Dr. Doolittle

This story is one of the reasons why I love Dave so much.

Yesterday morning Dave gave all five of our furry, four-legged children their flea treatment. He found a pretty sly way to do it in which the cats did not get stressed. When they were sleeping, he started petting them and then, unbeknown to them, squirted the flea ointment on their neck.

Well, Flora, our orange kitty, quickly figured out that something stinky was on her. She kept turning her head and sniffing. She kept licking her shoulders.

Dave decided that Flora was trying to lick the flea ointment off of her. So, every time she turned her head and licked he would sternly tell her to stop. She's a cat. She doesn't listen. So, this is what resulted:

Dave (to Flora): Flora, stop it! *pause* Flora! Stop licking!

Flora licks again and saunters towards her cat bed.

Dave (to Flora): Flora, if you keep licking I'm going to take you to the SPCA to get flea dipped! Do you know how they flea dip cats? They grab you buy the ears and dunk you in a vat of flea dip all the way up to your head! It isn't fun. So, stop licking.

Missy (to Dave): You know she's a cat, right? She kind of doesn't understand anything other than meow.

The Power of 10

1. I heard an "expert" say that only 10% of one's happiness is based on their life's circumstances.

2. I used that tid-bit of info to help Dave and me keep smiling through our tumultuous first week of the new year! I was very proud of us! I think we kept good attitudes, and attitude is everything, right?!?!

3. I realized that Dave was stressed when he, the best driver in the whole wide world, bumped, not hit, bumped (according to him) a parked car with our truck during one of our many pharmacy visits!

4. I don't like to eat my French Fries just one at a time. I have to eat two at a time, at least, and they must be dipped simultaneously in the ketchup before they hit my taste buds and make my mouth salivate from their deliciousness!

5. I don't like to have junk food in the house because when it is in the house I cannot, for the life of me, forget that it's there, which results in the debate of good vs. evil. On my left shoulder is a fat little girl with devil horns telling me to eat the chocolate chip cookie! On my right shoulder is a skinny little girl telling me to ignore the craving and that it will go away and I will be happier because of it. Unfortunately, lately, the fat little girl has been winning, thus the reason why I don't like to have junk food in the house!

6. I watched a lot of Rachel Ray when I was home. One afternoon she was cooking a Mexican food chicken dish. As she was explaining the steps to take she said, "Next, you're gonna need to add some Baileys." "Huh?", I thought, "What is she talking about? Baileys in a Mexican chicken dish??" It made no sense at all to me! Rachel walked over to her counter and grabbed the BAY LEAVES and then said again, "Now, just add some bay leaves..." Ahhh, so, I get it! No wonder I'm not a cook!

7. Watching a lot of Rachel Ray inspired me to start cooking dinners because 1) she makes it look so easy and 2) I am so tired of the same old things for dinner! So, I promptly retrieved my Rachel Ray cookbooks and excitedly went through them, scanning each and every recipe trying to find the perfect one for me to try. The perfect recipe equaled the one where I knew what each ingredient was. Yea... 100 pages later and there was not one Rachel recipe where I knew what every single ingredient was! (Don't judge, I'll get there!) So, I promptly retrieved my "Better Homes and Gardens" cookbook and I'll be darned, I knew almost every ingredient in those recipes and do you know what I love about that cookbook? The first part of the book gives you lots and lots and lots of guidance! It is a wonderful cookbook!

8. My little sister texts me every single day and night and when I tell her stuff like, I am whining because I don't feel good or I ate too many sweets today, she always, always encourages me and tells me why it was OK that I did those things!

9. When a dog looks at you like this:

How can you not let him sleep on your lap?

Awwww. Sweet Duke. He's such a cuddler. What? Oh, you noticed he was already on my lap when he was looking at me like that? Well, that's not the point!

10. I have now known Dave for almost 10 years. In fact, on February 19 we will have known each other for 10 years and I just learned this January that the man can make omelette's! Pretty, delicious, yummy and plentiful omelette's! I told him that he'd been holding out on me...and that he was gonna be our cook from now on!

Denial

Whoever said that denial is a long river sure was right!

On Wednesday December 30th when my doctor told me she was admitting me to the hospital, I was naive, or optimistic, enough to think that I would be released from the hospital the very next day! Ha! (For those of you who didn't know, I had a bad asthma flare-up that was not getting better and my doctor admitted me to the hospital so that I could receive steroids intravenously.) Before you ask, I do not look like Arnold Schwarzenegger from the steroids, I should only be so lucky. Instead, I look like a big puffy faced girl! Boo! :(

On Thursday December 31 (yes, New Year's Eve, day 2 of my hospital stay, the day I was sure I'd be released) my doctor visited me and informed me that I would have to stay in the hospital at least until Saturday. "Crap...crap, crap, crap!", was my initial reaction. Then, I was naive, or optimistic, enough to think that when I was released from the hospital I would bounce back and be able to go back to work sometime the week of January 4-8. There was an inkling of concern in the back of my mind because my cough wasn't gone and my chest still hurt after all the drugs they were pumping into my system; but, I pretty much tried to ignore that. Healthy, huh?!?!

I ended up not getting released from the hospital until Sunday January 2. So, obviously, I spent New Year's Eve in the hospital and it did not suck as much as I thought it would. I guess that's a testament to how much I needed to be there, I don't know. I simply pretended...and, did not acknowledge, that it was New Year's Eve. I didn't watch the ball drop, I didn't watch the Black Eyed Peas perform or Dick Clark ring in the New Year. I simply went to bed...after making sure that the nurses weren't going to do some big count-down that I was going to have to ignore!

ANYWAY! Wow, I get off track a lot!

When I got released I had an appointment to see my doctor the following Wednesday.

Remember, I fully anticipated to "bounce-back." I fully anticipated to go home from the hospital and feel like a million bucks.

Denial. It's a long river.

Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, my first three days home from the hospital were not what I expected at all! What did I expect, you wonder. Well, I'll tell ya.

I expected to:
1) get good nights' sleep because I was at home. (That didn't happen until Thursday night!)
I didn't know that the cough medicine they gave me to sleep would cause me to have nightmares nor that I would wake up in hot flashes every 2 hours!

2) have energy. (Saying that I didn't have energy is an understatement, folks. I told Dave that I never, in all my life, ever, felt so tired, exhausted, without energy, etc AND I was still coughing and had a sore chest!)

3) Lose weight. (Whenever I get sick, I use that as my silver lining. Optimism or wacko? Lol, who knows. But, my lovely prednisone bloated me up so I looked all puffy. A girl can't win!)

4) Bounce back! I had a slow bounce back, I bounced back about as fast as a 20lb bowling ball rolls down the lane when someone like me throws it... which is not very fast!

Denial. It's a long river.

This is when I decided that I needed to get more educated on asthma, etc. because I did not understand why my expectations were not being met! My doctor referred me to a Pulmonologist (lung specialist) and he was so, So, SO helpful! Then, when I returned to work I had some great conversations with some of the nurses that I work with that helped me understand asthma, my medicines and my symptoms so much better! And, holy cow, what a difference knowledge makes!

And, looking back, it kind of makes me laugh about the denial that I was in about what was going on with my own body. I told people that I wasn't short of breath (before and during my hospital stay)...my mom, sister-in-law and husband beg to differ, though.

Denial.

It was not until I was on a new nebulizer (breathing treatment) medicine that I realized how much easier it was to talk than before!

Denial.

I am lucky and blessed. Let me repeat that, lucky and blessed, that I don't have some disease that is going to quickly or painfully end my life, which I've reminded myself of countless times. I'm also lucky and blessed that I have health insurance. Seriously. What a relief that is. So, really, I've had no reason to have any pity parties. But, I have! I've had some great pity parties for one in my head. Thank God for all that candy I got in my Christmas stockings! (But, the bloatedness was from the prednisone, not the candy!)

It's just different getting used to the idea that from here on out, at least for a little while, things are going to be a little bit different. I'll always be on an inhaler, no big deal; but, still, it's a change. And, it frustrates me a little bit because I consider myself to be strong and tough and I feel like my asthma problems weaken me and I don't like that!

After today, though, I pledge to post more...and not about me and my asthma! Hopefully, sometime in the near future, I will have a new camera so I can put some new pictures on here for you!

Also, when I was at home, I went through one of my cookbooks and picked four, yes that's right, FOUR, recipes that Dave and I, yes, DAVE AND I, are going to cook (cause y'all know I need the help!) and I'm sure, SURE, that will make for some funny stories!

A Little Catching Up!

So, I have been missing in action because I decided to take a much needed break and time-out from all the pressures that consume us mere mortals. Ahhh, doesn't that sound enjoyable?

Yes, folks, on December 30 I checked myself into the lovely Hotel and Resort known as Fremont Hospital. I enjoyed a lovely 4 day stay complete with all the frivolities a hospital offers. I got an IV and it only took four, yes, FOUR tries to get the IV in me! I got to experience an "IV blowing," boy, the arm swell from that was worth every penny! I even got poked and prodded with needles and received breathing treatments around the clock! Only the best amenities for me, I tell ya!


After spending New Year's Eve there, I decided that wasn't enough of a break so I temporarily affixed my buttocks to my lovely couch and hired the best nurse in the whole wide world! (See below)

He's such a happy nurse! And, I never wanted or needed for anything while recuperating at home thanks to him!

All kidding aside, for those of you who didn't already know, my asthma got so bad that my Dr. admitted me to the hospital. I was there for four days and the recovery at home has been slower than I anticipated; but, now things are moving along nicely, I think...and hope! And, my hospital stay wasn't as bad as I made it sound. The nurses and respiratory therapists there were lovely, helpful and very, very nice. Except, one time they forgot to give me one of my medicines...someone almost died; but, HELLO, this is Patient Missy G. we're talking about, what's a human life for my comfort? JUST KIDDING!

I'm doing breathing treatments at home; but, the Dr. and I are taking strides to get me off the breathing treatments and solely on an inhaler. Once I am solely on an inhaler, I should be able to go back to work! You know, I think some people always think it would be nice to have a long time off of work; but, I find myself sitting at home on Sunday nights envious of those who are getting ready for work the next day! I'm looking forward to having all of my energy back and, oh yea, being able to breath effortlessly, that would be cool! :)

Thank you every one for all of the well wishes, cards, phone calls and visits. They have helped keep my spirits up tremendously!

This has also helped to make my couch time more enjoyable:

My in-laws got us a TV for Christmas! Dave is still on cloud nine! We are now in the world of HD folks and me like! Especially with all of the football that's on now!

We can watch games with out having to squint our eyes to see the score! Whoo-hoo!

I still have funny stories that I want to share from Christmas and I will get around to it...maybe a Christmas posting for Valentines Day!

Thanks again everyone!