I have DOTS!
There is even one far away....guess I better liven up my blogging!
Who thought someone could get so excited from Dots!
I know they probably were just browsing but who cares!
I am working on one about Orbs but its taking more time to put together than I'd imagined...I don't want to come off as TOO crazy!
But everyone who sees my blog probably thinks that anyways...so I say who cares!
See me soon...you wonderful dots.
I now know I am not just talking to myself...seeing as hardly anyone ever post comments!
Color me ecstatic!

GRIPES:

Yesterday I had a school kid enter my store, toss a letter onto my front counter and then leave!

Opening it I found that it was ANOTHER request for donations!

It doesn’t matter what for…just that it’s another donation request!

It’s the same wording…”just a small one”…like that matters!

Ever since I’ve opened shop here in town I have been bombarded with requests of donations!

It seems that if you own a business you must be rolling in dough!

They make you feel like it is something that you should do seeing as “it’s a write-off” and you have to in order to keep customers.

What customers?

What write off?

I have yet to be able to use any of these as a write-off as they do not issue a tax number!

These organizations don’t even deal with me…let alone come in the shop to help me out!

Every time they hold a function they need donations for door prizes…etc!

In order for me to stay in business in this town I have to pay higher taxes because I own a store!

Last year the town implemented a “Business Tax” of $125.00 yearly which I have to pay to stay in business!

So I feel that I am already paying to have a shop here!

As for owing the towns people for their continued support…all I can say is “WHAT SUPPORT”!!

If it wasn’t for the major oil companies…there would be NO BUSINESS!

I don’t mind helping out but it is now helping me to go OUT OF BUSINESS!!

I get to look like a GRINCH if I don’t continue to “HELP OUT”!!

Hit the bigger companies…who are able to use this “write-off” and leave the small business alone!

We are struggling to stay alive!

Their other comment is that it would be great advertising…this town is too small to get lost and it’s not like I sell everyday commodities! It’s written on my windows what I do and sell!

I’ve even donated and not been on the list of donations for the “Thank You To” advertising in the papers! Like anyone else even reads the list!

WE ARE DAMNED IF WE DO AND DAMNED IF WE DON’T!

Everyone is looking for a cheaper price and we cannot give what large companies can so the majority in small towns shop elsewhere…so can you blame us for not giving!

So if you are planning a function or running an organization please keep me in mind!

Color me…GRINCH GREEN!

I finally decided to find my work bench just in case I might need it.
I am such a pack rat that I had buried it under tons of crap...some usable and some not.
So like a busy bee I cleaned it all up and organized everything so I now know where everything is when I finally get around to building something.
The worst mess was all of the nails and screws! So I put a put a handy dandy container together and Jill of all trades can now be organized better!
Jill Tip:
I keep all of my laundry soap measuring cups and use them to house the wayward nails/screws and excess stuff like hooks & eyes, nuts & bolts, etc. They fit nicely together on a shelf when not in use and also fit in my carry-all. The carry-all holds hammer, drill, tape measure, pliers, drill bits and these nifty containers of screws/nails. I hate poking my fingers with the sharp ends of the nails/screws so I fill them with the sharp ends pointing downward. My hands are fairly small so large round/square containers are hard for me to get a grip...that's where the handy little handles come into use! When these cups break I just throw it away and use a new one...no expense.
Seeing as I am not do theatre this year maybe I can get busy and fix my living quarters now that I have no excuse that I can't find my tools!
Stay tuned for more Jill Tips!

To all of my fans out there...sorry I haven't had much luck with the new blogger.
If it can be screwed up you can guarantee that I will do it...I am computer illiterate!
I needed PoD's help to figure out what I did wrong! Still having some problems!
No fancy titles...or any other doodad's!
I'm lucky enough to manage a photo once in awhile!
One of these days it will finally kick in...I hope?

Work:
It's been a pretty hectic month...really busy!
We are finally finished with our big order and will be chugging away at what is left. Hopefully more comes in...so I can catch-up on bill paying. I HATE customers that don't pay on time because it makes me late in paying my own bills...its kind of a vicious circle!

Health: [this is mainly for my family]
Just finished a bout of the stomach flu and I should post a sign on the door like they have in the hospital..."If you've been ill in the last 24 hours please don't visit". Seems my immunities are down and if your sick...ten to one I will catch it!
I would like one free month without some kind of ailment as I am sure you are tired of reading about them. Even I'm beginning to think I am a hypochondriac!

Inspirational Message:
How many of us take time for granted…me included!
This message was sent by a friend to PoD

TO REALIZE

To realize
The value of a sister
Ask someone
Who doesn't have one.

To realize
The value of ten years:
Ask a newly
Divorced couple.

To realize
The value of four years:
Ask a graduate.

To realize
The value of one year:
Ask a student who
Has failed a final exam.

To realize
The value of nine months:
Ask a mother who gave birth to a stillborn.

To realize
The value of one month:
Ask a mother
who has given birth to
A premature baby.

To realize
The value of one week:
Ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.

To realize
The value of one minute:
Ask a person
Who has missed the train, bus or plane.

To realize
The value of one-second:
Ask a person
Who has survived an accident.

Time waits for no one.

Treasure every moment you have.

WTF…up date!

High Ho…High Ho…back to work I go!

Yup…doc said I’m OKAY!

YES…I do have Irritable Bowel Syndrome Type D but a proper diet can help to control it!

He was very ticked off that I hadn’t received the proper help and had to wait so long to receive it!

Hint to anyone else out there…keep demanding help because IBS is real!

He was able to give me good news…I don’t have any signs of Bowel Cancer!

YAHOO! WHAT A RELIEF!!

All my signs of agony and vomiting were due to STRESS…go figure!

With all that I have been going through it just got the better of me and it’s all in my head!

I can live with that!

I’M NOT REALLY CRAZY…JUST STRESSED OUT!

I can live with that!

There is some sign of damage done because if the IBS but it is very minor and I’m slated for further testing in Feb…but I can live with that!

So now I have my New Year’s Resolution…I get to think only of myself!

IT’S TIME TO LOOK AFTER ME!

Color me HAPPY!

WEIRD NOTE:
An addition to my blog [see below]...
Sunday [Jan.14] night I had a dream about my dead sister!
I do not dream about her at all normally...I want to but don't.
I told PoD about it in the morning and we were trying to firgure out what it might mean.
By the afternoon I had my answer...High Ho! High Ho it's off to the doctor I go...!
This makes it 3 times...!
Can we say...WTF?

WTF…

High Ho…High Ho…is off to the Doctor I go!

Yup…I couldn’t stay away!

It seems my diarrhoea problem has finally caught up to me!

I was diagnosed with Diabetes in 1994 and the medication I took did not agree with my bowels. I lost 50 lbs because of it…which is a good thing for me but not a great way to do it!

This problem caused me to have Irritable Bowel Syndrome Type D!

All medical books and medications have quotations stating…”If you have diarrhoea longer than a week you are to contact your doctor”! I did [many doctors] and got NO results! All said “not to worry”! So why the warning?

Not to be gross…but when you see signs of intestinal fibres in your stools…I say its time to worry!

ME AND MY FAMILY WERE THE ONLY ONES WORRYING!

Seems that I now have feces coming out of two places!

This happen on Jan. 15!

If you have feces going through places where they shouldn’t be going…wouldn’t you be worried about the toxic end result?

I am now in great discomfort!

I have a high tolerance to pain so I am not sure of how much pain I am really in!

This morning I woke up [3:25 am] to vomiting and I am finding it hard to sit for too long…the pain is in my hips and my back aches!

My doctor finally found someone to see me today in the Battlefords and I am afraid it is the start to what may be another operation!

I only hope that I have not developed Bowel Cancer…my dad died from it!

More worry!

Even knowing my history…doctors did nothing!

A positive note:
The scenery to the Battlefords will be different and maybe they will have better magazines to read while I waste more precious hours!

Can’t see the food being any different!

Maybe I should be one of those people who rate hospitals and write books about it or better yet be a consultant! I definitely have the experience!

I’m sure not making any money working at my shop!

Poor PoD has to shoulder the load as usual…but I am thankful that I have her to count on!

Oh by the way…did I mention that we are BOTH down with colds!

Color me SICK AND TIRED!

Cross your fingers for me…

BEING SINGLE?

I have thoroughly enjoyed this time of peace without having to account to anyone else but myself!

It’s been 2 ½ years and I have never wanted to change this status!

I do have to admit that it is lonely sometimes but NOT THAT LONELY!

Everyone told me that I should try internet dating!

Man…is that an experience or what!

There are many sites out there that the lonely can reach out for someone and many do.

I have tried and found it left me wanting something better for myself!

Ever try filling out their personal pages?

How does one describe ones self without sounding pretensions or in my case…weird?

I want them to like me for my personality…not my picture!

At the young age of 55 [56 in a month] I do not look like a spring chicken and I have health issues! Nothing there to glorify!

The love that I look for is…the old couple who walk down the street still holding hands [no…they aren’t holding each other up] and you can see the love shining in their eyes [no...not the runny eyes from old age]!

You just know they have been through everything and yet they are still together!

Neither one have their looks yet they can share in the joys of both having wrinkles that just don’t matter! This is what I want!

All on the lonely heart sites want to see a picture!

Do pictures tell what is in the heart?

Pictures are for the vain! After all who wants to be saddled with the homely or the over weight?

I would take personality over looks any day!

Why is it difficult to have a relationship through words?

I know some have trouble putting down their ideas on paper [monitor] because they figure that they would come off as illiterate.

Or is it that the written word is hard to go back on!

If you can’t express yourself on paper how are you going to express yourself with talking?

I also do not do phone calls…I don’t need the smooth talking ones either!

I have found many a married man, in this small town, who are on line looking for extra fun! Talk about STUPID…they even have their picture for you to see who they are! They deserve to get caught and I hope that they do!

If I post a picture I cannot remain anonymous!

The last thing a single woman needs is having the crazy ones know you are alone and that you own your own business!

So the final word for me is…dump internet dating!

Mr. Right will find me…if it is meant to be!

But I won’t hold my breath waiting!

I guess you can say…I’M HAPPY BEING SINGLE!

I'll send myself my valentine...I KNOW I can count on ME!

Another chapter in the weirdness that is me!

I was told by someone that I shouldn't write about these weird things that happen to me. It makes me sound like I am nuts!

I think we are all nuts at some time! Others just don't like to admit it!

I write these thing in hopes that others might come clean and admit to themselves that strange things happen that just cannot be explained!

I am well known [in town] as the lady who likes the supernatural and people are always stopping me to tell me about their weird experiences and ghost stories!

One nurse in the hospital informed me that one of the rooms is haunted! No surprize...people do die in hospitals...so I would automatically assume there would be ghosts. The one in question happened to be right next to mine and nurses claim that it is being haunted by children!

I never did get a chance to check it out during the wee hours but PoD did a run through during the daylight and felt that the mirrors in the room made it feel creepy! I agree!

The room that made me feel that was haunted was mine!

During the time I had a roommate all was okay and quiet. Her complaint was the coldness around the windows [she had the bed by the window] and not once did we have any sound of heat going through the registers! All we had was blowing COLD air!

She went home Dec. 22.

I started hearing faint siren sound! At first I thought it was the TV [2 doors down from me] but upon checking...it wasn't! This would happen at all sorts of hours! A nurse was in my room at one time and she thought the ambulance was coming! She had never heard that noise before and was creeped out! My kids were visiting one time when it happened again and my son said that it sounded like the water was trying to get through the heat register. Made sense...so I tried to forget about it! Then I remembered...what heat? My room was being heated by the hallway heat [they keep the hospital real hot] and when the door was closed the room was cool!

The siren noise would happen occasionally [night or day] during the rest of my stay.

Then the loud banging started!

This only happened in the wee hours!

The noise was coming from the corner next to the supposedly haunted room! It sounded like something was hammering on the register or the metal cabinet standing in the corner! NO...it wasn't from the change in the weather or by any wind! I tried getting close to the area but it would quit!

I lost a lot of sleep from the noise and eventually had to yell at it to stop...which it would until the next night!

That lasted for 4 nights...thankfully I got to go home!

Stay tuned for my wierd dream....

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

I’m finally out of the hospital!

Landed in there Dec. 13 to regulate my sugars and was finally released Dec. 31!

18 DAYS!!

NO my sugars are not regulated and I am no further ahead!

I did learn how to give myself injections but not how much to give…they are still working on that.

My gripe is the incompetence of the dietitian [s] and our lack of good doctors!

The Diabetic Specialist I saw [Dec. 4] sent a letter stating what insulin I should be started on and the dosage.

That’s what I started with and this was written on my hospital chart. The nurses keep LOTS of notes and how it is progressing! It was taking longer than usual and dosages had to be adjusted.

Then my doctor left for his xmas holidays in Edmonchuk!

Finding it too hard to relate back and forth by phone I was asked to switch to the doctor on call…BIG MISTAKE!!

I should have gone home and waited for my doctor to get back!

Did you know that there is a type of insulin that is being used that regulates the sugars real good and works wonderfully?

The only down side to it is…only the rich can afford it and those who are lucky enough to be covered by a “Company” Health Plan [not our regular health plan]!

That is what the IDIOT doctor [one on call] switched me to!

Switching medication puts you back to the beginning…square 1!

All the nurses knew it was the expensive one and kept asking me if I could afford it [NO…I couldn’t] and I kept telling them to check with the drug store to find out.

Yup…no one checked!

And yes the expensive one worked!

And yes it wasn’t covered!

The idiot doctor tried to cover his a-s by saying that he was only picking up after my doctor and didn’t know that I had seen a specialist…after all why do nurses keep records of what’s being done to you if NO ONE reads them?

THANKFULLY my doctor came back!

Back to square one again! We started again with the previous medication…which takes longer! Only the rich get good help!

When you are admitted into the hospital you are asked lots of questions about the drugs you are on, what you are allergic to and what you don’t like to eat. This included the fact that I have an irritable bowel problem which needs NO help in moving!

So when you receive your meals you are sure that this is covered by your special diet and all that is on it is what is good for you. My tray card read “DIABETIC DIET…ALLERGIC TO EGGS” and I felt safe that’s what was on it…all being good for me!

WRONG!!

The portions were small enough to cover the amount of food to be eaten but my pills [that I was taking] stated high blood pressure with cholesterol problems [heart operation]. My roommate [at that time] was having high cholesterol problems also and should have been on a different diet than me.

NOPE…EVERYBODY GOT THE SAME FOOD!

For my diet it is better to eat small meals with snacks to help regulate the sugar.

Even as stupid as I am about sugars I know more than the nurses do about diabetes!

I got great desserts with my meals!

I had assumed that what was on the tray was low in sugars and fats…wrong!

My enemy was the Dietitian[s]!

Somebody forgot to tell them that there is sugar in fruit and some foods and low fat does not mean sugar free!

When I complained about the amount of sugar in my evening snacks [8 grapes, 4 strawberries, 2 watermelon slices, 2 honeydew melon slices, 2 cantaloupe slices and 2 slices of cheese]…I was told “these are made up especially for you and that’s all I was getting”…it was up to me to refuse them. So I did!

The doctor [on call] had the nerve to give me s—t for eating them [desserts] and his word of advice was to walk it off! I did a lot of walking! Walking [and fruit] also helps the bowels to move [which I did not need]…so finding a toilet that wasn’t already being occupied became a challenge!

Here is some of the meal contents: a boiled wiener/sauerkraut, salty soups, hot cereal with brown sugar [already on it so no choice with other sugar], creamy mashed potatoes, processed sandwich meat [salami] on buns, brown beans/tomato sauce and my all time favorite…baked EGG surprise.

The big surprise would have been my ALLERGIC reaction to the EGGS! THANKFULLY I do not have an allergy to EGGS [remember I did not write that on the card…the dietitian did]…I just don’t like to make a meal out of them! But that’s not the point…I COULD HAVE BEEN ALLERGIC [the kitchen staff goes by a list prepared by the dietitian]!

My roommate and I always joked about guessing what the food was because of the blandness…so bland was the egg surprise that I had already consumed half of it before I figured out what it was!

I’M SURE GLAD I DON’T HAVE ANY FOOD ALLERGIES!

BUT I AM ALLERGIC TO SOME DRUGS…so I kept a close watch on my medication!

The nurses were great but too run off their feet…thankfully I didn’t need a lot of care!

Our hospital is acute care along with long term patients. The long term care takes most of their time and it didn’t help that many of the nurses were sick with colds!

Long term patients should have their OWN staff!

THEY NEED MORE NURSES for the acute ward!!

18 days is a long time to spend time alone with nothing to do! I read many an article in the magazines provided and I hope I don’t have to go back because they now need more books!

To all out there who invest in magazines…donate them when you are done with them to your local hospitals! Lots to read for women…hardly any for men or those who do guy stuff!

I will also gladly donate my time to paint murals in the rooms…white walls SUCK!! Nothing to look at if you’re laid-up and can’t get out of bed!

So I am now returning to the hospital twice daily for sugar checks and injections…sugar is still high so the dosage is still unknown.

The only good thing that came out of being in the hospital for 18 days was that I lost 13 pounds.

Now I get to watch the loose skin flapping as I wave my arms…

My b—ching is done….

Have a great New Year!

Happy Anniversary to me!

It’s been 1 year since my heart “incident” was fixed!

First off…they now call heart “attacks” an “incident” because the “attack” word was too harsh and made it too scary!
Beats me how you can downsize an “attack” to an “incident” and make it feel better…it didn’t help me!

This is my story and I hope that it can help someone else either prevent or recognize what’s happening and your chances!

Hopefully you will be smarter than me!

I was diagnosed with Diabetes Type 2 in 1994.
No…I did not look after myself and follow proper diet and now I have to pay for it!
I have uttered every excuse imaginable why I couldn’t keep up with it and excuses don’t keep death from the doorstep!

I love sweets…especially chocolate! Chocolate made me feel better…the “high” that you get from it supposedly helps the stress.

WRONG!

The sugar helped to close my left aorta!

For those of you who do not have diabetes…don’t think that you’re safe!

Your not if you have cholesterol problems!

I didn’t HAVE CHOLESTROL!

The results…the right side of my heart was working overtime and made the small arteries bulge from the exertion!

PART ONE: RECOGNIZING THE SIGNS:

-Family History of Heart Problems!
This is very important! My mom died of heart failure when she was 36! I made it passed the age of 36 and thought I was safe! WRONG…you are never safe! Stick with the proper diet and live right…you might be okay! I am now 55 and I would like to live longer!

-Being more tired than you should be!
I am a work-aholic and wrote it off as working too much and not getting enough sleep. Keeping long working hours didn’t help either.

-Not able to walk very far or do any hill climbing!
Even the slight incline of this town’s streets were too hard for me to traverse and the short walk to the post office made me breathless!

-Different kind of pain!
My left arm felt numb from the shoulder to my elbow and the elbow joint ached. I always thought the right arm was to go numb and there would be pain in my jaw and neck if I was having a heart attack! I actually ignored this numbness a couple of times when I was out trying to go for a walk! Now I know I could have died then!

-Having that same pain wake you at night!
I was having “night sweats” and the pain in my arm would wake me. I wrote this off as symptoms of Diabetes but the arm pain left me wondering.

PART TWO – WHEN IT HAPPENED:

Saturday morning -July 23, 2005

I needed to walk up to PoD’s place [away on holidays] to feed her animals. She lived up the hill from me and the climb was too much! I was having these pains in my leftt arm again and seeing as the doctor’s clinic was near her I went to his place instead. He wasn’t home…away until Monday. Feeling bad enough I figured I could walk to the hospital [3 long blocks away] and get it checked…just in case.

STUPID thing to do! By the time I got there I was in agony and I felt my arm needed to come off…the pain was so bad!

We had a new doctor in town at that time and that’s who I got to see!

My legs were swollen and he pegged everything down to stress, anxiety and being over weight! Oxygen made the pain go away and he figured that it eased my stress, etc. Giving me a “Water Retention Pill” prescription sent me on my merry way! Forgetting that I had told him that I had WALKED there!

On the walk back to my place [downhill] I had another attack!

I had to put up with the pain until my family doctor came home [Sunday night] and then I only had to tell him my symptoms over the phone for him to put me in the hospital for observation!

Diagnosis: Acute Angina!

This means living with “Angina Spray and Nitro Patches” [both give you massive headaches]!

Where the hell did that other doctor get his degree!

Oh wait…we’ll take anyone with a degree that will stay here!

Maybe I’m being over dramatic…but I could have died!!

Yes…I do know that you can’t die from Angina…but telling yourself that when you’re having an “incident” doesn’t help!

Now comes all of the testing!

Waiting for appointments!

They have to do stress tests, echo heart monitoring, etc!

Professional people didn’t seem to be too worried about my heart…so I tried not to also. Ha! What a joke! Just added more stress!

The stress test said I was definitely a candidate for “stents” to be put in!

What the hell are “Stents”?
They widen your veins with balloons and put in these stainless steel “Culverts” to keep them open!

I even put the “One-Act Festival in DeerJaw” [Nov. 4] ahead of my health [because I was acting in this one and felt that I owed my acting company not to let them down] that’s how much my ignorance was at that time!

Or maybe my denial of the situation!

I spent that weekend having a few more “incidences”!

At 12:30 am Nov. 23 I was awaken by a severe “incident” that landed me into the hospital here. It was bad enough to send me the next day into “Toon Town” and right into the Cardiac Care Unit!

PART THREE – The Nightmare!

Everyone hates being in the hospital and I’m no exception!
It’s not bad when you’re feeling poorly, which I was, but care makes you feel better! Feeling better stops the angina!

In order to get the procedure done you have to stay there so you don’t lose your place in the line-up!
Yes…Line-up!
There is only two rooms in a hospital in “Toon Town and District” to do this procedure!

While you’re waiting for the “Procedure” they have tapes for you to watch so you know what is about to happen to you!

The first thing you find out is… YOU’RE AWAKE when it is being done!

The next thing that you find out is that you might not have it [stents] put in until the NEXT time!

What NEXT TIME!

Going through ONE -AWAKE is bad enough…but TWICE!!

So I waited!

And Waited!

And Waited…

Meanwhile they have been giving me blood thinner…etc, in preparation for this “Procedure”. Telling me this whole time they were keeping in touch with the “Procedure” unit.

I don’t know who they were calling because word came down [2 1/2 weeks later] that they had been trying to find me to tell that it was time…but I wasn’t answering my phone at home or at work?

WHAT???!

They had finally connected with PoD and she had to tell them where I was and had been for weeks!

NOW I HAVE TO TRUST THESE SAME PEOPLE TO MAKE ME FEEL BETTER!!?

BUT…seeing as they couldn’t find me I had to go to the bottom of the list!

NO F—king WAY!

They got to see my bad side!

I wouldn’t leave until I had a permanent appointment with the “Surgeon”!

They had messed around with my blood [thinning etc] and blood clotting also runs in the genes! So no way was I taking that chance…I lived too far away to feel safe!

Stress was making me worse!

PART FOUR – THE PROCEDURE!

Dec 13, 2005

Outpatient Surgery Department [7:30 am]…answer same questions at front desk and on the ward. These people would save time if they would only photocopy that sheet! Or maybe give me a copy and I could carry copies around with me!

Then the nurse gives you this scratchy gown and tells you to wait…I’m supposedly next!

Found out that next meant 4 hours later!

FINALLY…it’s time!

I liked it better when they brought the stretcher to you and you are wheeled into the operation room. They gave you a drug that made you relax and it wasn’t so stressful going into that room and the urge to run is not there! But not now…now you have to walk to the operating room…stone sober…and your stress level goes way up! All I wanted to do was run away and forget everything!

Putting on a brave face I climbed onto the table!
I was swarmed by nurses and doctors…prepped for the procedure!

I was told that it was only to find what was blocked and if I MIGHT need more work.
The doctor thought it funny that I crossed my fingers!
I wasn’t taking any chances…NO WAY was I going to go through this again!

They have TV monitors all around you and this x-ray machine continually takes pictures of your heart while he is working on it! You can if watch if you want.

REMEMBER – YOU’RE AWAKE!!

Queen of Halloween is squeamish!!

Last thing I wanted to see was someone shoving a microscopic camera through my vein into my heart [thankfully it kept beating], let alone watch as they blow it up with this balloon!

I am also happy that they talk real low so it’s hard to hear things like “that part of the heart is too damaged to repair” and “we don’t have anymore stents that size” [they put 3] while you are laying there! Those words came later the next day!

1 hour turned into 2 ½ hours!

What does a person think of during that time?

I have a fantastic imagination! Try and keep that under control while all of this is going on!
All you have to stare at is the ceiling tiles! I think I counted them a million times!
I vote for them to have TVs installed up there and run a movie or documentary [not about the heart]!

I forgot to tell them about the deteriated disc in my back and laying for that long killed me! After awhile pain killers didn’t work! Thankfully they were finally done!

PART FIVE – THE RECOVERY ROOM!

Tourcher Chamber!

The procedure was to insert this microscopic camera in my body through the main vein in my crotch [right side] area. This has to be sealed shut after they are finished or you will bleed to death!

This is where they bring in the “CLAMP”!

The “Clamp” is a machine that looks like a huge “C”! The bottom of the “C” slides under the bed frame and the top of the “C” is positioned over your incision! Then they screw it tightly down on this incision to make it heal better!

As she was screwing it down tighter and tighter…she kept asking me if it was tight enough! My groaning from the pain wasn’t enough to stop her! I thought she’d never stop!

This has to stay there for 20 minutes!

20 minutes felt like HOURS!

Again I was lying on my back and the pain was intensified by the clamp!

Hospitals use Tyelenol for pain killing…I am allergic to Tyelenol! The only drug that works for my back pain…they would not give to me!

I have a strong thresh hold for pain…but this was unbearable!

After 20 minutes of hell they finally removed the clamp and up to the ward I went.

Now all I have to do is lie on my back for another 6 hours and don’t move a muscle…you can’t even lift your head! This is to keep the blood pressure from bursting the incision!

MORE AGONY!!

FINALLY at 3:00 am it was all over and I could get up!
If I could have jumped out of that bed I would have!
I paced the hallway on my floor to get rid of my back agony…the incision hardly hurt at all!

Did you know that the hospital hallways are real creepy at 3:00am!

The quietness made it quite spooky and I felt like I was being watched! Perfect place to see ghosts! But my mood at that moment would have scared any ghost away!

Morning finally arrived along with breakfast! I was starved! I even ate all of their crappy food!

The doctor arrived right after that and gave me two pictures of my heart…the before and after shots!

I was closer to death than I figured and was told that he was amazed that I hadn’t had a MASSIVE HEART ATTACK!

STUPIDITY AND DENIAL nearly did me in!

And yes…I now have some heart damage and it’s not repairable!

He also gave me a “green card”! I have to hang on to this card just in case anything goes wrong with the “stents”? They’ll need the numbers on them for replacements?

Wrong?

Yup…the heart can reject these things and sometimes the medication [very expensive] they give you to prevent this doesn’t work!

Wonderful….more stress!

With this procedure you are not able to go home until the next day…just in case things don’t stay together…more worry!

Home never looked so good!

PART SIX – THE RECOVERY

How does one contend with oneself when they get back from heart surgery? Nobody cut me open but I felt like they did!

I keep the photos around to remind myself and hopefully others of what can happen! Diabetes is a sneaky disease…it creeps up on you and destroys everything!

I started the year out just fine…I stuck to my diet and even lost some more weight! I tried to relax more…gave more work to PoD and all was okay until I caught a cold!

I have had problems with Bronchitis in the past and it looked like it was going that way again!

The coughing was scaring me and the doctors…so back into the city hospital again!

More testing and another 10 days until they let me go.

Diagnosis: Pneumonia!

Thankfully all “stents” have stayed in place!

Man…I’m sick of being sick!

I’ve tried avoiding people so I wouldn’t catch their germs but I couldn’t do that to my grandkids.

It didn’t matter! I have another cold [not pneumonia] and caught the flu!

Did you know that you can have the flu for a month or more?

Wonderful!

Most recently I have had to go back to the specialist about my Diabetes.

I have two sores on my body that no one seems to know anything about!

With Diabetes care has to be taken with your feet and legs. Mine are just fine!

These sores are on my stomach! The first one took a month to heal! This new one is worse than the other [bleeds sometimes] and all the doctors can say is “wait and see how this one goes”!

They are too busy at the moment and maybe I should wait for any others to show up and then they might do a biopsy!

Meanwhile testing has shown that I no longer can take pills to control my sugars.

I am now Type 1!

This means being insulin dependant!

To do this I have to go back into the hospital to learn to regulate it!

I CAN’T B---H TOO MUCH…I’M STILL ALIVE!!!

OR AM I?

Guess What!

Today I land back into the hospital [1 year to the day]…they are going to regulate my sugars with insulin shots. I will be in there over the weekend so I get to miss our wind-up party AGAIN!

I have 5% of my xmas shopping done…my tree is not up yet, shop has been decorated for a month…no xmas tree there either! I don’t think I want to put up one only to take it down one week later. Granted some people don’t put theirs up until xmas eve.

I am behind at work and planned to spend that time to catch-up…customers are getting sick of our saying we’re still behind.

Oh well!

I am taking a page from Wilma’s book and try not to let it bug me! Easier said than done!

Cross your fingers for me!

WTF Continued....

The first blog for the day I had written in the early morning hours yesterday. I didn't post it yesterday because I figured I'd be fair and give them a chance to clear of the snow.

No one came!

Then I found out that the downtown main street was cleared properly and NO ONE WAS CLIMBING OVER SNOW MOUNDS!

The snow in front of my place wasn't even mounded...I had 6 to 7 feet stretch to my door of a foot of snow! 4 wheel drive is the only vehicle that didn't get stuck!

My nice neighbor had cleared my sidewalk that morning with his Bobcat...thanks guy!

But the snow continued....

Ticked....I phoned the town office!

I gotta admit I was proud of myself for not flying off the handle!
Town person [new] told me she did not know the protocols for snow removal and would get back to me. Within 5 minutes she had called back and informed me that the plowing crew were just starting to remove snow again and would get to me then or today sometime. As she was talking I saw the tractor/bucket go by and NO they did not do it then!

I then watched as they plowed the back alley [across the street from me] and then watched as it cleared a PRIVATE residence's parking area [next to that back alley] and even behind their garage! NO it wasn't the Mayor's house but I would chance a guess that Tractor Guy might know them!!

Well....it snowed/sleeted last night and I awoke [slept in...7:45] to more snow out front!

Then low and behold....the Tractor Guy plowed my street [8:15]!

Yep....plowed the snow and now my customers have to climb the mountain!

Guess it was rocket science after all!!

The poor boulevard trees are going to go thirsty this coming spring!!

I guess I can't complain....they did put gravel/salt down on that icy roadway! But now I can't have my usual laugh at the poor souls that drive my street. I got a great kick out of how some people can't back up and have to turn around and drive out going the wrong way.

So bring your climbing gear if you plan on stopping at my place...cause who knows how big that mountain is going to get!!

Maybe I'll take a page out of Wilma's book and write a nice note to the newspaper's mail bag on how this town is becoming crappy because of lack of experience...or are they just okay with hiring ANYONE who THINK they can operate a machine!

Paint my aura RED!!

WTF!!!

Yesterday morning I awoke [5:00am] hearing the town grader and it sounded like they were doing my street!

It snowed a lot the night before and amazingly they were up early to remove it…definitely not something done before!

But I guess the Grader Guy can read lips after all!

Because I must be on his s__t list!!!

Or…

He just doesn’t know how to remove snow properly with that machine!

I moved into town 4 years ago and the snow in front of my place has ALWAYS been plowed from the curb over to the boulevard! But since this town has gone through a massive turn over of personnel [town foreman, etc] they have had problems!

I am a very understanding person…normally!

I know they have their problems but don’t you think you would try to hire someone with EXPERIENCE in what they do!

It’s not rocket science!!!

You tell me if you like parking at a store that you would have to climb over a mountain of snow just to get to the door or maybe chance getting your vehicle stuck in it!

When that same snow could have been resting across the street from it on the boulevard…where it would water the trees when it melted!

But that would make too much sense!!!

My shop is in the downtown area…the other stores have easy access! Their snow is plowed to the middle of the street where it is REMOVED!

Why is my place different!

Not to be too paranoid…the building beside me happens to be a town heritage site and the snow was “bucket” removed from the front of it!!!

I guess you get more service with “sugar on it” instead of sour when you curse them!

But I feel miserable [still sick] enough to start something!

They haven’t felt the “Wrath of QoH” yet but something tells me they are going to!!!

Stay tuned!

Sorry I haven't been blogging but I'm fighting a head cold [as usual] and I think the flu has been trying to get a foot hold...and I think it's winning!

Being Diabetic [type 2] sucks!!!
Pick up any cold/flu medication and read the warning label...all say "do not take if your Diabetic, etc." So no help is available there!

But that's not why I'm blogging!

I saw my younger sister's ghost again!

Again it was only for a split second but I know it was her!
I saw her once before, about six months ago, when I was sick with pnuemonia!
Both times were when I wasn't even thinking of her and she appeared!

The first time I was busy working and looked up and saw her standing by one of my computers! It was long enough to recognize what she was wearing and it was an outfit that I had seen her in before [no it wasn't her funereal outfit because I never viewed her at that time...I couldn't] and it wasn't an outfit that she wore a lot!

This morning I saw her at the foot of the stairs leading up to my private residence.

I was fully awake and had completed some early morning chores before descending to my work place. I did notice that both cats would not go downstairs with me as they usually do and thought that strange?

I had just gone down three steps when I realized that the foot of the steps was faintly lit...I looked at the area and saw her standing there! I always go down the stairs in the dark...it's that familiar to me.

Again it was just for a split second but long enough to recognize that it was her!

When she was alive she was always there for me...especially when I was sick. She always seemed to know when I was down and might need her help! Last time I ended up in the hospital...hope that's not the case this time! I don't feel as bad as that last time so I don't think that will happen!

But I do have a doctors appointment on thursday in "S'toon" hospital!

I know that a lot might think I'm nuts...but who cares!

I know what I saw!

Maybe being ill makes my guard drop and let's me see these things...who knows? I can't blame it on wishing it because when I wish her to be here she doesn't appear! I know she's on my mind a lot but not this morning!

What a way to start the day!