My New Look

Sunday, August 27, 2006

Hey, it's gonna be cool huh? It's got a few issues at the moment, but will be fixed soon! I am so gonna love it! It is a gift from my daughter. Danalyn designed it, and gave it as a prize during blogathon 2006. Well. my daughter won it. Beings she is a designer herself and loves her mommy so...she gave it to me! Woo Hoo!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Saturday, August 26, 2006


I wish I could give you a big hug and kiss! You would have been 84 today! Unfortunately, you left us eight years ago. I don't blame you for going, being trapped in that hospital bed for 17 years. But you have a new body now, no longer restricted in movement, no longer trapped in a steel bed, no longer having to put up with whatever came your way. You are free of all that.

Daddy, I miss you sometimes so much. I miss talking with you. I miss watching electrical storms, and old war movies or science fiction movies. I miss camping and fishing with you and Grampa.

You built me my first skateboard. You taught me to shoot a gun. You hauled me accross town to the skating rink twice a week so I could practice.

You hated it when I had boyfriends who didn't respect me as you thought they should. You hated letting go of me. You knew I would leave someday. I hated letting go of you...I knew you would leave someday!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

(If you are wondering about my lip in this picture, this is shortly after I bit the corner of the coffee table...still have the scar to prove it!)

The things you do for love!

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Yep, I went camping for my honey! I myself, would have cheerfully spent the weekend in bed, where I should have been! And no...he did not know I felt as bad as I did. And I wouldn't have told him for the world. He needed this time away so bad. He has been under a lot of stress at work and really needed a change of scenery!

He had Thursday thru Monday off and it is the closest thing to a vacation he was gonna get this year. He takes a week off during VBS so he can lead a group of kids for the week. And then he has the week between Christmas and New Years off to recover from Christmas.

This man does so much for me, it was the least I could do for him. I think he was expecting me to say we couldn't go, he was treading very lightly knowing how I was feeling. I knew how much he needed it and was looking forward to it! And really, the only thing I had to do was make my special salad for Friday night and again for Saturday night. The rest I knew he would take care of. Both nights were pot lucks, and Saturday breakfast was a pancake feed. Sunday morning hubby was cooking.

I survived, and I did have fun but no, I would not do it that way again....oh, who am I kidding? Of course I would...just to hear his silly giggle when he is letting go of the world's stresses and enjoying himself, and spending time with our friends and church family.

Yesterday I spent paying for the weekend. The headaches are worse and the only relief was sleep, so sleep I did! Today, I am taking my Diamox. The doc did not want me to take it until I saw the eye doctor but, I can't get in there until the 7th and I can not live with this that long. The meds he gave me take the edge off but don't stop it from coming right back. ( and I am not supposed to take them every day) I need to get rid of the pressure. My neck is out also, but that is from the pressure on my spine. It doesn't do any good to have that adjusted until the pressure is down, so here we go. I am taking my diamox!

Home Again!

Monday, August 21, 2006

I am back from camping...it was fun, and now I am sick and still having bad headaches ...no relief there! Bleh!

No Needles Today!

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Well, my appointment with the nuerologist was not everything that I hoped it would be! He examined my eyes very carefully and, did all his work up that he normally does. He didn't find any evidence of it being my psuedotumor cerebri returning. I should be happy you say...well, I would be if I believed it!

No spinal tap today though! He does want me to go to my Eye Specialist, as I figured! He said to call him when I had done that and he will go over his report also. I hate the jumping through hoops! He said I may be right but, he wants him to check it also. Geeeeez! I don't normally fill up with fluid in my head like this, guys, honest! I could have pushed and got my way, as he said he was not adverse to me being on the diamox, but if I truly don't need it, then I don't want to be on it either! I really like things cut and dried and this was not!

He did give me something for the headaches when they get really bad. This is not wha
t I went in for. But on a good note...I have been having trouble lately with Restless Leg Syndrome, and he gave me a prescription to help that which may help my headaches and my sleep problems as well. That would be soooooo worth the trip if it helps my sleep, or my legs.

And I guess there was more good news too...I had lost 18 pounds since I saw him last May! Woo Hoo! He was very happy about that! And I am doin the "Happy Dance" too!




Update on PTC

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

I have an appointment at 10:00am tomorrow morning to have my head examined...no pun intended! My head feels heavier today and the headache is still there, AND I have gained six pounds since yesterday, soooo...I made an appointment. As soon as I made the call, I started shaking all over. It's "real" again! And it's back. I can't deny it anymore.

Goin' Campin'!!!

Monday, August 14, 2006


We're going camping this weekend! I can't wait! Are we there yet? We are going with about 100 crazy people from our church family!

Hubby and I need to get away and have some time together! We are not takin' any of the four legged kids with us as we have in the past! My daughter and her family are kid sittin' for us! I am sure she will get even either with four legged or two legged kids!

I am so ready! Well, not really! I have some menus planned but I need some ideas! It is just the two of us for one breakfast and two lunches, then we need potluck stuff for two nights! I think breakfast is covered as hubby has put in his order for bacon eggs and pancakes and beings he is cooking...who am I to argue? I am pot lucked out and I need a side dish for one and a dessert and one main dish for the other! Help!!! I really would like something I can make ahead that just needs to be in the cooler. No heating up! So if you all have any ideas, send 'em my way!

You Win!

Saturday, August 12, 2006

Ok it seems I have a couple of "mother hens"! I love you both and if this is not better by the coming week, I will call the doctor. Ok, ok! Who is going to hold my hand for the lumbar puncture?





Psuedo Tumor Cerebri

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

The last couple of months I have been having problems on and off with my psuedo tumor cerebri. What is that, you ask? Well, for some reason my brain makes too much cerebrial fluid and it builds up pressure in the brain and spinal cord.
In 2000 or 2001 when I was originally diagnosed, I was going blind from it. It had caused a hemmorage in my left optical nerve. Luckily, I decided I better get a little more stern with my doctor about what was bothering me. He thought at first it was some kind of migraines. Well, I did have a headache but not migraines. After a trip to the eye doctor he found the hemmorage and sent me to a nuerologist, thinking I had a brain tumor. After much testing, (including spinal tap...yuck) I was diagnosed with PTC. I was put on medication 3 times a day. Great stuff, it did the trick! But made my hands and feet tingle and go numb. You also can't have anything carbonated. I am not complaining...I am very lucky! I was on a fairly low dose and after about a year, I went into remission. Some people are not nearly as lucky and have to have brain shunts put in. And sometimes that doesn't work. I feel very fortunate.
Lately I am getting kind of worried tho! Twice in the last few months I have felt the pressure again and took my pills for a few days and I lost nine pounds of fluid in a couiple days. But this week I really was feeling rough. I felt the pressure starting again but didn't want to start the meds again and then I woke up and I could hardly lift my head. That is the worse it has been since I have been off the meds in the last 4 years. I started on my meds and lost 10 pounds before the next morning. I stayed on the meds and lost a couple more the next day.
I am not liking the frequency of this. And it took me until today to loosen my neck up at all, from all the pressure. I think it is time to go back to the nuerologist and fess up! I hate doing that. But I am getting concerned. If I am concerned then my doc is probably gonna be mad at me!

Lara's Big Adventure!

Monday, August 07, 2006

Lara had a great time! She went for hikes, went swimming, fishing, (don't think she caught anything tho!) and even went rafting!


Played with the boy!



Walked with the girls!



Melanie said she was the first one to bed and the last one up, she even outslept the "teenager"!


She was exhausted when she got home. She said "Hi" to everyone, drank two bowls of water, ate a few bites of food and went sound asleep for the rest of the day!

My kid is going camping!

Friday, August 04, 2006

My daughter called and wants to take one of "my kids" camping with them. She's a four legged kid, and she started out to be her's anyway. Her name is Lara and she is half black lab and half golden retriever. She is jet black like a lab, but has the long fur of a retriever. She is dumb as a box of hair but her heart is bigger than the state of Texas. She is just a doll. She is very gentle and thinks she is a lap dog. She loves to go for walks and adores the kids. She will have a great time.
I just gave the big lug a bath so she can go play in the woods all week and get dirty. How smart was that? Maybe it is not her that is dumb as a box of hair!!! (Shut up Joe!) Anyway she will smell pretty along with the aroma of mountain dirt, but who will know, the kids will smell the same too! Have a great time all my kiddos!