They say day three is the worst.

Tried to post pre-op pics for your viewing pleasure since my mom never said I couldn't do THAT but blogging karma was against me and wouldn't let me upload. Jerks.

Dad and I have been nursing mom for three days now. Dad's shifts are during the day and mine as soon as I get off of work and thru the night. I must say my Mom is an amazing patient. She isn't demanding and is overly apologetic.

Today is the worst pain she has experienced thus far. She tried to take just one pain pill instead of the customary dose of two but then my Dad kept talking, and narrating his every move and she asked for the second. Good choice.

She has a follow-up appointment today so we'll see what kind of excitement is in her future for the next week.

She looks scary, very scary. Like a brain surgery patient mixed with a trauma victim who was thrown through a car windshield. This is probably exactly why she doesn't want me posting pictures, eh!?

An update courtesy of the daughter...

After an evening of "family time" in preparation for the big day today - complete with "Face Off" jokes and general easing of the nerves of my mother on the eve of her surgery; I just received a phone call from my dad that she came through the procedure(s) with flying colors and is in recovery as we speak.

Last night was rather sleepless for her despite the anxiety meds they started her on last night in preparation for today's happenings. Might have had something to do with the late night phone call she received from the nurse telling her to warn whomever would be picking her up that she would be / will be quite the sight - very brain surgery-esque in order to keep her eyes from swelling.

We stayed up past midnight watching Chelsea Lately (freaking hilarious) and peeling my dad off of the floor when he fell out of bed. Are you kidding me? Apparently the plastic surgery gods were throwing my mom curve balls every chance they had. Dad is fine, hit his chest on the bed stand. Mom and I are now discussing strapping him into bed at night like a crazy person to avoid things like this.

I digress. She went in this morning at 6ish and was wheeled into surgery just after 7AM. My dad was told that she should be out by 10:30AM. Around 10AM, we received a phone call from the nurse stating that it would be closer to noon. Apparently they had forgotten that they would be working on mom's "howdy doodies" as she calls them.

She has informed me that I am, under no circumstances allowed to post pictures of her looking like a mummy - much to my dismay.

So, I have to respect her wishes for now.

She should be coming home around 3PM.

Thanks to those of you out there who offered her words of encouragement. This is a huge step for her, something she deserves and that will hopefully make her feel as beautiful on the outside as she is on the inside.

I feel like a yo-yo

So here's the latest in the over-haul saga. My Dr's got together and decided that a large injected dose of iron (ouch!) would do the trick to get me in shape to go ahead with my planned surgery. If my levels have improved by Monday, it's a go! I guess because it's done under local and there is very little chance of loss of blood they feel it should go well. Then I will have a few weeks of taking it easy and building my stamina up with oral medication during the recovery. Sounds good to me. Here we go again!

Mother Nature Pitches a Curve!

RATS! I was sitting here yesterday afternoon, still nervously anticipating the prospects of my "freshening" next week when I got a call from Angela, my MD, with my labs from a recent physical. She was to forward the stuff to the surgeon for the pre-exam for my procedure but wanted to "talk" first. First clue this conversation was not going to go well! Among the results pertinent to the surgeon were the usual things and then, a little bonus piece of info. My red count is in the tank again! (a problem I have had off and on but that has been under control for some time.)
I could just scream because the likely hood is that my surgeon won't touch me until I am in normal range again. It's nice to know that I have been exhausted for good reason lately, and not just getting more lazy as the days go on. I should have know my levels were down again because the signs were there. Lack of energy, sleeplessness, exhaustion, trouble focusing, an need to chew ice (weird I know but a sign of low hematocrit). But I have not felt as lousy as I have in the past when my count went low so I chalked it up to not being very happy with myself. Lesson: Listen to you body when she talks to you. She is your best friend and rarely lies.
The result of last evenings activities are that I am now waiting to hear if I am cleared for my surgery, if not, when I can reschedule. What needs to be done to rebuild my puny blood supply, & when will I be able to make it up for having had to disappoint my daughter because I was forced to miss an important motorcycle race her boyfriend ran last night. I am now lousy company and feeling the "fate gods" messing with me. I refuse to throw a pity party, and must consider that I am lucky I didn't get into a situation that is risky, but I am profoundly disappointed and afraid it will take me forever to get back on schedule. My surgeon is going in for rotator cuff surgery himself soon, so I guess I will be pushed into September. Rats, and Rats again.
More when I have it.

What am I thinking!

I came to the realization some time ago that the last year's events have somehow left their imprint squarely on my face, and not in a good way. I felt like I looked tired all the time, and saggy and swollen in the face all at the same time. Sorting through recent photos, I came upon validation that it was not my imagination. One photo was this time last year, and one just about a month ago. It looked like time lapse photography, over the period of 6 or 7 years instead of just one. How in the world does gravity jump up and smack you in the head with a boat oar so quickly I ask myself. I don't use drugs, I am not into frequent bouts of alcohol frenzy, I have not lost gross amounts of weight. So I get to blame the obvious culprits of age, Age and AGe...with a generous sprinkling of a year's worth of stress that snuck up without me even being aware that I was wrapped so tight quarters could be bounced off my nerves, well ... you get baggy eyelids, sagging cheeks (the Howdy Dowdy lines) and all that extra neck! After nursing my husband over the course of 11 months through a cervical fusion, pneumonia (7 days in hospital with a "code"thrown in for good measure) and a total knee replacement (to replace the partial which failed after just one year), a little stress if you please. What the hell!

I have decided to kill the turkey, waddle and all!

I looked up an old classmate of mine who along with being a friend, happens to be a world class plastic surgeon. Yes, I am succumbing to the vanity thing, but not so much to look younger ( I don't mind looking my age) but to look fresh and not like I constantly am in need of a nap. I am nervous as can be about it, but looking forward to getting it over with too. I am promised that I will not look like Joan Rivers, there will be no ass fat transfered to my cheeks, no plumping of the lips, no artificial inserts of any kind. Just good-bye to the turkey neck and my eyes opened up so I can see out without seeing side curtains! I will no longer be able to pull my lids out and time how long it takes them to settle back into place. I will be able to put on eye shadow that will show with my eyes OPEN. All this is supposed to be done with minimal surgical invasion and a few weeks recovery. I am nervous and apprehensive. After all, if I don't like the results, I can't exactly return it for my old face. I have confidence in my surgeon and am counting the days (next Tuesday at this time I will be in my recliner with ice bags and a straw) and on the mend. But I get to be nervous if I want, right?

So am I having a late mid-life crisis (to late for a real one as I really don't think I know anyone 126 years old) or just tired of looking in the mirror and seeing my 86 year old mother? While she looks amazing for an 86 year old I am 24 years her junior and not ready for that look just yet. Am I way too indulgent and self absorbed to have noticed my mug and let it get to me? The money could feed starving children in third world countries (the USA for that matter), a daughters college loan it could reduce, many other worthy causes it could enhance. How selfish is it that I have committed to this? Don't answer that one. I am giving this to myself for my birthday. It's like this: To late to back out, paid in advance on the "classmate special" rate, got my nerve up and going on with it. Wish me luck and hopefully I will come to grips with some understanding during my recovery as to why I needed to do this and why I think I will feel better about myself when it's done. Rest assured, I am doing this for myself; I have no plans to do anything like get a new job, make new friends or change my name. I just want to see myself looking back from the mirror again. At least the drugs will be good and I will be relaxed for the first time in a year. Maybe photos later, we'll see!

Central Oregon

Just returned from 8 days in Central Oregon, (Sunriver to be exact) with some color on my pasty whites and fresh color on my roots! What the hey, a little mind body overhaul in the sun! I got in a few rounds of golf, bike rides, good photo 'ops" and read 4 books!

The golf was really Not Bad, considering that I haven't played in months and was playing with my husband who fancies himself a coachadysst! That would be someone who isn't playing worth spit so take it upon their shoulders to tell others how to perfect the game as it is in progress. REALLY? I managed to escape the front nine with a 50, (I had a few 7's along the way) so was delighted to post the score for my first time out in almost a year. I beat my husband and felt a pang of satisfaction that I managed to par a hole or two even with his voice in the background saying "are you sure you want to do that" and "check that grip" or "watch that alignment", usually during the back-swing or just as I settled into a putt. Good heavens, there was no money on this game dear! I must remember to eat some chilly or something before our next twosome outing!

The bike rides are spectacular around our end of Sunriver. We are located out near the Marina and airport so have pretty quick access to the the trails going away from population and toward scenic waterways, mountains, horses and glider planes. Also only a 10 minute peddle away from a nice resturant on the water with a lovely bar looking out on the scene. I jaunted in on my own once for a cooling ice tea (not long island) before my peddle back. I had intended to go back for a mojito but never got the op again. Oh well. "Drunkin' woman wipes out on bike, drowns in irrigation ditch!" Not a pretty headline eh? On one of the rides, I saw in the distance a great cloud of dust coming up off a otherwise calm and clear horizon. The fields and mountains behind the cloud were in perfect evening light so was spectacular for filming. No' I had left the camera at the condo! RATS! Rode on up to see that it was a herd of 50 or so horses being escorted out to new fresh pasture after a day hauling tourist on their backs all day. Wow, were they enjoying running free, going home for their day to enjoy a great pasture meal and just "be" horses. It felt like a snapshot from the past and gave me chills. I got a close look into the eyes of one horse as it passed near the fence where I was watching. I swear it raised it's head a little higher and fluffed it's nostrils as it look right at me, like "don't even think about coming out for a ride old girl"! I vowed to get back out their and see the end of day release once more before we left for home. See the photo? I loved this moment.

As to the books read: I started with a small serving called "Four Season's in Rome" that was the lead into the reading orgy that was to follow. It's about a fellow who was given a grant to go live in Rome for a year, given office space at the University with other Fellows, and a good chunk of money to do whatever. He didn't even have to produce, just be! The catch was that he and his wife had 6 week old twins and the courage to go ahead and do this thing. It was interesting to rad about them covering the same areas in Rome where my family live, and see them grow with the twin boys in a foreign land. A good quick read.

Next I took on "Loving Frank". It is a historical novel based on fact about Frank Lloyd Wright and his mistress Mamuh Borthwick. I got about four chapters or so into it and was still ambivalent about finishing it...still hadn't really hooked me. Once I got really interested in the some of the characters, I was totally STUNNED by the finish. So unaware of this little piece of relating to Taliesin North and Frank and Mamuh. I got on line to be sure the author hadn't gone off her rocker but sure enough the things she wrote about were true. Oh how I wish my grandmother was still with us, (I miss her everyday yet, but that's another blog) because she no doubt would have known all about their affair and the outcome, it had to have been such a scandalous and shocking thing in the thirties.

Finally, my daughter introduced my to a set of novels I never would have found on my own. I am into historical novels, bios and auto-bios, travel novels, etc. But books about Vampires and Werewolves? She said she had noticed a lot of her high school students reading these books while student teaching a began reading them to see what they found so compelling. My goodness! I got through the first two she brought and bought the third on as fast as I could when we returned to "P" town. It is all based in Forks, Wa, our backyard, and runs off to other places where I have traveled around he world. The best foreign site was one of my favorite places in Italy, Voltera! Wish I had read this book before I visited there again last September. So many of the things would have made more sense, and been even more intriguing because they still have some of the festivals mentioned in the chapters. Because Voltera is the site of one of the oldest Etruscan civilizations, it is already fabulously interesting to me, but with the Vampire thing, well, you see where this is going. SO, if you feel like reading something quite out of your usual genre, take a look at the Twilight Saga books by Stephenie Meyer. Nuff said.

We celebrated Rico's bday while there too. "Best puppy in the world" had a great day, got a new birthday hat (thanks for the humiliation LJ) and got to eat ice cream! What more does a 3 year old pup want!

So for now, back home and inspired to do more each day that is 1), physical, 2), simply because I want too, 3), see Mama Mia as soon as it comes out, 4), golf at least once a week, 5), read a book a week . Humm, best get up from this computer and start!

orgasmic pasta

My favorite cousins are in town and so it feels festive meals are in order.
woooow! This first night I started off with the idea to make a nice seafood pasta and went a little over the edge with the quantity prepared. As the cook sampled the wine, the recipe continued to evolve. Doesn't a saute of Shitake's, garlic,shallots, asparagus, shrim, scallops and crab in a heavy cream sauce mellowed with bit of Chardonnay sound Davine? The aromas from the kitchen were orgasmic and the flavors superb, however I feel I did a little too much pasta for the sauce kind of thing. It was sensational but I always need a second chance to adjust the recipe. Served with a salad of field greens, fresh raspberries, sliced figs prosciutto and raspberry vinaigrette. I think everyone was sated by the end of the evening. As I had overloaded my victums with carbs and artichokes, desert was out of the question, as was the desert wine. I didn't want to waste so I drank it myself.! YUmmmm. It's now three o'clock and I am writing this blog instead of sleeping waiting for the sleepy slam to hit me. Damn. My reward is that I get to enjoy the rest of the 4Th of July holiday with the cuzns enjoying great restaurants and events. Are you ready...no we are not going to the blues festival this year...we have opted for a bonefide rodeo. Farm barns, western cultural displays, and art show and let er, buck. Horse shit and hot dogs, eeeehaw! Gwad, I need to get to bed!