Hi everyone, I hope all of you are welll. I am at Cheryl and Kevin's watching the dogs and cat and 4 lizzards. I thought there was going to be a storm earlier but thank God it passed over. They lose their electric a lot here and when it started to thunder I ran and got the storm kit thing. It is a flashlight, radio, alarm thing that they keep plugged in for when the electric goes off. I didn't need it so I am happy. But I am not going to put it away yet. There are times when they have been in the dark for hours.
Ryan called about 15 mintues ago to say that they will be home around 9:00 pm. They went to Michigan. They left Thursday morning and I got here Thursday afternoon. Everyone has behaved so far. Before I left for work on Friday Morning I got both dogs together and warned them both not to poop in the cage or in the house, I was very stern. Well, it worked because the house was just as I left it when I got home.
I am feeling better everyday. It has been a much slower recovery then I expected. The last surgery I had was 18 or 19 years ago and I went back sooner to work then the doctor thought I would because I bounced back so quickly. I guess I expected that kind of recovery but I am about 19 years older and about 50 lbs heavier then I was then. The surgery was 4 weeks ago Thursday so I should start running around here like a crazy woman soon. I haven't done a thing and I do mean not a thing. The doctor told me not to lift anything or do anything. He said not to push a vaccum or do any housework or lift anything and I haven't. (Please don't visit my apartment until AFTER I am fully recovered.) I just went to the grocery store for the first time on Thursday and was very careful not to carry too much. There was actually no need to go except for perishables, Sonya really hooked me up with groceries. Well, I am almost at the end of those groceries so I bought just a few on Thursday. And until I am comfortable with lifting that is how I am going to buy them.

I start back to work for the shcool year on August 11th. The students start back to school on August 19th. The teachers and other employees start back on August 18th. August 18th is when the REAL work starts. I have to be 100% by then. My job during the school year is very busy and intense. I have just a few weeks to get myself together. I will do it, I am getting there.
My main problem is that I tire out so easily. I have been going home from work and doing nothing but getting ready to go to bed. I can't wait until I get my energy back.

Well, it is almost 9:00 and the Weidenwebers just got home so I need to go talk to them.
Keep me in your prayers and I will pray for all of you.
Debby

FIRST DAY BACK TO WORK!!!!

Well, I did it, I put in one whole day of work after not working at all for 2 1/2 weeks. Not only did I not go to work for that long but I did NOTHING while off work. Do you know how hard it is to go back to work and actually WORK all day after resting every 2 hours, sometimes not even that long inbetween, for 2 1/2 weeks? Around 11:30 this moring I was talking to my boss and I yawned right in her face. I said, oh excuse me but this is my nap time, you are keeping me up. She laughed. I am very tired but I made it through the day!!! My stomach is still very sore from the dreaded food poisioning. I only ate soup for lunch, I couldn't handle anything heavier.
I think I will go to bed early tonight. Do you think 4:00 pm is too early?????????

I thought I was near death.

Well, I must say that the last 2 days have been VERY eventful!! You guys are not going to believe this. I called the doctor yesterday because I have a painful left leg. The inside of my left leg, right above the knee, is driving me crazy with this sensation of needles being poked into it. I left a message and he had his nurse call me back to say that he needed to see me and that he would work me in. I told them I would try to be there around 12:30 so I left the house around 12:00. I figured it would be a long visit so I knew I would have to eat before I went to the doctor. I heated up some chicken in the microwave that I had cooked the day before and ate it on the way. I got to the doctor and he decides I should go to the hospital just to make sure I didn't have bloodclots. So, off to Bethesda North I went to have the vascular test done. I got there around 2:00 and had the test done and, thank God, no bloodclot. But, what is this terrible pain I am having in my leg? The hospital is very close to Cheryl's house so I decided to stop and see she and Ryan. They were in the backyard in the pool so I hobbled back there and sat for a while watching them swim. As I sat there I began to feel sick. I started getting these pains in my stomach. I got up and came into the house and walked around for a while hoping I could maybe walk it off. I kept feeling like I had to throw up too but nothing was coming up. I laid down for a while and couldn't stand that so I got back up. I sat down to watch TV and couldn't stand to sit either. I started getting worried. Could something have come loose after the surgery? I tried drinking water, then milk, then juice. Nothing seemed to relieve the pain. By now Cheryl was cooking dinner and the smell made me even more sick. By now hours had passed. The pain was getting more and more intense. I was beside myself not knowing what to do. I took some Pepcid AC, Zantac and Maalox, nothing helped. I was beginning to get worried. I looked in the mirror and I was as white as a sheet, no exaggeration. I went into Cheryl and said please call the doctor, ( my surgeon). She called right away and they had him call her house. I didn't have a fever and wasn't throwing up but the pain was very severe. He said he didn't think anything had gone wrong with the surgery because my bowels had been moving without any problem and I didn't have a fever. He said he would call something into the pharmacy for nausea and that I should go to the ER if it got worse. Well, by now I was feeling like I was going to pass out. I kept putting my head between my legs so I wouldn't pass out but nothing helped the pain. About 1/2 hour after I spoke to the doctor I was in the family room and started shaking uncontrollably. I broke out in a cold sweat and instantly was dripping wet. I felt nauseated so I headed for the bathroom. I took about 4 steps ( limping because my leg still hurts) and vomit started shooting out of my mouth. It was like a volcano errupting. It went all over the family room. I yelled for Cheryl and she was in there in an instant, Kevin right behind her. I couldn't move because I was afraid I would slip on the hardwood floor, it was covered in puke and both dogs were right next to me. Kevin pushed the couch out of the way to make me a path to the bathroom. I went in there still hurling my guts out. I sat down on the floor hugging the toilet until I realized I also had diarrhea. I stayed in there a little while until it stopped slowed down. I came hobbleing out and Cheryl and Kevin were frantically cleaning the family room. Cheryl said, mom your color is coming back. I sat down in the kitchen and realized the pains were easing up in my stomach too. I kept going back to the bathroom with diarrhea though. In about 1/2 hour I felt a lot better. Kevin said, Debby what did you eat last? I said, at lunch I ate some chicken. He said, could it have been bad chicken? I thought for a moment and said oh no, I wondered if it was still good or not. I had had it for a few days. I just grabbed it and ate it on the run on the way to the doctor. He said, I think you have food poisoning. I felt like a fool.
I went to the bathroom a few more times during the night but other than that I think the poisoned chicken is out of my system. My stomach is extremely sore today from vomiting so profusly and my leg still hurts from who knows what, but the other syptoms are gone.
The doctor called here at Cheryl's bout 8:20 this morning to check on me and I apologized for bothering him last night as I told him what we suspected that I had. He said there was no need to apologize and that he was happy that I was better. Please let this be a lesson to everyone to be EXTREMELY careful with meat, especially chicken. Believe me, I will NEVER take a chance like that again. Leg pain, unresolved!!!

I'M ALIVE!!!!!!

Sorry I haven't posted in a long time but I have been not so well. I made it through the surgery only by the grace of God, not my surgeon. I really have not felt like sitting at a computer and writing or doing anything that involves moving. Today marks 2 weeks post surgery. Everyone tells me I am doing really well, and most of the time I feel that I am doing pretty well, now. After being bedridden for a while it is hard to sit or stand in a prone position for very long. My head was beginning to think it was not supposed to be any higher then my feet. My body got pretty comfortable being in a horizontal position. I still have pain and the dreaded DRAINING from one incision. I don't know how much all of you know about what I have been thorough but it has not been an easy road. Well, it is not like I almost died or anything like that but things could have been better. It is a long story and I do plan on telling it but I don't think I can right now. It is that body, head, feet wanting to go up, horizontal thing happening again. I am going to go rest then get back to you. I wanted to let all of you know I am living and breathing. I'll write later. (I am at home in my apartment.) Later people! Debby

Oink Oink

Hi all, I went to the store today to get a few things for the hospital. I bought these pink, pig house shoes. They are really cute. I thought it would be a nice conversation piece. They have a big, pig head on them. I wish I had a camera here. Well actually, I wish Cheryl was home because I wouldn't know how to post a picture if I had a camera. These pig shoes won't even match most of the night gowns I bought, but I don't care. I do have one pink gown though.
I thought I would share that. Oink!!

Yikes, it's getting close

Well ladies, it is one week from today that I go under the knife. I went to the hospital today to get my pre-op check up. They did an ekg and took some blood. I go to my primary doctor this coming Tuesday June 24th for a physical. Then, surgery on Thursday, June 26th at 7:30 am. Today the nurse went over the procedure and what to expect. I think I want to call it off. The stay in the hospotal will be between 2 and 3 days. I am having the sigmoid colon removed, it is called a colon resection. I guess going through the pain and recovery of the surgery has got to be better then suffering the attacks I have been having. I pray that this surgery will relieve these pains I have been going through, also some not so lovely other syptoms. I will be a NEW woman, oh yeah!!!!! I just hope that the sigmoid colon weighs about 50 lbs so I will come out 50 lbs lighter. Hey, I think I will ask him to do Lipo Suction while he is in there. I could come out 100 lbs lighter. Yeah, that's what I'll do!! How much more time could it take to just suck out all the fat in there? Well actually, with this gut it could take quite a while. And, his bill may be higher, but it will be worth it. ha ha
Anyway, would everyone please pray for me? I know God will take care of me but it is a little scary. I will probably be out of commission for a few days and won't be able to post for a while, (I will be a little sore from the lipo suction). But as soon as I am able I will post and get back to the fun. I will be staying at Cheryl's house for at least a week maybe more, if they can stand me that long. Ryan loves me, he will take care of me!!! The recovery time is different with all patients but if all goes well I hope to be back to work by July 15th. That will be 2 weeks and 3 days. I have a sit down job and very little lifting is invovled. I have a cofy chair at work too, that should mean something.
The nurse today said to expect to be off work at least 3 weeks if not longer. We'll see.
So, in the meantime, I am getting things ready to go away for a few days. I was thinking about getting an I Pod or some brand of music thingy with all my favorite Christian singers on it to pass the time in the hospital. That will make me feel better.
So, Pray your little hearts out, ok? You can't have too many people praying, that is for sure.

Fun Afternoon

I had a very fun day with my grandsons. We played games and Sammy won most of them., surprise, surprise. He makes me smile at the things he says. I sometimes feel like he is going to say something that I don't know anything about. That is how smart that kid is. He uses words that an adult would use. I could probably learn a few things from him. He will probably get his PHD in about a year.
Sawyer is such an adorable kid and smart too. He played the guitar, sang and danced too. He can do it all. He is going to be an entertainer. What a following that child will have. I can just see the girls calling his name and fainting in the audience. What a great afternoon. They thril me to death.