Today is Tuesday, Thanksgiving is Thursday. I can't wait to see family! I love my family functions. I'm making green bean casserole and bringing a pecan pie. Going to Aunt Carries this year. Last year we went to Paul's Aunt Kathy's (his Dad's sister). It was OK, but it's his family not mine. So of course it's not as fun for me, plus there's always some awkwardness when we are with his family. I really don't know what it is exactly, but it sems they don't like us much. So we'll be getting together with his immediate family on Sunday for pizza. I hope they get something I like. I can't do sausage while pregnant and I hate mushrooms on pizza.
Still no more names for the baby. My mother in law reserved the name Henry for her next dog... who reserves a name for their dog? My mother in law, apparently. Not that Henry is on the top of the list or anything. I just thought that was somewhat odd and quite bold of her. It's her father's name. Paul said she hated her father and probably wants to name her dog that so she can kick it around. Nice, huh? Oh, and she's told us this at least 3 times. I got it the first time, and second.
Paul just got out of his doctors appointment. I guess they want to do the surgery soon, before the end of the year if workman's comp approves it. Yikes! But this is a good thing, we really want this done before the baby comes. The doctor asked all sorts of questions about my pregnancy too, because he knows this will impact my life as well. I just want him to be fixed.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Mom & Dad to the Rescue
I've never asked my parents for money, never really had to, I could always manage on my own. Times have been really tough for us lately. Paul's making a lot less money on workman's comp. Yes, they are paying 2/3 of his salary, BUT he can't do side work and doesn't get tips anymore. So his pay is cut by more than half. I called my Mom the other day asking for advise, without having to sell our stuff or file for bankrupcy. She told me she was going to make some calls and get back to me. Yesterday Mom calls and asks for my account number and bank name. She says she has a check that she's going to deposit into my account. I never asked for it. It's not a whole heck of a lot, but it's more than a couple hundred bucks. It will definitely help us get through a couple months. They just ask that we pay it back once we get the workman's comp settlement.
Now I feel bad that Paul and I are going to a concert this Sunday! We bought the tickets months ago, who could have known. Granted we could sell them, but we already sold the 311 tickets we had for tonight's show. I'm considering this our last hurrah before the holidays and before the baby comes. I just hope I am not miserable the whole time because I'm knocked up! I am hoping we get there early so we can get a balcony spot.
Still waiting on the surgery details, Paul has an appointment next Tuesday to schedule it.
Now I feel bad that Paul and I are going to a concert this Sunday! We bought the tickets months ago, who could have known. Granted we could sell them, but we already sold the 311 tickets we had for tonight's show. I'm considering this our last hurrah before the holidays and before the baby comes. I just hope I am not miserable the whole time because I'm knocked up! I am hoping we get there early so we can get a balcony spot.
Still waiting on the surgery details, Paul has an appointment next Tuesday to schedule it.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
It's a BOY!
Everyone told me it was a boy, but for some reason I always thought it was a girl. My doctor was positive, he pointed out the first leg, the second leg and the "third leg". I think Paul is relieved. Still no boy names.
Coda is healed, she ended up pulling all her stiches and staples out. At least I don't have to take her back to get them removed.
Paul has another doctor appointment next week, basically this is to tell the doctor if he wants to do the surgery. If so then the doctor will notify workman's comp, then they will get him set up for a second opinion and surgury approval.
Coda is healed, she ended up pulling all her stiches and staples out. At least I don't have to take her back to get them removed.
Paul has another doctor appointment next week, basically this is to tell the doctor if he wants to do the surgery. If so then the doctor will notify workman's comp, then they will get him set up for a second opinion and surgury approval.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Tomorrow's the "Big" Day
Just a few updates first....
I got the email from Paul's doctor. It's a minimally invasive surgery. Doesn't seem that bad. They will go into his back and cut out the bad oparts of the herniated disc and leave what's good behind. Nothing will be inserted. Minimal recovery. Just doesn't seem like a perminant fix to me. But I guess the doctors know what they are doing. For now we have to wait for workman's comp to approve the procedure and they will probably send him for a second opinion, which I'd want anyway.
I've also hired the lawyer, since surgery is the outcome. I sent in the paperwork today.
As far as Coda, she's driving me bonkers. Saturday she pulled a staple out so I took her back to the vet, they gave me sedatives. Basically if I knock her out for a couple days she'll finally get to heal. She was too far healed for more stiches or staples and she was driving me up the wall with the damn cone, she like attaches herself to me when it's on. How am I supposed to get anything done with a dog in a cone attached to my leg?
I talked to my neighbor between is and the people with the other dog from the fight. He said they are generally nice people but the dog is mean. He said he would talk to them for us so it didn't start a neighborhood war. We have not gotten an update from him yet.
And so tomorrow's the big day. I have my 20 week ultrasound. :)
I am actually 19 weeks because I started my appointments a week early and I need to go in every 4 weeks. The doctor will check for any abnormalities and hopefully he can tell us the sex of the baby. I really hope everything is going well with the pregnancy and we are able to find out if it's a boy or a girl. It sure would make picking out names so much easier. We have a small handful of girls names we like, but don't have a single boys name! Which probably means it's a boy, right? It's so hard becuse our last name starts with an R, ends with an N and is only one sylable. Certain boy names just sound horrible. There's a few I like, but Paul doesn't care for them. I think we will both know it once we hear the right name.
Girls names: Frances June, Abagail June, Jacy Frances, Callie, Celeste
Boy names (that just I like): Ryder, Joshua, Dallas, Eric, Jeremy, Caleb
His Grandmother's name was Frances, mine was Elizabeth June, but she often went by just June. He's like to incorporate his Grandfather's name into the boys name, but I just don't like it for a first name, Theodore.
After we find out tomorrow and see the little one on the ultrasound, maybe this will get easier.
I got the email from Paul's doctor. It's a minimally invasive surgery. Doesn't seem that bad. They will go into his back and cut out the bad oparts of the herniated disc and leave what's good behind. Nothing will be inserted. Minimal recovery. Just doesn't seem like a perminant fix to me. But I guess the doctors know what they are doing. For now we have to wait for workman's comp to approve the procedure and they will probably send him for a second opinion, which I'd want anyway.
I've also hired the lawyer, since surgery is the outcome. I sent in the paperwork today.
As far as Coda, she's driving me bonkers. Saturday she pulled a staple out so I took her back to the vet, they gave me sedatives. Basically if I knock her out for a couple days she'll finally get to heal. She was too far healed for more stiches or staples and she was driving me up the wall with the damn cone, she like attaches herself to me when it's on. How am I supposed to get anything done with a dog in a cone attached to my leg?
I talked to my neighbor between is and the people with the other dog from the fight. He said they are generally nice people but the dog is mean. He said he would talk to them for us so it didn't start a neighborhood war. We have not gotten an update from him yet.
And so tomorrow's the big day. I have my 20 week ultrasound. :)
I am actually 19 weeks because I started my appointments a week early and I need to go in every 4 weeks. The doctor will check for any abnormalities and hopefully he can tell us the sex of the baby. I really hope everything is going well with the pregnancy and we are able to find out if it's a boy or a girl. It sure would make picking out names so much easier. We have a small handful of girls names we like, but don't have a single boys name! Which probably means it's a boy, right? It's so hard becuse our last name starts with an R, ends with an N and is only one sylable. Certain boy names just sound horrible. There's a few I like, but Paul doesn't care for them. I think we will both know it once we hear the right name.
Girls names: Frances June, Abagail June, Jacy Frances, Callie, Celeste
Boy names (that just I like): Ryder, Joshua, Dallas, Eric, Jeremy, Caleb
His Grandmother's name was Frances, mine was Elizabeth June, but she often went by just June. He's like to incorporate his Grandfather's name into the boys name, but I just don't like it for a first name, Theodore.
After we find out tomorrow and see the little one on the ultrasound, maybe this will get easier.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Updates
Well, Paul does need surgery, on two things. He asked the doctor to email him the information because he knew he wouldn't remember enough to relay everything to me. Basically, the badly herniated disc. I think they will be inserting a plastic one. There's also something wrong with the canals (?) that are interfering with his nerves, so that needs to be worked on as well. Now we have to wait for workman's comp to send him for a second opinion and to approve the surgery. Who knows how long this could take. We just want him to be all better before the baby comes in April.
The dog thing.... I went to the nrighbors last night, they weren't home. But when Paul got home he said the exact thing I said, we need to talk to them and let them know what happened. Paul wants to talk to the neigbor between us first though. He knows them better than us, so maybe he'll have some insight so we don't start a war.
The dog thing.... I went to the nrighbors last night, they weren't home. But when Paul got home he said the exact thing I said, we need to talk to them and let them know what happened. Paul wants to talk to the neigbor between us first though. He knows them better than us, so maybe he'll have some insight so we don't start a war.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Coda's injury and dealing with the neighbors
So Sunday Paul and I were out front of our house raking and cleaning up leaves. Coda came out with us. She's our 40lb husky mix. She's quite tiny, most people think she's a puppy, she's actually 5 years old. Anyway, the neighbors a couple doors down came out of their house wuth their tan dog. Not sure if it was leased from the start or not. Coda had her eye on this dog, her ears were perked, but she was staying put. I decided it was time for me to take a break so I said to her "let's go", meaning come in the house with me, she took it as a green light, shot up and bolted to the house with the tan dog. Out of nowhere appears their black dog and came at her like a line backer. And the fight begins. This black dog was big, maybe 80lbs +/-, possibly a pitt bull/lab mix. This dog could kill Coda. It only lasted as long as it took for Paul to get over there to break them up. Coda comes back screaming, like she's hurt. I bend down to see if she's ok, when I touch her she screams. A girl from that house (she appears to be an older teen) comes over ans askes if Coda's ok, Paul tells her she will be fine. I take her in the house and check her out more. Seemed she only has bruising because I didn't see any blood. So I leave her be in the house and Paul and I finish the yard work.
So a couple hours later we are watching tv and I notice Coda is licking the top of her back leg. So I go over to check her out. She definitely has a wound and she's very defensive with me. So I ask Paul to look. He looks and says she's got a chunk out of her leg, but it's not bleeding. Since it's Sunday night and it's not bleeding, we'll wait until morning, check it out again and see if we need to take her to the vet.
I get up the next morning and let her out, she's not her normal spunky self, but she was moving around ok. So I leave for work. Paul calls me around 9:45 and tells me she's not doing so well, she's limping. So I call the vet. They schedule an appointment at 5pm. Paul puts the cone on her and goes to work, says he'll be off around 3:30 or 4 to take her to the vet. All day I am talking to people about how bad this could be if she needs the vet or if this is something that can heal on it's own. Paul sends me a pictire text and I forward it on to some of my dog knowledgable friends, they all say she needs the vet.
I talked to animal control. They find out all the dogs at that address are vaccinated. Since neither dog was leashed, we are both at fault, bt I do have the right to press charges. I tell them I didn't feel that was necessary. He said he recommends citizens handle these things on their own and that I should probably inform them that my dog got injured. If I wanted to seek money for the vet bill that was on me.
I talked to Bree, her sister in law works at an animal hospital in Glen Ellyn, which is kind of far, but I know they will treat her well, might be less expensive and will definitely not rip me off. So I send Paul there with Coda. Turns out it was a pretty deep bite, they had to sedate her and get 4 stiches. I was told that wounds in muscular areas don't bleed as much, which made me thik it wasn't bad. Boy, was I wrong.
So now the part where I approach the neighbors. I plan on going over there today after work and asking if their dog was injured at all and inform them that mine was. I would want to know if my dog injured another animal or human. I hope they are not super defensive, but I expect the worst. Maybe they will feel bad and offer to help with the bill. Who knows?
So a couple hours later we are watching tv and I notice Coda is licking the top of her back leg. So I go over to check her out. She definitely has a wound and she's very defensive with me. So I ask Paul to look. He looks and says she's got a chunk out of her leg, but it's not bleeding. Since it's Sunday night and it's not bleeding, we'll wait until morning, check it out again and see if we need to take her to the vet.
I get up the next morning and let her out, she's not her normal spunky self, but she was moving around ok. So I leave for work. Paul calls me around 9:45 and tells me she's not doing so well, she's limping. So I call the vet. They schedule an appointment at 5pm. Paul puts the cone on her and goes to work, says he'll be off around 3:30 or 4 to take her to the vet. All day I am talking to people about how bad this could be if she needs the vet or if this is something that can heal on it's own. Paul sends me a pictire text and I forward it on to some of my dog knowledgable friends, they all say she needs the vet.
I talked to animal control. They find out all the dogs at that address are vaccinated. Since neither dog was leashed, we are both at fault, bt I do have the right to press charges. I tell them I didn't feel that was necessary. He said he recommends citizens handle these things on their own and that I should probably inform them that my dog got injured. If I wanted to seek money for the vet bill that was on me.
I talked to Bree, her sister in law works at an animal hospital in Glen Ellyn, which is kind of far, but I know they will treat her well, might be less expensive and will definitely not rip me off. So I send Paul there with Coda. Turns out it was a pretty deep bite, they had to sedate her and get 4 stiches. I was told that wounds in muscular areas don't bleed as much, which made me thik it wasn't bad. Boy, was I wrong.
So now the part where I approach the neighbors. I plan on going over there today after work and asking if their dog was injured at all and inform them that mine was. I would want to know if my dog injured another animal or human. I hope they are not super defensive, but I expect the worst. Maybe they will feel bad and offer to help with the bill. Who knows?
The first one
I am currently 18 weeks pregnant. It's weird to say the least. Somewhat unplanned, but it's not like I was trying to hard to avoid it. I went off my birth control pill on June 28th. According to the baby planning website I was not supposed to ovulate until July 11th. So I didn't worry about birth control on July 7th and 8th. Not really too sure if I ovulated early or if the little swimmers stuck around for several days. It's possible I ovulated right away since I had been on the pill since I was 18, I am 34 now. I guess it doesn't matter, I am knocked up. A baby is coming. Yes, I have felt changes, but some days I have a hard time believing it's actually happening. It's a good thing, I am happy, but timing just sucks. Paul hurt his back and is facing surgery. Since he's on workman's comp he's not making much money. Workman's comp pays him 2/3 of last years salary, but that doesn't include his overtime or tips. Not even sure if he'd even make as much considering the economy is so bad. I keep telling myself this is a blessing in disguise. The settlement he gets could change our lives. But is the pain he's enduring even worth it? He's miserable. Not only is he in pain, but he's distracted from the pregnancy, and his self esteem is in the toilet. He feels like less of a man and I don't blame him. He wants to be the breadwinner and he's far from it right now, not only that but he can't even do the "man chores" because of his back pain. It breaks my heart. He can't be there for me like he wants to because I am the one taking care of him. I have to be the strong one right now and that's hard when my hormones are raging from being pregnant. But I will say, I hold it together pretty good considering the circumstances.
He has 4 herniated disks and degeneration. Probably from lifting and carrying heavy furniture since he was a kid. I'm sure it was bound to happen one day. Thus far he's had 4 steroid spinal injections, epidurals. 20 gage, 5 inch needle into his spine. They provide relief to most patients. When none of those provided any relief he was referred to a surgeon who ordered a Myelogram. That was done last week. Not pleasant by any means. We went to the hospital at 7am, he changed into a gown, nurses came in to ask questions and give him valium to keep him calm. They took him away around 8:40. He was scared as hell. They first injected his spine once again, first to numb the area, then put a large needle in, then a smaller one inside the larger one to inject a dye into his spinal cord. Apparently he had some interns/trainees doing this and they couldn't seem to get it right, so they moved things around until they could get it right. Keep in mind, Paul is conscious while they are discussing their mistakes. After thay got that right, he had a series of x rays and a CT scan. The nurses said they'd be done around 10am, then he'd have to stay for 4 hours for observation, if things go well, he could go home after that.
I left the hospital, he told me to go get breakfast. So I did. I had the best pumpkin pancakes ever at Colonial. I went back to the hospital around 10 and sat there for an hour. He wasn't done until 11. They called me back to recovery and he was there and doing well. They gave him lunch. They told me he wouldn't be released until 2pm. So I hung out with him for a while then went home to try and catch a nap. Couldn't. So I got up, picked up a movie and some things I needed from Walgreens and headed back to the hospital. He was able to nap when I was gone. They released him at 2, they wheeled him out to the car and we headed home. He was in a lot of pain from the shots in his back. I got him home. The nurse instructed me to keep him elevated until 6pm. This was so the dye wouldn't get to his brain. The dye can irritate the membrane that protects your brain. If that happens it's called a spinal headache and I would have to take him to the ER immediately to get another injection to stop it. After 6pm he was instructed to lay down for the remainder of the night. I think this helped the dye disperse away. I was pretty scared that he'd get this headache, but luckily, he didn't.
The next day he was a little achey but ok. That was a week ago. Today he goes to the surgeon to go over the results. We are 80% sure he needs surgery, so last week we hired an attorney. I have never hired one before. I have the paperwork sitting on my desk right now. They just need to be signed and returned to make it official. I think it's best if we wait until after the appointment with the surgeon before we officially commit. I wish I could be there with him, but with the time I've taken off to drive him to and from the epidural shots, the day off for the Myelogram and the time I have taken off for my OB appointments, I felt I should just stay at work today. I'll post the update when I have it.
He has 4 herniated disks and degeneration. Probably from lifting and carrying heavy furniture since he was a kid. I'm sure it was bound to happen one day. Thus far he's had 4 steroid spinal injections, epidurals. 20 gage, 5 inch needle into his spine. They provide relief to most patients. When none of those provided any relief he was referred to a surgeon who ordered a Myelogram. That was done last week. Not pleasant by any means. We went to the hospital at 7am, he changed into a gown, nurses came in to ask questions and give him valium to keep him calm. They took him away around 8:40. He was scared as hell. They first injected his spine once again, first to numb the area, then put a large needle in, then a smaller one inside the larger one to inject a dye into his spinal cord. Apparently he had some interns/trainees doing this and they couldn't seem to get it right, so they moved things around until they could get it right. Keep in mind, Paul is conscious while they are discussing their mistakes. After thay got that right, he had a series of x rays and a CT scan. The nurses said they'd be done around 10am, then he'd have to stay for 4 hours for observation, if things go well, he could go home after that.
I left the hospital, he told me to go get breakfast. So I did. I had the best pumpkin pancakes ever at Colonial. I went back to the hospital around 10 and sat there for an hour. He wasn't done until 11. They called me back to recovery and he was there and doing well. They gave him lunch. They told me he wouldn't be released until 2pm. So I hung out with him for a while then went home to try and catch a nap. Couldn't. So I got up, picked up a movie and some things I needed from Walgreens and headed back to the hospital. He was able to nap when I was gone. They released him at 2, they wheeled him out to the car and we headed home. He was in a lot of pain from the shots in his back. I got him home. The nurse instructed me to keep him elevated until 6pm. This was so the dye wouldn't get to his brain. The dye can irritate the membrane that protects your brain. If that happens it's called a spinal headache and I would have to take him to the ER immediately to get another injection to stop it. After 6pm he was instructed to lay down for the remainder of the night. I think this helped the dye disperse away. I was pretty scared that he'd get this headache, but luckily, he didn't.
The next day he was a little achey but ok. That was a week ago. Today he goes to the surgeon to go over the results. We are 80% sure he needs surgery, so last week we hired an attorney. I have never hired one before. I have the paperwork sitting on my desk right now. They just need to be signed and returned to make it official. I think it's best if we wait until after the appointment with the surgeon before we officially commit. I wish I could be there with him, but with the time I've taken off to drive him to and from the epidural shots, the day off for the Myelogram and the time I have taken off for my OB appointments, I felt I should just stay at work today. I'll post the update when I have it.
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