Christmas 2013 and Spencer's early 5th family birthday party.

We enjoyed having all of our children and grandchildren to our new home for Christmas this year. We did celebrate the weekend following Christmas Day which simply extended our holiday. 

Corinne and Ben's family came first. 

Here is Spencer sleeping next to new baby Henry. Henry looks most like this brother. 

Everyone except me went to the St George Children's Museum. The boys really loved all the activities there.

 Scott arrived next. Most all of our family enjoy playing games.

Here's a game of apples to apples. 

 Next Shannon & Brian and their babies came. Here are cousins Henry and Mima meeting for the first time. They were born two days apart. Mima is two days older than Henry.

 Here is cousin Buddy too.

 Cousins bonding on the playmate.

 We had a kids table + Daddy

 Daddy Brian and Mima chillin

 Close up of Mima

 Spencer got to go first opening a Christmas present

 Buddy climbing on his present

 Garrett and Richard examining gifts

 Scott got cash and a puzzle to put together so he knew what we intended for him to buy with the money.

 Shannon 

 Fred and me with our newest grandbabies

 Birthday time for Spencer. He turns Five on the 1st of January.

 Missing Mima and Buddy because they were napping. Shannon is going to photo shop them in later.

 Buddy has been sick with a high fever for a few days. Today when he woke up from his nap his parents were out on a walk so Grandpa got Blake duty. Blake just snuggled on Grandpa's lap for about 15 minutes. HE NEVER SITS STILL. We think it was his "I'm still not feeling totally like myself" causing this wonderful moment.

Will it ever end?

Good News First. Shannon and Mima came and stayed Saturday evening through Sunday evening. I did hold Mima a couple times, but she is already kind of wiggly at 2 months so I didn't dare do much more. Shannon made us some yummy enchiladas. It was just so nice to sit and watch tv and talk. I love seeing Shannon so in love with her new baby. 

Now for the crummy news. Yesterday I did wake up feeling not so great. Lots of discomfort related to the catheter.....slowly cleared up and I felt better the rest of the day. Woke up this morning feeling the same way, but it didn't go away. By noon I called the doctor to report what was going on. They gave me a 3:30 appt this afternoon to have an ultrasound to see if my catheter was still doing it's job and to take a urine sample and a culture. 

I tidied myself up somewhat....pretty hideous to be truthful, but anymore I just don't care how I look. Got to the doctor's office and they are in the middle of remodeling. The waiting room was like a sweat box. I got in to see the doctor at almost 5 PM. There were times that I really thought I couldn't wait any longer. It was really miserable. 

The ultrasound showed that my catheter is just right and my bladder is emptying "beautifully". I do have a bladder infection so as we left the nurse had my chart in hand and was going to call my prescription in to Walmart. Got to Walmart and they had no record of the prescription. Fred comes out empty handed with a phone number for the Walmart across the valley. We call them on Fred's cell phone and they have no record. We didn't see my doctor, but one of his associates (a woman Doctor, who by the way I will be switching to) and weren't 100% sure what her name was. Miraculously I remembered the doctor's clinic main number. They gave the after hour number so I called it while Fred went back in again to see if they had found anything. The doctor called right back and said "just give the phone to the pharmacy and I place the order". I answered with "well my husband is in the store and I'm in the car with the only cell phone". She said she would call the pharmacy. Fred comes out and says they found it and it will take a half hour. We drive over to Pollo Loco to get food in the drive thru so we can eat while waiting for the prescription. Well the drive through was so slow. We decided to take the food home figuring the prescription would be ready by now. NO - it wasn't. We got home at 7:30 PM. 

Fred and I are dumbfounded right now with how complicated and hard everything seems to be for us lately. I can't wait to go to bed tonight and sleep. 

Tomorrow Tomorrow is only a day away.

Surgery mishap

So I went into the hospital last Wednesday the 4th to have a lapascopic hysterectomy requiring a one night stay. I anticipated two weeks off before returning to work. After I was returned to my recovery room looking for my cute Lindsey Nurse, I was hauled back in for another procedure to repair my bladder that was nicked in the process of the other surgery. I had a couple blood transfusions, 7 units of fluid and also received some plasma. After both surgeries  were complete, I was transferred by ambulance from the Dixie Regional Health & Performance Center next door to the Dixie Regional Medical Center. Let me tell you that was about the worst thing I've experienced to date. Ambulance travel is not for the faint of heart. 


The first night was pretty horrible. My ribcage and shoulders would shoot with pain if I moved too abruptly. The poor respiratory technician and the night nurse didn't know what they had done to make me heave with pain. Luckily I got a heavy duty pain drip and a clicker to get a burst of added pain killer if I needed it. Needless to say, I slept a lot the 2nd day. I did get up twice to walk the halls. Isn't that a fun time? Takes two people to help you do that. One to push your IV & Catheter bag and one to steady you. 
It was nearly impossible to eat because you just can't get in the right angle for the tray to rest in front of you. Fred had to feed me soup the first meal. I'm always afraid to eat after surgery....pain meds can plug you up you know. Anyway, with the assistance of Muralax, that has not been a problem. The catheter is an experience. I have the big overflow bag. It's is great to never worry about drinking too much and having to get up to go to the bathroom. I get to sleep right through it. :)   But on the other hand I do not like walking around carrying a bag of pee which at times the tube gets air trapped in it so it causes a feeling of discomfort in a place that I do not enjoy. Fred is my pee bag manager. He is being really great about it. 
I'm not totally disabled, but in my mind it's like "I feel like crap, my stomach muscles scream when i move, I don't want to do anything for myself". I always ask nice and wait until Fred can wait on me. I'm not ridiculous about it, but why should I have to heave myself out of the chair and experience pain, when he can bring me the telephone or a drink of water. Really?
I called my neighbor who got the ball rolling to get meals brought in. It really does help. We have a ton of food already in our freezer to thaw and eat, but it's just not the same as a meal delivered to our doorstep. Shannon might be coming this weekend with one baby and I may ask her to do a little housework for me. Our Christmas tree stands bare in the corner of the living room. Scott set it up over Thanksgiving and then this happened. 
St George is experiencing freezing temperatures following a few days of snowfall so we too have shut down much like Bremerton does when it snows. The hassle with that is this home is new to us so Fred isn't sure how well it was built to endure these cold temps when this area is not used to it. He has been outside most days taking care of preventative measures to keep our house fully functioning without injury. I wish one of my girls could be here to help me, but they have babies and children and jobs to go to. I had planned on going to Shannon's while convalescing when i was expecting this not to be a big deal. Oh well, this experience is for my own good and opening my mind to the trials of others when they are having health challenges. It is so hard to function when you don't feel good. It is so important to check on others when they are under the weather. I'm not really into visiting with anyone. I have a cold on top of this and you know me the "cougher" so talking is a challenge. BUT I want to be more compassionate and thoughtful of others than I have in the past. I am actually quite selfish and self centered. Guess I'm getting my reality check here.