Day 1

 Many of my friends last year wrote everyday on their blog, so I am going to try and do the same. Everyday I will try to post a picture or an actual entry. So, this will be my first one. For Christmas I got a ginder/pasta maker for my Kitchen Aid mixer so this is what I made with it. I love the pasta maker. It will make thin and thick spaghetti, macaroni, lasana, and just regular egg noodles. I made home made spagehetti, sauce, and meatballs, as well as homemade french bread. It was really good, and a lot of fun to make. I am excited to use the grinder part of it as well.  So, not a long post but it will do for now.

 

Memorial Weekend

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2010

Well, 2010 is here and has been full of lots of doctor's appointments, all for the purpose of good health. Many of the fore mentioned appointments has been in regard to my sinus issues which have plagued me since I was at least 9 or 10. I have had allergy issues since that time as well, doesn't really matter what it is, as long as it has fur or skin, or if it grows I am allergic to it. I've been fortunate enough to not be allergic to foods. My allergies include the following, but not limited too: cats, dogs, rabbits, fur, mold, dust, grass, down feathers, corn, pollen, trees, and who knows what else. Since I can't remember when I have also had a box of Kleenexes nearby, I guess you could say I was one of snotty nosed little kids, but you just assume you grow out of that, well as I got older it has turned into asthma, more allergies, skin issues, and more sinus issues.

I've used a rescue inhaler for about 10 years now, but this past year I have decided it was time to deal with the asthma and allergy/sinus issues and do something about it. I spoke with my doctor and she put me on a controller for the asthma and a rescue inhaler as needed, as well as a referral to the ENT. I saw the same ENT four years ago and did allergy testing, that didn't go anywhere other then just confirming what I already knew, that I had allergy/sinus/asthma issues. So, I saw him again and he looked in my nose said that I had sinus issues and said I needed a CT scan to decide where to go with the whole issue. I did the CT scan and went back on the 26th and found what they saw in the CT scan. They found that I have inflammation in all my sinus areas, a large middle turbinate, and a deviated septum. He decided that I need to have endoscopic sinus surgery which includes reduction of the middle turninate and septoplasty.

In my 28 years, I've broken bones, but never had stitches, never been in the hospital, never been under anesthesia. Needless, to say this stubborn girl is a bit nervous and reluctant to go through it all, but the outcome far out weighs the current feeling of always been plugged up, not breathing, fatigue, and lack of sleep. As a result, on the 9th of February I am going to subject myself to surgery and two weeks off work. My mom is coming up next week to help out for a week and a half. Oddly enough, my job is coordinating caregiving, ironically I get to be on the other side of it and be cared for by others. It will be interesting to see how that goes being the recipient of care, but if all goes as planned it all of be worth it on the other side of this "thing."

With that I have had some anxiety over the whole thing, I've never been one to like doctors to begin with, let alone let them cut me and stick tubes down me and cut open my sinus cavity, but as with all things in life, times marches on and so does the healing process. So, in 9 days I will turn over all power to my trusted surgeon and hope that the following two weeks leave me breathing better and hopefully reporting back with a positive story about how great of an idea this was, and for once maybe spring will bring wonderful smells of flower and grass instead of snot and post nasal drip.

Anxiety is also something that has plagued me most of my life, we all go through it, but it has affected me far worse then most ordinary people. I was always called a "worry wort" since I was a little kid. I worried about things constantly, mainly weather and health related things, but as I got older it turned into adult things, finances, marriage, health, and work. Worry affects people in different ways, some people cry, others starve themselves, while still others over analyze things till it's dead. I'd be the last one, the ever conscious head thinker who over rationalizes everything till I am rationalizing what I just rationalized, it's just a large circle.

People tell you, "give it some though, think it through." Yeah, well I do that, a lot, with overkill, then some. Like this whole surgery thing for instance, I've watched all the youtube videos about the surgery and post op, watched a clip of the actual surgery, read reviews, WEBMD, actual stories, doctor recommendations, and other stuff. Why you ask, well because I am a rationalizer, a head thinker, over analyzer, amongst over names you can give it. Now don't get me wrong problem solving has it's high points, but there's point where you have to realize YOU can't do it yourself, no research, no thinking, no reading, no worrying, will make it change the outcome. Being prepared is different, worrying is another.

For two days, I lost sleep over this upcoming surgery, sleep that was much needed, but didn't happen. Thursday God decided that I need to be knocked side the head and realize that "I" can't do this, "I" can't, not at all, not in the least, not happening. There's the old sportmanship motta of, "There's no "I" in "team." Well, there's not, and especially in God team. I can not change my age or height in much as I can't change what God wills.

You may ask, now Dez how does God go about showing you these thing, well this would be it http://on-demand.flcengineering.org/flrod/parenttalk/broadcasts/ptoc20100128.wma

It just simply a radio program, not too exciting, but enough for God to use His Word to show me his will and way. You'd have to listen to the whole thing to understand my whole point, but it came to this. Phillippians 4:6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Hmmmm........that was easy. Two days of worry, two days of fret, two days of me, two days without God. Two days I don't want to repeat. I decided to just trust God, give up on me, and know that he will bring me through and that I have no reason to worry, just trust

Well, that's enough for now, long blog entry, hopefully this year I will blog more about this and things to come

Dez

Day of Thankfulness 1

As we approach the holidays, it's easy to overlook Thanksgiving with all the hustle and bustle of shopping, get togethers , gifts. It's important to stop and consider what Thanksgiving is about. It easy to stop and says a quick word of what we aare thankful for, but do we ever really stop to think of all the many things we are thankful for, but also why we are thankful for them. So I embark on a 30 day journey of thankfulness, so that I can grasp and secure a better understanding of what God as done for me, and what he has given to me. My first item of thankfulness is my parents.


That is my mom and dad, one of God's greatest gifts that he gave to me. I am told by those in my family that I have my dad's personality and my mom's looks, which is very true. I have my dad's stubbornness, quick wit, passion for the hurt, and tender heart. I have my mom looks which includes lots of thick hair and being short, but I think my mom is beautiful and has such a sparkle in her eye, and love with the hands that she uses to serve her family. Both my parents are very passionate and instilled values in me that I will carry with my for the rest of my life. They were not always perfect, but they tried and tried very hard to keep our family of four on the right path. They have set examples for me that I am so thankful for. My dad taught me to always think of others first, and to always to best job with your whole heart. He taught me to respect others in order to gain respect for yourself. He taught me to give it your all, or don't give anything. My mom is my rock, the one I can go to when I need that extra little encouragement, that little extra "it'll be alright, just hang in there." My parents have been dealt a hard hand in many ways, life hasn't always been easy for our family, but for 31 years my parents have stood my each other as a testament of endurance and love. They are an absolute gift to me and I love them so much!!! Thank you Lord for giving me the most amazing parents.

H1N1, Tamiflu, and Saltines

It's been a rough couple of days. I started with a sore throat earlier this week and thought nothing of it, as it's harvest time here, and it's never really surprising to experience allergy problems this time of the year. Earlier this week my mom came down with H1N1, and was home sick for a week. It seem so ironic but whenever she gets sick, I tend to get it within a week, or vice versa. So, it wasn't surprising when she told me that I probably had it, as the first sign she had was a sore throat.

This weekend was our church's woman's retreat with all the local C&MA churches in Minnesota. I was so looking forward to going, but decided that perhaps I should stay home just in case I was coming down with something. Yesterday I got up and laid around for a few hours and then decided to get a few hours in at work, so I went but left a little early cause I wasn't feeling the best. I called mom and she urged me to go see the doc and find out if it was H1N1 with my history of asthma, so I did. I wasn't running a temp when I went in, and the doc said that my throat and ears looked fine, and that my lymph glands were only a little swollen. She thought we should perhaps do a Influenza A nose test to see if I by chance had H1N1, and sure enough I did. She sent me home with a 5 day dose of Tamiflu and orders not to go to work most of next week because H1N1 is so highly contagious. I thought perhaps it would be nice if I could just stay feeling that way I was for 5 days and maybe call it a "little vacation." Well, not so much. I got home took some Tamiflu and decided that it was time to eat a little dinner since I hadn't had anything since lunch. I made some bland butter noodles to satisfy myself, but they just smelled awful and an hour later I still couldn't get myself to eat them as the nauseousness was setting in very suddenly. I laid down and well the noodles I did eat and the Tamiflu I had, didn't stay down very long. I had dry heaves and vomiting for a while. A word to the wise" DO NO take Tamiflu on an empty stomach, very very bad idea.
Well, I finally went to bed and felt rather weak and lethargic. I did sleep well surprisingly, but woke up early. I decided that it might be best to try the Tamiflu again, but this time eating something before I took it. I ate a bunch of saltines, waited 45 minutes and took the Tamiflu, and so far I am doing okay. The Tamiflu has made me quite dizzy and a little incoherent, but other then that I am just tired and week, but am at least holding food down for now. Now to figure out what to do the next four days to pass the time. I guess my four books from the library may not be a bad idea. Well, that's all for now, probably not the best blog entry for the weak stomach people, but well that's just that way it is I guess. Tata for now.

Fall in Minnesota

Fall is always so pretty in Minnesota, and every year for the past four years by Dad comes up and we go on a father/daughter trip up to Lake Superior and the Duluth area. This year dad came up a little earlier as the leaves typical peak here around early October. We have had a slow fall so far, but it has been very cold so far. This morning being the 10th we had our first snow, which is quite early for Minnesota. Dad and I had a good time, the only problem we had is that is rained almost every day while we were gone. Over the course of the week we had over 5 inches of rain, which would of been very nice to have earlier in the summer when we really needed it. The farmers are trying to get beans and corn out, but not with the ground being this wet.

Lake Superior

Split Rock Light House

Row Boat that was in front of the cabin we stayed in

The leaves here are so colorful this time of the year.

Savana Portage State Park

Well, that's it for now, it was just time for me to update this blog and maybe I'll try to update it more in the future.