six months
Last night as I was laying in bed, chatting with Mr Wonderful, I realized that it was my six-month anniversary. Yes, it's really and truly been six months since I had a cigarette. I am so proud!
Oh, and I'm knitting a hat, with stranded two-color knitting. I wanted to test the stranded two-color knitting on a small project before I did it on Rugrat's Spider-man sweater, which is coming along so slowly (thanks to size 5 needles and teeny tiny yarn) that by the time I finish it he'll probably be too big to wear it. Heh. The big brown & orange sweater I started last year is still unfinished, because I goofed up one of the shoulders pretty badly and I'm not sure how to fix it. I may just rip it all back anyway, because the yarn is nice but the sweater is pretty much sized for a linebacker, and I could use that yarn for a much nicer project.
The custom furniture project with Babydaddy is coming along, albeit a bit more slowly than I'd hoped. I was sick all weekend, so I didn't get a chance to do any work on it (I have a few of the pieces here now and I need to putty, sand, prime & paint them). And this coming weekend we have the kids, so we're talking about a trip to San Francisco on Saturday, and then on Sunday I've got a book club meeting...although they haven't sent out details on where that's being held so maybe it's not still on. Things are getting even more hectic around here. In fact, I just looked at my calendar, and I think we have stuff going on every single weekend from Halloween to Christmas. Not necessarily meaning that we have events scheduled, but between holidays and vacation and weekends with the kids, the only weekend I've got "off" is Dec 8-9, and I'm hosting a holiday party for the book club on the 9th. So I guess I better get my Christmas shopping done soon, huh?
And one final note: Sars over at Tomato Nation is rocking the house with her Donors Choose Challenge. Over $27,000 raised in less than TWO DAYS. That is unbelievable.
Oh, and I'm knitting a hat, with stranded two-color knitting. I wanted to test the stranded two-color knitting on a small project before I did it on Rugrat's Spider-man sweater, which is coming along so slowly (thanks to size 5 needles and teeny tiny yarn) that by the time I finish it he'll probably be too big to wear it. Heh. The big brown & orange sweater I started last year is still unfinished, because I goofed up one of the shoulders pretty badly and I'm not sure how to fix it. I may just rip it all back anyway, because the yarn is nice but the sweater is pretty much sized for a linebacker, and I could use that yarn for a much nicer project.
The custom furniture project with Babydaddy is coming along, albeit a bit more slowly than I'd hoped. I was sick all weekend, so I didn't get a chance to do any work on it (I have a few of the pieces here now and I need to putty, sand, prime & paint them). And this coming weekend we have the kids, so we're talking about a trip to San Francisco on Saturday, and then on Sunday I've got a book club meeting...although they haven't sent out details on where that's being held so maybe it's not still on. Things are getting even more hectic around here. In fact, I just looked at my calendar, and I think we have stuff going on every single weekend from Halloween to Christmas. Not necessarily meaning that we have events scheduled, but between holidays and vacation and weekends with the kids, the only weekend I've got "off" is Dec 8-9, and I'm hosting a holiday party for the book club on the 9th. So I guess I better get my Christmas shopping done soon, huh?
And one final note: Sars over at Tomato Nation is rocking the house with her Donors Choose Challenge. Over $27,000 raised in less than TWO DAYS. That is unbelievable.
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Sleeeeeepy
I am going through my days in a Benadryl haze. The allergy season has hit full force and I am down for the count. I try to hold off on taking the pills for as long as possible each day, because I know they're going to knock me on my ass, but it's hard to live with the constant itchy-painful feeling in my sinuses, the sneezing, the irritated, watery eyes, and the sinus pressure headaches. My skin itches all over, regardless of how much lotion I put on (because it's the histamines, y'all, not dry skin). All I want to do is go into a Benadryl coma for the next couple of weeks, with a cold wet washcloth over my face. Wake me up when the pollen count dies down, mmkay?
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Addendum
One thing I forgot about when doing my good news/bad news roundup yesterday: ultimate temptation.
Sunday, when I was digging around for the end cap for my little iPod shuffle in my gym bag, I came across a fresh, unopened pack of cigarettes. Instead of swooning lustfully over them and driving myself crazy, I immediately turned to Rugrat and told him to take the pack to the next door neighbor (who smokes, and used to bum cigarettes off me on a semi-regular basis) and ask if he wanted it. There was a split-second of temptation, but I immediately dismissed it.
This is good, right? Because I didn't even entertain the thought of actually smoking one. I can't remember feeling this way after quitting since...well, since I quit when I was pregnant with Ryan. I don't feel deprived or resentful when I see other people smoking, either. I just feel like it is not an option for me anymore; I don't want it. And the fact that I actually forgot to mention it yesterday? Shows what a non-issue smoking is for me now.
So, in short: bad news - I found some cigarettes and was momentarily tempted. Good news - I totally didn't smoke!
Sunday, when I was digging around for the end cap for my little iPod shuffle in my gym bag, I came across a fresh, unopened pack of cigarettes. Instead of swooning lustfully over them and driving myself crazy, I immediately turned to Rugrat and told him to take the pack to the next door neighbor (who smokes, and used to bum cigarettes off me on a semi-regular basis) and ask if he wanted it. There was a split-second of temptation, but I immediately dismissed it.
This is good, right? Because I didn't even entertain the thought of actually smoking one. I can't remember feeling this way after quitting since...well, since I quit when I was pregnant with Ryan. I don't feel deprived or resentful when I see other people smoking, either. I just feel like it is not an option for me anymore; I don't want it. And the fact that I actually forgot to mention it yesterday? Shows what a non-issue smoking is for me now.
So, in short: bad news - I found some cigarettes and was momentarily tempted. Good news - I totally didn't smoke!
Thursday, April 5, 2007
96 hours and counting
Four days have passed since my last cigarette, and...I don't really miss it. I guess I really was ready to quit this time. My mood swings have calmed down a bit, and I seem to be entering the "stuff your face" portion of the program. Heh.
Period started this morning. Yay, for not being pregnant. Boo, for being on my period.
Period started this morning. Yay, for not being pregnant. Boo, for being on my period.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
By the way...
When I went to the doctor's office yesterday, they weighed me, and I am down to just under 130. Dude! Seriously! I have met my goal, in only about 2 months.
But now I'm getting kind of worried. It is not normal for me to drop ten pounds in two months. Maybe my thyroid is going batshit? Or maybe it's a side effect of the cholesterol medication or something. Because seriously, the pounds just MELTED off of me, and I can't believe it was all due to just knitting in the evenings. I've only been to the gym like twice in the last two months, so it's certainly not that. And I'm not eating any healthier than normal, other than just not snacking as much at night. Is it really possible that I dropped 10+ pounds in two months just by not snacking in front of the TV?
But now I'm getting kind of worried. It is not normal for me to drop ten pounds in two months. Maybe my thyroid is going batshit? Or maybe it's a side effect of the cholesterol medication or something. Because seriously, the pounds just MELTED off of me, and I can't believe it was all due to just knitting in the evenings. I've only been to the gym like twice in the last two months, so it's certainly not that. And I'm not eating any healthier than normal, other than just not snacking as much at night. Is it really possible that I dropped 10+ pounds in two months just by not snacking in front of the TV?
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Correction
Not a yeast infection, it's the goddamn BV again! Jesus H Christ on a fucking pogo stick.
So...diaphragm is out. It would cause the same bacterial infection. I'm going back on the pill. *sigh* I really quite liked being in touch with my body's rhythms & changes, but chronic BV is totally unacceptable.
So...diaphragm is out. It would cause the same bacterial infection. I'm going back on the pill. *sigh* I really quite liked being in touch with my body's rhythms & changes, but chronic BV is totally unacceptable.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
