Ding Ding Round 3

Monday April 30, 2018 time:1555
Sydney had a conference with one of his teacher's today. He is failing a few classes but with additional help he will more than likely pass all his classes. His case worker came and visited him for a short while today and I was irritated that she kept answering her phone during their time together. Not cool at all and I will address my findings with his therapist that works out of the same office/company later this week.
Then I got a call from Baptist saying my Vitamin D was now too high and they were going to cut the Rx to 1000 IU's a week and check me again at a later date to see that I'm on the straights. I stayed up all night painting, scrubbing floors, and other oh so much fun stuff in preparation for the delivery of my new toys and was feeling a sigh of relief when I hit the quick wash cycle. In went a thick Sherpa blanket for the first load, it fit nicely in the tub and I put the cycle on high spin; in return I retrieved a nearly dried blanket so I hung it out on the line for an hour and it was ready to fold. woooopie, no water on the floor, and so many settings to play with navigate through. Maybe later I can find them pedestals.
Jim came over, just why I don't know, to supervise the delivery? He said he had to come buy some mud for his walls, tomorrow he will be here for the week while his ceilings and floor are being done. Pray he and Sydney don't duke it out, Jim already blew up today because Sydney wanted to love on him after he had been playing in the dirt. Thus we are apart. When he went to the ACE he called me up to come take a look at something that I was eyeing at the auction. Brand new: 4 swivel rocker chairs with glass table and all the cushions for $200. Well there goes my taxes.

A picture is worth a 1000 words. Meet Mr & Mrs Samsung, aren't they a lovely couple?

This is the picture off the box.

Going, Going, Gone

Saturday April 28, 2018 time: 2357
Sydney quietly watched videos and occupied himself today while I slept. He was making another mask that he had draped over his half of a plastic Halloween Batman face handled basket. He made some paper mache' out of glue flour and water then dipped paper towels into the mixture. He makes use of what he has at hand.


Tonight Jim invited us to go to an auction, I hadn't been to one since Amish Eli's in Missouri. I bought a few items and this 4 1/2 foot tall black wrought iron veggie holder made me happy. The baskets are detachable.

I have two metal dishes/bowls on the floor that house my white potatoes, yams, and onions. Maybe if I get them off the floor Rachel will stop helping herself to them- maybe. I came home one night to find she had gnawed on a few sweet potatoes and left them for dead in the living room. That is when I bought her another Kong-like fillable bell toy.  I also bought a timer for the hoses to water the garden during the scorching summers here, a bottle, and BBQ set. Nothing major but useful items that will be used.
It was suggested that I make a trip to Missouri before surgery, a good idea, I can also return the washer and dryer that way, see family, etc...No telling when I will be up to any kind of traveling after surgery.

On a side note* I absolutely hate the new format that Direct TV has done.

Wet Healings

Friday April 27, 2018 time: 2341
Sydney woke me early in the morning sorrow filled telling me he had an accident, he wet the bed. I got out the SpotBot I bought last year to replace my old one that died. I stripped the bedding (something I do every Saturday anyway or pre-surgery as of late). Within a few minutes of cleaning with the machine, I laid towels down to soak up any residual moisture. I air dried it and sprayed Lysol on top of the mattress just to kill off any extra cooties hanging around. Good as new. He was embarrassed and I just said it happens to everyone and told him about a dream I had of going to the bathroom and woke myself to a sudden warm piddle. I told him it happens to everyone at some point and played it off because he already felt bad. I filled the bathtub with liquid laundry soap and proceeded to wash the bedding with my rubber gloves on (still waiting for washer lid lock to arrive). Sydney helped me wring out the laundered bedding and I filled the tub with rinse water and repeated the wringing out party with my baby. Threw the stuff in the dryer and all was well again. That is the first time that he had an accident and I'm sure that just like anybody, it was a rare instance and not a precursor of things to come.
Jim called me to tell me that the taxes came in and he would meet me in Colt so we could go to Jonesboro for me to go and look at new washers. He then called me and said to meet him at the Sears store in Forrest City, they were having a clearance sale (he knows I never pay full price for anything). I bought a 4.5 cu front load washer AND dryer. Hummmm, Samsung or Whirlpool brand, can't remember which one. New hoses, plugs, delivery, and 1400.00 later I was happy to erupt my machine conspiracy into the 21st century. I saved 66% on the pair and was elated with joy. Delivery will be on Monday and I will clean up the other machines and return them to my aunt. This will give me time to also move a shelving unit and small chest freezer to get to the dryer area. Spring cleaning of sorts in a small area. It's all good.
My hand is healing nicely and was well enough to cut Jim and Sydney's hair. I was worn out and my hand was very "tired" afterwards. The pain in my thumb has returned to the mid knuckle area and I contribute it to the swelling in my palm causing pinching of the motor branch nerve, I guess I over-did it today. When I took my neck brace off today I was hit with pain, OH MY WORD, I forgot to take my Flexeril and felt the ramifications from it. The pill couldn't work fast enough and I was on the verge of tears. Every move I made once I sat down was followed by this weird moan that my daughter once described as a moan of pain, that was when I tore my rotator cuff back in 2001. Really, I'm not that hard on my body, I just use it lots. I think maybe it's time to be more like a propper lady and quit trying to do everything myself. I hate the thought that I'm getting older and my body is not the spry youngster that my brain still thinks it is. I'm afraid of feeling weak or useless. After all, we use to put down animals that no longer earned their keep on the farm.

 Here is a picture of my palm, some slight swelling, redness, and spots of glue dot my hand along with only a few surgical marker lines that haven't been worn away like the steri-strips that I cut back on the edges that were lifted. Over-all it looks good. 10 days post-op

Testing and Jewlery

Wednesday April 25, 2018 time: 1908
Sydney took the last of two days of school state testing today. Jim took him there while I was at the doctors office in Jonesboro. On my way back I picked up Sydney a pizza and put it in the trunk because it was going to be after 5 when I got there an didn't feel like being in a hurry to make the beef stew I had planned. Sydney said math was not good because there was shapes and diagonal stuff, he said he just guessed at them, good for him. He devoured all but 2 pieces of pizza and left the crust, he also ate my mashed potatoes and gravy, biscuit, and one remaining chicken strip from a KFC $5 fill-up box. He even drank my un-sweet tea while I nursed my Kum&Go coffee concoction the half hour drive home.

Dr Li is wonderful, I was thrilled because after looking at my neck x-rays that I had done just minutes before her walking into the room, it was determined that my right hand carpal tunnel issues may be directly due from my neck. Not only that but as the arthritis plagues me as I was told the degeneration has now moved up from the C-5 to the C-4 level. I knew it was worse, I'm not in this much pain for fun!!!I wonder how she will do the C4-C7 fusion now? I was told a cervical uniplate is mostly what she uses but that she had these other models sitting on her counter.
I'm smiling here because I lost my bracelet and gained a necklace. I was fitted for a hard, lightweight, fashionable collar (I think I will let Sydney help me decorate it) because I am now officially on the books for surgery on the 15th.OH YEAH BABY!!! I was sent down stairs to have my vitamin D level checked in a blood test after I was fitted. Doc said that I will need to be on Rx vitamin D & Calcium Citrate the rest of my life. Just call me the pill popper.









This  is directly from my chart
 Findings:
There are degenerative disc changes at C4-C5 C5-C6 and C6-C7. There is reduced motion of the C5-C7 segment of the cervical spine. There are degenerative changes in the posterior elements.

That means the changes I mentioned and now spurs have formed off the spondyles ( yeah, yeah, yeah, shoot me now I should now this)

Put The Brakes On For #Asperger's

Tuesday April 24, 2018 time: 2022
Sometimes God has a way of putting people in the middle of the road to stop you in your tracks. Mine was last night.
There stood a young kid maybe the age of 10-12 years old from the looks of his small body frame. He opened the door, proceeded to hold out his hand and introduced himself (I'll call him "J"). He sat down afterwards buckling up his seat belt and shifting his to-go box in his lap. His voice had the mannerisms of a gay person, I don't judge anyone. He was taking about how he met an old friend from high school. Being nosy and asked his age, after all he didn't look old enough to be at an IHOP at 1am. "21", he replied. Boy, was I wrong!! J went on to say that because of his condition he doesn't make friends; with my baby I thought I knew exactly what he was talking about.
I said that I knew what he was talking about because my son has social problems by having Asperger's. "I have Asperger's", J replied," I moved away and went to 2 different high schools and came back to Memphis, I hate Memphis but my mom lives here". He went on to say that people were totally ignorant to handicapped people and he felt like an outcast. Inside my heart went out to him, I KNEW exactly the pain he encounters. People are cruel, and my son is not alone in his plight. His ride ended in his driveway then he asked for a hug. When someone NEEDS a hug, a genuine show of empathy, I will be there. I gladly hugged this 10 year old's neck even just for a second I hope he felt my sorrow that the world has dished out to him. I wished him well on his persuites of acting. I thought of him and Sydney the rest of the night.

Today, Sandy's reality world kicked back in, and she erupted and nearly wiped out the human race.

My phone emitted ringing I swear from 5am till I got up at 2ish. Sydney came in on two occasions saying that he had testing. I told him, "NO, not till tomorrow, go look in my black book" aka:my brain. I laid in bed not being able to go back to sleep then rolled out of bed. OK, I'M UP, DON'T ASK FOR NOTHING, DON'T TALK TO ME, WHAT NO COFFEE??? EVERYONE DIES. I  want a cigarette, but hey, cancer cures that doesn't it? So I grab my JUUL and walk out the back door with the dogs. I looked at my phone and see that I have 8 messages. I wasn't dreaming that it was going off. As I start listening to messages Sydney's phone goes off and no body answers back.......URG. 2 calls from my insurance company, yeah, I know, I owe you $34.00, Sydney's therapist, there is a support meeting today did I know about it? No, of course not. Then, "we are waiting for Sydney at the hotel for his testing"......Now I KNOW I got an e-mail for testing to start tomorrow. Then my phone rings and they said they will wait, now somewhere in there I had thrown 5 hotdogs in a pan to boil, I told Sydney to change shirts, grab a hotdog and lets go. On the way there I call my insurance and was ready to give them my card number to pay that $34.00. Why was there another charge? "Someone called and changed the policy", "WHO?"" Don't know". "So your policy is cancelled and a check was mailed to you for $202.00", I have had this insurance company for 8 years and now I'm pissed off. 3 vehicles and am paying 1200.00 every 3 months is plain stupid and I told her so, click, I hung up. Then my phone rings, "I'm almost there" click, that little red button became my friend. I'm skipping medicine tonight in favor for a glass of my favorite wine. It's screw-top and good. My bandages come off tomorrow from surgery. Sydney is staying at his dads so that he can take him for testing. Morning appointment to another insurance company and then to Jonesboro Baptist.

Snake, Rain, and Friends

Saturday April 21,2018 time:1953
Sydney has befriended a few kids in the neighborhood, I hope that they don't become another heartache for him, I don't think he could handle it. He was taking his prized possessions of masks and clawed Freddy hands and showing the kids, they in return pumped up his flat bike tire and they rode around. It was nice to see him play and be happy for once. His new medication, as far as I can tell has not made a difference yet and maybe it takes time to get into his system.
I was sleeping after I took a few extra strength Tylenol when Sydney informed me that I had to get up and see the snake that almost killed Rachel (our 5 year old Border Collie). He ran outside and I heard banging. He got a 5 foot blue racer, I had ran into one of these snakes before and looked it up, the light blue shading gives it its name. Later I fixed his dinner, ran dish water and he did dishes while I one handedly made a mocha latte.
Rain is expected tonight and I'm glad that the newly planted seeds will get off to a good start.
I have been doing what little strengthening exercises to my hand and today my hand aches (thus the Tylenol and Flexeril) while still wrapped in this bandage I am excited that Wednesday I get it taken off if only to see what it looks like. I thought that the pain would take my attention away from my neck but the pain is not that bad, just achy so my neck still has consumed my demeanor of life.

Kum&Go Has the Best Coffee Bar Ever

Tuesday April 17,2018 time: 2331
Sydney was sound asleep when I woke for my 0330 alarm. When I got home from the hospital he was amazed at my surgically wrapped Popeye muscle sized hand. He is the loving empathetic son to me that doesn't often go beyond the boundaries of our house and even those times can be sporadic. He wants to help, he wants the approval of others because his illness doesn't allow for many friends, if any. By keeping him somewhat isolated from the public I'm protecting his fragile ego that has shown tenancies for suicide  because of rejection from others. I also feel that he could hurt others from the bullies pushing him over the edge and causing great harm to others. I could say that he is a threat to me, but he is not, even after he pulled out a machete from me yelling at him then pushing him back one time. I was furious at him and never"felt" in danger. I cry for him and the rejection that ignorant people have towards the Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Just as "senility" was labeled in past times to  elderly people who probably had Alzheimer disease or Parkinson's, maybe in another 20 years everyone will know the devastating affects and effects this disease has on the inflicted, their families, and the outside world in which they try so desperately to fit in.

I drove to Colt and met Jim and let him drive. He had a large cup of coffee that had my mouth watering, so I just turned up the XM Love songs station and sang most of the way there to Jonesboro. I got checked in @ 0545 for my 0600 check in time (I am never the one to be late for appointments).
The outpatient surgery center was a well oiled, friendly staff, who were ready to start their day. After the lets play 100 questions game with each person who walked into my staging curtained partition, Dr Li showed up all cheery in street clothes and drew all over my hand. I was having OPEN carpal tunnel release this is a good video of 5 minutes long to see what is done 

and she took the surgical marker and drew her landmarks that lined up half way through my palm from the ring finger to my wrist, roughly 2 1/2-3" long. She said she was going to use dissoluble sutures, steri-strips, and skin glue for closure. Fine by me, Can I get a side order of liposuction on my inner thighs too?
Where's my coffee?
Here comes  anesthesiology and pushes his magic through the port, I made it about 30 seconds before La La land kicked in.
I woke with a gal getting my BP, and 02 sat, (oxygen level with finger monitor for you non-medical people) and felt some pain in my palm but immediately was tickled happy that the sharp pain in my thumb was gone!!! I begin to wiggle my numb fingers and felt the pain down through the ring finger palm where  Dr Li drew her hangman stick figures earlier. I asked her  how it looked and she said that it was really tight in there and was a mess but all went well. I am to keep bandages on 24/7 for 10 days, take my T3 (Tylenol 3 with Codeine) if needed an she gave me a return check up date. I asked when the other one could be done and she said in a month. After all I wasn't going to get my neck fusion done for at least 2 months.
I was wheeled down to the car where Jim  was waiting with VERY EXPLICIT directions to go to Kum & Go up the street for my coffee extraordinaire concoction of:1/2 cup Mocha Charger topped with 1/4 house coffee, topped with 1/4 whipped cream and a long shot of raspberry flavoring. When I gave up smoking I packed on 30#, good thing there are no Kum & Go's by my place for an hour! I slept with a round towel under my neck and the seat back all the way back to Colt. He went home and I drove myself back home. I was awake for an hour, took a T3 and slept 10 hours. It's time for a pain pill and off to bed again.

April 15th is Two Days Late

Monday April 16, 2018  time: 2334
Today I made Sydney go outside and tackle the yard with the lawn mower for the second time in his young life. He has great anxiety about running over elevated stumps in the back yard and took my thin rebar yard stakes and plotted them where the stumps were. If I had a notion I could have taken a can or two of spray paint and played connect the dots. He saw the destruction I caused at the last mowing of the season last fall, I bent that $17.00 mulching blade as if it was on that reality show about forging metals and proceeding to bend it like it was butter; I did such a good job that the blade touched the ground before the back high wheels did! His anxiety was so high he was shaking and then proceeded to the shed to get the double sided saw-toothed cycle type weed whacker. Sure it's old, but he whacked those weeds in delight if it meant that mom wouldn't blow a fuse over another bend mower blade. She's such a mean woman. He currently is in his room and I hear his wanna-be Dremmel that he got for Christmas whirling, probably making Frankenstein's monsters nephews (I'm sure there is an apostrophe in there somewhere).

I received a few calls today, one telling me that the taxes were ready to sign and the CPA needed my CDL#, issue and expiration date, something new, and probably will get a refund in 6 months from now like last year with the identity crap we went through  http://www.wmcactionnews5.com/story/14321589/police-say-atoka-resident-could-be-tied-to-id-theft-in-8-states. The other call was from the hospital telling me that I had to check in at 6am-yes, yes, yes, crap. An hour and a half drive, leaving at 4am, AND NO COFFEE, I'm praying I don't hurt anybody. So like an idiot I made 3 peppermint  mocha latte's and I'm downing the last one and have 8 minutes to go. NPO (Nothing Past Midnight), Hibba Cleanse shower two times and sleep on freshly washed linen. No problem, right? Not in Sandy's world.
 I have been having a problem with the washer that was generously given to me by my maternal aunt, that was used by my niece, that was used in Michigan, Springfield, MO., Billings, MO., and now Crime City USA, Arkansas. Within the last month Sydney and I went somewhere and came home to a flooded kitchen. Kitchen you ask? Because in 1964 when this young house was erected ( I was born that same year and so I feel better when I say young), not many people owned dryers and my dryer was in a closeted area under the porch outside and the washer sits in the kitchen next to the fridge (feeling kind of English-like). So following instructions I stripped my bed of sheets, blankets, pillow cases, oh and heck lets just do the bathroom while I'm at it, so both the fabric curtain and fabric liner come off the shower/tub, towel off the rack, bathroom rug and shower mat I step on when I get out of the shower. Mind you, this is in a heaping volcanic mound in my tiny kitchen, then I hear IT. You know, that sound when that something isn't sounding the way it should? Water, I hear water hitting the floor. Noooooooooo, Flashbacks of 20 towels sopping up soapy water appeared in my brain in under 1/10 of a second. I'm in no-way bashing the generosity of my family, but I HATE THAT WASHER! It has a locking lid and in order to stop a cycle you have to hold a button down for 8 years and 3 seconds. I'm standing in water and the water had already run to the back door and was pooled up all along the wooden cabinets. So like the adrenaline of Dr David Banner I ripped up that lid like it was popping out a Pez candy to a starving child in China. Let the bailing of water begin and ordering of parts to replace the lid lock. There is a big pile on the back porch of soggy towels and a mink blanket, kitchen rug, EIEIO. And if that was not enough the calcium citrate the doc has me taking has a wicked bathroom side affect, https://www.everydayhealth.com/drugs/calcium-citrate   Now between Sydney and I the toilet overflowed as Sydney is yelling through the door for a plunger, of which we don't have, a trip to Fred's down the road produced this massive plastic accordian plunger that could easily be used for a PeeWee bat. 4am, and no coffee? Really?

Schooling Hands

Thursday, April 12, 2018
Sydney stayed a long weekend at his fathers home. Not just for a visit but to give me a break, and to help his dad do some work on his shed house by helping him with drywall. Sydney also was excited that he didn't have to do any school work since his father doesn't have internet. When I went to pick him up he declared he found an old internet dish and circuit board that he wanted to bring home. Against my strict no protest due to his hoarding tendencies, he agreed that it would be better left at his dads place for later retrieval that would give him something to do. While gone he had gotten his new math book in the mail for his home school classes. I spoke with his school today and discussed that the new IEP would show the new curriculum. Once I looked at the book I knew immediately that the math was still outside my son's ability to reason with numbers. After all, fractions are only used in cooking, right?
My trip to the Jonesboro hospital was sorrow filled. With Jim and Sydney in tow I wanted them to be present so that they could hear what my limitations would be and how they could help me after surgery. With all pre-op work done in Forrest City I was shocked to hear that the Jonesboro hospital wanted all testing redone at their hospital. Either way, My wonderful neurology surgeon gave me a crushing blow when she said my bones, according to the DEXA scan were too brittle to hold in plates and screws at this time.I just broke down and cried; I'm in such unbelievable pain, and you tell me I have to keep on being strong? In less than a year I've gone from the feeling of numbness in the front of my arms to not being able to move my head or sleep throughout the night due to pain waking me, and you're telling me to suffer more? How much worse this can get I don't know. I'm already on 50,000 IU's (international units) of Vitamin D, now also on 1,000 mg of calcium citrate twice a day. However, she proceeded to do carpal tunnel testing right there (the nerve conduction study shows bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome) and asked me to do several resistant exercises, my left thumb couldn't resist her at all and was predominately weaker than the right.Voice command program works well- o.k. most of the time. Tuesday I go in for my left hand carpal tunnel release.
And absolutely not doc, I will not eat cottage cheese.