Hi Friends!
After 3 days of high-dose IV steroids, and many other torturous procedures, I just got the OK to go home. My head and lungs are much better. I will need to see Dr. Cohen and Dr. Karpouzas as soon as possible. And I'll start the next two rounds of rituxan (chemo) sooner rather than later! I also need to trade in my fancy Picc Line with 3 ports for a more permanent port on my chest -- that they'll put in surgically!
But for now, I can't wait for Bill to come and get me! It will be nice to see and hug my children and sleep in my own bed! Life is too good right now :0)
Love,
Shel
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Sunday, January 31, 2010
Saturday, January 30, 2010
ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL YESTERDAY!!!
Hi Friends!
Just a quick update -- After 24 hours of chest pain, severe headache, vomiting, and other signs of another lupus flare, Dr. Cohen had me come into his office to be checked out yesterday at 5:45 (after he was done with his lower-maintenace patients). Bill took me in and Annie stayed in Oxnard with the kids. After seeing me and doing a thorough exam -- he sent us directly over to Los Robles Hospital for admission.
He and the other doctors have decided that my over-active immune system is currently attacking my brain, heart, lungs, joints. My hair is falling out again, too. I'm being treated for dehydration and vomiting with IV fluids and Zofran. I started IV Solumedrol (high-dose steroids) today and will do them for the next 3 days. That should help with my lupus symptoms! I've done a bunch of fun and invasive tests. Also had a new and improved PICC line placed. It took 8 tries to access a major vein, but it was well worth it! I look like the Bionic Woman. It has 3 tubes coming out of my arm -- 1 for blood draws, 1 for IV fluids or steroids, and 1 for pain meds. It can stay in for more than 4 months. At that point I'll switch to a central line or port -- which requires surgery -- bu can stay in forever!
If all goes well, I am hoping to go home on Sunday or Monday. In order to do this, they would need to see improvement in my brain, heart, and lungs. And I need to be able to eat and keep it down, as well as walk and talk normally. No children under age 16 are allowed to visit the hospital due to a surge of the H1N1 flu, so I won't be able to see 3 out of my 4 kids until I get home. That makes me sad :-( And I heard Isaac wasn't taking it well either!
After my release -- hopefully sooner rather than later -- I will need to do my chemo on an outpatient basis ASAP. Bill brought me Isaac's netbook tonight, so I will try and keep you up-to-date. Thanks, Isaac, for sharing with your sick Mom.
Annie has spent almost all week with us, and then she spent all day at the hospital with me. Bill stayed all last night with me, and tonight he came from 10 p.m.-1a.m., when I insisted he go home to be with the kids. I am on the oncology unit and have great nurses and care. By the way, it truly is a small world! One of my nurses is originally from Green Bay, WI. She was friends with the children of Dr. Baus -- the dentist who shared an office with my Grandpa Twohig who was an M.D.
Good night and God Bless !!
Much Love,
Michele
P.S. -- HAPPY 65TH BIRTHDAY, GRANDMA LU!!! LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ON YOUR TRAVELS!!!
Just a quick update -- After 24 hours of chest pain, severe headache, vomiting, and other signs of another lupus flare, Dr. Cohen had me come into his office to be checked out yesterday at 5:45 (after he was done with his lower-maintenace patients). Bill took me in and Annie stayed in Oxnard with the kids. After seeing me and doing a thorough exam -- he sent us directly over to Los Robles Hospital for admission.
He and the other doctors have decided that my over-active immune system is currently attacking my brain, heart, lungs, joints. My hair is falling out again, too. I'm being treated for dehydration and vomiting with IV fluids and Zofran. I started IV Solumedrol (high-dose steroids) today and will do them for the next 3 days. That should help with my lupus symptoms! I've done a bunch of fun and invasive tests. Also had a new and improved PICC line placed. It took 8 tries to access a major vein, but it was well worth it! I look like the Bionic Woman. It has 3 tubes coming out of my arm -- 1 for blood draws, 1 for IV fluids or steroids, and 1 for pain meds. It can stay in for more than 4 months. At that point I'll switch to a central line or port -- which requires surgery -- bu can stay in forever!
If all goes well, I am hoping to go home on Sunday or Monday. In order to do this, they would need to see improvement in my brain, heart, and lungs. And I need to be able to eat and keep it down, as well as walk and talk normally. No children under age 16 are allowed to visit the hospital due to a surge of the H1N1 flu, so I won't be able to see 3 out of my 4 kids until I get home. That makes me sad :-( And I heard Isaac wasn't taking it well either!
After my release -- hopefully sooner rather than later -- I will need to do my chemo on an outpatient basis ASAP. Bill brought me Isaac's netbook tonight, so I will try and keep you up-to-date. Thanks, Isaac, for sharing with your sick Mom.
Annie has spent almost all week with us, and then she spent all day at the hospital with me. Bill stayed all last night with me, and tonight he came from 10 p.m.-1a.m., when I insisted he go home to be with the kids. I am on the oncology unit and have great nurses and care. By the way, it truly is a small world! One of my nurses is originally from Green Bay, WI. She was friends with the children of Dr. Baus -- the dentist who shared an office with my Grandpa Twohig who was an M.D.
Good night and God Bless !!
Much Love,
Michele
P.S. -- HAPPY 65TH BIRTHDAY, GRANDMA LU!!! LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ON YOUR TRAVELS!!!
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
RANDOM PICTURES :-)
Molly
Bill and Isaac: "Put your Hands Up!!!"
Weekly Medicine Prep: I'm trying to get organized!
I THINK I'VE PASSED MY (OH, I MEAN CAM'S) SEMESTER FINALS!!!
Hi Friends,
And I did it all in my pajamas. After Cameron and Bill left for work and school today, everyone was still asleep. I decided to "help" Cam with a Marine Biology crossword puzzle from hell. It had over 100 words on it and Cameron (being autistic) had been working on it for several evenings, but he had only gotten about 10 words. It was for extra credit and he gets a point for each word he gets correct. And then he's supposed to use it as a study guide for his final tomorrow. I became somewhat obsessed with it and worked on it from 7:15 a.m. until 10 a.m. when the groggy homeschoolers woke up. I was very popular with my teenager when he got home from school, and here's hoping Mr. Bowman never reads this blog. I basically did the rest of it for him by looking up the answers on the internet -- much easier than using his textbooks or notes from class.
Annie spent the night last night, and she nicely volunteered to pick up Cam from high school at 12:30 -- that way he wouldn't be embarrassed by me showing up in my PJs. And then we didn't have to stop our homeschooling, and we were able to be finished by 2:30 for the boys, and 3;30 for Molly. Being in 8th grade, she has a lot more work.
After that, the boys did boy things with the boy neighbors. Cameron and and Molly hung out at home with me and Annie. I got a bit of laundry done, and I even did some Yoga on the Wii Fit.
Then, of course, I had to do a breathing treatment because Yoga made my wheezing worse. Only my damaged lungs could have a problem with the deep breathing in yoga -- Gotta love it.
Bill just got home and is making a fancy rotini dish for dinner. It smells fantastic. Cam is off playing Game Boy, Molly and Annie are Wii Bowling, Nate is playing Ruinscape on the kids' computer, and Isaac is snuggling with me while I type this. He's making sure I treat his netbook well!
I am going to fold some laundry. Laundry and dishes never end with a big family! The kids are well-trained to do all of the chores and we have weekly housecleaners, but I try to help out when I'm up for it.
I just started on FaceBook yesterday, and I'm trying to do a better job connecting with people that way. So, if you're on it and I haven't discovered you yet, look for me.
Much Love,
Michele
And I did it all in my pajamas. After Cameron and Bill left for work and school today, everyone was still asleep. I decided to "help" Cam with a Marine Biology crossword puzzle from hell. It had over 100 words on it and Cameron (being autistic) had been working on it for several evenings, but he had only gotten about 10 words. It was for extra credit and he gets a point for each word he gets correct. And then he's supposed to use it as a study guide for his final tomorrow. I became somewhat obsessed with it and worked on it from 7:15 a.m. until 10 a.m. when the groggy homeschoolers woke up. I was very popular with my teenager when he got home from school, and here's hoping Mr. Bowman never reads this blog. I basically did the rest of it for him by looking up the answers on the internet -- much easier than using his textbooks or notes from class.
Annie spent the night last night, and she nicely volunteered to pick up Cam from high school at 12:30 -- that way he wouldn't be embarrassed by me showing up in my PJs. And then we didn't have to stop our homeschooling, and we were able to be finished by 2:30 for the boys, and 3;30 for Molly. Being in 8th grade, she has a lot more work.
After that, the boys did boy things with the boy neighbors. Cameron and and Molly hung out at home with me and Annie. I got a bit of laundry done, and I even did some Yoga on the Wii Fit.
Then, of course, I had to do a breathing treatment because Yoga made my wheezing worse. Only my damaged lungs could have a problem with the deep breathing in yoga -- Gotta love it.
Bill just got home and is making a fancy rotini dish for dinner. It smells fantastic. Cam is off playing Game Boy, Molly and Annie are Wii Bowling, Nate is playing Ruinscape on the kids' computer, and Isaac is snuggling with me while I type this. He's making sure I treat his netbook well!
I am going to fold some laundry. Laundry and dishes never end with a big family! The kids are well-trained to do all of the chores and we have weekly housecleaners, but I try to help out when I'm up for it.
I just started on FaceBook yesterday, and I'm trying to do a better job connecting with people that way. So, if you're on it and I haven't discovered you yet, look for me.
Much Love,
Michele
HISTORY HOMEWORK HELL!
Hi Friends,
Today was an interesting day. I laughed, I cried, I had brownies, and Southern comfort. And now I'm hyper after my nightly breathing treatment (my lungs were damaged by the last 2 rounds of pneumonia I had this year!), but I'm hoping to go to bed early tonight.
Last night (or should I say this morning?) I was up until 5 a.m. Stupid breathing treatments! I slept until 10 a.m. and then did schoolwork with the homeschoolers until it was 12:45. I then left them to work independently while I picked up Cameron. He has finals and early-release days through Thursday of this week.
After picking him up and finishing up homeschooling and chores, I had to get ready and drive into Thousand Oaks for my bone density test. Hopefully, my bones aren't any worse due to the high-dose steroids and chemo treatments given over the past year. I already have osteoporosis, and like Sally Fields, I take Boniva. If it's gotten worse, the doctor's will switch me to IV treatments. Just what I need -- more IVs.
After the procedure, I met my friend, Annie, in Thousand Oaks for dinner at Mimi's Cafe. She nicely treated me for dinner and it was special to have the time out and alone without the kids! The kids did well on their own. Molly is a real sweetheart -- she did 4 loads of wash, helped Cameron with his homework and emptied the dishwasher. Cameron worked on history homework the whole time we were gone. Nate and Isaac went to Matthew's house and they came home on time by 6 p.m. So, everyone did great!
Annie and I were back in Oxnard by 7 p.m. and we ordered Domino's pizza for the kids. They were thrilled, and Bill arrived home right about when the pizza did. Annie is going to stay with us for a while. I'm surprised she didn't run away after tonight's dinner show. First, when I opened a cabinet, 5 mugs came flying out and crashed into many pieces on the ground. (Sometimes that's what you get when the kids put away the dishes!) Also, Isaac ate tons of pizza, and then decided to spin around and around and around, resulting in him puking up all the pizza. Of course, he recovered quickly and even came back to eat again later. I was more traumatized after cleaning up the pukage!
After dinner, Bill took Nate and Isaac to Wal-Mart to spend their allowance money. They both bought huge Nerf guns and were thrilled! Meanwhile, Annie, Cameron, and I spent all night doing Cam's vocabulary words for his history final. He had to do about 50 definitions typed. He had already been working on them for hours, so we stepped in to help him. Between that and studying for his psychology final, which is also tomorrow -- we worked on it until 11 p.m. I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL FINALS WEEK IS OVER!!! Each night it takes me 2 shots of Southern Comfort (100 proof) to make it through these projects.
Finally, I hope you enjoy the picture of me and Itty Bitty Kitty. I have finally joined FaceBook and am hoping to reconnect with some old friends. Don't expect me to spend to much time there, though -- between homeschooling, the kids, and my medical issues. I don't have much free time. But the sicker I get, the more important my friends and family become to me!!
More tomorrow...
Much Love,
Michele
Today was an interesting day. I laughed, I cried, I had brownies, and Southern comfort. And now I'm hyper after my nightly breathing treatment (my lungs were damaged by the last 2 rounds of pneumonia I had this year!), but I'm hoping to go to bed early tonight.
Last night (or should I say this morning?) I was up until 5 a.m. Stupid breathing treatments! I slept until 10 a.m. and then did schoolwork with the homeschoolers until it was 12:45. I then left them to work independently while I picked up Cameron. He has finals and early-release days through Thursday of this week.
After picking him up and finishing up homeschooling and chores, I had to get ready and drive into Thousand Oaks for my bone density test. Hopefully, my bones aren't any worse due to the high-dose steroids and chemo treatments given over the past year. I already have osteoporosis, and like Sally Fields, I take Boniva. If it's gotten worse, the doctor's will switch me to IV treatments. Just what I need -- more IVs.
After the procedure, I met my friend, Annie, in Thousand Oaks for dinner at Mimi's Cafe. She nicely treated me for dinner and it was special to have the time out and alone without the kids! The kids did well on their own. Molly is a real sweetheart -- she did 4 loads of wash, helped Cameron with his homework and emptied the dishwasher. Cameron worked on history homework the whole time we were gone. Nate and Isaac went to Matthew's house and they came home on time by 6 p.m. So, everyone did great!
Annie and I were back in Oxnard by 7 p.m. and we ordered Domino's pizza for the kids. They were thrilled, and Bill arrived home right about when the pizza did. Annie is going to stay with us for a while. I'm surprised she didn't run away after tonight's dinner show. First, when I opened a cabinet, 5 mugs came flying out and crashed into many pieces on the ground. (Sometimes that's what you get when the kids put away the dishes!) Also, Isaac ate tons of pizza, and then decided to spin around and around and around, resulting in him puking up all the pizza. Of course, he recovered quickly and even came back to eat again later. I was more traumatized after cleaning up the pukage!
After dinner, Bill took Nate and Isaac to Wal-Mart to spend their allowance money. They both bought huge Nerf guns and were thrilled! Meanwhile, Annie, Cameron, and I spent all night doing Cam's vocabulary words for his history final. He had to do about 50 definitions typed. He had already been working on them for hours, so we stepped in to help him. Between that and studying for his psychology final, which is also tomorrow -- we worked on it until 11 p.m. I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL FINALS WEEK IS OVER!!! Each night it takes me 2 shots of Southern Comfort (100 proof) to make it through these projects.
Finally, I hope you enjoy the picture of me and Itty Bitty Kitty. I have finally joined FaceBook and am hoping to reconnect with some old friends. Don't expect me to spend to much time there, though -- between homeschooling, the kids, and my medical issues. I don't have much free time. But the sicker I get, the more important my friends and family become to me!!
More tomorrow...
Much Love,
Michele
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
AM I SMARTER THAN AN 11TH GRADER???
Hi Friends,
Well, today was an eventful day! I thought we'd get up early today and do school before the orthodontist -- but everyone was very tired. We didn't get much done besides breakfast, chores and personal hygeine before it was time to leave for Thousand Oaks. We left at 1 p.m. for our 2 p.m. appointments, and we made good time getting there. The kids took along their reading and math and Bible so they were able to get a lot done on the way to and from the orthodontist office, as well as in the waiting room.
Molly had a good report from Dr. Williams. Her teeth are beautiful, straight, and white, and she dutifully wears her retainers every night. Nate will be ready for his braces in about a year, and he will only need one phase of treatment for 18-24 months. Molly needed 2 phases, which equalled more time and more money. Cameron has nice, straight teeth, so we lucked out with him. But I can tell already that Isaac will need braces, too. He, for some reason, was thrilled to go to the orthodontist today. He viewed it as a special occasion and wore slacks, a white shirt, and a red tie. He also wore a black pin-striped hat. He looked quite spiffy. He also took his netbook in its case, and played it in the waiting room. So, he looked quite professional, too.
After the orthodontist, we stopped at Burger King for a snack (bribe) for being good! We were home by 4 p.m., and we met up with Cameron and Bill. The homeschoolers finished their work and were off to play with friends.
Cameron asked me to help him type another take-home final. This one was for his Film Adaptation Class. He was supposed to choose his favorite 10 films of the semester -- easy enough to list! And then he was supposed to write an essay on his 4 favorite films. He told me it needed to be one paragraph (His wishful thinking!) per film ---BUT when I read the teacher's information, it turned out to be one page per film plus an introduction and conclusion! And the essay needed to include character names, plots, quotes, etc. OK, this may be a little more work than planned? I calmly ask Cam to get out his notes, which he was supposed to take on each film as he watched in class. Well, it turns out he took notes on all the films except his favorites, because he got very sucked into the good ones. And Cameron, being Cameron, needed to do his actual 4 favorite films even if he had no notes or memory of them. His 4 favorite films were: The Five People You Meet in Heaven, It's A Wonderful Life, Harvey, and Billy Jack. So, thank goodness for the internet where we looked up summaries of the films to jog his memory, and we were also able to find out character names and quotes. Bill helped him again with a great cover page on the Mac. We started at 6 p.m. and finished at 11 p.m. All I can say is, now I am really invested in the English final and the Film final. Bring on the take-home exams, because I think I am smarter than an 11th grader. We'd better be getting A's.
Molly was sweet and did the laundry for me while I worked with Cameron, and Bill put the boys to bed. Of course, Isaac came down for me to read Flat Stanley, though -- because nobody reads like Mom. So, we had to take a short break!
Tomorrow - Thursday Cam has his finals at school. He will do 2 subjects per day. That means he is done at 12:30 each day. And on Friday, he has the day off as it's the end of the semester and that's a teacher work day.
Tomorrow I have to get my bone density test done, so I'm headed back to Thousand Oaks. The doctors are concerned that the many doses of steroids have caused more bone loss, in which case they will change my osteoporosis treatment to something stronger. I'm more concerned about my huge neck and lack of chin -- I am hoping the swelling will go down before they hype me up on steroids again!
I also managed to get an appointment with my UCLA specialist, Dr. Karpouzas, for Feb. 10 in the A.M. -- same day I see Dr. Cohen in the P.M. It will be interesting to see whether they agree or disagree on my next treatment plan. They should be able to make a decision then on whether I will do steroids/chemo in April (as originally planned) or sooner. Sometimes they agree, but not always -- so I have to weigh their opinions. Dr. Karpouzas is the Director of Rheumatology at UCLA, so he's definitely an expert. Dr. Cohen, however, has been treating me longer and knows me very well. He's also more conservative in his approach. You have to be careful, because all of this chemo puts me at risk for other types of cancer. As if the Lupus and other stuff isn't enough to deal with, right?!
Well, it's super-late and I'm off to bed. Itty Bitty Kitty is running around the living room chasing little legos. But she's the only one with energy. Everyone else is asleep! I'm sure most of you are, too.
Pray for good bones! My doctors make me feel like I'm 100, telling me to use the cane. If I fall, my "brittle bones" will snap :-(
More tomorrow...
Much Love,
Michele
Well, today was an eventful day! I thought we'd get up early today and do school before the orthodontist -- but everyone was very tired. We didn't get much done besides breakfast, chores and personal hygeine before it was time to leave for Thousand Oaks. We left at 1 p.m. for our 2 p.m. appointments, and we made good time getting there. The kids took along their reading and math and Bible so they were able to get a lot done on the way to and from the orthodontist office, as well as in the waiting room.
Molly had a good report from Dr. Williams. Her teeth are beautiful, straight, and white, and she dutifully wears her retainers every night. Nate will be ready for his braces in about a year, and he will only need one phase of treatment for 18-24 months. Molly needed 2 phases, which equalled more time and more money. Cameron has nice, straight teeth, so we lucked out with him. But I can tell already that Isaac will need braces, too. He, for some reason, was thrilled to go to the orthodontist today. He viewed it as a special occasion and wore slacks, a white shirt, and a red tie. He also wore a black pin-striped hat. He looked quite spiffy. He also took his netbook in its case, and played it in the waiting room. So, he looked quite professional, too.
After the orthodontist, we stopped at Burger King for a snack (bribe) for being good! We were home by 4 p.m., and we met up with Cameron and Bill. The homeschoolers finished their work and were off to play with friends.
Cameron asked me to help him type another take-home final. This one was for his Film Adaptation Class. He was supposed to choose his favorite 10 films of the semester -- easy enough to list! And then he was supposed to write an essay on his 4 favorite films. He told me it needed to be one paragraph (His wishful thinking!) per film ---BUT when I read the teacher's information, it turned out to be one page per film plus an introduction and conclusion! And the essay needed to include character names, plots, quotes, etc. OK, this may be a little more work than planned? I calmly ask Cam to get out his notes, which he was supposed to take on each film as he watched in class. Well, it turns out he took notes on all the films except his favorites, because he got very sucked into the good ones. And Cameron, being Cameron, needed to do his actual 4 favorite films even if he had no notes or memory of them. His 4 favorite films were: The Five People You Meet in Heaven, It's A Wonderful Life, Harvey, and Billy Jack. So, thank goodness for the internet where we looked up summaries of the films to jog his memory, and we were also able to find out character names and quotes. Bill helped him again with a great cover page on the Mac. We started at 6 p.m. and finished at 11 p.m. All I can say is, now I am really invested in the English final and the Film final. Bring on the take-home exams, because I think I am smarter than an 11th grader. We'd better be getting A's.
Molly was sweet and did the laundry for me while I worked with Cameron, and Bill put the boys to bed. Of course, Isaac came down for me to read Flat Stanley, though -- because nobody reads like Mom. So, we had to take a short break!
Tomorrow - Thursday Cam has his finals at school. He will do 2 subjects per day. That means he is done at 12:30 each day. And on Friday, he has the day off as it's the end of the semester and that's a teacher work day.
Tomorrow I have to get my bone density test done, so I'm headed back to Thousand Oaks. The doctors are concerned that the many doses of steroids have caused more bone loss, in which case they will change my osteoporosis treatment to something stronger. I'm more concerned about my huge neck and lack of chin -- I am hoping the swelling will go down before they hype me up on steroids again!
I also managed to get an appointment with my UCLA specialist, Dr. Karpouzas, for Feb. 10 in the A.M. -- same day I see Dr. Cohen in the P.M. It will be interesting to see whether they agree or disagree on my next treatment plan. They should be able to make a decision then on whether I will do steroids/chemo in April (as originally planned) or sooner. Sometimes they agree, but not always -- so I have to weigh their opinions. Dr. Karpouzas is the Director of Rheumatology at UCLA, so he's definitely an expert. Dr. Cohen, however, has been treating me longer and knows me very well. He's also more conservative in his approach. You have to be careful, because all of this chemo puts me at risk for other types of cancer. As if the Lupus and other stuff isn't enough to deal with, right?!
Well, it's super-late and I'm off to bed. Itty Bitty Kitty is running around the living room chasing little legos. But she's the only one with energy. Everyone else is asleep! I'm sure most of you are, too.
Pray for good bones! My doctors make me feel like I'm 100, telling me to use the cane. If I fall, my "brittle bones" will snap :-(
More tomorrow...
Much Love,
Michele
Sunday, January 24, 2010
GOOD NEWS TIMES TWO!!!
Hi Again!
Just thought I'd share two pieces of good news. First, it took us 4 1/2 hours, but Cameron and I finished his 7 page term paper on Y2K. We even did the bibliography. And Bill helped him with his title page. They took a picture of him and a computer, and it ends up looking like the computer is attacking him. Too funny!
In other good news. I did my meds tonight, and I decided to count the daily amount. Just a few short weeks ago I was taking 63 pills a day, and now I'm down to only 28 pills a day. What an improvement!
That's all...Just thought I'd share before I forgot!
Much Love,
Michele
Just thought I'd share two pieces of good news. First, it took us 4 1/2 hours, but Cameron and I finished his 7 page term paper on Y2K. We even did the bibliography. And Bill helped him with his title page. They took a picture of him and a computer, and it ends up looking like the computer is attacking him. Too funny!
In other good news. I did my meds tonight, and I decided to count the daily amount. Just a few short weeks ago I was taking 63 pills a day, and now I'm down to only 28 pills a day. What an improvement!
That's all...Just thought I'd share before I forgot!
Much Love,
Michele
I FEEL LIKE I'M BACK IN HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH CLASS...
Hi Friends,
That's because my big project today is to help Cameron do a 7 page research paper (with bibliography in appropriate format) on an example of mass hysteria. His topic in Y2K. As of now, he has his first paragraph done. Woo Hoo! So, we have our work cut out for us. It's due this Thursday, so we are aiming to get it done and finished (or at least mostly finished) today. That way if he has any questions for his teacher he can ask her on Monday, which is their last class work day for the project, which is being counted as the final for the semester. I'm so glad that the rest of my kids are home-schooled this year, because the homework can kill you. Next year Molly and Cameron will both be in public school for high school, but we intend to keep Nate and Isaac home until they reach high school -- unless there becomes a reason not to.
Anyway, to give Cam a sense of control over the project, I let him pick the time this weekend to work on the project. And I told him he was lucky to have the help of a former English teacher, seeing as how he needs a good grade. His first choice was to work on it tonight after dinner, which I vetoed. I don't need the pressure of doing a research paper at 7 p.m. on Sunday night. So, we compromised on 3 p.m. this afternoon. I told him to plan on at least 2 hours to do it. And we asked Bill to take the other kids on an activity of his choice (probably the park) to allow for peace and quiet in the house. Wish us luck:-)
Other than that -- not much is planned for today. Bill knocked out the grocery shopping yesterday, so he just needs to go on a prescription run to Walgreen's. I also need to do my meds and the kids meds today. My brain has come back enough for Bill to give control of that back to me. I have managed to discontinue 6 meds since my last doctor's visit --
That's because my big project today is to help Cameron do a 7 page research paper (with bibliography in appropriate format) on an example of mass hysteria. His topic in Y2K. As of now, he has his first paragraph done. Woo Hoo! So, we have our work cut out for us. It's due this Thursday, so we are aiming to get it done and finished (or at least mostly finished) today. That way if he has any questions for his teacher he can ask her on Monday, which is their last class work day for the project, which is being counted as the final for the semester. I'm so glad that the rest of my kids are home-schooled this year, because the homework can kill you. Next year Molly and Cameron will both be in public school for high school, but we intend to keep Nate and Isaac home until they reach high school -- unless there becomes a reason not to.
Anyway, to give Cam a sense of control over the project, I let him pick the time this weekend to work on the project. And I told him he was lucky to have the help of a former English teacher, seeing as how he needs a good grade. His first choice was to work on it tonight after dinner, which I vetoed. I don't need the pressure of doing a research paper at 7 p.m. on Sunday night. So, we compromised on 3 p.m. this afternoon. I told him to plan on at least 2 hours to do it. And we asked Bill to take the other kids on an activity of his choice (probably the park) to allow for peace and quiet in the house. Wish us luck:-)
Other than that -- not much is planned for today. Bill knocked out the grocery shopping yesterday, so he just needs to go on a prescription run to Walgreen's. I also need to do my meds and the kids meds today. My brain has come back enough for Bill to give control of that back to me. I have managed to discontinue 6 meds since my last doctor's visit --
Saturday, January 23, 2010
WHAT KIND OF ANIMAL ARE YOU???
Hi Friends,
Happy Saturday! I'm off to a slow start. Last night Bill and I stayed up late watching "Inglorious Basterds." I wasn't really expecting it to be good -- thought it would just be a bunch of blood and gore. But it turned out to be a really good movie, and Bill and I enjoyed it even though we had to watch it late since it's not appropriate for the kids to watch. Unfortunately, though -- I made the mistake of drinking a half of a glass of red wine, which triggered my headache. I won't make that mistake again. I'm finally rid of the headache now -- it took 2 percocet and almost 24 hours.
We all slept in today, and I'm still in my PJs -- but I'm hoping to get moving soon. This morning we went to a cool website called www.animalinyou.com. Cameron and I saw it on Dr. Phil on Friday. (For those of you who don't know -- Cameron is a HUGE Dr. Phil fan, watching the show devotedly every day!) Anyway, the show was on personality types and they introduced this website. Basically, you take a personality test to determine which animal you are most like. We'd love to hear what you are. I am a sheep, Bill is an owl, Cameron is a beaver, Molly is a weasel, Nate is a crocodile, and Isaac is a wildcat. So, you can read about our personalities, too. It's just for fun, though -- we had to tell the kids not to take it too seriously.
Currently the kids are finishing up on chores. Then Bill, Molly, and Isaac are going grocery shopping. (Molly and Isaac are the shoppers, and Nate and Cameron are in charge of bringing in and putting away the groceries.) I'm sending Matthew and Nate to the park, because they seem to have a lot of energy! I feel it could be better spent outside. And it's actually sunny and nice out today for the first day all week. I'm going to take a bath, and Cameron being a teenager is still in his pajamas, too. So, I think he'll be lounging in front of the TV.
Hope your weekend is fun and relaxing!
Much Love,
Michele
Happy Saturday! I'm off to a slow start. Last night Bill and I stayed up late watching "Inglorious Basterds." I wasn't really expecting it to be good -- thought it would just be a bunch of blood and gore. But it turned out to be a really good movie, and Bill and I enjoyed it even though we had to watch it late since it's not appropriate for the kids to watch. Unfortunately, though -- I made the mistake of drinking a half of a glass of red wine, which triggered my headache. I won't make that mistake again. I'm finally rid of the headache now -- it took 2 percocet and almost 24 hours.
We all slept in today, and I'm still in my PJs -- but I'm hoping to get moving soon. This morning we went to a cool website called www.animalinyou.com. Cameron and I saw it on Dr. Phil on Friday. (For those of you who don't know -- Cameron is a HUGE Dr. Phil fan, watching the show devotedly every day!) Anyway, the show was on personality types and they introduced this website. Basically, you take a personality test to determine which animal you are most like. We'd love to hear what you are. I am a sheep, Bill is an owl, Cameron is a beaver, Molly is a weasel, Nate is a crocodile, and Isaac is a wildcat. So, you can read about our personalities, too. It's just for fun, though -- we had to tell the kids not to take it too seriously.
Currently the kids are finishing up on chores. Then Bill, Molly, and Isaac are going grocery shopping. (Molly and Isaac are the shoppers, and Nate and Cameron are in charge of bringing in and putting away the groceries.) I'm sending Matthew and Nate to the park, because they seem to have a lot of energy! I feel it could be better spent outside. And it's actually sunny and nice out today for the first day all week. I'm going to take a bath, and Cameron being a teenager is still in his pajamas, too. So, I think he'll be lounging in front of the TV.
Hope your weekend is fun and relaxing!
Much Love,
Michele
Friday, January 22, 2010
FREAKY FRIDAY!!
Hi Friends!
It's still raining, but it cleared up long enough for me to get out for a walk. I realized that I hadn't left the house this whole week, and I was beginning to go stir-crazy. So, I walked from about 4-5 p.m., and then it started pouring again.
It was Bill's day off and he actually stayed home from work. He's a very devoted employee and has a lot of responsibilities in the lab at work, so he often works on his day off. But it was nice to have him home for the day. He took Cameron to school and picked him up. And on the way home this afternoon, they even stopped at Spudnuts where Cameron apparently had a donut that was bigger than his head. I saw a picture.
The cleaners came this morning, so we were up and ready for them at 9:30. Did the usual homeschooling, and then all the kids were off to play with their friends by 4 p.m. We collected all of our children by 6 p.m., and now our 2 dinner helpers (Nate and Molly) are working with Bill on dinner. It's pasta and it's smelling very good! After dinner we are going to watch a movie together.
I'm feeling better today. My headache is gone, and if I could get my heartrate under control--then I'd be GOLDEN!!
More tomorrow...
Much Love,
Michele
It's still raining, but it cleared up long enough for me to get out for a walk. I realized that I hadn't left the house this whole week, and I was beginning to go stir-crazy. So, I walked from about 4-5 p.m., and then it started pouring again.
It was Bill's day off and he actually stayed home from work. He's a very devoted employee and has a lot of responsibilities in the lab at work, so he often works on his day off. But it was nice to have him home for the day. He took Cameron to school and picked him up. And on the way home this afternoon, they even stopped at Spudnuts where Cameron apparently had a donut that was bigger than his head. I saw a picture.
The cleaners came this morning, so we were up and ready for them at 9:30. Did the usual homeschooling, and then all the kids were off to play with their friends by 4 p.m. We collected all of our children by 6 p.m., and now our 2 dinner helpers (Nate and Molly) are working with Bill on dinner. It's pasta and it's smelling very good! After dinner we are going to watch a movie together.
I'm feeling better today. My headache is gone, and if I could get my heartrate under control--then I'd be GOLDEN!!
More tomorrow...
Much Love,
Michele
Thursday, January 21, 2010
ANOTHER RAINY DAY!!!
Hi Friends!
We woke up this morning to the power flickering on and off. And it's still storming outside. We even had a tornado spotted in Ventura today! The kids are SO not used to storms here in sunny Southern California. So, we're TRAPPED inside yet again. But, it's actually not that bad -- it's 5:30 and Molly and I are still in our PJs. Neither of us are feeling our best today.
(OK --Men tune out now) It was pretty funny, because Cameron came home and was worried that he might get sick from me and Molly. He was happy when I pointed out that he was unlikely to catch lupus (my problem) or get a period (Molly's problem).
Anyway -- currently the 2 younger boys are over at Matthew's house playing. I was not up for any additional children at the house today. They're due back at 6 p.m., so I'm taking advantage of the quiet. In fact, after I finish this I'm going to head off for a nice, warm bath.
So, I guess, not much news today. Just the usual homeschooling: sickness, and more rain.
Much Love,
Michele
We woke up this morning to the power flickering on and off. And it's still storming outside. We even had a tornado spotted in Ventura today! The kids are SO not used to storms here in sunny Southern California. So, we're TRAPPED inside yet again. But, it's actually not that bad -- it's 5:30 and Molly and I are still in our PJs. Neither of us are feeling our best today.
(OK --Men tune out now) It was pretty funny, because Cameron came home and was worried that he might get sick from me and Molly. He was happy when I pointed out that he was unlikely to catch lupus (my problem) or get a period (Molly's problem).
Anyway -- currently the 2 younger boys are over at Matthew's house playing. I was not up for any additional children at the house today. They're due back at 6 p.m., so I'm taking advantage of the quiet. In fact, after I finish this I'm going to head off for a nice, warm bath.
So, I guess, not much news today. Just the usual homeschooling: sickness, and more rain.
Much Love,
Michele
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
WEIRD WEDNESDAY!!!
Hi Friends!
Today started differently than I expected. We all got up early so that Bill and Cam could leave for school, and the rest of us could go to the orthodontist. Bill left before me, and he told me that if the weather got bad -- I shouldn't go. Shortly after he left, it began to thunder and lightning. Bingo started to freak out, and I decided it wouldn't be a good idea to leave him alone or to drive in an SUV through the storm. I called Dr. Williams and asked if we could reschedule. His staff nicely rescheduled our appointments for Monday. And we gave Bingo one of my Percocet, which worked nicely to calm him down.
So, we started homeschooling earlier than usual, but somehow it took longer than usual. Go figure? We had picked up some cool homeschooling materials -- like some drawing books and Spanish for Kids DVDs. I guess maybe we just got carried away. We worked on schoolwork and chores until 4 for the boys and 4:30 for Molly. By that time, their new friends were texting and calling, so I set them free. Matthew and Amber came over and stayed until dinner time. It was a little loud with all the kids inside today, but they had a good time.
Bill picked up Cameron from school, so he needed to work a bit later today. After a stop at Walgreen's on his way home -- he also picked up pizza for dinner from Little Caesar's. So, he was very popular when he arrived home.
Since we ate dinner late, it seemed showers and bedtime came up quickly. The older two just went off to bed. Nate and Isaac went to bed an hour ago, but I can still hear them chattering away. Oh, if only I had that much energy!
I was hoping to do more yoga today, but instead I ate pizza! Oh well, tomorrow is a new day. I'm battling the headache, my asthma, and a too-fast heartrate today. But, it could be worse! I'm home and I'm loved -- health may be overrated:-)
More tomorrow...
Much Love,
Michele
Today started differently than I expected. We all got up early so that Bill and Cam could leave for school, and the rest of us could go to the orthodontist. Bill left before me, and he told me that if the weather got bad -- I shouldn't go. Shortly after he left, it began to thunder and lightning. Bingo started to freak out, and I decided it wouldn't be a good idea to leave him alone or to drive in an SUV through the storm. I called Dr. Williams and asked if we could reschedule. His staff nicely rescheduled our appointments for Monday. And we gave Bingo one of my Percocet, which worked nicely to calm him down.
So, we started homeschooling earlier than usual, but somehow it took longer than usual. Go figure? We had picked up some cool homeschooling materials -- like some drawing books and Spanish for Kids DVDs. I guess maybe we just got carried away. We worked on schoolwork and chores until 4 for the boys and 4:30 for Molly. By that time, their new friends were texting and calling, so I set them free. Matthew and Amber came over and stayed until dinner time. It was a little loud with all the kids inside today, but they had a good time.
Bill picked up Cameron from school, so he needed to work a bit later today. After a stop at Walgreen's on his way home -- he also picked up pizza for dinner from Little Caesar's. So, he was very popular when he arrived home.
Since we ate dinner late, it seemed showers and bedtime came up quickly. The older two just went off to bed. Nate and Isaac went to bed an hour ago, but I can still hear them chattering away. Oh, if only I had that much energy!
I was hoping to do more yoga today, but instead I ate pizza! Oh well, tomorrow is a new day. I'm battling the headache, my asthma, and a too-fast heartrate today. But, it could be worse! I'm home and I'm loved -- health may be overrated:-)
More tomorrow...
Much Love,
Michele
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
THUNDERSTORMS IN SUNNY SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA??!!
Hi Friends!
I woke up this morning to Bill's text messages making my phone beep noisily. And our dog, Bingo was freaking out. Bill was telling me that he'd pick up Cameron because it was too rainy for me to be out driving. OK. And then he needed me to turn off and unplug his precious new MAC so that it wouldn't fry. Because... shockingly it was storming here. Yes, it may be the rainy time of year. But we NEVER get thunder and lightning! I can only remember it once or twice since we moved to California. So, it stormed this morning and Bingo stayed close to us. He hates fireworks, thunder, or any loud noises. Isaac sweetly made him a bed of blankets in the living room and sat with him all morning while he homeschooled.
I completely missed Cam and Bill leaving this morning at 7:15 and woke up to all this activity at 10 a.m. The homeschoolers had a great day and finished all of their schoolwork and chores and were ready to play with their friends by 3:30. Matthew and the boys played over here, and they even had a break from the rain to go outside and ride bikes. Of course, they came home SOAKING wet (from riding and running through puddles!) and all had to change their clothes. But, boys will be boys! And I was glad they had a chance to get their energy out. Molly went over to Amber's house (she's Matthew's sister) and played until 6 p.m. At that point, we traded kids back!
I am feeling pleased with myself and what I accomplished today. We finished Mt. Washmore. Just have that load of really wet boy clothes (from playing in the rain) to work on tonight. I washed my sheets, too. Bill, hurt his hip and now my sheets smell like BenGay! On a good note, my sinuses stay clear from the smell at night. But, honestly, it was getting to be a bit much! (Sorry, honey!) We homeschooled, did chores, and I even did my Yoga on the Wii Fit today. I'm trying to exercise every day, but I tend to overdo and then be too sore for a week to go back. So, today I limited it to 30 minutes of the "easier" Yoga positions. And hopefully, I will be able to move tomorrow.
Right now, Cam is entertaining the boys with MythBusters on TV and Molly is playing Table Tennis on the Wii. It's shocking, isn't it that I'm doing the blog before midnight? I don't know where Bill is, so that's unusual. He would generally be home making us dinner by now. We're really spoiled! Maybe he's later because of bringing Cam home from school. I was glad to see him at 3:00, though. Molly is doing physics in her science lessons these day. Well, it's challenging for me, too. And we were stuck on one of the calculations! So in came Mr. Engineer to save the day.
And here he is again! He's making fish and chips, he just announced -- just in case you were worried about us starving! Tonight I promised Isaac that we'd watch "Old Yeller," which he checked out from the library. Thank Goodness I'm not on high doses of steroids today. Earlier this year, when I was hyped up on steroids and emotional, Molly was reading the book for her Literature class, and I cried so hard that she was worried about me.
More tomorrow...we have an early morning appointment with the orthodontist in Thousand Oaks. Molly is done with her braces -- just needs a retainer check. And I'm having Nate checked to see when it's time for his braces. We got off easy with Cameron who has straight teeth, but the younger three all needed or will need braces. I hate my teeth, so I'm determined that my kids will all have beautiful, straight teeth! Luckily, we have good dental insurance which covers a large part of the braces -- but our share is expensive enough to keep the orthodontist wearing fancy suits!
Much Love,
Michele
P.S.-- I don't do mornings -- that's my motto-- so pray for me tomorrow!
I woke up this morning to Bill's text messages making my phone beep noisily. And our dog, Bingo was freaking out. Bill was telling me that he'd pick up Cameron because it was too rainy for me to be out driving. OK. And then he needed me to turn off and unplug his precious new MAC so that it wouldn't fry. Because... shockingly it was storming here. Yes, it may be the rainy time of year. But we NEVER get thunder and lightning! I can only remember it once or twice since we moved to California. So, it stormed this morning and Bingo stayed close to us. He hates fireworks, thunder, or any loud noises. Isaac sweetly made him a bed of blankets in the living room and sat with him all morning while he homeschooled.
I completely missed Cam and Bill leaving this morning at 7:15 and woke up to all this activity at 10 a.m. The homeschoolers had a great day and finished all of their schoolwork and chores and were ready to play with their friends by 3:30. Matthew and the boys played over here, and they even had a break from the rain to go outside and ride bikes. Of course, they came home SOAKING wet (from riding and running through puddles!) and all had to change their clothes. But, boys will be boys! And I was glad they had a chance to get their energy out. Molly went over to Amber's house (she's Matthew's sister) and played until 6 p.m. At that point, we traded kids back!
I am feeling pleased with myself and what I accomplished today. We finished Mt. Washmore. Just have that load of really wet boy clothes (from playing in the rain) to work on tonight. I washed my sheets, too. Bill, hurt his hip and now my sheets smell like BenGay! On a good note, my sinuses stay clear from the smell at night. But, honestly, it was getting to be a bit much! (Sorry, honey!) We homeschooled, did chores, and I even did my Yoga on the Wii Fit today. I'm trying to exercise every day, but I tend to overdo and then be too sore for a week to go back. So, today I limited it to 30 minutes of the "easier" Yoga positions. And hopefully, I will be able to move tomorrow.
Right now, Cam is entertaining the boys with MythBusters on TV and Molly is playing Table Tennis on the Wii. It's shocking, isn't it that I'm doing the blog before midnight? I don't know where Bill is, so that's unusual. He would generally be home making us dinner by now. We're really spoiled! Maybe he's later because of bringing Cam home from school. I was glad to see him at 3:00, though. Molly is doing physics in her science lessons these day. Well, it's challenging for me, too. And we were stuck on one of the calculations! So in came Mr. Engineer to save the day.
And here he is again! He's making fish and chips, he just announced -- just in case you were worried about us starving! Tonight I promised Isaac that we'd watch "Old Yeller," which he checked out from the library. Thank Goodness I'm not on high doses of steroids today. Earlier this year, when I was hyped up on steroids and emotional, Molly was reading the book for her Literature class, and I cried so hard that she was worried about me.
More tomorrow...we have an early morning appointment with the orthodontist in Thousand Oaks. Molly is done with her braces -- just needs a retainer check. And I'm having Nate checked to see when it's time for his braces. We got off easy with Cameron who has straight teeth, but the younger three all needed or will need braces. I hate my teeth, so I'm determined that my kids will all have beautiful, straight teeth! Luckily, we have good dental insurance which covers a large part of the braces -- but our share is expensive enough to keep the orthodontist wearing fancy suits!
Much Love,
Michele
P.S.-- I don't do mornings -- that's my motto-- so pray for me tomorrow!
MONDAY'S HOLIDAY!!!
Hi Friends!
We enjoyed our day off today for Martin Luther King Day. The kids were up earlier than me. Bill was nice and let me sleep in as I had trouble sleeping last night. I've been having asthma problems, so that is being treated with albuterol breathing treatments in my home nebulizer. The problem is the one before bed last night made me very jittery and hyped up. Not even my Ambien could counteract it and I was up until about 4 a.m. So, I slept until noon or so today
Nate and Isaac's friend, Matthew, spent the day with us. So, they all had a great time together. It rained most of the day, but they got out during a break from it to ride bikes.
Bill and Cameron went to Blockbuster to rent a movie for Cameron. He had missed two days of school this semester and needed to watch "To Sir, with Love," for his film adaptation class. It's a great movie with Sidney Portier and so, we all watched it together. Cameron also got some good deals on a few movies that he bought with his Christmas money. So, the kids watched Garfield with him tonight. And they're looking forward to watching the other movies with him later this week. He also bought Monsters vs. Aliens and Night at the Smithsonian.
We did Cam's classwork movie after dinner and it was very long. So, we put the kids to bed late -- after baths it was about 10:30. Right now I'm still hyper from the nighttime breathing treatment, so I am working on mounds of laundry. I took the last week off from laundry 'cause I felt so yucky. So, now I have Mount Washmore. The kids were helping me with it today. I'd like to get the last few loads done, so they can put it away tomorrow.
In other cute news, Isaac has decided that his favorite new job is mopping the floor. So, he's been mopping away these days.
Tomorrow should be a relaxing day. We don't have any appointments scheduled, at least. On Wednesday -- Nate and Molly have orthodontist appointments in Thousand Oaks, so that should keep our morning busy.
Hope your week is going well:-)
Much Love,
Michele
We enjoyed our day off today for Martin Luther King Day. The kids were up earlier than me. Bill was nice and let me sleep in as I had trouble sleeping last night. I've been having asthma problems, so that is being treated with albuterol breathing treatments in my home nebulizer. The problem is the one before bed last night made me very jittery and hyped up. Not even my Ambien could counteract it and I was up until about 4 a.m. So, I slept until noon or so today
Nate and Isaac's friend, Matthew, spent the day with us. So, they all had a great time together. It rained most of the day, but they got out during a break from it to ride bikes.
Bill and Cameron went to Blockbuster to rent a movie for Cameron. He had missed two days of school this semester and needed to watch "To Sir, with Love," for his film adaptation class. It's a great movie with Sidney Portier and so, we all watched it together. Cameron also got some good deals on a few movies that he bought with his Christmas money. So, the kids watched Garfield with him tonight. And they're looking forward to watching the other movies with him later this week. He also bought Monsters vs. Aliens and Night at the Smithsonian.
We did Cam's classwork movie after dinner and it was very long. So, we put the kids to bed late -- after baths it was about 10:30. Right now I'm still hyper from the nighttime breathing treatment, so I am working on mounds of laundry. I took the last week off from laundry 'cause I felt so yucky. So, now I have Mount Washmore. The kids were helping me with it today. I'd like to get the last few loads done, so they can put it away tomorrow.
In other cute news, Isaac has decided that his favorite new job is mopping the floor. So, he's been mopping away these days.
Tomorrow should be a relaxing day. We don't have any appointments scheduled, at least. On Wednesday -- Nate and Molly have orthodontist appointments in Thousand Oaks, so that should keep our morning busy.
Hope your week is going well:-)
Much Love,
Michele
Sunday, January 17, 2010
SUNDAY
Hi Friends,
I'm feeling a little better today. I am adjusting meds this week, and I will be trying to discontinue 3 meds that were contributing to my low blood pressure. My blood pressure is already better with them gone, so that's good. The problem is that my heart rate is too high. But Dr. Cohen and the cardiologist will need to work on a new plan for that, because when we lower the heart rate to a normal rate, it unfortunately lowers my blood pressure to a dangerous place. I also got the OK to go up on Prednisone (may help with energy) just a bit from 3 mg-5 mg daily. Don't worry, I'm not on 60 mg a day anymore. And I'm trying to stop the Lasix (for swelling) and Oxybutynin(for bladder symptoms) -- hopefully I can do without them. If those symptoms come back, I can restart. The idea is to be on the fewest medications possible, of course, to manage my conditions. I've been feeling very nauseous, so I'm hoping it may go away when some of these meds are discontinued.
Other than that -- today was family day. We went to the library as a family. Cameron needed books for his Y2K report, and the homeschoolers chose some new reading materials, too. After our trip to the library we had dinner at Carl's Jr. And right now, we're all hanging out and watching a marathon of "Trauma:Life in the ER." Everyone that is -- except Nate who has fallen asleep.
Nate and Isaac have made a friend who lives down further on our street. His name is Matthew and the boys have been playing together everyday after school. On Saturday, we met his Mom as well -- who is very nice. So, I have finally made a friend in our new housing development. And it turns out that Matthew has a sister, Amber, who is 13 just like Molly. So, we got the two of them together and they were fast friends!
Well, I'll sign off now and continue to hang out with all the kids and cats on the big sectional. It's very cozy!
Much Love,
Michele
I'm feeling a little better today. I am adjusting meds this week, and I will be trying to discontinue 3 meds that were contributing to my low blood pressure. My blood pressure is already better with them gone, so that's good. The problem is that my heart rate is too high. But Dr. Cohen and the cardiologist will need to work on a new plan for that, because when we lower the heart rate to a normal rate, it unfortunately lowers my blood pressure to a dangerous place. I also got the OK to go up on Prednisone (may help with energy) just a bit from 3 mg-5 mg daily. Don't worry, I'm not on 60 mg a day anymore. And I'm trying to stop the Lasix (for swelling) and Oxybutynin(for bladder symptoms) -- hopefully I can do without them. If those symptoms come back, I can restart. The idea is to be on the fewest medications possible, of course, to manage my conditions. I've been feeling very nauseous, so I'm hoping it may go away when some of these meds are discontinued.
Other than that -- today was family day. We went to the library as a family. Cameron needed books for his Y2K report, and the homeschoolers chose some new reading materials, too. After our trip to the library we had dinner at Carl's Jr. And right now, we're all hanging out and watching a marathon of "Trauma:Life in the ER." Everyone that is -- except Nate who has fallen asleep.
Nate and Isaac have made a friend who lives down further on our street. His name is Matthew and the boys have been playing together everyday after school. On Saturday, we met his Mom as well -- who is very nice. So, I have finally made a friend in our new housing development. And it turns out that Matthew has a sister, Amber, who is 13 just like Molly. So, we got the two of them together and they were fast friends!
Well, I'll sign off now and continue to hang out with all the kids and cats on the big sectional. It's very cozy!
Much Love,
Michele
Saturday, January 16, 2010
I'M FEELING LOW...
Hi Friends,
My bloodpressure is way too low today -- it's not even registering on our blood presssure cuff. So, that explains my dizziness, no feeling in my extremities, and feeling faint. If I stay in bed with my feet up, it's OK. Tomorrow I'll have to call Dr. Cohen and discontinue several medication changes to deal with this!
Much Love,
Michele
My bloodpressure is way too low today -- it's not even registering on our blood presssure cuff. So, that explains my dizziness, no feeling in my extremities, and feeling faint. If I stay in bed with my feet up, it's OK. Tomorrow I'll have to call Dr. Cohen and discontinue several medication changes to deal with this!
Much Love,
Michele
Thursday, January 14, 2010
DOCTOR COHEN...
Hi Friends!
I don't know what I've been up to all week -- just the usual busyness, I guess! But I went to see Dr. Cohen yesterday, and instead of giving me Ritalin -- he gave me Percocet. So, now I'm sleepier than I was before.
The good news is that all my bloodwork was good -- I'm not anemic, and I have enough potassium and Vitamin B and K. I'm usually low on those things, but all the supplements that Bill and Dr. Cohen are forcing me to take -- well, they must be working.
Unfortunately, though -- some of my lupus symptoms are coming back. The headache is returning and my joint pain is causing difficulty in walking. So, since I have the headache and pain -- my ritalin dreams went up in smoke. Instead, I get to increase the Prednisone and try a new narcotic for the pain. Anytime the headache gets worse to the point where I can't take it -- Dr. Cohen wants me to call him for an admit to the hospital for more IV steroids and another round of chemo. Ideally, the chemo was supposed to last 6 months, but things never go according to plan. I'm going to hold out as long as possible. But when I get to the point where the narcotics no longer help -- then I'll know it's time to go in. I did face reality and pack a hospital bag, so that it's ready the next time I need to go. My last 3 times in the hospital, I arrived without my own stuff and had to call Molly. Being a girl, she was my only hope of packing the right items.
Bill also came home early today with symptoms of an ear infection. So, he needs to go to Urgent Care either tonight or tomorrow. Fun, fun!
Other than that, we're doing the usual Bland family stuff. Cameron is working on a 7 page research paper. So, after homeschool is finished each day and I pick him up, I've been helping him with that.
Have a great night! I'm off to supervise dinner, chores, and bedtime!
Much Love,
Michele
I don't know what I've been up to all week -- just the usual busyness, I guess! But I went to see Dr. Cohen yesterday, and instead of giving me Ritalin -- he gave me Percocet. So, now I'm sleepier than I was before.
The good news is that all my bloodwork was good -- I'm not anemic, and I have enough potassium and Vitamin B and K. I'm usually low on those things, but all the supplements that Bill and Dr. Cohen are forcing me to take -- well, they must be working.
Unfortunately, though -- some of my lupus symptoms are coming back. The headache is returning and my joint pain is causing difficulty in walking. So, since I have the headache and pain -- my ritalin dreams went up in smoke. Instead, I get to increase the Prednisone and try a new narcotic for the pain. Anytime the headache gets worse to the point where I can't take it -- Dr. Cohen wants me to call him for an admit to the hospital for more IV steroids and another round of chemo. Ideally, the chemo was supposed to last 6 months, but things never go according to plan. I'm going to hold out as long as possible. But when I get to the point where the narcotics no longer help -- then I'll know it's time to go in. I did face reality and pack a hospital bag, so that it's ready the next time I need to go. My last 3 times in the hospital, I arrived without my own stuff and had to call Molly. Being a girl, she was my only hope of packing the right items.
Bill also came home early today with symptoms of an ear infection. So, he needs to go to Urgent Care either tonight or tomorrow. Fun, fun!
Other than that, we're doing the usual Bland family stuff. Cameron is working on a 7 page research paper. So, after homeschool is finished each day and I pick him up, I've been helping him with that.
Have a great night! I'm off to supervise dinner, chores, and bedtime!
Much Love,
Michele
Monday, January 11, 2010
WAKEY, WAKEY, EGGS AND BAKEY...
Hi Friends!
Cameron was the only one who did well with Monday mornings' wake-up call today. Bill took him to school this morning and then came back home to sleep some more like the rest of us. He had worked a lot of extra hours last week with his travel. So, today that made it nice for me, because he decided to work from home.
We got a late start with homeschooling, but we were very productive! It must have been the extra sleep. And with Bill home -- I even had time to do yoga on the Wii Fitness program. It had been 13 days since my last workout. The kids, as usual, kept us busy -- and before I knew it, it was bedtime. Nate and Isaac go to bed at 9 p.m., and Cam and Molly go to bed at 10 p.m. So, I have 2 in bed now, and I have 2 who are almost in bed. I'm tired -- so I think I'll be the next one in bed.
So-today was fairly peaceful and quiet. Not much new to report. And that's a good thing:-)
Much Love,
Michele
Cameron was the only one who did well with Monday mornings' wake-up call today. Bill took him to school this morning and then came back home to sleep some more like the rest of us. He had worked a lot of extra hours last week with his travel. So, today that made it nice for me, because he decided to work from home.
We got a late start with homeschooling, but we were very productive! It must have been the extra sleep. And with Bill home -- I even had time to do yoga on the Wii Fitness program. It had been 13 days since my last workout. The kids, as usual, kept us busy -- and before I knew it, it was bedtime. Nate and Isaac go to bed at 9 p.m., and Cam and Molly go to bed at 10 p.m. So, I have 2 in bed now, and I have 2 who are almost in bed. I'm tired -- so I think I'll be the next one in bed.
So-today was fairly peaceful and quiet. Not much new to report. And that's a good thing:-)
Much Love,
Michele
Sunday, January 10, 2010
SUNNY SUNDAY!
Hi Friends!
Not much to report today. We slept in rather than going to church. This afternoon, Nate and Isaac spent their day playing with one of our neighbors -- his name is Matthew. He's 11 years old like Nate and seems to be a good influence.
Bill and Molly went shopping and they're not back yet. I believe that they're going to WalMart, Walgreens, and Food4Less.
I'm kind of puttering around the house -- doing laundry, etc. I need to get the boys bathing/showering soon as Bill is going to cut their hair when he gets home. I also promised Cameron I'd help him do some research for an English project. They have to do an 8 page report on a time when there was mass hysteria. He's doing Y2K. Remember that?
Hopefully the week will be this calm, too. I'll let you know!
Much Love,
Michele
Not much to report today. We slept in rather than going to church. This afternoon, Nate and Isaac spent their day playing with one of our neighbors -- his name is Matthew. He's 11 years old like Nate and seems to be a good influence.
Bill and Molly went shopping and they're not back yet. I believe that they're going to WalMart, Walgreens, and Food4Less.
I'm kind of puttering around the house -- doing laundry, etc. I need to get the boys bathing/showering soon as Bill is going to cut their hair when he gets home. I also promised Cameron I'd help him do some research for an English project. They have to do an 8 page report on a time when there was mass hysteria. He's doing Y2K. Remember that?
Hopefully the week will be this calm, too. I'll let you know!
Much Love,
Michele
Saturday, January 9, 2010
BUSY WEEK!!!
Hi Friends!
I guess I never got back to blogging this week. I'm a real slacker these days, but never fear -- I'm back.
On Wednesday, I took the 3 youngest kids to the dentist in Simi Valley. It was a day that started too early, lasted too long, and it wasn't a very fun experience. Isaac had alll 3 of his cavities filled, Molly had 1 cavity filled, and Nate had 2 cavities filled. (After we got him out from behind the chair in the waiting room.) We need to go back one more time -- Molly and Nate each have 2 cavities left. At least Isaac is done.
After the dentist, which took from 10 a.m. to almost 1 p.m. -- we met up with Annie and ate lunch at Carl's Jr. We got home at about 3 p.m. Bill had just gotten home to prep for his D.C. trip, so he went to get Cameron from school. That was nice and I was able to lay down for a 2 hour nap.
Bill left on Wednesday at 7 p.m. for his trip and he returned last night around 9:30 p.m. Annie came and stayed with us on Thursday and Friday. Thursday we had a typical day and on Friday -- we had some fun. My good friend, Shirlene came to visit for the whole day with her son, Brandon and his girlfriend, Margaret. I hadn't seen Shirlene since I was in the hospital and Brandon since before then. And Margaret and Brandon have been dating for over a year, so I was glad to finally meet her. She's very sweet. Now that we've moved to Oxnard, we're about 2 hours away from them in Palmdale. And we all know that I don't get out much -- I've just started back to driving. Hopefully we'll see each other more frequently, though, since Shirlene and her husband, Frank, have both retired.
So, they came at 10 a.m. and stayed until about 6 p.m. We also had our cleaners (2 people) here doing the housecleaning, so it was kind of crazy with 9 people here while they were cleaning. When they finished -- Annie, Shirlene, Molly, and I went out for lunch at TGI Fridays. Shirlene and I had margaritas and Annie was our designated driver. Molly was happy with strawberry lemonade. The other kids wanted to stay home and hang out, so we brought them food from Taco Bell. Brandon and Margaret were still off of school for Christmas, and we let Cameron stay home in order to get some time to spend with them.
Other than that, I'm glad that Bill is back. He doesn't travel that much anymore, so I really miss him when he's gone. This weekend, we are going to try a new church here in Oxnard. Commuting back to Simi Valley is too difficult, and it ends up taking up most of our Sunday.
Much Love,
Michele
I guess I never got back to blogging this week. I'm a real slacker these days, but never fear -- I'm back.
On Wednesday, I took the 3 youngest kids to the dentist in Simi Valley. It was a day that started too early, lasted too long, and it wasn't a very fun experience. Isaac had alll 3 of his cavities filled, Molly had 1 cavity filled, and Nate had 2 cavities filled. (After we got him out from behind the chair in the waiting room.) We need to go back one more time -- Molly and Nate each have 2 cavities left. At least Isaac is done.
After the dentist, which took from 10 a.m. to almost 1 p.m. -- we met up with Annie and ate lunch at Carl's Jr. We got home at about 3 p.m. Bill had just gotten home to prep for his D.C. trip, so he went to get Cameron from school. That was nice and I was able to lay down for a 2 hour nap.
Bill left on Wednesday at 7 p.m. for his trip and he returned last night around 9:30 p.m. Annie came and stayed with us on Thursday and Friday. Thursday we had a typical day and on Friday -- we had some fun. My good friend, Shirlene came to visit for the whole day with her son, Brandon and his girlfriend, Margaret. I hadn't seen Shirlene since I was in the hospital and Brandon since before then. And Margaret and Brandon have been dating for over a year, so I was glad to finally meet her. She's very sweet. Now that we've moved to Oxnard, we're about 2 hours away from them in Palmdale. And we all know that I don't get out much -- I've just started back to driving. Hopefully we'll see each other more frequently, though, since Shirlene and her husband, Frank, have both retired.
So, they came at 10 a.m. and stayed until about 6 p.m. We also had our cleaners (2 people) here doing the housecleaning, so it was kind of crazy with 9 people here while they were cleaning. When they finished -- Annie, Shirlene, Molly, and I went out for lunch at TGI Fridays. Shirlene and I had margaritas and Annie was our designated driver. Molly was happy with strawberry lemonade. The other kids wanted to stay home and hang out, so we brought them food from Taco Bell. Brandon and Margaret were still off of school for Christmas, and we let Cameron stay home in order to get some time to spend with them.
Other than that, I'm glad that Bill is back. He doesn't travel that much anymore, so I really miss him when he's gone. This weekend, we are going to try a new church here in Oxnard. Commuting back to Simi Valley is too difficult, and it ends up taking up most of our Sunday.
Much Love,
Michele
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Did you ever have one of THOSE days?
Hi Friends!
I don't know why I didn't blog yesterday -- just got busy, I guess! It was our first day back to school after Christmas vacation. It went well, but it seemed to fly by!
Today, my body it rebelling. I had a very difficult time getting up this morning. And I'm having a lot of trouble with my feet again. Can't stand on them at all, which kind of puts a damper on your day. It's uncomfortable for me to sit as well -- so I'm laying on Isaac's bed typing this.
It seemed like our school day went too fast. The kids were into Isaac's netbook and "doing research." They each made a book -- Isaac did one on Ancient Egyptian Artifacts, Nate did a joke book, and Molly did one on fashion.
When it was time to pick up Cam from school, Nate and Isaac wanted to go along and get Slurpees at the AM/PM by his school. So, we got stuck in major traffic going to pick up Cam, but we finally got there. Then at the gas station we discovered they only take debit cards, not credit cards. And with my new bank card -- I don't even have a PIN yet. Of course, we already had the slurpees, so luckily I guessed the right PIN on my other bankcard. They're attached to our checking accounts, and my brain is broken -- so I've always used the credit option.
So, by the time we get home it's 4:30. Nate and Isaac had a friend over to play. I tried to take it easy -- but that's easier said than done. Bill was home by 5:30, which is early for him. He's out now picking up meds and putting gas in the truck for me. He's leaving on a business trip tomorrow at 7 p.m. And he'll be at the Pentagon through Friday. I'm trying to convince Annie to come and visit while he's gone.
Tomorrow, Nate, Isaac, and Molly have dental appointments in Simi at 10 a.m. It's time to get going on all of those cavities! Fun, Fun!
I'll let you know how that goes tomorrow!
Much Love,
Michele
I don't know why I didn't blog yesterday -- just got busy, I guess! It was our first day back to school after Christmas vacation. It went well, but it seemed to fly by!
Today, my body it rebelling. I had a very difficult time getting up this morning. And I'm having a lot of trouble with my feet again. Can't stand on them at all, which kind of puts a damper on your day. It's uncomfortable for me to sit as well -- so I'm laying on Isaac's bed typing this.
It seemed like our school day went too fast. The kids were into Isaac's netbook and "doing research." They each made a book -- Isaac did one on Ancient Egyptian Artifacts, Nate did a joke book, and Molly did one on fashion.
When it was time to pick up Cam from school, Nate and Isaac wanted to go along and get Slurpees at the AM/PM by his school. So, we got stuck in major traffic going to pick up Cam, but we finally got there. Then at the gas station we discovered they only take debit cards, not credit cards. And with my new bank card -- I don't even have a PIN yet. Of course, we already had the slurpees, so luckily I guessed the right PIN on my other bankcard. They're attached to our checking accounts, and my brain is broken -- so I've always used the credit option.
So, by the time we get home it's 4:30. Nate and Isaac had a friend over to play. I tried to take it easy -- but that's easier said than done. Bill was home by 5:30, which is early for him. He's out now picking up meds and putting gas in the truck for me. He's leaving on a business trip tomorrow at 7 p.m. And he'll be at the Pentagon through Friday. I'm trying to convince Annie to come and visit while he's gone.
Tomorrow, Nate, Isaac, and Molly have dental appointments in Simi at 10 a.m. It's time to get going on all of those cavities! Fun, Fun!
I'll let you know how that goes tomorrow!
Much Love,
Michele
Sunday, January 3, 2010
A DAY AT THE GETTY VILLA!
Hi Friends!
We had a fun-filled day yesterday in Malibu at the Getty Villa! The hardest part was getting up so early in the morning. The kids were more motivated than us. Cameron got up at 7 a.m. and began waking up all of us. The kids were up and ready and dragged Bill and me out of bed by 8:00. We left around 9 a.m., and after a quick stop at the bank -- we set off for Malibu. We made good time and arrived at the Getty Villa around 10:30.
We started at the gift shop. I know -- it doesn't seem like the obvious starting point. But when Cameron went with his class, he bought a golden statue of an Egyptian bird god. The other kids had Christmas money and couldn't wait to see what they might buy. Molly bought a very regal silver Egyptian necklace. Isaac bought 2 statues -- one of Rah, the sun God, and the other of an Egyptian Pharaoh. He also bought a plate, bowl, and mug set with Egyptian pictures on them. (In fact, right now he's using them to eat breakfast!) Nate bought a large marble statue depicting two angels. And Cameron bought a small piece of pottery.
We sent Bill and Nate back to the truck in the parking area to store these treasures. That way we wouldn't have to carry them with us throughout the museum. And then we set off to explore the museum which is huge and houses all kinds of Egyptian, Greek, and Roman artifacts. It even has a real mummy which is in remarkable condition. The architecture and gardens are amazing and set up to look authentic. All of the kids were really into it. We explored the entire museum and stopped to eat lunch at the cafe. We stayed until about 3 p.m. and stopped at McDonald's on the way home for ice cream snacks.
We did a lot of walking at the museum, and after our early wake-up call -- we were all pretty tired. Bill and I took a nap when we got home. Bill got up after an hour or so and was a productive citizen. I, on the other hand, decided to listen to my body which just needed sleep. So, I ended up sleeping from 4:30 p.m. yesterday until 10 a.m. this morning. But the good news is that I woke up feeling rested, which is unusual for me!
Isaac, Cam, and I were the first ones up this morning. I made the boys some eggs for breakfast and we watched Tom and Jerry on TV -- a real classic. Nate, Bill, and Molly just got up and joined us. Bill is on the phone with the landlord as we are having problems with our water heater. The hot water keeps going out and it's a really fancy computerized water heater. So, we need to have someone here who can read the code and fix it.
I know Bill is planning on grocery shopping today, and Cameron has some homework to do that he's conveniently left for the last day of Christmas Break. And the house is looking a bit trashed after the long weekend, so I think we need to tidy up before starting back to school and our regular routines again tomorrow!
Until then...
Much Love,
Michele
We had a fun-filled day yesterday in Malibu at the Getty Villa! The hardest part was getting up so early in the morning. The kids were more motivated than us. Cameron got up at 7 a.m. and began waking up all of us. The kids were up and ready and dragged Bill and me out of bed by 8:00. We left around 9 a.m., and after a quick stop at the bank -- we set off for Malibu. We made good time and arrived at the Getty Villa around 10:30.
We started at the gift shop. I know -- it doesn't seem like the obvious starting point. But when Cameron went with his class, he bought a golden statue of an Egyptian bird god. The other kids had Christmas money and couldn't wait to see what they might buy. Molly bought a very regal silver Egyptian necklace. Isaac bought 2 statues -- one of Rah, the sun God, and the other of an Egyptian Pharaoh. He also bought a plate, bowl, and mug set with Egyptian pictures on them. (In fact, right now he's using them to eat breakfast!) Nate bought a large marble statue depicting two angels. And Cameron bought a small piece of pottery.
We sent Bill and Nate back to the truck in the parking area to store these treasures. That way we wouldn't have to carry them with us throughout the museum. And then we set off to explore the museum which is huge and houses all kinds of Egyptian, Greek, and Roman artifacts. It even has a real mummy which is in remarkable condition. The architecture and gardens are amazing and set up to look authentic. All of the kids were really into it. We explored the entire museum and stopped to eat lunch at the cafe. We stayed until about 3 p.m. and stopped at McDonald's on the way home for ice cream snacks.
We did a lot of walking at the museum, and after our early wake-up call -- we were all pretty tired. Bill and I took a nap when we got home. Bill got up after an hour or so and was a productive citizen. I, on the other hand, decided to listen to my body which just needed sleep. So, I ended up sleeping from 4:30 p.m. yesterday until 10 a.m. this morning. But the good news is that I woke up feeling rested, which is unusual for me!
Isaac, Cam, and I were the first ones up this morning. I made the boys some eggs for breakfast and we watched Tom and Jerry on TV -- a real classic. Nate, Bill, and Molly just got up and joined us. Bill is on the phone with the landlord as we are having problems with our water heater. The hot water keeps going out and it's a really fancy computerized water heater. So, we need to have someone here who can read the code and fix it.
I know Bill is planning on grocery shopping today, and Cameron has some homework to do that he's conveniently left for the last day of Christmas Break. And the house is looking a bit trashed after the long weekend, so I think we need to tidy up before starting back to school and our regular routines again tomorrow!
Until then...
Much Love,
Michele
Friday, January 1, 2010
IT'S 2010!!!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR'S DAY TO ALL MY FRIENDS/FAMILY :-)
We've had a pretty laid-back day. We all stayed up too late last night and went to bed at 2:30 a.m. after celebrating the New Year. The kids slept until noon and I slept until 2 p.m. this afternoon. After that Bill took the kids to the park to play tennis, and then Isaac and I went for a walk. We did our chores. That took a bit longer than usual because we all have new chores for the new year, so some training was required. Currently Bill is making dinner with Molly and Nate (his 2 cooking helpers), and I'm upstairs with Isaac. He's taking a bath, and I'm typing this on his netbook, which I have fallen in love with. We're all looking forward to our trip to the Getty Villa in Malibu tomorrow. Our reservation is for 10 a.m., so we'll need to leave by 8 a.m. Our early morning wake-up call may be painful BUT -- At least that should start to get us back on our regular school schedule again.
Gotta go. Dinner is ready and Isaac needs help drying off from his bath!
Much Love,
Michele
We've had a pretty laid-back day. We all stayed up too late last night and went to bed at 2:30 a.m. after celebrating the New Year. The kids slept until noon and I slept until 2 p.m. this afternoon. After that Bill took the kids to the park to play tennis, and then Isaac and I went for a walk. We did our chores. That took a bit longer than usual because we all have new chores for the new year, so some training was required. Currently Bill is making dinner with Molly and Nate (his 2 cooking helpers), and I'm upstairs with Isaac. He's taking a bath, and I'm typing this on his netbook, which I have fallen in love with. We're all looking forward to our trip to the Getty Villa in Malibu tomorrow. Our reservation is for 10 a.m., so we'll need to leave by 8 a.m. Our early morning wake-up call may be painful BUT -- At least that should start to get us back on our regular school schedule again.
Gotta go. Dinner is ready and Isaac needs help drying off from his bath!
Much Love,
Michele
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