On the mend..

Warning: The following post is a detailed re-enactment of my recent gall bladder surgery, for journaling purposes, it is LONG..put I promise...more interesting posts are soon to come.

I'm happy to announce that I'm still alive! After almost 2 months, 3 doctors, an ultrasound, a hydascan (CT scan), and an upper GI scope, they decided that I need to have my gall bladder removed. I went in at 7 AM on Thursday. My mama came down and watched the kiddos for us. Let me paint a picture for you. As I walk into the surgical waiting room, it is full, with just a couple seats left. We end up sitting across from a woman. She was a rather large woman, who was quite talkative..and she was umm...how do you say this..she was....CRAZY! She was a HOOTIN' and HOLLERIN'...and kept asking the priest to pray with her. (It turns out that she is 70years old, and was there for a tummy tuck, because she wanted to find a man!) The receptionist calls me up, to fill out paperwork, and I KID YOU NOT, the Daniel Powder (I think that's his name)song "So you had a bad day" comes on the radio. I looked at the receptionist and said "Seriously....seriously...OF COURSE thats the song on the radio, the day I'm having my surgery" Seriously, shouldn't the hospital have their own radio station, with selectively catchy tunes like "Gall bladder surgery never killed anyone" or "My Achy Breaky Heart...is getting a valve replacement...ooooo" I just think they should consider it. Well anyway, the receptionist grabbed my hand, and said "Repeat after me, that song is not an omen". So needless to say I was a little nervous. But the nurses were great. The whole process was very effecient. I did get put next to the "Tummy Tuck" lady in the pre-op holding area, which at that point she was yelling to a cute doctor across the room, that she was taking down names for potential husbands, since she was going to be one SEXXXXY lady in a couple hours! At that point the drugs were kicking in, and it actually made me laugh a little. Well the next thing I remember, I was waking up, begging for pain medication. It turns out, that once they got inside and saw the gallbladder, it had abscessed. I know....GROSS!!! All I remember is the doctor using the word pus, and then I think I forced myself back under anesthesia, so I didn't have to listen to the rest. Now a little background about the procedure. They poke a hole in your belly button, and then move all of the other inside stuff to the side, in order to get to the gall bladder which is under the right ribcage. Well, obviously there is a lot of stuff in the abdomen, so to enlarge the stomach cavity, they pump your belly full of CO2. Then to get rid of the CO2 you simply breathe it out. Key word...simply. Now my dear friend, who is a scrub nurse warned me that the air pockets, hide in the shoulder and cause shoulder pain. So I should be prepared. I kind of just ignored it, because frankly I'm a pretty tough cookie. I made it to 8 cm with both my kids before I considered epidurals. I played in a tennis tournament the day after I had my wisdom teeth removed. I can handle a little bit of pain. I thought I was going to die!! For the first 2 days I was convinced that my shoulder was shattered. I would cry if I breathed. I would cry if I moved. I would cry if someone touched me. I was a pathetic ball of pathetic-ness. At one point, I thought Karl should take me back to the ER. He called one of our friends who is an ER doctor and he said it was completely normal. I'm not usually a pain medication type gal..I was taking my two Percocet as soon as 6 hours were up. After about 2 days, the pain in my shoulder really started decreasing, and I am left only with the pain at the surgical site. Someone asked me if I would do the surgery again....well of course. Did it hurt like a crazy monkey..YES...but its not really an elective surgery. I wasn't getting it removed because it made me look fat, or my gallbladder didn't match the colors of my eyes...it was abscessed, and I just didn't really have a choice. I'm sure in a couple more days it will all be an ancient memory :) I had a couple people mention that you have have a very restrictive diet after surgery. I didn't eat for the first 3 days, but over the last two, I have gone back to my normal diet, and haven't had any side effects. So I'm really glad about that. I do have to say that Karl has been amazing. He had 3 days off, which was great, since I really didn't move for 3 days. I'm really grateful for everything he did. He cooked every night. And not just frozen pizzas or hotdogs. He took the kids out. He cleaned, he vacuumed, he gave baths, and put kids down for naps, did a million loads of laundry, and the list goes on and on. There was one little moment on day two, where he may of been close to desperation. He was trying to type up something for the bishop on the computer, and Kyle just needed to be held. I couldn't hold him, and Karl knew that, so he just took Kyle into the computer room, and closed the door. A little while later, Kyle walks out and is COVERED in stamps! I asked Karl what happened. He said "I needed to get stuff done, and was trying to keep him entertained...and it wasn't working. And I saw your your ink pad, and box of stamps, out of the corner of my eye..at least it kept him entertained, right?" Now Kyle thinks that the computer room is a tattoo parlor..he walks in and instantly says "Stamp. Stamp". Karl even moved the recliner into the family room for me, so I could be with everyone, and watch TV, and the slept on the couch next to me each night. And he never ever, complained, not even for a second. I'm really really blessed. So now I'm post op 4 days. I'm feeling a lot better. I didn't call Karl to rescue me until 1 PM today. So not to bad. I am really grateful for everyone who showed their concern and love. My parents were great, being willing to stay as long as need, and drive back as frequently as I wanted (which is a 2 hour drive). Then a friend called me on Saturday, and asked if they could steal Kyra for a couple hours and take her to play at Peter Piper Pizza with their little girl. It really made Kyra's day! She loved it! Also, thank you to the friends who dropped of some sweet gifts, and those who called and emailed. And graciously offered to bring food, or babysit. I really, really appreciate it. Thank you a million times over!

Religious Questions

A few months ago a panel representing a variety of religious outlooks was convened at Harvard and moderated by The Washington Post's, Sally Quinn. On that panel was Harvard junior, Rachel Esplin, from Blackfoot, Idaho, president of the Latter-day Student Association on campus and a member of the Interfaith Council.
Seasoned journalist, Sally Quinn is a tough questioner and asked Rachel questions about whether the Church was a cult, were women treated unequally, why the secrecy surrounding the temple and much more.
What is fascinating about this video is the aplomb with which Rachel answers the questions, neither shrinking nor apologizing before Quinn's questions, and feeling free to assert her testimony, a remarkable quality in one so young put on the spot.
As Latter-day Saints, especially following the avalanche of misconceptions that were passed on by the media in the last two years, we have been advised to step up and help clear the ignorance and misunderstandings so many people hold. Rachel is a good example of doing just that. This is a long video, but well worth the watch, especially if you are not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints, because it really address alot of the popular questions regarding our religion.

Day of Faith: Personal Quests for a Purpose - 3. Rachel Esplin from Harvard Hillel on Vimeo.

Its official...

They are going to pop out my stinkin' gallbladder a week from today. Whoo Hoo!

Well you can't say he doesn't commit to a role...

Kyra and Kyle recently watched the Lion King. At the end of the movie, Simba comes back to claim his rightful place as king of the pride, and must challenge Scar. Well, I really thought that the whole fight scene may scare Kyra, and I was really watching her reaction. Well, turns out she couldn't care less about the lions, she was only concerned that lightening struck one of the dry trees, and it caught fire, and that none of the lions or hyenas really seemed concerned about it. Well SHE WAS CONCERNED. So Kyra and Kyle's new imagainary game is that they are lions, the tree catches fire, and they have to call the fire department to put it out, and Curious George is one of the firefighters (You learn not to question it..) Anyway...Kyra was really into it, but Kyle I think needed some motivation, so somehow...I'm not sure how, Kyra convinced Kyle that it was a Choo Choo train on fire. Then Kyle really understood the seriousness of the situation. :) So here is Kyle, committing to the role.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Grand Theft Auto???

Okay, I need parenting advice. Kyra goes to preschool. And this month they have been learning all of their shapes. So each day, a shape is highlighted, and the kids are encouraged to go home and find something that is the shape for the next day. Well it was square day, and so she took an empty puzzle box. Well, when she got home, I found a couple toy cars inside the box. I asked her about it and she said it was just an accident (I talked to the teacher, and she said that she even helped Kyra put the cars in the box, and she just forgot to take them out). Kyra said that she wanted to keep the cars, and my thought was that this would be a good opportunity to teach a life lesson, and explained that when we take something, and its not ours, and we don't give it back, its stealing. So we decided that the next day she would take the cars back, and tell Mrs. Jo-Anne sorry. I thought it was the end of the story....is it ever the end of the story?!?!
Well I was putting Kyra's back pack away today, and she HAS 4 MAGNIFIYING GLASSES INSIDE. I asked her, "Kyra why did you steal these from Mrs. Jo-Anne's...we talked about this? She replies back "I stole them, so I can give them back and say sorry." So now what do I do??? 1)Stress that it is still stealing, and have her give them back and say sorry (because that obviously worked or so well last time).
2)Have her apoligize and take away a priviledge. (Even though I think she knows what she did was wrong, she obviously was trying to be naughty.
3) I just return them, we don't make a big deal at all about returning them, and just cross our fingers it doesn't happen again, and she just doing it to get attention???
Any thoughts??? Thanks in advance.

Just call me Lady Macbeth...

I think it is fair to say that not only do I hate my carpet, I'm seriosly starting to despise it! Yes, those are strong words for a simple thing that covers the floor, but the words are not unjustified. We have lived in our house for 4 and 1/2 years. When we purchased our home, we were young, and frankly naive about what upgrades we should have done to our home. The benefit vs. the additional money. I WILL NEVER BUILD ANOTHER HOME, WITHOUT UPGRADING THE CARPET! The problem is, that we have spots. Of course, that is too be expected with 2 dogs, and 2 kids (and between you and me...a husband) But the spot won't go away! Hence, the title of the post. I can scrub those stinkin' spots, pretreat them, soak them, try every cleaner under the sun, use my steamer to clean them, and even get them professionally cleaned, and THE SPOTS ARE STILL THERE. They are sly little devils, just pretending to disappear, but really they are waiting. Waiting for you to feel confident that your carpet is nice and clean (about 3-4 days) and then they pop up again, like daisies! I can clean my house from top to bottom, but then still feel like its not clean because of that dang carpet. So since we won't be getting new carpet for a million years, DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO GET RID OF THE SPOTS, PERMANETLY, BEFORE I GO CRAZY???

It sounds fun!

My friend Angela had this challenge posted on her blog, and I thought it would be fun to participate! The first 5 people to respond to this post will receive something made by me.It will be my choice what I send to you.But...there is a catch...ready?
1- I make no guarantees that you will like what I make! (But I hope you do!)
2- What I create will be just for you.
3- It'll be done this year!
4- You have no clue what it's going to be.
5-The catch? Oh, the catch is that you must re post this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog! (then come here and post, that you put it on your blog. The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did will win a homemade gift by me! Anyone up to the challenge?