Sunday, December 9, 2007

Week in Review

Monday started off pretty boring. Lori returned the call to my doctor's office about the referrals that were required for my gastric bypass surgery. The surgeon uses a specific dietician and a specific pychiatrist neither of which are on our insurance plan. His office told Lori that if I went to any others, the surgeon may not accept their opinion. Personally, I think this is a crock but, whatever. So, we were told that these two weren't on our plan, the insurance stated that I would need to have my primary care doctor request the referral to both on the grounds that there weren't any in our area. To make a long story short, I have an appointment with a psychiatrist in Lakeland in Jan. If the surgeon doesn't accept that one, I can then switch to the mental health coverage we have and see up to four others till I find one he accepts. The reason this is important, is out of pocket it will cost me $375 to see the guy the surgeon wants me to see where as through the insurance I pay a copay of $10 or nothing at all. If it gets to ridiculous, I will just belly up and pay the money but, I would rather TRY to get one that is covered. The dietician I am told will be covered even though she is not on my plan because my PCP requested it and they approved her. Why the heck they didn't approve the shrink is a mystery.

I spent most of the week waiting to see if I had a stress fracture in my foot. Supposedly I don't. So, I guess the diagnosis is the tendonitis. I was told to keep it elevated and stay off it. It's still swollen and hurts like a bear but, I have to do things at this time of the year...Santa isn't coming without some help here from his elves. I've been riding in a lot of those carts you see in the stores these days. You know the ones; they look similar to the ECV's at the Disney theme parks.

We finally put up our tree as well as all the decorations from Halloween and Thanksgiving. Obviously we were a wee behind in that department.

Went over to visit our Grandson Jullian and with Lori's help I climbed the two flights of stairs to their apartment. I had to know if I could do it since we are going to be there bright and early Christmas morning. I made it up and down...but it became twice as swollen by the time we got home. Still, I am going. I figure if it gets bad enough, I'll take my rearend to an emergency room. Gurarantee they'll keep on till they find out what the cause is. I just don't believe it is tendonitis. I had that in my arm and wrist and this is not the same kind of pain. This is constant.

Back to Jullian...I am happy to report that he is crawling and pulling himself up on two feet!! I am hoping to post a short video of him doing it. He is so excited about it! He is so funny. Personally, I think he will be walking by Christmas if not New Years. Dan on the other hand thinks he won't walk till his birthday. That certainly would not be following the norm around here. I walked at seven months and both of my sons walked in six.

We are going to Saratoga Springs Resort this weekend to celebrate our anniversary early and also do some Christmas things. Lori feels like since she has to work on Christmas Eve,Christmas Day and our anniversary that this should be our way of celebrating it together. She said she has some "surprise" scheduled for me. I can't wait. I on the other hand, can't think of a thing to get her. Any suggestions out there, I sure would like to hear them!!!

Okay, that is pretty much it for this past week. Pretty tame I know. We have had weather in the 80's during the day. All the poor trees are like WTF? They droped their leaves anyway in hopes of getting some shut eye but, in summer conditions they just look tired. Okay, I admit it. I've had to sit here and look out the windows a lot these past two weeks so what of it?

Later~

Saturday, December 1, 2007

Week in Review, maybe Two

I was thinking that since I am very bad about blogging on a daily basis that, I should try blogging once a week. Kind of like a recap. Not that it would be any more interesting but, it would be easier for me.

So, to begin with I suppose I should come up to speed on the weeks that have passed starting with Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving was a lot of work. Mostly and mainly because I was the one doing ALL the cooking. Lori had to be at work at ten in the morning and didn't get home until after eleven and this schedule was all week so that she could get out of the weekend scheduling for the mandatory overtime and have Friday and Saturday off.

On Monday, I made the feeble attempt at getting the yard in some what good shape. I trimmed and blew all the leaves out of the yard. That was pretty much it. The grass, what little there is of it, has hardly grown since the last mowing job. On Tuesday, I baked my pies, made cornbread for the stuffing and did the laundry for the week. Then on Wed I put together all my side dishes and baked a ham. I also chopped up the ingredients for the stuffing. Wednesday night I stuffed the Turkey and put it in to cook overnight. On Thursday morning, I cooked the sides and made the fruit salad. I was completely finished by one thirty so, I went down to pick up my mother for dinner. Dane had a friend over and of course the oldest son and his family head to HER family's house first before coming here. Originally they were going to her Grandmother's house that morning and then here by three. Well, as is usually the case in that group, there was a big change of plans. Turns out the mother was cooking and having it at the same time as mine. They actually called here Thanksgiving morning while the Turkey was still cooking and wanted to come here early. I said, sorry, I gave you a time and it may be ready an hour earlier than that but, I am not going to kill myself trying to make it ready just because you guys switched your times. No sirree. So, we sat down and ate without them and it was actually wonderful. I like Dane's company. He is easy going and he doesn't pick and make snide comments like Daniel. Daniel starts out good but, in no time it is a battle of wits. Anyway, it was a lovely dinner if I do say so myself.

Dan and Joyce arrived around five so they hardly stayed long if her meal wasn't until four. They came in and Dan went straight to the kitchen. I don't know if he didn't eat over there or what but, he made a plate that should have lasted a week, and proceeded to eat it all. He then went back and tried to duplicate that. He ate about half and then got sick. I told him the food was going to be here the next day as well ao, there was no reason to eat like that. They came back and ate the next day and then the next for lunch and they were turkey'd and ham'd out. We ate on it Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. By Tuesday we were tossing food into the trash. I think most of the Turkey (18lb) went in the trash. I am not big on Turkey but, everyone wants it so, I make it. Then they all get sick of it. Except for Lori. She would freeze it and make Turkey Tettrazini, turkey soup, etc., Well, I hate the stuff so, I wouldn't be eating and she doesn't have the time to make anything any way so, out it went. I know. Terrible.

On the Friday after the holiday we put up the outside lights. I really can't remember what we did on that Sunday but, by then I was painfully aware of the fact that something was wrong with my left foot. How could I tell? Aside from the pain, it was swollen twice the size of my shoe. I wound up going to the doctor on Wed.

The doctor thinks I either have tendonitis or a stress fracture. So he gives me a corticosteriod shot in my foot. I don't recommend this. It so hurt. He actually said I should be able to walk out of there without limping. Whatever. For the rest of the day and evening I sat with my foot propped up and an ice pack on it. When I went to get up after that, I didn't think I would ever walk again! Good Lord the pain was a hundred times worse. I had to use a cane just to get to the bathroom. After thinking about it, I think the injection was the cause. I think the stuff just sat there in my foot or something. All I know is it didn't tickle.

The next day it felt some better but, I waited and kept it up till Friday like the doctor told me to do. He said if it still bothered me by Friday to have it xrayed. I felt it was much better but, it was still swollen so Lori said I should go just to rule out a fracture as those can be made worse if you continue to walk on them. So I did that.

Today it is hurting like a bear. Why? I walked on it all day. I know I know. I figured if it was tendonitis I will have to learn to live with it anyway so what the heck.

That's my week in review.