Finally, catching up

I know!!!  I'm falling behind on thig blogging thing.  It's been several days and not alot going on, well, just some ups and downs.  So last time I posted on Tuesday I really felt I was 'on the road to recovery'.  Drain tubes got removed and I was doing the happy dance!!

Wednesday, I decided to make a run of going back into the office for the second time this week.  My co-worker  picked me up around 8:30 and I got all the last minute details that needed to be taken care of for Thursday night's seminar (which they told me went great)!!  I really felt bad about not being able to go, but just knew I wasn't up to the socializing part of it.  I had made arrangements for my friend to pick me up around 12:30 and we stopped and ate lunch at Puffabelly's in Old Town Springs on the way home.  I love that place!!  I really did have a puffa-belly afterwards!!  Got home and got some much needed rest.  I can definitely tell when my body needs the rest and honestly, I listen!!!  I really, really do!!!  When I went to bed, I took all my meds like I have been doing: pain, nausea, valium, anitbiotic and slept great!!

Thursday started off a little rough with a phone call that kept trying to come through - like 5 times -  between my home phone and my cell phone.  And, of course, when they finally answerd to my "hello" it just kind of went bad from there.  Yes, it was a bill collector on an account that always gets paid and it really set me off!!!  Typically it gets paid mid month and is due on the first.  Okay, so the last two months have been rough and apparently, I got "off"...can't imagine how that happened???  Anyway, once I looked back online I realized that it was my mistake so I got that all figured out and set back to the right date.  But I was WIDE AWAKE at this point!!! 

So now that I'm at the computer I started on some real work...the kind I get paid for (Thank you Bruce and Cain)!!!  Ameriprise Financial teams up with food shelters within their local area (Houston Food Bank for us) for a National Day of Service, which is scheduled for Friday, November 16.  We'll be working in the warehouse boxing up food that will go out to shelters for Thanksgiving.  I'm pretty excited to have my kids participate in this event as well (so for any teachers out there reading, my kiddos will be early released that day for a real life educational experience)!! I had a lot of work to do on this event as it had kind of got pushed aside a bit so I spent several hours this day confirming times with the food bank, talking and emailing with our community relations department and trying to get a lot of questions answered.  During this time I was able to take a nice lunch break with a friend, Angela Block.  What a sweetheart!  She's visited me twice for lunch during all this and we've had the best conversations.  She keeps asking me if there's anything (bring dinner, bring lunch, help with the house, etc.) she can do to help...and inside I'm laughing because I know she'd probably LOVE to just get a hold of my house right now...LOL  I know she could do wonders with getting it ALL cleaned up and ALL organized ;-)  Let's just say it has fallen by the wayside for sure.  As long as I keep taking my Valium I think I can deal with it ;-)  Well, as rough as that morning started off, I had a fantastic day and realized later that I had not taken my meds all day.  Had no intentions of just quitting them cold turkey, but had been weaning myself off during the day for the last several days with only taking them maybe twice a day and then at nighttime.  Well, unfortunately, I totally forgot to take my meds Thursday night.  I slept great, no problems, didn't wake up through the night, but OMG!!! 

I woke up Friday morning and felt as if I had been rolled over by a truck...just a few times!!!  My body was completely exhausted!!!  I do remember kind of waking up in a sweat and realized I hadn't taken my meds the night before.  I had things I needed to finish for work from the day before.  I actually got woken up a second morning in  a row by a phone call.  This time a very nice gentleman from  my home office calling to answer my questions from the previous day.  I had scheduled some time with my co-worker for me to walk her through a few things that I couldn't do from home, but then realized I had to get all the information from the home office before I could do that and I had asked him to call me back a little later when I was actually awake.  My mind was in no functioning mood at that time.  I tell you it took every bit of my being to get stuff done that day.  I absolutely had no energy whatsoever!!!  Thank goodness for the recliner I have here in my home office, because between calls that's where I was...laid flat out!!!  I felt so bad because this was the day I had planned on scheduling appointments for one of my advisors.  There was no way I could have called a client the way I felt and sounded...they would have been SCARED!!! 

Then to top it off, I had forgotten that we had air conditioning people coming in to change out something in our attic - 3 flippin' hours!!!  So all I could do was lay in the recliner in the office, but not really go to sleep.  And, of course, my ferocious dog (HAHAHA!!!) act like she was going to attack them every time they walked downstairs or back into the house.  No rest, no peace...IT WAS AWFUL!!    Then my mini-me shows up from school.  She pretty much has this same little regimen that she goes through 3 days a week and because today, of all days, her halloween costume came in she wanted to try it on instead of get ready for gym.  And honestly, on this day, I didn't even have the energy to help her get her snacks together...she was on her own, but she was arguing with me about why she couldn't put her costume (morphsuit that looks like a skeleton) on when she barely has enough time to eat a snack, pack a snack for gym (she's only there for 4 hours), get her hair up and get changed.  I finally gave in and decided after she got all her stuff done she could try it on...she actually wore it to gym (can't believe i didn't take a pic) and passed out Halloween candy sticks to all her gym buddies!!!  This girl truly is a MESS!!!  She's one I definitely have to pick my battles with and lately I'm not doing a very good job!!

I called the doc to try and figure out this whole medicine thing.  Really didn't want to take the pain meds as I really wasn't in pain...well, I mean I could self-inflict pain if I wanted, but I wasn't feeling pain by just regular movement or activities.  The nurse informed me not taking the pain meds was fine, but the valium was a must.  That although I'm sleeping good, my body is having muscle spasms and that's probably what's making my body feel so exhausted...AHHH!!!  That makes since.  You'd think I'd learned my lesson about that valium stuff the first go round.  Takes me a while...I'm just a little hard headed...LOL  The problem is the valium didn't help me sleep.  I think that was my worst night of sleep since surgery.  I slept for about three hours and then I was up and just slept off and on.  Finally, in the wee hours of the morning I figured I would take another and it might help...no difference!!  That was discouraging, but still with less sleep I had more energy on Saturday.

Started out Saturday with a very good breakfast (Thanks Babe!!), and then a very lazy day.  I can honestly say I don't remember much about it other than a little neighborhood Halloween get together that we do every year in the late afternooon/ evening.  The back of our neighbohood kind of blocks off the street in front of their houses since they all participate and everyone brings goodies, kids dress up, play games (big kids even did a little spook house for the little kids this year) and the Jennings' family always makes up some YUMMY gumbo!!!  Well, I think they all got started around 5:00 and I text Keith to come get me around 7:30ish.  I ate me some YUMMY gumbo, hung out for maybe 45 minutes, ate a few sweets (I've been eating way too many of those lately) and then called it a night.  If I remember right, we were headed back to the house by 8:45.  Yes, I was a party pooper!!  I'm still a night owl, but I'm not much for partying. 

My husband and I were actually considering a trip to Austin this weekend....what a joke!?!?!?!?!  Well, weeks ago he sent me a text saying, "get well soon, I want to take you to Austin for a relaxing weekend on the 27th overlooking the lake and a concert at a friend's house."  Back then the 27th seemed doable.  I'll be feeling better by the 27th...NOT!!!  The day after my 2nd worst day since surgery.  I hated to inform him that there was just no way I could make that trip and surely would not be up to partaking in the event...and the worst of all....I had to admit that he wasn't married to SUPER WOMAN!!!  Now that was a shocker!!!  For both of us...LOL 

So, finally, today is Sunday...I'm all caught up now...SHWEWW!!!  As much as I would have really loved to have gotten up and made the drive to be with our Baytown church family, it just didn't happen!!!  I do hope we can plan to do that next weekend.  This weekend was, again, just too soon!!!  I pretty much laid in my quiet, dark room most of the morning.  I did clip coupons from about 4 weeks of newspapers (they're almost expired by then) while watching  Snow Buddies with Ryleigh.  What a cute movie???  I guess I had never seen it, but thought I had.  My friend Shelleen sent a text to see what I was doing and I told her I was getting ready to take a nap, but I'd really like to get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather.  She mentioned sitting on my front porch as we often do with a glass of tea.  I was sure glad she sent me that text.  I probably needed that nap, but I really needed the fresh air, the breeze, the butterflies flying all around my flowerbeds, the noise of the water feature, great conversation and the kids playing in the front yard.  After she left, Rance and I took the dog around the block for a walk and then I was done for the day.  Back to laziness!!!  I know it's late and you guys are probably wondering, "What the heck?", but I am a night owl and this post has been a "draft" for way too long.  I had to get it out tonight!!  I had a wonderful day and I'm praying that this is a big "HEALING" week.  I am planning NOT to overdo it, but I do plan on trying to work in the office about 4 hours for at least two days.  I'll also get some things done from here during those other days, but plenty of rest as well.  I can't tell you how supportive my bosses have been with all this.  They have treated me so well and have been so encouraging...never pressing me to be back in the office as much as I know they LOVE to have me around ;-)  Now they might have been stressing a little this past week, well, at least one of them anyways (no names), but he never let's me see him sweat...LOL  He should know I'd never let him down!!

Looking forward to a great week, cooler weather and hopefully a trip to Baytown on Sunday for church and a visit with my mom, daughter and grandbaby :-)  Make it great!!

Love and Belief!!