1 week check (second time around)

What a busy long day!  A friend and sweet little girl came to visit me this morning.  Not only did she bring me my favorite flowers she came in with a little brown box that stayed a mystery until she was gone.  Oh my goodness, when I took a look inside I knew I was in trouble.  2 huge CC cookies, 2 red velvet petit fours and a small round cheese cake.  Bottom layer chocolate.  You know I text her and fussed.  She doesn't read my blog so she hasn't heard my complaining about gaining my lost weight back.  I'm sorry to say I didn't take the first picture.  Of us that is.  I did shoot my flowers after they left though so that's my excuse.   I don't know what's wrong with me.  I never skip pictures of anything.

Meanwhile during my visit with friends our AC man was here doing our spring "ac check up".  I know...be grateful something didn't happen on a Friday evening in LA heat to deal with all week end.  Gosh though, I'd just about had D convinced we could afford to take up this carpet I hate in the living room and put some flooring down.  Delay, gotta have the AC working.  Don't have to have new flooring sadly.   Unfortunately he found several things wrong so we fixed the worst.  He came at 9am and left at exactly 12:45.  My doctor appointment was at 1:15.  Need a good 25 minutes to get there during lunch time.  Paid the man then rushed out the door.

Appointment went well.  My prayer was answered.  Incision looked great, no sign of all of infection.  He took that huge bandage. All that tape was probably aggravating my hives.  He used some type of strips and said they need to stay on until the week end.  If they don't come off on their own by Sunday I'm to take them off.  This means I can take a shower now.  Woo hoo.  No tub, pool, sweating or anything strenuous.  Asked me to come back in two weeks and I'd most likely be released of all those no no's.   I'm going to do my best to continue to follow rules to make this happen.  No setbacks!

you can see how the tape was irritating my skin from the redness

I hope so.  Pool water up to 80.  Getting so close.  It's so hard to look at every day and not be able to get in.  When my friend was here we went outside on patio for about 20 minutes and at 9:30 in May we're already sweating.  I had to come back in.  I know, what do I want?  In LA you don't get warm weather without the humidity.  

My grandson on Mothers day ( curious P )

Nonna & P

I made a stop on the way home and kicked my feet up to read a little while until my husband would be in.  Yesterday I bought the new released copy of Dan Brown's Inferno.  I'm only on chapter 10 but I wish I could just read it all the way through.  I'd definitely be reading right now if not for typing this entry.  This series is incredible.  My husband came in around 45 minutes later and I met him at the back door and stepped into garage discussing our day.  A tall nice looking man stopped by from "no where"  I really didn't see him come up at all.  Any how, he asked if he could show us a shampooing method that was 95% powder and 5% moisture and dries in 25 minutes.  I told him we were looking to take our carpet up in the living room but hey if you understand that and it's free, go ahead.  He called someone and in they appeared with this vacuum and a huge box of all kinds of gadgets.  

can be use like a mop on tile also

To make a very long story short.  A three and a half hour story, they were Kirby sales people.  This vacuum was amazing.  Put my dyson to shame.  Seriously.  She not only demo'd the carpet but my couch, drapes,  pillow, ceramic tile, wall, ceiling fan, ceiling and....the worst my mattress and pillows.  It was absolutely sickening.  She told me not to feel so bad everyones was like that.  OH and she had to explain about how dust mites breed, and how much skin we shed in a year.  All kind of fun facts that I don't doubt for one minute are true but I didn't want to hear about.  Honestly, she didn't tell me anything I didn't already know.  Seriously.  I raised a son with asthma and we lived at the allergists' office.  As you can see there is a large stack of these circles that are made out of 1/8 of the thickness of bag it holds.  Everyone you see in the picture was dirty like that for multiple area she covered in same room.  Living room.

One very small spot for about 30 seconds.  Used the dyson yesterday :-(

The mattress about 10 seconds in one spot

These people stayed in our home from 4:30-8:00.  At 6:00 I told the sweet young girl.  I'm sorry but I'm starving and I have to eat to take my medication.  At this point my back was screaming at me because like a nut I'd been standing 75% of the time she'd been there.  She didn't seem to mind at all if my husband and I heated ourself up something to eat.  I couldn't believe it.  We made a plate a food, sat down and ate while she cleaned my couch.  Are you sure my sofa is leather ok to vacuum?  I asked her what did she expect to see come out of a sofa that wasn't breathable material.  She said, "watch".  ANd I did.  And my jaw was hanging.  Unbelievable.  I'm still dumbfounded.  I think she felt sorry for me because she kept telling me.  Awe your house isn't bad,  We see much worse.   It had a million attachments to do everything you can dream of.  Your gonna love this, you can blow the yard after my husband cuts the grass.  It has an attachment to air up balloons or balls or a mattress.   At one point she said it will do everything but the dishes and mow the lawn.  She's wrong.  It does do everything, but she left out one thing on the don't do list.  LAUNDRY :-)

I was so exhausted when they left.  I have to say they were super nice people.  I did be honest at one point and tell them that I think the vacuum would sell on its on if a customer was in need of one without 3 hours of demonstration.  Seriously.  I'm not sorry at all I gave up my night.  This young girl and I had a very long talk as she had breaks changing parts and hoses at times.  I really believe God wanted us to meet.  This story I will share with you in another blog post.  I really need to try and get some rest now. 

My back side is pretty sore from the big padding they had back there protecting my IPG and incision.  It really feels bare now.  It's good and bad in the same way.  Know what I mean?  I have not had my reprogramming yet.  My reps been hard at work and no time for me this week.  Well, maybe Friday.  He tired to get Lovely to come meet me at my appointment but even she was booked up also.  They must be implanting these things a lot.  He said definitely Friday or Monday.  Really up to me.  It can get crazy in town on Fridays so if my battery looks like I'll make it until Monday I may hold on until then.

I love you guys and so happy you've hung in there with me a year now.  Of course I've picked up many friends a long the way and even had an "old" friend find my blog while just searching for me.  It's crazy what you'll find when you google someone.  After I talked to them I had to try it.  I found myself on pinterest,  google + and my blog.  Also alot of pictures associated with many people with my same first and last name.  My friend had mentioned a few in particular and I asked, "how did you see those?'.  Private means zilch on the internet my friends.  So long and good night.  

HOPE.....Hold on pain ends

Theresa

When I started this is was Wednesday not Thursday. 

My son, Mothers Day 2013

My daughter

7 Day check

Today started out good.  My daughter came to help out with some chores around here and I had a special request that she was happy to fill for me.  I went to bed last night craving a McDonald's biscuit.  Go figure?  I never get anything from McDonald's.   Just tired of what I have around here.  You forget what a luxury it is to drive your self somewhere, like the store.


We did several loads of  laundry, B cleaned my tile floors and we did some catching up.  It was nice to have some company.  I mean, I love my husband and my dog but the last 5 days its been just them.   Then she managed to wash my hair over the sink for me.  It was nice to have it clean and styled.  Found something comfortable to wear and whew, I was worn out already.  D came in about 12:30 so B was able to go on with her day and finish her own work and we headed off to the Dr. office.  I had to laugh, my husband asked if I washed my hair.  You mean you can't tell?  It doesn't look much different to me.  Sounds rude if you didn't know him because he's really a sweet, kind man.  He was just being honest.  He told me he just don't notice those kind of things.  


I brought all my SCS stuff with me.  The remote with paddle, the charger, the magnet and the manual.  They had told me not to worry about fooling with the bag with charger in it they would explain at my first appointment.  Dr. Graham came in first.  After all the small talk I dropped my skirt and he starting taking the bandages off.  Darn that tape coming of hurt.  He said it looked great, just two small areas that weren't completely closed.  He put the steri stips on but put bandages back but smaller ones.  So no shower until Monday.  Dru gets to play Dr. and take them off and check to see if closed.  If not, he said just some ointment and a bandaid.  Then I CAN shower.  I also have to continue brace until Monday.  He said the pressure helps fluid from building up and causing problems at surgery area.  5 more days, I can take it.   I have to return to see Dr. Graham in 2 weeks which will be 3 weeks out from surgery.  At that time I believe he will allow me to start some brisk walking for exercise.


Now I can see that the incision on my spine runs vertical.  For someone reason all this time I just assumed it ran horizontal.  I also assumed that the on my butt cheek would be larger but its just the opposite.  The one running along my spine is longer and D couldn't believe that the one where battery is wasn't bigger.  That's the one that hurts too!.  Turns out it's the smaller of the two.  I don't know how they get in there and do so much work in such a small area.


After Dr. Graham was done R came in and worked with me on some new settings.  We took off the 2 old ones and added 3 new programs.  He spent some time showing me how and when to recharge.  I most likely, being that I had to go with the larger battery, will not need to recharge but once every two to three weeks.  Depending on how long at a time I use it.  If it works like I'm hoping it will, that sucker will be running all my awake hours.  There was also this big white magnet shaped like a horse shoe.  If I have the magnet with me and not the remote with paddle I can just pass it over the battery and it shuts if right off.  If I want to turn back on it comes back on by passing the magnet over the battery (in my butt) again and it comes back on to same program slowly increasing to the level of intensity it was at.  If I want to change the intensity or program I have to use the remote with paddle.  Pretty easy and cool once it was all explained.  I left with it on and kept on until I started working on this.  We made a stop at Wal Mart on the way home to pick up a few things.  It felt strange to be out after a week of being home.  


I'm pretty sore now.  Considering I've done not much of anything the last 7 days I'm pretty tired with the full day I had.  My behind is sore.  All that padding is gone now so I feel every little thing.  I'm hoping tonight will be different and I can lay on my back without all that packing there if won't be so uncomfortable.  I think Dr. Graham and R both were surprised at how well I was doing.  They don't understand how long I've been dealing with pain.  Not a big deal, I'm used to it.  R asked me, "well, how bad was it?"  I told him the trial was much harder.  He said I was the first patient that ever told him that and he was surprised to hear me say that.


Now its just wait and heal.  As I am released to do more, my back pain will return and I will begin to use stimulator more and more.  I'll get a true feeling for how it is working then.
Right now I'm just playing around with it to get used to it.  It will do nothing for the surgery pain.  


I've been getting text from friends and family checking on me.  I really appreciate it.  I haven't responded because I just don't know what to say.  I'm getting, "is it working?"  I know thats a natural question to ask but it will take time to really know how much relief I will get from it.  Dr. Graham said some people are back to normal and don't need any adjustments by the 3 month mark.  Some is 6 or 9.  What I do know is that I'm confidant that it is going to be BETTER.  Better was all I was praying for because I've understood from start that I may only get up to 50% relief.  And 50% is better than none.  


This week end will be two weeks since I've seen either of my grandchildren.  I miss them terribly.  The are my greatest joy.  Also miss baby C.  The lady who is filling in for me happens to be a friend of mine so she text me a picture of her today.  She will change so much in 6 weeks.  I can't wait to go back and care for her.  Hopefully she will be one of my visitors later on.


A couple of people asked this week about coming by.  I'd prefer we wait until next week because I'm still getting around kinda slow and I'm just uncomfortable being unable to shower and keep up with my hair.  I know you girls understand.  Next week should be much better though and I'd love to have company every day!  Seriously!


The picture is an x-ray after they had the leads in place before the placed the battery.  R asked me if I wanted to take a picture with my phone because he couldn't email.  You can see the paddle lead in center and two smaller on the sides of that one.


I'll be back soon.