Friday, February 27, 2015

Pre Op

Today was my pre op appointment. This is what the nurse did to my arm when attempting to draw blood. I am hoping and praying the surgery goes better than this did.



Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Laminotomy, Discectomy

Once again I couldn't go back to sleep after making Cade's lunch and sending him off to school. In this case it was a good thing. Forsyth Brain and Spine called to reschedule my appointment. After asking when the first available appointment was, I held my breath. Due to a cancellation, 9:20a today was available. I was in the office within 15 minutes from the time she called me!

Dr. Hnilica and I talked briefly about the pain I was experiencing. He then took me back to his office to go over the results of the MRI. 

There has been some further deterioration of my L5 vertebrae and due to the herniation, it is poking into my S1 nerve. Since the pain shots are no longer working, plan B, and his recommendation, was surgery. He went over the benefits and we spent a great deal of time going over the risks.

Now, I've been petrified of surgery. I was terribly afraid something would go wrong and I'd be paralyzed for the rest of my life. I saw Dr. Hnilica's PA back in December and he addressed some of my fears. The surgery I would need is very routine. It requires a small incision in my back (as opposed to having my entire spine exposed, like in my worst nightmares). He also told me that Dr. Hnilica had done the same surgery on him. The fact that he was walking and talking went a long way to allay my fears.

I've been in chronic pain since mid-November and I absolutely suck at dealing with it. Pain shots are no longer working (or as in the most recent case, are exacerbating the problem). I've been out of work for 2 weeks during a very busy time and I feel I'm letting my manager and coworkers down. And Cade. I feel like I let him down every single day. Chronic pain + poor emotional state = facing surgery fears. 

So, on Tuesday, March 3, I'll have a laminotomy, discectomy on my left lumbar L4/5.

I'll be in the hospital for one night and then spend up to two weeks recovering. My mom will be coming in from Key West to help.

I'm relieved that it's been scheduled. Don't misunderstand, I'm still nervous. But, for now, the idea of being pain-free is greater.

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

So, I got a call from Forsyth Brain and Spine. (Actually, the call went to voicemail. The meds really knock me out and my phone buzzed way too early this morning.) 

My appointment for Friday, the first available appointment when I called back in mid-November, the one I've been desperately awaiting since then, has been cancelled. 

That's right, folks. C.A.N.C.E.L.L.E.D.

I haven't returned a call to them as of yet. I'm afraid they'll tell me the first available appointment won't be until May. And I'm not sure I can last until then.

I'm having a very difficult time keeping things together. 


Monday, February 09, 2015

Tonight's Feature

Usually the books are better than the movie. Usually. Life of Pi was an exception.

Don't get me wrong, it's still the same long, labourous and boring story. The difference is the movie is beautifully filmed. The colors of India simply popped, some of the ocenic special effects (the whale, the jellyfish) were gorgeous and I loved the floating green island.

Having seen the movie, I wished I had skipped reading the book!


A Book Review, "Life of Pi"

For the past few years, I've had a goal to read X number of books from the BBC Book list. I've never achieved this goal, which is why I didn't add it to this year's goals.

As I opened the DVD envelope from my Netflix queue, I had to laugh. You guessed it, it was Life of Pi. I took that as a sign that I should finally read the book.

This was actually the second time with the book. The first time I just could not get into it. This time around wasn't much better but I forced myself to persevere. There were some nice moments and even some exciting things happened (green floating island, the "real" story). Ultimately it was long, labourous and just this side of completely boring. I was really hoping Richard Parker would just eat him so the book could conclude.

Sunday, February 08, 2015

A Book Report, "Ask The Dark"

I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm a 46 year young woman who loves to read YA novels. I think it's partly so I can keep up with what my teenagers are reading, though a lot of the books are extremely engaging. This was the case with Ask The Dark.

I was sucked in by the description: "A compelling tale of redemption and tour-de-force YA debut, Ask the Dark is an absorbing first-person thriller about Billy Zeets, a 14-year-old semi-delinquent in a deadly tango with a killer."

I was both saddened and amazed by Billy's fortitude. He's had a rough life which has led to some poor choices and he is very street smart. It's those keen observations that gets him involved in a string of murders in his hometown.

It's a very engaging book and an easy read. I thoroughly enjoyed this one!

I received this book through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Wednesday, February 04, 2015

I Love This!

Goodreads Voice: Little Free Library

By Goodreads Staff | Published Feb 03, 2015 01:35PM

Painted red and shaped like a miniature one-room schoolhouse, the first Little Free Library—built by Todd Bol in Hudson, Wisconsin, in 2009—launched what would become a worldwide movement in just a few years. Now more than 23,000 mini libraries exist in the United States, Canada, and other countries, including Haiti, Ghana, Vietnam, the Netherlands, and Italy. Often custom painted by local artists, these tiny book collections are outfitted with the cheerful motto "Take a book, return a book!"
Believing that no one should have to live in a book desert, the nonprofit Little Free Library needs donations to keep the movement going. Find out how you can help place a Little Free Library in your hometown and in cities across the globe. You can also get involved by becoming the "steward" of your own library by ordering one ready-made or designing your own!