Category: My Life

As my mind and soul begin to heal, I am really working on my state of mind. I have been rather depressed since the first cervical spine surgery (December 17, 2015), and even though this surgery is a failure, I’ve decided that life could be a lot worse and I need to rearrange my thought process.

Yes, it is time to hold positive thoughts, and work very hard to turn my self into a more positive person.

I admit to being a bit over dramatic, and of course this leads to depression. That is not at all helpful right now, so it is time to suck it up and think positively!

Since the second surgery was a disaster, I just have to adjust my head, that a third surgery will be forthcoming, and this time it will all go correctly!

It is marvelous to be home, with my doggies, and Hubby has been great cooking and cleaning. He seems to watch and sense when the pain gets bad and encourages me to recline.

Happy, Cheery Thoughts!

It seems like forever since I have written. Trying to blog on a cell phone stinks. I am definitely a keyboard girl!

So much has happened since my surgery and I am unhappy to report that this surgery not only failed, but has caused further problems with my spine. Currently, Hubby and I are trying to find a really good Neurosurgeon  to fix what this other surgeon has so badly messed up.

I was down with Mandy and Matt and the kids, where I could just be quiet and do nothing. I needed this quiet time. It was also wonderful to see my darling grandchildren. That gives you strength.

I also had a bad reaction to the pain medication. I swear to God, that Oxycontin, is the devils brew. It caused me more illness than I needed. I stopped using it pretty quickly after the surgery, and switched to Tylenol and Motrin, which took the edge off.

Oddly, the pain stayed with me, and then on Tuesday I learned that the surgery had failed and I have a screw and bone sitting directly on nerves!My greatest comfort now is feeling emotionally well enough to be home with Hubby and the dogs.

Arnie, never leaves my side and Anneliese and Greta cuddle me all night long. Lili follows me everywhere. I swear she thinks she is Lassie and if anything happens to me, she will run for help.

So, as the season of joy and celebration of Christ’s birth comes in our direction, I am grateful for so much. For my wonderfully family, daughter, Mandy and Matt, grandchildren, Savannah and grandson Quinn and my dearest cousins Janet and Dave. Also for Hubby who has been spending copious amounts of time researching. These people made the first month bearable!

Now I am home Hubby is doing all the cooking and cleaning and making sure I get the nutrients I need. He also takes me out each day for short walks at the grocery store, so I can work on my strength. And my baby dogs? Well, it is great to be with them.

Tomorrow is Arnie and Anneliese’s 10th Birthday! I am so happy to be here!  

This year I was totally unable to take care of myself,  or to cook  a traditional meal.

Mandy, Matt and the kids headed off to see all of Matt’s family, so that everyone could meet our darling Quinn

My cousin Janet and her husband, Dave, collected me, brought me to their home and took care of me.

Turkey was cooked along with all the wonderful side dishess! My plate was filled and I ate what I could, and I was so full of gatitude.

Then their grandson arrived and we did Wii Beatles singing, and played Cards Against Humanity. I had never played and I must tell you that it’s one of the best card games ever.

We laughed and laughed and really had a good time.

It was a tough time for me, as my health is still bad and I discovered that this surgery really took a lot out of me.

I am so grateful to Janet and Dave,for making Thanksgiving for me.

And I am so thankful to Mandy and Matt for letting me recover here.

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

So I was driving home after seeing Mandy, Matt and the kids. I was feeling tired and decided not to go shopping, but to just head home.

I was on rte 93, when I heard my cell phone ring. It was Jack and I answered it. But my earpiece was not hooked tightly and I was talking to him holding the phone, but decided to pull off the road to plug it all in.

Big mistake. Just as I did this a police car turned on their blue light and pulled right behind me.

I told Jack that I was being stopped and put the phone between the two seats. I opened my window, and I had two State Policemen on either side of my car. (I admit to feeling really intimidated. But I  must say, in all of my years of driving I have never been stopped or even gotten a parking ticket).

I was asked why I pulled over, and I told them that my cell phone rang with my husband calling, and I wanted to answer to make sure he was okay, (Hubby is 78 years old!), but since I knew I needed to be hands free, I pulled over.

So, while one of the officers ran my license and registration, the other officer lectured me about cell phones in vehicles.

Quite honestly, I wanted to cry. Growing up, my dad worked as a summer police officer on Cape Cod. Every morning we listened to all the things that had gone on during his shift. I always felt that getting any sort of ticket or getting in any sort of trouble with the law, was just not how I wanted to live my life. I really have never wanted to let my Dad down.

Dad has been gone for a long time now, but the feeling of leading a good life, one to be proud of has not left me.

So, I was stopped, and lectured, but was not given a ticket or warning. I was so relieved. I really believe in our laws and I even thanked the officers, sincerely, for their concern.

I have always been a purist. What does that mean? Well, I always thought I would stick with Microsoft and PC products, as I never wanted to get into a situation where all my programs became useless.

So when replacing laptops or desktops’s, I always opt for a Windows based system. Which has been fine, up until the last item on my “items I use daily” list broke with no hope of getting better.

It was my MP3 Player. A 12 year old Sony, that I could work without looking, and had all the features I needed 12 years ago. My best friend, Gail gave it to me, and that was one of her best gifts, aside of her friendship, of course!

Anyway, after 12 years, they do not make my model of MP3 Player. I ordered a really cheap one from Amazon, and it was so terrible, after 1 day I sent it back!

I went on You Tube and typed in Review of Best MP3 Players. A whole bunch came up. Mostly they were telling people what not to buy, but over and over, the new Ipod Nano, got raving reviews!

So, yesterday I went down to my daughter’s and we drove over to the Rockingham Mall, to The Apple Store. It was the first time I have stepped into one of Apple’s Stores. And I was very impressed!

A nice girl took my name, and guided us to a small table of Ipads where children were sitting playing games on the machines. Savannah sat right down and started playing. I went over to a wall of Apple products and found the Nano I wanted.

A man with Apple came over and said, “Are you just waiting now to check out?” I told him I was and he hailed another agent to help me.

Brad came over and quickly checked me out and answered a few questions. When he learned I use a PC at home he said I should be sure to Update my Itunes, before I even plug the Nano in.

We finished and after getting my car at Mandy’s and driving home, I updated the Itunes program and then downloaded my music to the Nano.

Then, when all was said and done, I turned on the Nano and listened to one of my favorite songs, (easy to find), and the sound was amazing!

I can officially say, I have gone to the “Dark Side” and now, for the very first time, own a superior Apple product!

After a summer filled with sunshine and very little rain, the last two days have been gray, foggy and sort of yucky. It’s not exactly raining, but it’s not the sort of weather that makes you want to go out and play in the sun. Even the dogs would rather sleep in their little beds, rather than go outside.

Thursday, I saw a friend of mine. She has a cottage that she and her husband go to on a lake each summer. We try to grab lunch here or there, when she is home to do laundry, but it’s been a crazy summer, and we just haven’t synced our schedules, and it was so nice to see her.

Also on my agenda the next few days is one last batch of Moon Glow Pickles and be done with it! After all, quite soon, apples will need to be sauced and grapes pressed for jelly.

I picked up some food prep gloves when I was out yesterday, as the deep slice in my finger (let’s just say, I was thinking stitches on Wednesday, after my knife accident!) will preclude me from getting that finger in any sort of pickling juice, or jelly!

So, the weekend will be busy, and I will need to re-organize the freezer so I can store all the apple sauce! It’s never dull when you can and freeze the foods you grow.

I am alive. This may sound like a common and usual thing to most. but I must tell you that the last 26 hours have been very rough.

I have an auto-immune disease that can strike at any moment. Yesterday, at 5 AM I woke with shaking chills. They were so bad, I could hardly stand. I also was so cold that no matter how many blankets I had on, the shaking did not stop. I got up briefly, as I was determined to get the thermometer. I had to know what my temperature was. At first it was 101.2 Two hours later it was up to 102.8 (F).

I felt weak as a kitten and every part of my body ached, as though I had been in a boxing ring with Mohamed Ali!

I shivered, I slept, I tried to keep drinking. Arnie and Greta never left my side, as I huddled in bed, with the drone of the TV in the background for company.

By dinnertime, my temperature had begun to drop. I managed a bowl of good old Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup, crackers and more aspirin!

This morning I woke and my temperature is down to 99.8. So I am doing well. One more day in my pajamas and I’ll be back to normal.

It is a strange thing, this auto-immune disease. It can strike at any time and although a fever is almost always involved, there are times other symptoms come along with it. It’s like a bad case of the flu,

This time it was just the fever and weakness. Hubby pitched in, went to get my ginger ale, made me soup and fed the dogs.

I think today will be spent in my pajamas again. By tomorrow I should be on my feet and doing much better.

Did I tell you what happened during my trip to Falmouth?

I was on Route 24 and it was pretty empty of traffic. The truck ahead was going a little slow, so I passed him. (I normally don’t pass, I just kind of hang in there, but he was going very slowly)

Anyway, just as the rear end of my car passed his cab, I heard and felt a tremendous explosion! I looked in the rear view mirror and both the truck’s front tires had blown!

The driver was holding the truck steady and decelerating on the truck’s wheel rims! Rubber flew all over the road and out the sides. There were sparks from the rims.

I suddenly realized if I had been behind him or next to him, my car would have been severely damaged and I could have been injured.

Then I told my phone to call home, I felt like I was losing it! I started telling hubby what had happened and then I had a panic attack and started hyperventilating. Hubby told me to pull over and he talked me down.

Later I was speaking to a friend at the reunion, and she said she thought I’d had a PTSD flashback to the car accident I had in 1985. I do not remember the accident, as I was knocked unconscious, but apparently my subconscious does remember and so did my body. It was such a terrible thing.

When I began to think normally about it all, I realized what our Veterans must go through. Imagine having a flashback to things that happened in battle? Certainly my car accident had been horrific, but I had never had an uncontrollable response like that before. I’d never even considered it, until I heard the explosion and felt it shake my car.

One more thing. I have to hand it to this Big Rig driver. He did an amazing job holding that truck straight until he could safely pull off the road. That was an amazingly skilled driver! My hats off to you, wherever you may be!