Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-08-30

• Just changed my twitter background, check it out! Found it at http://www.TwitterBackgrounds.com #

Tags: tweets, twittering

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-08-24

• Akkk – Its swiss cheese in the drawer, not mozerrella cheese. David will need to stop at the grocery store or I need to go to Plan B #
• Just saved my middle son time and money on getting his prescriptions. #
• I had supper planned but David said to order HBs from the Bar and Grill, he would be out there working on a truck. Plan change. Figures #

Tags: tweets, twittering

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-08-09

• Watching the clock. Ethan needs to be to work in 45 minutes … but wants to sleep "just a few more minutes". I know the feeling! #

Tags: tweets, twittering

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-08-02

• David's dad turned 79 today. The family gathered out to their house and grilled hamburgers and had cake & ice cream. #

Tags: tweets, twittering

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-07-27

• I like today. David is still dispatching his trucks, but he is doing it from home, and we are folding clothes and other odds and end things #

Tags: tweets, twittering

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-07-12

• Been home for a couple weeks now, but still trying to get back in the groove of things. Its going to be a longggg slow process #

Tags: tweets, twittering

Change your bookmark link please:)

If you still have this URL for me, please change it to http://takingthetime2live.blogspot.com/

Thank you!

This Last Month…

After almost a month long break, I have stared at this computer screen for the last 2 days, not knowing what to write. Where to begin. I do know I don’t want to start blogging again until I at least surmise the last month, what has happened, and what is ahead. And yet, it seems like such a daunting, overwhelming thing to do. So. I think I will summerize the last month into a bullet list. And then the thoughts and details that I can get documented will be at my health blog where I started to document all of this in the first place. David took pictures somewhat along the way. Not every day, but enough to show the progressive healing and just what we were encountering.

• Month of May: Local doctor treated me for Vasculitis
• Memorial Weekend: Ran fever of 103-104
• May 26: Doctor app’t — he admitted me to Coffey County Hospital (local hospital)
• May 26 – 28 (Tuesday-Thursday): I’m in Coffey County Hospital
• May 28 -31 (Thursday-Sunday): Vasculitis not getting any better — the doctors decided here that I needed to be in a bigger hospital, so transported by private vechicle (David) to St. Francis Hospital in Topeka
• The Vasculitis pretty much “exploded”. I was covered from neck to toe in little and not so little blisters and blood blisters spots. I had 4 or 5 blisters that were probably 3 inches across.
• May 31 (Sunday): Topeka decided to send me to KU Med Center in Kansas City, to be treated similiar to a burn patient.
• May 31 – June 16: My new residence was KU Med Center in Kansas City.
• KU Med Center determined that the Vasculitis was probably caused an allergic reaction to Kaflax (an antibodic that I took for a UTI in April … and it didn’t play nice with the Coumadin and Predinsone)
• My bed was an air mattress (that was nice!)
• Blisters were cut open and skin pulled away to begin the healing process. They wrapped my legs and arms in this yellow wrap that was coated with Vaseline
• 2nd Sunday that I was there, June 7, my stomach sounded like a ripe watermelon, it was distended, and I wasn’t going to the bathroom.
• Had a CT done. They found air and blood around the colon walls. I was put on MPO from Sunday to Friday Night (I literally had nothing to eat except ice chips). The surgical team saw me several times, but was being really cautious about doing surgery right then because I was so high risk with all the other problems (the atrial fib, being overweight, the enlarged heart, my kidneys took a hit because of the steroids, etc etc etc)
• I was given 2 transfusions.
• The surgeon told me the best medicine to get things “moving” was to get up and walk. No easy feat. Remember, my body is covered in painful blisters (although, they were giving me some good pain killers.) And I’m not a small person by any stretch of the imagination. But, Tuesday, I got up and started taking steps, and then across the room. By the end of the week, I was walking out in the hall.
• When they did the CT scan,, they also found a cyst on my ovary.
• Because they had taken me off all my blood thinners, they did a procedure to insert a IVC filter (an umbrella looking (without the cloth) thing that stops blood clots from my legs to my lungs
• I also had a central line — which was WONDERFUL. No getting stuck every time I needed lab work or an injection of somekind.
• They did an ultra sound to further explore the cyst.
• Blisters/Vasculitis healing nicely. I’m getting up more and more. No surgery for colon.
• June 12 (Friday night): The oby/gyn people came in to discuss the “mass” they had found (10 cm big …. approx 4 inches?) They were going to run lab work, but it looks suspiciously like cancer.
• June 13 (Saturday). Lab work levels for this was elevated. A normal level should have been around “30″. My level for the tumor markers was “180″.
• A Mammogram was scheduled. A colonostopy also needs to be done, but there was some back and for discussion about when it should be done. Some of the team thought I should be given time to heal (the Vasculitis, plus all the steroids I have been on). Others thought since I hadn’t eaten since Sunday and was “all cleaned out” already — now was a good time. On Monday it was decided to have it done later.
• June 16: Home. Home. Home At Last!

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-05-31

• She is in the hospital… this is her son… email me at estrawder@yahoo.com to find out more #

Tags: tweets, twittering

I’m not who you think I am………

This is a disclaimer… I am and do not claim to be Carolyn.

This is her son Ethan. I am writing this to let all ya’ll know…. She is in the hospital… She went in about 11:30 this morning with a fever of 104.4. She’s just a little Hot-Blooded. (song reference for those that didn’t get that.) They are monitoring her vitals and her other ailments. You can read what those are at Here. For all the local yokels, give me a call… If you don’t know my phone number, leave a comment and i will email you with the info…. I will periodically update the next couple of days….

Well the bells and whistles are going off here, I shall return in a little while…. ttyl and farewell for now….
The bells and whistles aren’t really going off its just her iv machine is beeping …..

First Things First

Where do we go from here? For 33 years, we have been raising children. In one form or the other. As small children, as teenage children and a baby. As an older child. And now? We will become Empty Nesters. He has graduated. And even though his plans are still “un-known” (he wants to take a year off, and then go to college, but honestly, I don’t see that happening. Although… if thats what he wants to do, we can start focusing on that direction and make it happen).

So what do we do as Empty Nesters? Things stay the same? Work, work, work? Or, can we take off and maybe do some vacationing from time to time, not having to worry about who Ethan would stay with, or what we would do with him? We still have Branson tickets that we have paid for and never used. Or, we could take off for the Outer Banks and spend a couple of weeks there. I don’t know. But it would be nice to get away.

But in the reality of things, I am taking it day by day. With the health issues I’m having, I don’t even know if I’m going to work tomorrow. So, I guess first things first, and then we discuss that “get away” when I am feeling/doing better.

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-05-17

• We made it through the big day. He graduated!!! We have anticipated this day or a long time. #
• If it can go wrong today … it will. #
• Ethan graduates in just 2 days. TWO. DAYS. Where did my little boy go? #
• Between talking to my doctor & Googling some things — I’m pretty sure I have Vasculitis. Scary stuff! #
• Just made a doctor’s appointment …*sigh* again. Rash has turned into dark little bruises. Dozens of them. #
• Shhh. Can you hear? I swear, my cat SNORES! #
• I keep fielding calls from David about the way I did things at the office. Not going to get much done here if he keeps calling. #
• I’m still not used to having afternoons off and not being sick. I need to make a list of what I want to accomplish #
• I’m getting nervous. The edible icing for Ethan’s graduation cake was sent ground, not rush. Should be here Wed. or Thursday… #

Tags: tweets, twittering

Its Your Day, Ethan!

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Weekly Wrapup #31: Knowledge is Power

This actually comes from last week at Weekly Wrapup … but its pretty timely for me, and she has posted this weeks questions yet, so I’ll play along with the questions from last week.

Did you do any sort of research in the last week? (Sure, Googling counts!) Yes, I did.  I have something really really weird going on with my feet and legs.  Even my doctor finds it “interesting” and isn’t 100% sure what it is.  

Was it for work or play? Neither.  Information — health reasons

Learn anything you’d care to share? My doctor threw some names out, and is treating it aggressively with Prednisone.  I “Googled” Vasculitis.  And I found a picture of there of exactly what my feet and legs look like.  I have been documenting this problem here.

Do you have a hunger for knowledge or are you more passive? I would say at this late date (I’m 50!), that I’m more passive about knowledge.   I have a hard time remembering just the simpliest of things these days. 

Do you like the learning (aka school?) I liked school when I attended many moons ago, but going back to school now is not on my agenda of “things I want to do before I die”.

Love Dare Challenge

Beginning Sunday, May 17, Karen from “Write From Karen” is going to take us through a Love Dare challenge. She will be post the first 10 challenges (on challenge a day for 10 days). challenge from the Love Dare book . AND, she will be giving away a couple of books… the Love Dare Book and one Fireproof DVD.

All we have to do is comment on the current day’s challenge. Of course, we should also actually try the challenges, and then the comment will be worth two tickets instead of one. Karen recognizes the important of the book and this challenge, towards healing our marriages instead of walking away from them. I support this concept whole heartedly as well (after 25 years of marriage, there have been lots of opportunities and reasons to walk away. But we didn’t). Thanks Karen, for the time and work you are putting into this challenge.

Skywatch Friday

Click over to Skywatch Friday for more “Skywatching” pictures
from all over the world.

I think of all the pictures I take, taking pictures of the skies is the most fascinating for me. Seems like the sky is never painted the same way twice.

Friday Fill-in

1. If we had no winter, we wouldn’t appreciate the warmth and newness of spring.

2. My grandson a perpetual astonishment.

3. If I had my life to live over I would change my eating habits

4. Ethan will be walking across the stage and receiving his high school diploma inside of four and twenty hours.

5. If you’ve never been thrilled you aren’t living life to the fulles.

6. To be interested in the changing seasons is to appreciate change.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to checking more things off my list, tomorrow my plans include celebration of our last child graduating and Sunday, I want to rest! …but there is more celebrating to do.

I’m Not Stressed. Not Me.

I feel like I am finally getting some answers, or at least figuring things out. The rash on my feet had me worried, but it has progressed to had me really scared. Thus, the trip back to the doctor. Bottom line, he’s baffled. He brought another doctor in, and he was equally baffled. They threw out a few “guesses”, and they are going with those guesses to proceed with treating it. After looking through Google with their guesses, I found several pictures that nail it right on to what my feet and legs look like. In some ways, its a relief. I was thinking various different kinds of cancers -such as Mesothelioma cancer or some kind of skin cancer. But, what their (my doctor and the other doctor he called in to look) guesses led me to find was I have “vasculitis” — which an inflammatory disease of the blood vessels. Because you have blood vessels go all over your body, it could affect any given part of your body. Heart, lungs, brain, kidneys. That is why they are watching my blood with lab work so closely. Right now, its just attacking the soft tissue. And everything I have read says to treat it with prednisone. He doubled my rigiment this week… last week he had me taking 3 tabs daily for 5 days…2 tabs daily for 5 days, and then 1 tab daily for 5 days.

When I saw him Tuesday, and he decided to get more aggressive with it, I am now taking 6 tabs daily for 3 days, 4 tabs daily for 3 days, 2 tabs daily for 3 days and 1 tab daily for 3 days. Hopefully, in 12 days we will see a major improvement.

One area I have seen an improvement in with the double dosage is better kidney function. It felt good to be able to pee normal again. Its been awhile. The bad side to this though — and he warned me this would happen, my blood sugars would be higher. I checked tonight….399. Not. Good. But, I feel fine, and we know its medicine induced … so, its just something I will have to deal with, document well, so the guys (David or Ethan) know what they have been doing if the sugar levels go higher and I do go into distress.

Such fun. And I have a graduation to attend, and a reception to throw (actually 1 1/3…we are doing one for Ethan on Saturday, and we are part of one for the 3 cousins on Sunday) afterwards. Can we say …stressed? Nahhh. not me. Didn’t think so.

Booking Through Thursday

Book Gluttony! Are your eyes bigger than your book belly? Do you have a habit of buying up books far quicker than you could possibly read them? Have you had to curb your book buying habits until you can catch up with yourself? Or are you a controlled buyer, only purchasing books when you have run out of things to read?

Oh yes, most definately. If I didnt’ buy another book, I would have enough reading material to last me 5 years. I have been able to curb my book buy habits only because I am signed up with several web sites who promote newly released books, so I get 5 – 10 books a month to review. I can pick and chose — they aren’t just send automatically. So, its still a “my eyes are bigger than my bookshelf” scenerio. The only difference is the books come right to my house, no shopping. I just try to stay organized and read them in a timely matter to get them reviewed before the deadline, if at all possible.

FIRST Wild Card

With FIRST Wild Card, books are offered in an email, with a bio of the author and a back cover synposis of the book. If you are interested, you email the publistist (the information is included in the email), letting them you are interested in reviewing this book. A list is emailed out at some point later, listing who would recieve books and should do a review, and when. Its a varied list of books — fiction, non fiction, modern day, “back in the old days”. Again, though, I need help keeping organized with “when and what book”. This seems like the simplist way of doing it.

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

I have been reviewing books for CFBA for over a year now.  I can pick and choose what books I want them to send me, and have received many many wonderful, entertaining, sometimes spell binding  books over the past year.   But again,  I need a simple way of keeping track of what came from them, and know when the blog tour is scheduled.

Bethany House

Bethany House has included me to be one of their reviewers of books.   Since I review for several companies, it can be confusing what books have come from who, and what my committments are.  I did a book challenge this spring and used this format to list the books I would read.  It has worked really good for me, so I have decided to set up this same layout for the different publishing companies to help keep me on track better and fulfill the committment I made to them.

Examining My Feelings

Mother’s Day has come and gone, and as I described earlier, it really was a good day. Even David came through to make it a special day. I was pleased with my purchases at Catherine’s, and even though I didn’t take the time to look at their best selling lingerie, I did glance at them as I walked by. The next time we are in Topeka and I go clothes shopping, I think I am going to add that to my list of things to buy. David has been so patient and caring with me lately, and he deserves are little attention back. Maybe if I feel better about myself in something slinky, I would feel better about the whole intimacy thing that isn’t happening between us. I know a good part of it has to do with the medicines I take. But thats not all of it. I just don’t feel good about myself, so its hard to show David the physical side of me. We are at a better place emtionally, sharing with each other our thoughts and feelings, and not keeping anything back, and yet, not fighting or bickering about it either. But, the physical side of our marriage needs a major overhaul, and its not for David’s lack of trying. Its me. And I feel that new lingerie just might do the trick. Its worth a try.

Fun Shopping Experience

I had to laugh yesterday when I was buying clothes. Its a little clothing store, where they have employees help you, take you to the dressing room, tell you you look nice, etc. I hate that they hover like that, but I know its just their job. The lady that I had was just “the sweetest thing”. After I had tried everything on, and knew I was going to get all of them, I walked out of the dressing room to go to the counter to pay for them. She asked how they fit, and I told her fine, and that I wanted all of them. She had a southern accent, and I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing. She wanted to know if I need any jewelry to go with them, or a handbag.

How about breeches? I knew she meant slacks or pants, but it just caught me off guard. But in her southern accent, it sounded so very natural. I told her I was fine, and had everything I needed. I really dreaded shopping, but I really enjoyed those moments there, and the fact that I got everything I needed and then some, and still had money left over just sweetened the moment.

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-05-10

• Blogging Moms – Join the New Panel of Moms from PTPA Media http://3akef.th8.us #

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Happy Mother’s Day

Happy Mother’s Day. Even though I had a few “bad” moments, I did have a good day. The “bad’ moments weren’t bad – bad. They were just tears in the eyes, pain in the heart, “I Miss You, Mom” feelings. We always spent Mother’s day with my mom, and I miss having her around. Not just Mother’s day, but everyday.

But, I kept it together, and we really had a good day. Matt doesn’t attend church, even though he grew up attending the church we did. But, every Mother’s day, he comes. (And every Mother’s day, I forget that he does that, and I am ALWAYS surprised when I’m walking in, or I have already sat down, and there he is. He is giving of himself, and that means alot). I found a piece of paper with “Happy Mother’s Day — from Ethan” written on it. Wrapped in the paper, was a $10 bill, and he told me to “go shopping” when we went to Topeka. Jason called me when we were in Topeka to wish me a Happy Mother’s Day, and that was nice. All my boys remembered me on “my” special day:)

Even my husband. We spent alot of money (well, what seems like a lot of money to me) and he didn’t bat an eye. He asked me what I wanted for Mother’s Day, and I learned long ago, not to say “I don’t care”. If I don’t care, he doesn’t care, and usually nothing happens or he gets something like best wrinkle creams our favorite discount store sells. So, I have learned to speak my heart and tell him what I wanted. And what I wanted this year was new clothes. Some new summer clothes, but most importantly, something nice to wear to graduation next weekend. He knows where I shop, because of the size I have to buy, what I will be buying will be expensive (we are talking $50 a blouse expensive).

So, he gave me $200 and said “have fun”. And. I. Did. I quickly found 5 tops that I liked … a couple of dressy ones, a couple of “t-shirt” type ones, and a 2 piece “tank tank” with shirt over it top — and the outside shirt was big enough I could button it and still have lots of room. All of them were $50 each, except for one, and it was $18. (I know, I know, should have put a couple of the more expensive ones back and gotten more $18 ones. But, there was only one $18 one that I liked, and thats the one I got).

Ok. So, I’m thinking — this is more than $200, but I had “my” money as well, so I really didn’t mind paying the difference. The clerk rang me up (she had asked about a handbag…jewelery … pants …. but I knew I was at my limit, so I told her I was fine. But, as I waited, I was looking around and spotted a handbag that I really would have liked to have). When she gave me the total, I almost fell over. I said “hang on”, and I went and go the handbag as well. I thought my total would be $200 plus, and I even had my check made out, waiting for the total. When it was all said and done, even with the handbag (which was $30), I paid $148. I got ALL that stuff and even had money left over. THAT. WAS. FUN. I had seen the 30% discount signs, but I just figured the discount was already figured in. Cool. Cool. Cool.

From there, David went to Best Buy and I went to the card shop. They send out “special” cards on your birthday AND your half birthday. This card was for new bookmark (its jeweled and really pretty), plus 20% of …well, I don ‘t know if it was my entire purchase, or just one item. Either way, we got $19 off, and David paid $80-some for everything we got. What did we get? Graduation stuff. He had gotten 20 big plates and 10 little ones at Target, but I didn’t think that was enough. The card shop had the amount I was thinking we would get, so we did that, and will take what he bought to the Sunday reception. We also bought a couple of graduation gifts.

From there, he went to Sams and got the mints and nuts I need for Saturday (I was pretty much done in by this time). We were doing really good on time. We got up there around 1:30, and by 3:30 we were done shopping (had hit 6 stores between us), and ready to go eat. Outback was still really busy, but we were able to get right now, no waiting, and enjoyed a delicious “only Outback can fix” meal. Love tha place. We were home by 5:00, and I was one tired — but happy — puppy.

As I said … it was a good day.

Tags: adult children, shopping

Check, Check, Check

Yeah! I finally got the edible icing ordered for Ethan’s cake. I had to do a rush order, but thats OK. If it turns out like I think it will, it will be worth it. I have a few more announcements to address, and those are going in the mail today, and I can cross that off my list. I am *cough*almost*cough* on schedule. Just need to make a trip to Topeka to get the table decorations, and get a dress or pant suit or …. something new to wear that day … and get the flowers and balloons ordered, and I do believe I will be set. Ahead of time for a change.

Now if the kid will just do his part and actually graduate, we’ll ALL be happy.

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-05-04

• Listening to my cat snore… #
• whats for lunch? greasy hamburger and fries? I’m thinking string cheese, beef jerky and an apple. #
• Leaving my morning job to go to my afternoon job. I need to enjoy the afternoon job will I can … #
• Just what we need. More. Rain. #

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Not A Good Day

Another missed Sunday at church. I am about to forgo weekends all together. I woke up in the middle of the night, my feet and ankles were burning. And they had a rash. I seriously thought about going to the ER, but chickened out. Sprayed them with Lanacane and went back to bed. Woke up early morning, still had the rash, but it didn’t burn as bad as it had in the middle of the night. I took my Furosemide like prescribed, but my feet and ankles still managed to swell to painful proportions. Looks like I will be making yet another call to my doctor. I’m am seeing him way too often these days.

Other than that, it was a quiet day. Ethan had to work. He had rented Marley and Me when he got home from his school trip yesterday, and we watched it last night. David came home mid afternoon, and I ended up watching it again with him. Ethan and I worked on his graduation announcements and the reception invitations. We should be able to get a good portion of them in the mail tomorrow. Thats the plan.

Honorable Mention

Quiet, quiet day. Ethan was up and out the door before 6:00 this morning. David was close behind him. Ethan qualified at a district newspaper/yearbook contest to go on to State. Today they went to state. There were 3a and 4a school competing…he said in the events he was in, there were probably 75 kids. And he placed “Honorable Mention 2″ … was essentially was 5th place. That in itself is wonderful. But, he was also the ONLY one from our school to place, and there were 6 of them that went. Awesome. I keep telling him he needs to go to our local paper office and apply for a job there. He has been on the Newspaper staff for 2 years now, and done an excellent job. Placing at District and State proves that. He just rolls his eyes at me and says “ahhh. No”. He doesn’t even p;ause to think about it. Forgive me for trying to connect the career dots. Sounded like a logical deduction to me. But. I’m just a mom. What do I know?

Tags: logical deduction, quiet