Elflingsmama's Sanity Keeper

Simon the Siamese shall henceforth be known as Bratty Cat. I think I now fully understand why bangping names her Siamese cats dorky male names and insists on messing with them. She's right: THEY DESERVE IT!

Simon continually pushes Raja and Rascal's buttons. I don't think he plays with either of them without some sort of agenda in mind. Rascal must know that because he still hasn't given Simon even an inch of acceptance and Simon seeks Rascal out like he's spoiling for a fight. Rascal may be 12 years older than Simon, but he's twice Simon's size and that gives him a nice advantage.

What makes him Bratty Cat is that Simon also pushes things with us. He cannot resist cups left on the table, if we're not around to shoo him off the table. I don't know if he tips them over on purpose or if they happen to tip when he sticks his nose inside, but either way we end up with liquid spilled all over. Today he did it with Justin's cup of Koolaid in the 10 minutes I was gone taking Justin to school. Every time he hops on the bathroom counter he knocks things off, quite on purpose.

And then, just when I've about had it with him, he'll come snuggle up under my hand looking and feeling like a teddy bear. Oh, and he tries to goose me. but he's so small he can't reach past the middle of my thigh :P So, yeah, he remains cute enough to keep, but a definitely a brat.

ETA: I should also mention that Merlin, the adorable snowshoe-footed Siamese fostered by roane and bangping and adopted by some close friends, is also quite the stinker. He also has a propensity for leaping onto the table and counters and knocking things over; mostly cereal boxes in his case.

I'm feeling much like an old car: as soon as I fix one thing, another thing breaks. While I am incredibly grateful that none of my ailments are in the scope of something like cancer, all these little things piling up are really starting to stress me. Scratch that. I'm not starting to be stressed, I AM stressed; and sick and tired of being sick and tired. I'm trying to help myself by making some lifestyle changes and instead I'm just too tired or in too much pain to care.

I finally have my foot mostly taken care of: I have my orthotics, I've completed physical therapy, I have new shoes, and most days I can go the whole day with no pain (with the exception being since getting the new shoes).

My sinuses...who the hell knows what's going on there. My ENT put me on this truly horrible antibiotic that can cause such severe diarrhea as to be fatal; that's what I'm left with: the lesser used antibiotics that are lesser used for a REASON. It has this very unpleasant after taste that never goes away and I find myself constantly eating things just to take a break from it. So much for the food diary I started keeping. In the meantime, my doctor took a culture sample so he can find out just what bug we're dealing with because this sucker is refusing to die. I am so tired of not being able to breathe well, especially at night, and the sleep apnea symptoms are killin' me.

Now the big problem is my back. I'm fairly certain that my back is literally in knots from being used to compensating for me walking one way and is not liking that I am now walking the correct way. Until this weekend, however, it simply felt like a couple of knots and some tightness; things that a professional massage could help relax. Then I woke up Saturday morning with a sharp aching pain in my right hand and based on how much it hurt today I think it's from a pinched nerve or something caused by the tightness in my shoulder. I've been living on prescription strength Motrin today to keep the pain bearable; sometimes it's even minimal, but when the drug wears off the pain has me whimpering like when I have a migraine. I keep stretching my back and shoulders, trying to get things to relax.

At this point, I just don't know who to go to. I have an appointment to see my family doctor on Friday. Jason suggested I ask the foot specialist, whom I see tomorrow. I mean, do I need a chiropractor? a physical therapist? a series of deep tissue massages (which insurance won't pay for, dang it)? Maybe I need the services of all three.

The gal who gave me a massage this weekend was WONDERFUL. She really seems to know the body and how it works, very similar to the physical therapists I worked with but in a more spiritual way rather than medical. I was struck by how concerned she was for my well-being and gave me more than my gift certificate paid for (which was simply a 30minute back massage). She asked if she could work on my calves, and spent some extra time on my back finding out just how gnarled it is. She gave me a good stretch to use. And she suggested a course of action should I decide to use her help in the future. At the moment I have an appointment with her next week, and even if I can't afford to see her regularly I hope I can go at least once in a while to supplement whatever medical treatment I get.

My parents took us to Outback for dinner tonight as our Christmas get-together. They had set up a reservation for 5:30 since there was going to be so many of us (9 if my brother had come). When we got there, though, our table was still in use with a birthday party that was wrapping up. The manager was really nice, setting us up at the bar with a free appetizer and drinks while we waited for what we all thought would be another 20minutes, but turned into an HOUR AND A HALF!! Seriously, it was 7:00 when we finally were able to sit down at the table. We found out later that the birthday party had been there since 3:30!

The boys were AWESOME during all of this, but poor Michael was at the end of his patience and was getting squirmy. We were seated at a large round table and there was a small 2 person table shoved in the corner behind it where Justin was sitting by himself. So Michael crawled under the table at Jason's feet to go join him. Then decided to come back and next thing we knew he was screaming and said he hurt his hand. I assumed Justin had stepped on it or something but when J picked him up, there was blood running down from his palm. I grabbed a napkin and my mom and I rushed him to the bathroom where we determined he needed to go to the ER for a long 3" slice across the bottom of his palm. Meanwhile, our food had arrived (my fish looked delicious *cry!*) and the manager came to investigate and we discovered at least 1 glass broken under the table, then my mom and I left Jason and my dad to handle all of that.

Long boring wait at the hospital ends with Michael with his hand all wrapped up, but no stitches or anything.

Turns out, after the clean up crew came to clean up the broken glass, the general manager arrived, seemingly called from home for the incident, in time for Justin to find even more under there (what, did they have the party UNDER the table??)! But God was really watching out for my family because the piece Michael cut himself on was the entire bottom of a glass with a nasty jagged point that would've sliced right through a shoe and up into the foot. If we had insisted Justin sit at the round table with us he would've been right at the spot where all the glass was; if Jason had been any closer to Justin for any reason he would've stepped on it; and the fact that Michael simply lacerated his palm rather than slicing through tendons just leaves me breathless with relief at the close call.

Needless to say we got our dinner for free. The general manager got all the information he needed to report the injury to their insurance company so they should be paying for all the medical bills. Jason said they planned to call tomorrow to see how Michael's doing. Jason ordered me an Outback Special (sirloin steak) to take home since I wasn't sure how the tilapia I ordered would taste cold and in my experience fish doesn't reheat very well. And poor Michael says he doesn't want to go there again.

I saw the ENT today and found that the levaquin has cleared up the infection on the left side, but not fully on the right. So now I'm on azithromycin as well. This better finish it off! My hope is that I will fully clear up the infection and with J having his infection cleared we will stop passing this thing between us...which would then lead to NOT needing surgery.

I'm supposed to continue the levaquin (3 more doses), but it's really making me nervous. Since a big side effect is rupturing tendons and my foot is doing weird, very painful things, I'm not sure I should keep playing with fire. Then this morning, and at periods throughout the day, my right hand developed a strong, bizarre ache that stretches down my thumb. I can't pinpoint where the pain is starting from but it radiates along my hand and it HURTS; I'm thinking the origination point is my wrist, but I'm not sure. Anyway, it's enough to set alarm bells ringing so I'm taking myself off the levaquin even though both the podiatrist and the ENT were willing to have me finish it (with reservations/concern it appeared to me).

It turns out that what is now hurt on my foot is a muscle at the front of my arch where a couple tendons tie in. There are a number of things that could've caused it, and maybe it's a combination of them all that have led to this point (or maybe I'm way off base; either way it doesn't change that I'm in a gross amount of pain). 1) my ENT put me on the antibiotic Levaquin for the stubborn adenoid infection and it's known for flaring up/rupturing tendons (just what I need, right?), 2) I overdid it with all the extra walking I've done this week, especially with my foot feeling better, or 3) we added some light strength exercises in PT on Monday.

I mentioned all of this to the podiatrist and he seems very concerned. He gave me a cortisone shot in the aggravated muscle, gave me a compression sock to wear for support, told me to ice it lots, take it easy and off my feet, extended my PT for another month, and said that if I'm not better in 2 weeks I get a cast for Christmas.

You know, I'll take the pain of the tendon along the outside of my foot any day: it's a familiar dull ache. This pain in my arch, though, is a sharp ache that nearly brings tears to my eyes when I take a step after using it all day. Kinda like the difference between a really really bad headache and a migraine.

You already get the spa treatment 3 days a week at physical therapy (I'm serious: whirlpool, massage, ultrasound, nice stretches; the only bad part is the ice pack afterwards) and you have your new orthotics, which you love. You are not allowed to find a new place to swell and start hurting so KNOCK IT OFF!

No love,
Me


Seriously, I dont know what's up. I have this spot along my arch that is now swelling a bit and is extremely sore when I put weight on it. I noticed it last night after being on my feet all afternoon, but it felt better this morning...until I put my shoes on. Good thing I see the foot specialist tomorrow.

Justin volunteered at the Wyandotte Animal Shelter today and had a wonderful time. He actually got to clean and fix up the cat cages, including playing with all the cats and kittens that were begging for attention. He built a cage for Caleb Klein, who was moving out of the sick room and back into the general population; cleaned it out, put fresh food, water, and litter in, and picked out a blanket for him to snuggle on. He even tried to carry Caleb to his new cage, but Caleb was more interested in getting down than getting snuggles. The shelter is swamped with child volunteers for now, but if Justin wants to, he'll be able to volunteer again after January.

While it's a much smaller operation than HVHS where roane works, it was really neat to see the same dedication in the people who take care of the animals. They each have their favorites and had stories to share about the various cats there. They give many of the cats recognizable names that really seem to fit them, names like: Robin Hood, Lena Horne, Beverly Cleary, Venus De Milo, Mike Mousekawitz, and my personal favorite, Harry Dresden. Harry is a big black cat with long legs and a sweet disposition, much like the character he's named after. I met some of the foster folk who were in just to check on their former charges, and saw a couple kittens head off to their forever homes. I think I got as much out of the experience as Justin did!

I got a call back from the Volunteer Coordinator at the Wyandotte Animal Shelter today. She suggested bringing Justin in at 5:30 Tuesday and they'll get him started (sounds like they have something in mind other than collecting donations!). Unfortunately, it's Tuesday: chorus night; and I have to go because I have some items that I promised to people so they're expecting me. She said she'd pass my info on to the other coordinator and between the two of them they'll get Justin some volunteer hours :) She also said she'd send and email right away but I haven't gotten it. It's possible, however, that it's the email server's fault...sometimes it forgets to give me my mail over the weekend. Either way, someone will be in tomorrow evening so I can hopefully set something up for him maybe Saturday.

It's amazing me how much he wants to do this. Justin has asked me several times if I've talked to the shelter; showing me that he really is interested :)

I find it ironic that I can be almost finished with a round of Augmentin for my sinus infection and have an infection start on my finger. It's nothing serious and I've been putting neosporin on it today so it'll clear up in another day or so; but I still find it a bit perplexing.

Justin recieved a community outreach project today where he's supposed to do 3 hours of service and then do a little report about his experience. I offered him a few suggestions that came to my mind, like helping me sort, bag, and deliver the mountain of donatables in the basement, but he wasn't real interested. Then I saw the weekly spot in the paper about cats at the Wyandotte Animal Shelter and I thought, "Aha!" When I asked Justin if he wanted to do something related to the animal shelter his eyes lit up and he immediately agreed. He even said he would clean cages if they let him!

Tomorrow I'll call the shelter and see what they can allow him to do for them. I'm sure they have regulations about the age of volunteers and such, but you know, if they would let him do anything in actual contact with the animals he would be in heaven. If the shelter can't accommodate Justin's offer of service due to his age then I may be able to get him to round up item donations for them from our family and neighbors. Barring that....roane and bangping, you may be getting a call to see if he can help out with your menagerie for a day. I'm sure you have a couple of dogs who wouldn't mind a walk or a brushing :P

I saw the ENT today and discovered that I have an adnoid infection. He's very mild mannered and unassuming so it can be difficult to tell just how bad things are sometimes. Today he gave me a strong impression that this is bad. He found pus all over the outside of the adnoids; I'm assuming it's due to overflow from the inside? He seemed pretty concerned. And worried about how he could've missed them being infected before. He's looked in my nose several times with a camera and never once noticed them infected like this. So now the question is: is this a one time thing or a recurring thing? I'm now on Augmentin and I go back to see him in 1 month. He said he has one more antibiotic he could try but if they aren't cleared up, I'll need to get them removed. Yay, more surgery.

After hearing about all the aches and pains I have going on that just will not go away, Jason realized that I needed to have my feet looked at. Turns out he was right. I went to a podiatrist today and found out that my left foot has a neuroma. This refers to an inflammed nerve in the foot, usually under the last two toes of your foot. In my case it's been caused by an old tendon injury that for some reason has caused a nerve to be rubbed or pinched after all these years. For now the treatment is custom orthotics and physical therapy along with some prescription strength Aleve to cut down the inflammation.

I'm hoping that fixing this will also relieve much of the tension and soreness in my back and the pulling I get in my knees. If not, then it may be time to seriously consider a chiropractor as well to figure out what's knotting my back up so badly.

My sinuses and other soft tissue inside my head are going crazy. I'm seriously thinking I have a sinus infection and have had it since August or September. The last two weeks have been pretty miserable. My air passages are blocked and Jason says I've been snoring again. It feels like the tissue is swollen behind the bridge of my nose. It really isn't a surprise that the last month or so I've been sleepier, much like it was just before my surgery :( I see my Ear Nose and Throat doctor tomorrow so I'll see what he says.

We had a new coach come in today for a special choreography session and wow is she awesome. First off, she's an earthy sort of person with flyaway hair and no makeup (not usually the look of a sweet adeline). secondly, I think she sees chorus choreo in her head like a writer sees a novel unfold and shares her ideas with us passionately. Third, she set things up so the choreo is completely stress-free. Without giving everything away, we will be dressed as newsies so she's helping us characterize the boys that we will be portraying. As such, a passle of boys aren't able to do anything with precision, so the choreo embraces that. This means that if you make a mistake, it's OK because kids will always make mistakes. She created a package for us that will take the audience on an emotional rollercoaster, and we learned it all today! I kid you not, we've got the whole package blocked and mostly memorized in one day, it's that easy and fun.

Jason has sinuses going crazy and my ears are so swollen inside my head aches even through medicine, but I went today. I'm really glad I did. While I was tired and hurting, today really was fun and didn't feel like work. Now I'm ready to collapse for the night and pray that I can make it to rehearsal on Tuesday to help cement the choreography in my head.

roane came out for the weekend and we had a wonderful time! It's been much too long since we've visited with each other. The boys couldn't wait for her to arrive on Friday, asking me pretty much every 15 minutes when she would be here. When she did get here, they literally bombarded her with their efforts to keep her attention. It was deafening yet heartwarming as they tried to share with her all sorts of things that are important to them. Luckily, they settled down immensely overnight and allowed me to sleep in until 10am, which is good since we adults stayed up until stupid o'clock playing Wizard 101.

We made bread, chatted a bit, and played the weekend away and it was a very welcome therapeutic time for all of us :)

I visited Merlin and Rosemary today and took my camera with me! These are two of roane and bangping's bottle babies. They are now around 5 months old :)









Just to add to the cuteness, here is a picture of Simon (also rescued by our resident kitten fostering team) who is now 13 months old and Blue who was feral but now is a most loving kitty. Blue is now 6 months old :)



This last one is Little Boy Blue, only he's not so little anymore! Look at that tail! I swear his tail is a mile long. One of his favorite games is to chase his tail, and he always catches it!

I wonder what it is about Fall that calls boys outside. Right now the boys are running around in very vocal and active abandon with two friends; yelling, chasing each other, being altogether more active than they were the entire summer. It feels so right to hear them out there :)

When J and I first moved into his grandma's house, we had the only open stretch of front yard on the block (not having a driveway will do that) and the neighborhood boys would come play football. Justin was only 1 at the time and LOVED watching the older boys run and tackle each other. We really liked listening to them play; it sounded much like what I'm hearing now :)

I'm sitting here listening to the boys play with a friend: lots of running and yelling and having a good time. And then I hear Justin call out, "You guys are the digestive system. You poop me out!"

After maybe an hour of wearing my slippers this morning the tendon in my knee flared up. Now, my slippers have a nonskid hard sole, but that means little on hardwood floors and apparently the resulting scuffing of my feet has irritated the tendon/ligament that I had issues with last winter. It's been months since it's caused me any sort of pain and I rather prefer it that way!

So, I need to be careful which shoes I wear and should either wear said shoes around the house (not gonna happen) or find slippers that won't skid at all on the floor. Or suffer chilly feet. I'm not liking this getting old stuff.

Jason saw him and we just HAD to get a picture!

We took the boys to the RenFest today for the first time since Ryan was a baby. I was really looking forward to sharing the experience with the boys; but Jason and I eventually realized that we want to come back sans kids so we can see the shows. Even when we went before we had kids we didn't go to many of the shows or missed many of the ones we wanted to see. We also saw some fabulous art through the doors of some of the shops that we'd like to take time to peruse.

The boys were really shy at first; even Justin was literally hanging on me as we walked by the shops. Ryan and Michael were glued to the wagon Jason was pulling, giving some ripe material for teasing and jokes from the Festival personnel. Some bowed to the little guys calling them royalty as they were pulled in their coach :P But it was the fire-eater, Dr. Inferno, who broke the boys out of their shells.

This guy's show certainly wasn't a headliner, but he was funny and bantered easily with the audience. And was upstaged by a caterpillar. When he started his show, a fuzzy black and orange caterpillar distracted him as it crawled on a t-shirt hanging on a wall near the stage. As he tried to continue his show, the caterpillar just kept on it's merry way and eventually the guy picked it up and set it on the other side of the wood fence. He joked about the upstaging caterpillar, kept his show going, and then had to pause again to place the caterpillar over the fence. He did this at least one more time. By this time it was a running (crawling?) gag that had everyone busting a gut. It was even funnier when the caterpillar started walking across the stage in front of Dr. Inferno. But he took it all in stride and improv-d seamlessly with the determined little guy. Jason said he bet the guy was wishing he could add the caterpillar to his show :P

We left the Faire around 1ish and headed to Great Lakes Crossing Mall in Auburn Hills. It was on the way home and Justin has been begging us to go play on the food in the Food Court. They have a play area with giant picnic food as climbing structures. It's really cool; and Justin periodically asks us to go back. It's an hour drive so we don't get to take them often. Anyway, we let them run around for a couple hours and ate dinner while there.

All in all, a very nice family day :)