I have become comfortably numb

   Love the dentist.  Love having my mouth feel like someone slugged me in the jaw.  First shots I felt somewhat numb and told them to go ahead.  He told me if it hurt to raise my left hand.  You know what?  When it hurts your left hand raises followed quickly by your entire body and you try to escape the drill....Ok a little more numbing med.  That helps. Now I have no control over my numb tongue and lips.  Half hour later I am standing at the desk with my slack lips hanging on the desk, drool dripping down my chin.....but no pain and my tooth is done.  This fun after I got done working 12.5 hours.

   Well here is it, my days off and my prediction was wrong.   I am not sick!  Yah.  So good to be wrong sometimes.  I feel good, it is in the high 50's in Iowa and I already have the gym out of the way.  Had a pretty good workout too.  Didn't trip over my lip once.

   I was reading Pam's journal and it got me thinking about the men I was engaged too before I decided on Rick.  For someone who never wanted to get married I went through a period where I was engaged to someone new about every 5 months.  I think I was just flattered they asked me and didn't want to hurt their feelings and say no.  John was a really tall man. 6' 7" and going to be a basketball star,  "he did and for years I head about him on the news until he retired".  I keep thinking, Gee we could have gotten married, would be divorced by now and I would be wealthy!  Anyway.  Putting my arms around him to give him a hug always made me uncomfortable.  My face came to his crotch.  How romantic was that!  It probably is what made him fall in love with me, LOL.  Steve was the opposite... 2 inches shorter then me.  I just couldn't get past that.  A fault in me I know but what can I say.  Gary was really good looking and the right size but didn't give me the feelings I thought I needed to go though with the marriage.  We had fun, all my boyfriends started out as friends, but I didn't love him.  Now Rick is tall, 6'2.5" but when I put my arms around him its his waist.  Plus we clicked.  Didn't start out as friends, went right into being a couple.  Strong attraction.  Dated and got married 2 weeks later.  Still going strong 33 years later even though we drive each other nuts at times. 

       One thing Rick does that drives me nuts.  I wake up slow.  Need my coffee...like to drink it while I read my alerts uninterrupted.  Rick wakes up ready to get started for the day.  The second my eyes open he's off, talking a mile a minute.  I have 2 sons, my youngest gets up like me, quiet, sleepy, just wants to be left alone until he slowly comes to.  My oldest, just like Rick,  out of bed and ready to go.  I wonder if he drives his wife nuts.  Of course he leaves the house at 4 am now to work so probably not.

                    

Now whats going on

  I woke up today and am edematous again.  Not as bad as yesterday, but whats up with that?  Usually I get edematous by the end the day, not the beginning.  I am not going to sit around peeing all day at work again today.  Since I really watch my salt I just am suprised about this.  I think I must be having a little problem with my heart failure again.  Well, it had just better go away because I am having a doctorless year next year.

   We were talking at work about how bad our insurance is.  None of us can afford to go to the doctor.  In the old days we could have told a doctor at work about how we were feeling and get a script for antibiotics if we needed them or what ever we needed to get better,  not now a days.  In the old days we got professional discounts.  Not now.  I said it is bad enough now I am going to have to start going to the Hy Vee urgent care, LOL.  Do they have those where you all are?  How convienant.  Do your shopping, stop and get seen and get your medicine all in one trip!  A helpful smile in every isle.

   Tonight is my last night at work.  Dentist in the morning, Yik.  I hate getting all numb in my mouth.  When I was a smoker I would insist on trying to smoke.  It is really hard to try and suck on a cigarette when you can't feel your lips.  Addicted as I was though I always gave it the good college try, LOL.  I must have looked a sight.  Hopefully after they are done I will come home and get some sleep and it will be un numb by the time I wake up.

   I guess if I am stilling having trouble with edema tomorrow I will call my doctor and see if my HCTZ should be increased.  What makes this so bad is I have to drink water for my weight loss journey, but I can't drink alot of water for my heart failure so instead I want to eat, can't drown out those cravings with water.   Guess I will have to start drinking lemon water.  I am going to look back in my journal.  Seems like I had worse trouble with fluid last year at this time.

  Warning.  Got a patient last night, heart attack and new diabetic.  Young guy.  Says it isn't true, just ate too much peanut brittle!  Now how much to you have to eat to get a blood sugar of 350?  So careful everyone, the peanut brittle is deadly.

   

                         Take care all.

A poem by me

A tiskat a tasket

another Christmas basket

filled with cookies, chocolates and treats

all sitting there tempting me to eat

 

Just a nibble here, a nibble there

have a swallow, we don't care

instead of eating it why don't I

just stick the damn thing on my thigh

 

for that is where it is going to rest

on my belly & butt and then my breasts

It is so easy to put on

And never Never is forever gone

 

Just help me get through the next 2 weeks

and all the fattening treats I will not seek

until next year when I do it all again

In my never-ending journey to for once and all get thin.

 

by Julie, AKA.....Budda Belly

I great night

                  

   Thanks sugar and thanks to Denise who made these tags, I love them.

   We had a wonderful night at work last night, plenty of help, nice patients, nice nurses to work with, just a good night.

    Yesterday I had a problem with my edema, really bad.  When I woke up my legs were still really swollen along with my hands and face.  I had gotten alittle slack with my HTCZ to get rid of the fluid and was way behind.  I was short of breath, just feeling lousy.  Now after 40 of lasix and so many trips to the bathroom I have lost count I am a new woman.  7 pounds lighter and breathing much better.  That will teach me to run out of my meds, LOL.  Needless to say I got very little done yesterday.  Oh, the joys of getting older, I guess it is better then NOT getting older. 

    Chris, send me the link for the counter.  I think I had it once but I couldn't get it to work.  I am kind of upset that my 7000 + counts are gone.  Of course I lost them at 4000 once and 5000 another time but it has been awhile and I almost forgot they did that occasionally.

   Well, my back is killing me today.  Feels like one of my screws is working its way out, ouch.  The bionic woman needs to get some rest, one more night and then my stretch off.  Yah.

Only In America

 ....Can an accident be viewed the same as your winning power ball ticket.  Yippy, now you can sue and get millions of dollars because of your loved ones misfortune.   We get families in the hospital, gee nurse how much pain and suffering is my loved one in, with dollar signs in their eyes.  I had better go and notify my lawyer,  hummmm, I mean family right away.  All because of an unfortunate ACCIDENT.  

   Thanks to others unfortunate ACCIDENTS  we now no longer have skating rinks in each neighborhood.  Hayrack rides, forget about it, bonfires with the old trees while parents sat sipping "hot cocoa" and kids sledded down the hills, forget about it.  Don't let the neighbor kid play in your yard on your slide, little sweety may fall and break his arm, mommy who pushed the kid out the door every morning after breakfast and told him to play outside somewhere else is all of a sudden super mom, care and concern clearly written on her face as she searches high and low for the best slimey lawyer.  Yup, her ship has come in.  No more working for living, oh no, thanks to her kid getting on the slide he had been told repeatedly not to climb on she can now retire and buy the car she has had her eye on.  Thanks to the unfortunate death of a loved one you can get that bigger house you will need to compensate for all the grief you will feel for weeks.  Thanks to them no one is welcome in my house, in my yard, in my car, on my property, don't pet my dog, don't walk on my sidewalk, don't come up on my porch. 

      Isn't anyone else totally sick and tired of this crap?

  And on top of that my counter re-set again!  I am sick of that also.

      Good morning everyone.  As you can see I am thinking of my weight loss this morning.  I am a member of the Kick in the Tush Club and thought this was a perfect thing to put on my fridge this mornng.  I love her newsletters and she always has some good tips.   I also got a recipe that isn't too fattening and I bet with Whey low or your favorite sugar sub.  would be even lower in calories and pretty good.  Check out her site    Not much going on this morning.  It is rainy and deary in Iowa this morning.  Just a dull day.   After I get a couple cups of coffee in my I plan on hitting the gym and then working on Christmas cards the rest of the day.  Times getting short.  I always wait until the last minute if I don't force myself.  I also have a gift to send my sister in Hawaii and better get it sent if I want it to get there on time.

    Another thing I am going to do this weekend after payday is make a donation to the UFO for the troops.  Don't want to forget our brave men and women fighting for us.  

    After this month we are only going to be able to wear navy blue or white uniforms at work...... how dull.  No more bright colored tops.  The patients are bummed as are the nurses.  However.... looking in my closet I can't help but feel a thrill when I see how many uniforms I will have to get rid of and how much closet space I will end up with.  They are giving us 3 sets and I like to have at least 6 sets so I have a new one for everyday.  Of course now that they will be the same dull uniform day in and day out I guess it won't matter as long as they are clean.  Sigh.  Our new CEO is an older man and wants us to shape up.  Excuse me but what does my uniform have to do with my patient care?  This is the same on who is making us work manditory extra time.

   Anyway that is my day.  Of course I work tonight and tomorrow.  Thursday morning after I get off work I go straight to the dentist to get a cavity filled.  I am hoping to sleep through it, Yah right.  I hate going to the dentist but you know what they say, ignore your teeth, they will go away!

Janice Taylor www.OurLadyofWeightLoss.com™

Lemon Squares For a dessert that’s not too sweet, try these lemony treats. PREPARATION TIME: 20 minutes plus cooling COOKING TIME: 25 minutes NUMBER OF SERVINGS: 16 INGREDIENTS: CRUST Vegetable cooking spray 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour 1/3 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 cup cold unsalted margarine, cut into bits 2 tablespoons ice water LEMON FILLING 1 large egg 1 large egg white 2/3 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 4 1/2 teaspoons sifted all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/8 teaspoon salt • 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar, for sifting DIRECTIONS: 1. Heat oven to 375°F. Coat an 8x8x2-inch baking pan with cooking spray; set aside. 2. Make crust: Combine flour, confectioners’ sugar, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Using a fork or pastry blender, cut in margarine until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle with the ice water and mix until a small piece of dough pinched between fingers holds together. 3. Pat dough evenly into bottom of prepared pan and bake 20 minutes. 4. Make lemon filling: Meanwhile, beat egg, egg white, granulated sugar, and lemon juice together in a small mixer bowl on medium speed 2 minutes, until mixture is light and smooth. Whisk in flour, lemon rind, baking powder, and salt. 5. When crust is done, quickly remove pan from oven and pour lemon mixture over crust, spreading evenly. Immediately return to oven and bake 25 minutes, until lemon topping is set. 6. Transfer pan to a wire rack and cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Cut into 2-inch squares and sift confectioners’ sugar over top before removing from pan. Makes 16 squares. Nutrition Per Serving: Per square: Calories 105, fat 3 g, saturated fat 1 g, cholesterol 13 mg, sodium 39 mg, carbohydrate 18 g, fiber 0 g, protein 1 g.

Day off

 

  I am going to do like Zoey and rest today.  This weekend was so busy at work.  One of the busiest weekends we have had for awhile.  I am dog tired.  Emotionally and physically.  I plan on sleeping until around 12:30 and going to the gym at 1 but will see how I feel.  Mayby just a day of rest would be a good thing.

  Got my mammogram results, negative of course.  I knew that but was afraid they were going to make me repeat them so I am a happy camper about that.  No more pancake boobs for another year.  Thursday I have to get a cavity filled and I should be in good shape for my doctorless year next year.

   The new med they started Rick on did not agree with him at all.  He had some bad side effects and went off it already.  Flecinaide is a pretty scary drug when you look it up.  So far the cardizem is working just fine.  He also decided against the ablation.  Since they can only give him a 50% chance of getting better he will just wait and see if the med controls it.  I think it is wise.  Maybe they will come up with something more successful.

    Does everyone have their cards sent out already?  I have to get mine ready to go.  The list is getting shorter and shorter these years since all the old relatives are dying off.  I used to send out around 50 and am down to about 13 now.  Sad.

   Rick has the living room looking so good.  He has put lights on my shelves this year that are so pretty.  I must admit he does such a good job.  I love the way the house looks when it is decorated.  

    Off to bed now.  My eyes are having a hard time staying open.  Must sleep.  This is how I spend my day off.  Sleeping and then walking around like a zombie the rest of the day and going to bed early.  Oh ya, housework, forget about it!