Update again, running in place like the Red Queen

Just a quick update...unfortunately Yin died about six months ago from a fast growing large mass in her intestines. It was hard but particularly hard on Stan. We now have a 6 mo. old female named Chi, who is crazy in her own particular way. Yang was very upset for quite awhile, but is growing to love her...big brother, little sister...

By the way...

Yin and Yang will be with us for 2 years at Christmas. Here's what they look like now: On the left are Yin and Yang. on the right, Yang is protecting Yin.

Catch Up for a long dry spell

I've been doing a lot of "work" since I last blogged: I've been painting, working out at the gym, dropping 56 lbs.taking Tai Chi Classes, and generally trying to get myself healthy. It's been working, and I'm no longer taking so much medication. It looks like 2009 is going to be the year that I go back to Peru...

Just for fun... Thanks Elaine

For those of you who need a little therapy today.

20 Ways to Maintain a Healthy Level of Insanity :

1. At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and point a Hair Dryer At Passing Cars. See If They Slow Down.

2. Page Yourself Over The Intercom. Don't Disguise Your Voice.

3. Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something, Ask If They Want Fries with that.

4. Put Your Garbage Can On Your Desk And Label It "In."

5. Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks. Once Everyone has Gotten Over Their Caffeine Addictions, Switch to Espresso.

6. In The Memo Field Of All Your Checks, Write "For Smuggling Diamonds"

7. Finish All Your sentences with "In Accordance With The Prophecy."

8 Don t use any punctuation

9. As Often As Possible, Skip Rather Than Walk.

10. Order a Diet Water whenever you go out t o eat with a serious face.

11. Specify That Your Drive-through Order Is "To Go."

12. Sing Along At The Opera

13. Go To A Poetry Recital And Ask Why The Poems Don't Rhyme

14. Put Mosquito Netting Around Your Work Area And Play tropical Sounds All Day.

15. Five Days In Advance , Tell Your Friends You Can't Attend Their Party Because You're Not In The Mood.

16. Have Your Co-workers Address You By Your Wrestling Name, Rock Bottom.

17. When The Money Comes Out The ATM, Scream "I Won!, I Won!"

18. When Leaving The Zoo, Start Running Towards The Parking lot, Yelling "Run For Your Lives, They're Loose!!"

19. Tell Your Children Over Dinner. "Due To The Economy, We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go."

20. And The Final Way To Keep A Healthy Level Of Insanity.......Send This E-mail To Someone To Make Them Smile.

It's Called Therapy

14 January to Now: 2 May 2007

• Sorry that I haven't kept up with this blog, but I'm going to be able to do better now.
  
  
• I've been through what I hope is the last operation...the one on my left leg. The good news is that the right leg is healing, and it looks like the left will also. I won't be off the walker until June though.
  
  
• I've taken on the responsibility of working up a Red Hat Chapter until the Fall. So far it's fun, especially since I know it is for a short duration. It's going to be fun this coming week where two other groups are meeting where we are, one on the same day but earlier, and the other the next day. If the purple hat I ordered is in, I'll go to the three, just for fun.
  
  
• I'm off for now... I'm going to work up a quick knitted hat in purple!

From October to Now

Much has happened since my last entry... I had the operation on my right leg, and the Doctor made one mistake... based on my mentioning that I regularly took Vicodin, he doubled the amounts of morphine and Oxycontin. The orders got mixed up, and the nurses also cut the time of medication in half. I was getting a double dose in half the time. Of course I went into a coma as I had in July. a week later, when they stopped the meds, I was OK, but as the doctor said: "we almost lost you". Believe me, it won't happen again!

So, anyway, I had to detox, which was a lot of fun for three days, and now am narcotic free, awaiting the next operation. It's necessary because the left leg isn't healing as it should. It will happen in about ten weeks, which gives the right leg time to heal (it is healing, yeah!). I'll be able to take normal doses of painkillers.

Of course that's not all I have going on in my life. Granted I watch a lot of the Discover, Science and History channels on TV, and reading lots of Mystery novels, and trying to read a new genre... Alternate History. I work on my laptop from bed, I try to get into my office to work on Adopt a Grandparent, and other stuff, but it's much harder on my legs. I get out of the bedroom, and get dressed every day, and my PT is now based on improving the muscles in both legs so I'll recover walking ability as soon as I can.

Oh, and the most important thing: Stan and I gave each other two Siamese Kittens for Christmas. We picked up Yin (female) and Yang (male) on Christmas day.Yin is the top one, Yang below. They are now entering their 13Th week, and are developing personalities. They are training us well. I'm convinced that my blood pressure is down because Yang always sits on my lap. Yin favors Stan...she knows who feeds her. She goes up against his leg, and flops over on her back so Stan can scratch her belly. She has him trained, and Yang has me trained to pet him while he's in my lap.

As you might be able to see, I also bowed to pressure from Stan I colored my hair. After three months I still can't get used to it, and will be going throughout the months needed to grow my own hair out. It's something to do while waiting for, having, and recuperating from the next surgery.

Up to Now...October

I don't remember if I told y'all that what they think I have is called OSTEOPETROSIS which is where your bones get too dense, and break rather than bend. It's sort of the opposite of osteoporosis. It is considered a rare disease by the National Institute of Health... they say that only 1 in 20,000 get it. It's hereditary. They suspect that I could break more bones (ick!)

So now my left leg is healed enough so that I've gone back to visit the surgeon, J. Dean Cole, MD. in Orlando. Dr. Cole, it turns out, invented the pin and screw that I have in my left leg. He doesn't say anything bad about how the first one (the right) was done, only that it will fail, and he'd rather operate before that happens, although he can handle it if it's after.

We're now looking at the end of November, because my left leg will be strong enough so that I'll be able to use a walker while the right leg heals.

On top of this is the fun of being totally off prednisone, which means that the arthritis and fibromyalgia, from which I hadn't suffered, is coming on strong, because prednisone is also an anti-inflammatory.

I'm so lucky, though, I have a whirlpool (hot tub, spa, whatever they are called), so my usual routine begins with a soak, then breakfast. If I'm up for it, I have weights that I can wear in the spa, and exercises I can do. They are much easier in the water. And a lot more fun.

I hate Physical Therapy: I've been doing some form of it most of my life, however this time I've found a terrorist with a sense of humor, who is a trekker, builds small rockets for a hobby, and does stained glass windows for another hobby. Most wonderful is that I feel better after my hour of out-patient PT than when I went in! They are are a new, sort of, group called Highlands Rehab. They actually worked for another group who decided to pull out of our county, and these three or four decided to stay here and open up their own shop. Greg, my terrorist is now working with Al and Shana, and another lovely lady whose name I don't know. Usually I feel better when I leave than when I come...

So now it's working daily at getting better, getting Adopt a Grandparent straight, and doing email. I'm also struggling with a painting... I'm about ready to white it over and start again. I'm also working on knitting a felted bag, a cotton top, and an afghan to donate to the Martincitos.

The weather is cooling off as well, so I believe I'd like to start walking outside (still on the walker), and at least, I can sit on our "LANAI", a Florida term from Hawaii which means screened in porch.

So I have lots I can do, the trouble is simply getting the energy to do any of them. I'm writing this on my Palm Pilot, for transfer later, which means I'm still in bed and it's almost lunch time. No real problem, though, I have gotten up, and gotten dressed, and am doing this.

My thoughts are with all of you who read this. Thank you. Please write to me at "paralipa@yahoo.com", so I can keep in touch. It’s great that I have all these things to do, but, for me, the most important thing is to stay in touch with my friends. Please write.

PAMELA'S "HOW I BROKE MY LEG" EXCUSE LIST

1. I was swinging from a trapeze and missed the person I was supposed to be connecting with.
2. I was bungee jumping with a 20-foot cord. Unfortunately, the cliffwas only nineteen feet high.
3. I was leaping out of a seventh-story window without my red cape andthe "S" on my chest.
4. I was trying to play Twister while white-water rafting.
5. I was trying out for the skateboarding X-Games.
6. I was jumping out of a plane without a parachute.
7. I was playing that game of "not stepping on the seams on the floor".
8. I was doing the shoo-fly (or is that "shoe fly"?) shuffle.
9. I was executing a perfect jete in my tutu, but I forgot to tell Stan he was supposed to catch me!!
10. I was searching for a way to return to the loving care of the hospital.
11. I ran over my leg with a motorcycle.
12. A refrigerator fell on me.
13. I was feeling well enough for a day trip so Stan and I went up toVermont to attend the hot-air balloon festival in Quechee.Unfortunately, in an attempt to capture a great picture, I fell into the gorge and had to be "air-lifted" back to the comfort of my home hospital. The balloons were beautiful though........
14. After many days in the hospital, I decided to get some sun and relax near the water. As I was dozing off, I heard a clicking noise on the tile. I dazedly looked out of the corner of my eye to see a huge (are there any other kind?) crocodile heading for me. I jumped up to run and fell over the dog. The barking of the dog distracted the crocodile and brought Stan running. He manfully chased the crocodile away and carried me into the house to await the ambulance as I had broken myleg.
15. I was bored, went parasailing, and missed the landing.
16. I was playing hopscotch with the neighbor kids.
17. Okay, I admit it; I hated walking with that damn cane and decided todo something about it!
18. While camping in the Adirondacks, I was surprised by a bear. In my attempt to get out of his path, I tripped over a large rock and crashed into a bear-proof garbage can. I quickly realized that while it might be bear-proof, it wasn't Paralikis-proof. I fell into the can head first. My legs were left on the outside of the can - which was okay until the can tipped over and began to roll down the side of the mountain. In the course of rolling along, my leg decided to go one way while the can and the rest of my body went another way. You can hear more if you go to the local diner where everyone is still talkingabout the tourist whose leg got away.
19. Knowing that I like to be adventurous and try new things, I recently joined an acrobatic water skiing team. You may have seen something like us at large aquatic amusement parks and festivals. While my background experience was limited, the coach realized that I was the one that could accomplish one of the most terrifying tasks - being the top of the five-row water skiing pyramid. My team and I had been performing for a few weeks. The crowds had been totally tantalized by our abilities. When we went by, it was my job to wave from high atop my perch and to unfurl a sign. Typically it was a simple stunt and all was well, but this time....when the winds came up, caught the sign, which went flying out of my hands and flew out across the lake. It floated downwardand landed across the face of the boat driver blinding him. He swerved erratically which of course threw the pyramid off balance. Meanwhile the boat was headed for the water ramp; and as you might suspect, the bottom skiers went up the ramp and flew through the air. I left the pyramid about midway up the ramp. After doing a great swan dive, I landed 25 yards away on the back of a ski jet. Unfortunately, when I landed I forgot to "assume the position" and instead of squatting had legs straight out. As my foot hit I heard a bone snap and well, the rest is history. (There was a rather nice write up in the local paper completewith color picture. I have been told that I can't return this season but they'll keep my spot open for me for next year.)
20. I was trying to break up a barroom fight.
21. All I wanted was a small dish of Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey ice cream and, being the independent soul that I am, was trying to get it myself. Of course the pint container had fallen to the bottom of our new small chest freezer. While stretching to reach it, I lost my balance and fell head first into the freezer with the freezer door dropping onto myflailing legs......I can't wait to get home and have Stan bring me someof that ice cream......
22. I wanted to have a new way to test the airport security people and see if they could find the rod in my leg with their metal detecting wands.
23. I was table dancing and when the man at the table stood up his ----caught the edge of the table...well, you know.

There are a number of these that will be used in everyday explanations... so many could have been true! There is no way I could choose award winners from all this creative input, so an honorary bandaid to all who entered... BTW, you can still send more to either Mary or me, or even just comment here.

Thanks everyone.