Gone, But Not Forgotten!~

Our beautiful baby girl passed away this morning at only 8 years old from cardiomyopathy (diseased heart muscle).  She may be gone, but she will never be forgotten.  We have many photos of her and, as long as her memory lives on in our hearts, she still lives.  I love you, Prissie, with all of my heart and you will be greatly missed.  I don't know how long it will take us to stop crying.  You stole our hearts.  Rest in peace, my beloved fur baby.  You deserve it for all the wonderful years you entertained us with your antics.

Love,

Your Mama

P.S.  Please don't forget to pray for our troops and their families.

Doing the Happy Dance!~

Dear Journal,

Sorry I have been neglecting you so much as of late.  I have been working some long hours lately.  I am very happy to report that I am FINALLY beginning to feel human again after so long.  Since the doc found the vitamin D deficiency and prescribed the prescription strength vitamin D, I am truly beginning to feel like my old self again.  Woo Hoo!~  ::Susan doing the happy dance::

 

I promise, journal, I have not fallen off the face of the earth.  I just have been working some long hours lately on site at the hospital to help cover for some folks who are out.  Now I have to eat lunch and get back at it.

Later!~

Test Results

 

 

The nurse from my doctor's office FINALLY called me this morning with the results of my bloodwork.

 

It showed:

 

1) I am definitely in the throes of menopause. (Oh Joy!  I will be glad when I am on the OTHER side of this.  It has NOT been fun).  ::sigh::

 

2) My thyroid medication has worked nicely to bring my TSH levels back up to where they should be; however, I will most likely be on thyroid meds for the rest of my life to keep the hypothyroidism in check (Hubby has it too and is on meds for it as well). 

 

3) I have high cholesterol.  Mine is 202.  Dr. wants it below 180.  He is not prescribing anything for it at this time.  He wants me to try and manage it with diet and exercise for the time being and come back in 6 months, so they can check my weight and cholesterol level again.

 

4) I have a major Vitamin D deficiency, which is part of what has been causing the extreme fatigue (along with the menopause and hypothyroidism).  He is putting me on prescription vitamin D for the next three months.  After that time, I am to resume taking my Os Cal with vitamin D supplement.

 

So, at least nothing is life threatening and all of it is treatable.  It is just going to take some time.  I can live with that.  I have so many friends dealing with terminal illnesses, I feel blessed that even though several things are wrong, they are all treatable and I thank God for that. 

 

I have several prayer requests:

 

My friend, Tina's husband, Benny has lung cancer.  They were supposed to do surgery on Benny today, but further testing showed the cancer is already in his heart.  They have given him 3-6 months to live.  Tina is beside herself.  Please pray for Benny, for Tina, for their two children, and grandchildren, as this is a hard time for all of them.  It is my belief that Benny will not leave this world until God is ready for him.  They are going to try treatments as soon as they can with the hope of shrinking the tumor.  We are asking God for a miracle here, Benny is close to my age, so he is not old.

 

Also, my friend and coworker, Kim, is expecting her third child.  She just got news that one of the babys arms did not form correctly.  It stops just below the elbow with no forearm, hand, or fingers.  The docs here sent her to another hospital in a major city here in Alabama for further testing to find out if anything else is wrong with the baby.  They have been through so much already with her husband's brother murdering her FIL, and then her husband's ex dying from a brain tumor and them having to take on his two older children.  They only have a 3-bedroom house.  Please remember them in your prayers and good thoughts.  Pray that there is nothing further wrong with this much-wanted baby.

 

My Mom and MIL are going through further testing.  Please continue to hold good thoughts and pray for them too.

 

God Bless,

 

Susan

 

P.S.  PLEASE don't forget to pray for our troops!~

 

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!~

 

 

There is something women like about a pickup man!~ :-)

Dear Journal,

We had the nicest weather today for the 4th that I think we have ever had here in the deep south.  The humidity was not anywhere near as bad as it usually is.  It was so pleasant, Hubby and I spent the earlier part of the day working in the yard, cutting the grass, weedeating, pulling weeds by hand too, and raking.  The yard looks sooooooo much better.

We grilled out in the afternoon.  My son handled the grill.  He cooked some hamburgers and hot dogs and seasoned them with Dale's Seasoning Sauce.  It is distributed in Birmingham, AL and let me tell ya, it made those hamburgers and hotdogs.  They were delicious!~

 

Afterwards, we watched court TV for a little while as a family.  I forget the exact name of the show, but it is something like Shocking Moments caught on tape or something like that, and Cops.  We couldn't believe some of the ummmm....is there a way to say this delicately?  Nah, I don't think so.  We couldn't belive some of the big dummies who try to outrun the police.  They make it worse on themselves by heaping up more charges on themselves and put not only themselves and the officers in danger, but lots of innocent people as well, but then, most of them even when the police caught up with them, THEN they resisted arrest.  I mean how stupid can one be?  I think the one that upset me the most, was the woman driving a school bus full of kids DRUNK!~ 

 

Close to dark, we went to my MIL's for the fireworks with my Hubby's family.  My son and some of my nephews shot them off.  We got sparklers for the little kids.  That was so much fun.

 

Mom came home from the hospital yesterday, so she was able to enjoy the festivities also.  She looks really well except for the edema, but they are giving her an antiinflammatory medication for that, so hopefully it will be under control soon.  It was caused by a medication they gave her while she was still in the hospital that she had an allergic reaction to.  That medication, whatever it was, nearly did her in.  Thankfully, she was able to tell them and they were able to counteract it somewhat.

All in all, it was a nice day.  Hubby and son were off and it was really nice spending the day as a family and then going to spend time with my MIL and some of Hubby's family.

Hope everyone had a nice time with their families as well.  Gotta get in bed now.  Have to go sit with my MIL in the morning while my niece who cares for her goes to town and then it is back to work. 

Nite!  Nite!~

 

  

P.S.  THE ONLY BAD THING ABOUT HOLIDAYS IS THEY DON'T LAST LONG ENOUGH TO SUIT ME!~

Entry for Women!~

 

Thanks, Linda (fasttrack58) for the graphics.  They are so me right now. ::sigh::  My Hubby says he wants his wife back.  Poor Guy. :-P

Dear Journal,

Mom is still holding her own.  They cannot seem to find out why she is running fever and swelling.  I continue to pray for her healing.

As for me and the trip to Atlanta yesterday, my SIL, Gale, was my guardian angel.  We took my truck, a 2005 Dodge Ram, as opposed to her PT cruiser.  On the way to pick up the girls, I started getting quite ill.  Good thing Gale drove for me.  I got very dizzy, clammy, and nauseous.  I threw up in the truck.  Thankfully, most of it went on the floor mat.  Gale pulled over on the shoulder of the interstate and got me a sprite out of the back and put some ice in my cup.  I can't drink soda straight out of the can, for some reason, I have to have it over the rocks.  I know, I'm weird, eh?  ::wink::  Let me tell ya, it is quite miserable when you are traveling and get sick like that.  That is the second time that has happened in a couple of weeks.  When we got to the exit where we were to pick the girls up, Gale got me some ice in a styrofoam cup and some cold wet paper towels.  I actually felt a lot better after throwing up.

I was fine for a bit on the way back home as long as I had the ice, but it ran out and I started feeling sick again.  My daughter wet the paper towel for me in the cooler and we turned the air conditioner all the way up.  I started feeling better.  I was never so glad to get home in all my life.  I have been battling major fatigue.  I have hypothyroidism, as does my husband.  We are both on meds for that.  I am at that fun time in my life us women get to go through, so that doesn't help any either, because like hypothyroidism, it also can cause great fatigue.  The hot flashes are excessive.  I have a doctor appointment with my GYN on July 20th to talk to him about all of these symptoms I am currently suffering with.  Another close friend is going through "the change" also and having these same symptoms.  I think the nausea is coming from some of the meds I am on, but the other I chalk up to the menopause and hypothyroidism.  My niece is a nurse and she said I am getting a double dose because both conditions have some of the same symptoms.  Oh joy!~

I know men read my journal too, so I apologize if you find this entry embarrassing.  I have never heard the older women  talk about this sort of thing, as it was a taboo subject as was talking about sex when I was growing up, so I was blindsided when I started going through this.  I disagree with that.  It needs to be talked about, so when the younger women get to that stage in life, we know what is happening.  I found this wonderful book at the bookstore, "Getting off the Menopause Roller Coaster."  It gave me a list of what vitamins to take for what symptoms I am currently suffering with, and so much more info.

I just have one question, "Why do us women have to go through EVERYTHING?"  Just going through the "Aunt Flo" visits monthly and childbearing is enough!  Sheesh!  No wonder we have to be so strong!  Hee..........

I have a doctor's appointment this upcoming week.  Perhaps I will get some answers then.  In the meantime, please continue to remember my MIL in your prayers.

Have a blessed week!~

Susan

P.S.  Please remember our troops in your prayers!~