I’d like to invite you – my subscribers and blogging friends to come over to my new blog and would love it if you’d subscribe.  It will be nice to catch back up with everyone!  The address is http://www.thenancygirl.com

I hope to see you soon!

Merry Christmas! Tis the season.

I started getting excruciating (unbearable) pain in my shoulder blade. Called my pain management doctor. They called me in more pain meds. Couple of days later, I had a horrific pain shoot down my arm and make my fingers numb and tingly. This was EXCRUCIATING. I couldn’t sleep. I kept moving my arm around to try to get relief but no relief could be found. Laying down was the absolute worst. They called me in sleeping pills. They didn’t work. I finally stormed my doctors office and begged, yes BEGGED them to fix me. I was a mess. The pain in my shoulder, my underarm, along the back of my arm and all the way down to several fingers.

They gave me a steroid injection… some special kind, I didn’t care to get the procedure name. I felt it numb the left side arm, but it did nothing, zip, nada to the painful right arm. The doctor was perplexed, the shot he gave me went down the center of my spine and basically was for c4 all the way to t1. He left me with a prescription of valium with a dosage high enough to knock out a cow and no answers.

I started getting really depressed. I mean really depressed. I didn’t know what to do. I’d gone everywhere, to everyone.. I was in horrible pain. I was out of options… or was I? I’d seen everyone EXCEPT a spine SURGEON.

After a nuclear catscan (and let me tell you that sucked!, it hurt… if you need one, ask for drugs!), where the surgeon could get a clear view of my spine (it’s hard to see on xrays and mri’s because of the metal plate) he came up with a solution.

So, I quit smoking and on October 13th, I had my neck fused from c4 to c7. I have a 4 level fusion in my neck and NO pain in my arm. I used a new procedure that didn’t require me to wear a collar, use a piece of my hip bone or a cadavears bone and I have a new metal (larger) metal plate. They’re growing bone out of something called Bone Morphogenetic Protein or BMP. I’m still recuperating, but I can tell you that it was a success. I am no longer depressed, I’m not scared, frustrated and desperate. I’m fixed. I’m tired… but hey, I’m growing bones!

Now if only I could lose some of this extra weight.

So, Waldo (Nancy) is back in the blogosphere! I’ve missed you all.

One thing you’ll notice is a bunch of different symptoms that will miraculously come to ONE conclusion, diagnosis, fix, at the end.  Our bodies are amazing, complex and wondrous things.

It started when my Papa Jim was in the hospital, before his death. I began having chest pains. I ignored them because quite frankly Jim was where I applied all of my worry and maybe they were coming from anxiety over Jim?. I’d been to the cardiologist before and my cholesterol was “sky high” her words, I was a smoker (before you give me heck over this, please notice the word “WAS” in front of smoker), overweight, I came from a family history of heart disease and was a walking time bomb. She’d put me on cholesterol medication and I’d modified my diet, she told me that neither one thing would do the trick and I had to do both. I did a treadmill test and impressed her with my results. So HA! I’m in better shape than I look, I thought. But I still ignored it AND I wasn’t taking my cholesterol medication.

Almost 20 years ago, I’d been in a bad car accident. 8 years ago, I had to have c5-c6 fused in my neck. The newest side effect from that was migraines. The disks above and below the fusion were beginning to retaliate. In March I had radio frequency ablation done. This is where they severed (burned) some nerves in my neck that caused me to have migraines (From my neck injuries). This took care of my migraines but left me with “pissed off” (doctors words, not mine) nerves in the back of my head. I had a constant burning sensation on the back of my head for months.  For the past few years, I’ve also had to have epidural steroid injections in my neck and lower spine every couple of weeks to make me comfortable.

Then Jim died , my world turned upside down  and it was time for our annual month long visit to the cabin. The cabin seemed like a good idea… therapeutic.  A place we love and a place to relax.  Within a few days at the cabin, the chest pain returned and I drove myself the E.R. Long story short, my tests showed my heart had has “some” sort of hiccup within 24 hours so they admitted me. They did a myocardial profusion test (nuclear medicine heart test) and cleared my heart. My cholesterol was also good, even without my taking meds! Next we thought it was coming from my esophagus. They put me through a battery of tests like a endoscopy and including on horrific one, where they ran a tube from my nose to my stomach and did a 24 hour test. It was miserable. If your doctor suggests it, RUN! It’s called a “24-Hour Esophageal pH Test”. It shows if your chest pain correlates with your gerd or gastro symptoms. I showed this pic on FB…. might as well share with you too. It was VERY unpleasant and a horrible picture of me. My eyes swelled and watered constantly, I couldn’t swallow without gagging and it just generally sucked!

The results came back in and although they confirmed (which wasn’t needed because other tests proved) that I have a hiatal hernia, the results did nothing towards explaining away my chest pains.  Next they started suspecting radiculopathy.  Which I found out later is just a fancy word for referred skeletal pain, so pain coming from somewhere (anywhere else and radiating to my chest).  Why didn’t they just say so!

Shortly after this test my chest pain because so severe that I couldn’t take a full breath, so my husband rushed me to the E.R. where they diagnosed me as having Plurisy.   They gave me pain killers and antibiotics.

Whew!  So much for trying to keep it short… I’ll leave you here and continue with a part 2.

My 6 yo asked for a clock to wake him up. My immediate response was “Oh no”. I don’t want his little brother being woken up with him! But then my husband found this. What a great compromise! This one just turns on a light that lets them know that it’s now late enough TO wakeup! Yeah! Let mama sleep in!

So seriously, if anyone has any advice on that first toy, please share! Is it a good thing? A bad thing? Any experience with it? I haven’t bought it but if ALL 3 of my kids want it… then maybe I should get it?

I’d received word that my Uncle Ronnie had suffered a stroke and was in the hospital in his hometown of Las Vegas. I immediately wanted to go and see him. He was not only my Daddy’s little brother but also my Dad’s best friend. I knew Uncle Ronnie well in my childhood. If they weren’t visiting each other, they were talking about each other. Uncle Ronnie is now 75 years old and the last time I spoke with him on the phone he’d mentioned coming to Texas to see me. He “wanted to see me one more time before his time was up”.

Now… why would I choose my 94 year old grandmother as my traveling companion for this journey? I have no problems traveling alone, in fact I quite like it. I’ve a very good sense of direction and can get around quite well by myself. I’ve traveled many, many times alone. But last Tuesday, as I sat here in this very chair contemplating a quick trip to see Uncle Ronnie, I thought about what he said about wanting to come and see me. I thought about who I would take him to see. The obvious choice was my 94 year old grandmother. Way before I was born and even before my mother knew my dad, my grandmother, my dad and my uncle were all friends. They used to go to bars together, out dancing, and sharing their love of music.

My grandmother may be 94, but she’s spry. She has her full mental capabilities as well as physically capable. She’s still an active, healthy lady and has a heck of a lot less wrong with her than I do!  I need her genes.    I did make her play the part of an invalid for portions of our trip just so we’d get some special treatment and expedited travel arrangements. She was game. I’ve recently had surgery (that’s part of where I’ve been) and if we could make the trip easier on us both, then we were both for it.

The trip was Friday through Sunday and in my opinion was a great success. We stayed off of the Las Vegas strip but stayed in a nice hotel called Eastside Cannery at my Uncles recommendation. It met all of our needs and even had penny slot machines! We did use one meal/evening to go the strip and went out to eat at the Palazo. What a gorgeous hotel and casino, but we were happy with our home away from home.

Uncle Ronnie, looked great although he’ll be staying in the hospital for awhile yet. He joked, he laughed, he told stories and he was cantankerous to the nurses and doctors, wanting to go home.  I loved our visits.  I couldn’t believe how much he now looks like my father. When they were hanging out in their younger years, I didn’t see the resemblance that I do now. It made me miss my dad all the more but I was very happy for the opportunity to spend time with my Dad’s “best friend”. It was wonderful to see him and I’m so glad that I made the trip and I couldn’t have asked for a better travel companion than my grandmother. We learned more about each other, and really got to know each other more than we ever have in our lives. It was a wonderful bonding opportunity.

And the neatest part? We went to Las Vegas on my Dad’s birthday. Happy Birthday Daddy. I played his favorite game, roulette for him once while I was there.

My Las Vegas trip may have been wonderful, but admittedly, leaving Las Vegas was wonderful too. I missed my family and I was ready to come home. I hope to one day convince my dear Uncle to leave Las Vegas and come and meet my husband and children.  Going to Las Vegas is fun, but Leaving Las Vegas has its advantages.

I am an avid reader but the truth be told, although I love books, I hate clutter.  So… I have been eyeing the Kindle for some time now.  See… the way I look at things, “more” books mean “more shelves.”  And more shelves means “more” to dust.

Admittedly, I read brain-candy.  Fiction.  Thrillers.  Historical novels.  Who-dun-its.   Many of the books I read, I don’t re-read because after I’ve read it, I already know ‘who dun-it.”

But how would I like the Kindle?  Could my old near-sighted eyes actually see it?   Was it awkward?  Uncomfortable to hold?  Was it heavy?  Can I get over the fact that I have been flipping my pages all by myself for 4 ½ decades??

Heck yeah!!

Whooo hoooo!

No dust.  No muss.  I breezed through a best seller I have been dying to read with such ease, I wished I had not had a “loaner” Kindle, but my own with a direct link to Amazon and my bank account so I could download another!   (Well… ok… maybe not the bank part.  In fact, I am sooo gonna have to watch myself to prevent compulsive book-shopping!)

But really.  How can you resist getting your next read from the comfort of your warm bed and jammies???   I am off the fence and will be buying my own Kindle.

However, there will be STILL times I will not use my Kindle.

1. I will Still prowl yard sales, Goodwill and the Dollar Rack at Half Price Books.   There are so many books and authors I have found by luck by pawing through bins and cheapies.

2. I am reading a series that starts with “A”.  I am only up to “I” so far.  The Kindle price for these books is $2-$4 per book higher than I’d pay at Half Price Books.  So, I won’t be Kindling this set.

3.  For young readers… I don’t think there is any substitution for the good ole Library. Free books.  One must take care of them and take them back when done.  Library cards teach children (and parents) responsibility.  I’d hate to see this valuable lesson omitted from a child’s life.

So… Happy Belated Birthday to me!  With my birthday cash, I can even afford the upgrade! If you’re considering buying a Kindle, just click on the Kindle Review Icon on Nancy’s blog!

Happy e-reading everyone.

I call it his voo doo face because I swear he’s got some thoughts floating around his head that aren’t so pretty.  It’s so hard not to laugh at him when he gets mad at me and does this… but if I laugh, what will become of me!?  I don’t think he’s thinking of butterflies and flowers for mommy.  Thankfully, I’m still “the best mommy in the world” as far as he’s concerned so I’m not worried for my safety or anything like that.  But this is definitely one to hang up on the wall to embarrass him with for the future!

I actually LOVE this game too and play it with him. He’s a really bad sport when he doesn’t win though so I often sneak in extra games when he’s in bed. Shhhhhh, don’t tell. LOL But it’s great fun and great exercise if you have a Wii. I highly recommend it!

Somewhere, somehow in my life, I’ve become friendless. I’m not talking about virtual friends. I have tons of those. I have no one to go to the movies with, out to dinner or lunch.  No one to share secrets with.  Vent with or just hang out with.  I haven’t been to or even been invited to a happy hour in over 4 years. The last movie I saw, I waited until the kids naptime on a weekend and went by myself while hubby stayed home with the boys. My husband has friends and by osmosis, I guess I’m kind of friends with their wives but not that I’ve ever gone anywhere with them, made plans with them or hung out with them separately.

I used to have a whole slew of friends. Great girlfriends. The kind that would bring the shovel when you were really in trouble. The kind you could laugh with for hours or sit in comfortable silence over coffee. Now I have no one. Some have moved away and the rest have just drifted away.  It’s a complete different set of tomorrows and a place I never would’ve predicted I’d be. My only “friend” is my husband (he’s a keeper though).

I know this sounds like a whine but I’m not blaming anyone except for maybe me. I let my friendships slip away from me. An important part of my life and well being. If any of my old friends happen to read this and think it’s about them, please don’t. This is about me and a realization that for the first time in my life, I have no social life. No friends outside my home. If this post hits home with you at all,  think of an old good friend that you haven’t seen or talked to in a bit and call her. Go do something with her. Stay in contact – reconnect… I mean real contact, not virtual. In fact, I’m cutting WAY back on my virtual social life. Virtual is make-believe and believe me, that’s not what I need.

I think I saw this coming.  I’m sure it happened long ago, but I lived with blinders on and just really noticed.  I was feeling friend lonely this past summer. So I called 3 different friends whom I used to spend some real quality, fun time with. All 3 were too busy.  I understand.  I tried 2 of them again 2 weeks later, this time they were too busy but would let ME know when they could meet for a drink or lunch or something. Here it is November…. I guess they’re still busy.   I’ve seen the “Had a blast at happy hour posts”, the fun things they’ve done with friends and  I still didn’t “see” it.   That world was lost to me.  That that tomorrow wasn’t going to come.  Now I do. Here I am, recovering surgery and who can I call on to help me? No one, except those requiring a large paycheck. There’s no one to bring the shovel (If you don’t get that expression, it’s from a saying that a real friend knows when to bring the shovel to help bury the body).

I have tried to fix it and will continue to seek out new frontiers; try to find some new friends. But I guess I’m not as social as I used to be. It’s funny how our tomorrow’s change. I’ve found a tomorrow that will never come or at least not all nice and neatly packaged like I thought that it would.  There may not be mint julips on the porch or margaritas by the pool but maybe I can find something fun that I can do for myself… and maybe, just maybe find a friend.  I could sure use one about now, perhaps we’ll have Long Island Iced Teas.

eta:  This post in no way means I don’t have a wonderful family!